Quercus, 2015. ISBN 9781848666733
(Age: 16+) In 2003, three women are brutally murdered in Barcelona.
And then, a famous Catalan actress is found dead, sparking the
interest of the nation. But before the police can piece together the
baffling clues, the killer vanishes without a trace. Ten years
later, Anna Verco, book hunter extraordinaire, discovers ancient
letters that could help solve the case. However, she is focused on
something else: a mysterious, centuries-old text known only as the
Serpent Papers. But as the plot thickens and danger begins lurking
around every corner, will she able to solve the mystery in time?
The Serpent Papers is the first in the Nightingale trilogy,
and the debut novel by author Jessica Cornwell. As the granddaughter
of legendary crime writer John Le Carre, one might expect that this
novel treads in the same footsteps, but there is little in common
with Carre's literary classics to be found here - whether that is
good or bad can be left up to the reader.
There are many good things about The Serpent Papers - it has
an intriguing setting and some excellent world building through the
use of (presumably) fabricated poetry and old texts, which adds a
sense of realism that helps ground the more fantastical aspects of
the novel.
However, the main issue is that this book is often simply too
complicated for its own good. There are too many characters to keep
track of and occasionally it's hard to figure out exactly what's
happening, simply because the writing style can be quite vague. It
jumps around to different settings and time periods, and in the end
there are a few too many plot twists and subplots introduced, to the
point where it can be downright confusing. This is unfortunate as
the novel is frequently excellent, but gradually becomes a struggle
to get through.
Ultimately, The Serpent Papers is an impressive, yet
inconsistent debut from a promising new author. Readers beware,
however - it's not for the light-hearted (or the light reader).
Rebecca Adams (university student)
The royal wedding crashers by Clementine Beauvais
Ill. by Becka Moor. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408855447
(Age: 10-12) This novel follows the book The royal babysitters
and includes the characters Anna, Holly and Prince Pepino. In this
crazy, zany book the three children travel to Francia to help
prepare for a very unusual wedding, the wedding of the beautiful
Princess Violette.
They are sent on several secret errands by the wedding planner,
Mademoiselle Malypense to gather a wedding dress, cake and bouquet.
But all is not as it seems.
Why are they gathering wedding items from the strangest of places
and what are Mademoiselle Malypense's real intentions?
This book is crammed with cleverly made up names that are easily
deciphered such as Francia (France) or Britland (British, England).
My favourite is 'King Alaspooryorick of Daneland'. Throw in police
who ride around on rhinos and roosters pulling royal carriages and
you have an understanding of the bizarre aspects of this book.
Becka Moor's illustrations add to the fun and frivolity of the
story.
This a funny tale for 10 to 12 year old students, especially those
who enjoy books such as the Mr. Gum stories by Andy Stanton.
Jane Moore
Same by Katrina Roe
Wombat Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925139266
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Same is a gorgeous picture book that
introduces the theme that everyone has something the same despite
their outward appearances. Ivy's Uncle Charlie comes for a visit but
she isn't too sure about this new visitor. Ivy is scared as Uncle
Charlie steers his wheelchair into the house. He is different to
other adults but when Uncle Charlie does something exactly the same
as her, Ivy sees how they are the same after all.
This is great story to read with all age groups, reminding them to
see others (who might seem different to them) as the same. Highly
recommended for readers aged 5+, this would also be a good story to
use for the Child Protection Curriculum and the identifying of
feelings.
Kylie Kempster
Space Jackers: The lost sword by Huw Powell
Space Jackers bk 2. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408847589
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Science Fiction. Space Adventure.
Pirates, Aliens. Huw Powell's second Space Jackers novel
sets young Jake Cutler and the crew of the Dark Horse, a
rusty old space freighter hurtling into deep space, battling space
pirates, asteroid showers whilst avoiding the Interstellar Navy.
Jake is the secret ruler of Altus and the navy is in desperate need
of the planet's fortune in crystals. His quest is to find the
missing sword and crown of Altus to prove he is the rightful ruler
and to prevent the crystals being stolen.
With Granny Leatherhead as captain and a ship in need of urgent
repair, they stop at the Shan-Ti monastery in the fourth solar
system. Callidus and Capio leave to find assistance from a retired
navy officer and Jake, Manik and Scargus hurriedly work on the
repairs. A galactic war is imminent as the navy gathers force and
seeks an alliance with the Gorks.
Papa Don leader of the space mafia is an indomitable enemy and
current owner of the Soerd of Altus. After a deadly game of Reus
Roulette, Granny, Jake and the crew are captured and held in prison.
Daring Kay, the Dark Wind's young space pirate captain
assists in their daring escape. As the Dark Horse leaves the
illegal spaceport, they are attacked by a Gork ship, and Jake's
laser cannon overheats and the rest of the crew save the day.
Huw Powell's fast-paced space novel is packed full of determined
pirates, greedy enemies and supportive friends. The lost sword
provides all the action, battle scenes, technology and sci-fi
settings that Huw Powell's fans love. Where will the final novel The
Pirate King take us, and how will Jake Culter save the day?
Rhyllis Bignell
Honor Girl a Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash
Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9780763673826
(Age: Yr 8-Yr 10) Themes: Same-sex relationships, love, friendship,
loyalty, self-confidence, resilience, teenage girls. On the surface
this beautifully produced graphic account of the author at 15
experiencing first love at an all-girl Kentucky Christian summer
camp seems very American and irrelevant, including the Honor Girl
award of the title, not to mention the National Rifle Association's
sponsoring of the award for the best shooter. However the immediacy
of the graphics soon draws the reader in and the dialogue
perceptively immerses us in the universally recognisable lives of
these teens. The camp environment throws into stark relief themes of
petty jealousies, loyal friends, personal challenges, teasing,
keeping and losing reputations and of course obsessions with boys.
The camp is a hot bed of rumour and gossip so when Maggie finds
herself attracted to Erin, one of the older counsellors, who also
seems attracted, her life becomes fraught with anxiety. She finds it
difficult to confide in best friend Shannon but discovers unexpected
support from Bethany who guesses her secret. When the head
counsellor finds out Maggie is told not to speak to Erin and to go
back to doing what she was doing before.
'What was I doing before? . . . floating along? Maybe I was better
off that way because what's ironic is that being in love doesn't
actually make you happy. It makes it impossible to be happy. You're
carrying this desire now. Maybe if you knew where it came from you
could put it back. But you don't. ' p174.
Maggie Thrash is a staff writer for Rookie online magazine for
teens and this is her first book. She seems to reach her target
audience effortlessly and the watercolour drawings have a freshness
that epitomises the innocence and freedom of these girls at summer
camp. The text is clear and very legible, I sometimes found it hard
to distinguish between some minor characters but I am sure that the
year 8 to 10 girls it is written for won't have a problem.
Sue Speck
The truth according to us by Annie Barrows
Bantam, 2015. ISBN 9780857987945
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Layla Beck, the
daughter of a US senator, is sent to the small town of Macedonia,
West Virginia as part of the Federal Writers' Project to author a
history of the town. It is 1938 and Layla is convinced that she will
be bored by small town life. Used to an idle life of luxury, Layla
stays in a house with the Romeyn family, and she is the spark that
brings to light many of the secrets that the Romeyn's harbour.
Meanwhile the curiosity of 12 year old Willa Romeyn about her
charismatic father, Felix and what his business entails, and her
thoughts about why her aunt Jottie remains unmarried, will also
transform the Romeyn's world.
Co-author of the very popular, The Guernsey Literary and Potato
Peel Pie Society, Annie Barrows does not disappoint in this
almost 500 page story that is very difficult to put down. Right from
the first chapter, the reader is drawn into the complex life of the
Romeyns and the life of Layla Beck who gradually discovers that she
does like researching and writing. The occasional use of letters
from Layla to her friends gives an intimate and often funny look
into the life of the townspeople and allows the reader to get to
know Layla as well.
Each of the central characters is deftly drawn with skilled detail
and even the minor townspeople come alive in this sweeping tale of
southern life. There are eccentrics and wonderful people all
portrayed with a deft hand. The reader is swept along by the lives
of the people in Macedonia, especially hoping that Layla will not be
taken in by the charm of Felix, all the time wondering just what he
does for a living, as Willa carefully follows him to try and find
out more about him. There is a mystery surrounding the burning of
the family mill and the death of Vause, whom Jottie had loved, and
this thread keeps the reader in suspense until the final chapters.
This is a funny, quirky book with endearing characters that would
allow for much discussion about the Depression, the real Federal
Writers' Project, the secrets that are kept in families and the
power of familial love.
Pat Pledger
My big fat zombie goldfish: Jurassic carp by Mo O'Hara
Macmillan Children's Books, 2015. ISBN 9781447263838
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. I love that there are so many books to
encourage reluctant boys to read. My big fat zombie goldfish is
one of them. In this novel, readers will find two short stories
about Tom and his pet zombie fish, Frankie.
The first story sees Tom on an excursion to a medieval fair. The fun
part is they get to dress up. The not so fun part is Tom's older
brother - who is a bit evil - gets to dress up as royalty and boss
Tom around. Tom takes Frankie everywhere and he is at the fair too.
It seems this zombie fish has the ability to feel when evil is
around. Who is this knight called Night? And why do Frankie's eyes
glow in his presence?
In the second story, a fossilised fish is found under the school. Of
course, Frankie comes to school with Tom and his eyes start to glow.
Why are they glowing in the presence of the scientist studying the
fish discovery? My big fat zombie goldfish is a fun read and uses quick
moving, descriptive text and cartoon style images to engage readers.
Readers will wish for their own pet zombie fish as they follow Tom,
his best mate, Pradeep, and Frankie the zombie gold fish.
Kylie Kempster
Bonny grows her feathers and learns to fly by Angela Robertson-Buchanan
Wild Dog Books, 2015. ISBN 9781742033693
(Ages 4+) Highly recommended. This is the story of Bonny, a rainbow
lorikeet who fell out of her nest, was rescued and cared for and
then released back into the wild. Award-winning photographer Angela
Robertson-Buchanan has put together this superb book filled with
stunning photographs of Bonny's growth. Written in diary form, the
text gives information about Bonny's progress at different points
from Day 1 to Day 90; these are in simple, plain language and the
typeface is large and clear. Interspersed throughout the book are
small chunks of further, general information about rainbow
lorikeets; these pages have a different coloured background to help
distinguish them from Bonnie's journey.
A great addition to any non-fiction collection, young children will
love learning about rainbow lorikeets and life cycles with this
title. A nice one to use alongside Jeremy by Chris Faille as
it follows a very similar format.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Lulu Bell series by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Random House, 2015 Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun. ISBN 9780857985545 Lulu Bell and the Magical Garden. ISBN 9780857985644
There was great excitement in my house, excitement I'd been
anticipating and waiting for. Because at last Miss Just-9 came to
stay and I knew she would be thrilled to find the latest two
additions to the Lulu Bell series waiting for her to read. Neither
of us was disappointed. Immediately she buried her nose in Lulu
Bell and the Magical Garden, ignoring the bitter winds that
promised snow but didn't deliver and she enjoyed it as much as I
knew she would. Then her bedtime read was Lulu Bell and the
Pirate Fun with special permission to keep her light on until
it was finished. I also know another young lady who is obsessed with
creatures of all kinds who is entranced by the series. You can read about her response at this blog.
Belinda Murrell has hit a winner for this age group with this series
as titles are read and re-read and new ones welcomed warmly. I just
bought the entire series for a school library and it is so popular
already! Based on her own experience of growing up as the daughter
of a vet, Murrell has created a lovable practical character who
often puts her sensible head on to solve problems that the audience
can relate to and put themselves into Lulu's shoes.
In Lulu Bell and the Magical Garden the school garden is
ruined by a summer storm and she comes up with an idea to restore
it. In Lulu Bell and the Pirate Fun it's her young brother's
birthday and Gus has been wanting a pirate party forever. But it
won't stop raining and everywhere underfoot is muddy and sloshy, so
where to build the pirate ship? There is always a dramatic twist in
the story that of curse revolves around an animal and its well-being
and these are no different, adding yet another layer to a well-told
tale.
If your newly independent readers haven't met Lulu Bell and her
family yet, then there is a treat in store. You can find all the
titles on the publisher's website.
A must-have on the library shelves, in my opinion.
Barbara Braxton
Rafe's Aussie Adventure by James Patterson and Martin Chatterton
Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857986016
(Age: Yr 4+) Rafe Katchadorian is back in another hilarious adventure
as he negotiates his way through middle school, those tricky years
when boys are more than children but not yet men. As well as dealing
with emerging independence, puberty, and the weird world of girls
there is still the trials and tribulations of school to get through.
And if you have been tagged a troublemaker, shipped off to the Rocky
Mountains for a total attitude realignment and threatened with a
host of dire consequences if you don't conform when you're accepted
back into your school, then you're Rafe Katchadorian or his twin!
This latest adventure has Rafe recounting his Australian saga, a
journey that begins when local Mayor Coogan returns from a trip to
Shark Bay, north of Sydney, to announce that Hills Valley Middle
School has twinned with Shark Bay and there is to be a three-week,
all-expenses-paid trip to Shark Bay for the winner of his art
contest. Having a talent for drawing and dreaming, Rafe wins the
contest and is on his way. But it's not a dream-driven holiday
soaking up sun, sand and surf Rafe encounters many obstacles that
he has to overcome, not the least of which is his own fear. Bullied
by the Coogan twins with whom he and his mum stay because they are
the mayor's nephews, Rafe seeks solace with Ellie and The Outsiders
who are a group of misfits with whom he feels he has more in common.
But being Rafe there are soon plans afoot that will either make him
a hero or forever living the label the adults have tagged him with.
As much as Rafe learns about Australia, he learns much more about
himself with a heart-warming finale that just might set him on his
life path.
Once again Patterson has nailed the characters, bringing out their
inner core that is hidden behind the tough facade and speaking
directly to his intended audience. They relate to Rafe, see
themselves in him, gain confidence that their insecurities are not
unique and keep coming back for more. Lavishly illustrated with a
mixture of quirky, funny and serious graphics there is not an
overwhelming amount of text so that 272 pages seems daunting. If
your Year 4+ boys haven't been introduced to Rafe yet, then it's
time they were.
Barbara Braxton
Remarkably Rexy by Craig Smith
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760113940
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended, Cats, Community, Personality. From the
cover kids will identify the personality traits of this seriously
self absorbed cat, Rex. He is posturing, proud and very aware of his
audience, as he waits for the children in the street to arrive home
from school. Although he sees it at his domain, there are other
things in the street to disturb his single mindedness. A magpie
family warbles in the tree above, the dog next door continues its
barking, and then just when the children are about to come home,
Pamela the pert Siamese cat appears. She has the sleek arrogant look
of these animals, carefully grooming herself and walking as if a
ballerina, in stark contrast to the antics of Rex a few pages
before. Children will chuckle out loud at the differences between
the two, and thrill recognising the behavior of such singular cats.
Craig Smith gives the reader a beautifully detailed suburb, with its
gardens and array of fences, trees overhanging the footpaths,
glimpses of different styles of houses in the background. Against
this wonderfully lush backdrop he gives us Rex, the larger than life
cat known by all the neighbourhood as he roams around his territory.
His illustrations show us the cat in all his glory, confident, a
master of all he surveys, then brought down to earth by Pamela as he
feels somewhat jealous. Later scared by the dog he escapes to the
tree only to disturb the magpies, and when he falls to the ground
landing in a puddle, the children arrive seeing him not quite at his
best.
Craig Smith has captured the looks and antics of the cats in this
story superbly: both are instantly recognisable, their personalities
well delineated in his signature pencil and watercolour drawings.
Rex is a delight, reflecting the traits of so many cats familiar to
the readers: he struts and poses, grooms himself, watching all the
while for the children to return from school, only to have his stage
purloined by someone else.
Fran Knight
Paris Nocturne by Patrick Modiano, trans. by Phoebe Western-Evans
Text, 2015,ISBN 9781925240108
Little Jewel by Patrick Modiano, trans. by Phoebe Western-Evans
Text, 2015, ISBN 9781925240115
(Age: Senior secondary) Patrick Modiano is the winner of the 2014
Nobel Prize for literature. In the reviewed titles his themes of
memory and loss are teased out in the experiences of two young
narrators, the eponymous Little Jewel and the other nameless. The
main characters restlessly traverse the streets of Paris on foot or
by Metro or train; they wait in waiting rooms or bars for hints
about their past and their futures. Key events from their childhoods
are eventually remembered as they follow back and forth significant
threads of thought. The elusive dread that is part of movie director
David Lynch's work is similar to the fear of knowledge and the
questioning of reality that is evoked in these novels. The narrators
experience similar events, the smell of ether, the dog that was lost
in childhood, the shabby overcoats that point to knowledge of the
sinister parent who has in each case disappeared. Little seems
certain in their lives as their thoughts move back and forth in time
and their bodies from place to place. These are city dwellers, and
they list the streets they restlessly walk, but to them landscape
and country places seem critical for identity. Much of the action is
dream-like but is anchored in precise locations, the country towns
from childhood, the apartment rooms that they may have stayed in and
the places they may escape to.
The main character in Little Jewel, nineteen-year-old
Therese, is waiting in the Metro when she sees a woman in a yellow
coat who she feels may be her mother. As she follows the woman who
is obviously impoverished Therese remembers details about her and
their life together. Her mother was an actress and dancer and had
once been in a movie with Therese whom she called Little Jewel. The
career of neither developed and the little girl is abandoned to
friends of her mother. This story is remembered over time when
Therese becomes a companion to a little girl whose parents are cold
and neglectful. When the child wants a dog as a companion the mother
orders Therese to put a stop to this. Therese remembers a dog she
herself had as a child, a dog that her mother callously abandoned.
When Therese nearly faints she is resuscitated with a whiff of ether
which reminds her of a childhood incident when she was taken to nuns
after an accident. The nuns treat her with ether and lots of
kindness. The little girl and her parents who increasingly seem
untrustworthy and cruel disappear and Therese is again abandoned.
Meanwhile she learns that the woman in the yellow coat is her mother
and is known as Death Cheater or the Kraut. Instead of confronting
her Therese turns from the past to the comfort of suicide, but is
saved and in a room of newborns (the hospital has run out of beds)
begins life again, supported by several friends. Paris Nocturne begins with a minor car crash. The nameless
21-year-old narrator is hit and slightly injured by a 'sea-green
Fiat' driven by a young blonde woman. When they are both taken to
hospital a bond seems to be established, but a heavily built dark
man, Soliere, seems determined that the relationship should not
develop. The smell of ether in the hospital reminds the narrator of
an incident from his past and the reader begins to learn of his
unhappy childhood, when he was raised by an untrustworthy father in
a series of hotel rooms. This culminated in his father calling the
police chief to take the boy, now aged seventeen, away as a
nuisance. This humiliating encounter perhaps resulted in other
memories being suppressed, but Soliere reminds the narrator of his
father and he now remembers meetings in specific cafes. His father
became more dishevelled until finally they no longer met. The
Narrator's memory of specific streets and rooms seems to assure him
of his own reality. He learns the name of the car's driver and
becomes obsessed with finding her. Events like encounters with
Soliere seem sinister and designed to point him away from her, and
the chronology is not always clear as memories are intertwined with
the present. One night the narrator follows a black dog which seems
to be the one he had as a child. The streets seem to become darker
and Soliere more sinister, but when he finds the driver, Jacqueline
Beausergent, her calm and confident manner reassures him and he is
further soothed by her memories of a village near one that he had
stayed in as a child. He seems ready to accept happiness.
In both novels there are the recurring elements of the colour that
provokes memory, the lost dog that symbolises a loss of love and
security, ether that promises safety in loss of memory and escape
and characters that parallel each other in terms of character and
action. Both concern the helplessness and unhappiness of children,
the disconnect between young adults and their social environment and
the nature of memory, in a way that is Proustian. The characters are
restless and rootless as they move through the streets of Paris,
seen here as both seedy and sinister. The language is deceptively
simple but rich in metaphor. The novels are short but reward close
reading and could be used by senior students.
Jenny Hamilton
A Lottie Lipton Adventure : The Secrets of the Stone by Dan Metcalf
A & C Black, 2015. ISBN 9781472911841
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Lottie is a brave, young would-be detective
who happens to live in the British Museum with her Uncle Bert, the
Curator of Egyptology.
Lottie has a strong sense of adventure, which comes in handy when
there is a late night break in at the museum. Clues are discovered
and Lottie, her uncle and the museum caretaker Reg, begin a night
time chase through London for information to solve the whereabouts
of Neptune's missing trident. Of course, they are not the only ones
interested in the outcome as a famous thief is on the trail as well.
This is a fun story that gives the reader chances to solve the
riddles before Lottie does on the following page.
There are lots of connections to history, starting with the Rosetta
Stone and ending with the Elgin Marbles. Children who love history
will enjoy these links and may be inquisitive enough to find out
more information.
The novel is about 75 pages long, with many black and white
illustrations. Young, confident readers will enjoy this book and
will have appeal to 7-10 year old students. I recommend this book
and will include both titles (the other Lottie Lipton title is The Curse of the Cairo Cat) in our primary school library.
Jane Moore
Dear Dad, I want to be just like you by Ed Allen
Ill. by Simon Williams. Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN
9781760153496
(Age 5-9) Recommended. Father's Day. Humour. This is a picture book
that has letters to open and flaps to lift and it would be an ideal
present for children to share with their father especially on
Father's Day. Included are some very funny letters to different
fathers, including a crocodile, a whale, a rooster, a kangaroo, a
penguin and many other animals. The one to a Kookaburra father has a
joke inside that young children will love while some of the others
will make the reader think about the animal and what it can do. I
especially liked the letter from Tad to his father the frog, saying
'Soon we will be able to hop and catch flies together' and wanted to
find out more about the penguin father who looked after his two
children while Mum was away.
The illustrations are bright and colourful and will appeal to the
target audience. They complement the funny text and add to the
humour of the book. The letters that can be taken out of their
little envelopes are quite sturdy, but may not stand up to a class
handling the book, although each envelope is a different size and
has clues about what letter belongs to it. Thus the letter from the
puppies has paw prints on it. Confident readers may well enjoy
taking all the letters out and then working out which one belongs in
what envelope!
The clever and funny text about what makes each animal dad so
special is a highlight of this book. It would be fun to work out
just what is amazing about children's fathers and the final page has
note paper that the child can pull out to write a letter to their
own Dad.
Pat Pledger
Dino-Daddy by Mark Sperring
Ill. by Sam Lloyd. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408849705
If you're looking for a rollicking good read that is lots of fun and
has wonderful illustrations, then Dino-Daddy should be high
on the list. The third in a series which includes Dino-Mummy
and Dino-Baby, Dino-Daddy is the perfect daddy
making mischief and making fun. As well as the energetic pictures,
the rhyming structure of the texts moves this along at a fast clip
that will make everyone wish for a dino-daddy. Perfect for very
young readers and those with a fascination for dinosaurs it should
be a surefire hit and a great read as part of Father's Day
celebrations.
Barbara Braxton
