Reviews

Tashi and the Magic Carpet inspired by the Tashi series written by Anna and Barbara Fienberg

Based on the Popular Television Series. Flying Bark Productions;
Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781925267013
(Age: 6+) Themes: Fantasy; Magic; Time travel; Puzzles. The original Tashi book series by Anna and Barbara Fienberg has been transformed into a television series, and this book is a glossy retelling of one of the episodes involving Jack and his distant cousin Tashi. The boys attend an auction conducted by Second Uncle (Tashi's distant relative) and unwittingly buy a magic carpet. By accident his leads them on another adventure as they travel backward and forward in time and eventually rescue Second Uncle from an ill-advised venture.
This glossy publication also includes questions about the story, puzzles, riddles and activities, so would make a good gift for a young independent reader (aged 6+) who has also discovered the TV series.
Carolyn Hull

Tashi and the Big Scoop inspired by the Tashi series written by Anna and Barbara Fienberg

Based on the Popular Television Series. Flying Bark Productions. Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781925267006
(Age: 6+) Themes: Fantasy; Newspapers; Puzzles. The original Tashi book series by Anna and Barbara Fienberg has been transformed into a television series, and this book is a glossy retelling of one of the episodes involving Jack and his distant cousin Tashi. The boys create a 'quiet' mode of presenting news using a printing press rather than the disturbing and loud manner that Tiki Pu uses to share news in the village. In their attempts to race to gather local news they encounter an ogre and a giant and a mother 'Airmaid' eager to rescue her egg.
This glossy publication also includes questions about the story, puzzles, games and activities, so would make a good gift for a young independent reader (aged 6+) who has also discovered the TV series.
Carolyn Hull

Stray by Rachael Craw

Spark series, bk 2. Walker Books Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781922179630
Suggested reading age from 14 years of age. Evie has just found out what it means to be a shield, a DNA altered super protector, and though protecting her best friend Kitty was fine, she just wants to live her life surrounded by her loved ones and not have to answer to the Affinity Project. This will be difficult seeming her Aunt, Miriam and boyfriend Jamie are both shields like herself and are obligated to the project. When Affinity finally catches up with Evie, she will not go down without a struggle.
This sequel was one of the better sequels that flows right on from where Spark (first book) finishes. The fast paced action and adventure keeps you hanging until the next chapter. The relationships Evie has with her friends and family have all grown since Spark and it was great to finally see what the Affinity Project was like and how Jamie and Miriam both interact with the agents involved, showing a different side that we saw with Evie from the first book. Evie's relationship with Kitty is great and after everything that has happened to both of their characters Kitty remains a strong support and encourages her to live her teenage life.
I wouldn't recommend reading this book without reading Spark first and I think ages from 14 years and above would find the subject matter easy to comprehend. This series from Rachael Craw could be compared to Graceling by Kristin Cashore, or Inheritance by Lisa Forrest.
Jody Holmes

My Dad is a giraffe by Stephen Michael King

The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

Ill. by LeUyen Pham. The Princess in Black bk 2.Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9780763665111
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Fantasy. Chapter book. It's Princess Magnolia's birthday and just as her guests were due to arrive for her birthday party, her monster alarm went off. She has to rush to the broom closet to transform herself into the Princess in Black, mount her faithful steed Blacky and go off to fight the monsters who just want to eat goats. When she has finally dealt with one monster and is all ready to enjoy her birthday party, her alarm goes off again and again and she has to use all her ingenuity to hide her secret from her guests, especially Princess Sneezewort.
I am a fan of Shannon Hale's stories and particularly love the idea of the Princess in Black, whizzing off to rescue the goats, being bold and daring, while fooling everyone with her perfect pink princess persona. The pictures are very amusing and LeUyen Pham shows an increasingly disheveled Princess Magnolia, as she returns from her rescues.
This is a perfect chapter book for the newly independent reader, combining humour, a great storyline and witty illustrations to ensure a fabulous read.
Pat Pledger

Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright by Chris Riddell

Goth Girl bk 3. Macmillan, 2015. ISBN 9781447277897
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Humour. Lord Goth is holding a Literary Dog Show at Ghastly-Gorm Hall and literary contestants are bringing their dogs along, hoping to win. There is Plain Austen with Hampshire Hound, Homily Dickinson and her Yankee Poodle and Georgie Eliot and Flossie, as well as other literary figures, including the judges Countess Pippi Shortstocking and Hands Christmas Andersen. Ada and her friends from the Attic Club as well as the Vicarage sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Anne are all in attendance. But something is going on at Ghastly-Gorm Hall; there are chewed shoes and howls in the night. Can Ada and her friends solve the mystery?
This is a fantastic book. I loved the first, Goth Girl and the ghost of a mouse and this is even better. It has the same gorgeous appearance, black hardback cover decorated with gold metallic skulls and foliage and a lovely picture of Ada and the literary dogs on the front and Ada and a cheeky monkey on the back. The illustrations inside are brilliant, with each literary figure coming to life and Lord Goth looking particularly saturnine and handsome in his Regency garb. ;
There are so many hilarious allusions to literary works that older readers and adults will really relish, but at the same time there is enough plotting about the Dog Show and the mysterious howls in the night to keep younger readers enthralled. The misadventures that; occurred when the train designed by Charles Cabbage carrying the elaborate dinner to the guests came off the tracks is; Even a flick through the book, looking at the pictures is totally engrossing.
This is such a feel-good book, one that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages and certainly one to treasure.
Pat Pledger

Dreams come true by Meredith Costain

Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella Diaries. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781760153045
(Age: 7-9) Highly recommended. Themes: Diaries, School Stories, Friendship, Girls, Celebrities. Ella absolutely loves pop star Cassi Valentine, her lyrics are fantabulously fabulous, her funky music is easy to sing along to when doing chores, her dance moves and fashionable outfits amazing. A true fan, Ella's bedroom walls are covered in posters, she has the lunch box, drink bottle and tote bag, even Bob the dog has a Cassi bandana.
When Miss Weiss their teacher announces a Cassi Valentine competition - a free lunchtime performance for the school with the best performing arts video, everyone is excited especially for Cassi's number one fan. Excitement builds with Ella and her classmates. Ella and her friends brainstorm some fabulous ideas for the video performance; they are super excited and can't wait until Monday lunchtime to share their suggestions. Of course Precious Princess Peach Parker bulldozes the meeting, sharing her ideas about the video performance, and unfortunately her idea is exactly the same as Ella's!
Meredith Costain's Ella Diaries captures both the excitement and the ups and downs of a young girl's life, sleepovers, friends, school dramas, music and family life. The quirky style of writing with hearts dotting the letter 'i' and 'j' add to the cuteness of the diary entries. Danielle McDonald's lively sketches - all tinted red this time, showcase the dramas and delights of Ella's life.
A fun and exciting junior novel for girls from 7-9.
Rhyllis Bignell

Jack versus Veto by Jim Eldridge

Wrestling Trolls bk 5. Hot Key Books. ISBN 9781471402678
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Fantasy, Adventure. The Wrestling Trolls have travelled to Bun to participate in the Great Bun Wrestle Smackdown, with two rounds of fighting - Big Rock versus Block and Princess Ava the Masked Avenger up against the Fighting Pink Fairy. Unfortunately, during the match their rather grumpy talking horse Robin has been stolen by ruthless rustlers. The Village Marshall sends Milo, the manager and the wrestlers off to Badlands Valley, where the horse-meat gang has hidden the stolen horses. There they confront Hard Harry and his cross-bow wielding thugs and with Blaze's help, they set the animals free from the corral. Blaze's ability to shape-shift into a dragon helps the Wrestling Trolls family as the battle continues.
In the second story, Lord Veto and his Chief Orc have vanished leaving this castle deserted. Jack sees this as an opportunity to return to the castle kitchen and retrieve a special ring he'd left behind. Of course multiple dangers lurk as the troop use the secret tunnel to gain access, giant rats, spiders and a huge hypnotic snake. What Jack discovers about the origin of the ring and his family members is extremely surprising!
Jim Eldridge's Wrestling Trolls series has all the fantasy elements rolled into one rollicking adventure ably complemented by Jan Bielicki's larger than life cartoon characters.
Rhyllis Bignell

River Riddle by Jim Dewar

Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781760150518
Picture book. 'Tis the age-old quandary! If Jack leaves Dolly the sheep and the hay together on one side of the river, Dolly will munch it all while he's fetching Frank, the fox. If Jack leaves Frank and the sheep together, while he fetches the sack of hay, poor Dolly will surely become a meal for Frank! What to do?
Jack has to get to market, but the market's on the other side of the deep, wide river. The little boat is not big enough for Jack, two animals and the hay, all together. Jack must come up with a plan.
Clever Jack manages to solve his predicament, without the hay or Dolly being consumed, but all that paddling has left him quite exhausted. Did he reach the market on time?
River Riddle is a rollicking rhyming book, with candid, colourful illustrations, sure to appeal to children everywhere.
J. Kerr-Smith

Underneath a cow by Carol Ann Martin

Ill. by Ben Wood. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781742990880
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Animals, Farms, Safety. When Madge the cow notices a huge dark cloud over the farm, she invites the rabbit to shelter beneath her as the first large rain drops begin to fall. The farm dog passes by and takes shelter as well, then the mother hen and her chicks, while later an echidna rolls under her as well. Each addition causes a little mayhem at the start, but all settle down to shelter from the rain. When the rain stops Madge is presented with some flowers as a thank you and she tells them that what is important is that they are all in a safe place, while sometimes we are the safe place.
This is a charming story about safety, about putting aside differences to take shelter, to work together to be safe, and will encourage younger readers to discuss their safety within this carefully worded text. Martin uses repetition in some parts of the text which will encourage younger readers to predict what is happening next. The song she presents could be used as a learning tool to recite when this book is brought out for rereading.
I love the illustrations, Wood using mixed media and digital means to draw his characters, giving them amazingly human expressions. I adore Madge's udder which seems to leave the dog a little nonplussed, and figures a little more prominently when Spike crawls beneath her. What an introduction for parents and teachers to discuss where milk comes from, as few, if any, picture books show this important part of a cow's anatomy. Discussions too could evolve concerning the farm portrayed, comparing it with other picture books where Australian farms are drawn, and perhaps even discussing why Spike's animal status is not named. Perhaps this book is being aimed at an American market as well?
Whatever group of kids reads this, they will ask for it again and again as they absorb the playful humour of the farm animals sheltering beneath Madge the cow, make up their own song to go with the words and contemplate how they keep themselves safe.
Fran Knight

The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupi

Little, Brown & Company, 2014. ISBN: 9780316220750
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Whistle-blowing; Big Business & Corporations; Fraud; Terrorism; Family relationships; Belief and doubt; Science & Truth. The teenage protagonists in this story have become caught up in the world of big business and the introduction of doubt to protect wealth. The teens were victims before they became involved in a plot to sabotage the Public Relations team who protect the money-making foci and motivations of big business by obfuscation and spin. The teenagers hatch a complex plan involving computer hacking, creative use of their own insurance wealth and intelligence, rats and kidnapping. Their intention is to bring truth into the open and to remove the influence of the PR 'Doubt Factory'. Their kidnap victim is the daughter of the chief of the PR company and she herself is transformed in the process.
This complex plot is exhilarating and adult in its focus, and yet because of the age of the participants it reads like a compelling adventure for intelligent teenagers. The consequence after reading the tale is to doubt anything that Big Business is involved in, and to question science and the law as a means to purvey truth.
I can recommend this to an older Teenage audience - Aged 15+.
(Note: there is a language warning: 'F' bomb sprinkled through the text, and although it is not surprising - in keeping with the language use of teens - it may influence purchase selections for some.)
Carolyn Hull

Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus

Ill. by Sean Murray. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471405273
(Age: 13-15) Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus have created a dark underworld inhabited with hungry trolls whose favourite food is children! In the late 1960's in San Bernadino, California, nearly two hundred children disappear, never to be seen again. On Jack Sturges's birthday, he's out for a ride on his new bike with his younger brother and forgets his parents' warning to be home before dark. As they ride near the Holland Transit Bridge, a terrifying creature catches Jack and young Jim has to race for home narrowly escaping from the monster with black fur, horns, claws and massive teeth.
In the present day Jim has grown up to be a paranoid father, living in a house with steel shutters, ten locks on the front door, flood lights and security cameras, protecting himself and his fifteen year old son, James Sturges Jr. - Jim. His middle school life is filled with issues, first crush, bullying, problems with Math and friendships. One night, he's dragged through a hole beneath his bed and into the troll underworld. He meets his lost uncle who is still as young as the day he disappeared and is drawn into a mighty battle against multiple species of the grossest, dirtiest, most frightening trolls lead by the fearsome Gunmar.
Trollhunters is suited to the fans of fantasy adventure stories where the underdog saves the world, aided by the nerdy sidekick and of course save the damsel in distress. The dark complex illustrations by Sean Murray add to the rich descriptions of the troll's kingdom. The novel is takes time to set up and needs commitment to finish, middle school life is stereotypical whilst the fantasy underworld is much more rounded and exciting.
Rhyllis Bignell

Afterlight by Rebecca Lim

Text, 2015. ISBN: 9781925240498
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This book grips the reader and doesn't let go until after it has been read. Rebecca writes so well and the reader is drawn in to such an extent that the characters (from bikies to drag queens) are so real you can almost touch them.
We meet Sophie as her life has been shattered by the death of her parents in an accident. Bullied at her last school, Sophie begins a new chapter of her life in a new school after moving in with her Gran (who owns a pub).
Almost immediately Sophie is visited by Eve. Eve is a persistent ghost who has Sophie tying up the loose ends of Eve's life. The missions become more dangerous and soon involve another student at the school - Jordan Haig. His special abilities and care for Sophie are integral to the fast paced and dramatic ending to this great book.
The actions of Eve have Sophie excluded from school and sent on a journey that is life threatening and life changing.
Rebecca Lim's writing of Afterlight sprang from a shooting that occurred in the Melbourne CBD. A bikie and a tabletop dancer were involved and innocent people on their way to work were critically injured or killed. Those who know Melbourne well will find themselves inside the environments Lim creates so evocatively.
Linda Guthrie

Hard Nuts of History series by Tracy Turner 

Ill. by Jamie Lenman. Bloomsbury, 2015.
Play the Game. How Hard are You? ISBN 9781472910974
Ultimate Quiz and Game Book - Know your Hard Nuts. ISBN 9781472910967
(Age: 8-12) Tracy Turner's Hard Nuts of History series showcases the tough men and women of history - Ancient Greeks, Warriors, Travellers, Kings and Queens and those in Myths and Legends. To accompany these fact-filled books, two quiz books have been released.
Play the Game is filled with sheets of cards with perforated edges, once they have been removed from the book they are dealt to two or more players. Instructions for the Battle of the Hard Nuts are given and as each round continues points are given for cunning, courage, survival skills and ruthlessness. Each colourful card has a border to indicate where they came from or what the Hard Nut did.
The Ultimate Quiz and Game Book is packed full of fun facts, quizzes - Name that Viking, Heroes of Myths and Legends and games - Mummy Making! For the ancient weapons quiz objects such as the chakram, arbalest and tessen are sorted into how they are used - bash, chop, throw or fire. Women have led battles, explored darkest Africa and led revolutions - The Trung Sisters, Zenobia, Queen of Syria and Boudica, who ruled the Iceni tribe.
With bold cartoon caricatures, these two books provide fun and entertainment. They are great for the history buff, overflowing with fun facts, games and quizzes.
Rhyllis Bignell

Pieces of Sky by Trinity Doyle

Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112486
(Age: 15+) Themes: Death & grief; Teenage romance; Coming of age; Relationships. Trinity Doyle's debut YA novel gives an insight into the world of grief. Lucy and her parents have been shattered by the drowning death of Cam - the wild-child brother and son. His loss has carved great chasms into their lives, and they are all at risk of plummeting to the depths. Lucy was a champion swimmer, but now can't even face the water; her mother has succumbed to the darkest of depression, and her father has thrown himself into the world of work, and is maintaining a blinkered finger-tip hold on his threatened business to the detriment of his connections in his family. Relationships for Lucy are also strained under the weight of grief, and a mystery girlfriend from her brother's past who keeps texting his phone, sends Lucy in many directions as she tries to find solid ground. A romantic interest gives Lucy hope and an opportunity to feel something other than the pain of grief.
The road to recovery after a tragedy is seldom smooth and as each character deals uniquely with their own grief we see the ripple effect of the tragedy played out in their community. The friends of Cam are also grieving, and their life choices reflect the 'live now and don't consider tomorrow' lifestyle of the young.
Because of the topic and the inevitable sadness that we must feel deeply in order to understand the slowness of recovery, this book should only be recommended to those who are emotionally mature enough to deal with the topic of death in a family.
(Note: references to drug-taking, possible suicide, sexual encounters that are begun, but uniquely ended before regret wins over. Some swearing.)
Carolyn Hull