Aliens, ghosts and vanishings: Strange and possibly true Australian stories by Stella Tarakson
Ill. by Richard Morden. Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN
9781925324969
Australia really is a 'story country' and the tales, tall and true
that have been collected in this volume prove just how rich and
diverse this nation is. Even our unofficial national anthem focuses
on a ghost so why wouldn't there be a wealth of stories about
mythical creatures, mysterious locations, haunted places, UFO
sightings, bizarre disappearances and strange happenings?
From bunyips and yowies to Azaria Chamberlain and the disappearance
of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, this is a collection that will
absorb the lover of the weird, wonderful and utterly mysterious,
some familiar and others not so. Ostensibly for those 10 and over,
its clear format, short chapters and abundant illustrations will
appeal to any independent reader who is interested in finding out
more about the strange and unusual that this country has on offer.
As well as the stories themselves, there are pages with extra
information, and some of the sources the author used for her research
are included for those who wish to investigate further. Identified
as a Notable Book in the 2017 Eve Pownall Award for Information
Books, I know a couple of young readers who are going to be having
to do scissors-paper-rock to see who reads this one first.
Barbara Braxton
The Beach Shack Cafe by Belinda Murrell
Pippa's Island series, book 1. Penguin, 2017. ISBN
9780143783671
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Moving house, Islands,
Family life, School stories, Restaurants and cafes. Belinda
Murrell's enjoyable new series Pippa's Island celebrates
family, friendship and food, with the idyllic setting of Kira Island
providing wonderful opportunities for new experiences. Pippa
Hamilton and her family have left everything familiar behind in
London, their home, friends, schools, even their pet goldfish and
moved half way across the world. This island is where her mother
grew up and now Grandpa and Mimi are happy helping their
grandchildren settle in. Mum is busy renovating the old boatshed
into a bookshop cafe with an apartment upstairs. Pippa, her brother
Harry and younger sister Bella have to face the challenges ahead of
them, including sharing the cramped old caravan in their
grandparent's backyard.
Pippa's arrival in Mrs Marshall's fifth grade class causes some
problems, especially with Olivia who is usually top in Maths tests
and becomes jealous of her. Soon the newcomer forms friends with
'eco-warrior Meg, boho-chick Charlie, and fashionista and cupcake
baker Cici.' Pippa's quick thinking about their group project,
designing a quest game set in Africa draws the girls together; each
has useful skills to help in the construction and designing. Dance
lessons and kayaking in the bay prove challenging for Pippa, these
lessons are nothing like her activities in her London school, The Beach Shack Cafe is a rewarding read; Belinda Murrell's
novel portrays a cast of realistic characters facing the
difficulties and rewards of family and school life. As the community
draws together to make the opening of the bookshop cafe The Beach
Shack a success, this is a time of making new memories and delight
in new friendships and relationships. This is a fabulous
introduction to the Pippa's Island series and Book 2
promises more fun and adventures for the Sassy Sisters, Pippa, Meg,
Charlie and Cici.
Rhyllis Bignell
The girl who drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill
Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9781616205676 (hardback) ISBN
9781848126473 (Paperback)
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Locus Awards 2017. Newbery
Medal (2017), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee
(2018), Andre Norton Award Nominee for Young Adult Science Fiction
and Fantasy (2016). Every year a tiny baby is left in the forest as
an offering to the witch. The people of the Protectorate believe
that this is the only way to keep the witch from terrorizing their
town. But the reader soon discovers that the witch Xan, is not evil,
instead she collects up the abandoned baby, fills it with some
starlight and takes it to the other side of the forest where as a
Star Child it is loved and wanted. One year Xan takes a baby and
instead of the little girl being filled with starlight, she
accidentally is fed with moonlight and becomes enmagicked. Xan
decides to keep Luna the baby and together with her friends, Glerk
from the Bog and Fyrian, a tiny dragon, brings her up, but as her
magic grows wild, Xan is forced to lock it away until her 13th
birthday. As Luna approaches her 13th birthday, she finds that she
must protect her friends.
This is a beautifully woven story with fully realised characters,
from the witch Zan, who is loving and wise, to the sinister Sisters
in the tower and the elders of the town. I loved the little dragon
Fyrian whose personality brought many smiles to my face and worried
along side Luna's mother as she went mad with grief at the loss of
her daughter. The rich descriptions and the intrigue of the Elders
and the Tower will leave the reader breathless as they follow the
many characters who have been affected by the ghastly practice of
leaving a baby as a sacrifice.
As the many awards testify, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is
an outstanding fantasy and a must for every library. It would also
be a stunning read aloud in the classroom.
Pat Pledger
The hired girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9781406361407 (hardback) ISBN
9781406365931 (paperback)
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. A beautiful tale of adventure, love,
courage and religion. Set in 1911, Joan decides to begin a diary
documenting her life at Steeple Farm where she lives with her
abusive father and three unsympathetic brothers. Fourteen and
motherless, Joan is expected to do 'women's work' - cleaning,
cooking and washing the boys' clothes, day in and day out. A lover
of literature, her only friends are the strong female protagonists
of the books given to her by Miss Chandler, a teacher that Joan
greatly admires. Inspired by these women, Joan stands up to her
father, only for him to retaliate by burning the books she holds so
dear. Upon losing her most precious possessions, Joan decides that
she has had enough of this miserable life and, with all of the inner
strength she can muster, packs up her remaining few belongings, and
takes off on an adventure; determined to reinvent herself. She heads
to Baltimore, where she seeks work as a hired girl. Along the way
she finds hope, love, and a new meaning of family; and discovers
more about herself and the world as each day passes. Relatable,
empowering and beautifully written; this is not a novel that you
will easily forget. Joan's determination and perseverance makes her
a heroine whose heart-warming tale inspires all who read it. A
stunning story for book lovers everywhere - the type of novel that
makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and let yourself be
transported into another world.
Daniella Chiarolli (university student)
Editor's note : Boston Globe-Horn Book Award fiction honor book, 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, YALSA Best fiction for young adults 2016
When the world is full of friends by Gillian Shields
Ill. by Anna Currey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849668
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Working together 'When
the world is full of friends, the fun and laughter never ends'.
Author Gillian Shields and illustrator Anna Currey celebrate
friendship and creativity in this gentle story When the World is
full of friends. From a pastel yellow background, little
Albert the rabbit hops across the grass to begin the tale. Tom,
Flossie and Pipkin love to escape from their little thatched cottage
into the green meadow ready to play. Each one has special
characteristics, Albert the oldest is the most active, he loves to
run and race. Young Tom enjoys dressing up, in his pirate, monster
and Prince costumes he acts out plays for his whole family. Sister
Flossie is creative, she loves to be inventive, making and painting
windmills, forts and pretty umbrellas. Baby Flossie loves playing on
his blankie in the sunshine.
When a family of squirrels appear on the opposite side of the
riverbank, each of the rabbit's special abilities are needed to work
together and find a way across the river to meet their new friends.
Currey's delightful ink and watercolour paintings add liveliness to
this easy to read story celebrating family and friends.
Rhyllis Bignell
Through the gate by Sally Fawcett
EK Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925335415
As she looks through the gate of her new house, the little girl is
feeling really despondent because it is anything but new. All she
could see were the drooping roof, the peeling paint, and the
crumbling steps. As she sits on the step pondering all the changes
of a new house, a new town and a new school she sees nothing bright
in her future. But gradually, slowly, one step at a time things
begin to change - and so does she.
This is a familiar story for many children who are uprooted from
their comfort zone that has been told on so many different levels
that it is quite brilliant.
Firstly there is the concept - as the house is slowly restored to
something smart and vibrant so does her mood and her willingness to
look beyond her untied shoelaces, gradually lifting her head to the
possibility and potential that surrounds her. Then there is the text
itself - carefully chosen vocabulary that reflects the girl's moods,
changing with each step forward that she takes in settling into her
new environment. This is accompanied by illustrations that have an
increasing use of colour and detail, climaxing in full-colour
spreads as the future becomes clearer. And throughout, the changes
are reflected in the life of the little bird that first appears on
the front endpaper as a lonely soul with a forlorn twig and ends on
the back endpaper showing all the riches of life.
This is a story about nothing staying the same; about even the most
dismal day waking to a sunrise soon; about how our moods and
feelings can colour our world; and cliches like 'light at the end of
the tunnel'; 'some days are diamonds and some days are stones' and
'without rain there can be no rainbows.' While younger readers may
engage on a more superficial level at spotting the changes to the
house and the bird's business, older readers may be able to dig
deeper and look at the more philosophical ideas that underpin the
story as well as learning about looking for the positive, managing
emotions and expectations, and developing strategies that will help
them deal with new, tough or confusing situations, physical or
emotional. Some might even like to share such occasions and how they
coped perhaps sending a message to other classmates that they are
not alone and not on their own.
Change can be challenging but time can take care of things.
Extensive teaching
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
My life as a hashtag by Gabrielle Williams
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113681
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This is a novel that takes adults
into the world of adolescents, firmly and deliberately embedding
them in the unknown aspects of their world and plummeting them into
the deeply emotional world of adolescence. Marie Claude, or 'MC', is
unexpectedly not invited to her best friend's party, an unthinkable
event. It seems that the boy she liked is 'with' her best friend
too, provoking more nastiness and venting. In response, MC goes to
various internet personal rant sites, like Tindr, Snapchat, and
Facebook, where she thoroughly and completely bags her best friend.
Her online voice is not really hers but, as an everyday teenager in
Australia, she is astonished by the power of her rant, and her
sudden achievement of a global audience. Plummeting the reader into
this post-modern world, we are aware that Williams deliberately
shocks her protagonist by making her suddenly and frighteningly
aware of the huge potential for worldwide recognition of an
individual when her posts 'go viral' internationally and she becomes
a hit for her virulent bagging of her friend. Her nastiness is
rewarded by those who champion this kind of bagging, and the troll
attacks begin too. This of course, is not what she expected, and the
devastation it brings plummets her into a deep depression that
reverberates with the understanding of the power of this medium.
Ostracized by her friends, her school and, she feels, the world, she
is terrifyingly alone except for the online champions of her
nastiness.
MC has also been coping with her parents' life choices and this has
caused her a great deal of angst. Things do improve, but this modern
fable is a tremendously powerful 'I told you so' moment for a young
woman who could not have imagined the effect of those nasty posts.
This is a strong, modern, credible and very well-constructed
narrative that carries a chilling warning for the power of the
internet in the modern world. It is most suitable for older
adolescents as it is most disconcerting in Williams' revelation of
the capacity of one individual to achieve a worldwide audience that
seemed to be simply waiting for such vitriol.
Elizabeth Bondar
Six Tudor queens: Anne Boleyn, a King's obsession by Alison Weir
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781472227638
(Age: 14+) Recommended. British history, Tudor history, Kingship.
Anne Boleyn is certainly a name most people will recognise as the
one for whom King Henry VIII split with Rome. When all of Europe was
Catholic, owing allegiance to the head of the church, the Pope in
Rome, then political intrigue garnered power behind his headship and
those in favour could call the shots. Henry was desperate to father
a son, one to take up the rule of England after he died, to carry on
the Tudor lineage. His older wife, Katherine was past her child
bearing days and so Henry looked around for a new bride. He had read
Leviticus which forbad a man to marrying his brother's widow, and
using this Biblical reference as the reason for not having a son,
lobbied Rome for an annulment. But Rome was in the thrall of the
Holy Roman Emperor, Katherine's nephew, so no such annulment was
forthcoming. This forced Henry to break with the church and set up
the Church of England, a move which paralleled the Reformation in
Europe.
But what of Anne? Alison Weir develops a page turning story of
Anne's life both before and after her marriage and we see her as a
young woman sent to several countries in Europe where she learnt the
pattern of surviving in a court. Weir paints a rather
headstrong girl, used to getting her own way, wary of the obstacles,
but looking out for a likely marriage prospect. She knew her father,
Thomas Boleyn well. He was rising in Henry's court, making himself
useful to the great king, always on the lookout for how his children
could benefit from royal patronage. The machinations behind the
scenes make for fascinating reading, particularly when Anne's sister
Mary becomes the king's mistress and Anne can see how problematic it
is, especially when she has a child. All the court detail is given,
and conversations developed from the extensive research done by
Weir, making this a riveting read into the private lives of Anne and
her family. A long list of the cast of characters is given at the
end in the order in which they appear in Anne's life, and a useful
family tree is given at the start.
Fran Knight
Middle School mayhem Rachel Renee Russell
The Misadventures of Max Crumbly book 2. Simon and Schuster,
2017. ISBN 9781471164279
(Age: 9-12) 'I knew middle school was going to be challenging, but I
never expected to end up DEAD in the computer lab, wearing a
SUPERHERO COSTUME, with four slices of PIZZA stuck to my BUTT!' Max
Crumbly returns in Middle School Mayhem, and this sequel
starts immediately after the cliffhanger scene that ended the first
madcap adventures of this dorky teenager. Max is desperately trying
to find his dad's lost comic book and stop three thugs determined to
steal the school's computers.
In Russell's familiar notebook style, punctuated by her quirky comic
illustrations, Max reveals his crazy thoughts, mad antics and silly
humour. Dressed in his best friend Erin's ice princess costume, he
has to think quickly and creatively to stop the thieves from leaving
the building with the new computers. Why he doesn't ring the police
is a little hard to take, instead he sends Erin the school's
computer password to allow her remote control access to the PA
system, lights and security cameras. With his limited battery life
in his cell phone, every minute counts as they coordinate turning
off the lights and turning on the sprinkler system. The school
cafeteria scene is filled with slapstick comedy as one of the
thieves Moose accidentally butt-dials the stove burner, cools his
burning pants at the kitchen sink, then endures being slimed, his
head is stuck in the bucket and finally being plastic-wrapped.
Max's unique point of view is strong, he stops to contemplate his
super-hero life, invent crazy raps and totally, totally (his
favourite word) take the fans along on his crazy journey. Of course,
Russell ends with another cliffhanger ensuring her audience is
committed to the series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Usborne Big book of animals by Hazel Maskell
Ill. by Fabiano Fiorin. Usborne, 2017. ISBN 9781474928953
From the icy polar regions, the steaming tropics to the depths of
the oceans, our planet is inhabited by some amazing creatures and
many of them are gathered here to tempt the budding David
Attenborough as they investigate the tallest, longest, fastest,
heaviest and most dangerous animals in the world, complete with
facts and measurements.
With easily accessible text, bite-sized facts, and fold-out pages
which introduce a myriad of creatures, little ones cannot only learn
about the creatures that share their environment but also that books
can educate as well as entertain. They are for information as well
as the imagination. And for those who want to know more, Usborne has
a page of Quicklinks that offers safe, vetted links to information
and activities. The Usborne Big Book of Animals is just one in this series of
early non fiction for young readers that help them find more about
the world they live in and which would be quality additions to any
school or home library.
Barbara Braxton
Dinosaur Munch! The Diplodocus by Jeanne Willis
The World of Dinosaur Roar series. Macmillan, 2017. ISBN
9781509835652
(Ages: 2-4) Recommended. Board Book, Dinosaurs, Rhyme. A tactile
front cover and a bright blue, cheeky-looking diplodocus will draw
young children to this small board book. It is just one in a series
of books (The World of Dinosaur Roar) based on the classic
picture book Dinosaur Roar, which have been developed in
association with the Natural History Museum in London. An initial
introduction page provides the reader with a helpful pronunciation
guide for those hard to pronounce dinosaur names, also giving them a
cute moniker (e.g. Dinosaur Chew, Dinosaur Whack, etc.). The text
length is age-appropriately short but manages to provide a basic
introduction to the diplodocus's physiology, diet and habitat. The
simple story is about Dinosaur Munch and his tummy that never felt
full after lunch. He eats and eats and eats but he is still hungry.
Facts are cleverly hidden within the main text (e.g. 'With a swish
of his neck and his rows of huge teeth') and the illustrations
(different types of dinosaur are shown side by side to highlight
size, shape, form etc.). It uses suitable analogies that will be
within young readers' realms of experience (e.g. 'long neck like a
giraffe', 'as long as three buses') and appropriate and familiar
vocabulary as well as some topic specific words such as 'herbivore'.
The humorous ending sees the still hungry Munch chewing on his own
tail. The fact page at the back reinforces all the visual
information provided about the dinosaur's appearance in short, clear
sentences (also represented visually). The dinosaurs are fun and
cheeky and the unique traits of different species of dinosaur are
emphasised both visually and textually. This book has obviously been
developed with the highest regard for the prior understandings and
needs of its young target audience. It is a high-quality
story/information book for very young children, especially dinosaur
lovers.
Nicole Nelson
The rabbit-hole golf course by Ella Mulvey
Ill. by Karen Briggs. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781925266290
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Aboriginal themes. Desert. Australian
life. Rabbits. Bush tucker. Rhyme. With an eye to repetition and
rhyme, this tale of a group of children going out to the golf course
to find a rabbit is infectious, begging to be read aloud,
encouraging kids to sing along, make the noises and predict the next
lines. I can imagine a group of kids with sticks, beating to the
rhythm of the story, adding noise and excitement to the tale being
read out loud.
They set off in the big old ute, along the long red road to the golf
course, pitted with rabbit holes. Already the excitement of finding
a rabbit is infectious, and the children have lots of adventures
digging holes as big as they are, finding a kangaroo, looking for
rabbits, finding honey ants and maku, until finally, covered in red
dirt, they sit around the hole they have dug and wait for tea. The
families make tea and damper, and while there have been no rabbits
found, they all sleep soundly that night in their swags under the
stars.
The repetition of 'Where are all the rabbits?' encourages readers to
learn those lines and predict where they will appear, calling out
the line as the reader turns the page. Likewise other lines, 'the
big old ute', 'long red road' and 'desert of my home' encourages
kids to recognise the lines as they appear on the pages, asking them
to join in.
I love the colourful illustrations, adding another level of interest
and excitement to the story. Children will love picking out the slew
of animals pictured in the book, along with things which make it
recognisably set in the outback. The humour in the tale is reflected
in the illustrations with the children seeking a rabbit so
desperately but only seeing them in their dreams. I love the
repetition of the opening illustration and the last, a child asleep
dreaming of rabbits, although on the last page an actual rabbit
appears, possibly having a laugh at the children and their efforts.
The community is vividly portrayed, from its dot curtains, snuggly
woollen hat, to the scattering of dogs and families working
together.
And the endpapers show a mud map of where they are headed to find
the rabbit-hole golf course, where no one seems to actually want to
play golf (understandably). Karen also illustrated Kick with my
left foot, a standout publication in 2015, earning its place
on the CBCA shortlist.
Fran Knight
Frankie by Shivaun Plozza
Penguin Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780143573166
(Age: 15+) Recommended. CBCA Book of the Year shortlist 2017.
Frankie is smart, intellectually brilliant and very, very angry.
Abandoned by her mother, her father not around at all, she is only
just tolerated by her school peers and teachers. Frankie has been
brought up by her Aunt Vinnie and has one best friend. When a
half-brother suddenly appears in her life she is excited, confused
and very angry with the discovery that while her mother 'dumped'
her, she kept her brother, Xavier. Yet Frankie yearns to befriend
him, even when she discovers that he is not a good, or even a nice,
person. In fact, seeking him, she comes into the world of criminals,
violence and the terrible deprivations of those who have lost
everything through drugs or criminal activities.
In trouble at school, at home, and pursued by the school, and
subsequently the law, for her violence, Frankie almost gives up
hope. It is only with the loving intervention of her exasperated
aunt and good, loyal friend that Frankie finally finds a way to
crawl out of the depths of despair, declaring her independence: 'I'm
nobody's daughter. Nobody's friend. Nobody's sister'.
This is a powerful novel of the world experienced by so many
disenfranchised children. We are discomforted by children stealing
to survive, by their experience of violent, abusive worlds, often
living in abandoned houses, or on the streets, ill-treated or
ignored by family or drug-addicted carers, hungry and so angry that
they can barely tolerate any loving concern, school rules, or their
society. This beautifully told narrative resonates long after it has
been read, and the issues hit the reader starkly. Plozza
passionately presents a call to witness a modern city in disarray, a
world that cares little for those who have little, those who live in
dirt, loneliness and poverty, who thieve and bash and threaten in
order to survive in the big cities, who dwell in an underworld that
few of the privileged would recognize. A brave, shining star, Plozza
recognises those who are abandoned, poor and struggling to find a
place to live, to find food and shelter, in this most disconcerting
narrative of a troubled world.
Liz Bondar
The shop at Hooper's Bend by Emily Rodda
Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460753668
(Ages 9+) For all those who have felt drawn to a place without
knowing why, this book is for you. Jonquil (Quil), an 11 year old,
is heading to Summer camp in the Mountains when she feels the need
to get off the train one stop early. While the premise for her not
being properly accompanied is a little sketchy, the reader is drawn
in. Soon enough, Quil finds herself outside Hooper's Bend store,
where Bailey, a fifty-something big-shot from the city, has come to
view her inherited property to decide what she will do with it.
While she receives a less than warm welcome from the locals, Quil
feels so drawn to Bailey, it is almost as though they share a past.
Is Bailey right to be suspicious of young Quil? And what is Bailey
hiding from the locals?
Quil explores a theory that people are made from exploding stars and
similarly to those that believe in zodiac signs, have different
traits depending on how much stardust they have of one star or
another. While she spends an inordinate amount of time thinking
about this thoughout the novel, Bailey uncovers the truth about
Hoopers Store and rekindles some friendships long forgotten.
Ultimately both characters find closure through their friendship and
through what they learn. Rodda's descriptive language is enchanting,
and is able to capture the sort of magic that old houses from
yesteryear hold within their walls.
Clare Thompson
Dino hunter by Mac Park
D-Bot squad book 1. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN
9781760295974
(Age: 5+) Dino Hunter is the first book in a new series, D-Bot
squad by Mac Park. Hunter is the main character who loves
dinosaurs and through the surprising actions of the school
librarian, Mrs Stegg, ends up in a cave completing a test created by
the D-Bot squad.
This is an easy to read book, and as stated on the rear cover is 'a
world kids will love, using words they can read'. This is certainly
true. I read this with my son who is 6.5 and in year 1. He was able
to read chunks of text independently, seeking minimal assistance,
whilst still being able to comprehend the storyline of a longer book
than he is used to reading.
Each page has good spacing between the lines, and there are lots of
pictures to break up the text. This makes the book very accessible
for younger readers, providing confidence and a text format that is
easy to follow.
As a series, D-Bot squad reminds me of Zac Powers.
The plot is simple to follow, with a basic introduction, problem and
(almost!!!) a solution allowing the younger reader to gain
confidence through predictability and consistency. The pictures are
clear, with a similar structure to those in Zac Powers
giving young children a good chance to use them for comprehension
and additional understanding.
The ending is a cliffhanger which is a little different, however
meant the Mr 6.5 immediately asked for the next book so he could see
what happened with the Pterodactyl - this makes it a winner in my
eyes!
An easy to read story that would suit dinosaur mad boys or girls
from ages 5+
Lauren Fountain
