Wild Colonial Company, 2014. ISBN 9780992306922
(Age: 10-14) In 1934, an air race commemorating Melbourne's
centenary took place with a wide variety of aircraft piloted by men
and women from a range of countries flying from London to the
Australian city. We can barely imagine the excitement and interest
that this generated in a country so isolated from Europe where many
people struggled to survive the Great Depression. This carefully
researched novel accurately recounts the historical details whilst
depicting the events in an enjoyable narrative. I appreciated that
the author understood the magnificence of the factual details and
avoided embellishment or unnecessary literary addition.
The tale is structured around a family of Mum, Dad and two boys -
Arnie and Jack, who live in Albury. The father is employed as an ABC
announcer which is important because the family enjoys a standard of
living well above that of those who have been flung on to the
'Susso' or Sustenance queues as a consequence of unemployment. Radio
is also significant because families of the time relied upon it for
entertainment and information, due to the isolation of towns but
also the enormous distance between Great Britain and Australia which
made travel and communication terribly slow. Morse code radio
signals enabled the only means of communication with the air race
participants and when Arnie and his pal are given an obsolete set,
their obsession with all things aeronautical prompts them to learn
Morse.
The actual historical events provide ample drama and tension and the
author shows skill in presenting the events through her characters
who faithfully play the roles of the real life participants. The
story is packed with detail which helps set the scene and to some
extent there is a feeling that every crumb of research has been
laboriously included. However, I soon reconciled this when I noted
that many younger readers would have little or no understanding of
everyday life in this era and it was vital to help them appreciate
the setting. It is fair to say that modern readers may need to be
transported to a time and place where both frugality and contentment
had an influence on a world devoid of the excess present today. Stand up and cheer is the perfect title for this work which
recounts the amazing actions of simple people who eagerly took their
place in a momentous event. This is a wholesome belter of a story
which will be enjoyed by children from 10 years to teens.
Rob Welsh
The true meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408859131
(Ages: 9-10) Recommended. Science Fiction.
Aliens. Friendship. Survival. Humorous Stories. Adventure. The true
meaning of Smekday is a humorous science fiction and adventure
story, republished for the release of Dreamworks movie Home based on
the novel. 'I've been living by myself since Mom left.'
Eleven-year-old African-American-Italian Gratuity 'Tip' Tucci
narrates the story of her survival after her mother was
abducted by the Boov, purple aliens who have invaded America. Tip's
a feisty protagonist who learns to drive their Chevy with cans of
corn attached to her church shoes. She needs to travel to Florida,
the state where the Boov have relocated all the people of the United
States. With her cat, Pig, and maps from the Internet, Tip sets out
for a three day drive to Florida to find her mother. Along the way,
she meets a Boov mechanic named J. Lo, who transforms her car into
Slushious, a hovering vehicle. Unfortunately J. Lo is on the run,
after mistakenly advertising the Boov's whereabouts to their
alien enemies - the Gorg.
The road trip is a wild ride. J. Lo and Tip's friendship grows as
they search for food - J. Lo enjoys toilet deodoriser blocks - find
shelter, meet new friends and avoid their enemies. They learn
resilience and resourcefulness, as they are forced to travel from
Florida to Arizona to the new home of the citizens of America.
The black-and-white illustrations include cartoon panels, drawings
and Tip's Polaroid photos; these explain the aliens' antics, their
transport, Boov history, the settings - Roswell, Florida and Happy
Mouse Kingdom.
For the confident reader who enjoys science fiction, aliens, road
trips and fictional alien dialogue, The true meaning of
Smekday is an exciting novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
The super amazing adventures of Me Pig by Emer Stamp
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781407155982
(Age: 7-9) Farm animals. Diaries. Pigs. Farm life. 'THIS IS
MY DIARY (I is Pig) You is NOT allowed to be reading it. Unless you
are nice!'
There are wimpy diaries and dorky diaries, sporting diaries and
historical diaries, so why not a diary written by a pig! Who knew
pigs could write! His English is fairly basic, he's a flatulent pig
who loves his food, his friend Duck and his life at the farm. Each
chapter is creatively titled - Bobbleday, Bonzerday and Chillyday
and Pig's simple diary entries describe the weather, food consumed
and hanging out with Duck. Mr and Mrs Sandal the new owners are
vegetarian and affectionately call Pig, Piggybin.
Unfortunately, Kitty comes with them to live on the farm. Kitty is
not all she seems on the surface, she befriends Pig even sleeping
next to him in the sty. Duck is wary and warns Pig about her real
motives. When the birds that sing early each morning and wake up Pig
disappear, Pig is happy. Pig discovers them in the kitchen, lying on
the floor not moving. Kitty lies and says she found them frozen on
the ground at night. Something's not right on the farm. Kitty is
very devious, she brings the keys to the huge organic vegetable
garden and invites Pig in to feast on all the tasty parsnips,
cauliflowers and broccoli.
The consequence is huge; Pig is off to the Old Farmer's Pie Factory,
along with all the sheep and cows on the farm. Luckily Duck comes up
with a plan and she calls the Phantom Bantams in to help with the
situation.
This a fun story. There are trotter prints and smudges on the pages,
Emer Stamp's diary entries are quirky, and his sketches add interest
to the story.
Rhyllis Bignell
Little Barry Bilby had a fly upon his nose by Colin Buchanan
Ill. by Roland Harvey. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743621899
(Age: 3+) Rhyme. Poetry. Australian animals. Song.
An Australian take on Little Petter Rabbit has a fly upon his
nose, will be a treat to read aloud, sing along with or listen
to the CD attached to the inside cover of the book. In a classroom
kids will love to be involved. At home too, kids will enjoy the
repetition and range of animals included.
Buchanan has made this into an Australian song with a bilby, possum,
cocky, wombat amongst many animals being bothered by a variety of
bush bugs. Alliteratively, each animal is paired with an insect, so
we have the bilby and a bush fly, the wombat annoyed by a bee on her
behind, and an echidna with a spider on his spike and so on. Each
line will create gales of laughter from the readers. They all do
amazing things to get rid of the bugs until they all jump into the
creek and cause an enormous splash. The infectious sing along CD
adds to the fun and the illustrations by the amazing Roland Harvey
will add another level of involvement.
His illustrations represent the Australian fauna and flora to
perfection, and readers will love picking out the animals they know
and learning the names of even more. The rocky landscape with its
gums and grass trees will also endear the readers to the environment
presented. For city kids the evocation of bush life is wonderful and
I'm sure overseas kids will be equally enthralled learning about the
Australian bush.
Fran Knight
Those pesky rabbits by Ciara Flood
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781742761442
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Rabbits. Bears. Neighbours. Friendship. Bear
loves his own company, and children reading the book or joining in
when someone reads it to them, will eagerly point out the clues to
his taciturn nature: 'Go Away' written on his doormat, the look on
his face, the binoculars to watch his new neighbours in case they
call, his Home Sweet Home panel with just one bear embroidered into
the picture, and his less that welcoming demeanour when the rabbits
do come to call. Readers will love watching his face as it becomes
more aggressive with the rabbits knocking on his door, and will
laugh at the turned down ears of the rabbits as they learn that
their new neighbour is not very receptive.
They want to borrow some honey and he lies about having any; they
try to borrow some wood, and he sends them away; they want to swap
some books, but again he tells them to go. Each time, the lovely
illustrations show the reality of Bear's house and the things he
could have given them.
When the rabbits leave something for him, he suddenly feels lonely
and so must go about redeeming himself to his neighbours, finding
out that perhaps there is more to life than being alone. Children
will love following the antics of Bear and the ways the rabbits try
to be friends, being rebuffed at all attempts, and will follow the
little mouse as it appears, and marvel at the landscapes presented
on each page.
There are many standout pages: the blue of the day Bear realises
what he is missing out on; the pages filled with the activities they
do together; the pages where he pulls his sled across to their
place, and all the wonderful interior scenes. I loved them all, and
kids will too.
Fran Knight
Alice's food A-Z by Alice Zaslavsky
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179388
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Alice's food A-Z is full of
interesting facts about food and simple recipes. It is set out in
alphabetical order and offers up to 8 pages of information for each
food chosen. Alice's food A-Z is highly recommended for readers aged 9+ -
especially if they have an interest in cooking at home. The text is
set out in a variety of interesting layouts so readers can read
small amounts of text or larger amounts depending on reading level
and engagement. The recipes are simple to follow and introduce
children to different foods as well as how to make more common ones
such as honeycomb and pesto.
Kylie Kempster
Slug needs a hug by Jeanne Willis
Ill. by Tony Ross. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781742761428
(Age: 0-5) Love, Comfort, Family. When Slug becomes aware that his
mother does not hug him, he goes off to ask what other animals do.
He thinks that he is not pretty enough, and Kitten suggests that he
make himself more like her. He needs to be furry, purry and fluffy,
so Slug adds these things to his sluggy body. Bird suggests he needs
a beak and a few feathers, and he adds those. Pig suggests he needs
trotters, a tail and a squeak, and he dutifully adds these as well.
After visiting a goat, a moth and fox and a bug, he adds a range of
things as well, ending up being very top heavy and very colourful.
Presenting himself to his mother he gets the assurances he needs,
which have nothing to do with the extra baggage he is carrying.
A warm tale of reassurance of love, of the unconditional mother's
love that is given, of the warmth of that love, this tale will
assure young children that they do not need to change who they are
to gain affection. Children will laugh out loud at the measures to
which Slug goes to make himself attractive, and the rhyming stanzas
will endear children even more. They will love predicting the
rhyming words on each page and love the additions Slug makes to his
body. The team of Willis and Ross have already successfully written
Big bad bun, I hate school and Sticky ends
amongst others.
Fran Knight
An Aussie year by Tania McCartney
Ill. by Tina Snerling. EK Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921966248
(Age: K-3) Meet Ned, Zoe, Lily, Kirri and Matilda - five Aussie
kids from different
backgrounds who lead the reader on a journey through twelve months
of the
Australian year. Comprising cartoon-like vignettes with captions,
we follow the
children through the months and seasons as they celebrate what is
unique to them
and also what is common to all Australian children. From the slip,
slap, slop
of summer to back to school to the beginning of Ramadan the
enormous range of
cultures and ethnic backgrounds of our students are showcased
providing a dozen
different talking points on each double spread.
But the overwhelming theme is that of unity rather than diversity,
of similarity
rather than difference. Regardless of who your family is or where
they come
from, everyone enjoys fishing off the jetty in summer, going to
the footy in
winter, or getting ready for Christmas in December. This is a book
focusing on
our inclusivity and how our nation has melded together into a
multicultural one
in which the celebrations, food, and languages of others enriches
our lives and
adds extra layers to them. Each page offers the opportunity to
explore and find
out more - do huntsman spiders really grow as big as tennis
balls?; how can you
have a yacht race in Alice Springs?; what is daylight savings
time?; how do
other children celebrate Easter?
Apart from being a pictorial almanac of the things that Ned, Zoe,
Lily, Kirri
and Matilda do throughout the year, An Aussie Year lends itself to
a personal
interpretation as its theme and style could be the springboard for
a class
calendar as each student contributes something that is important
to them for
each month. Imagine how it engaging it would be if each child's
birthday was
featured on a page rather than a string of cardboard cakes with
candles that
loses its appeal very quickly. Imagine how much the children would
learn about
each other if each shared the things they liked to do or the
events that are
important to their family in a way that became an engaging read.
Imagine the
sense of belonging that each child would have as their heritage is
acknowledged
and celebrated and their classmates understood them a bit better.
Each month a
particular country could be highlighted with food and stories and
other
lifestyle elements as national days are celebrated. (There's a
list at
http://protocol.dfat.gov.au/NationalDay/list.rails)
Barbara Braxton
Kin: A tale of beauty and madness by Lili St. Crow
Tales of beauty and madness, bk 3. Razorbill, 2015. ISBN
9781595146212
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. In this retelling of Little Red
Riding Hood, Ruby de Varrehas has to think about settling down and
becoming responsible instead of running freely in the woods with
Hunter and Thorne. When handsome Conrad is introduced into her
family circle, her life is turned upside down. Then the murders
begin and dark secrets emerge.
Following Nameless, a retelling of Snow White, and Wayfarer,
a retelling of Cinderella, comes this haunting version of Little
Red Riding Hood. Ruby has always been wild, loving to run in
the woods with her good friends Hunter and Thorne. Then her
grandmother, the clanmother of the Rootkin in New Haven, tells her
that it is time she settled down. She had asked Conrad a boy from
the Waste to visit in view of a future marriage. Ruby knows that she
will have to obey her grandmother on this occasion, especially since
she might end up being Collared, with her freedom severely curtailed
and her punishment being made public to the kin community if she
persists in her wild ways.
Ruby doesn't feel able to confide in her friends and becomes
increasingly isolated as Conrad begins to invade her life. At first
he seems gorgeous but she realises that something is off about him.
Then the murders begin, with her dear friend Hunter being the first,
and girls with red hair like her own beginning to disappear.
This is fantasy at its best - a beautifully written and very
original retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. St. Crow adds
to the suspense as the reader follows the incidents involving Ruby
and Conrad, whose violent behaviour begins to escalate, first with
irritability when she is late, but later bruises when he grabs her
or hits her with his bag. The author has portrayed how young women
can get sucked into a situation of domestic violence, without
realising what is happening to them and making excuses for the
abuser. It is not until something happens to her grandmother that
Ruby is able to see what is happening and take some action. While
following Ruby's trials, the reader has no problem seeing how it is
important to keep the lines of communication with friends and family
open.
Lili St Crow's series will enthrall readers who enjoy tales of girls
who have to find their inner strength to win out against the
monsters they confront.
Pat Pledger
Bush rescue by Darrel and Sally Odgers
Ill. by Janine Dawson. Pup Patrol series. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN
9781743623008
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Pets. Bushfires. Dogs. Animals.
Rescue. Barnaby Station Stamp of Approval is a clever, handsome
border collie and the narrator of the Pup Patrol series. Stamp and
his nineteen year old owner James travel across the country in their
four-wheel drive Fourby. James wants to train as a vet and in this
adventure, he's adopted a young untrained dog named Ace.
After a stop at the Post Office to collect a new CB radio, James
contacts his dad who warns him of bushfires in the local area. Just
as James begins to wind up the jeep's windows a Major Mitchell
cockatoo, Daisy Ado, flies in and lands on the back seat. Stamp
talks to the bird and finds out she's lost her owner because of the
fires approaching the town of Jasper. This leads to James helping
the local vet to find and care for the town and farm pets. Rabbits,
dogs, cats, goats and a pony all need a temporary home. James and
Stamp are also involved in the last minute rescue of old Bob Dean
and his aging black Labrador.
Janine Dawson's lively animal sketches are engaging. This new junior
novel from the popular writing team of Darrel and Sally Odgers
is just right for pet lovers from 6-8 years.
Rhyllis Bignell
Wrestling Trolls: Thud in trouble by Jim Eldridge
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471402654
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Wrestling Trolls has two short
narratives involving our main characters Milo, Big Rock the troll
and Jack the half troll half human. They are accompanied by their
talking animal friends - a horse and a phoenix. The group of friends
travel the countryside and enter wrestling tournaments. The stories
are quick-moving and full of action and involve wrestling scenes.
This will help engage those reluctant readers and is highly
recommended for boys aged 9+. While this is book 4 in the series,
readers will not have to read previous books to understand what is
going on.
Due to their short nature, these stories would be great for reading
in the class. Students could deconstruct the narrative structure and
investigate characters. Excerpts of these stories would also be good
for helping create discussions around bullying.
Kylie Kempster
Use your imagination by Nicola O'Byrne
Nosy Crow, 2015. ISBN 9780857633927
(Age: Preschool - Yr 2) This book is subtitled 'But be careful what
you wish for' and it is aptly so. When Rabbit says she is bored,
Wolf suggests that she writes a story.
'I am a librarian, you know, and librarians know a lot about
stories.'
Rabbit is somewhat suspicious.
'What big ears you've got!'
'All the better for listening to stories with, my dear,' said
Wolf.
'And what big eyes you've got!' said Rabbit.
'All the better for reading with my dear,' said Wolf.
Immediately both Rabbit and reader are alerted to Wolf probably NOT
being the sort of friendly, helpful librarian you find in your
school, but Rabbit ploughs on and asks how a story is started.
'You need to use your imagination! It's making up words and pictures
to tell a story,' explained Wolf. So Rabbit suggests something with
space rockets, big explosions and lots of bananas, but Wolf, with a
greedy grin on his face, suggests a fairy tale with a baddie (bigger
than a mouse) and so together they build a story, Rabbit innocent
and Wolf guilty, continually urging Rabbit to use her imagination.
But just as Wolf thinks he has got gullible Rabbit right where he
wants her, she uses her imagination and...
This is a unique story that carries the young reader right through
to the huge four-page spread that provides the spectacular twist in
the tale at the end. The suspense is built through the pictures
starting with the front cover where a shadowy wolf with sharp teeth
looms over a recumbent rabbit and continues through the expressions
on Wolf's face as he thinks he has got the better of Rabbit. So as
well as being an entertaining story for our youngest readers, it
provides an opportunity to explore the power of pictures and how
they work with text to give it greater meaning. With older students,
it also offers an opportunity to explore body language and how it
adds so much to what we are saying or listening to, and the need for
and the use of emoticons in our digital communications. This could
then be extended into an examination of adverbs and how we can
express thoughts, feelings and actions in written stories that are
not illustrated. As a teaching tool, all you have to do is use your
imagination!
Barbara Braxton
We're all Australians now by A.B. (Banjo) Paterson
Mark Wilson. Angus & Robertson, 2015. ISBN 9780732296476
(Age: Yr 3+) Highly recommended. It is said that the events at
Gallipoli throughout 1915 and later on the Western Front are what
forged the bonds that forged our nation. Even though the six states
had united under Federation in 1901 there was still a lingering
colonist attitude with a greater allegiance to the Mother Country
than to the fledgling nation of Australia. At the outbreak of World
War I, A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson travelled to London to try to get a
post as a war correspondent building on his reputation and following
as a poet and writer that he had established in Australia. When he
was unsuccessful in that, he worked as a volunteer ambulance driver
on the Western Front and eventually he became an officer in the AIF
in the Middle East. And from there he witnessed the coming together
of young men from each state and disparate backgrounds into a unique
and united force that took the enemy on under
'Our six-starred flag that used to fly, Half shyly in the breeze,
Unknown where older nations ply Their trade on foreign seas.'
So in 1915 he wrote an open letter to the soldiers that acknowledges
their differences and diversity and their willingness to put that
aside to answer the call to arms. 'The old state jealousies of yore Are dead as Pharaoh's sow,
We're not State children any more We're all Australians now!'
He recognises their bravery across all the theatres of the war from
Gaba Tepe to the Battle of Cocos where HMAS Sydney defeated the
Emden, and emphasises the pride those at home had in the boys
overseas. 'And now we know what nations know And feel what nations
feel.'
Even though this may have been one of Paterson's less well-known
poems, bringing it to life again in 2015 is a masterstroke as we
focus on our identity, who we are as a nation and what we stand for.
But, powerful as Paterson's poetry is, the illustrations of Mark
Wilson add so many more layers to the words that it's like an onion
- each reveals something more underneath. There's the little girl
diligently knitting a sock yet thinking about the letter from her
daddy juxtaposed with her daddy burrowed into a trench writing it;
the vignettes of the soldiers from all over answering that call; the
battle fields and mate helping mate - every single picture, every
colour choice, every carefully considered layout adds another thread
to the tapestry that is woven between author and illustrator. Even
the cover where the picture of the soldier picking poppies is more
important than the title, the author and the illustrator underscore
the focus of this book.
There is a saying that every cloud has a silver lining and the
lining of the centenary of this time in our history is that the very
best of our authors and our illustrators are creating exquisite
picture books that are so much more than the story of our heritage.
We're all Australians now is in that top echelon of the best
of the best and I would not want to be one of the CBCA judges having
to decide this year's picture book winner!
Barbara Braxton
Mum goes to work by Libby Gleeson and Leila Rudge
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781921529826
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Humour, Childcare, Working parents, Families.
First published in 1992, this book has a new illustrator and cover
to adapt to the changing times. The cover is no longer one
reassuring a child that this is what some mums do, but the focus is
on the day of the child at Childcare, with the range of activities a
child will be engaged with during the day explored. Beginning with
being dropped at the childcare centre, the day moves on through art
work, building, playing in the sandpit, dressing up, lunch, sleeping
time, until tired, they are picked up to go home. On the opposite
side of the page, the text tells us what some of the mothers do with
their days. Some Mums are nurses, some work in a cafe or clothes
shop, some are students, some gardeners, while some stay at home. A
brief outline of what their work entails completes each page, and
Rudge's illustrations make it easy for children to envisage these
occupations.
Each double page presents what the child does and what a Mum does
with their days. The text and illustrations invite the reader to
look closely at what their Mums do, and compare their days. For
younger readers this will engage them in conversations about their
families, and they will be able to see that other children live
similar lives and that everyone's life is just as busy. They will
get some idea of what their mothers do during their days and be more
able to see why everyone is tired at the end of their days' work.
Rudge's mixed media illustrations are inviting. She uses humour to
reiterate the words shown on each page, and readers will love
finding some of the things shown on each page. And I loved the last
page with the kids going home with their parents holding the
wonderful things made during the day.
Fran Knight
Lest We Forget by Kerry Brown
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733332333
(Age: All readers) Highly recommended. Lest We Forget
supports readers in remembering the 100th anniversary World War 1
and the ANZAC spirit that evolved. A young boy remembers his
grandfather's comments about memories and days we need to remember
and those we need to forget. As the story unfolds, the young boy
remembers memories he wants to remember and forget. At the same
time, images flashback to his grandfather's experiences in World War
1. This is highly recommended for all readers - whether reading with
an adult or independently. Children aged 9+ will enjoy the images
and the text and will learn about a war that still has a huge affect
on the world today. It will give them an idea of the sacrifices made
and would be a great way to introduce a unit on Gallipoli or World
War 1 in the classroom.
Kylie Kempster
