University of Queensland Press, 2015. ISBN 9780702253638
(Age: 13-14) Themes: Friendship, boyfriends, first love, family,
small town life Australia. Best friends Joely and Frankie don't have
much in common but they recognise in each other some shared need and
they have become close as only 15 year old girls can be. Joely
invites Frankie to spend a week of the summer holidays at her aunt
and uncle's outback farm. Joely's mum is overprotective and anxious
but agrees to let them go, while Frankie's mum hardly registers if
Frankie is around, let alone if she is ok, and sometimes she is not
OK when her mother's sleazy boyfriends get too close.
The drought affected farm and Joely's boy cousins hold a special
place in her heart and she can't wait to show Frankie around but
typically Frankie does her own thing and gets to know everyone
without Joely's help. Miffed that she has lost control of the
situation Joely accepts a ride on her cousin's motorbike and they
crash into a kangaroo resulting in the death of the roo. Best
friends can't be mad at each other for long and the girls set out to
see what the small country town can offer, Joely hoping to see local
boy Rory, unaware that Frankie has already met him and he is
attracted to her.
The heat and isolation seem to intensify everything and the mix of
jealousy, boyfriends, first love and ultimately the importance of
friendship and loyalty forged through shared experience gives this
story its strength. The intense focus on the girls' relationships
leaves the rest of the characters sketchy and one dimensional but
this book's audience of 13 to 14 year old girls will love it.
Sue Speck
Hush, little possum : an Australian lullaby by P Crumble
Ill. by Wendy Binks. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743626436
(age: 3+) Humour, Poetry, Singing, Australian animals. The prolific
P Crumble or Paul Dumble is at it again, using an old song and
changing the lyrics to suit a modern audience, or perhaps simply
presenting an old song in a smart new version. Recently there has
been a plethora of these published by Scholastic, with the junior
primary class in mind. Brightly illustrated, a CD in the front cover
and energetic verses on each page, they must be read and re read,
read out loud, hummed, sung and drummed to enhance the words on the
page, and I can imagine groups of kids doing this with gusto and
lots of laughs.
This one has used the verse of Hush little baby, don't you cry
to produce a similar song about the strength of maternal love. Easy
to sing along to, easy to read with its bold illustrations helping
the younger reader, and lovely to listen to Deborah Mailman's voice
on the CD, the whole will be a useful addition to the classroom
where verse and music are used. The illustrator, Wendy Binks has
used the Australian landscape with effect, promoting the discussion
of things recognisably Australian, such as the tractor in a
galvanised iron shed, the eucyalypt and mallee forest, a windmill,
along with the various Australian animals.
Fran Knight
Bystanders by Valerie Volk
Wakefield Press, 2015. ISBN 9781743053799
(Age: Senior secondary) Aptly named Bystanders, Biblical
stories in this collection are told from the perspective of minor
characters and witnesses to events. Some will be familiar to those
with even an elementary Christian or general education, however I
suspect that many will be completely unknown.
The author's detailed knowledge of and careful research into
Biblical and historical events is clear from the text, however I
fear that the complexity and obscurity of the tales will limit
potential readership. The technique of recounting events through the
eyes of individuals who are otherwise ignored is a good one, yet the
book could not avoid becoming a compilation of impassioned
monologues to an unknown listener.
The historical, geographic and cultural details are very
interesting, however lineage and family relationships can be
confusing. The messages conveyed will give cause for reflection and
consideration of how fortunate we are to live in enlightened
society. Power structures are evident in almost every depiction of
ancient life and the modern reader will despair at the misery
endured by most of the female characters. The harrowing lives of
slaves is revealed whilst servants and concubines are seen to have
been at the mercy of their masters. Even wives are shown to have
been almost powerless to object to outright maltreatment by their
husbands and women in general had no form of protest against
bombastic dismissal of their views and desires by male relatives.
My recollection of the Old Testament stories having limited value
due to cruelty, violence and blinkered intolerance of the religious
views of others was not altered. Transitioning in the latter half to
the New Testament was refreshing as Jesus' teachings such as notions
of forgiveness, understanding and love for fellow human beings
promise hope. This contrasts starkly with the vengeance of the Old
Testament.
References and discussion notes are provided which may make this
text useful for senior students undertaking Biblical study and
analysis.
Rob Welsh
Thirst by Lizzie Wilcock
Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781742839660
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Survival. Australian outback. Foster care.
When the car that is taking Karanda and 8 year old Solomon to their
next foster home crashes in Central Australia, and their social
worker is killed, Karanda is determined to be free of the foster
care system that she believes has been terrible for her. With just
her backpack and a bottle of water, she sets off into the desert to
escape her old life, the misery and the mistakes she has made. There
is only thing holding her back - Solomon, the solemn kid who has
barely said a word to anyone. When she discovers that he has
followed her, she decides that his survival skills are important to
keep them alive and together they trek across the desert.
I was immediately reminded of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and
thought that this would be a great companion novel to that popular
classic. Instead of facing the Canadian wilderness where water was
plentiful, Karanda and Solomon face the Australian desert, where
water is scarce and precious, and food is virtually impossible to
find. Fortunately Solomon has been a great fan of the TV show, The
Bush Tucker Man, and is able to find and identify some native
food sources for them and their struggle to survive makes for
fascinating reading. A quick Google search will bring up reports of
survival in the desert, so their feat doesn't seem to be too
implausible and the reader is carried along by their adventures.
Equally engrossing are the personal stories that gradually come to
light as the reader gets to know the characters. The foster care
system hasn't worked for these two children who have suffered
devastating personal loss. The themes of the importance of being
loved and belonging to a family and having friends loom large in
this book, as do the inadequacies of the foster care system and the
children's lack of ability to communicate their needs to their
foster parents.
Karanda's growth as a person and her gradual understanding of the
impact of what she says to Solomon is also central to the story. I
loved the dialogue, especially the nicknames that Karanda gives
Solomon: 'fire boy' when he makes a fire, 'fall boy' when he falls
down a cliff, and other humorous tags.
I read this book in one sitting and I am of the opinion that younger
readers would find it very engrossing. Teacher
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
Piccadilly Press, 2015. ISBN 9781848124370
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Humour. Mystery. When their headmistress and
her brother are murdered, Smooth Kitty and her six fellow students
decide to keep it a secret. They bury the bodies in the vegetable
garden and dress up Stout Alice in the headmistress' place. But
there is still a murderer on the prowl.
This is very funny take on a murder mystery and on the tradition of
the farce genre. Each of the seven girls are named in such a way
that the reader can keep in touch with their personality and
appearance - although the amusing illustrations on the front cover
and inside the book help as well. Smooth Kitty is the ring leader of
the plot and she is the one who comes up with the ideas while having
the ability to smooth over difficulties and tell smooth lies.
Disgraceful Mary Jane is very pretty and loves to flirt madly with
any young boy or man nearby. Stout Alice is plump but has the
ability to act really well and to mimic other people's voices so she
is perfect to pretend that she is Constance Plackett, the
headmistress that the girls disliked. Pocked Louis has been marked
by small pox when young, but she makes up her appearance with her
brains and scientific ability. Dour Elinor always thinks the worst
and is quite interested in death, while Dear Roberta is kind hearted
and Dull Martha is not the brightest of children.
Set against a background of 1890, when young girls were expected to
be prepared for marriage, even if they yearned to do more with their
lives, the book romps along as the seven girls find their feet
without adult supervision. Amid many moments of hilarity each girl
displays her strengths and weaknesses, learning a lot about
themselves and each other in the process. Underlying this is a
thread of tension, as the reader tries to work out how the murders
were committed and who might have a motive, all the while knowing
that Stout Alice masquerading as the headmistress has been placed in
grave danger.
A very enjoyable, feel good book that celebrates the different types
of personalities of the girls and the friendships that hold them
together The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow will be
appreciated by readers who like a historical mystery with unusual
in-depth characterisation.
Pat Pledger
The worst pain in the world by Nicky Johnston
Arthritis Foundation of Victoria, 2014. ISBN 9780992545215
Bella is just like every other little girl with a birthday on the
horizon. She's so excited preparing for it doing all the things that
other little girls do. This is going to be a VERY special day for
her.
On birthday morning, Bella wakes up really excited, like all other
little girls, but unlike other little girls Bella's body is wracked
with pain. Her legs ache, her arms are stiff like rusty robots - it
even hurts to brush her hair! Yesterday she could do anything she
wanted, today she can scarcely move and all those things she was
looking forward to will be impossible. While everyone else comes and
has a fabulous time, she will only be able to sit and watch. For
Bella has arthritis, a disease that strikes at least 1 in 1000 kids
in Australia, particularly girls.
Arthritis is an invisible pain, so while her guests need bandaids,
and ice and sign Ethan's cast on his broken arm, no one sees Bella's
pain, particularly as she tries to hide it because even worse than
the physical pain is the pain of missing out on the fun and NOT
being like all the other girls. Even though she is in too much pain
to eat her birthday cupcakes, to play the games or even open her
presents no one notices until she bursts into tears when Dad takes
the group party photo. That changes things.
Arthritis is an insidious, invisible chronic disease with many
symptoms but it is characterised by pain and tiredness, and
sometimes the meds for it can be as horrible as the disease itself.
And the invisibility wears two cloaks - firstly there are no outward
signs of it, no marks or rashes or bruises or deformities and that
then makes it invisible to teachers, friends and sometimes families.
So often it is not treated as seriously as more obvious things like
cuts, breaks, diabetes, asthma and so forth. Yet it is very real and
debilitating. This book, which is an essential in any collection and
which should be brought to the attention of teaching staff, shines a
light on this cruelty giving it visibility and validity.
But as Bella shows, even worse than the physical pain is the pain of
being different, of being left out, of not being like all the other
kids and so at the end there are suggestions for how schools can
seek help to help students with the disease as well as ideas for
individuals to manage it. Many of these are adaptable to the school
situation such as wearing a badge so that others recognise the day's
pain level and having worthwhile, fun activities available as
alternatives to activity when necessary. Having arthritis is tough
enough without being marginalised because of the pain.
Seek out the Bellas in your school and talk to them, their parents
and their healthcare worker to make the library a welcoming and safe
haven for them on the days when the jumping castle is a bar too
high.
Barbara Braxton
Afterlight by Rebecca Lim
Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781925240498
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Ghosts. Murder. Mystery.
Supernatural. Sophie's world has fallen apart with the death of her
parents in a freak motorbike accident. After embarrassing herself
with a boy who lives in her street she has made a new start in a
different school, crushing on Jordan, an aloof boy. Then she begins
to get frightening nightly visits from a beautiful ghost who looks
eerily like her dead mother and she finds that she is fixing up
things that the ghost Eve wants finished. Sophie is plunged into a
dangerous world of drugs, motorbike gangs and an old love story.
Together with the reluctant Jordan, she sets out to uncover the
mystery of Eve's murder.
This is a thrilling mystery with the added suspense of a ghost who
is directing much of the action. Sophie is such a special heroine -
tall, gangly and lacking in self-confidence - she just wants to be
unnoticed, except that Eve is determined that this won't happen.
Once Sophie starts unravelling the secrets surrounding what is going
on, she finds that she cannot stop until everything is worked out -
and what a spine-tingling and unexpected ending that is!
Afterlife has all the ingredients that make up an enthralling read.
Lim carefully lays down questions and hints about what is going on,
in a gripping way if the reader is one who enjoys following a trail
to try and solve the mystery. For those who just like an exciting
read that pulls at the heartstrings and ensures some terrifying
moments, Lim has ensured that the action is fast paced and the
characters are really believable. The ghostly apparition of Eve and
the notion of Guardians is also so well developed that the reader is
carried along with their supernatural nature. The slight romance
between Sophie and Jordan is just enough to tantalise those who
enjoy a love story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this action packed suspenseful story with its
Melbourne setting, reading it in a couple of sittings and the ending
will engender lots of discussion if it was used in a literature
circle or book group.
Pat Pledger
The Mapmaker Chronicles: Prisoner of the Black Hawk by A.L.Tait
Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9780734415790
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Sailing,
Cartography, Pirates, Monsters, Friendship. Set sail on the Libertas
with Captain Zain, mapmaker Quinn, adventurous Ash and all the crew
in another swashbuckling adventure. This second, welcome addition to
The Mapmaker Chronicles is filled to the brim with monsters,
sailing perilous seas, mapping uncharted waters, fighting scurrilous
pirates and evil villains and narrow escapes.
Three ships leave their homeland Verdania in a year-long race to map
the unchartered world, thus far they've encountered many dangers and
survived four and half months away from home. The rigorous daily
training undertaken by Quinn and Ash (disguised as a boy) comes in
handy when they land on an exotic island. They meet Mr Frey a
Verdanian (with an interesting past) and are welcomed into his home,
tasting cacao for the first time. Tomas his son soon becomes a
friend. Quinn and Ash are caught up in a hazardous escapade, there's
an encounter with a giant serpent, being captured and trapped in a
pit and attacked by small piranha-like fish - pescarn. Quinn is
separated and forced into a cage aboard a rival ship, where the
Gelynion captain demands the young mapmaker continue to chart their
course on his map stolen by Kurt the Northern boy from the Black
Hawk.
When pirates invade the Black Hawk Quinn uses his skills, courage
and initiative to break free of his cage and escape from the
clutches of his captors and the raiders. The fight scene is
extremely gripping and readers will be drawn into the drama.
Author A. L. Tait delivers another fast paced and exciting fantasy
adventure.
Rhyllis Bignell
Scream: The human flytrap by Jack Heath
Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781760152086
The rather loud screaming cover, covered in caution tape and
decorative black edged pages sets the tone for the story.
The mysterious town of Axe Falls holds many spooky, terrifying and
unusual secrets. Josh, a 12 year old inquisitive boy, has just moved
into a spooky looking house with his family. A creepy looking old
lady from next door instantly approaches and screams for him to 'get
out'. Josh is a little spooked and things begin to get weird.
At school even the teachers sound a little strange and spooky. After
Josh and his friends conduct a science experiment that goes horribly
wrong, their adventure into the terrifying and unusual begins.
Very much a similar style to the eternally popular Goosebumps
series, this new Scream series will surely engage those
slightly reluctant readers that prefer their stories a little spooky
and mysterious. This is the first book in the series and very nicely
sets up questions about what would be next in the adventures of Josh
and his friends. The characters are likeable and relatable for the
target audience. The suspense builds in the story as small clues and
questions are exposed and posed requiring readers to make
predictions and engage in the plot.
Zana Thiele
Liberty's fire by Lydia Syson
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471403675
(Age: Middle to upper secondary) Highly recommended. A grim tale
indeed! Set in Paris in 1871 during the siege when Paris was
captured by Prussian forces, the novel immediately draws the reader
to the tragedy of the poor Parisians. This defeat led to the rise of
the Paris Commune. Zephyrine's grandmother has just died, and as she
is destitute, sets out to get enough money for the funeral. She
almost succumbs to becoming a prostitute when Anatole, a musician,
saves her. Her passionate belief in the Commune's strength to free
Paris leads to Anatole supporting and loving her and she him. Jules
a photographer, with whom Anatole shares a flat, and Marie, a singer
with the Opera, find Zephyrine's strong belief in the Commune
difficult to understand. They both have a love for Anatote but he is
obsessed with Zephryrine. The violence and utter despair of the
ordinary Parisians is heart-breakingly described, but the voices of
Zephyrine, Anatole and Marie are realistic and believable and so
personal, that the ultimate horror of the suppression of the
socialist group is softened by their accounts. The descriptions of
the barricades are sympathetically described.
This history is told with fire and love and encourages the reader to
find out more. Interestingly, Zephyrine was exiled to New Caledonia.
Later, the ship berthed in Sydney, when many were granted amnesty.
Written with passion, strength and inspiration, the reader is drawn
into the brutish conditions of the ordinary Parisian. Historical
fiction at its best, it's fascinatingly and carefully crafted making
it well worth reading and discussing. A wonderful novel to
supplement a history unit of France around that time.
Well recommended for middle to Upper Secondary students.
Sue Nosworthy
Lara of Newtown by Chris McKimmie
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112324
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Animals, Survival, Naive art. With an
eclectic mixture of ephemera as well as illustrative materials
including pastels, coloured pencils, masking tape and newspaper,
along with a jacaranda flower and a paper bag, McKimmie creates a
charming story of finding a home. Kids will melt as they read of the
cat, Misty, being left at the Care4Cats centre at Newtown by an
elderly owner who can no longer look after her. She sits in the
window waiting for a carer when a family takes her home for
Christmas.
They name her Nigella after she eats their crackling and custard.
But things become very quiet when the family sees that their budgie
has also gone, so they dump the cat in a street where she takes
cover in a cardboard box, and eats scraps.
But one day she meets the Kafoopses trawling through the second hand
shop. They take her home and call her Lara and here she stays,
eating her bowl of crumbly biscuits, putting up with the sound of a
bagpipe, staying on the roof to escape the noise, having friends
over when the family goes out shopping, and roaming the nights, but
always coming back to her own home where she is safe and loved.
Readers will love looking at Mckimmie's particular style of
illustration, joining in with the fun on each page as Lara's life is
outlined from being Misty, to Nigella to Lara.
Each page holds a fascination as people look at the details and work
out how McKimmie produced that image. I loved reading the list on
the publications page of the materials he used and readers will be
able to look more closely to find where he has used each of them.
The background on each page, so redolent of city life, particularly
Sydney adds another level of discussion for children reading the
story. They will be heartened that Lara's early sad life ends
happily with the Kafoopses and be satisfied that the cat's needs are
now all met, reflecting perhaps on the plight of others, animals and
people, discarded by society.
For older students a picture book like this will provide a platform
for looking at incisive writing and illustration. Each time I read
this book, I see another level of meaning, another small picture
that I missed before, another piece of writing that makes my mind
whirr. Teacher notes are available from the Allen & Unwin
website.
Fran Knight
Dragon Rebels by Nazam Anhar
Lore of Fire Book 2. Amazon Digital Service, 2015.
(Age: 10-14+) Highly recommended. Dragon Rebels by Nazam
Anhar continues the story of the boy Baran, from book 1 Dragon
Hunter.
Baran was chosen by Hajur, a Dragon Warrior, to learn the ways of
the dragon hunters after dragons viciously attacked his village in
the first book.
Another villager, a girl named Tyan, had shadowed and then joined
the pair to try to also become the first female dragon slayer in
revenge for the death of her family.
Dragon Warriors must honour the call for help by answering the
signal of the red smoke. This signal leads the trio to the city of
Samara, where dragons have attacked and the outlying villagers have
moved into the crowded city walls.
After meeting the king, it becomes evident the call for assistance
had been answered earlier by a rogue group who kill dragons for
payment. They have a dubious collection of members including several
unsuccessful Dragon Warriors. Hajur is ineffective in recommending
that the King and his councilors use only true Dragon Warriors so
both groups have to work together.
The honourable Hajur is pitted against both the dragons and the
rogue group and there is constant conflict and danger throughout the
dragon battles but it is after the combat that the situation becomes
even more dangerous.
The values, integrity and reputation of the Dragon Warriors and
their principled behaviour are constantly clashing with the
self-interest and baseness of the scoundrel dragon slayers.
Personally, Baran continues to struggle with the idea of becoming a
Dragon Warrior and with his growing attraction to the young, valiant
princess Alima.
This is an action book and the dragons never disappoint as a cold,
deadly and persistent enemy. As stated in my review of book one,
this story will appeal to fantasy readers especially dragon
devotees.
10 to 14 + year olds will enjoy reading this novel themselves or
listening to the story read aloud. I highly recommend this sequel, Dragon
Rebels and book 1, Dragon Hunters and I hope there are
more to come.
Jane Moore
The Porridge of Knowledge by Archie Kimpton
Ill. by Kate Hindley. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471402807
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Good and Evil, Magic, School Life. Milk lives
with her Granddad in a small seaside town Slopp-on-Sea. She was
found abandoned as a baby by the milkman and adopted by a a loving
couple she calls Grandma and Granddad. After her grandma
passes away, she is left to look after her grandfather whose mind is
going and he is often seen wandering around the town. When he
discovers an old book with an unusual recipe THE PORRIDGE OF
KNOWLEDGE things rapidly began to change in Milk's life.
Milk's school life is terrorized by her vindictive teacher Ms.
Cerise, who sets an impossible maths test for the class and demands
all the students study hard over the weekend. With Carp her friend
and cafe owner, Milk decides to cook a batch of the special
porridge. The ingredients are truly gross: dandruff, a pig's kidney,
large limp limpets are added to the oatmeal and stirred. The
resulting concoction is foul smelling and difficult to swallow, but
amazing things happen when you do! Even the cafe ants who taste the
goo become amazing builders making amazing replicas of the Leaning
Tower of Pisa in mashed potatoes.
Milk becomes the cleverest person in town, Carp's restaurant becomes
the mecca for bus tours wanting to taste the best food in town and
even Grandpa changes from confused to normal behaviour. After
tasting the porridge, the class answers every question correctly in
the advanced Maths test.The porridge has a magical quality. Milk and
Carp save the day when Mr. Blanket poisons the beach with toxic
waste from his toothpaste factory.
This is a funny, quirky story quintessentially English, just enough
grossness, suspension of belief and triumph of good over evil to
engage the reader.
Rhyllis Bignell
Big book of Australian history by Peter Macinnis
2nd edition. National Library of Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780642278722
(Age: 8-Adult) Highly recommended. The 2nd edition of the CBCA
Notable book Big book of Australian history will be a boon
for teachers and school libraries as well as the avid history fan.
Although this edition is a paperback it is sturdy and will prove to
be an invaluable reference book for the researcher and a fabulous
book to dip into for the casual reader who enjoys learning about
interesting bits of Australian history.
The books covers the major sections of Australian history, starting
with Ancient Australia, The Dreaming, Voyages of Discovery and
continuing through early settlement, Federation, The Great
Depressions and the world wars and culminating in a section about
Embracing multiculturalism and On the world stage. The latter
section of the book has been updated and the extensive piece on
Cricket will be enjoyed by sporting enthusiasts.
The book is amply illustrated with original images that are held in
the National Library. These have been carefully selected for their
interest and historical relevance and greatly add to the reader's
understanding of the history and social implications of the period.
There is a page reference to them and the user can go to the
National Library's website to get more details.
I love this book. Every time I open it I come across some
fascinating bits of information that expand my knowledge and incite
an interest in history and I am certain that it will do that for
other readers as well
Pat Pledger
An ember in the ashes by Sabaa Tahir
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780007593279
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. In the same vein of
teenage dystopian novels that flooded bookshelves in the wake of The
Hunger Games, comes another such novel, An ember in the
ashes. One might be forgiven for thinking that this book is
just another cheap attempt to cash in on the latest craze, but that
person would be sorely mistaken, as this is a wonderful, highly
engaging novel.
It tells the story of two people living very different lives in the
same world; Laia, a Scholar-born girl, has lived in fear of the
ruthless 'Empire' and its formidable soldiers since she was born.
When her brother is taken by them, she has to enlist the help of the
mysterious Resistance to get him back, but to do so she must first
spy on the Commandant, the ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy.
Elias is in training to become a Mask - one of the Empire's most
elite and dangerous soldiers - at the same Blackcliff Academy, but
he is horrified with what he has had to do as a Mask-in-training and
plans to escape. However, nothing goes to plan for either of them...
Sabaa Tahir has created an absolute gem of a book with An ember
in the ashes - it rollicks along at a fierce, engrossing pace,
yet never feels rushed; the characters are fully fleshed out and
deeply intriguing; even the romantic tension between certain
characters - which can often feel forced if done badly - feels
realistic and captivating here. It's hard to find an authentic
page-turner that also manages to be a smart read, but An ember
in the ashes accomplishes it all. Apparently it became an
instant New York Times bestseller upon its release in April, but
that's no surprise - the book's exciting premise and broad appeal is
perfect for both teenage and adult audiences. Thankfully, there is a
sequel in the works, which will be released next year, but for now,
I can't recommend this first instalment enough.
I highly recommend this novel.
Rebecca Adams
