Hamish Hamilton, 2014. ISBN 9781926428581.
Recommended for discerning readers - older students and adults. This
is possibly one of the most unusual and intriguing books I've ever
read. It is a collection of short stories told from the point of
view of various animals recounting their interactions with humans.
Ten different animals from mussel to elephant to tortoise reveal the
best and worst of their human 'owners'.
For example, imagine for a moment that you are a tortoise - the type
kept as backyard pets - quite often in British or European
gardens. And then, further, imagine that you as the tortoise,
move next door and find that you are now the tortoise of Leo
Tolstoy's family home. Tolstoy you say? Yes indeed, and after a
time, carved into your shell the great man's words 'I love many
things, I love all people'. And then, even later, you - the
tortoise - are packed up and sent to one Virginia Woolf in England.
Virginia loved animals and kept quite a menagerie as a young girl.
Delighted with the receipt of this interesting animal, Virginia
speaks often about the book she is writing about Elizabeth Browning
and her little companion dog Flush. And then following the
London Blitz, you - this extraordinary tortoise, come to live with
George Orwell and observe him working on his novel 'Animal Farm: a
fairy story'.
This book has been described as 'playful and poignant' and so I
found it. I loved the Jack Kerouac style mussel story particularly!
For those of us who believe that all sentient beings have a
meaningful life, it is a truly enlightening read.
Not for your average reader - but for those who are looking for
something quite unique and thought-provoking this is indeed a
worthwhile escape into another world.
Sue Warren
Operation pink elephant by Stephen Dando-Collins
Caesar the war dog Bk 3, Random House Australia Children's,
2014. ISBN 9780857981684
Everyone's favourite canine hero, Caesar, is back and off on another
serious mission with his buddy, Ben.
The Global Rapid Reaction Responders (GRRR) are shocked to find out
that their friend Lucky, who is currently working for the Tanzanian
Government as a wildlife ranger, has been kidnapped by notorious
elephant poachers. These evil men, led by a particularly vile
'General', not only show a complete lack of compassion and morals
regarding the elephants but also intimidate local villagers, kidnap
children and force them to train as 'soldiers' and treat the
wildlife rangers with contempt and violence.
It is up to the GRRR team to track down these nefarious wrong-doers
and rescue Lucky and save the elephants. Ben and Caesar execute a
risky parachute jump into a rough sea to meet up with the rest of
team on HMAS Canberra and the adventure begins. On landing in
Tanzania the team begin to put together clues and set upon the trail
of poachers. Caesar's expert nose is really going to be the
advantage to Ben and his team as they track down their good friend
and the illegal cargo of ivory.
These are terrific books for boys who are not so keen to read. They
are fast-paced, with a vocabulary that is not too demanding. There
is enough action and suspense to sustain the thirst for adventure
without being disturbingly graphic. Stephen Dando-Collins has an
effective connection with his readership and it has been my
observation that when I suggest one of his titles to my boys, they
are keen for more when they have finished.
Visit the author's website.
Sue Warren
The Queen's hat by Steve Antony
Hachette Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 978144491941.
(Ages: 5+) Recommended. Picture book, Queen, London, Humour. A
blustering wind takes the hat from the Queen, as she sets off on a
visit to the new Royal personage at Kensington Palace. The Queen's
men, resplendent in their tall fur hats, busbies, and bright red
uniforms, chase the hat with Her Majesty as it flies over some of
the famous landmarks in London. Their numbers swell on each page.
They clamber over the lion statue, they run through London Zoo,
becoming entangled with several animals, while the Queen slides down
the back of a giraffe, they take the Tube, then fly around the
London Eye, Tower Bridge and Big Ben, until they all make it safely,
landing in the gardens at Kensington Palace, the hat falling upon
the baby in its pusher.
Great fun will be had by all who read this very funny book and the
delicious illustrations engender much laughter. The sight of the
Queen chasing her hat, dressed in the most mundane of clothes,
followed by the ant-like guardsmen, will cause children to laugh out
loud. That they are getting a small peek into some of the famous
sights of London will also intrigue and set readers questioning
about London and what people go there to see. The most famous
drawcard for London tourism is of course, the Royal Family, so here
is a book which introduces several members, introducing the idea to
younger readers. The lines of running guardsmen across the
front covers is repeated inside both endpapers, and children will
have fun spotting the Queen, her hat and the Royal Corgi amongst the
uniformed men.
Two other book which have recently appeared, Shhh! Don't wake
the royal baby and Happy birthday, royal baby by
Martha Mumford (Bloomsbury) will add to the fun in the classroom
where these books are read.
Fran Knight
Pig the pug by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 978743624777.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Sharing. Selfishness.
Humour. Verse. In rhyming stanzas Blabey describes the dog, Pig, as
it gathers all its toys to itself, its blazing eyes daring poor old
Trevor to come any closer. Trevor the sausage dog has had the
temerity to suggest that Pig share his toys, but rather than do
that, Pig builds a tower of his toys, eventually making one so tall
that it topples over and he falls from the open window.
This funny scenario is underlined by the tightly controlled stanzas,
each begging to be read aloud, the words rolling off the tongue with
a flowing sound. Pig's bulging eyes flash across the pages as he
gathers all to himself, defying the request from Trevor. But we all
know that he will come to a sticky end, and the humour in the moral
towards the end is hilarious, as is the result for Pig.
The acrylic and pen artwork reflects the ideas perfectly, as bold
colours are drawn across the pages, with often just the dogs' faces
peering up at us from the flat pages. These two dogs live together
and should share, but the audience is ready for a tale that shows
what happens when that does not occur. From the front cover with
Pig staring defiantly at the reader, to the last page of the book,
with Pig cocooned and immobile, the book is a treat for all readers.
Whether they be at home with parents reading to them, or in a class
where sharing is under discussion, the book is superb.
Fran Knight
Sand by Hugh Howey
Century, 2014. ISBN 9781780893198.
(Age: Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Howey creates a very
believable world in this bleak science fiction of the future. The
people of this time live in a relentless environment of constant
wind, no rain, and sand everywhere. It follows the lives of one
family, talented at sand diving, as they eke out their existence in
this tough, somewhat anarchic society reminiscent of the Wild West -
and indeed the reader can deduce that it is set in the state of
Colorado, USA. Sand divers submerge themselves in the sand to
considerable depths to salvage materials from the buried cities of a
former era for profit and survival.
The characterisation is excellent - even minor characters are
well-rounded - and as this novel unfolds, mostly through the eyes of
the three older children, who are in their late teens and early
twenties, we gain insights not only into the dynamics of this family
whose father has abandoned them more than a decade previously, but
into the power struggles and politics of this society and others
beyond it.
Howey has written a book with many discussion points: loyalty,
family, anarchy, ignorance, greed, and environmental waste being the
major ones. This is a gripping book, well crafted, and highly
recommended for senior students.
Anne Veitch
Homeroom diaries by James Patterson and Lisa Papadmetriou
Ill. by Keino. Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780099596264.
(Age: 14+) From one of the world's best-selling authors comes his
newest YA novel - an illustrated diary from a clearly unusual
character. James Patterson introduces Margaret, Maggie, more usually
self-styled as 'Cuckoo'. Amidst the hell that is high school,
Maggie's friends who are one of the unpopular 'nations' decide to
beat the Haters at their own game and call themselves The Freakshow.
Cuckoo, Brainzilla, Zitsy, Eggy, Tebow, and Flatso have been friends
a long time and amongst the warzone groups at North Plains High
School they support each other in the face of 'the Jocks, Nerds,
Twinkies, Otaku, Barbies, Goths, Eurotrash, Jailbait, Stoners,
Joiners, Glommers, Delusionals, Haters, Wankstas, Thespians,
Teachers, Terror Teachers, Zomboids, Robots, Gleeks, United Colors
of Bennetoners, Libertarians, Activists, Juvies, Baristas [and]
Blahs'. Whew! Pretty much sounds like any normal high school to me.
Maggie gives herself her nickname because she spent ten days in the
local mental hospital, after her mother took off and left her with
no money and no food - and just didn't come back. Recovering from
this sadness, Maggie now lives with her neighbour Mrs Morrison who
is just the kind of caring foster-mother Maggie needs in her life.
She also starts a diary so she can continue with her healing process
but mostly because she loves to write.
With loads of humour and some fabulous cartoon illustrations with a
Gothic manga style, this novel deals with some fairly intense
teenage problems, which are sadly far too common, with a deft hand.
Problems with teachers, problems with boys, problems with bullies,
problems with parents and problems with life in general are dealt
with in a way which lessens the trauma without desensitizing the
reader. And the satisfactory ending is not an ending but segues into
the next instalment to which I anticipate readers, including myself,
will look forward.
You choose series by George Ivanoff
Random House Australia Children's, 2014. The treasure of Dead Man's Cove. ISBN: 9780857983831. Mayhem at Magic School. ISBN: 9780857983848. Maze of doom. ISBN: 9780857983855. The haunting of Spook House. ISBN: 9780857983862.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. So I received the first couple of books in this series a few weeks
ago, in the madness of term time and put them to one side as others
were in line first. Then during last week the next two arrived and I
thought to myself, 'Self you better get cracking on those'.
Dutifully I put the pile of four on the side of my desk where they
could not be ignored and I could get to them sometime over a busy
weekend.
Cut to Saturday afternoon with 15 year old grandson staying over to
earn some pocket money doing Gran chores, like the yard, washing the
car etc. Now, our Lochie is a good egg - polite, a hard worker, good
to his Mum and mostly to his little sister, loves his dog with a
passion and likes mine pretty well too - but not what you would call
a reader. Although, apparently during the first week of holidays
(last week) he did tear himself away from the Xbox long enough to
read a Manga book I gave him last week.
Taking a cool drink break during the afternoon of chores, he picked
up the first You choose from the top of the pile and sat
down and read it straight through, commenting at the end 'That was a
great story - lots of fun picking what you will do next!' and
promptly grabbed the next one and read that! What the...???? He's
coming back next weekend to stay over another night as we are going
to the Medieval Festival and is going to read the next two then. As
Yoda would say 'Stunned I am'.
Oddly enough, his Mum wasn't much of a reader as a kid either -
until we discovered some terrific Famous five 'choose your
own adventure' books and then she never stopped reading.
So all I have to say is... George Ivanoff, if you can get this kid
switched onto a good read when he's railed against books his entire
life, then you are definitely on a winner! These ones are coming to
school with me for sure, for a great book talk with the boys after
the holidays.
Well, about the books then. As you can tell by the titles each one
has a different theme and setting - all of which are very
boy-appealing particularly. With engaging illustrations, maps and
the like they are easy to read and particularly suitable as read
alouds as each Pathway episode is brief (for those quick ten minute
fill ins especially). Naturally the action is fast-paced as a result
and this is definitely a plus for those reluctant readers who don't
like getting bogged down.
I think these are a must for your library shelves and in fact, in
multiples, as once the word is out they will be gobbled up quickly.
Highly recommended by Lochlan for boys aged 9 and upwards. Teaching
notes are available from Random House and why not take a look
at George's website as
well. Your students may be familiar with George from his appearance
on ABC3.
Sue Warren
Meet Douglas Mawson by Mike Dumbleton
Ill. by Snip Green. Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780857981950.
(Age: Yr 2+) Douglas Mawson is one of Australia's most iconic
heroes. As the leader of the first Australian expedition to
the Antarctic a century ago, his journeys commemorated through
having his portrait on the $100 note, a suburb in Canberra named
after him and the longest continuously operating station south of
the Antarctic Circle bearing his name, Douglas Mawson deserves a
place in this series of books which celebrates great Australians.
The story of his remarkable journey which began in Hobart in
December 1911 is told in simple, straightforward text which is
perfect for its intended audience of younger students just starting
to learn about the people who have helped build our nation.
Accompanied by illustrations that use a limited colour palette,
reminiscent of the colours of Antarctica itself, and which capture
the beauty and drama of the landscape so well, it tells of the
challenges of this incredible expedition undertaken long before
there were mechanised transport or navigational devices such as a
GPS. The timeline at the end of the book provides a summation
of this man's amazing life and contribution to Australia's
continuing presence in Antarctica.
This series fits neatly into the history strand of the Australian
National Curriculum for Years 3-4, its picture book format adding to
its appeal. Written in a way that draws the reader into a story
rather than just a series of facts and figures, this is a perfect
introduction to the topic that teaches as it tells. Others in the
collection include Ned Kelly, James Cook, Mary MacKillop and the
ANZACs. It is so good to see publishers responding to the need
and demand for non-fiction that not only addresses the requirements
of the Australian Curriculum at an appropriate level but which
satisfies those readers who, from an early age, already show a
preference for informative books that offer them more than just
pictures to look at and interpret. I'm looking forward to the
next in the series which focuses on Nancy Bird Walton!
Barbara Braxton
An unsentimental bloke: The life and work of C.J. Dennis by Philip Butterss
Wakefield Press, 2014. ISBN 9781743052877.
(Age: 17+) Recommended. These days, readers are likely to encounter
the verse of C.J. Dennis in one of his poems for children. However,
nearly a century ago, many Australians only needed to hear the line,
'Er name was Doreen', to recall The songs of a sentimental bloke,
a narrative poem that sold over 100,000 copies in its first five
years of publication. Philip Butterss has explored the life and
works of the poet and discovered a gifted but troubled man whose
'larrikin verse' captured the spirit of his age.
The result is not only a detailed account of a life lived under the
shadow of asthma, alcohol dependence and financial problems, but
also a critique of the writer's work in the context of the society
in which he lived. Dennis produced a prodigious body of poetry while
working as a clerk, journalist, editor, political campaigner and
public servant. Like many of his contemporaries, he embraced a form
of nationalistic egalitarianism that celebrated the lives of
so-called ordinary people, while ostracising minorities and
non-British foreigners. During the Great War, stories about the
love-struck bloke and the unassuming heroism of Ginger Mick, boosted
morale and contributed to the creation of the Anzac legend. After
the conflict, The Glugs of Gosh lampooned the Melbourne
establishment under the guise of nonsense verse and The singing
garden depicted life in the Victorian countryside. Philip
Butterss has tracked the changes in Australian popular culture that
led to a decline in the appeal of Dennis's writing, as well as
recent attempts to reignite a delight in its wit and humour. He has
also drawn an intimate portrait of a complex man who could 'think in
verse' that was deceptively naive.
Philip Butterss' scholarship is evident in his meticulous prose, an
extensive bibliography and source notes. At once a work of
biography, literary criticism and social history, An unsentimental
bloke will provide older readers with memorable insights into the
life and times of an influential Australian writer.
Elizabeth Bor
American Savage by Matt Whyman
Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN 9781471400698.
In this sequel to The Savages the family has moved to the US
to avoid discovery of their cannibalism. Mother, Angelica has become
a fitness fanatic while father Titus is putting on weight - 'it is
inevitable that meat sourced from these parts would carry a little
extra fat' p11. Son Ivan tries to fit in by joining the football
team at school but he is not good at it and is being bullied while
the vegan lodger Amanda is having trouble finding work. The other
members of this tight knit family are the kindy aged Katya and
grandfather Oleg all of whom have strong family values - 'a family
who ate people together stayed together' p44. The cannibalism is
explained as sustainable, there being too many humans on the planet,
and targeted, only loners who no-one would miss. Slaughtering is
done humanely and the meat respectfully eaten. The vegan character
does not have a problem eating human as it complies with all her
food principles. No horror here but somehow more disturbing. Ivan
looked at his bullies 'not as empty jocks but as tender cuts' p87
Angelica's decision when her personal trainer becomes enamoured is
to direct Titus to make him the next victim as he would be leaner
than their usual meat.
I found the characters' ordinariness and the cannibalism
over-explained and the plot hampered by this. There is some
compromise found in the end but the story struggled to engage.
Middle school students might like the idea of such a family and
extreme problem solving. I doubt they would find the moral aspect an
issue.
Sue Speck
Juicy juicy green grass, and other fun songs by Peter Combe
Ill. Danielle McDonald. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743620648.
(Age: 3-6) Picture book, Songs, Humour. Four songs, Juicy juicy
green grass, The silly postman, Tadpole blues
and Red says stop are included in this brightly illustrated
and attractive book for pre- school children. Accompanied by a CD
with Peter Coombe singing these songs, they will be able to be
preformed easily by a group of younger children or used as a sing a
long.
The first song, Juicy juicy green grass bemoans the fact
that the grass has now died, and the sheep singing the song is
waiting for its source of nourishment to return. The sheep eats
green grass for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is very hungry. The
silly postman brings along an increasing number of things when
he deposits a letter in the letterbox until her got the sack. Tadpole
blues has a tadpole going through the changes it needs to
become a frog, and being very worried about what is happening to its
body. Red says stop is about the traffic lights and what
each colour means.
Each song is amusing and will have children easily singing along,
while taking in an important message. Each is a learning tool for
younger learners.
Fran Knight
Friday Barnes 1: Girl Detective by R. A. Spratt
Random House Australia Children's, 2014. ISBN: 9781742759623.
(Age: 10+) No doubt you would all be familiar with the wonderful
world of Nanny Piggins. Now R. A. Spratt introduces us to a new
character, Friday Barnes, who I am certain will prove every bit as
popular as the porcine prima donna.
Friday Barnes is a Matilda-esque child, thoroughly neglected by her
remote scientific parents - the surprise and unplanned child after a
neatly organised delivery of four older siblings. Left basically to
her own devices for eleven years, Friday is an exceptionally
intelligent girl who has read everything she can lay her hands on
(starting with all the scientific texts which are the only reading
matter in her house). Her only respite from the remoteness of her
parents and her carefully camouflaged presence at school is the
weekly contact with her Uncle Bernie, an insurance investigator.
When Uncle Bernie is faced with a terrible investigation (the theft
of a diamond necklace worth squillions) that seems unsolvable,
Friday decides he needs her help and with the resourcefulness of her
own clever brain plus the help of her fictional hero, the great
Poirot, Friday reveals the culprit and earns herself a huge reward.
Friday is not a mercenary child but the reward money solves her own
problem - where to go to high school (since the university turned
her down though she blitzed the entrance exam - apparently they
weren't prepared to take on a 11 year old student!). She promptly
pays her fees for the most exclusive school in the country,
Highcrest Academy, figuring that attending a school which operates
on a profit margin, it will at least be easier to bribe her way out
of sporting events.
What Friday does not count on is that far from being anonymous at
Highcrest, she suddenly finds herself investigating problems from
missing homework to wildlife smuggling as well as dealing with some
of the nastier pupils.
While Friday still hasn't figured out the point of high school, she
has gained her first friends ever and solved some very tricky
mysteries - just by being herself.
Readers, particularly girls, of about 10 plus will greatly enjoy
this fun read.
Sue Warren
Rory and the Monstersitter by Rosie Reeve
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 978140884551.
Highly recommended for readers aged 5+, young children with an
adult, and independent readers aged 7+. Rory and the Monster Sitter
had me smiling and if Rory's mum and dad ask you to babysit then say
no! Rory and the Monstersitter is a lovely picture book about a
young monster, Rory, who loves to cook. When his parents go out,
Rory has the chance to cook something (or someone) new for dinner.
The babysitter?
The pictures are detailed, the characters funny and the story short.
It would be a great story to read to children in the classroom and
use to deconstruct a narrative. It is also good for looking at
alternative ending to stories.
Kylie Kempster
Magic Animal Friends: Lucy Longwhiskers gets lost by Daisy Meadows
Orchard Books, 2014. ISBN 9781408326251.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Magic Animal Friends: Lucy
Longwhiskers gets lost is a short novel aimed at girls aged
8+. Lily and Jess are best friends and it is holidays. They both
love animals and enjoyed helping around Lily's family animal
hospital. Imagine their surprise when they discover Friendship
Forest, a magical place with talking animals. They are brought to
Friendship Forest by Goldie the cat who the girls had looked after
in the human world. Goldie believes the Forest is in danger and
needs the girls to help with a witch. Magic Animal Friends: Lucy Longwhiskers gets lost is a quick
moving adventure for girls and is highly recommended for independent
readers just moving into novels. The text is easy to read and will
appeal to any girl who loves animals and magic.
Kylie Kempster
Happy Pants by Heather Gallagher
Ill. by Liz McGrath. Wombat Books, 2014. ISBN 9781921632938.
(Age: Pre-school - 2) 'When mummy wears her happy pants we build
sandcastles, go out for babycinos and have lots and lots of
cuddles.' But things change dramatically when she comes home with
Baby Darcy - her happy pants stay in the wardrobe. No matter what,
there is no more happy mummy. Even though Daddy steps up, there's
nothing quite like a happy mum. Feeling betrayed and confused when
nothing he does works, things come to a head for the family when the
happy pants are accidentally ripped and the little boy asks, 'How
can you put a band-aid on your heart?' Even though the focus is on
sad feelings, Liz McGrath's bright illustrations keep it from being
a sombre story and there is such a feeling of hope towards the end
that you just know mummy will have her happy pants on again one day.
With perinatal depression affecting one in seven women, this is an
important book to have in the library's collection so that young
children who are in such a situation can learn that they're not the
only child with a sad mummy, it is not their fault and that things
can get better. Primarily written for a preschool audience,
nevertheless there are many in the F-2 cohort who are welcoming new
siblings and who must be at risk of being in a family where PND
happens.
At the same time, it has a place in your parents' collection so
sufferers and their partners can understand that help is available.
It includes a range of organisations that can offer support for
those who suffer, and their families, but it's most important
purpose, in my opinion, is to bring this condition into the open
where it can be talked about as a common occurrence, not something
that is to be ashamed of or to feel guilty about. It is more than
just 'baby blues'. Normalising it through a children's picture book
is a powerful way to do this, particularly if it is promoted through
your links with the new parents in your community.
There's an interview
with the author that is worth reading.
Barbara Braxton
