Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406364620
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. A love that lasts for an eternity. A
love that started in one world, a world of fairytales, and continued
in the world we know. In The book of Pearl, we meet Joshua
Pearl. Once, he was Ilian, a prince of the fairytale world until he
was banished to our world and separated from his one true love,
Olia. In the new world, Ilian is taken in by the Pearls and soon
takes on the identity of their dead son Joshua. It is wartime in
Europe and it is while he is a prisoner of war that Joshua discovers
objects that prove his fairytale world exists. Joshua believes
collecting the objects - a mermaid's scale, an archer's bow, a part
of his crib and many others - can open a doorway back home.
Unbeknown to Joshua, Olia was also banished to our world but she was
cursed. She is cursed to only see Joshua but to never be seen by
him. Olia becomes his shadow, his guardian angel. Always there
helping but never seen.
It is a chance encounter with a 14 year old boy that turns this love
story into a story for the whole world to know. The book of Pearl is beautifully written and translated from
French to English. The text is descriptive and emotional and will
hook the reader from the start. It will have the reader believing in
true love. Several storylines are used to tell the story and it
jumps between the past and the present with each chapter. Highly
recommended for readers aged 11+ as well as for adults who enjoy a
well told story.
Kylie Kempster
Ella Diaries: Worst camp ever by Meredith Costain
Scholastic Australia, 2016. ISBN 9781760157180
(Age: 6-10) Recommended. School camps. Pranks. Competition. Ella's
really excited about going to the school camp. She's looking forward
to doing all the activities but is determined to keep writing in her
diary. Discovering that Peach Parker is in the same cabin makes this
a bit difficult, but she covers the diary with a disguise: a cover
called 'What unusual animal is that? A field guide and workbook'. Then
she faithfully records all the fun and games, food and pranks that
happen at the camp as well as the scary moments like hearing spooky
noises at night and having to go on the giant swing.
Filled with humorous comments and delightful little illustrations,
the reader is taken on a fun trip as Ella and her friends navigate
through the complexities of sharing a cabin and having to work in a
team with people they don't like. Readers will laugh out loud at the
pranks that the campers get up to and empathise with Ella as she
overcomes her fear of heights. The mechanics of team work,
friendship and petty rivalries are brought out subtly and in a funny
way in Ella's handwritten diary and cute drawings.
This series is one that has a lot of appeal especially to children
who enjoyed Dork Diaries and the Wimpy kid series.
Worst camp ever can be read as a stand-alone and children are sure
to want to find others in the series.
Pat Pledger
44 days: 75 squadron and the fight for Australia by Michael Veitch
Hachette, 2016. ISBN 9780733633638
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) The story of the Battle of Kokoda
has been well told. However, the World War 2 battle in the skies
above Port Moresby has not been as well known, until now. Michael
Veitch vividly describes the extremely brave men who, over 44 days
in 1942, with little preparation or material support, flew missions
in Kittyhawks against the superior Japanese Zero aircraft. The
airmen had an extraordinary squadron leader, John Jackson, whose
bravery was an inspiration. However, in the end the unit was
overwhelmed through loss of virtually all their aircraft, erroneous
tactics and the lack of support from the air force hierarchy.
The book includes 15 photographs, maps and chapter notes. The author
provides detailed accounts of the actions of many of the airmen and
demonstrates wonderful background knowledge of the aircraft
involved, as well as the physical conditions the men had to survive
on the ground. But for the author's research, these heroic deeds
would have never been told.
Paul Pledger
Goodnight Spaceman by Michelle Robinson and Nick East
Puffin, 2016. ISBN 9780141365626
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Space travel. Space. Adventure. An inspiring
story about space travel and being an astronaut, this is a book that
will inspire young children to reach for the stars. Two little boys
get ready for bed and after saying good night to their shuttle, base
and darkest space they zoom away on an adventure in a space rocket.
The book begins with an introduction by ESA astronaut Tim Peake, who
has two small sons who dream of having adventures in space just like
the two children in the book. He is the first official British ESA
astronaut and has spent time aboard the International Space Station.
The book, beautifully illustrated by Nick East, takes the two
children through space up on a space rocket past the planets and
onto the space station. Not only is space depicted in gorgeous
colours, readers will learn about what it is like inside a space
station through the detailed and engaging drawings of its interior.
The rhyming story is perfect to read aloud. The large print and
rhythm of the tale will also be helpful in encouraging beginning
readers to have a go at reading for themselves.
This is lovely book to read at bedtime, but would also be great to
use in the classroom when children are looking at space and
travelling to the planets.
Pat Pledger
Black by Fleur Ferris
Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN 9781925324976
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Thriller. Horror. Superstition. Ebony
Marshall, known as Black, is desperate to leave Dainsfield, the
small country town where she is in her final year of high school.
Rumours that she is cursed have followed her since three of her best
friends have died in accidents and now she finds it easy to be
alone. But when her date for the formal ends up in intensive care,
the whispers stir again and Black finds herself in danger.
A highly addictive thriller, Black had me glued to the page
to the surprising end which is not for the faint-hearted. Black's
resilience and courage were highlights of the book as she faces the
wild rumours that spread about her. Her job helping Ed test the
water in the dams around the town added a depth to her life in a
country town, with its gossip, cliques, religious groups, secrets
and strange happenings. Ed is willing to help her out with
friendship and more as the whispers escalate, and Aiden, her date
for the formal is another great character, willing to look below the
surface of the town gossip, as are the A's a group of girls who do
stand up for her.
The suspense as Black faced the secrets of the town had me holding
my breath. The last chapters were dark and spell binding and kept me
guessing right to the stunning conclusion. Readers who love
thrillers will not be able to put Black down.
Pat Pledger
Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum by Gordon Winch
New Frontier Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925059595
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum
is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a pygmy possum.
Readers will want to look at the details in the illustrations as
they read about Penelope and her problem. It is the end of winter
and Penelope is waiting for her mate Percy to return. Unfortunately,
over winter, a new road was started and Percy and the other male
possums can't cross safely. How will they get home? Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum is a tale of how changes
to the land affect the lives of wildlife. It is a tale of how humans
step into help (I especially like the part when Percy and his
friends go and chat to the ranger). It is about animal conversation
and the struggles animals face.
This book would be great for the classroom, especially in a Science
of Geography lesson. It would also be good when discussing the
elements of a narrative and would look great deconstructed as a
storyboard.
This book is highly recommended for young readers and their parents
as well as readers aged 7+ who can read it independently.
Kylie Kempster
Macmillan Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781509809899
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Romance. Diversity. This collection features
twelve stories, by 12 well known US authors writing for adolescents:
Leigh Bardugo, Nina LaCour, Libba Bray, Francesca Lia Block,
Stephanie Perkins, Tim Federle, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovran, Brandy
Colbert, Cassandra Clare, Jennifer E Smith and Lev Grossman. The
collection had a range of genres, from adolescent, fantasy, to
horror so some stories will have more appeal than others depending
on the reader's liking for a particular type of genre.
It is a collection that the reader can dip into to find stories by
their favourite authors as well as find stories and genres by
authors that may be new to them. One of my favourites was Head,
scales, tongue, tail by Leigh Bardugo which appears to have
all the hallmarks of a summer romance until the quirky twist at the
end. Another that appealed was Last Stand At the Cinegore by
Libba Bray, a look at a classic horror movie that comes alive - lots
of humour and excitement here! Sick pleasure by Francesca
Lia Block was not your traditional love story at all and will make
the reader think about the meaning of love. Another that took a
different approach to love was Good luck and farewell by
Brandy Colbert where Rashida has to come to grips with the fact that
her beloved cousin is moving to San Francisco with her girlfriend. The
map of tiny perfect things by Lev Grossman has its two
characters facing the same day over and over and having to find
perfect things to keep going.
With its mixture of romance, race and diversity, this is sure to be
a popular collection, although not as light hearted as My true
love gave to me: Twelve holiday stories also edited by
Stephanie Perkins.
Pat Pledger
Blueberry pancakes forever by Angelica Banks
Tuesday McGillycuddy series. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN
9781760110451
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Have you ever wondered where writers
get their ideas? Have you ever wondered why stories sound and feel
real? Well, Blueberry Pancakes Forever tells us of a world, a
magical world of writers. In this world, the Librarian is the keeper
of the stories and the Gardener is the carer of the story worlds.
Tuesday McGillycuddy and her mum Serendipity are writers. Only
writers visit the story world. Their stories are about a fairy-like
girl named Vivienne Small and to write a story means to live in the
world as the story unfolds.
Since the death of Denis, Tuesday's dad, Tuesday and her mum haven't
written a story. They haven't even visited Vivienne's world. Sadness
fills their hearts and their homes until Collette arrives to help.
Serendipity is called to the story world and Tuesday is pulled into
Vivienne Small's world by an unknown force; by a character who
doesn't belong there. Does Tuesday have the imagination to help her
escape? Can Collette enter a world of writers in the hope of getting
Tuesday back? How does a small dog turn into a large, winged dog? Blueberry Pancakes Forever is a mesmerising read and an
exploration of loss, love, family and imagination. The story is
engaging and exciting and will hook readers quickly. It is highly
recommended for girls aged 10+ and is part of the Tuesday
McGillycuddy series. It is written by two Australian authors
who share a pen name and have created an enchanting world.
Hopefully, Blueberry Pancakes Forever will also encourage
the secret writer to create their own stories.
Kylie Kempster
Our Home is Dirt by Sea poems selected by Dianne Bates
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925081190
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Our Home is Dirt by Sea is a
collection of poems written by a variety of Australian children's
poets and selected by Dianne Bates. The book is divided into themed
chapters and begins with a parody of Advance Australia Fair (hence
the title of the collection). The poem 'Revenge' by Robin Klein is
rhyming and funny. The poem 'Brother and Sister' is reminiscent of
spending time with siblings. All readers will find poems that appeal
to their emotions, make them giggle and help them use their
imagination. Our Home is Dirt by Sea is a great way to introduce poetry to
young readers and it is highly recommended for readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster
The ocean of the dead by Andrew McGahan
The Ship Kings series, bk 4. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN
9781760292188
(Age: Upper Primary and Lower Secondary) Recommended. The Ocean
of the dead, the fourth and final book in the series, The
Ship Kings, by Andrew McGahan, is worth waiting for. This is a
fast paced adventure with many complex and unexpected challenges for
Dow Amber to deal with.
A captain at twenty, in charge of the Chloe and the Snout,
Dow determines to find new lands for the refugees, men, women and
children, who have trusted him with their lives. To them, he is Dow
Amber, the legend, the myth and the inspiration.
He decides to pass through the doldrums to the fabled lands of the
south, 'a feat that had defied even the finest seaman in the world'.
But for Dow, with Ignella of the Cave at his side, nothing seems
impossible. Such a voyage requires stores and supplies of whale oil,
and these first challenges are met without bloodshed.
But just when everyone is feeling confident, a threatening fleet of
vessels under the command of Diego, Dow's sworn enemy, approaches.
To everyone's puzzlement, Diego allows them to go on their way.
Now Ignella begins to have nightmares, visions that seem to foretell
the future, a chilling future with a price to be paid for any
success.
An eerie silence and sheets of slimy, foul smelling algal blooms
slow their passage through the doldrums; even worse are the acidic
white stretches of algae which damage both ships. But even more
dangers are to be faced from the miasma and then the sudden
reappearance of Diego on his ship, renamed The new world. It
seems that Diego intends to join them on their journey south but can
he be trusted?
Even more fearful than Diego's intentions, are the Sunken, the
inhabitants of the islands of weed floating in the ocean. To secure
their passage, Dow must make a heart rending sacrifice.
There are even more unexpected twists to this engrossing plot and
young teenage readers, particularly boys, will enjoy following them
to see whether Dow finally achieves peace and happiness.
Thelma Harvey
Wild Pa by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Connah Brecon. Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN
9780857988003 My Pa is not a quiet Pa,
a sit-and-read-the-news Pa.
My Pa is a Wild Pa -
and Wild Pas are lots of fun
Indeed they are as they chase their grandsons through the dunes in
full pirate garb; grow peas in crazy shapes; cook up spectacular
meals; and even indulge in a full-on food fight. Not for this
grandfather the conventional "comb-his-three-long-strands" pa; the
"trim-and-tidy-roses" pa; or even the traditional baked beans or
sausages, But for all his fun and games, this pa is nevertheless
responsible and knows "when enough is quite enough".
This is an hilarious romp written in rhyme that leaps off the pages
with its actions and colourful illustrations. Right from the front
cover which depicts Pa and grandson swinging Tarzan-like across the
crocodile-infested pond you know this will be a story of fun and
frolics that will engage young readers from the get-go. Pa is
cleverly depicted as just an adult version of his younger relative,
distinguished only by a somewhat dodgy moustache and beard,
emphasising the role model he is offering both as a grandfather but
also a caring family member. The endpapers are delightful - from
swinging on a somewhat worse-for-wear clothesline to the suggestion
that perhaps they are now in the doghouse!!
Many schools now celebrate Grandparents Day and this titles like Miss
Mae's Saturday would be perfect as part of a display about
grandparents that could be shared on this day - or as part of a
special selection in a Book Fair. Young children will delight in
telling their own stories about their own grandfathers (who are no
more the stereotypical white-haired chap in a cardigan and slippers
than the grey-haired, bun wearing grandmother sitting in her chair
knitting) and will begin to understand the family structure as they
do. Sometimes they are a whole lot of fun with a lot of wild
ideas!!!
Barbara Braxton
The stupendously spectacular spelling bee by Deborah Abela
Random House, 2016. ISBN 9781925324822
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Spelling. Grammar. Words.
Competition. With each chapter heading being a new complex word
along with its meaning and use in a sentence, the emphasis on words
is given an extra boost in this wonderfully charming story about a
spelling competition. India Wimple from a small country town has an
extraordinary gift - she can spell. She and her family watch the
competition on TV together and no word is beyond India's ability.
They encourage her to enter the competition but India is against
this, recalling the incident which gave her stage fright. But dad
turns to the community and they work out a way to overcome her fears
and gran gives them money to get the family to the first of the
series, a six hour drive away. When she wins, Sydney seems too far
but the community bands together to help the family out.
Arriving in Sydney India meets several of her competitors: one,
Summer is a vain, trumped up young girl who readily puts everyone
down, and the other, Rajishh, is as supportive as Summer is cruel.
In the mix is India's brother, Boo, an asthmatic whose flare ups
cause mayhem for the family. At each turn, India's path to the
finals is blocked, but help from sometimes unexpected quarters
always come along, reflecting the common goodness in people's
hearts.
This is a sympathetic and likable tale of a young girl overcoming
her fears to achieving her goal, and meeting some supportive people
along the way. Even Summer turns out to have a nice side, and the
prize India gets for winning is a way to achieve something the
family has dreamed of.
The comparison between the three sets of parents is thought
provoking, and the emphasis on words and spelling bees may encourage
children to emulate India.
Fran Knight
Archie Greene and the alchemist's curse by D. D. Everest
Allen & Unwin Australia (Faber), 2016. ISBN 9780571307418
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Move over Harry, you have a rival for
my affections! Somehow or other I missed the first book in this
fabulous series (that will need to be redressed ASAP) but no matter,
I was able to pick up the threads from the first well enough to
thoroughly enjoy this volume.
And how could I possibly resist any magical story in which books and
librarians feature so strongly? Well, that just wouldn't happen at
all!
Archie Greene found out he was from a magical family on his 12th
birthday and since then he has been living with his aunt and uncle
plus cousins in Oxford so that he can pursue his inherent
apprenticeship working with magical books. Not only does he have a
natural talent for the work which he is undertaking to learn but he
has a rare gift. He is a book whisperer. He can hear and speak to
books who often reveal secrets that others can have no hope of
discovering.
When Archie's younger cousin also embarks on his apprenticeship and
steps up to receive his 'fire mark' from the mysterious Flame of
Pharos which will denote his apprenticeship path, he and Archie as
well as Bramble the older cousin surprisingly receive another mark.
Two other apprentices also are branded in the same way. The five now
carry the Golden Circle - the mark that has not been seen for 350
years and means that the children are the new 'crop' of original
magic writers. The whys and wherefores are the thread of the story
and the plot untangles like a strange spell itself revealing hidden
histories and uncovering truths.
D. D. Everest has provided readers with an alternate world which in
every sense not only echoes the satisfaction we all had with HP
books but at times eclipses this with highly original plot twists
and characters.
I will be promoting this with vigour in my library just as soon as I
can get hold of the first in the series. I predict that we may well
need multiples as word spreads of the delights of this series.
Amazingly these are the author's first forays into writing for
children - check out the author's
website. Highly recommended for readers from around 8 years
upwards. Make sure you stock up!
Sue Warren
Oh, Albert by Davina Bell
Ill. by Sara Acton. Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780670078608
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Dogs. Animals. Pets. Family. The front
cover and first endpaper show the reader what sort of dog Albert is,
and why the title of this luminous picture book Oh, Albert,
is said with exasperation. The young readers will immediately
recognise Albert's naughtiness, perhaps comparing it with things
they have inadvertently done at home causing annoyance. The
overturned plants on the cover and the sprinkling of flowers as
children turn over the page will cause laughter, laughter which
continues all the way through the story.
On Monday all by himself, he chews a pink ribbon, on Tuesday a red
triangle, on Wednesday he finds some funny green things to roll
around with, on Thursday a brown ball, on Friday a wriggly piece of
white string, on Saturday a whole planet, but this time the effect
is quite different. Each time he eats something inappropriate it
results in one of the family admonishing the dog, but on Saturday,
concern is reversed as he has eaten something which makes him quite
sick.
Then the love of the family explodes for the dog as they all sit at
the vet's waiting for him to be made well again, all sins forgiven.
I love the way the author has intertwined the misdemeanor with what
the family is doing, the journey each takes to the party on Saturday
where the family comes together. The spare writing and wonderful
illustrations reflects the things a family does and the space held
by the family pet but it also shows that children can do silly
things which have consequences, but all is forgiven within the
family. The book invites children to share their stories of a pet
which has caused problems within the family, but also to see that
these are temporary, that love for the pet or the child holds fast
no matter what has been done. Sara Acton's lovely watercolour
illustrations are perfectly suited to this tale of the family, adding
a layer of fun within her drawings, inviting readers to look closely
at the expressions on all the faces. And after all the mayhem, the
last endpaper shows Albert smugly asleep.
I laughed out loud at the recognition of calm after the storm and
total lack of concern shown by the main mischief maker.
Fran Knight
The devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
Tom Hawkins bk 1. Hodder and Stoughton, 2014. ISBN
9781444775426
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Mystery. Historical crime. The Crime
Writers' Association Historical Dagger (2014). It's London, 1727.
Tom Hawkins is desperately trying to keep out of the notorious
Marshalsea prison for debtors, but when he is mugged and his money
stolen, he ends up facing the appalling horrors of the place. He
discovers that there is a murderer roaming the prison as well as the
ghost of the murdered man, Captain Roberts. He rooms with Samuel
Fleet, known as a devil, and is aghast to find out that he is
sleeping in the bed where the murdered man was found. After being
brutally beaten and tortured he is offered the only way out of the
prison - find the murderer and quell the rumours that are beginning
to taunt William Acton the turnkey of the prison and interfere with
the huge profits that he and Sir Philip Meadows are making.
Tom Hawkins is a most likeable villain, a gambler, deep drinker and
fond of the ladies. Brought up to be the successor to his father, a
country parson, he finds that calling not to his taste. Instead he
discovers the underbelly of London. However, there is a core of
honour to him and he is eager to uncover who and why Captain Roberts
was murdered. The range of characters that he encounters in prison,
from the wicked William Acton to the bumbling chaplain, the clever
Samuel Fleet and his protegee Kitty are all original and bring depth
to the mystery.
Hodgson's well researched setting of the Marshalsea prison
highlights the horror of what it was like to be in debt and thrown
in goal in the 18th century. Descriptions of the terrible
circumstances of the debtors, their hunger, and the cruelty and
corruption of the gaolers provide a fascinating and complex
background to this crime novel at the same time making the reader
well aware of the differences between the rich and the poor. The devil in the Marshalsea gripped my attention right from
the beginning and its historical setting, engaging characters and
tricky plot kept me reading. There is another book in the series, The
last confession of Thomas Hawkins, which I look forward to
pursuing.
Pat Pledger
