The Impossible Quest, bk 3. Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN
9781743624081
(Age: 9-12)The quest to save Wolfhaven Castle and overthrow Lord
Mortlake continues with mystery, magic and legendary creatures
assisting the four children. The children find that they have no
idea who to trust and that old acquaintances aren't always who they
think they are.
After escaping Witchwood, and some dissention over the best way to
proceed Sebastian and Elanor have come to Crowthorne Castle seeking
the help of Lady Ravenna, leaving Quinn and Tom to look after the
Unicorn and Griffin on the moors. It is not long before the pair
come across Jack Spry, the young thief who spied for Lord Mortlake
and opened the doors to allow the Bog Men into Wolfhaven castle, and
find themselves in the dungeons rather than welcomed by the miserly
Lady Ravenna.
They discover that Lady Ravenna has a financial arrangement with
Lady Mortlake to provide the Bog Men, and that they and the other
prisoners are to be fed to the bog at noon the following day as part
of the Fire Festival. Elanor manages to escape the castle as
Sebastian holds off the guards only to be eventually recaptured.
Meanwhile Quinn finds herself imprisoned by The Beast when she is
betrayed by a girl she meets on the moors while looking for food.
When Tom attempts to find her he is also locked in an oven.
Fortunately Elanor is able to free them before the festivities begin
and they hide in the hopes of rescuing Sebastian.
Another old acquaintance accompanies the procession to the bog,
Wilda the witch, who had helped them previously and whose sight they
had helped restore but who Sebastian discovers was firmly aligned
with the Mortlakes.
Sebastian fears he has been abandoned by his friends but with magic,
bog men, fast growing briars and man eating plants, giant leeches
and a flying dragon skeleton, good triumphs and the quest continues.
Sue Keane
Zafir by Prue Mason
Through my eyes series. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN
9781743312544
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Having recently arrived in the Syrian city
of Homs, Zafir is relatively naive to the brutal realities of life
under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and must try to
discover the facts without drawing attention to himself or his
family.
In happier times, Zaffir had lived with his Syrian parents in Dubai,
where his father was employed as a medical doctor and returning to
their homeland has exposed the family to unforeseen danger and
tension.
Set at the beginning of the Syrian uprising, the story tries to
explain how the populace overcame serious censorship and media
control to establish a collective awareness which led to resistance
against the oppressive dictatorship. The complexity of religious
differences between Moslems and Christians, together with
consideration of the political affiliations and influences of
supporters versus opponents of the regime form the basis of the
story. This is a country where to be heard criticising the President
may lead to arrest, torture and murder, hence to be involved in
organising protests as Zafir's uncle does is a dangerous practice.
In the prelude to this social turmoil, Zafir's life is relatively
mundane as he attempts to establish a friendship with Australian
girl Eleni who shares his love of skateboarding and is the daughter
of a visiting Orthodox Christian Priest whose family becomes close
to Zafir's. At school, Zafir's only friend Rami's father is in exile
after speaking out against the regime and the boy educates Zafir
with insight tinged by an understandable hint of paranoia. As Rami
is bullied and maltreated in the schoolyard by the more powerful
loyalist majority, Zafir is forced to make difficult decisions
regarding alliances and justice, mirroring what is happening in the
socio-political sphere.
An interesting feature of the tale is the consideration of social
media in such uprisings. Zafir's mother uses banned Facebook to
learn what is happening elsewhere and becomes vocal in calling for
resistance to the regime. The reader is prompted to evaluate the
potential cost in suffering, especially when online clamoring for
uprising originates from unrealistic idealists or those who are safe
from the consequences. Zafir's father, perhaps more aware of
potential outcomes, urges a more discrete and pragmatic approach,
however when circumstances demand, he responds, facing up to what
could be terrifying possibilities for all his family.
Dramatising the Syrian uprising with historical accuracy precludes
fanciful outcomes, however amongst the grim reality is hope for both
Zafir and his tormented country.
Rob Welsh
Lily the Elf series by Anna Branford
Ill. by Lisa Coutts. Walker Books, 2015 Lily the Elf: The Midnight Owl. ISBN 9781925081053 Lily the Elf: The Precious Ring. ISBN 9781925081046
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Elves, Overcoming Fears,
Grandparents, Owls. Lily the Elf lives with her dad in a tiny house
under a bridge and her granny lives in a flat at behind their home.
Anna Branford's new series is written for newly independent readers,
with very simple text, large font size, illustrations on each page
and short chapters. These are delightful stories dealing with
overcoming problems, fears and working things out.
When Lily lays awake, she hears the spooky call of the midnight owl,
what is it saying? Her granny finds a special feather at the back of
her wardrobe and shares of her grandfather's rescue of a baby owlet.
To help Lily overcome her fears of the night noises, Granny suggests
a twilight picnic and a visit to the owl's home in the great oak
tree.
Lily needs to prepare herself and practice acting bravely, by
reading a scary story, going down into a dark cellar and by jumping
off a high toadstool. Lily even dresses in her matching boots and
hat and adds her warmest jacket while Granny prepares treats for the
picnic. Of course her visit with the owl and the connection of
the feather help Lily overcome her fears.
Lisa Coutts' watercolour, pen and ink illustrations bring Lily, her
family and their environment to life, everything is scaled perfectly
for an elf's view of the world.
This is a charming story, a wonderful beginning to a brand adventure
new series from Anna Branford, author of the popular Violet Mackerel
books.
In Lily the Elf: The Precious Ring Lily the Elf finds
a beautiful golden hoop filled with water, in her backyard after a
rainy night. The jewels on the ring's side make rainbow patterns
all over the garden. This is a perfect pool for an elf princess and
Lily enjoys splashing about. When Granny comes out to check, she
recognises the hoop as a child's ring, someone has lost something
special. Elves always return lost things to humans. Granny makes a
new jewel out of a chocolate foil wrapper and sticky tree sap,
however, she tells Lily she must return the ring to the little girl
who lost it. Dad, Lily and Granny string the ring up and haul it up
onto the bridge above their houses and listen as the ring is claimed
by its rightful owner.
With themes of responsibility, care of property and the rewards of
doing the right thing, The Precious Ring is another
delightful story by Anna Branford.
Rhyllis Bignell
Our love grows by Anna Pignataro
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743626269
(Age: 3+) Love, Families, Pandas, Growing. In the forest the baby
panda, Pip, asks his mother when he will be big. She responds by
pointing out all the things they know in the forest: trees once as
high as Pip, have grown into huge trees, seasons have passed as
flowers bloom and then their petals fall, just like the pinecones
falling from the trees, and his toy, Birdie was once new and shiny
but is now a little scruffy. Through rhyming phrases Piganataro
shows the passage of time. Pip's blanket once covered all of him,
but is now small, his footsteps in the snow were once very little,
but now are much bigger, the songs they sang together seemed to take
forever, just as their games once did. And just as he has grown so
has their love.
This is a sweet story to read to younger children. Through it they
will be reassured that they all grow, just like the trees and
flowers. Their understanding of the passage of time and what happens
to them will be enhanced, and with a parent or teacher discussions
about life cycles can be developed. The idea that above all else the
bond between parent and child is steadfast and loving, is paramount.
Pignataro's soft watercolour illustrations suit the topic admirably.
The pale greens contrast with the softness of the brown trees and
the water with its silky blues contrasts with the floating boat. The
endpapers parallel the blanket that Pip uses as a young panda and
many children will recognise the early need for such a prop, but one
that is now left behind. Pignataro is the author of the popular Princess
and Fairy series.
Fran Knight
Space mash by Knife & Packer
Wheelnuts! Craziest Race on Earth! Book 3. Scholastic
Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781743627242
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Car racing, Outerspace, Adventure. The Wheelnuts
crazy cars return in another wild race. Warren 'Wheelie' Wheelnut's
new challenge for the six cars and their crews is an adventure in
space, of course, there are no road rules and the obstacles are out
of this world!
Knife and Packer's imagination and creativity make this graphic
junior novel an exciting action-packed adventure, the crazier the
better! There's the Rust Bucket 3000 driven by robots Nutz and
Boltz, The Flying Nappy with Gurle and Burp on board - leading to
lots of gross jokes and the Dino-Wagon's crew is Turbo Rex and
Flappy a pterodactyl out to win.
The adventure begins at the Space Centre where Warren reveals the
six cars have been mechanically upgraded to rockets for their
outer-space race. With space junk obstacles, cheating drivers and
diversions to other planets for special adventures.
Humorous, comical, colourful, gross and outrageous Knife and Packer
deliver all the elements for another mad Wheelnuts race.
Rhyllis Bignell
Man in the Shadows by Chris Morphew
Phoenix Files Volume 1. Contains Book 1: Arrival.
Book 2: Contact. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN:
9781760124250
Set in some unknown part of Australia, Phoenix, unreachable by phone
or internet, appears to be the perfect town, inhabited only by the
employees of the Shackleton Co-operative.
Seventeen year old Luke, simmering with resentment and already
missing his dad, finds himself confronted by a scenario that even he
finds difficult to believe. The world is about to end and he and two
new friends, Peter and Jordan, have to prevent the Co-operative from
completing the countdown to the annihilation of the human race.
With his mum engrossed in her new position and working all hours,
Luke has only his friends to help him make sense of the cryptic
messages Crazy Bill, the town's one jarring oddity, leaves for him.
As they do, all three begin to realise the danger that they and
everyone else is in. It soon becomes clear that the Co-operative
will stop at nothing to achieve its end goal. The collateral damage
begins to mount and the hundred day countdown to Armageddon has
already begun.
The first of a 3 volume trilogy, Man in the Shadows, is a
tense and realistic portrayal of 3 ordinary teens attempting to make
sense of what, even to them with their newly discovered proof, seems
untenable. With time running out, with no allies, with Crazy Bill
locked away, what can 3 teenagers do?
This reader eagerly awaits the next instalment to find out.
R. Lange
Rosie Gigglepip's lucky escape by Daisy Meadows
Magic Animal Friends. Orchard Books, 2015. ISBN 9781408326329
(Age: 6+) For fans of the series. Themes: Magical Animals, Pets,
Witches, Dragons. Lily and Jess are best friends, they love helping
to care for the sick animals at the Helping Paw Animal Hospital, run
by Lily's parents. They also have a special friend, Goldie the
magical talking cat who leads them on adventures into the Friendship
Forest. They enter the forest through a special door, hidden in the
big oak tree and shrink in size with their skin tingling like bubbly
lemonade.
The forest families are threatened by a fierce storm, with heavy
rain, thunder and lightning scaring the small creatures. Of course,
Grizelda the evil witch is behind the destruction. She has commanded
Breezy the storm dragon to destroy the Gigglepip's home, a windmill
called The Whirligig.
Jess and Lily save the day with a little help from the dragon family
and peace is restored in the Magical Animal Kingdom. Another junior
novel from the popular Daisy Meadows team.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Anti-Princess Club series by Samantha Turnbull
Ill. by Sarah Davis. Allen & Unwin, 2015
Book 1: Emily's Tiara Trouble. ISBN: 9781743319840
Book 2: Bella's Backyard Bullies. ISBN: 9781743319857
Book 3: Grace's Dance Disaster. ISBN: 9781743319864
Book 4: Chloe's River Rescue. ISBN: 9781743319871
(Age: 7-9) Highly recommended for Anti-Princesses from 7-9 years.
Four feisty, self-assured best friends Emma, Bella, Chloe and Emily
create the Anti-Princess Club and their motto is: We don't need
rescuing! Their well-meaning parents encourage them into
stereotypical events and activities for girls. Bella's mother reads
them fairy tales, Emily's mother is a beautician keen for her
daughter to learn ballet, Chloe's parents want her to help in their
Greek restaurant and sports mad Grace's parents can't believe she
prefers soccer to dance.
In Emily's Tiara Trouble, the girls create their club and
begin their first of their missions, they want their individual
talents and knowledge to be valued. Emily Martin is a maths and
computer whiz, she hates ballet class as much as her friend Grace.
When Grace decides to enter the upcoming Athletics Carnival, the
girls work together to raise the $40 entrance fee. Chloe's
scientific skills help develop a tastier baklava recipe and with her
Yiayia's help, they make trays of the delicious Greek pastry to sell
out at recess. Bella uses her skills to design their club tree house
a two-storey meeting place. Meanwhile, Emily's mother has entered
her in a beauty pageant much to her disgust, with the help of her
friends she turns the tragedy into a triumph. No more princesses,
every girl needs to be valued as an individual.
For book two of the Anti-Princess Club junior novel series - Bella's
Backyard Bullies Samantha Turnbull writes about online
harassment. Bella Singh's backyard treehouse is a fabulous meeting
place for the four friends, she designed and helped build it. When
they receive threatening emails telling them to act like girls and
their place is sabotaged, they have a new mission. Each of their
talents is needed once again to solve the situation and sort out the
bullies. Grace's Dance Disaster begins just before the new school year
starts, Emily mathematician and science whiz has created the
Anti-Princess website and moderates a chatroom for hundreds of
members. She is a great help for young girls struggling with maths.
At Grace's place Mum bursts into the bathroom to share some exciting
news with her only daughter, Manchester United is playing a special
match against the Newcastle Jets. Dad is a boy's soccer coach and
her three brothers are mad fans. Grace will do anything even dancing
to win see the match. All four friends creatively use their
individual skills to make Grace's dreams come true.
Chloe Karalis has invited Emily, Grace and Bella to accompany her
parents and seventy-eight year old Yiayia on a summer holiday. Grace
encounters problems with the other surfers out in the water, Bella
uses her creativity to design a billy cart from scrap material and
Emily is in trouble with the sideshow owners when she works out
their tricks. In Chloe's River Rescue the girls need to help
find Yiayia who has wandered off from the holiday house early in the
morning. Skill, ingenuity and teamwork are needed to rescue the old
lady as the tide rises.
An exciting new series for girls with fun characters, real life
dramas, school and family situations, showcasing the importance of
valuing individual's skills and talents.
Rhyllis Bignell
Gerry Anderson's Gemini Force One: Book 1: Black Horizon by M G Harris
Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9781444014068
An ode to Gerry Anderson, creator of Thunderbirds, Black
Horizon by M G Harris is a fast paced, action filled debut
novel fuelled by unlimited money and resources, incredible boy toys
and characters who possess skills and courage in equal measure.
There is also another dimension, one of pathos, tragedy and a hint
of moral and ethical dilemmas to both shock and satisfy the reader.
Ben Carrington, the protagonist, is a sixteen year old rich kid who
has it all - brains, athleticism, languages and a very powerful
protector. But Ben is also dealing with tragedy and is trying to
create a place where he, and his dog, Riguel, can belong.
This is an unusual novel. While it fulfils the criteria for fast
paced, action filled adventure, where the good guys can outperform
the baddies in terms of resources and skills, it also adds a very
human dimension, which though often subtle, is nevertheless there.
It will be interesting to read the next book in the series to see if
the promise of this one is realised.
R. Lange
Squishy McFluff: Meets Mad Nana Dot by Pip Jones
Ill. by Ella Okstad. Faber & Faber, 2015. ISBN 9780571302543
(Age: 4-6) Recommended. Themes: Imaginary friends, New babies,
Grandparents, Families, Poetry. Can you see him? My kitten? Only his
outline and paw prints as he appears across the pages, engaging in
fun and games with his best real friend Ava. Squishy McFluff,
Ava's imaginary pet returns in another fun family outing.
Dad's in a panic, Mum's ready to have the baby and Ava's off to stay
with Nana Dot.
Nana Dot's a special grandparent, she's lost her glasses and
believes Squishy is real. Nana eats her fried eggs with honey, her
gnomes are all named and her garden filled with plastic flowers. Her
house has succumbed to a new decorating style, everything is covered
in spots, Dot by name and dotty by design!
The next morning at the hairdressers, Ava helps mix the hair dyes,
when the towel is removed Nana's hair is bright green! On the
way home, Squishy decides to hide in the postbox and the postman is
called to help him come out. Finally Dad arrives to collect Ava and
her cat and take them home to meet her new baby sister Roo.
This story told in simple rhyme, is easy and enjoyable to read. Ella
Okstad's choice of the color palette using shades of red,
green and black complements her lively character sketches.
Rhyllis Bignell
Me and Moo by P. Crumble
Ill. by Nathaniel Ecjstrom. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743625323
(Age: 3+) Humour, Friends, Friendship, Family and School. A young
boy has a friend called, Moo. He does everything with him and the
reader is invited into their world, where Moo once slept beneath his
bed and fitted into his backpack, but no longer. Moo has grown to be
very big and the young boy's parents think it is time for some
rules. They devise three rules about their son's friend and these
are reiterated boldly, giving the child and his friend opportunities
to remain friends, but also allowing the family some leeway in their
house. So he remains a big chunky member of the family, one who
sleeps outside.
At school the young boy sees that other children have friends too,
and at a sleepover at his house they all come along and share the
evening together.
A warm story of friendship and the meaning of having friends, of
sharing and accommodating your friends, of devising rules to ensure
everyone is happy. Younger children will enjoy this tale of friends,
and enjoy the digitally enhanced pencil and oil illustrations which
add a level of humour to the story. There is much to discuss after
reading this tale and I am sure both parents and teachers will use
the book to do just that.
P. Crumble is a prolific writer for Scholastic, having such titles
as, There was an old lady who swallowed a meerkat, If
you're happy and you know it, Sheep on a beach, There
was an old bloke who swallowed a chook, to his credit.
Fran Knight
X, a novel by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon
Candlewick Books, 2015. ISBN 9780763669676
(Ages: 14+) Highly recommended. Civil rights. Racism. Black
Muslims. Ilyasah Shabazz recreates in novel form the story of her
father Malcolm X's early adolescent life trying to survive in the
brutal times of the Ku Klux Klan lynchings and 'strange fruit'
hanging in trees. The early years of a poor but happy childhood,
surrounded by brothers and sisters growing up in family warmth and
strong in his parents' proud beliefs in learning, teaching and
leading, are marred by the pivotal moment when the school teacher
Malcolm so admires, casually crushes his aspirations and
self-belief. It is then that Malcolm loses connection with
everything that had kept his family strong and is plunged along a
path of drugs and scams continually trying to prove that he is
tougher and smarter than the rest in the backstreet underworld of
Boston, and then Harlem New York.
Shabazz captures perfectly the youthful self-talk and swagger of
Malcolm in his new identity of street hustler 'Red'; we live within
his world and share his thoughts and outlook, yet are aware at the
same time of the careless hurt he causes his family, his sister
Ella, his girlfriend Laura, and more than anything else the harm he
brings to himself.
It is only when Malcolm reaches his lowest point, in prison, that he
gradually comes to a reconnection with the memory of his father and
the principles and values his father stood for. He rediscovers in
Islam his faith in Allah, pride in his race and in himself as a
person and his potential to stand up for the rights of others - the
beginning of his path as a black leader and civil rights activist.
Not only is this book an evocative insight into African American
life in a historical period with the rise of civil rights campaigns,
it is a timely and relevant novel for today - about a lone
disengaged youth who comes to discover strength in the true
principles of Islam, not militancy and terrorism, but the power of
standing strong in non-violence, caring for his fellow man and
speaking out against oppression and injustice, speaking out with
words and with truth.
Helen Eddy
Fish jam by Kylie Howarth
Five-Mile Press, 2015. ISBN 9781760067045
(Age: 2-5) Highly recommended. Limited-text picture
book. Fish. Jazz. Textural Art. Kylie Howarth's textural backgrounds
provide a perfect underwater platform for the bold, bright yellow
image of Toot the little fish who loves to sing. His tail and body
are guitar-like, his top fins - trumpet finger buttons and his mouth
shaped like a brass instrument's bell. Kylie painted these seascapes
in the backyard with her two young boys' help.
The text is simple, enjoyable and is easy to share with a toddler.
Toot loves to sing and make up music, but all the other sea
creatures just 'shhh' him and 'shoo' him away, that makes him very
unhappy. He can't find anyone to appreciate his tunes. When
something unexpected happens, he finds a special place with new
friends who all enjoy music. Just like Jonah, Toot is swallowed by a
whale; inside the stomach after a very dark journey, he hears
'Clickety-click, clickety click' then 'let's jam.' On the large
foldout page, he meets the clicking crab, a piano playing fish, an
eel strumming a guitar, the octopus drumming and a purple fish
blowing on a saxophone. The story ends happily with 'And he never
played solo again.'
This is a delightful picture book to share as a family, at childcare
or preschool and provides a great opportunity to listen to jazz
music and impromptu scatting. Take time to enjoy exploring painting
with natural objects using Kylie's art for inspiration.
Rhylls Bignell
Vanishing girls by Lauren Oliver
Hodder & Stoughton, 2015. ISBN 9781444786781
(Age: 16+) Mystery. Drug and alcohol abuse. Sisters Nick and Dara
had been best friends with each other and with Parker until Dara and
Parker start to go out and a terrible accident leaves Dara's face
scarred and the sisters estranged. When Dara goes missing on her
birthday, Nick thinks that she is just playing around but it is not
until she realises that little Madeline Snow has disappeared as well
that she starts to investigate.
This is a complex story narrated in two voices, with separate
chapters by Nick and Dara. The reader needs to be aware of the fact
that the story is not told in chronological order, rather there are
chapters set before and after the accident. There is also the
occasional important notice from the police, media and online
sources that give crucial information to the story.
I found that the suspense really ramped up in the last third of the
book as Nick finally starts to unravel what has been happening to
Dara, who has grown away from her sister, drinking, going to parties
and hooking up with older men. The first two thirds of the book
concentrated on the relationship between the two sisters and vividly
described the break in their closeness as Dara gets into parties,
alcohol and drug taking. Nick constantly covers up for her, but it
is Dara's relationship with her best friend Parker, that is most
distressing for Nick.
Although slow at first, Vanishing girls is a story that I
will remember, and it is sure to appeal to readers who have liked
other psychological thrillers by Oliver or the book We were
liars by E. Lockhart, mentioned on the front cover.
Pat Pledger
Farm rescue by Darrel Odgers and Sally Odgers
Pup patrol series. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743622995
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Working Dogs. Pets.
Floods. Farming. Border Collies. Rescues. Darrel and Sally Odgers
have written a new series, Pup patrol for newly independent
readers. Barnaby Station Stamp of Approval - Stamp the border collie
and his owner James are travelling around Australia in Fourby the
4WD. James is having a year off before starting university. In Farm
rescue James and Stamp take shelter at Pepper Plains Farm after the
heavy rain soaks their camping gear. James is damp, Fourby is muddy
and Stamp's wet dog smell is a problem.
The rain causes a flash flood and the farm animals, sheep and cows
need to be moved to higher land and fed hay dropped from the back of
the farm ute. Rusty the sheepdog welcomes Stamp and together they
help farmer Glen Pepper to move the animals. As the waters rise and
the farmland becomes flooded James, Glen, Rusty and Stamp are called
out to rescue the neighbour's sheep. The flood waters are fast and
fierce with huge trees floating by. Rusty leaps into the water and
swims to the sheep stranded on a small island. It is a tense night
of waiting before Stamp steps in to save the day.
Pawsitively an enjoyable story, filled with dog facts, paw puns,
definitions to end each easy-to-read chapter. Janine Dawson's
sketches support the text and add to the drama, the surging flood,
farm underwater and the rescue scenes.
This is a great start to a new Australian series. Where will Stamp
and James travel to next and what adventure awaits them?
Rhyllis Bignell
