Stripes in the forest: The story of the last wild thylacine by Aleesah Darlison
Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925275711
Reviewed by Kylie Kempster
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Stripes in the forest is a
mesmerising picture book with a simple message of lost wildlife due
to colonisation. The main character is a female thylacine, an
Australian native mammal. This species was last seen in Australia in
1936. The story sees the female and her pups living in peace until
Europeans arrive and start hunting them. The story is told from the
female's perspective as she hides from the hunters, watches the
hunters, sees her mate die and gives birth to more pups. The last
images show more modern images. Was our female thylacine the last of
her kind?
This simple story is powerful and is a great way to show children
the consequences of settling new areas and countries. The text will
evoke emotions of sadness as the animals run for their life, as a
mate dies and as they lose their home. The final events will evoke
happiness and wonder. This book is highly recommended for all
readers whether being read with an adult or independently (aged 8+).
Kylie Kempster
The Hungry Isle by Emily Rodda
Star of Deltora series bk 4. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN:
9781742991337
(Age: 11-13) Recommended. There are strange undercurrents,
surprising twists, turns, and shock revelations as Emily Rodda's Star
of Deltora series concludes with The Hungry Isle.
Britta is isolated in a stuffy cabin aboard the becalmed ship, far
from her home and family. The power of the magic Staff of Tier has
sensed her presence and has sent the swirling wraiths to watch her
and hundreds of turtles to guide the ship to the Hungry Isle, a
truly dark and evil place. Britta's dreams of winning the Rosalyn
Apprentice contest are fading.
After a near mutiny onboard lead by Crow the bosun, Britta, Jewel,
Sky, Vashti, Captain Hara, Mab and Kay are forced on to the landing
boat. The turtles abandon the ship and it swiftly sails away, and
they turn their attention to the small boat and guide it onward.
Britta's body is shutting down, her mind disturbed by past memories.
Evil awaits, as one of their small group reveals their true colours,
greedily wanting the King of Tier to help them live forever.
Britta's courage, her trader knowledge and her desire to save her
friends determines her decisions as she seals her fate with a kiss.
The little magic Goozli comes to their aid, as does Jewel's secret
weapon as they escape from the tangling vines and strangling
orchids. They board the landing boat, with Captain Hara guiding them
and jewel and Sky rowing, they set forth on the dangerous voyage to
Illica. Fortuitous circumstances occur as the Star of Deltora
rescues them with a different crew and their journey continues to
the Isle of Del. The Hungry Isle begins with great promise and expectations
that all the important plot points will come together in a
satisfying way. With major characters, Sky, Jewel and Vashti
relegated to minor roles and the unexpected character shifts, the
undercurrents of dark malevolence and Britta's introspective amnesia
make this a less satisfying read. Fans will persevere and be
surprised by the conclusion of this series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The mozzie with a sharp snozzie by Irina Goundortseva
Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925275773
(Age: 3-5) Irina Goundortseva's colourful picture book explores the
messages of self-acceptance and belief in your own abilities.
A little mosquito loves to watch the beautiful butterflies
fluttering their pretty wings. When the mozzie finally gathers the
courage and asks to join the butterfly group, it is rejected. The
butterflies even call the mozzie names. When the butterflies become
caught in a collector's net, they need the skills of the little
insect to rescue them. Disguised as a butterfly with petal wings,
the mosquito bites the human's hand and the butterflies all escape.
The moral of the story is to be comfortable with who you are.
Different use of font sizes and easy to read text placed on a white
background make this picture book suited to young readers. The soft
watercolour and ink illustrations are bright and lively. This
gender-neutral story is appealing to read to kindergarten and
preschool children.
Rhyllis Bignell
The adventures of Pipi the pink monkey by Carlo Collodi
Retold and expanded by Alessandro Gallenzi and ill. by Axel
Scheffler. Alma Books, Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781847495594
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. What's that I hear you ask? Carlo
Collodi? You mean the Italian guy who wrote Pinocchio? Yep, that's
the one I mean. And no, I didn't know he wrote anything else either!
By the way, if you have never read the original story but
are only familiar with the contemporarised versions (like Disney)
you should!
For the first time ever Collodi's 'other' story for children has
been translated into English and has also been tweaked by Alessandro
Gallenzi. Alessandro is the co-founder of Alma Books (Alma
being the Spanish for 'soul'). This independent publishing company
produces around seventy titles a year, many of them translations of
classics in languages other than English.
Aside from the fascination of all of this (and I do mean
fascination) the story of Pipi is quite charming. With definite
overtones of the world's most famous marionette, Pipi is very
different to his brothers not only in his silky pink fur but also
because he is the naughty one.
From stealing a peasant's pipe to losing his tail while tormenting
an old blind crocodile to meeting a little boy named Alfred and then
being captured by an infamous brigand, Pipi adventure's are
thrilling.
And just as the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair (you know D's Blue
Fairy) promised Pinocchio that he could become a real boy, the
rabbit with the turquoise fur makes good on the promise that Pipi
will regain his beautiful tail, if only he keeps his word.
I truly love that I can hear Collodi's turn of phrase and expression
in this translation. The story is followed by a wealth of extra
material for readers with a glossary of monkey language,
biographical information about the author including a letter to his
child readers, details of the characters and even other 'literary'
apes/monkeys.
All in all this is a delightfully different addition to any primary
library collection. Not least of all because the message it provides
to young readers holds just as true today as it did in 19th century
Italy.
Highly recommended for readers from around 8 years upwards.
Sue Warren
Everything is changed by Nova Weetman
University of Queensland Press, 2016. ISBN 9780702254161
(Age: YA) Highly recommended. Themes: Choices; Friendship; Guilt;
Regret. This is brilliantly written! Right from the opening chapter
we know how the story ends . . . but how did it all come to this
devastating place. This is a powerful YA novel of friendship
destroyed by a reckless moment of teenage thoughtlessness. The power
of the novel is in the construction, or rather, deconstruction of
the circumstances. Guilt drips from the pages, marring what was once
good, simple and full of hope. Weetman has essentially told the
story by exposing the consequences of a simple action committed by a
pair of friends as they simply enjoy each other's company with no
thoughts beyond the moment, but an action that has lethal
consequences. And the reader desperately wants it all to be
different for the young teens and the girlfriend innocently caught
in the middle. We watch the unravelling as the initial event is
reconstructed back to its source, knowing always that there is no
happy ending (or technically, beginning). The pages weep with 'if
only' moments.
Weetman's portrayal of young male friendship undergoing change
brought on by maturing, girlfriends, new horizons and school
scenarios would have been worthy on its own, but her addition of the
foreboding of the horror of the defining action in their lives, with
its impact on their families, relationships and future lifts this
book into a different plane. This is so cleverly written and the
plot is so well managed (in its reverse chronology) that it is worth
reading for this feature alone. But it is certainly worth reading
too for its portrayal of the impact of one unwise moment. Get it
into the hands of young male readers who will perhaps recognise in
their own lives the small actions that could equally have
significant impacts on their future. (There is some coarse
language).
Carolyn Hull
Pig the Elf by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760154271
(Age 3-7) Highly recommended. No one loves Christmas more than Pig.
PIG!
How he loved Christmas!
He'd chortle with glee -
'The presents! The presents!
For ME! ME! ME!'
And what he really likes about Christmas is presents. He has written
a list and has asked for a lot as anyone reading this deliciously
funny book will find out. Aaron Blabey's wonderful rhyming story is
a fabulous read aloud that will have its listeners chortling
non-stop as Pig, the greedy little dog, dressed in his Santa suit,
first makes up his incredibly long list of presents and then bites
Santa on the bum when he doesn't receive them all.
The humour is infectious and the illustrations are wonderful. Pig
looks incredible in his Santa suit, Santa himself is fat and
goggle-eyed, and Trevor quietly waits behind the scenes.
Of course there is a thread of not being greedy and having good
manners but it is delivered in such a funny way that children who
listen to the story or read it for themselves will be able to get
the message without feeling that it is taught to them.
This is definitely one to add to the Christmas collection of books.
Pat Pledger
An eagle in the snow by Michael Morpurgo
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780008134150
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. War, Historical fiction, Blitz, War
at home, World War One, World War Two. On the train traveling from
bombed out Coventry to London where Barney and his mother will catch
the train to Cornwall to stay with her sister, they are dogged by
German planes and take shelter in a tunnel. Here their companion in
the carriage tells them a story about a friend, one who showed great
courage during World War One, a man he calls Billy.
Thus Morpurgo, an iconic story teller relates the story of a real
decorated soldier, Henry Tandey, through a fictional tale fleshing
out the details and making it accessible to a younger audience.
Through Barney, Morpurgo tells his story from a distance, wanting
the listener to make up their own minds about this person, but at
the same time, using the eyes of a frightened ten year old, having
witnessed the horrors of Coventry when it was flattened in 1940. He
saw his whole street demolished, his neighbours scrabbling at the
rubble in the hope that someone was still alive, and was with his
grandfather when he found his working companion, his horse, dead.
The man in the carriage tells the story in the dark of the tunnel,
interrupted spasmodically by guards checking the passengers, and
Barney is entranced.
Billy was heroic, receiving awards for his bravery and in 1918,
leading two other men in an attack on a German post, overcoming and
taking twelve men prisoner. Billy's bravery was pushed by one
thought, to get the war over as soon as possible. He hated the
killing and waste of life, so when one German soldier refused to put
down his gun, Billy told the others not to shoot him, but let him go
home. But years later, when sitting watching the news footage in a
cinema, Billy sees who that soldier became: the new Fascist leader
of Germany, Hitler.
Morpurgo's story follows that of Henry Tandey in the main, showing
why this man was so brave but also showing the results of his good
turn which had dire consequences. In Morpurgo's hands the bare bones
of Tandey's life, becomes engrossing and rich, enabling young
readers to look at the idea of bravery, of the choices people make,
of the long term effects of war.
This is historical fiction at its very best.
Fran Knight
Replica by Lauren Oliver
Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN 9781473614963
(Age: Young adult) Recommended for lovers of Sci-fi fantasy
adventure (with a dose of romance). Themes: Cloning, Science
Fiction, Power and Corruption, Friendship, Identity. On cover: Two
girls, Two stories, One Epic Novel. Lauren Oliver has created
a back-to-back Sci-Fi fantasy story told from the perspective of the
female protagonists and presented as 2 separate books, inverted in
the same cover. Rather than an integrated story with both
perspectives interspersed into the narrative, it is two distinct and
separate stories telling about the same events, but giving the
different slants and histories of those involved. Lyra lives as a
scientific test subject in a facility hidden from the world because
of the unscrupulous scientific investigations into cloning and
biological warfare. Her status in this environment is only a little
higher than a lab rat. Her personal attempts to make sense of her
world reveal her as more than a test animal. Gemma is her rescuer,
but her own history implicates her family in the inappropriately
named facility, 'Haven', which is far from a haven! Set in the
Florida swamplands, the environment itself adds to the mire of the
circumstances of the Replicas.
Although the stories could be read in any order, Lyra's story gives
the reader a contextual understanding of the scientific world at
Haven and the horror of living life as a disposable 'Replica'. Power
and a moral vacuum pervade the story with corruption reaching
fatally into many lives. Gemma's life is almost easy in comparison,
even though she deals with daily bullying and problems with the
all-too-perfect mean girl 'clones' that seem to be a part of every
high school experience and has suffered major health issues all her
life, and lives in an overly protective parental environment as a
consequence. However, her attempts to make sense of who she is,
links her to Lyra. Into this amazing Science Fiction adventure and
mystery is woven friendship and romantic interests, with first
kisses and awakening interests in the opposite gender, as well as
murder and corruption. Other teen issues involving peer
relationships, parent-child concerns, friendship and the American
'Spring Break' expectations also appear.
Those who enjoyed Lauren Oliver's other books, and also Scott
Westerfeld's Uglies series will enjoy this book.
Carolyn Hull
by James Brown and Richard Platt
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781406370843
(Age: 8+) Information, Non fiction. 'From cloud classification to
Roman numerals, an essential miscellany of fascinating facts for
curious minds', reads the sub title on the front cover of this over
sized hard cover volume, reflecting a style of books from the past.
Opening the covers reinforces that supposition, but an inquisitive
child will linger over the miscellany of facts displayed here. The
table of contents includes a wide variety of topics, The periodic
table, Human skeleton, Phases of the moon, Music notation, Rivers
and Knots. Each topic has a monochromatic double page devoted to it
with one page of information and one page containing a diagram. The
text is clear and the stylish diagrams well presented, both sure to
attract the attention of inquisitive eyes. Even though children have
access to the internet, some will also be attracted to this book
full of wonder and interest as it presents such a diverse range of
information, and could be used as a reference tool as well as a book
of curiousities to satisfy eager minds. The stylised illustrations
reflect much detail as the eye is drawn into the myriad of
intricacies shown on each page. I enjoyed dipping into the pages.
One that caught my eye was Impossible shapes, which shows the sorts
of shapes that look as if they should be right as the mind tries to
justify them but on closer inspection he reader can see why they
trick the eye. Another page celebrates all the different types of
pencils and brushes, while another shows the phases of the moon.
Lots of interesting facts for those kids who love delving into
things with an alert mind.
Fran Knight
Elegy by Jane Abbott
Random House, 2016. ISBN 9780143781592
(Age: 14+) Set in Kincasey, a small, outback Victorian town, the
reincarnations of Prometheus and Persephone meet once again, but
this time as Michael and Cait. Step-siblings, they are constantly at
each other's throats, much to the exasperation of Cait's brother
Gabe. But everything changes when Jenny, a city girl, catches
Michael's eye at a party. Michael has always been unusually gifted.
Some think he's a magician. Others would just call him a weirdo.
He's always been harmless - until Todd Casey tries to lay a claim on
Jenny. Michael is galvanised into an action he barely understands
and, without laying a hand on Casey, Casey's arm is broken. Michael
falls into a coma, unlocking a strange new power and only Cait knows
what to do - because she's done so countless times before. As
history starts to repeat itself - the eternal punishment of the pair
- Gabe and Jenny are both too close and too far away driving them
closer together.
Although Abbot has a great concept, I found the book was difficult
to read and didn't really enjoy it. Being familiar with a variety of
mythology allowed me as a reader to catch onto the story quite
quickly, but it also had the added disadvantage of leaving me
completely bewildered by the confounding array of stories claimed by
the reincarnated main characters.
Aimed at a young adult audience of fourteen and up, this novel deals
with issues of fitting in, bullying, sex, and alcohol.
Kayla Gaskell, 20.
The four legendary kingdoms by Matthew Reilly
Jack West Jr. bk 4. Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781743534953
(Age: Secondary) Recommended. Fantasy. Jack West is called into Pine
Gap, the secret US base in outback Australia where he is told about
a runaway galaxy hurtling through space coming straight for Earth
and the Milky Way Galaxy. Jack West's adopted daughter Lily, Alby
and Sky Monster and his two dogs are kidnapped and taken to a remote
and secret location where Jack must fight to the death in a
restaging of the Tasks of Hercules. Under the auspices of Hades, King
of the Underworld, Jack and fifteen others are pitted against one
another and only one will survive. Jack is at a disadvantage because
he is one of the few who doesn't actually realise why he is there.
Others have been training and have been well prepared for the
contest.
Each contestant has a group of hostages to ensure that they give
their all. Each contest becomes more difficult and dangerous as each
stage proceeds.
The winner of each contest gains a golden orb which when placed in
its correct position within the arena, transmits signals to the
rogue galaxy, which proves there is still intelligent life on earth.
The odds are stacked against Jack with Hades' own son being one of
the contestants, and who is able to gain unfair advantages in his
father's realm.
Jack's knowledge of the ancient world and its myths and legends
proves invaluable, giving him the leverage he needs to overcome his
opponents despite all odds.
The readers of Reilly's books involving the heroic Jack West will be
familiar with the engaging cast of characters and the lengths they
go to survive and be more than satisfied that the ending sets up
another book to follow.
Mark Knight
What do they do with all the poo from all the animals at the zoo? by Anh Do and Simon Mellor
Ill by Laura Wood. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760276324
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Verse. Singing. Poo. Zoos. A rollicking verse
tale questions what is done with all the poo at the zoo. As the
pages are turned, different scenarios for all that muck are given.
One is that it is taken away and made into chocolate ice cream or
children's breakfast cereal. I can imagine lots of children calling
out with a disgusted response to each suggestion. Turning the page
reveals other results, pizza topping or children's lollies. Each
page is designed for younger readers to predict what may follow then
shriek with horror at the suggestion given. Anh Do has certainly
touched a cord which younger readers will delight in, being at once
disgusted and appalled, but laughing uproariously and joining in
with the joke.
A CD in the front cover has Simon's rendition of the song, enabling
the audience to sing along in loud laughing guffaws. The response
will be infectious and even the older members of the class will join
in. The simple block colour illustrations will entreat the readers
further as they watch the hapless keeper with shovel and
wheelbarrow, brush and dustpan or front end loader and truck, try her
hardest to keep abreast of the task. A laugh out loud story, as
befitting anything from the pen of Ahn Do, this book will be one of
those that needs tying down in the library.
Fran Knight
Captain's knock by David Warner with J. S. Black
Ill. by Jules Faber. The Kaboom Kid bk 8. Simon &
Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781925368208
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Cricket. Sportsmanship. Friendship.
Leadership. Davey Warner has done it again... made a big mistake
that may change everything. His parents are cross - very cross! As a
devotee of cricket, everything in his life is focused on cricket,
and when his big mistake and his carelessness threatens his chance
to attend a cricket camp he is devastated. And then there is also
the possibility that he might miss out on selection as Vice-Captain
on his cricket team. Will everything come together like a perfectly
timed hit over the boundary, or will he have to suffer the
consequences?
This is a story that reveals that excellence in sport is more than
just playing well, it is also about focused practice, being a good
team member and taking opportunities to listen to and support
leaders and team members. From the perspective of an 11-year-old
cricket obsessive, with a tendency to make mistakes, we also learn
about the drive and qualities needed to succeed. There are moments
of humour scattered through this book, along with quirky
cartoon-style illustrations.
Recommended for 8+ (particularly for sports lovers/cricket fans)
Caroline Hull
The mix and match lunchbox by Cherie Schetselaar and Britney Rule
Exisle, 2016. ISBN 9781942934660
Imagine opening your lunchbox and finding almond joy popcorn, cream
cheese pinwheels and a melon and grape fruit salad. Or quinoa cookie
bites, chopped Thai chicken salad and a homemade ranch dip. Or any
one of the 27,000 three-course combinations embracing whole grains,
proteins and fruit and veggies that can be made from this glossy mix
and match flip book.
With Term 4 here and another 10 weeks of school lunches looming,
this is a timely release that lit up Miss 10's eyes as soon as she
saw it because there was nothing too difficult for her to make here.
Beginning with an explanation of why a healthy lunch is important
and then the role that the four food groups play in achieving it, it
continues with a section on the perfect lunchbox so that everything
stays fresh and cool and then helps with time and menu management by
helping to plan ahead and food preparation.
Each suggestion comes complete with coloured photo and the recipe at
the side using simple, easily available fresh ingredients so that
the lunchbox looks appealing, is healthy and satisfying. No more
dumping soggy sangers in the nearest bin!!
Having looked at it thoroughly, Miss 10 and Miss 5 (who could easily
help because of the simplicity of the suggestions) were heard to say
that they wished school was back already! Definitely one to promote
to parents not only looking for new ideas but also ways that will
encourage the children to join in the preparation and perhaps start
them on their cooking journey.
Barbara Braxton
Butterfly and Oscar by Tricia Oktober
Ford Street, 2014. ISBN 9781925000511
Old Dog, Mousie, Polly, Isa Blue and Oscar are five dachshunds who
live in a beautiful garden owned by a lady who collects plants and
dogs. Theirs is a peaceful, placid life with each having its own
personality and spending their days literally living a dog's life.
Even the magpies are not afraid to come and look for worms as the
dogs snooze in the sun. But one day, the owner brings another dog
home - one called Butterfly, one who is not like the long, low,
smooth dachshunds. Rather this one has longer legs, short ears and a
squashed in face. And she isn't even the same gingery colour - she
is white with black bits here and there. But this doesn't bother
Oscar who is very affectionate - to him this newcomer is just
another puppy who needs to be kept warm and safe at night; who needs
her face washed after dinner because she is such a messy eater; and
who needs to learn that shredding teddies and pulling plants out of
the garden are not the right things to do.
Everything is fine in the household until one night Butterfly sees
another dog outside, one that barks when she does and growls right
back at her. The other dogs come to her rescue and make enough noise
to scare anything away but the new dog just stands there barking
right back at them. Night after night the new dog comes to the
window and nothing Butterfly can do scares it away. She gets more
and more scared until something has to be done - so the owner puts a
mirror where Butterfly can see her reflection, but suddenly it seems
that outside dog had come inside and Butterfly is even more
terrified. When she finally realises that she is seeing herself for
the first time, she calms down a little - until she realises that
she isn't long and sleek like Old Dog, Mousie, Polly, Isa Blue and
Oscar. She is very different so instead of being scared, she is now
unhappy and feels very alone and isolated. Nothing cheers her up
until...
Tricia Oktober always writes the most charming stories that are
illustrated with her exquisite, lifelike drawings and Butterfly
and Oscar is no exception. Given that it is dedicated to her
dogs, all eight of them, suggests that this story might be based on
real life and it is the mark of a true storyteller that they can
take an ordinary event like a dog seeing its reflection for the
first time and turn it into a book that enchants and teaches through
its gentle message that each of us is different but it's not what we
look like that counts but what we do. However, while we are loved
for who we are, sometimes being the newcomer can make us feel like
an outsider and that no one will accept us.
There are excellent
teaching notes which will help students not only
empathise with these feelings if they haven't experienced them but
also help them understand that difference is not always negative and
how they can reach out to someone and bring them into the circle.
Miss 5 is going through a 'dog phase' - she is going to love having
this in her collection if I overcome my love of Tricia Oktober's
work and actually let her have it!
Barbara Braxton
