Unofficial Minecrafter's adventure series by Winter Morgan
The skeletons strike back, book five. ISBN 9781408869680 Clash of the creepers, book six. ISBN 9781408869697
(Ages: 7-12) These are installments 5 and 6 in the An Unofficial
Gamer's Adventure series of easy novels, based on the popular
computer/device game Minecraft.
Set in the Minecraft world as found in the game, Steve and friends
continue their adventures, fighting off skeletons and creepers and
hunting for treasure. My children, aged 9 and 11 polished off these
two books in under an hour and found them engrossing. It's a fun,
effective way to build on kids' love of the computer game to get
them into reading. Knowledge of the game and the different creatures
involved is a must, as I found it confusing trying to work out what
a 'griefer' is, for example. My children also found there were too
many characters, as the protagonist Steve is joined by a seemingly
unending host of friends and other hangers-on throughout the
stories. That said they are fast paced and well written with sound
adventure plots.
In Clash of the creepers, Steve's friends convince him to
leave the farm even though the treasure map they've been given could
just be a fake. I think it's the mystery and adventure that gets
young readers hooked after just a few pages. Just as players
navigate the dangers of the Minecraft world, so do the characters in
the book. Ultimately the friends decide to use the diamond treasure
to help the village and the baddies even see the error of their
ways. These themes of teamwork and helping others will appeal most
to readers 12 and under.
Jessica Smith
Recipes for Love and Murder: A Tannie Maria Mystery by Sally Andrew
Tannie Maria Mystery bk 1. Text, 2015. ISBN 9781925240092
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Mystery. Recipes. Humour. South
Africa. Tannie Maria loves to cook and writes a recipe column for
her local paper, the Klein Karoo Gazette. When instructed to turn
her column into one that answers problems, she does with a flair,
using common sense advice and terrific recipes as well. One of the
letters is disturbing and when its author is found murdered, Tannie
Maria and her offsider Jessie, a young reporter at the Gazette,
begin to look for clues and run into challenges and danger.
I loved both the setting and the characters in Recipes for love
and murder. Descriptions of the Klein Karoo in South Africa,
its landscape, flora and fauna were skilfully woven into the story
and will have readers looking up the area to find out more about it.
The main character, Tannie Maria immediately gains the reader's
sympathy. The author gives great insight into her personality, using
descriptions of the food and its preparation, and how it impacts on
her and on other people. She has suffered from domestic violence,
and this is a thread all through the book, but she is gradually
regaining her confidence in herself and in men, particularly Henk
Kennemeyer, the policeman who is in charge of the murder
investigation. Armed with some mouth-watering food, Tannie Maria
manages to inveigle her way into the investigation, and her
knowledge of domestic things adds some clues to the mix. Jessie, the
young reporter is also an interesting character, young and eager,
she wants to prove herself and puts herself into great danger as she
does that.
There is much humour in the book that off-sets the darkness of the
domestic violence and murder and this gives the reading experience
an extra zest and really adds to the enjoyment of the book.
Highly addictive, this story is a fabulous combination of murder
mystery, friendship, overcoming grief and regaining confidence as
well as some delicious recipes. I will certainly be trying out the
recipe for Tender Mutton Curry to be found at the back of the books,
with other equally mouth-watering recipes. I can't wait for the next
in the series.
Pat Pledger
Australian Kids through the Years by Tania McCartney
Ill. by Andrew Joyner. National Library of Australia, 2015. ISBN
9780642278593
(Age: 5-10) Recommended. Andrew Joyner's retro style illustrations
and Tania McCartney's fun presentation of information will make this
non-fiction picture book popular with children, teachers and parents
alike. McCartney also wrote the similarly presented An Aussie Year,
which illustrates twelve months in the year of children around
Australia. In Australian Kids through the Years, each double
page spread looks at children's lives, starting with larger blocks
of time (eg. 1800-1840s), and then looking at each decade
individually from the 1950s onwards. For each period, we are
introduced to a 'typical' girl and boy who then feature in the
following double page spread. Through speech bubbles, descriptive
labels within the illustrations and information textboxes, the
spreads tell the reader about the food, games, clothes and
activities that children of that period enjoyed. In the decades from
the 1950s onwards, what children watched on television also becomes
a main topic.
The pictures are rich in detail, filled with people playing, eating
and moving, providing plenty of things to look at and discuss.
Adults will get nostalgic about some of the games, toys, books and
television shows that are named or shown, which this will no doubt
spark rich conversations. Children will love questioning their
parents about some of the things they see on the pages, such as
games that are no longer popular, old technology and customs no
longer followed. They will also delight in recognising things that
have not changed over time. There is so much detail in here that it
invites readers to keep going back and picking out different things
each time. In the back of the book are photographs and images from
the National Library of Australia, which further illustrate each
period.
While there is an acknowledgment in the front of the book that 'For
tens of thousands of years, our first people lived in harmony with
the land', the portion of the book given to Indigenous Australian
children is small. In addition, the one page dedicated to them as
'first children' fails to emphasise how many generations of
Indigenous children lived on this land before European settlement,
and does not provide a year which would help to put this into
perspective. Despite this, the book successfully highlights and
celebrates the cultural diversity of Australian society and shows
how the social fabric of Australia has changed over time.
This is a resource perfect for teachers to use in discussions around
how childhood and life in Australia has changed over time, but will
also be wonderful for parents and children to share and discuss time
after time.
Nicole Nelson
Adelaide's secret world by Elise Hurst
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743313350
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Courage, Loneliness, Friendship, City life.
The soft edged illustrations will thrill the readers as they see the
story of Adelaide finding her partner played out before them.
Adelaide works in a little shop in the city. As the workforce
reduces she is left alone.
She continues to make her little sculptures, but watches as people
come and go outside. At night she sits on the roof watching the
stars, by day she watches ships come into the port, and sees the
quiet ones like her, those who dream alone.
But one day she becomes restless and goes out into the city. When a
storm develops she sees Fox drop his book, and picking it up, runs
after him to return it. She cannot speak to him, but the astute
reader will have noticed the image of the Fox in pages before. She
leaves and returning home the wind swirls her around, and she makes
the courageous step of going back to Fox's house.
A charming story of taking the first step, of making a decision, of
taking a chance, this book will intrigue readers wishing for an end
to Adelaide's loneliness. The illustrations bring the city vividly
to life, with its sky hugging buildings, bridge spans, and swirl of
people, interspersed with small gardens with statues, and people
riding bikes, reading or dancing. Several pages ring with the
loneliness city life can impose on its inhabitants: the arch of
umbrellas, the tall buildings, the small alleyways and the cafe
where people sit alone.
But resolute Adelaide takes a risk, changing her life and that of
Fox for the better, instilling hope in the mind of the reader.
Fran Knight
Alice-Miranda in the Alps by Jacqueline Harvey
Alice-Miranda series. Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857982742
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Skiing, Adventure, Mystery. Alice-Miranda
always gets into the thick of a mystery where she must use her wits
to untangle the threads and save the day, and this the twelfth
offering of this exciting series, is just that, an easy to read,
enthralling and funny romp through the Swiss Alps. Alice-Miranda and
her friends are at St Moritz, readying themselves for the White Turf
racing event. But an old friend of Alice-Miranda's family, the Baron
turns up after being missing for several months, surprising
Alice-Miranda and her friends. They determine to go to his hotel,
the Grand Hotel Von Zwicky to see what they can do to help as he
seems to be in some difficulties. Dodging criminals in this rather
lovely Swiss village sees Alice-Miranda and friends saving the day.
Another winner in this popular series, the publisher has included a
list of characters to help readers immerse themselves in this
enthralling read of 357 pages! At the end is added the first few
chapters of the very first book, Alice-Miranda at school and
inside the front cover readers will find the covers of each of the
twelve books.
Fran Knight
The Lion and the Bird by Marianne Dubic
Book Island, 2015. ISBN 9780994109873
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Originally published in French in Canada and
now published in more than 15 countries around the world, this is a
heart-warming tale of an unlikely friendship between an
overall-wearing lion and a bird with a broken wing. There are 40
double pages here, but only around 20 with text. Furthermore, each
contains only one sentence, often only one word. The limited text
means that the illustrations have to do most of the work, and they
do this so well. The artwork is spectacular. It is soft and textural
with an earthy colour palette of browns, blues and greens. In a
minimalist style, Dubic puts onto each page only those elements
which help to tell the story and show the passing of time. There is
a cinematic, silent film quality here; you could just as easily
ignore the text altogether and the artwork would do the job just as
well. High quality paper adds to the earthy feel of this book and
the matte illustrations suit the solidity of the thick pages.
The story itself is about a lion who takes care of a bird with a
broken wing when the rest of the flock fly away for the winter. Soon
the pair is enjoying the winter together: reading in front of the
fire, taking sleigh rides and keeping warm out of the snow. Blank
pages help to show the all-encompassing whiteness of the snowy
weather. Soon the warm weather is back and the bird must re-join his
flock. The reader waits anxiously alongside the lion to find out
whether his friend will join him for the winter again.
This is a gentle and emotive tale exploring themes of friendship,
change and loneliness. It is perfect for working with children on
inference and exploring how we can tell a story with pictures alone.
It also lends itself to discussions around seasons and change as the
changing landscape is an integral feature of the book. This is a
wonderful title for one on one sharing as it allows for rich
discussion and up-close appreciation of the illustrations.
Nicole Nelson
The Birthday Party Cake: All about Welcoming Differences with Pickle and Bree by Alison Reynolds
Ill. by Mikki Butterley. The Five Mile Press, 2015. ISBN
9781760067236
(Age:5-8) This is one of the first books in the Pickle and
Bree's Guide to Good Deeds series. Aimed at young school
children who are developing their social skills and learning to
regulate their emotions and behaviours, the series is upfront about
its purpose. Each book features a Guide to Good Deeds at the back,
which provides dot-point tips for children based on the focus theme
of the book (eg. 'Listen to what other people say. Try to understand
what they are saying, even if you don't agree with them').
This instalment is all about recognising and welcoming differences
in ideas and likes and understanding that even friends can be very
different from each other. Pickle, a brown bear, is planning a
birthday party for his panda bear friend, Jason. Bree, his human
best friend, decides to help. She wants to make it the best party
ever, but her ideas of the best party ever are slightly different to
Pickle's ideas. The honey cake he has just baked is overthrown by
Bree because 'everybody knows that chocolate is the best for
birthdays'. Bree declares their favourite bear game 'not a real
birthday party game' and insists they play eye-spy instead. When she
finally realises that Jason is not enjoying his birthday party, Bree
reinstates the honey cake and the game of Bear Bump. This reflects
young children's expectations that their friends will want to play
the same game as they do and is relevant to the issues they have in
their social relationships.
The soft, pastel illustrations give a timeless, gentle feel to the
book and there are textural touches, which provide depth and make
you want to reach out and touch the pages. The characters are cute,
cuddly and well characterised through the illustrations, which will
engage children. The text itself is quite long and may be a
challenge for some younger children; however, it provides lots of
material for discussion. This will be a useful series for teachers
and parents to use as a conversation starter around specific social
skills and challenges.
Nicole Nelson
ABC Dreaming by Warren Brim
Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922142627
(Age: 3-5) Reminiscent of Bronwyn Bancroft's An Australian ABC
of animals, this book takes the reader through the alphabet
with an Australian creature for every letter. The artwork of Brim, a
celebrated Queensland artist, is the real feature here. Descended
from the Djabugay people, his art is inspired by the Dreaming
stories told to him by his family and his bright hand-coloured
linoprints and acrylic paintings are striking examples of Indigenous
art. Each page provides a large artwork of an animal or a plant,
presented with the name of the creature with the initial upper and
lower-case letter alongside it.
Many of the creatures will be familiar to children (ant, owl,
turtle) but many are less well-known (Ulysses butterfly, quandong
fruit, long-nosed bandicoot). Each of the animals or plants can be
found in the author's rainforest home in Far North Queensland.
Useful for introducing young children to the alphabet, Indigenous
art and native plants and animals, this book is a great resource for
early childhood educators. While its simplicity is more suited to
pre-school children, it could also be a useful resource for teachers
in the early years of school, particularly for work around art
techniques and native flora and fauna.
Nicole Nelson
Trigger Mortis By Anthony Horowitz
Orion Books, 2015. ISBN: 9781409159537
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. This book was read in one sitting, as
it just refused to be let go. The Ian Fleming Estate provided
Anthony Horowitz with original, unpublished writing for this book.
This book reacquaints the reader with M, Moneypenny, Pussy Galore
and a range of dastardly villains guaranteed to keep you on the edge
of your seat.
007 is in a deadly mission against the Soviet organisation SMERSH
and Korean Jason Sin. He must enter a Grand Prix race and save the
American Space Program. The stage is set for action at its most
thrilling.
The story is fast paced and so well written the reader is almost
pulled along from one heart stopping event to the next. Horowitz has
spared no effort in providing authentic detail for Grand Prix racing
and the massacre at No Gun Ri. He also relates the inner thoughts of
007 in such a natural way the reader almost feels the thoughts are
their own.
An interesting inclusion in this story is the tension where 007 is
deciding whether to dispatch a character. His 007 status explained,
he makes a decision the reader is at first confronted by. The James
Bond in this book is a man of Ian Fleming's times who is challenged
by the sensibilities of the modern world. It makes great reading.
Linda Guthrie
Zarkora: The Fyrelit Tragedy by Nicholas Lochel and Alison Lochel
Lothian, 2015. ISBN 9780734416421
(Age: 10+) Recommended. The Fyrelit Tragedy is the first in
the four-book Zarkora series. This book is written by a
brother and sister team who write well together. The beginning pages
of the book are overly peppered with adjectives, however the story
settles in to be a well told and captivating read. There is a
charming mix of the fantasy elements such as sailing boats and
swords and steampunk elements such as machines that use fuel.
The main characters, Neleik and Ervine inhabit a fantasy land of
dragons, ogres, princesses and quests. Their sister, Skye, is
kidnapped in mysterious circumstances and so begins their quest to
rescue her. They must venture into lands they have never known
before and call upon the kindness of strangers to help them on their
way.
The story is action packed and has all the elements a young fantasy
reader could wish for - intrepid heroes, truly evil villains, loyal
friends, magic swords and just a hint of romance. The challenges and
riddles within the story are interesting and have the reader
puzzling to solve them before the answer is revealed.
Linda Guthrie
The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence
Hodder & Stoughton, 2015. ISBN 9781444764628
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. 'You have a choice about what you
put into the public domain.'
This book is really difficult to put down. It tells Abby's story
from her perspective as Abby spirals into a manic episode following
finding her neighbour dead in the flat next door.
Abby is inspired in her mania - brilliant ideas and fashion choices
emanate from the page as she describes her adventures. Is it
possible for the reader to identify the point where Abby tips into
madness? The writing is compelling and there is a very real sense
that the writer has first-hand experience with this mental illness.
The author's note at the end of the book put this in perspective and
adds an authenticity to the writing.
Abby's very supportive psychiatrist plays a key role in rescuing
Abby as she plummets into depression. It is while undergoing
treatment in hospital that Abby meets Melody Black and the
significance of the title of the book becomes clear.
Another key aspect of the book is the development of the
relationships in Abby's life. The incredible resilience and caring
of the family and loved ones standing by Abby throughout her episode
and the mysteriously satisfying remote relationship with poet
Miranda Frost are detailed with humour.
Linda Guthrie
Azizi and the Little Blue Bird by Laila Koubaa and Mattias De Leeuw
Book Island, 2015. ISBN 9780994109866
(Age: 5-12) Recommended. Picture book. Azizi lives in a country
dominated by two greedy rulers. They feast and feast and expand with
both food and power. They have captured all the blue birds in the
land and have locked them up in their palace.
Azizi feels he and his people are shrinking while the rulers expand.
One night an escaped blue bird visits Azizi and together with a
trail of threaded flowers they embark on a plan to free both the
birds and people.
This story can be enjoyed both as a modern fairy tale, or as a
symbol of people power overthrowing a cruel regime. According to the
website the events in
this book are based on a true incident: 'in 2010/2011 when,
during the Arab Spring the internet was censored and/or shut down
during the uprisings, in an attempt to prevent protests from
spreading over the region. The little blue birds - have you already
guessed it?- refer to Twitter. '
The author is Dutch and the original text has been translated by
David Colmer.
This is a large format picture book and the illustrations by Mattias
De Leeuw fill each page with strong lines and bold colour.
I recommend this book for primary school libraries and children from
5 to 12 will enjoy this story at its many levels.
Jane Moore
Danny Best Full On by Jen Storer
Ill. by Mitch Vane. ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733333330
(Age: 7-10) Like one of Danny Best's wild racing tracks in the yard,
this book is full of movement, sound, smells and fun.
Danny Best is the self appointed leader of a group of friends and he
and his mates enjoy a variety of adventures from playing cops and
robbers, building their hair raising bike track to a scary camping
night out.
Along with human friends, his animal company include Pugsley, the
dog who is famous for his many aromas and Doctor Hook the aggressive
cat.
Each page is a wild mixture of text, illustrations, and quips. It's
a lot to take in but very amusing. Both Jen Storer and Mitch Vane
have successfully blended their work into pages and pages of zany
fun.
Every chapter is followed by a test to see how accurately the reader
can answer questions about the story. Danny Best, will be enjoyed by newly independent readers who
want to read lengthier text or any child who enjoys reading humour.
A crazy, comical book for students aged 7 to 10 years old.
Jane Moore
Counting Stars by Keris Stainton
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404634
(Age: Adult) Anna is eighteen and desperate to leave home and begin
her life. Her passion is to work in the theatre. While on work
experience she is offered a job in Liverpool and decides to take the
plunge and move there.
She shares a flat with characters who are also finding their way as
young adults. Each character has an intricate and moving story, told
well. The characters are well drawn and have the reader at turns
sympathising and cringing in embarrassment.
An underlying and important element of this story explores the
ethics and dangers of chronicling your life (and the lives of
others) using social media. Anna's very public diary is her way of
making sense of her maturing world, and she soon comes to find there
are consequences for her and those she reveals through her vlog.
This is a book about romantic relationships. It sensitively explores
the tricky issues of sexual harassment, inappropriate relationships,
abusive relationships and gay relationships. It is, however, the
explicit descriptions of the more intimate scenes in these
relationships that moves this book into the adult range. This is
unfortunate as the story holds much for, and is well suited to, the
young adult reader.
Linda Guthrie
Risk by Fleur Ferris
Random House Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780857986474
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Online predators. Adolescent. Taylor
and Sierra have been best friends forever, but Taylor is annoyed
when Sierra always seems to get whatever she wants, regardless of
whether she hurts her friends or not. Taylor has had a crush on
Callum for ages and was angry that Sierra was supposed to kiss him
at a party. When Sierra decides to meet in real life a boy both of
them were communicating with online,
Taylor covers for her. When she doesn't come back when she said she
would, Taylor thinks that it is just Sierra being careless, and
doesn't tell anyone.
This is a really gripping story told in Taylor's voice. The reader
is carried along, knowing that Sierra is taking awful risks in
meeting someone from online and when she doesn't come home, the
reader is flung into a dark place, hoping against hope that she will
make it back safely. On the terrible wait, much is learnt about how
online predators can hide their identity and lure young girls into
trusting them. Details are given about how they learn about their
likes and dislikes, where they shop, the sports they play and their
friends. All this knowledge is used to create a persona that will
appeal to the girl, making her feel as if she has met her soul mate.
It is easy to empathise with Taylor who has always felt that Sierra
is the centre of attention and understand why Sierra's friends
believe that Sierra could be acting in her usual selfish manner. The
jealousies, romances and relationships of teens all resonate and
make the story feel as if is real. Ferris has captured the dilemma
of when a friend should alert adults to their friend's behaviour and
why it can be dangerous not to. All the characters, adult and teens,
carry guilt about their actions, and this is explored in-depth as
well.
Ferris has built up a very credible story and her background as a
police officer and paramedic give it authenticity. The police scenes
were really well done and would be an eye-opener for teens who
haven't dealt with the police.
This was a compelling read. It would be a powerful class novel or
literature circle book as it relates directly to the use of social
media and the online world that is such a pivotal part of teen life.
Pat Pledger
