Ill. by Nicholas Schafer. Fremantle Press, 2015. ISBN 9781925162301
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Humour, Moving house, Grandparents.
Bella steps off her verandah one morning just as she has always
done, but this morning, unlike every other morning, she steps onto
her mother's violets. The path is not in its usual place. Curious.
She speaks to her grandfather about it and in his sea salt wisdom
tells her to watch the stars as they will always tell her where she
is. Each day she wakes and the house has moved again, not only a few
paces further along but once to a lake, then to a dam.
Bella comes to see the legs the house grows in its attempts to find
a suitable resting place, and when her parents tell her the house
will be cut in half and transported back to where they came from,
she develops an idea. After all her grandfather was a boatbuilder
and has put a porthole in her bedroom window made from the last boat
he built, complete with the board with the name of his last boat, so
she realises what the house is looking for. All ends happily and
Bella has learnt a lot about her grandfather, his boats, the
difference between a house and a home, and living where you need to
live.
This is a delightful story for all ages, full of wisdom and humour
and displaying a delightful relationship between a girl and her
grandfather. And all is wonderful illustrated giving a Magic
Pudding effect to the house and its running away legs.
Fran Knight
And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Ill. by Henry Cole. Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781481448840
(Age: 3 - adult) Highly recommended. Animals, Chinstrap penguins,
Family, New York. This tenth anniversary edition deserves a place in
every library. The true story of two male penguins in the Central
Park Zoo in New York is enough to bring tears to the eyes in its
affirmation of what makes a family and what constitutes love.
The two penguins did everything together after meeting in 1998, so
much so that when the female penguins formed partnerships with the
males and made nests of stones ready for their eggs, Roy and Silo
did too. They even found a stone to put in their nest to sit on and
hatch like all the others. But it did not hatch.
The keeper, Mr Gramzay noticed that another pair had laid two eggs,
and knowing that they were never able to raise more than one chick,
moved one egg to the nest of Roy and Silo. They did everything the
other penguins did: they sat on the egg, moving it to keep it warm,
they slept on the egg, changing places when they needed to, until
finally the egg hatched. And it was named Tango.
The trio became a most loved family amongst the penguin colony at
Central Park Zoo, Silo and Roy teaching their chick to dive and
swim, snuggle into their warmth at night and sing for its food.
This life affirming book confirms the place of family and the love
that brings two together to make a family. Children need to see
their own family make up in the books they read, and this goes a
long way towards redressing the dearth of such books in the past.
An afterword of this anniversary edition tells us of the history of
this book since it was first published. It makes salutary reading
that in this age of Western freedoms, authorities seek to restrict
some voices. The work of the parents in Singapore in stopping this
book being pulped is wonderful and needs greater publicity,
happening so recently (2014) A post script from the two authors
telling us that they now have a daughter is a joyous end to a
wonderful read.
Fran Knight
The emperor of any place by Tim Wynne-Jones
Candlewick, 2015. ISBN 9780763669737
(Age: Older teens) During the Second World War, Oshiro, a wounded
Japanese soldier finds himself on a small and remote Pacific island,
after having escaped by raft from the Island of Tinian where U.S.
forces were crushing all resistance. Gradually he recovers and lives
a peaceful existence, living off the land and utilising a range of
supplies from debris washed ashore following battles at sea.
The soldier's simple quest to survive the war and return alive to
his beloved new wife is threatened when he discovers a recently
crashed American transport aircraft loaded with rifles and
ammunition, in the island's interior. Evidence reveals that one of
the crew has survived in a seriously injured state but has escaped
to an unknown hiding place. Fearing discovery by the enemy soldier,
Oshiro carefully searches the island for him and a series of bizarre
events lead to his capturing Derwood, the American. Language
difficulties limit the pair's communication but in time, both come
to understand that it is simply impossible for Oshiro to confine
Derwood as a prisoner and the pair live an agreeable and cooperative
existence on the island, posing no threat to one another and
further, coming to depend on each other for survival.
Fifty years later, Evan, a Canadian teenager is distraught when his
father, whom he loves dearly, dies unexpectedly from a heart attack.
Evan's ninety year old Grandfather arrives to tend to his son's and
Evan's legal affairs. Evan has never met Griff, a Marine veteran
from World War II and fears him, based upon warnings and tales from
his own father who fled from Griff and ceased all contact with him
as soon as he was old enough.
At this time, Evan discovers a manuscript detailing the wartime
experiences of Oshiro and Derwood among his father's effects and
learns that Griff (somehow a part of the events), is doing his best
to suppress publication of the story. Despite his age, Griff
intimidates Evan who struggles with his rigid military ways and
threatening behaviour.
The mystery of what happened to Oshiro and Derwood, and their
connection with Griff is gradually uncovered by Evan and enables an
intriguing plot to develop. Much of the wartime narrative however
involves supernatural beings which play a significant role in the
events on the island. Aside from the notion of ghosts representing
souls yet to be born into the physical world, the supernatural
elements seemed out of place and I couldn't help thinking that the
tale suffered for their inclusion.
Rob Welsh
Editor's note: This book was on YALSA's 2016
Best Fiction for Young Adults, is one of School
Library Journal's Best Books 2015, and is on Horn
Books Fanfare list.
Dance, Bilby, dance by Tricia Oktober
Ford Street, 2016. ISBN 9781925272130
Baby Bilby would love to dance. Everything around him seems to do
so, even the ants on the swirling leaves and the bush litter swept
up in the willy-willies. Even Bilby's shadow dances. Will he be able
to, too? He's doing quite well and delighting in the shapes his
shadow makes until a big scary shadow looms over him.
On the surface this is a most charming story beautifully illustrated
by one of my favourite illustrators, perfect for preschool with its
simple text, colour and movement. But it has the potential to be so
much more if the reader starts to explore the concepts of movement,
wind patterns and shadows and how they change. The ending also
offers scope for discussion.
One of the reasons I love Oktober's illustrations is her eye for
detail and these are no exception. Bilby is very appealing yet very
realistic while the meticulous detail of the contents of the
willy-willy contrast perfectly with the ballet shoes on the emus!
Can't wait to share this with Miss Nearly 5.
Barbara Braxton
Fire touched by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson bk 9. Little Brown, 2016. ISBN 9780356507040
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Paranormal. Good versus evil. The 9th in
the Mercy Thompson series, finds shapeshifter Mercy and her werewolf
partner Adam and his pack, fighting a ferocious troll. Then they
find themselves with a human child, Aidan, who had been stolen long
ago by the fae and who can control fire, not always in the safest
way. Defying both the fae and their own kind, Mercy and Adam decide
to protect him no matter the cost.
I am a fan of the Mercy Thompson series and eagerly await each new
novel in this and the related Alpha and Omega series.
Patricia Briggs is a master in the art of portraying believable and
likeable characters, putting them into tense situations where they
have to make hard decisions about good and evil. There is depth to
all the characters and this makes the book a very enjoyable read.
Mercy's problems with some of the members of the pack not wanting
her to be Adam's mate feature strongly in this novel and family and
pack life are highlighted. Mercy is strong and level headed through
it all, not only fabulous in her action scenes but also in her
personal life.
In Fire touched, Mercy is not prepared to see a young boy
taken again by the fae and is determined to give him shelter and
Adam and his pack are around to give strong back-up. This results in
the fae giving chase and all are involved in some exciting and
thrilling events including evading a volcano troll and a trip to the
fae land of Underhill. Events show that if they are not careful
there could be a war where humans would suffer greatly and Mercy is
instrumental in trying to avoid this.
Each book in the series is self contained. It certainly helps to
have read the books in order, to see character development, but the
reader is not left on a cliff-hanger. There is however, plenty of
scope for future developments, especially with the status of the
werewolf pack. I suspect this series is one that older teens will be
seeking at their local libraries.
Pat Pledger
Top dog by Rod Clement
Angus and Robertson, 2016. ISBN 9780732298753
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Dogs. Cities. Business life. Samson is an
extraordinary dog. He can not only talk and walk on his hind legs,
and dress in a suit, but holds down the CEO position at a major
company in the city. Each morning he is chauffeured to work, where
he is greeted by his staff and given a cup of coffee. He and his
staff work very hard; he loves to chew things over, and throw ideas
around. His well trained staff bring his paper in each morning and
sit when he says to sit.
Readers will have a great time comparing his life with that of their
dog or cat, seeing the slant Clement puts on his extraordinary
poodle. They will laugh out loud as he turns things on their head,
showing the actions usually shown by an owner to his dog, used by
the dog to his staff: a pat on the head, a tickle on the tummy, a
bone given as a treat. All lampoon the things dogs get up to in the
family home, but here we are in a city office tower. The play on
words will intrigue and delight readers, and get them looking at
some of the idioms, such as, 'chew things over' or 'throw ideas
around'. Samson's office looks out from a great height over the
city, giving views of the harbour and city buildings. But he does
insist that his staff stay behind to do extra work, and fetch for
him, while sometimes they need to beg him for a favour.
Clement's lovely water colour and pen and ink illustrations will
delight the reader, the soft watercolour presenting an adorable dog,
one that the readers will take to their hearts. This book will
encourage a closer look at some of the words and expressions used in
relation to the children's pets.
Fran Knight
The boy at the top of the mountain by John Boyne
Doubleday, 2015. ISBN 9780552573542
(Ages: 10+) Recommended. The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
follows protagonist Pierrot, a young boy who is sent to live with
his aunt Beatrix in Germany during World War II. Hailing from Paris
and being only seven years old, Pierrot knows little to nothing
about the Nazis, but this all changes once he discovers that his
aunt is a servant for Adolf Hitler, and his new home is the Berghof.
Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's guidance, and Pierrot must
decide not only whether he agrees with Hitler's motives, but whether
he is strong enough to reject them.
When Pierrot arrives at the Berghof, he is stripped of everything he
has ever known. He is told not to think of his old life, of his best
friend that he left behind . . . he is even stripped of his name.
All that remains with him is a single storybook and his memories.
Boyne has weaved together a powerful, heartbreaking and disturbing
tale. Reading about Pierrot as he is growing up under Hitler's
watchful eye, reading about his confusion as he struggles to make
friends because of where he resides, and reading about his eventual
choosing of which side he is truly on is hard to read due to both
his naivety and his age (Pierrot ages from 7-16 during the course of
the novel).
The only faults of the novel were that it was hard to connect with
Pierrot as he sometimes seemed distant from the reader. Often, his
voice at seven sounded more like he was of age thirteen, and this
made it hard to believe the story at some points.
Boyne took many risks with this novel, and they certainly paid off.
Pierrot is not a particularly likeable character, but the reader is
compelled to continue the book nonetheless. The Boy at the Top
of the Mountain is no doubt a spectacular read for children
aged 10 and above who are beginning to learn about world history.
Breanne Foster (Student)
I'll never let you go by Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Ill. by Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408839010
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Bedtime, Love, Family. Reassurance comes with
every page as the mother tells her offspring that she will always be
there. In simple rhyming sentences, the message is clear: that no
matter what happens the mother will be around. Turning the pages the
young child will see a variety of animals in different settings with
their babies. In one the pair of bears are on a swing, in another
over the page, picking brambles. These are followed by a pair of
dogs in a house where the pup has drawn on the walls with crayon,
but the mother dog does not scold, simply tells the pup that he
knows what to do. Over the page a mother crocodile watches as her
baby has a small tantrum, but he is reassured that she will wait for
him to finish. An excited kangaroo leaps around with Mum there by
his side, while a mother koala brushes away her baby's tears. At the
end each of the mothers and babies are shown together on one double
page with the line of the title, 'I'll never let you go'. This is a
wholly comforting story, one that will reassure younger readers that
someone is there to watch over them no matter what they do.
The simple rhyming sentences will be easily repeated by the reader,
and the illustrations of the animals and their environment will be
recognised by many.
Fran Knight
Game on! 2016
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9780545850315
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Game On! 2016 is a book by
gamers for gamers. This means it should be enjoyed by all gamers and
is highly recommended for game fans aged 8+. Readers can find out
the facts behind the most popular games, the top hoaxes and the
coolest secrets. Read about MarioKart and how many were sold or how
Al in Minecraft glitches sometimes (and why). Gamers can also read
about the top 10 game bosses and the hardest achievements and
trophies to win.
The book is bright and colourful, relying on the well-known game
images and small segments of texts to engage its readers. Game
On! can be read a few pages (or a topic) at a time and would
be a great book for children to keep in their tray at school or to
read in the car. Readers will need to be independent to read the
text but they can also look at the images for enjoyment.
Kylie Kempster
Quentin Blake's A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Ill. by Quentin Blake. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9781843653035 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the most
enduring Christmas stories of all time. It has been described as
"the book that defines the Christmas spirit" as Ebenezer Scrooge, a
mean-spirited miser, is visited by three ghosts one Christmas Eve.
They show Scrooge the true value of Christmas: charity, good humour
and love for his fellow man and turn his attitude around.
Since its publication in 1843, it has been available in many
different editions and formats that it would seem superfluous for
there to be yet another one. But - while this one is an unabridged
version it has been illustrated by Quentin Blake and that is the
special drawcard. When Miss 9 was here recently, she saw it in the
pile and immediately recognised his unique style through her
familiarity with the Roald Dahl stories she loves and sat down to
read it, even though Christmas was well past.
Suddenly the story that I've had in a leather-bound, tissue-paper
tome given to my grandmother over 100 years ago became accessible to
this current generation of the family. When there were questions to
be asked because at that stage she was unfamiliar with the England
it was set in, we had fun exploring the answers and her reading
repertoire expanded to historical fiction! Now, as her school
studies open up the world of the England that spawned the First
Fleet and Australia's early European settlers, she has a basic
understanding that is making it all make so much more sense to her.
Last Christmas I was in a school library and I instituted the
Christmas Countdown which involved a guest reader sharing a new
Christmas-based book each day, an activity which proved to be a very
popular lunchtime focus. But this version of this classic, read as a
chapter or two a day, would prove a worthy alternative. Or you could
suggest it to a teacher to share with their class on a similar
basis.
Christmas is abound with stories to share but there is a reason that
A Christmas Carol has stood the test of time. Well-written
and now perfectly illustrated in a style that is familiar to many,
there is a whole new generation able to appreciate it.
Barbara Braxton
Barney and the secret of the whales by Jackie French
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780732299446
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Barney and the secret of the
whales is set in 1791 when Australia was still a relatively
new colony. In this story, readers will meet Barney. He arrived in
the colony as the son of a convict who was then adopted by the
minister and his family on his mother's death. A chance encounter
with a whaling captain and the promise of riches, leads Barney to
join the crew of the whaling ship and leave the security of the
colony. Barney doesn't know what lies ahead but learns quickly
thanks to being the youngest crew member and mistreated regularly by
everyone. Life at sea is harsh. Barney's job is to sit at the top of
the mast and look for whales. He sleeps, works, aches and misses
home. After watching the death of his first whale, Barney realises
that all the money in the world will not make him happy and the
death of the whale is not what he wants to see or participate in.
Will he last three years at sea? Can he survive the death of another
whale? Barney and the secret of the whales is a historical narrative
aimed at readers aged 9+. Jackie French has created an engaging and
descriptive insight to life, twisting fact and fiction. This would
be an excellent class novel for year 4 and 5 History and is a great
model for historical narratives. Highly recommended for all readers.
Kylie Kempster
The expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee
Little, Brown, 2016. ISBN 9781408706862
(Age: Adult - Mature YA readers) Recommended. Dislocation.
Relationships. Hong Kong. Identity. Maternal role. Family. Like the
central characters in this book, the reader becomes a traveller into
another land as the author deftly deposits us in the experience of
the contemporary expatriate living in Hong Kong as we eavesdrop on
the internal dialogue and emotional state of three women. The main
characters have left America and are in Hong Kong - for a time. This
dislocation and temporary residence state impacts their
relationships and their identity. For the married expat women this
means an almost 1950s blissful experience of domestic and social
life, with the added bonus of hired help, while their husbands climb
the ladder of success. Margaret though suffers from a heart-breaking
loss and grief response that impacts both her family and Mercy, a
young Korean-American woman who has her own personal identity
issues. Another of the women, Hilary, is saddened by the loss of
identity and family because of infertility. In the unique social
setting of the expatriate woman, this too brings amplified
heartache.
The poignant journey of relationships that are put under pressure by
isolation and also enriched by the expatriate experience is the
basis of this intriguing and captivating narrative. It also
highlights the bizarrely unique nature of cross-cultural experience
from the perspective of the wealthy expats. The author manages to
communicate the sense of loneliness and the false connectedness that
occurs as people are enmeshed, for no other reason than that their
journeys began from a similar first-world experience.
This book can be recommended for its ability to move the reader, and
the gentle and yet profound way it deals with the emotional
struggles of the main characters. Lee stirs empathy as we watch
these women and get inside their skin to view a different world,
forever changed by their expat experience. This is essentially an
adult story, but mature Young Adult readers could also connect to
the postgraduate world of work far from home. For anyone who has
ever felt like they didn't belong, or has had to reimagine
themselves in a new context, this story will resonate powerfully.
Carolyn Hull
A beginner's guide to bear spotting by Michelle Robinson and David Roberts
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408845554
Picture book. If, like the child in the story, you are planning on
going on a bear-spotting adventure, then this is definitely the
must-have guide to have with you. You mustn't venture into bear
country without knowing the difference between the black bear (ursus
americanus) and the brown bear (ursus horribilis); your backpack
full of anti-bear gear such as pepper spray and bubble gum; and your
trusty teddy for company. And as you are repeatedly told throughout
the story, you need to pay attention, focus, take note and heed the
advice. For only with it will you be safe.
Even though the chances of coming across either one or the other is
pretty unlikely, nevertheless it can happen and the strategies to be
applied vary depending on the species. Don't climb a tree if it's a
black bear because it can follow you, whereas a brown one can't.
Play dead if it's a brown one, although that might be an invitation
to dinner if you've confused them because black bears can be a
little bit brown and brown bears can be a little bit black.
This is a heart-warming adventure with beautiful illustrations with
exquisite line-work that bring all the characters to life and add
lots of humour so the reader can be brave and safe at the same time.
Little children love stories about bears, real or not, and this is
another one to add to the collection that will bring delight and
pleasure and reinforce the idea that stories and reading them are
fun. And the next time they go on a bear hunt they will be
well-prepared!
Barbara Braxton
Twinkle, twinkle, little star by Jane Taylor
Ill. by Mandy Foot. Lothian Children's Books, 2016. ISBN
9780734416872
(Ages: 0-3) Australian animals. Nocturnal animals. Stars. This is a
take on a traditional rhyme, of which Mandy Foot has done a few (This
little roo went to market, The wheels on the bus).
This one is an extended version of Twinkle twinkle with a
goodnight story vibe and an Australian touch. It starts with the
known rhyme and then continues almost as a love poem written to a
star, praising it for lighting the way for nocturnal Australian
animals. Accordingly, the setting is the Australian outback and
features a cast of Australian animals that are active at night
(fireflies, mice, gliders, owls, foxes, etc.).
The illustrations are sparse, which effectively highlights the wide
blue sky and the abundance of stars, sometimes contrasted with the
red, glowing earth. There is a story running through the rhyme (the
baby possum is guided back to his nest by the light of the star) but
it gets a bit lost and isn't immediately obvious. Unfortunately, in
some parts the rhyme seems forced and doesn't flow well ('When the
blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon').
Nicole Nelson
Wicked's Way by Anna Fienberg
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781743319901
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. In Wicked's Way, 9 year old
Will lives a carefree life with his mother and even though they are
isolated, Will has his mum and his skills walking the tightrope.
Will lives in a world of pirates and where young boys stay hidden so
they can't be stolen by the pirates. On day, Will's mum disappears
and despite being taken in by a caring family, Will is still
kidnapped by pirates - sent to get him by the pirate captain after
learning of his existence through Will's dying father. Life as a
pirate is not fun but Will's rope walking skills make him a valuable
asset and he soon becomes the favourite of the captain. His job is
to sit in the Crow's Nest, day in and day out - even as storms
thrash around them. After kidnapping a new group of boys, Will
develops a friendship with one of them and together they plan their
escape. Unfortunately, Will is betrayed. What will happen to Will as
he accepts pirate life and becomes Wicked the pirate? Wicked's Way is an easy to read novel set out in 2 parts -
the second being 5 years into the story. It is highly recommended
for boys aged 9+ as the pirate story and actions will keep them
engaged. The chapters are short and descriptive and the author has
created an exciting and original world for her readers to escape to.
Kylie Kempster
