Penguin Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780143770527
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Towards the end of World War II, in the
weeks prior to the Allied invasion of Europe, a crew assembles to
fly a mighty Lancaster bomber over Germany.
Eighteen year old Jack and some fellow New Zealanders are crewed
with an Australian, a Pole and an English pilot and the reader is
taken on their fearful journey from being assigned to a squadron to
flying their first operations.
This is a first rate story comprising genuine characters behaving
realistically under trying circumstances within a narrative
framework based on excellent research. The military service of New
Zealanders is seldom encountered in Australian literature beyond the
World War I ANZAC experience and it is refreshing to read this
historically accurate presentation.
Crews serving in the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command suffered
appallingly with a 44 percent death rate from falling to enemy fighters,
flak and flying accidents. Jack and his mates understand the
importance of their service, especially in terms of destroying the
launching pads for the V1 and V2 unmanned rockets or flying bombs
which caused massive and indiscriminate casualties and destruction
in British cities.
This is not a simplistic war story depicting heroes defeating an
evil enemy however. The Allied crew members reveal complex
perspectives concerning their role in the war. Stefan, the Polish
co-pilot harbours a deep hatred for all Germans after his sisters
were brutalised and his family murdered. Other airmen acknowledge
that decent German people suffer similarly for opposing the regime.
Jack, as the bomb aimer, is tormented in the knowledge that the bombs
he drops will possibly kill innocent civilians including women and
children. The author avoids allowing both the crew and the reader to
have parochial blinkers by creating an unavoidable situation.
Manning one of the Lancaster's machine guns, Jack defends the
aircraft against an enemy fighter and must reconcile having
personally killed the pilot beyond doubt. Other incidents in the
book also carefully prompt consideration of the value of human life
on a level which surpasses mere identification of which nation's
uniform is worn.
Off duty moments are portrayed realistically with the crews being
exhausted, anxious and bored and a romantic interest helps maintain
an optimistic faith that life will return to normal in the near
future.
This author is to be commended for writing a worthy story which
understands and respects the heroic airmen who showed immense
courage and fortitude flying in operations over Germany. Sadly their
service was not acknowledged by the British Military to the degree
that it ought to have been after the war.
Rob Welsh
Gecko's echo by Lucy Rowland
Ill. by Natasha Rimmington. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408859506
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Animals. Families. Breeding. Rhyming story.
Underlining the adage of strength in numbers, mother Gecko in
protecting her eggs from the marauding thieves, needs to get help
from other geckos in her neighbourhood.
Told in rhyme, the story begins with the mother Gecko waiting for
her eggs to hatch, sweeping the area in front of her cave. The next
morning a snake slithers by, seeing a gecko and licking his lips at
the thought of gecko eggs for breakfast. But Gecko warns him that
she has one hundred other geckos inside her cave ready to come to
her aid at a shout. He quickly leaves. Similarly an eagle thinks
eggs would be a good feed and is told the same thing, flying away.
But when a rat calls wanting those eggs, he is not so easily fooled
by her threats, and takes a step closer. Children will laugh out
loud at the way the mother gecko protects her eggs, and be charmed
by her bravery.
Told in rhyming couplets the verse lends itself to children
predicting the rhyming word at the end of the couplet, while
learning some of the verses will be an easy task. Following the path
of the eggs from egg shapes to cracking open to reveal new baby
geckos will be a natural way for classes and families to talk about
babies, birth and family increase. The illustrations add
another level of humour to the tale and counting the one hundred
geckos on the middle double page will keep many children amused for
quite a while.
Fran Knight
King Flashypants and the creature from Crong by Andy Riley
Hodder Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781444929607
When is the recommendation of 50 serves of vegies a day a good
thing? When you are king and not very old you need someone to help
you run the kingdom, some advice is good and some not so good, like
the recommendation everyone should have 50 serves of vegies every
day. Read this thrilling adventure to find the answer.
King Edwin Flashypants sets off to prove he is a proper king by
defeating the terrifying monster that gets bigger and grows more
eyes every time someone tells the story of it. King Edwin
Flashypants with his adviser and friend set off to save Edwinland and
prove that he is the rightful king. Emperor Nurbison on the other
hand is trying to do everything in his power to ensure King Edwin
Flashpnats is unsuccessful in his quest. King Edwin Flashypants and
his group encounter a number of trials along their journey and they
need to use their team work to try and overcome, while Emperor
Nurbison does his best to ensure that King Edwin Flashypants is not
successful. Who will triumph to become the rightful king of
Edwinland?
A funny story written in a way that will appeal to readers of
various reading abilities, it will have everyone laughing.
Karen Colliver
My friend Ernest by Emma Allen
Ill. by Hannah Sommerville. Angus & Robertson, 2017. ISBN
9781460750544
It is the first day of school and Oscar has put his brave on along
with the knight's shining helmet from the big dress-up box. But just
as he goes to get the shield he is shoved out of the way by a kid
who snatches the dragon tail. A knight and a dragon are traditional
enemies and so it seems to be the case again. Oscar is intimidated
by this scary dragon-child and even though he acts brave he's not
really. Seeking shelter in the cubby he finds a princess who is
hiding from the crocodiles and then in comes the dragon.
This is a story that was probably reflected in most of the schools
around Australia just three or four weeks ago as the newest bunch of
big-schoolers began their new adventure. No matter how big and brave
and fearless they were on the outside, they were just little
five-year-olds in a big new world on the inside. While in those
traditional scenarios Oscar would have slain that dragon, in this
story he faces his fears. He tells the dragon he is not afraid of
him but when they come face to face he is able to articulate that he
is a little bit scared and why. Rather than hiding behind his fears
and perhaps not having the best start to school because he makes
Ernest scarier than he is, Oscar learns that acknowledging them and
facing them can lead to something much better. He also learns that
just as he is hiding his concerns behind the knight's outfit, others
might also be hiding behind a brave face and that taking the time to
dig a little deeper can lead to some rewarding and fun times.
From the front cover, Sommerville's illustrations bring this text to
life - young children will know immediately that this is going to be
about two little boys - one a knight, the other a dragon and thus
destined for conflict. But there is also a clue to the outcome in
the title - the main character is Oscar but the book is called My
Friend Ernest.
Even though the beginning of term is slipping away into the memory,
this would be a timely book to read to children and remind them of
how they were feeling back then and how far they have already come
in conquering their fears and how brave they are and can be. Life is
going to be tricky at times - just how tricky depends on how we deal
with the twists and turns.
Barbara Braxton
Frogkisser by Garth Nix
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293512
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Humour. What a delight to
pick up another fantasy by Garth Nix. He is one of my favourite
authors and I was not disappointed in this hilarious, thought
provoking and stirring fantasy adventure. Princess Anya is on a
quest to rescue a frog, who is not a frog but a prince who has been
turned into one by Anya's evil stepstepfather because he was in love
with Anya's sister, Morven. She is rather reluctant to move from the
library where she is comfortably ensconced, learning some magic
tricks, but she has made a 'sister promise' and knows that she will
have to do something about Prince Denholm. Accompanied by Ardent,
one of the Royal Dogs, she travels through the Kingdom of Trallonia,
trying to get the ingredients she needs to make a lip balm to use
when kissing the frog.
The humour is so infectious. I laughed out loud every time Gerald
the Herald (one of many) appeared and the news that he gave about
Anya was hilarious. Even the nickname Frogkisser will make the
reader chuckle as Anya valiantly goes on her quest. She meets many
strange creatures on the way, like the thief turned into a newt and
an otter turned into a strange being, as well as a princess turned
wizard, and many many frogs. I loved the Royal Dogs as will any
person who is a dog lover.
Underlying the fun of Anya's quest, is her gradual understanding of
responsibility. She is a princess, with many privileges, but she
begins to realise that with privilege comes an obligation to do the
right thing for her people. Although I waited for a prince to come
along for Anya, Nix didn't fall into the trap of having her kiss a
frog and find her true love – instead he concentrates on her
personal growth and quest. This is very refreshing.
There are some unexpected twists and turns all making for a very
enjoyable tale. In his acknowledgements at the end Nix
mentions Robin McKinley, Diana Wynne Jones and Lloyd Alexander among
others as influences on his work, and readers who have enjoyed works
by these authors are sure to enjoy Frogkisser as well. And if they
are not familiar with those authors then readers will be in for a
treat if they try books written by them.
Pat Pledger
Melling sisters triology by Robin Klein
Text Classics. Text, 2017. All in the Blue Unclouded Weather. ISBN 9781925498325 Dresses of Red and Gold. ISBN 9781925498332 The Sky in Silver Lace. ISBN 9781925498349
(Age: 11+) Recommended. It is time for a new generation to fall in
love with the four Melling sisters as they grow up in post-war
Australia. Robin Klein's heart-warming trilogy follows their trials
and tribulations as they embrace the realities of small country town
and city life. Each novel focuses on different events in Grace,
Heather, Cathy and Vivienne's lives, as they develop their own
identities, explore friendships, build relationships and creatively
address their family's financial worries. All in the Blue Unclouded Weather introduces life in rural
Wilgawa, with their father away prospecting and a rather forgetful
mother, the sisters creatively learn to live within their means. The
youngest sister Vivienne has a vivid imagination; she escapes into
the creative worlds of poetry and literary figures. She hates
hand-me-down clothes and shoes and longs to visit wealthier Majorie
Powell's beautiful house. The sisters argue, bicker and constantly
long to be in a better social class. Klein's attention to detail -
Grace's debutante dresses, cooking disasters, coping with the
O'Keefe family, cousin Isobel's flights of fancy and her depth of
insight into small town ways make the stories come to life.
The second novel, Dresses of Red and Gold, oldest sister
Grace leaves to work in the city and study dressmaking, while the
other sisters continue to cope with their dire financial
constraints. Vignettes of family life include scary stories of the
bogeyman, Heather's visits to cheer up the elderly, Aunt Ivy's
meddlesome visit and Cath's aversion to being a bridesmaid. Dad's
reappearance also is a cause for concern. The Sky in Silver Lace concludes the trilogy, with the
Mellings forced to move to the city, moving from place to place
whilst waiting for the Housing Commission apartment. Heather and
Cathy win places at a special girl's only secondary school; however,
they are mortified at wearing second-hand uniforms. Viv's scared of
city life; she is lonely and wants to make new friends. There is a
sense of sadness that pervades this story, each sister has grown,
changed and proved their reliance in coping with all the stresses of
their family misfortunes.
Robin Klein's novels are insightful, displaying another time when
children and teenagers used their creativity, imagination and
resourcefulness to cope without the material pleasures and today's
technology.
Rhyllis Bignell
Remind me how this ends by Gabrielle Tozer
Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9781460751688
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Relationships. Grief. Decision-making.
Milo has finished school, but doesn't know where his life is headed.
His long-term girlfriend has moved away to study and she now has a
whole new life and a circle of 'friends' that do not include him.
His parents are persistently on his back to encourage him to make a
decision about the direction in his life... to overcome the lack of
direction in his life. And into this turmoil of uncertainty about
what the future will bring comes Layla. Layla is returning to the
small town of her childhood, where she was well known and had grown
up until her life was torn apart by the loss of her mother in a
dreadful accident. Still grieving, and struggling in a relationship
that is complicated by her tangled past, she blows back into town
and reconnects with Milo, her neighbour and friend from childhood.
Her vibrancy and spark ignites Milo in directions that he was not
expecting and gives them both a human anchor to hold onto as they
are buffeted by choices and decision-making.
Rich in the psychology of young relationships and the difficulties
of grieving well, and also in the angst and uncertainty of laying
the pathway to adulthood, this is a book that will appeal to young
readers. The text conversations between the main characters are
refreshing, with the humour laced with feistiness and the spark of
personality that is endearing. What seems an inevitable road in
their friendship has its own twists and turns, and you will wonder
along the way about how this will end - will there be tears, or is
this the start of something new? Gabrielle Tozer writes well for
older teens, and although her characters reflect teenage 'types',
they have their own unique ways of relating and interacting and
responding to their world. Set in a regional town, the weight of
expectations and the circumstances for teens who need to make big
decisions at a young age impact upon the direction of the
characters. This book demonstrates that many decisions can be
difficult and Tozer avoids giving neat and trite solutions to the
complexities that teens face.
Carolyn Hull
Pat-a-cake series
Hodder and Stoughton, 2017. ABC. ISBN 9781526380029 123. ISBN 9781526380050 Colours. ISBN 9781526380043 Animals. ISBN 9781526380036 On the Move. ISBN 9781526380012 Funny Faces. ISBN 9781526380005
(Age: 1-3) Recommended. 2017 has seen the release of six new
toddler's world learning board books from Pat-a-cake. Titled
ABC, 123, Colours, On the Move and Funny
Faces, each book is sturdy, vibrant, full of pictures and
ideal for very young children. Each page is filled with simple and
colourful illustrations paired with very simple wording. Pages are
thick and strong which is perfect for excited little hands. At the
end of each book, children are surprised with a large pop-up which
is a wonderful conclusion to each theme. Additionally, Funny
Faces has a 'look and laugh' mirror which is said to stimulate
baby's vision and help recognize the faces of the people they love.
Overall, the six books in the release are wonderful additions to a
toddler's library as they are excellent early learning resources.
Keely Coard
It's my pond by Claire Garralon
Translated by Sarah Ardizzone. Book Island, 2016. ISBN
9781911496021
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. It's My Pond follows a number of
different coloured ducks who claim 'it's my pond' until black duck
helps them realize that it can be everyone's pond.
With repetitive text, it can be used as a potential take-home reader
for slightly older ages, but additionally is a good resource for
children learning their colours and counting.
Keely Coard
Our (last) trip to the market by Lorin Clarke
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781925266962
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Market, Families, Shopping, Fruit and
vegetables, Humour. With the word 'last' shown as an addition in the
title, readers will be warned that chaos lurks inside.
Mum and her six kids go to the market to get some potatoes and stock
for their stew, but while there a range of things is looked at both
by mum and the kids, some of which invites unruly behaviour. They
see a clown and a dog, a bakery and a boy on his bike, a busker,
coffee, an organic shop with bags of lentils, cakes, lots of fruit,
particularly watermelon, a magic shop and a flower shop. But the
humour lies in what the children do while at the market. In rhyming
stanzas the tale unfolds with mum having to call them away from the
mayhem they are causing. The wonderfully lively illustrations show
them taking the clown's rabbit out of his hat, taking away the dog,
digging into the lentils, overturning the vases of flowers, until
mum calls them to order with a stompity stomp and they head for the
car to go to Grandma's place for tea. The rhymes reveal the range of
food stuffs at the market as well as incorporating the children's
names, Anouk, Maximilian, Annabelle, Serenity, Alexander and Sam
with ingenious rhymes. The contrast between the children's faces and
the faces of the long suffering market traders adds another level of
humour and a small joke at the end, first by the children, then by
mum, will further delight the audience. Vane's illustrations
underline the humour of the story, adding another set of things to
laugh at and follow as the story is read. And I love the watermelon
endpapers, keeping alive the presentation of fresh fruit and
vegetables available at the market, underscoring the work done in
the classroom about good food.
Fran Knight
Fox and the jumping contest by Corey R. Tabor
Balzer and Bray, 2016. ISBN 9780062398741
The animals are having a jumping contest - Elephant, Bear, Rabbit,
Turtle, Frog and Fox have all entered - and Fox is determined he
will win. He even imagines how good the trophy will look perched on
his mantlepiece.
But Fox isn't particularly good at jumping so he figures if that
trophy is going to have pride of place in his loungeroom he will
need a bit of assistance. So while the other animals practise, he
schemes and plans and builds. His solution? A jetpack that he paints
to match his fur hoping the other animals won't notice - so it is
clear that he knows he is cheating.
On the day of the contest with the bird judges all ready and perched
high in the branches the animals show their talents. Frog does well
and gets extra points for style; Turtle doesn't do as well and
Elephant less so. Bear was loud and Rabbit was spectacular. And then
it was Fox's turn . . .
This is a story with a twist, and it's a twist that can spark some
great discussion points which are perfect for getting young children
to start to think critically, to philosophise and to empathise. Fox
with his jetpack strapped to his back disappears so high in the sky
that the judges can't wait for him to return so they begin the
awards ceremony. But just as Rabbit is about to receive the trophy,
Fox falls back to Earth and plops into it and takes first place. The
final scene shows Fox standing back admiring the cup on his
mantlepiece, right where he had envisioned it would be.
But does Fox deserve it? Has he cheated? Were there written rules
about external assistance or were they just assumed? Why do we have
rules? How do the other animals feel about the win? What about
rabbit? Has there been fair play and sportsmanship? What is the
twist in that final scene and was it a reasonable way to solve the
problem? What does 'compromise' mean?
Careful exploration of the text, verbal and visual, offers a lot of
depth to this story and it deserves re-reading to get the most from
it. For example, Elephant doesn't mind that she cannot jump well
because she is "good at other things" and that in itself could
provoke another discussion about how we all have our strengths so
comparisons are not always fair. Even very young children have a
strong sense of justice and with the pictures enriching the words so
well with their extra detail and action there is much to examine and
ponder.
Life and literature are full of characters who are determined to win
regardless and this is a surprisingly good story that can introduce
even very young children to contemplate, at their own level, the
philosophical question of does the end justify the means and giving
them an opportunity to start thinking on a more abstract level, from
different perspectives and consider what is not being said.
One to get brains moving . . .
Barbara Braxton
Usborne illustrated traditional stories
Usborne 2016. ISBN 9781409596721
This is a collection of 17 stories from around the world that have
been passed on from generation to generation so they are now part of
our literature but which don't fit into the fairytale
classification. Stories like The Boy who Cried Wolf, The
Gingerbread Man, Baba Yaga and The Little Red Hen
sit alongside not-so-well-known ones like Tam Lin and The
Fisherman and the Genie.
With lovely illustrations throughout and with a luxury padded
hardback cover, this is one of those must-have volumes in your
teacher's toolkit that you can take out and share whenever there is
a spare minute or two, continuing the tradition of passing them on
to a new generation.
Newly independent readers will also enjoy them as the familiar
stories, larger font and short story format will make them an easy
bedtime read. This series is filling a niche for younger readers
that has been empty for some time.
Barbara Braxton
The Satanic mechanic by Sally Andrew
Text, 2016. ISBN 9781925355130
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
South Africa, Food. Tannie Maria is out of her depth. She cooks
beautifully, and often recommends recipes from her beloved Klein
Koroo and her family to her love lost correspondents at the Klein
Koroo Gazette where she works as the Dear Jane writer. The letters
she receives fill her with love for these people who have a need to
write to someone with their problems and her advice often begins and
ends with food. But she cannot solve her own problem. She has a
boyfriend, Detective Henk and they get along very well, particularly
after their involvement in the first of these novels, Recipes
for love and murder (2015). But try as she might, the final
act of love brings back so many painful memories of her abusive
husband who died some years before, that she cannot feel anything
but guilt and powerlessness at the thought.
She confesses this feeling and is advised to seek counseling and
ends up at an unusual PTSD group run by a man called the Satanic
Mechanic. Here the group sits in a circle in the middle of a laager
made by beat up rusting cars and vans grouped around a fire which
often holds food cooking for them to eat after each session, and
here they tell their stories. But someone is not who they seem, and
one man is killed during the evening.
The recent murder of a Bushman who took a mining company to stop the
desecration of their land, has caused anger amongst the community.
Detective Henk is investigating this murder and does not want Tannie
Maria to be involved, but with the death at the counseling group,
she is involved.
He breaks off their relationship because he cannot bear to see
another love die, and Tannie Maria accepts his decision.
But a last meeting at the PTSD group sees the resolution of the
murders and Tannie Maria at last confessing her guilt at her
husband's death.
This is a wonderful tale from South Africa, involving many
ingredients: a mining company and its plunder of Bushman land,
jealousy and guilt, counseling and PTSD. And above all, Tannie
Maria's marvelous recipes. The second book delves more into her back
story and brings this wonderful cook even closer to the readers.
Fran Knight
The stand-in by Steve Bloom
Carolrhoda Books, 2016. ISBN 9781512410235
(Age; 14+) Highly recommended. Bildungsroman. Brooks Rattigan is the
stand-in and the book's narrator. Desperate to be accepted into
Columbia University AND able to afford the fees, working class
Brooks founds his own business, escorting rich nerdy graduates to
their dances and formals. Celia Lieberman does not approve of the
date her parents have arranged and behaves much like Caterina in
Shakespeare's The taming of the shrew. The ending is thus
foreshadowed.
Complications arise when Brooks' best friend, The Murf, feels that
Brooks is abandoning his roots. He doesn't approve of Brooks' blind
ambition to attend the elite university, or his method of funding
it. Brooks' deadbeat father, himself a Harvard graduate, lets him
down and discourages him. Brooks is also attracted to a very
shallow, very beautiful high society girl. To make matters worse,
Shelby has a very jealous ex-boyfriend.
After a few initial spats, during which Celia is a very ungracious
date; she becomes the only person who is demonstrably supportive.
Both Celia and Brooks develop into the kind of friends who can rely
on each other. This is important because, much to our delight, no
two characters in fiction could possibly experience quite so much
bad luck.
Steve Bloom's concept is fresh and no doubt the movie rights have
already been secured. The characters and their relationships are
hilarious because Bloom knows exactly what they should do and say.
Brooks is sometimes inspiring - at others contemptible but we must
like him. We admire his grit to succeed in the face of failure - to
respect women yet exploit their situation at the same time. Most of
all we like that he falls for the one girl he started off hating.
Brooks Rattigan is a paradox and so are we.
Deborah Robins
Midnight at the zoo by Faye Hanson
Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9780763689087
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Faye Hanson's beautifully created,
intricately detailed and vibrant colourful illustrations add to the
delight of reading Midnight at the zoo.'
Max and Mia's class are off to the zoo for an exciting adventure.
They've studied the map presented at the beginning of the story and
hope to see the ring-tailed mongoose, the red pandas and the
flamingos.
In their loud animal print bedroom with the 'Explorashon HQ' tent,
the brother and sister prepare for their special day. They are
definitely animal fans; everything in their bedroom has a pattern or
design, from their backpacks to pyjamas. In the morning, Max and Mia
'trundle like elephants to the car, cling like monkeys' to say
goodbye to Mum and even nibble their early snacks like lemurs.
Twenty excited children and one wide-eyed teacher enter through the
zoo gates filled with excitement. 'But not the flick of a tail or
swish of a whisker can be seen.' After a very disappointing day, the
teacher leads her class towards the exit. Without a headcount,
eighteen students and the teacher board the bus, whilst two are left
behind. Max holds his sister Mia's hand and with a torch from his
backpack, they look for a way out. In front of them, a locked wooden
door appears; what are they going to do?
As the clock strikes midnight, they are welcomed into another world
filled with animated creatures, fiery fireworks and fantastic
scenes. They discover flouncing flamingos, mischievous monkeys,
lanterns illuminating laughing lemurs and kingly cats. Max and Mia's
fantastic night-time adventures end with a comforting sleep nestled
in the fur of a majestic lion and lioness. Daytime comes and as they
reunite with Mum, they cannot wait to share their amazing adventure.
Fay Hanson's lively story Midnight at the zoo is filled with
fun alliteration and with charming descriptions. At times, the blue
text is hard to read as it blends in to the black of the night
scenes. Teachers reading this to a class may question the ratio of
one adult to twenty excitable children and the idea that she did not
know about Max and Mia's problem! The story ends with a magnificent
midnight map of the zoo, fountains of fireworks, colourful costumes
and dancing animals are illuminated.
Rhyllis Bignell
