The amazing true story of how babies are made by Fiona Katauskas
ABC Books, 2015. ISBN: 9780733333880
(Ages 5+) Highly recommended. There are tried and tested, classic
books explaining how babies are made, but this one makes itself
relevant with its up-to-date information, inclusive of IVF and sperm
donation and other modern baby-making topics. Perfect for use with
children of all ages, the book is ideal for parent use but teachers
will also be able to pick out suitable sections, depending on the
age of the students. It will be especially useful for body
awareness, and relationship and sexual health education. In addition
to providing information, this book will assist children to develop
confidence in their body while encouraging an awareness and
appreciation of difference - both among and between genders and age
groups. Separated into sections, it starts by exploring the
differences between males and females, and then uses this
terminology and information to explain sex and fertilisation; it is
here that information about non-traditional fertilisation is
included. The book then follows the growth and birth of a baby,
including paragraphs about premature babies and caesarean births. It
concludes with the assertion that making babies is one of the most
amazing things that human bodies do and that we are all made this
way! Colourful illustrations, humour and plain English make this an
easy and embarrassment-free title for parents to use. It is
comprehensive and detailed without being dreary and addresses those
things young children are curious about; it explains erections,
puberty and sex in a matter-of-fact and honest way. Diagrams and
pictures are accurate while also being fun, and at times humorous.
Everything is described in a way that even the youngest child will
understand and it has a warm rather than clinical tone. The author
wrote this in response to the lack of any up-to-date material to use
with her own children. It fills an obvious gap and is therefore a
necessary addition to every parent library.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain
Green Rider Book 5. Orion Publishing Group, 2014. ISBN:
9780575099685
(Ages: 13+) After Karigan G'ladheon, Green Rider and messenger for
King Zachery, shatters a powerful evil looking mask, she wakes to
find that she is not in the time period she is supposed to be.
Trapped in a sarcophagus she is finally freed by circus folk whom
she seems are not nice people at all. After escaping from their
clutches she then finds herself in a bleak future where she is being
hidden by an archaeologist, Professor Josston, whom has his servant
Mirriam and Lorine tend to her injuries. But can Karigan trust these
new people? Her Green Rider skills have no power here in this new
world and everything seems strange to her. After following her host
into an underground tunnel Karigan finds familiarity in an abandoned
town and she finally finds answers to the questions that have been
plaguing her. Do her people from her own time have a message to tell
her and how can they be sending her messages into the future? With
the help of Cade and the horse handler Luke, she must find a way
back to her own time and confront the evil emperor.
Even though I have not read the previous books in this series I
found it enjoyable as a stand-alone book. It is written well with
interesting twists and turns and the reader would be able to follow
which time frame they are reading about through the characters each
chapter is describing. This fantasy book would be enjoyed by readers
whom have liked anything written by Jaqueline Carey, Sarah Maas and
Elizabeth Moon.
Jody Holmes
The novice by Taran Matharu
The Summoner book 1. Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9781444926644
(Age: 13+) The Novice is a young adult, fantasy novel by
Taran Matharu. It is deftly written and is a great introduction to a
new world filled with strange magic, demons, and the people who
summon them. Although written in third person it still has a
personal feel to it, and the writing style is easy to read and
understand. I believe it is a book that would interest readers aged
thirteen to seventeen (though don't let that stop you if you're
older!)
It all starts when the young protagonist, Fletcher, comes across a
summoner's book. Inside is a scroll to summon a demon, and when he
speaks the words, the demon appears. Soon, he is in a situation
where it appears he is guilty of committing a crime, though he is
innocent, so he flees with his demon and his book.
He is soon admitted to a Summoner's Training School, in which he
bravely faces all his trials in an attempt to earn enough knowledge
for the challenge at the end of the year. But with vicious nobles,
teachers who are dead set against him and a past that is just dying
to come haunt him, Fletcher encounters a lot of hurdles.
Nonetheless, he makes some rather unlikely friends and struggles
towards his goals, his demon never too far. However, it always seems
like there is someone plotting against him, and that the odds are
not in his favour.
It makes for an exciting, fun read you just can't put down. The
antagonists (and there are a few) will make you grit your teeth, but
it's all worth it to see how things play out amongst Fletcher and
his friends, in this school of demon raisers. The Novice is definitely a worthwhile read that could
interest a wide variety of readers, and will most likely leave you
wishing for the next book to be in your hands right away, though
there will be a wait for the sequel!
Annie-May S. (Student)
Alien Attack by Alan MacDonald
Ill. by Nigel Baines. Superhero School series. Bloomsbury,
2015. ISBN 9781408825242
(Age: 7 - 9) Recommended. Themes: Heroes, Villains, Life on other
planets, School stories, Humorous Stories. Stan, Minnie, Miles and
Pudding the Wonderdog are back in the next instalment of Superhero
School and it is just as exciting as the first novel. There
are superheroes learning to fly not very successfully, incidents
with Bionic Bubblegum, aliens landing and causing drama and the
Mighty High students busy revising for their first year HEROES
exams.
During an excursion to the annual Superhero Convention, Miles comes
in contact with little green aliens who have landed in the leisure
centre car park. The touch of long sticky alien tongue on Miles'
forehead leads him into all sorts of trouble. Back at school, his
friends are busy learning to fly with Professor Bird, diving into an
empty pool where two students are holding a blanket! Much to
everyone's surprise Miles is a natural flying over the pool, even
doing a loop-the-loop. Meanwhile, across town the aliens have a
prisoner who looks exactly like Miles wearing a blindfold made from
undies. Alien Attack is a great read for younger children combining a
cartoon format with easy to read action-packed chapters. Nigel
Baines' graphic cartoon illustrations compliment this Alan
MacDonald's superhero story.
Rhyllis Bignell
Lara of Newtown by Chris McKimmie
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112325
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Cats, Pets, Family Life. Chris
McKimmie's picture book is a simple story of a cat looking for a new
home after Nana Banana can't look after Misty anymore. The cat's
search for a new home is problematic, from the drama of Noni Nice's
Christmas celebrations to homelessness, then happiness as the
Kafoopses adopt her and welcome Lara into their family.
In contrast to the uncomplicated storyline the illustrations are
complex and multilayered, employing an amazing array of artistic
styles and techniques. Lara is a pencil and ink sketch inspired by a
young family member, her emotive facial expressions show her journey
from sadness to happiness. Chris McKimmie's busy peoplescapes are
filled with quirky, oddball and eccentric characters and situations,
there is much to discover on each spread. Backgrounds are flooded
with tonal colours, oil pastels, watercolours, gouache and acrylics
all add interest to this unconventional tale. Font styles, sizes,
colors change as well, keeping the reader engaged with the
narrative. Lara of Newtown is an exciting new adventure for Chris
McKimmie fans, one to be explored, shared with family, discussed
with interest as this book stretches the reader's imagination.
Rhyllis Bignell
The off-limits fence by Danny Katz
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Little Lunch Series. Black Dog Books,
2015. ISBN 9781742032375
(Age: middle primary) Highly recommended. School, Rules. For those
readers looking for a chapter book laced with a dose of humour and a
familiar theme, Danny Katz's funny stories about school life
revolving around that fifteen minute break in the middle of the
morning will be just the thing. The first of these stories appeared
in 2001 and now appear on ABC 3 TV so will have a ready audience for
this new tale.
This book contains three short stories, each about twenty pages
long. The first of these, The bench that goes in a circle round
the big old tree, uses the hilarious theme of Chinese whispers
to perfection as the children begin a story which is embellished
along the way. Once around the circle, it keeps going as each child
adds another small change to it, making it more and more exciting
and preposterous.
The two other stories, The equipment shed and The
off-limits fence, both employ the range of students introduced
in the first story getting themselves into a range of different
activities. The equipment shed has a range of creepy
crawlies deigned to keep readers interested and laughing, while the
last story shows what happens when Rory plays an entire football
match in the little lunch near that off limits fence.
The jaunty illustrations by Mitch Vane add to the craziness of the
stories and add faces to the characters the readers will instantly
love.
Fran Knight
Daddy cuddle by Kate Mayes
Ill. Sara Acton. ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733334054
(Age: pre school) Recommended. Rabbits, Family, Fathers. Each
morning the baby rabbit wakes, but not slowly or gently, his eyes
ping open and he goes off in search of his father. A familiar
scenario follows in which daddy, warmly snuggled up in bed ignores
all his baby's overtures. He brings a ball, a kite, his toothbrush,
mobile phone leaving them all around the floor of the bedroom, until
he finally calls out loudly, 'Wake up Daddy!'
Daddy finally responds lifting his offspring into the warm bed with
him, kissing, snuggling and cuddling him as they both fall to sleep.
This book thrills with the expectations of the baby rabbit going
into his father's bedroom ready to play. He tries a range of things
to wake his father finally finding something that his father wants
to do, cuddle him back to sleep. Children will recognsie the
different approaches of baby and parent, easily sympathise with Dad
just wanting to sleep and with the baby wanting his father's
attention.
Sara Acton's watercolour and pen drawings suit the story admirably,
the soft edges of her pictures reflecting the soft warm relationship
between baby and Dad. And I love the use of the endpapers, with a
reprise of baby's efforts to rouse Dad at the start, and ending with
them doing something loud and active to finish.
Fran Knight
Winter siege by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman
Bantam Books, 2015. ISBN 9780857501479
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Medieval England, Crime, Redemption,
Civil war. When Ariana Franklyn died in 2011, she left behind a
small body of work set in medieval times involving a woman trained
as a physician solving crimes through forensic investigation always
a step in front of those who wanted to kill her as a witch. These
four novels, Mistress of the art of death, The death
maze, Relics of the dead and The assassin's prayer
were mesmerising in their Medieval setting, showing attitudes to
women and medicine at the time. But she had a last novel in
progress, and her daughter, Samantha Norman has completed it and it
is now published.
This story takes a slightly different route from the previous four,
detailing the lives of Gwil, a mercenary who rescues a young girl
raped and left for dead by a monk known for his cruelty. It is the
time of civil war between the forces of King Stephen and his sister
Matilda, involving much of southern England.
Gwil and Pen take refuge in a castle where Maud is the one in
charge, but her enforced marriage sees her relinquish control to an
older man, now her husband, and his whore, Kingva. When he has a
stroke, the only person Kingva turns to is a monk who arrives in the
castle with King Stephen's men, on the lookout for a piece of
parchment taken by Pen, the girl he raped. When Maud refuses to
submit to King Stephen's men after sheltering and then helping his
rival, Matilda, escape, a siege lays the castle open to treachery.
This is a powerful historical crime story set in turbulent times
where lives are often lost for little or no reason. The callousness
of wondering mercenaries is appalling, and Gwil seeks to redeem
himself by caring for Pen. The narrator of the story evokes a change
of heart from his scribe, who is at first condemning of the
participants in the story but by the end learns compassion and
empathy.
The episodes detailing the siege are just wonderful, laying before
the reader the extremes of life lived during such a time.
A wonderful thriller, following the development of Pen and her
protector Gwil, the shadow of the monk is always there, even though
Pen fortunately has no recollection of the incident. A menacing read
right to the last.
Fran Knight
Freedom Ride by Sue Lawson
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925126365
Recommended age: 8-12 years. Sue Lawson examines the racial tensions
of 1965 in Freedom Ride. Written for an 8-12 year old audience, it
is set in the fictional town of Walgaree. For young Robbie, life is
bleak living as he does with his nagging grandmother and silent
father . . . doing all the jobs around the house for his grandmother
and when that's done, for all her friends too. His father ignores
him most of the time, although he's surprisingly supportive of
Robbie's holiday job at the Walgaree Caravan Park. Much is written
about Robbie's work experience at the park, and of his budding
friendship with the owners - all of which might hold the key to
Robbie's freedom.
Soon however, trouble comes to Walgaree: broken windows at the
Station school and a fight at the waterhole results in the
Aboriginal children getting the blame. However, a handful of white
townie kids know the truth is a different story. Then, to cap it all
off, Barry, Robbie's employer, takes on another helper - Micky, the
young Aborigine accused of attacking one of the local white lads.
When a death near the Station is 'covered up' and the freedom riders
come to town things reach boiling point. How will things sort out
for Robbie who already has issues with his father and grandmother,
and yet he puts his neck on the line to defend his Aboriginal friend
Micky? Freedom Ride is a work of fiction based on true events and
introduces young readers to the racial tensions of the 'mid-60's. In
Australia the Freedom Ride movement (Student Action for Aborigines:
SAFA) loosely based on the American Freedom Ride movement of the
early '60's, was initiated by a group of Sydney University students.
Attracting much national and international media attention, SAFA
achieved much in its short life, and this novel brings the history
of that era to modern young Australians.
Colleen Tuovinen
Our Class Tiger by Aleesah Darlinson
Oxford University Press, 2014. ISBN 9780195589726
Class 3M has adopted a tiger cub living in a sanctuary on the
Indonesian island of Sumatra. Berhaga was rescued after his mother
had been shot when he was just five months old and the children do
all sorts of fund-raising to get the money needed to send to the
World Wildlife Fund each month so he can continue to be supported
until he is old enough to be transferred to a national park.
Accompanied by stunning photographs the students of 3M explain the
adoption as well as retelling the story of Berhaga's development.
Fascinating facts about tigers are interspersed with the "speech
bubble" text providing a unique insight into one of the world's most
endangered creatures and helping the young reader understand why
such magnificent animals need to be protected for the future. Apart
from its important context which fits in perfectly with a
sustainability theme, it is a model of a non fiction book for young
students with all the essential elements that we teach students
about at that age. Features such as contents, headings, captions, a
glossary and an index are all there to help students understand the
cues and clues of navigating an information text. It could also be
used as inspiration for a class to write their own book providing a
platform for their continued development in the information literacy
process giving them both a context to put it into practice and a
product to display their learning.
Ms Darlison was awarded the 2015 Environment Award for Children's
Literature and the inaugural Puggle Award (Children's Choice Award)
from the Wilderness Society for Our Class Tiger and it is
richly deserved.
Barbara Braxton
The Healthy Harvest by Emma Martin
Ill. by Graeme Compton. Little Steps Publishing, 2014. ISBN
9781925117134
Picture book. Meet Harry Harvester who wants to help our very
youngest readers learn about the food they buy in the shops so they
can learn about the five food groups and make healthy choices and
"keep sickness away." His friend Alfie Apple introduces fruit -
where it grows, how much we need each day and why it's good for us -
while Carly Carrot does the same for vegetables. Charlie Cheese
tells us about dairy products and Harry's best friend Wally Wheat
introduces grains and cereals. Sammy Salmon has the big job of
teaching about proteins in all their guises and finally there is
Tommy Takeaway with a message about the "sometimes foods".
With childhood obesity on the rise and a recent survey in the ACT
showing that over 80% of all food advertising aimed at children is
for those "sometimes foods" http://bit.ly/1D6HxaT the message
about healthy eating has never been more important. While it is not
the children of the target age range who buy the food, they do have
"pester power" so encapsulating such an important message in rhyme
and with fun characters who could become household names this is an
important book to have and promote both to teachers and students. It
could form the core component of a unit of work on healthy eating as
well as an investigation about where our food comes from. Eggs don't
magically grow in cartons in the supermarket chilled foods section.
The final two pages show the recommended amounts of each food group
each age group should have each day and many might find it
interesting to keep a food diary and track just what goes into their
mouths. They may be surprised!
The author, Emma Martin, is well qualified to write this book and
accompanied by charming illustrations which will appeal to the
children, it is a refreshing and welcome addition to a topic that
has been covered so often already.
Barbara Braxton
How the sun got to Coco's house by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781406359008
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Interconnectedness, Sun's journey,
World view
Graham takes the most simple of everyday occurrences to create a
subtle and rich picture book extolling the interconnectedness of
mankind. The sun's appearance in the horizon opens a new day for
everyone as it climbs its way across the Arctic Circle, uncovers the
barrenness of northern Canada, lights up Japan, then China, the
Middle East and the cities of Europe until it barges through the
window of Coco's bedroom.
Along the way the sun illuminates small pockets of the natural
world: a polar bear and her two cubs, a trawling ship on heavy seas,
a whale, a panda, a snow leopard, a fox and hen, a donkey taking his
owner and his wares to market, camels trekking across the desert, an
eagle high above. Each represents the vastness of the natural world,
while interspersed with these, we see a child and his mother walking
in the snow, a family in a yurt, a child in a plane, a Japanese
street, a woman asleep in her tiny room, a boy putting his toe
through the ice as the shawled women look on, and then we get to
Coco. The sun marks each activity, shows the way for them to travel
or seek out their world, communicate with each other, interact with
their surroundings, bask in its rays.
The sun is the common thread for everyone and everything on this
earth and its warmth enables us to live.
As Coco wakes to the sun, Graham brings his story from the world
wide to the particular, as anyone familiar with his work will know.
His sublime whittling down of major themes always makes me gasp as
he distills the monumental to the specific. From the wide world we
are taken to Coco and her family, waking with the sun, eating
breakfast together, as Coco runs outside to greet he new day with
her friends and neighbours.
Graham includes lots to look at in his watercolour illustrations,
detail not missed by younger readers. I love the toy panda and polar
bear on the floor of Coco's bedroom, duplicating the animals earlier
in the book, or the theme of snow all the way through, of cold and
ice. Many pages have birds still flying south for the winter, while
some people are still snuggled up in bed. The detail of the old
woman in her small room will encourage readers to ask questions
about her and her lifestyle. Every page is littered with questions
begging to be discussed and readers will overflow with observations
and thoughts.
Again, this work is endorsed by Amnesty International 'because it
reminds us that this world belongs to all of us, and we all have the
right to enjoy life, freedom and safety'.
Fran Knight
Being a girl by Hayley Long
Ill. by Gemma Correll. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN: 9781471403903
(Reading Ages: 12 -13+) Highly recommended. Parental discretion, may
be needed as some of the content requires the reader to be
emotionally mature. Subjects: Health, Puberty, Adolescents, Girls,
Life Skills, Personal Grooming, Dating, Social Relations,
Psychology. Author Hayley Long has read the entire internet and
gathered everything you need to know about being a girl. She
celebrates life, she encourages the sisterhood with a really open
and insightful dialogue. Nothing is off limits, she tackles a
plethora of topics with humour, insight and honesty. Gender
identity, including being transgender is presented with comments,
questions and opportunities to fill in fun quizzes - are you any
good at being a girl? Herstory includes discussion on gender
inequality, being transgender, the Suffragette Movement, sexism and
introduces six women who have stamped their mark on the world.
Each chapter explores another social, emotional or physical issue.
Raging hormones and the cattiness of a high school classroom, turns
into a table of cats - cattiness combined with Gemma Correll's witty
cat sketches. There's Top Cat, Scally Cats right down to Strays and
the girl who tries to be invisible - Cat Food. Bloody Periods are
the most realistic chapter covering everything a girl needs to know.
Crushes, friendships and dating, health and hygiene are explored and
the reader is treated as a friend without being talked down to or
given too much irrelevant information. This is an important
contemporary book written with sincerity and sensitivity. Hayley
Long's text with her honest and open comments, combined with the use
of bold texts, different fonts, diagrams, tables, cartoons make this
a socially relevant book, just right for girls on the brink of
adolescence.
Rhyllis Bignell
The wishing seed by Anna Branford
Lily the Elf series. Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925081060
(Age: 5+) Themes: Overcoming disappointment; Solving problems. Lily
the Elf has a broken dress-up crown, and she wishes upon a passing
dandelion seed for a new one. She is despondent when her wish does
not appear to be answered, but the skills of her fix-it father, and
creative Granny help her to realise that wishes can be answered in
ways that she doesn't expect.
This is a very simple early chapter book (predominantly simple
sentences and no language complexities) that will appeal to very
young independent readers or struggling readers. There are simple
black and white illustrations by Lisa Coutts scattered through the
book.
Carolyn Hull
Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781925240320
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Bridge, Tabitha and Emily swore that
they wouldn't fight but now that they are in Grade 7, things are
beginning to change. Emily has connected with the soccer team,
Bridge has taken to wearing cat's ears all the time and Tab is
obsessed with a feminist teacher. Then Emily begins to text pictures
of herself to Patrick and the girls find themselves with problems.
At the same time, another teen is skipping school and going through
pangs of remorse because she has betrayed her best friend.
This is a stunning read about making mistakes, the joys and
tribulations of friendships and growing up by a wonderful author who
writes in a very sympathetic and compassionate way. The reader knows
that Emily will get into trouble when she starts sending photos of
herself to Patrick and receiving ones from him. Even though Bridge
and Tab try to persuade her of the folly of doing it, Bridge still
helps her take a photo. The way the girls handle this misstep and
the consequences of the mistake make for spell-binding reading. At
the same time an unnamed girl is relating the mistake she has made
about telling a secret to a friend who can't be trusted, and the
reader is kept guessing just who this might be.
The relationships between Emily and Patrick and Bridge and Sherm are
handled with a deft touch. Sherm is angry with his grandfather, who
has left his grandmother after 50 years of marriage, and the reader
finds out about this in a series of letters that he writes but
doesn't post. It is unusual to read about divorce between an older
couple and Stead shows how a marriage break-up can affect people of
all ages. Tab too comes to realise that she must act responsibly
within her feminist beliefs. Stead also subtly shows the physical
differences that can occur as girls grow up. Emily's body has
matured and she is becoming much more interested in boys, while
Bridge is still looking young.
Utimately this is an unforgettable book about young girls coming of
age written with wit and compassion. It would make an interesting
Literature Circle book engendering discussion about the
appropriateness of sending photos, what makes a good friend and how
to overcome the consequences of a bad decision.
Pat Pledger
