The Impossible Quest bk 4. Scholastic Australia, 2015.ISBN:
9781743624098
(Age: 10+) Fans of this fantasy adventure will be pleased to see
this next instalment which gives us more information about Quinn's
past and sheds some light on the motivation behind the original
invasion of Wolfhaven. Themes of good and evil, jealousy and
forgiveness abound. The Impossible Quest continues as Quinn, Tom, Sebastian and
Elanor have only one more object to collect and then hopefully the
Grand Teller's prophecy will come true and the people of Wolfhaven
will be saved. How hard can it be to find the scale of a sea serpent
when they have a unicorn, griffin and baby dragon to help?
Having successfully escaped from Blackmoor Bog the young friends
seek out Master Willard who has vast sailing experience in the hope
he can help them find sea serpents. As it turns out it was he who
found Quinn as a baby when she washed up in a basket and as well as
a map he also gives Quinn the baby rattle he has kept for her all
these years.
After securing a boat the team set off for the Drowned Kingdom,
animals included. As they near the Drowned Kingdom they are greeted
by rampant Sea Serpents resulting in Tom being seriously injured.
They are rescued by the besieged local inhabitants and learn much
more about the history of the Kingdom, and discover the truth about
Quinn's past. Think magic, spells, jealousy and witches. Will Tom
survive and how will their quest be advanced by this trip?
With three more books to follow there are still a lot of battles,
adventures and magic to be had. All the mystical creatures are in
place, now there are just castle stones to start singing, ghosts to
rise and the evil Lady Mortlake and her sister to defeat.
Sue Keane
Storm Rescue by Darrel and Sally Odgers
Ill. by Janine Dawson. Pup Patrol bk 3. Scholastic
Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781743623015
(Age: 6-8 years) Recommended. Storm Rescue is the third book in the
Pup Patrol Series by the same authors who bought us the
delightful Jack Russell: Dog Detective and Pet Vet
series. Aimed at the young independent reader and narrated by Stamp
we are given a dog's view of events.
Stamp, the Border Collie, and his friends Ace, 'a dog of mixed breed
and bad manners', and James, their human, attend the Great Atherton
K9 Festival, but competition is not the only challenge they have to
face. It appears that Cyclone Julia has headed out to sea as James
and the dogs arrive at the Festival campsite, meeting other
participants and organisers and inspecting the course in preparation
for the competition the next day. Ace is less than happy, though
young Imogen's attempts to make friends impress her.
Cyclone Julia arrives with little warning and the campers and their
animals head to the nearby woolshed for shelter. There Stamp helps
James and other Civil Defence volunteers secure the site and round
up panicked animals whilst Ace keeps Imogen company as the storm
rages outside.
As the cyclone passes it is up to Stamp to find Imogen and Ace who
appear to have gone missing during the night.
There are many appealing features to this story, not just the
messages about responsible dog ownership and care when approaching
unfamiliar animals. The black and white illustrations add to the
enjoyment and give readers visual clues to some of the events like
the cyclone's arrival. The addition of a glossary at the end of each
chapter explaining Stamp's own language like 'yaffle' and 'smarl'
and a variety of words with paws included like 'pawsessive' and
'suppaws' as well as concepts like Civil Defence and Pack Order help
support comprehension and add to the reader's knowledge.
Sue Keane
Almost Grace by Rosie Rowell
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471401275
(Age: 14+) Recommended. 'I will support and love you through
whatever it is that is causing you anxiety but I will not follow you
down this road of self-destruction.'
This book, the story of Grace, is set in South Africa. There are
explanations throughout the book of Afrikaans words. Grace has just
finished High School and is unsure of what the future may hold for
her. She is controlling the only thing she can control - her body.
It soon becomes apparent that she is eating little and her friends
and family are very concerned for her. She travels with her two
friends, Brett and Louisa, to a holiday house they are renting on
the coast at Baboon Point.
Here Grace meets Spook. He is older, mysterious, and appears to be a
carefree nomadic surfer. There is a familiarity about him that lends
to the attraction. When Spook leaves his car with the group for a
few days and goes off alone, the group encounters the dangerous
world of poaching.
'You have to let go of all that bullshit in your head.'
This story explores the ideas of identity, relationships and freedom
as we see the world through Grace's eyes. She is a searcher, looking
for meaning in her life. What will she find?
Linda Guthrie
Galactic Hot Dogs: Cosmoe's Wiener Getaway by Max Braillier
Ill. by Rachel Maguire and Nichole Kelley. Simon & Schuster,
2015. ISBN: 9781471123122
From The Wimpy Kid to Captain Underpants there has
been a surge in books featuring both text and cartoon styled
pictures. Some are easier to read than others. Cosmoe's Wiener
Getaway will appeal for the cartoon style but I fear that
there could be too much text, and action on each page for less
confident readers to be able to negotiate and understand. I had to
re-read quite often, but then I'm more than probably out of the loop
with both the style, language and content.
Cosmoe the Earth Boy and his alien friend Humphree have entered
their space ship the Neon Wiener in the Intragalactic Food Truck
Cook Off, run by evil Queen Dagger. Their offering is a Mega-Dog, a
giant hotdog, which is stolen by Princess Dagger who then stows away
on the Neon Wiener. Her mother the Queen, thinking that she has been
kidnapped, sends the Royal Amada of Jack Jets in pursuit.
In their bid to escape, especially as the Princess refuses to return
to the Queen they eventually discover the Lost Triangle (The Bermuda
Triangle of Space apparently) where legend has it treasure is to be
found. The treasure is one slice of a map-o-sphere. When they find
all 3 slices it will lead them to the Ultimate Evil. When this
information is accidently broadcast all and sundry are after them as
they follow clues to the other pieces.
With space pirates, Zombies all manner of evil space creatures, hot
sauce and fighting, the action is fast, furious and often quite
confusing. Like a good action comic there is an abundance of
exclamation marks and Onomatopoeia in a variety of fonts.
A saving grace is that the evil Princess turns out to be not so evil
after all, though she definitely enjoys the rough and tumble of
battle and has a leading role in the action joining forces with the
Neon Wiener crew to save the galaxy.
Sue Keane
Faking it by Gabrielle Tozer
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN: 9780732297060
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. 'My name is Josie Browning, I'm
eighteen years old and I'm a fake ... but I don't want to be any
more.'
This is the sequel to 'Intern', but can read as a single book. This
was a great read and has the reader laughing out loud.
This is the story of Josie Browning and her role as junior writer
for the newly established Indi website. The website is preparing for
the launch when Josie's colleague, Sia, causes Josie to take on more
responsibilities for the launch. Josie is out of her depth - faking
it until she makes it. Josie also has a new boyfriend, James, and
she is desperate to lose her virginity. Josie has questions: When is
the right time? When is the right time for the perfect 'I love you'?
She sends an email with surprising results.
This book is hilarious as Josie's attempts to 'fake it' result in
misunderstandings and near disasters. Her 'frenemies' in the fashion
world cause high anxiety for Josie and just what is her relationship
with the mysterious Alex? Alex pops up unexpectedly and artfully
saves the day many times for Josie. Will he be taking the place of
James?
The characters are well developed and not only seem real, but have
the reader appreciating their vulnerabilities. The issues of
bullying, body image, self-confidence and sex add depth to this
story as Josie traverses her journey of self-discovery and
transforms by realising that being true to yourself is more
important to her than she knew.
'It was time to get real, live life and be myself - no heels
required.'
Linda Guthrie
The Possum Magic Cookbook compiled by Gina Inverarity and Celia Jellett
Ill. by Julie Vivas. Omnibus/Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 9781742991214
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Grandma Poss is back with a collection
of fabulous Australian recipes for well known and loved food. All
the favourites are gathered here: Under the section Savouries
can be found Double decker sandwiches, tasty sausage rolls and
cheese straws as well as many other yummy things that kids (and
adults) will love to make. In the Sweets section, are 3 of
my personal all-time favourites: Pavlova, Anzac biscuits and
Lamingtons. And then there are recipes that are sure to tickle the
fancy of children: funny dip echidna, frog jelly and sparkle
biscuits. Each of the recipes is set out in a simple, easy to follow
way, with a note at the top to tell the user whether it is easy for
kids or if it needs an adult to help out. The ingredients are set
out in large type and the instructions can be read by an independent
reader.
To top off this great recipe book are the gorgeous illustrations by
Julie Vivas. One of my favourites is for the Easy Peasy Pizza where
Grandma Poss can be seen swinging around with stars surrounding her
while four little echidnas dressed as lifesavers carry a yummy pizza
on their heads. And there is the funny and charming way that the
possums have of separating eggs for the Pavlova.
This is a beautiful book that would be fabulous for both children
and adults alike. Not only does it have really wonderful recipes
gathered together in one volume, its illustrations set it apart.
Pat Pledger
The Big Wish by Brandon Robshaw
Chicken House, 2015. ISBN: 9781908435897
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Friendship, Wishes. Eleven
year old Sam's life is about to change radically. The holidays are
over and he's all set to start at Mary Seacole Comprehensive school,
new uniform, new bag and school supplies. With his old friend Evan
and dire warnings from older sister Maeve, they leave for their
first day. All goes well until recess when there's an encounter with
school bully Scorpus.
Sam's home life is unsettling as well, dad's job is a bit
vulnerable, his sister Maeve's boyfriend has moved on and mum's
worried about finances. That evening on a walk with his father and
Billiam their dog, Sam looks into the sky and wishes on a shooting
star. He asks for a million wishes, to fix all of his family's and
school problems. Next morning to Sam's surprise, his wish has come
true. Wishes come with responsibilities, Sam soon realises that
there are consequences and some are not in the best interest of the
person or people involved. There are humorous moments, when Evan and
Sam turn into giants with the right size clothing, the incident with
the giant hamburger and chips and also some hazardous moments. Sam
changes into The Incredible Hulk and nothing Scorpus tries can hurt
him.
In the end he comes to an understanding about decision making,
population explosion due to no more deaths and has to work out a
creative way to use up the final 998835 wishes.
Brandon Robshaw's novel could be used to read to a class, as a
stimulus for debates about making moral choices and the consequences
of Sam's actions.
Recommended for readers from 9 years.
Rhyllis Bignell
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Ill. by Quentin Blake. Puffin. 2015. ISBN 9780141341248
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Family Life, Good and Evil,
Telekenisis, School. Roald Dahl's Matilda has been brought
to life on the stage. All the well known characters are there, the
all singing, all dancing the naughty students of the Crunchem Hall
Primary School, Miss Trunchbull the intimidating headmistress,
caring young teacher Miss Honey, magical Matilda and the
self-centred Wormwood family. This edition of the much-loved story
has been released as a tie-in to the musical.
First published in 1986, Roald Dahl's much-loved story delivers all
the expected elements to a new audience. Matilda is a special child
left to fend for herself by her dodgy car salesman father and
bingo-playing mother. At an early age, she teaches herself to read
and at four and a half, she walks through town to the library where
she is introduced to Dickens and Kipling and develops a love of
literature. She also enjoys little acts of revenge, one memorable
scene is the hair dye incident, adding her mother's blonde colour to
her father's dark hair dye bottle.
The school scenes are Dahl at his best, his characters are larger
than life, Miss Trunchbull's punishments are frightening. Matilda's
intelligence and sense of justice is nurtured by her young teacher
Miss Honey. She finally has someone who loves and appreciates her
character.
Children love the exaggerated humour, the silliness, the fight of
good and evil, the over-the-top characters. Quentin Blake's
illustrations add to the drama of this junior novel.
Recommended for readers over 8.
Rhyllis Bignell
Catalyst by Helen Coggan
Hodder & Stoughton, 2015. ISBN: 9781444794670
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Helen Coggan began this novel at the
age of 13 and has now published her first novel at the age of 15.
Her interview with BBC can be viewed here.
This action packed fantasy novel centres on Rose Elmsworth. She
lives in world newly formed after the First War of Angels. Society
in London is now divided. There are the Gifted (skilled in magic),
the Ashkind (mere mortals) and the Leeched (citizens that have
failed their Testing as teens and have had their abilities
stripped). Rose, however, is a 'hybrid'. Hybrids are greatly feared
and they are hunted and destroyed by the 'Department'. Rose and her
adoptive father David (also a hybrid) can become monsters at times
not of their own choosing and at vulnerable times must lock
themselves away to protect themselves. Rose is intelligent, feisty,
strong and has a close relationship with David. David is a leader in
the 'Department'.
This book is a real page turner and the reader is hooked from the
first page. As the story unfolds Rose is not only keeping her own
secrets safe, she is coming to terms with the secrets she gradually
learning - about David, the Department, the escaped prisoner and the
Demon child. Rose struggles with the use of violence, and the
actions taken by the Department to control the citizens.
Davis has a mysterious past, and this along with the dramatic and
surprising ending to the book, leaves the way open for a sequel.
Linda Guthrie
Second Life by S.J Watson
Text, 2015. ISBN 9781922079251
(Age: Adult) Recommended. S.J. Watson is the author of the best
seller Before I Go To Sleep and he likes to put a twist in
his novels that leaves the reader gasping in surprise and scrambling
back through the novel to look for the clues missed in the first
reading. His latest novel Second Life is a psychological
thriller that centres on Julia and her relationships with her
husband, son and sister.
At the beginning of the novel Julia learns that Kate has been
murdered in an alleyway in Paris and that the murder is not solved.
Despite this, Julia (the main character and narrator) does not
endear herself to the reader. It is difficult to resist judging her
thoughts and actions and as her life begins to spiral out of control
and the reader begins to experience the chaos that addiction brings
to the life of an addict. The justifications Julia gives for her
actions are revealing of her past addictions and obsessions, and in
some way explain the almost placid response of her husband, Hugh, to
her increasingly odd behaviour.
This is a story of addiction - to alcohol, drugs and sex. The
writing is compelling as it portrays the double life Julia leads as
she begins to unravel the mystery of her sister's death and becomes
embroiled in the world of online dating and virtual sex. As the book
trailer artistically shows, there is the possibility that Julia will
lose it all - her family, her friends and her self-respect.
This is a book best suited to be read by adults.
Linda Guthrie
Scream: The Spider Army by Jack Heath
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 9781760152093
(Age 9 - 12)Recommended. Themes: Spiders - Fiction, Mysteries and
Suspense Stories, School Stories. Scream: The Spider Army by
Jack Heath delivers the same level of creepiness, shocks and scares
that Scream: The Human Flytrap did without the scream noise
when you opened the cover. The reader launches straight into the
novel, no contents or publishing information, just the first chapter
embellished with black borders, spiders and webs.
Something strange is happening in the fortress that is their school-
Axe Falls High School. After the damaging earthquake the previous
Friday night, a deadly spider army has been unleashed in their
school. The lethal blue-black arachnids lurk in the corridors and
classrooms, their venomous bites cause gross disfigurement, the
victims's screams are unbearable and terrifying. Yvette is the
central character, she loves to tinker in the garage inventing new
machines. Her high powered pressure washer will come in handy - not
just for Food Technology! Unfortunately, after a spider sighting she
causes havoc and is given two weeks detention in the library after
school. She has to help organise the books after the destruction of
the earthquake. Where is the missing librarian? Why is she locked in
the archive room with something noisy and hissing and what is creepy
Mr. Mortimer involved in?
This action-packed junior novel with short chapters and a fast-paced
story is just right for readers who have high interest levels and
lower reading ages. The dark graphic descriptions make this a novel
suited to 9+ readers. Everything from the black edged pages and
borders, the spiders images all set the mood for the chilling
narrative. Jack Heath's writing career began when he was thirteen.
Now in his twenties, he continues to write fast-paced, thrilling
adventures for his younger readers.
Recommended for readers 9-12
Rhyllis Bignell
Found and Made The Art of Upcycling: Activities to turn your trash into treasure by Lisa Holzl
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN: 9781922179098
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Nonfiction. Subjects: Art - found
materials, Recycling, Crafts. Lisa Holzl is an accomplished artist
who runs a children's and adults' workshops at The BakeHouse in
Marrickville, Sydney. This is another enjoyable and creative book
from the author of Found The Art of Recycling.
Here are more exciting opportunities for creativity as we turn trash
into treasure. Some of her young students' work is showcased in her
second book, Found and Made The Art of Upcycling. Eleven
easy to make projects are included using upcycling, a fun way to
repurpose everyday items; a plain shoebox transforms into a treasure
box decorated with old maps, torn newspapers, stamps, free postcards
and filled with smaller boxes. The Fantasy Room Montage incorporates
pictures from old home decor magazines of similar size and scale,
with some imaginative layering a brand new room is created. The
choices of composition, placement, layering, colour or a monochrome
effect are up to the young artist.
Each project is laid out clearly and sequentially from Before You
Start, Recycled Material and Equipment through to Step by Step
instructions. Other ideas and links to websites and artists such as
Richard Hamilton, Tom Wesselman and Henry Matisse provide
opportunities for the young artist to engage and discover new ideas
and develop new appreciation of their mediums and styles. The
well-designed layout includes multi-coloured photographs of the
tools and materials needed, vibrant backgrounds and easy to read
text boxes.
This book would make a welcome gift for any budding young artist, a
great resource for schools and for fun for family activities during
the holidays.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith
Electric Monkey, 2015. ISBN 9781405273428
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. On cover: Warning: Contains explicit
content. Themes: Refugees, Cloning. Genetics. Genetic engineering.
15 year old Ariel is a refugee from the Middle East. He had hidden
in a refrigerator when his village was attacked and was the sole
survivor. Now living in the US, he is sent with his adoptive brother
Max to a camp for boys who are obsessed with tech. This is his story
which is intertwined with that of a schizophrenic melting man who
has bombs and survivors from an arctic expedition from the late 19th
century who had brought home a strange devil like man who had been
frozen in the ice. Weaving through this story is mention of the Alex
crow a bird that has been brought back from extinction by Ariel's
adoptive father's company.
This is a strange, compulsive and challenging story that I was
unable to read in one sitting. It has major themes of refugees and
genetic engineering and ethical considerations about scientific
enquiry but it was Ariel's story that kept me engrossed. I had to
come back to it time and again as I knew that I had to find out just
what had happened to him after his village was destroyed. It is not
a pleasant or escapist story but it has enough humour that will
especially appeal to boys to lighten the tone and it is certainly
one that stays with the reader. The Alex Crow is not a story for the faint hearted. All the
strands contain disturbing themes: the plight of refugees, abuse,
murder and manipulation of family members by scientists interested
only in their horrible experiments. There is frequent talk of
masturbation and only two women feature in the story - Max's mother
who is weird and Martha Nussbaum, the author of a tract, Male
extinction, the case for an exclusively female species. The
Alex Crow is a book that will challenge the reader to think
about issues facing society today.
Andrew Smith is an award winning author (Grasshopper Jungle
won 2014 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards and was a Printz Honor 2015)
and he certainly lives up to the comment written at the back of the
book that careful is not his middle name.
Pat Pledger
The very noisy bear by Nick Bland
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743627853
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Bears, Noise, Musical instruments,
Neighbours. When Bear is awakened one day during hibernation, he
asks the sheep if perhaps they would tone down their noise, but
instead is asked to stay and play. He is given a range of
instruments to try but each has disastrous results, the bear making
the most appalling noise and sometimes damaging the instrument. The
animals try him with a set of drums, then a guitar, followed by a
trumpet, until all the animals run away to avoid the noise.
Eventually someone gives him a microphone and he sings with
unexpected results.
The rhyming verses are wonderful to read out loud and will encourage
the reader to predict what might happen next, causing lots of
laughter at the antics of all the animals, and Bear's effect on
them.
Bland uses the words with great effect, some of the noises are in
large font, filling sections of the page encouraging the readers to
be loud as well, following the bear's attempts at making music.
Bland's illustrations will intrigue and delight the reader as they
watch the bear make his way through the instruments given him,
watching the animals' faces as they first are horrified at what the
bear does, and then come to some appreciation of Bear's voice. Small
images dot the pages giving another does of humour to those who spot
them - the moose with its antenna horns, the zebra's stripes, the
turtle who can hide in his shell, the violin playing sheep.
All is very funny and can initiate discussion about being good
neighbours, or introduce a range of musical instruments, once the
class has stopped laughing.
This is another in Nick Bland's series of books about Bear, starting
with The very cranky bear in 2008.
Fran Knight
Summer Rain by Ros Moriarty
Ill. by Balarinji. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112110
(Age: Junior primary) Themes: Aboriginal environment; Weather.
Summer Rain is a bright picture book that reveals the transformation
of the rainy season in Northern Australia. There is a simple text,
written in a lovely poetic style without pattern, but using language
for effect. A single word is highlighted on each page - usually a
verb, with the exception on the last page. This book could be used
for very young children and to highlight how the environment changes
with rain. The illustrations are from Balarinji, an Indigenous
design studio and they are brilliant. Vibrant colours appear on
every page and shadows are used to add interest. A final page
includes a translation of the text into Yanyuwa language from
Borroloola, NT.
Carolyn Hull
