Little, Brown & Company, 2014. ISBN: 9780316220750
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Whistle-blowing; Big Business &
Corporations; Fraud; Terrorism; Family relationships; Belief and
doubt; Science & Truth. The teenage protagonists in this story
have become caught up in the world of big business and the
introduction of doubt to protect wealth. The teens were victims
before they became involved in a plot to sabotage the Public
Relations team who protect the money-making foci and motivations of
big business by obfuscation and spin. The teenagers hatch a complex
plan involving computer hacking, creative use of their own insurance
wealth and intelligence, rats and kidnapping. Their intention is to
bring truth into the open and to remove the influence of the PR
'Doubt Factory'. Their kidnap victim is the daughter of the chief of
the PR company and she herself is transformed in the process.
This complex plot is exhilarating and adult in its focus, and yet
because of the age of the participants it reads like a compelling
adventure for intelligent teenagers. The consequence after reading
the tale is to doubt anything that Big Business is involved in, and
to question science and the law as a means to purvey truth.
I can recommend this to an older Teenage audience - Aged 15+.
(Note: there is a language warning: 'F' bomb sprinkled through the
text, and although it is not surprising - in keeping with the
language use of teens - it may influence purchase selections for
some.)
Carolyn Hull
Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus
Ill. by Sean Murray. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471405273
(Age: 13-15) Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus have created a dark
underworld inhabited with hungry trolls whose favourite food is
children! In the late 1960's in San Bernadino, California, nearly
two hundred children disappear, never to be seen again. On Jack
Sturges's birthday, he's out for a ride on his new bike with his
younger brother and forgets his parents' warning to be home before
dark. As they ride near the Holland Transit Bridge, a terrifying
creature catches Jack and young Jim has to race for home narrowly
escaping from the monster with black fur, horns, claws and massive
teeth.
In the present day Jim has grown up to be a paranoid father, living
in a house with steel shutters, ten locks on the front door, flood
lights and security cameras, protecting himself and his fifteen year
old son, James Sturges Jr. - Jim. His middle school life is filled
with issues, first crush, bullying, problems with Math and
friendships. One night, he's dragged through a hole beneath his bed
and into the troll underworld. He meets his lost uncle who is still
as young as the day he disappeared and is drawn into a mighty battle
against multiple species of the grossest, dirtiest, most frightening
trolls lead by the fearsome Gunmar. Trollhunters is suited to the fans of fantasy adventure
stories where the underdog saves the world, aided by the nerdy
sidekick and of course save the damsel in distress. The dark complex
illustrations by Sean Murray add to the rich descriptions of the
troll's kingdom. The novel is takes time to set up and needs
commitment to finish, middle school life is stereotypical whilst the
fantasy underworld is much more rounded and exciting.
Rhyllis Bignell
Afterlight by Rebecca Lim
Text, 2015. ISBN: 9781925240498
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This book grips the reader and
doesn't let go until after it has been read. Rebecca writes so well
and the reader is drawn in to such an extent that the characters
(from bikies to drag queens) are so real you can almost touch them.
We meet Sophie as her life has been shattered by the death of her
parents in an accident. Bullied at her last school, Sophie begins a
new chapter of her life in a new school after moving in with her
Gran (who owns a pub).
Almost immediately Sophie is visited by Eve. Eve is a persistent
ghost who has Sophie tying up the loose ends of Eve's life. The
missions become more dangerous and soon involve another student at
the school - Jordan Haig. His special abilities and care for Sophie
are integral to the fast paced and dramatic ending to this great
book.
The actions of Eve have Sophie excluded from school and sent on a
journey that is life threatening and life changing.
Rebecca Lim's writing of Afterlight sprang from a shooting
that occurred in the Melbourne CBD. A bikie and a tabletop dancer
were involved and innocent people on their way to work were
critically injured or killed. Those who know Melbourne well will
find themselves inside the environments Lim creates so evocatively.
Linda Guthrie
Hard Nuts of History series by Tracy Turner 
Ill. by Jamie Lenman. Bloomsbury, 2015. Play the Game. How Hard are You? ISBN 9781472910974 Ultimate Quiz and Game Book - Know your Hard Nuts. ISBN
9781472910967
(Age: 8-12) Tracy Turner's Hard Nuts of History series
showcases the tough men and women of history - Ancient Greeks,
Warriors, Travellers, Kings and Queens and those in Myths and
Legends. To accompany these fact-filled books, two quiz books have
been released. Play the Game is filled with sheets of cards with perforated
edges, once they have been removed from the book they are dealt to
two or more players. Instructions for the Battle of the Hard Nuts
are given and as each round continues points are given for cunning,
courage, survival skills and ruthlessness. Each colourful card has a
border to indicate where they came from or what the Hard Nut did. The Ultimate Quiz and Game Book is packed full of fun facts,
quizzes - Name that Viking, Heroes of Myths and Legends and games -
Mummy Making! For the ancient weapons quiz objects such as the
chakram, arbalest and tessen are sorted into how they are used -
bash, chop, throw or fire. Women have led battles, explored darkest
Africa and led revolutions - The Trung Sisters, Zenobia, Queen of
Syria and Boudica, who ruled the Iceni tribe.
With bold cartoon caricatures, these two books provide fun and
entertainment. They are great for the history buff, overflowing with
fun facts, games and quizzes.
Rhyllis Bignell
Pieces of Sky by Trinity Doyle
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112486
(Age: 15+) Themes: Death & grief; Teenage romance; Coming of
age; Relationships. Trinity Doyle's debut YA novel gives an insight
into the world of grief. Lucy and her parents have been shattered by
the drowning death of Cam - the wild-child brother and son. His loss
has carved great chasms into their lives, and they are all at risk
of plummeting to the depths. Lucy was a champion swimmer, but now
can't even face the water; her mother has succumbed to the darkest
of depression, and her father has thrown himself into the world of
work, and is maintaining a blinkered finger-tip hold on his
threatened business to the detriment of his connections in his
family. Relationships for Lucy are also strained under the weight of
grief, and a mystery girlfriend from her brother's past who keeps
texting his phone, sends Lucy in many directions as she tries to
find solid ground. A romantic interest gives Lucy hope and an
opportunity to feel something other than the pain of grief.
The road to recovery after a tragedy is seldom smooth and as each
character deals uniquely with their own grief we see the ripple
effect of the tragedy played out in their community. The friends of
Cam are also grieving, and their life choices reflect the 'live now
and don't consider tomorrow' lifestyle of the young.
Because of the topic and the inevitable sadness that we must feel
deeply in order to understand the slowness of recovery, this book
should only be recommended to those who are emotionally mature
enough to deal with the topic of death in a family.
(Note: references to drug-taking, possible suicide, sexual
encounters that are begun, but uniquely ended before regret wins
over. Some swearing.)
Carolyn Hull
Splinter the silence by Val McDermid
Little, Brown, 2015. ISBN 9781408706893
(Age: secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
Stalking, Trolls. This latest crime story involving Dr Tony Hill and
Carol Jordan has both of them in limbo. Carol has resigned from the
police, distancing herself from friends, particularly Tony, drinking
heavily and rebuffing overtures of friendship. One night she drives
home only to be stopped by the police and arrested for drink
driving. With no one else to turn to she rings Tony to take her
home. He insists on staying the night and taking her problem in
hand; a hostile Carol wakes the next morning to find he has emptied
all her bottles of booze. His determination to stop her drinking is
paramount.
Meanwhile, she has been touted as the head of a new department in
the north to coordinate major crimes, but this arrest causes
problems for the hierarchy. But when Tony senses something is not
quite right in a suicide report he convinces Carol and her new team
about the veracity of his suppositions and together they work on
using digital footprints to find the killer.
Again a wonderfully engrossing story, the characters are multi
layered and impel us to watch their movements against the backdrop
of women's rights, trolling and cyber bullying. McDermid takes us
into the brain of this man, warped by experience and environment to
see women as not really knowing what they should be, making his
killings look like suicides to wake them up to the reality of being
a wife and mother staying at home.
And McDermid introduces a moral uncertainty which is just as
engrossing as the crime story, with Carol's drink driving charge
being dropped. And with Tony moving into Carol's finished barn, the
next installment of their relationship could be even more prickly.
This is a great read, showing how impossible it is to hide in this
cyber world, how even the most meticulous planning can come unstuck,
and how things that have happened in the past can have unexpected
repercussions.
Fran Knight
The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471132988
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Philippa Gregory's love of history
underpins The Taming of the Queen. Kateryn Parr was the last
of King Henry VIII's six wives: portrayed in this narrative as
passionate, intelligent, devout and independent, she was once named
Regent during King Henry's absence in France. Philippa Gregory's
gripping perspective honours Kateryn's importance as a reformer, and
vividly suggests the minutia of her daily life at court, once she
accepted King Henry VIII's command that she marry him.
This intimate portrait of Kateryn's life as wife to the King of
England examines the bond that developed between them, and how she
brought together a family that would see Henry reunited with his
children. During her marriage to King Henry, Kateryn simultaneously
immersed herself in her study, writing and reformation activities.
However, in the darker, final days of Henry's life, the focus of
this novel shifts to the ever-growing dangers faced by Kateryn as he
turned his dangerous attention upon her, and her reformation work.
Although The Taming of the Queen is a work of historical
fiction, Gregory has created a believable interpretation of the
inner workings of this royal marriage; of Henry's court with all its
loyalties, rivalries and scheming; of naval battles, and the
intrigues of Kateryn's relationship with Thomas Seymour.
In her concluding summary, this accomplished author comments that
the days surrounding Kateryn's arrival at court were 'alive with
debate about the Bible: English or Latin, about the Mass: bread or
flesh, about the Church: reformist or papist.' Recognising her as
the first woman to publish in English using her own name, Philippa
Gregory's narrative pays homage to this woman 'who dared to write
original material in English.' Kateryn published three books that
still survive today. The Taming of the Queen is an
entertaining and historically exciting perspective on this
protestant woman's life. It is recommended for adults interested in
this period of Tudor history.
Colleen Tuovinen
Pockety: the tortoise who lived as she pleased by Florence Seyvos
Ill. by Claude Ponti. Pushkin Press, 2014. ISBN 9781782690252
(Age: Newly independent readers) Pockety is a tiny tortoise who
leaves home at a very young age to live like a grown up. She meets
Thumb who has also left home to live like a grown up and they build
a hut together so they can. But one day, Thumb is killed by a stone
and although Pockety laughs at first, when she realises she has lost
her dear friend for good, she is devastated. And so her grieving
begins.
This is a quaint story translated from the French original Pochee,
which traces Pockety's grieving process which is very similar to
that of a human. She's in denial, angry, bereft, wanting company and
wanting to be alone. It's sensitive and gentle and the reader's
emotions follow Pockety's journey hoping she will eventually find
peace and comfort.
This is a gentle, sensitive story that will appeal to newly
independent readers who are looking for something a little bit
different. Pushkin developed this series so they could bring the
stories of the world to young children in the hope they will open
new doors and gateways to a whole new world of stories. Pockety is
an excellent example of the success of their goal.
Barbara Braxton
Dearest by Alethea Kontis
Woodcutter Sisters bk 3. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.
ISBN 9780544074071
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Fairy tales retold. The third in the
Woodcutter Sisters series, following Enchanted
and Hero
is a delightful retelling primarily of The wild swans, but
with some other fairy tales incorporated into the tale. This is
Friday's story, the loving and giving child of the old rhyme: Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is blithe and bonny and good and gay.
After a huge ocean has devastated the kingdom, Friday is working
with refugee children at her sister's palace. She stumbles across
seven sleeping brothers in a tower and when she lays eyes on
Tristan, knows that he is her true love. But the brothers have been
cursed - each day they turn into swans.
What is so good about this series is the fact that the book is a
companion volume. The reader does not have to have read, or even
remember, the other books, to fully enjoy this one. Friday lives up
to her description of being loving and giving, helping the homeless,
working out ways to feed many people and giving each child a sense
of worth. However she is also very clever and she manages to work
out a way around the curse, using excellent problem solving skills
and organising everyone to help out.
This is a very rewarding series to read. The heroines are all
intelligent and capable and the fairy tale roots are woven so
cleverly that they bring a fresh outlook to a familiar story. Dearest
has an engrossing narrative and an enticing romance. It is sure to
appeal to anyone who enjoys the retelling of fairy tales.
Pat Pledger
The iron claw by Paul Collins and Sean McMullen
Ford Street, 2015. ISBN 9781925000948
(Ages: 10+) Fantasy. This easy to read fantasy series again begins
where the previous book, Dragonfall Mountain, left off.
There is no recapping of the story to detract from the action which
makes the series highly attractive to those students who are keen to
get on with the story or devour a series by borrowing the books in
order with no break.
The dragon Stormvaud returns to Dragonfall Mountain where King
Lavarran and his Army have been waiting guarded by the other
dragons, bringing the bodies of two palace guards which demonstrate
that forbidden magic is being practised in the city. To avert
complete disaster Latzar reveals himself to the dragons as a secret
agent and Velza as the Iron Claw investigating Calbaras her father
and perpetrator of the magic.
Meanwhile Dantar and Marko are lost in the sewers where they meet
Merikus a talking rat who they enlist to guide them through the
sewers to the docks. The repartee between Dantar and Merkius
provides for some light hearted relief as their situation becomes
more threatening, especially when they meet what appears to be
Dantar's identical twin Avantar. But is he really a human or another
example of Calbaras's magic.
Both Velza and Dantar find themselves in precarious positions again,
locked in prison as Velza continues to seek out her father and
Dantar and companions escape to Merk only to be set upon by thieves
and arrested.
The plot continues to twist and turn as Calbaras evades capture and
plots to become a Dark Hand and as powerful as the dragons while the
dragons call a council meeting to try to solve the mystery of the
dragon chick they sense. Short chapters which alternate between
following Velza and Dantar and occasionally the Dragons, keep the
readers on their toes and make for a fast read.
Sue Keane
The Gateway by Cerberus Jones
The Midnight Mercenary bk 3. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN
9781760120306
(Ages 8+) Science Fiction. The Gateway is a hotel with a
difference as the family who purchase it discover in the first of
the series. Written by a trio of writers this is the third book to
explore the interaction between The Gateway's human
inhabitants and the intergalactic travellers who pass through the
hotel.
A raging storm and a power failure make for a dramatic opening to
this episode and an opportunity for Charlie to create mischief. The
arrival of Tom announcing the imminent arrival of twenty children
from the alien world creates some turmoil but not as much as his
information that another unannounced visitor had arrived, the feared
Krskn and that he had already captured Scott, the father, who was
endeavouring to fix the fuses. Krskn is contracted to capture one of
the alien children but is keen to take back and sell a variety of
subjects including Mum, Charlie and Grawk Amelia's pet.
The arrival of two groups of Scouts, one group human and the other
aliens in disguise, the anticipation of a Keeper arriving to protect
the alien children from Krskn, and the continuously disappearing
adults, creates suspense reminiscent of a horror movie especially as
the action all takes place in the dark or semi-dark.
It is up to Charlie and Amelia to save the day and for the family to
reassure both the human and alien visitors when the new day dawns.
Having not read the previous books in the series it was easy to
catch up with the characters and their relationships as the story
continued.
Sue Keane
The savage shore by Graham Seal
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760111076
(Age: secondary to adult) Highly recommended. History, Early
exploration of Australia, Spice trade. The role of the VOC (Dutch
East Indies Company) in mapping Australia in the seventeenth century
is vividly brought to life in this highly readable book about the
exploration of Australia. Finding a sea route to the Spice Islands
(East Indies, today's Indonesia) meant huge profits could be made by
this Amsterdam company in bringing spices back to Europe. But they
wanted more: to keep profits up, they needed more resources and more
markets, (doesn't that sound familiar!) and so mariners were told to
watch out for possibilities when they landed on unknown shores. This
resolve coincided with a new faster route being discovered by
Brouwer in 1611. He travelled east from Cape Town, instead of
hugging the African coast, using the Roaring Forties to travel
across the Indian Ocean and turning north to Batavia when the
distance appeared right. Without any accurate means of telling where
they were on the ocean (the discovery of longitude was still a
hundred years away) many ships hit the Western Australian coast,
some disastrously, but took their charts with them to head office
when rescued. So pieces of the Australian coastline were uncovered
and mapped throughout this century but kept close by VOC hesitant to
allow others this information lest they cash in the lucrative trade
that may transpire. Names like Batavia and Tasman spring readily to
mind when thinking about this early exploration, and Seal gives a
full account of both these stories, but includes others less known.
In the eighteenth century, the fortunes of the VOC were in decline
and a more scientific appraisal of the Southland was undertaken by
both the French and British. Stories of Cook, Baudin and Flinders
stand out as they mapped and explored possibilities of the new
country.
I loved reading this history giving a fascinating account of the
attempts to discover the Southland, the activities by the VOC and
the many stories of survival by seamen. Half remembered stories are
fleshed out as the cartographers pieced together the coastline, and
secondary students and adults alike will find this book adds to
their knowledge of our early history. A number of recently published
books add to the interest given by this book, Batavia (Peter
Fitzsimmons, Heinemann, 2011) gives an impressive account of that
chilling chapter in Australia's history as does My father's
islands (Christobel Mattingley, NLA, 2012) giving a fictional
account of Abel Tasman and his importance to Australia's exploration
for younger readers.
I did rankle somewhat at the myth that school children are taught
that Cook discovered Australia, knowing that the texts I read and
used certainly belie this. But a good story always needs a little
spice and this book certainly gives the reader that.
Stories of being marooned on this uninviting land, of murder and
betrayal, of incredible courage and fortitude, of Aboriginal stories
about contact held my attention. A comprehensive index, glossary and
bibliography serve the book and its readers well.
This is a substantial addition to any school, class or home library.
And a marvellous companion to the recent exhibition at the Art
Gallery of South Australia: Treasure Ships, art in the age of
spices.
Fran Knight
Leo da Vinci vs the Ice Cream Domination League by Michael Pryor
Ill. by Jules Faber. Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857988379
Even though he is just 10 years old, Leo da Vinci is an inventor,
artist, genius and founder of Fixit International Inc. dedicated to
saving the world from super villains in cahoots with his friend Mina
and sidekicks Isaac the robot and Ragnar the talking pig. No matter
where or when, he is always sketching new inventions from the most
ordinary objects and collecting the most amazing array of everyday
stuff in his top-secret shed where he put his theories into
practice. So when the Ice Cream Domination League move in,
determined to control all the ice cream in the world for themselves
by stealing ice cream trucks and blowing up factories, Leo has a new
problem to solve and a new enemy to face.
This is a new series aimed at younger independent readers who are
looking for a lovable hero written by an author who admits that it
is "a very silly book." " Leo da Vinci vs the Ice-Cream
Domination League is a very silly book - and it was a lot of
fun to write. I've always liked the idea of the young inventor,
working away to create amazing contraptions. And I've always liked
the idea of young inventors saving the world. Oh, and I've always
liked the idea of talking pigs, too. Throw all these things in
together, add some extra silliness, and you have the start of Leo da
Vinci's adventures." Yet for all the 'silliness' of the plot,
nevertheless this is a well-written story as Pryor is a master
storyteller for adults and young adults having been nominated
several times for an Aurealis Award for science fiction, fantasy and
horror writers. Larger font, shorter chapters and clever
illustrations will draw in readers who will then look forward to the
next in the series Leo da Vinci vs the Furniture Overlord to
be published early in 2016.
Barbara Braxton
Frankie and Finn by Klay and Mark Lamprell
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Lothian, 2015. ISBN 9780734416186
(Ages: 4-7) Frankie and his family have just moved into a new house.
It looks dark and scary. Finn the fish does not really like his home
in the pond. It is dark and scary. When Frankie reaches his hand
into the murky pond for his ball, Finn thinks the five-head monster
with no eyes or mouth is going to squish him and his family.
However, when the water clears and Frankie and Finn meet, both of
their lives become brighter.
The story highlights how even though the unknown might look dark and
scary, a closer look can prove you wrong. It has potential for
discussing change, and how things that look different are not always
so terrible. The best feature of this book is how the story tells
the perspective of both Frankie and Finn and highlights the
similarities between the two families. The illustrations are also
great in portraying the perspective of Finn the fish's family from
under the water.
Nicole Nelson
The mice and the shoemaker by Gabriel Evans
Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781760064273
(Ages: 4-8) This is a reimagined version of the classic Christmas
tale The elves and the shoemaker and promotes the joy of giving
rather than receiving. This is a nostalgic book - it is clearly set
in the 'olden days' with clothing and house furnishings all
reminiscent of a bygone era. Even the language is old-fashioned and
English (As the snow fell outside they huddled around a blazing
fire, sang Christmas carols, ate roasted rosehips and drank mulled
mulberry juice). The tale, though retold, retains its English
heritage with a wintry Christmas setting. The illustrations
themselves are dull and grainy. All these things contribute to
making the book look and feel 'old'. While some children may get
lost within the long narrative or be dissatisfied with the
illustrations (they are a very different style to most modern
picture books), many will adore the magic, enchanted nature of the
tale. The illustrations are wonderfully detailed and there are
magnificent pop-ups and flaps that children will delight in. The
story itself follows the mouse family, the Whiskers, as they move
out of their flooded house and in with their Grandpa, beneath the
floorboards of a shoemaker's store. To repay the shoemaker's
kindness the family create the finest shoes in the land for the
elderly man and his wife to sell. In return, the shoemaker and his
wife make the mice new clothes and shoes. This is a heart-warming
tale about rediscovering the meaning of Christmas gifts; it seems a
timely reminder for a generation of children who see Christmas
primarily as a time for receiving. Overall, this is a heart-warming
tale that will not suit every child, but will be cherished by many.
Nicole Nelson
