Three dragons for Christmas by Fiona McDonald, Sophie Masson and Beattie Alvarez, Lisa Stewart and David Allan
Christmas Press, 2015. ISBN 9780992283896
(Age: 7+) Christmas, Dragons, Folk tales. These original stories by
Sophie Masson, Fiona McDonald and Beattie Alvarez add to the
plethora of Christmas stories published at the end of each year and
add a different flavour to those usually held in schools and homes.
The illustrations with their childlike, naive quality may not be as
engaging as the stories, but offer the chance for an astute teacher
to direct the children to draw their own versions of the dragons as
each story progresses.
Each story offers a different aspect of Christmas. The myth like
quality of the first, Dragon Market is charming in bringing
an old folk tale feel to the story of two poor women unable to sell
their goods at the market because of the loud, sparkling
competition, then because of their kindness being given a superior
piece of material to use the next market day resulting in many
orders for their product. The moral of the story, that kindness is
rewarded, will not be lost on the young audience.
Similarly with the second story, The Christmas dragon,
patience is rewarded when a young dragon, Fiery wants to pull
Santa's sleigh and applies for the job. He is too late but is able
to save the day with his fiery breath and so fly with Santa when he
delivers the presents.
The third offering uses The night before Christmas, as its
template and tells the tale of dragons again, waiting for Santa to
call. It is a lovely read aloud, and begs for comparing with the
original Clement C Moore poem.
Three different and unusual tales to use at Christmas.
Fran Knight
The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins
Doubleday, 2015. ISBN 9780857522320
(Age: young adult) Crime fiction, Alcoholism, Marital relationships.
After reading some fabulous reviews I bought this at Dymocks last
week and spent the rest of the week reading. It certainly grabbed me
and I wanted to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of Rachel's life as
she stumbled from one failed attempt at getting herself together
after another. One night, drunk again, she finds herself near her ex
husband's house. She sees something but is uncertain as to what it
is and struggles to remember the next day, waking bruised and
bleeding. But it is the same night that their neighbour Megan,
disappears, and Rachel is drawn into the investigation. She is sure
she knows something, but lies to get the attention of the missing
woman's husband and becomes an intrusion in the police
investigation.
She has seen this couple on the train every morning as she goes to
work. Fired for being drunk some months before, she still travels
into the city but when the train stops for a signal change she
watches the house, a few doors from her old house, and its
occupants, Megan and Scott, creating a romantic life for them. But
now Megan has gone, Rachel still haunts her old house much to the
anger of her replacement, and despite attempts by her ex husband and
the police to keep her at bay she persists, trying to remember what
she has forgotten.
The book is told through three women's voices, Rachel, Megan and
Anna, the new wife, in varying chronological order, giving the
reader the background while the story progresses. I was hooked as
many people have been, and I enjoyed the character of Rachel, trying
to overcome her alcoholism, trying to juggle aspects of her
splintered life.
This is a little potboiler, it has many twists and turns, it
certainly keeps you hooked, and the last chapter is very scary: it
is enjoyable and will make an equally enjoyable but forgettable
film. Borrow it from your library.
Fran Knight
Meet Weary Dunlop by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Jeremy Lord. Random House Australia, 2015. ISBN
9780857985361
Standing in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra
is a statue of a man in a suit, a red poppy in his lapel and a hat
in his hand. It's a statue that hundreds of thousands of children
have seen, glanced at and moved on without knowing the significance
of the man it is a tribute to. Yet this is a person who played a
very important role in helping their grandfathers and
great-grandfathers stay alive as they endured the horrors of being
held prisoners of war by the Japanese Imperial Forces in World War
II.
As a child born before the outbreak of World War I, Ernest Edward
Dunlop lived an idyllic life in the country in Victoria but he was
always going to be too big for a small country town. A smart student
and expert sportsman he earned his nickname of Weary in a convoluted
word play and while many of his companions stayed in and around the
district, the outbreak of World War II found him working as a
surgeon in London. He immediately joined the Australian Army Medical
Corps and in 1942 he was in Java in charge of a military hospital
when it fell to the Japanese and he, along with many others, was
taken prisoner. Put in charge of British and Australian prisoners
working on the notorious Burma-Thailand railway being built so
Japanese troops could be moved overland instead of by sea, he did
what he could to barter, cajole and negotiate with his captors for
food, medicine and shelter for 'his' men. Even when it meant
personal punishment he always protected his men, often taking great
risks to ensure their survival. He made do with what he had, usually
woefully inadequate, forced to be inventive and creative, and
always, always with the welfare of his fellow prisoners at heart. As
they were starved and punished, he understood the importance of
morale and organised concerts and pantomimes to lift spirits as well
as encouraging others to keep diaries, draw, paint and photograph
the camp and the conditions. They made grim reading after the war
ended.
This is the latest in the Meet series, and, in my opinion,
one of the best. Sensitively written and illustrated for those who
have not seen the film footage of what really happened, it puts a
human face on a conflict that did much to shape Australia and her
post-war attitudes. There is enough information to satisfy the
curious with two or three of Dunlop's escapades adding a lightness
to such a dark topic, yet at the same time there is enough to tempt
a more serious reader into a deeper investigation. Australia has
many war heroes apart from John Simpson Kirkpatrick. Having read
this, perhaps the children who visit the AWM will spend a little
more time at that statue, pondering the extraordinary depths and
determination of the human spirit.
There are now eight titles in this series which is a must-have in
school libraries as it brings the lives of our heroes and
history-makers to life through accessible, illustrated texts in a
way that brings the biography genre to life. They add an extra layer
to an historical study and the accompanying teachers'
notes open up new ideas for exploration. They tell a story
rather than just providing clumps of facts and figures, and are
suitable for newly-independent readers as well as for those for whom
English is a struggle. As well as supporting the history strand of
the Australian Curriculum, they also provide a model for younger
students for writing a biography providing a purpose for reading and
research.
Barbara Braxton
Izzy Folou: Reality Check by David Harding
Ill. by James Fosdike. Random House Australia, 2015.
ISBN 9780857986634
The Rugby World Cup is a fabulous time to introduce Izzy Folou based
books to a young audience whether they are fans or not as he is an
integral part of the Wallabies team featuring on many a news
bulletin. This series like others which feature stars from many
sports, is used as a vehicle to convey messages about life as well
as sport to a mainly young male audience. Reality Check is the second book in the series following the
journey of Daniel and Sione, two members of the Valley
Representative team coached by Izzy Folau, on their trip to the Gold
Coast to play some practice games before the State Championships.
Told in alternating chapters from the point of view of Daniel and
Sione, the events of the trip, visits to the beach, training and
matches are balanced with the feelings and personal struggles of the
main characters as they come to terms with the expectations and
responsibilities of playing and working with a team.
Sione is asked to play in an unfamiliar position, needing to quickly
learn the skills needed to win a scrum and play the role of hooker
instead of his usual position as winger. Already feeling incredible
privileged to be playing in the team he needs to work hard to be
successful. Daniel is a natural leader and very committed to the
game but has to work on his interpersonal and leadership skills to
ensure the team is able to work together with of course some advice
from Izzy.
There is enough Rugby to keep readers more interested in sport than
reading happy. The line drawings, short chapters and easy to read
text make this an ideal offering to a reluctant reader.
Sue Keane
Robin's Winter Song by Suzanne Barton
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408859148
Picture book. Themes: Seasons - Winter. A beautifully illustrated
story of young Robin as he discovers the true meaning of 'Winter' in
the Northern hemisphere. As some animals make plans and preparations
to avoid or escape or to prepare for the privations that lie ahead,
Robin considers what he might need to do. Eventually he discovers
the joy and beauty of the winter season. Colour is used carefully in
this book, and muted tones in contrast to the Robin's red breast
make this book a visually appealing exploration of the season from
Robin's perspective. This does not contain any unusual plot twists
or unique understanding of Winter, and the hibernating bear
definitely places this story in a non-Australian setting, so it is
not a picture book that would be a 'must-have' on Australian
shelves. But it is a gentle and joyful exploration of Winter and the
changes in seasons.
Carolyn Hull
At my door by Deb Fitzpatrick
Fremantle Press, 2015. ISBN 9781925162707
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Family, Abandonment, Police,
Refugees. When eighteen month old Mei is left on Poppy's doorstep
late one cold night, the family works together to make the child
feel loved and wanted. Dad goes to the shop to get milk, a bottle
and nappies, Poppy dives into her box of old toys to find something
that Mei might like to play with, Mum finds a pillow for her to
snuggle into as she sleeps on the couch and next day, Harry brings
in his football to play with Mei. The police have been summoned and
Community Services alerted to the child being there. Eventually it
is decided that she stay overnight, a social worker arriving to take
her to a foster family the next day, but during the time she is in
their home, Poppy thinks about what it means to be part of a family,
and what being part of a family means to a young child.
This is a wonderfully open ended story. I can't stop thinking about
all the discussions a class may have as Poppy and her family discuss
a range of reasons that Mei has been left on their doorstep. No
judgement is given about who might have done this, only sympathy for
what may be happening in their lives and the continued hope that
they be reunited. Similarly the number of police and social workers
who turn up to the house are shown to be sympathetic and caring only
for the needs of the child, although the number of them may be a
gentle criticism.
The parting of the child from the family is a tearful moment, but
will underline the impact a family has upon a child.
Discussions with a class may take the path of discussing the obvious
issues of abandonment and fostering, leading to the more complex
issues of responsibility, not just at a family level, but at a state
and nation wide level. At my door suggests all sorts of
issues much wider than a single child as Australia and the world
struggles to help displaced families coming to our doorsteps. And
all this in 91 pages.
Fran Knight
Our dog knows words by Peter Gouldthorpe
Ill. by Lucy Gouldthorpe. Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9780734416346
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Dogs, Families, Dog training,
Responsibility. With charming illustrations showing a family and
their dog, this book does far more than point out the words a dog
can understand. It is a guide to how to treat a dog, how to teach it
to be part of the family, understanding words and treats, fitting in
with the lifestyle of the family which owns it and the family's
responsibilities in having a dog. The pages show the family training
their dog with treats, to sit and stay, roll over and fetch. The
illustrations show a happy family and contented dog, lying on the
bed together. All children will melt at the illustrations and the
reader too while neither the reader or listener will be able to hold
back laughter at the antics shown by both the dog and its family.
The favourite words are left to last. These are the words that
families have to spell out as the dog gets very excited hearing
them. Words like W.A.L.K. and C.A.R. are just as easily understood
by the pooch, and the last few pages are left to the last words of
the day: bed.
Children will love looking at the antics of the dog in the house,
and recognise some of the responsibilities of the family towards
their animal in training it and treating it well, feeding, washing,
taking it for walks, introducing it to other dogs and so on. A
delightful book to begin talking about pets and responsibilities.
Fran Knight
Penguin's big adventure by Salina Yoon
Penguin series. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408868713
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Friendship, Adventure, North Pole. When
Penguin decides to visit the North Pole, he says goodbye to several
animals who are his friends. He consults his map and loads his
backpack with things he will need. He says goodbye to Emily, busy
sewing a quilt, then Pumpkin who is busy building a basket, and
finally Bootsy, braiding a rope. On the way north he meets other
friends he has met in previous adventures. Reaching the North Pole
he is ecstatic, and turns cartwheels, throws confetti and erects a
sign. But there is no one there. Eventually a polar bear wanders by
and each is a little uncertain of the other. But becoming friends,
they explore the pole together, until Penguin's friends fly in from
further south to take him back home. After all the best part of
having an adventure is coming home.
This is a charming book in the series about Penguin. For younger
readers it will introduce them to the idea of north and south poles
and what animals live in each place; it will teach them about the
environment of the North pole, and perhaps introduce the idea of
explorers who went there. Younger readers will know that Penguin has
some very good friends, some who will do anything for him, even
traveling from one end of the world to the other, and that he has
met another friend, one who is left a map. Younger readers may be
able to predict what might happen in the next book, and sympathise
with Penguin making friends in this book. The black outlined
illustrations are clear and colour filled, making some aspects of
the North Pole easily identified for younger readers.
Fran Knight
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante
Neapolitan series. Text, 2015. ISBN 9781925240511
(Age: Adult - senior secondary) This is the concluding volume in
Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan series. The first three books
show Lenu and Lila growing up in a slum in Naples. Though Lila has
an audacious intelligence she leaves school early, marries a brute
and works at a demeaning job in a sausage factory while Lenu forces
herself on through university and becomes a writer about feminist
politics when she marries into a northern family with influence. In
this final volume the action returns to Naples which is as turbulent
and corrupt as ever. Lenu, now a successful writer and having an
affair with Nino, her childhood friend who is now a brilliant and
radical academic, returns to the slum district where they grew up.
She continues to have a tempestuous relationship with Lila, who now
is mastering the new technology of computing. Lenu's family and
friends initially reject her but eventually accept her new situation
and enjoy her success although they show no interest in her writing
as such. Lila is now a respected business woman, while the Fascist
gangsters the Solaro brothers are still her declared enemies. When
Lenu realizes that Nino has always been and always will be
unfaithful she rejects him and grows closer to Lila, particularly as
they are both pregnant. The babies, girls, seem destined to relive
the friendship of their mothers, especially as Tina, Lila's child,
is precocious and beautiful, as Lila always was, while Imma is more
insecure as Lenu has always been. However, Tina, aged four,
disappears from the street and is never found. The Solaro brothers
have clashed with Lila and her partner and are suspected but seem to
be determined to help. Lila's behaviour becomes more erratic while
Lenu's career continues to flourish. Lila becomes more nihilistic
and questions the value of life; she examines the history of Naples
and finds endless examples of cruelty being replaced with kindness
which is then swamped by more cruelty.
In the background of the novel the politics of Naples and Italy
repeat this pattern. The 1950's and '60's struggle between the
Communists and the Fascists is replaced by different political
allegiances but the one point of consistency is corruption which
reaches into even the most respected levels of academia as well as
politics and business. Lenu's mother-in-law, an aristocrat from an
'old' family, blames those with intelligence but with no traditions.
Lenu realizes that she herself is still an outsider in some cultural
circles, but also that all in the community condone corruption by
turning a blind eye to it. Lila, however, believes that there are no
options as the law is ineffectual. Lenu's daughters leave Italy and
she herself leaves Naples. She has her greatest success when she
writes the story of her friendship with Lila and the loss of Lila's
child, which parallels the story of the two dolls the girls lost in
childhood.
The writing is powerful and fierce in its portrayals of love,
loyalty, friendships, family relationships and politics. The themes
are most particularly female friendship, the relationships between
mothers and daughters and the influence of place. The coarse
language and attitudes of the local Neapolitans is vividly captured
as is the hypocrisy of the cultured classes. Ferrante juxtaposes the
crudeness of the local dialect with the purity of Italian to
emphasize class distinctions but while social position and morality
are not necessarily linked leaving the slums of Naples tends to be
regarded as a victory.
The novel can be read as a stand alone and is recommended for
competent readers. It powerfully deals with the issues of women's
friendships and family lives, and with the political and social
issues in Italy in the second half of the twentieth century.
Jenny Hamilton
Frog Todd by Sofia Goodsoul
Ill. by Marina Kite. Volya Press, 2015. ISBN 9780994324238
(Age: 3+) Themes: Bullying. Teasing; Names/Name-calling; Character.
This rhyming story introduces a young frog whose name, 'Todd' causes
him to be the target of taunting by other frogs. It becomes too much
and he leaves his pond on a journey of personal discovery. The song
that he sings as he travels is rather oddly printed on a card and
held by a ribbon, to be used by the reader at prompted points in the
story. (This is quirky and a rather unusual choice.) Todd also
befriends another frog and helps other small creatures along the
way.
Rhyme handled well can be endearing, but in Frog Toad there
are times when the rhyme seems uncomfortable or the rhythm of the
text does not quite work. However the themes of bullying and
name-calling are important ones for young children to grasp..
The illustrations by Marina Kite are colourful and naively detailed
and will give a younger child something to focus on while the story
is read. Note the font used for the title does not make it easy to
discern for a young independent reader.
There are a number of colouring pages at the end of the book, which
would perhaps help its use as a gift book.
Carolyn Hull
Editor's note: There is an interview with the author here.
Grug series by Ted Prior
Simon and Schuster, 2015 Grug meets a dinosaur. ISBN 9781925030525 Grug gets lost. ISBN 9781925030518
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Once the top of a Burrawang tree
fell to the ground . . . and the grassy top began to change. It
became Grug. And so the adventures of Grug began.
In Grug meets a dinosaur, Grug spots a strange looking
creature and thinks that it is a dinosaur. It begins to chase him as
he speeds away to the creek and follows him as he jumps into the
water. Grug is scared but of course there is a twist in the end.
In Grug gets lost, Grug ends up in a dark forest where he has never
been before and is very frightened, but also very tired. When he
wakes up, some of the food in his basket has disappeared but he
could see light through the trees and manages to make his way home.
It is wonderful to see a reprint of the books that first come out in
the 1980's and were so very popular then. Both stories are written
in easy to understand language with the occasional interesting word
thrown in, like 'slithered', 'clambered', and 'scurried' that will
add to a child's vocabulary. The stories explore common themes like
fear and becoming lost are ones will resonate with young children.
The illustrations complement the text and give clues to what is
going on. There are some whimsical additions like the little
creature that steals Grug's food that will make the reader smile,
and of course the expressions on the face of strange little Grug are
superb and will give the reader many opportunities to have a laugh.
The beginning reader is sure to love these books. They are small
enough to hold comfortably in children's hands; the subject matter
is compelling and the illustrations are charming.
They are certainly keepers for a child's personal library and a boon
for a school or classroom library.
Pat Pledger
One thing by Lauren Child
Orchard books, 2015. ISBN 9781408339008
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Numbers, Family. Making numbers funny
is quite a task, and Child achieves it with ease as her two
protagonists Charlie and Lola get ready to go to the shops with Mum.
She gives them ten minutes to get ready, but when Charlie works out
all the things she must do in those ten minutes and how long each
will take, she is nine minutes short. On the way to the shops, Lola
asks how many ducks are following them, and the birds are counted,
then the leaves in the tree. From single digits, one, two or three
trucks, to tens of things to millions and squillions, each number is
given a thing to be, ensuring the reader understands how big that
number is in what it represents. A wonderful way to reinforce
numbers and counting.
After their one hundred and fifty six steps to the shops, the girls
debate what they are able to buy: is it one thing or two things. Mum
gives them the choice of no thing, so one is settled. They then take
eleven minutes to make up their minds, and when home, after Lola has
used up all her stickers sticking them on a variety of numbered
things in the street, debate whether Lola will have one of three
badges from Charlie, and after being offered no thing, happily takes
one thing, the title of the book.
This is a delight, I loved the way Child shows the number in
numerical and written form, with the sequences of numbers one each
page, the smallest to the largest being represented in a way younger
readers will understand. It will be an infectious read, one children
will want to hear read out loud to them over and over again. I
laughed each time I read it, finding more things to look at, picking
out more and more detail in the enticing illustrations.
Fran Knight
Counting lions by Katie Cotton
Ill. by Stephan Walton. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2015. ISBN
9781847807212
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Animals, Endangered animals,
Illustrative technique. A seemingly simple counting book with the
most engaging illustrations of animals so close hairs can be
counted, the very fact that these animals can be counted points to
many being endangered or having reduced numbers as Virginia McKenna
makes clear in her informative introduction.
Each of the animals represented reflects a different environment and
way of life, and the almost poetic text points out some of their
features which younger children will delight in, but sometimes a
question at the end of each piece of text will increase their
sensitivity to the plight of these animals.
So one lion stares at the reader, sitting in its place in the
savannah, watching his rough and tumble pride, content to watch and
wait. Then two gorillas, three giraffes, four tigers and five
elephants, followed by six Ethiopian wolves, seven penguins, eight
turtles, nine macaws and ten zebras invite the curious reader to
read the text and look more closely at the glorious pencil
illustrations. At the end of the book is a fact file about each
animal's place in the world and here the endangered or threatened
position of each is given.
What a wonderful counting book, introducing young children to the
numbers one to ten and encouraging them to count the animals on each
page. What a beautiful book to discuss illustration, but what an
informative book for the curious, the questioning, those who wonder
why these beautiful animals are threatened and question what can be
done. One child will use this as a tool to learning to count, small
groups of readers will love looking at this together, classes will
use this as an introduction to their work about endangered animals.
Fran Knight
Exploding Endings: Painted Dogs & Doom Cakes by Tim Harris
Harbour Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781922134578
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Tim Harris introduces us into a fun and crazy
world in Exploding Endings: Painted Dogs & Doom Cakes,
with short stories that showcase his wild sense of humour.
Do you need an excuse for being late to school, then try one of the
seventy-nine suggestions? Some excuses are - hitching a ride on a
rather large snail, a derailed train, frozen by a X-Men character,
stuck in an orbiting rocket or the caterpillar alarm that didn't
work! The smiley faces add the commentary, tell jokes and even the
pages engage in a duel.
Why does the whole school want to be in detention? There's a rumour
Jimmy Webb's found the mysterious Gavin's Gold and it might be
hidden in the detention room. Students are outdoing their classmates
in an effort to be sent to this classroom. All the Milford Junior
School students take over the Art Room painting everything the
walls, desks, chairs even the floor. Yes, they are off to detention!
Harris of course has an explosive ending to this story - a twist in
the tale, one that is hard to predict and of course hilarious. Boom Powder involves blasting rockets, secret scientific
experiments and results in a fuel additive with lemonade powder,
that makes Angie and her father wealthy and police vehicles powered
with Fizzy Rain. Murphy's Chocolate Cake takes a simple
recipe with a five-minute Prep Time and a forty minute bake and
turns it into a mega-marathon of improbable situations. Days, weeks
and months of crazy, comical antics occur in preparing the cake,
until Mum is forced to sell the house and they move to the beach.
Beware of this explosive ending! Painted Dogs & Doom Cakes is a fabulous class read-aloud
and a comical stimulus for creative writing. Where will Tim Harris
take us in the second Exploding Endings novel?
Rhyllis Bignell
The hands by Stephen Orr
Wakefield Press, 2015. ISBN 9781743053430
(Age: 16+) On a remote cattle station in Northern South Australia,
three generations of Wilkies pass their days according to the
dictates of season, financial pressure and family expectation.
Grandfather Murray is an overbearing, self-centred man with a
bullying streak who maintains a position of control over his adult
son Trevor, his grandsons Aidan and Harry and his aged sister Fay.
Fay holds an ignominious position in the family, having been
dependent for decades upon Murray to provide a home for herself and
her intellectually disabled adult son.
A split second event results in a road accident which has a
monstrous impact upon the family. Further, the individuals affected
have no realisation that this change will gather increasing
momentum, placing greater tension on their already stressed
relationships.
When Aidan sees an alternative future through an employment
opportunity in Port Augusta, Murray's world view is shaken. The
option challenges his concept of each family member having a blind
devotion to the farm, stoically surviving increasing hardship, for
no other reason than that it is unthinkable to do anything else.
Meanwhile, Trevor is shown to be suffocating beneath monstrous
responsibility whilst prevented from making decisions or
implementing any changes by the manipulative Murray. The angst and
torment he endures before realising that he too can follow his son's
example is indicative of the very real (if entirely undeserved)
perceptions of failure and shame felt by those driven off land
handed down through the generations.
This is a realistic portrayal of family life and the events which
befall this group are entirely authentic in the sense that they
happen with similar measure and frequency to everyday people. Orr's
depiction of rural life and farming practices is refreshing as he
avoids romantic and lazy stereotypes, instead drawing recognisable
people who express credible opinions with familiar dialogue.
The author's often sardonic depiction of certain situations and
behaviours conveys a sense of his personal observations and a
sympathy for graziers struggling to make a living under almost
impossible conditions. The frailties and flaws within the characters
are all shown to be rooted in their circumstances and incapacity to
escape a rotten situation. Sadly their lot might have been so much
more successful and fulfilling if less misfortune and a little more
rain had come their way.
Rob Welsh
