Vintage Books Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780857983466.
(Age: Senior secondary) Recommended. Dancing on knives is an
original story of a dysfunctional family living in a coastal town in
New South Wales. The story is largely told through the eyes of
Sarah, the eldest girl, who has made herself a prisoner in her own
home for five years. She suffers from acute anxiety which Forsyth
describes with both vivid clarity and sensitivity. The view of Sarah
'(creeping) inside like an injured animal seeking sanctuary' and
'failure tasting like vomit in her throat' (p146) evoke compassion
rather than frustration. Sarah is reminiscent of Laura in The glass
menagerie but for Sarah the addiction is romance novels which she
consumes voraciously as her choice of mind-opiate, but does
little to satisfy her until she discovers Women in love which
strikes a resounding chord.
In her 'prison' Sarah is surrounded by her three brothers, of whom
Tom is the most understanding, and a stepsister, the brat, Kate.
But with the use of flashbacks we are also introduced to her now
deceased mother and her more influential grandmother Consuela who
has left her the silk wrapped Tarot cards 'to help her see more
clearly'. But what pervades this particular menagerie is the
tempestuous Augustus, the father, who has a wild passion born out of
his Spanish ancestry and his artistic disposition. Gus's moods set
the tone for the house so when he disappears only to be found later
hanging from a cliff the household is sent into further disarray,
particularly as questions concerning the cause of his accident
arise. This is the suspense which holds the plot together, but this
novel is far from just a mystery. Its strength lies in Forsyth's
ability to develop her characters deeply so that, as far as this
world may be from our own, we can at some level relate to and
empathise with them.
Like the Little mermaid in the brutal story of her childhood, Sarah
is dancing on knives and we only hope that one day she may escape
such torture.
Barb Rye
Kelsey and the quest of the porcelain doll by Rosanne Hawke
University of Queensland Press, 2014. ISBN 9780702253317.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Pakistan. Floods. Family. Dolls. When
Kelsey goes to Pakistan where her parents will assist with the
aftermath of devastating floods, the girl is unsympathetic. She
would prefer to stay at home with her friends, her bedroom with its
collection of Barbie dolls, her friend's swimming pool and her
beloved Nanna Rose. But little by little she becomes involved in the
lives of the family of her father's co-worker, and begins to open
her eyes to the chaos that has destroyed their lives. While she
watches her father help build new houses for those who have lost
everything they had, and her mother attend to those who come into
her clinic, Kelsey befriends Shakila, and offers her the doll she
brought with her from Australia.
Communicating via Skype, Nanna Rose sees just how ill-at-ease Kelsey
is at the start and begins to tell her a story which continues every
time they speak. The story of Amy Jo, a porcelain doll which is
posted to a little girl, gets lost in the process then has a quest
to find her owner and the person who will love her. The two stories
are told in alternate chapters, and eventually intersect but not
before the reader has been given an insight into another country
which will stay with them long after the book is finished. Rosanne's
stories always have an underlying affinity for those with lives far
less comfortable than our own, opening the readers' hearts and minds
to people living in quite different worlds, showing us that our
thoughts are not so different, as we all value family, friendship
and love.
With this wonderful story, Kelsey's eyes reflect the devastation of
the floods, the tireless efforts by many to rebuild Pakistan, and so
makes the background of the people's lives an important part of the
story.
For classes, this would be an essential part of any unit concerned
with multiculturalism, looking at other countries, taking a world
view of society and specifically teaching about Pakistan.
Fran Knight
Ten Christmas crackers by Karen Erasmus
Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9780734415622.
(Age: 4-6) Picture book. Christmas. Sung to the tune of 'Ten green
bottles', this countdown to Christmas Day via the many things we
associate with Christmas, is the first Christmas book I have seen
this year, and there are still six months to go!
The bright breezy illustrations are sure to appeal to a younger
audience, obsessed with the trappings of Christmas, the tree,
crackers, Santa Claus, Christmas pudding and presents for example.
Each double page counts the number down from ten to one, ten being
the crackers, and one being the present. Other pages include 8
flying reindeer, 3 Christmas stockings, which roll easily off the
tongue, while a few like North Pole elves, and handmade presents,
are a little clumsy to say. Children will enjoy rehearsing and
getting their tongues around some of the lines, and practice will
always make it sound better.
The whole spirit of the book revolves around family and doing things
together, pages show children with their pet dog, parents and
grandparents. It has a warm feel to it, which overrides the image
now usually associated with Christmas, that of giving more and more
presents. The image is of the children doing something: busking,
helping with making the pudding, making their parents' presents,
while a nice touch is the single Christmas stocking on each bed.
This would be a fun addition to the Christmas story books in the
classroom or library, ready for the last month of the year.
Fran Knight
Let her go by Dawn Barker
Hachette Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780733632228.
The blurb of this book suggests it is 'part thriller, part mystery'.
It is neither of these. It is instead a family saga based around the
complications of surrogacy.
As a result of suffering from lupus, Zoe McAllister discovers she is
unable to have children and her sister Nadia agrees to be the
surrogate. What follows is the long and drawn out account of what
happens after the child, Louise, is born. This family, it seems, is
never happy. Zoe lives in fear that she will lose her daughter and
Nadia suffers from guilt and longing for the child she agreed to
'relinquish'. Lachlan, Zoe's husband quits his job in the Kalgoorlie
mines but comes home a changed man, the reasons for which are not
revealed until the end of the story. Throughout the narrative Baker
makes the reader privy to the innermost thoughts of both Nadia and
Zoe in an attempt to show both sides of the dilemma. This however
does not always generate the reader's sympathy for either character.
The male characters, husbands of the stepsisters, are only shallowly
drawn, which may be the way of things in this situation but the love
that is supposed to exist between Lachlan and Zoe is only stated and
rarely shown.
One character who is clearly portrayed is the teenage Louise. With
her, Baker reveals the angst of being a teenager, who simultaneously
wants the love and affection of her parents but also fights against
them.
In Let her go Barker wanted to 'make people think and talk
about the ethical issues of surrogacy and the psychological effect
on everyone one involved' (p332) and, in this, she succeeds but the
road to eliciting that discussion is not always gripping or
entertaining.
Barb Rye
My grumpy day by Felicity Gardner
Hachette Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780734415448.
Picture book. My grumpy day is the second book by Felicity
Gardner to feature Max, the very cute gorilla. Written to be shared
by preschoolers and their carers, it invites a discussion of the
emotions we all experience, especially dealing with 'the grumps'.
Max lives in the jungle with his family and a wide circle of animal
friends and is usually quite cheerful, however this day he wakes up
grumpy. Everything it seems is wrong. His cereal, which looks
remarkably like Froot Loops, is 'yucky', he doesn't want to share,
play games with his tutu wearing friends or play in the pool. He
just wants to be left alone, much to the surprise of a pack of
curious meerkats. Max finds that's no fun either especially when he
sees his friends sharing a picnic lunch.
Mum of course has the solution when he apologises for his behaviour
and confesses to having 'the grumps'. There is no cure better than a
kiss, a cuddle and a good laugh.
The colourful full page illustrations enable the reader to see Max's
range of facial expressions as he grumps through the day, including
a tearful Max watching the picnic, contrasting with the other
animals enjoying themselves as they share and interact with each
other.
The simple language of the story is easy to read with his complaints
highlighted in eye-catching colours and textures, as is the
solution. Finally we see Max rolling around laughing and bringing
balloons to share at the picnic in an ending banishing 'the grumps'
at least for now.
Sue Keane
The protected by Claire Zorn
University of Queensland Press, 2014. ISBN 9780702250194
(Age: 14+) Recommended. On the front cover A. J. Betts describes The
protected as 'a tender story of grief, trust and healing -
Hannah broke my heart'. Nothing could be more accurate.
The story is told in Hannah's voice as she reveals both her life
after her sister's death in a road accident and, with flashbacks,
to the time before. It is through these flashbacks that the reader
is given an insight into the horrible life that was Hannah's first
years of high school, where she was the victim of vicious physical
and cyber bullying. In her own words she describes herself as 'a
floater' who is subjected to the 'dead animal stares' of Tara
and her 'clones'. But the most poignant and heart wrenching aspect
of Hannah's ostracism is the loss of her best friend, Charlotte, who
gradually shifts her allegiance to the clones. In one short
sentence, 'Eventually the 'merger' happens.' Zorn powerfully
evokes the shifting relationship of these two once close friends
until eventually Hannah realises that despite Charlotte's attempts
'(Hannah) was only a piece of sentimental childhood memorabilia she
couldn't bring herself to throw away'
Hannah's clear unselfpitying reflection on what is happening only
adds to the sympathy we feel for her.
Then Hannah's sister Kate is killed in a car accident in which her
father was the driver and she, another passenger. The family is
almost completely destroyed: her mother is incapable of doing
anything and her father struggles on after sustaining considerable
injuries. Ironically, for Hannah, it is this event which changes her
school life. Although she is still a 'floater' she is no longer
bullied and even strikes up a friendship with Josh Chamberlain, who
being new to the school, is oblivious to the school social
structure.
The climax of the story should be her father's court case where
Hannah is required to give evidence, but cleverly Zorn downplays
this event creating a more realistic move towards healing than a
sudden revelation that may have been used by other more
sensationalist writers.
While there is much to feel sympathy with in this novel, there is
another side as well. Hannah's sister Kate is not the loving and
caring sister: she disowns Hannah at school and fails to protect her
from the bullies, fearing instead for her own social status. Also
with the pathos there is humour, albeit sometimes black, that adds
another dimension. Zorn's description of Mrs Rorke the maths teacher
'continuing the noble tradition of torturing students with
trigonometry' being just one example.
In The protected Zorn vividly and entertainingly portrays
the time and place in which this novel is set by her creation of
realistic characters and authentic use of language.
Barb Rye
Our island by the children of Gununa and Alison Lester and Elizabeth Honey
Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9780670077687.
'Our island lies beneath a big blue sky,
surrounded by the turquoise sea.
Turtles glide through the clear salt water.
And dugongs graze on the banks of seagrass...'
And so begins the text of a most stunning pictorial book about
Mornington Island, the largest of the Wellesley group in the Gulf of
Carpentaria, the result of a collaboration by the children of Gununa -
the main township - and Alison Lester and Elizabeth Honey. Focusing
on the stunning wildlife that inhabits both land and sea, the
illustrations have been done by the children of Mornington Island
State School using wax crayons and food dye wash. This makes the
focal point of the pictures stand out against the background which
blurs and blends as dyes do and the landscape does. Beginning with
the sunrise and following through the day until the ghost crabs make
patterns on the sand, the local dogs sing to the moon and the island
finally sleeps, this is a celebration of life in a unique
environment where the connection between the land and life is almost
indivisible. Even though the text is kept to a minimum, the choice
of words has been carefully selected to match the pictures giving
the whole thing a poetic quality that echoes the rhythm of the day,
emphasising the gentle passage of time. Overall, a sense of peace
and pride just exudes from this book.
The stories of both the island and how this book came about are
fascinating in themselves - all royalties and a dollar from each sale
are going back to the school to fund community art projects - and
provide another layer to what is already an amazing book.
Each of us lives in a unique community, whatever its geographical
setting, that has its own special undercurrent of life that goes on
and on, providing a continuity that might be interrupted by humans
but not destroyed. How fascinating it would be to have students look
beneath the surface of their everyday lives to discover what is
there, how it is sustained, how it is impacted by us and then use
Our island as a model to share the findings. Students would have to
draw on all their senses and cross all curriculum boundaries to
discover and portray the daily, unchanging routines of nature that
cycle on through their lives.
A wonderful work that will probably make the reader want to book a
trip to an island paradise immediately!
Barbara Braxton
Magic animal friends: Molly Twinkletail runs away by Daisy Meadows
Orchard Books, 2014. ISBN 9781408326268. Rainbow magic books have been a popular choice for six to eight year
old girls transitioning to chapter books. Magic animal friends
is a new series from the same group and aimed at a similar audience.
Molly Twinkletail runs away is the second book of this series
featuring friends Jes Forester and Lily Hart and a magical forest
populated by cute talking animals.
As Jes and Lily set off to help in the Wildlife Hospital run by
Lily's parents they encounter Ginger the cat which had guided the
girls to Friendship Forest on their first adventure. Once again they
enter the magical forest and meet their talking animal friends who
are preparing for a fair. Here they encounter Molly Twinkletail who
loves helping, but being so small, is not allowed to help on the
family stall and so is offering her help to all and sundry.
Just as Molly scampers off, Grizelda the evil witch appears. She is
determined to take over the forest, making it a dark and gloomy
place. This time she has sent her servants, the dirty, ugly Boggits,
to destroy the Treasure Tree from which all the animals gather their
food. It is up to the girls and their animal friends to save the
tree, rescue Molly who has tried to help the Boggits by getting them
a drink and send the Boggits back to Grizelda's Tower.
With the sparkly cover, map of Friendship Forest, easy to read text
interspersed with line drawings of cute animals and the ugly
Boggits, this series follows the formula which has been so
successful in the past for the Rainbow magic group, this time drawing
on a love of small creatures rather than fairies.
Sue Keane
The destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen
Sphere, 2014. ISBN 9780751552621
(Age: 18+) Be warned, the language in this story of star-crossed
lovers is 'strong', there is a very explicit description of sexual
intercourse, the story includes drug taking and ends in a very dark
way. If this is still for you and your school fiction collection,
read on. Violet, a beautiful and contemptuous young woman, has been
traumatised by witnessing the killers of her parents leaving their
bodies, and by the years of unfeeling foster-parenting that follow.
Luke, an attractive but sexually ruthless freshman, has been
traumatised by his mother's neglect and insistence that he inject
her with heroin. Violet eventually becomes a drug dealer, though not
user, and meets Luke at university. Both are keen to succeed and
work to support themselves. Both are unpredictable and unstable, but
are attracted to each other and gradually form a loving
relationship, the first in their lives. They share a small apartment
with several others and seem to be building trust. However, this
fragile connection is destroyed when the investigation into Violet's
parents' murders is reopened. Together they realize that Luke's
mother is implicated. Violet abandons hope of happiness and in
despair returns to an abusive drug-dealing foster parent. The novel
has the ring of a soap opera, as the characters are unbelievably
attractive and their smouldering passion continues to grow despite
attempts at rejection and outbursts of rage. Young readers may find
interest in the off-on relationship and in the drama of the murder,
but the story ends in a very dark way, and there is not a lot of
literary merit in it.
Jenny Hamilton
Angela Nicely by Alan Macdonald
Stripes Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781847153838.
(Age: 9+) Angela Nicely looks nice but loves getting into mischief.
This novel has 3 short stories so is a great book for girls aged 9+
and starting out with longer books. In the first story, Angela is
determined to prove their teacher is wearing a wig and the story
becomes quite funny as Angela spies on Miss Skinner, falls in the
compost and then gets an idea about using a vacuum cleaner to help
her. Imagine a small girl, a vacuum cleaner and a teacher's hair do!
The stories are funny and written by the author of the Dirty Bertie
series. It is funny, descriptive and quick moving. They would be
good stories to read to the class and use to show the structure of a
narrative. They would be good to use as a story base and have
children write their own Angela Nicely stories or create their own
characters.
Kylie Kempster
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
Simon and Schuster, 2014. ISBN: 9781471123221.
Recommended for readers 15+. Based on the Emmy Award-winning YouTube
series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern day depiction of
the Pride and Prejudice story.
The enigmatic Elizabeth of old becomes a twenty four year old grad
student, Lizzie Bennet, who is still living at home along with her
two sisters - beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. The absence of the
superfluous two Bennet sisters is indicative of the style of the
book. Lizzie records her reflections on life for her thesis project
and posts them on YouTube, turning the Bennet sisters into internet
celebrities seemingly overnight.
As the story unfolds, it is only through key events the reader
starts to make direct comparison with the Austen novel. Unlike the
free, indirect speech style of the original, this novel is presented
in diary form presenting a much more personal tone. This
demonstrates the cultural shift to a world where nothing is private
but also whets the appetite of young readers who want to know
everything about a character, leaving little to the imagination.
The novel is certainly not a classic, but is an excellent example of
how our cultural standards, communication and environment have
changed significantly, but individuals and families have remained
the same. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet would be great for
reluctant readers and those interested in the application of classic
literature to modern day circumstances. Discussion questions are
provided at the back of the book for classroom use. I wouldn't
recommend the novel for lower than Year 10 or boys, as stated,
little is left for the imagination at times.
Catherine Barnes
Workshopping the heart: New and selected poems by Jerri Kroll
Wakefield Press, 2014. ISBN 9781743051283.
(Age: Upper secondary students) Well recommended. This caressing,
probing, melodic and challenging volume of stream of consciousness
poetry invites the reader to participate in the wealth of variety
encompassed here. The subjects are wide and varied, from 'Death as
Mr Right' to 'Indian Movies', 'Monster Love', 'House Arrest', 'The
Mother Workshops' and 'New Poems' Each poem invokes a particular
personal memory and emotion in the reader. It's a sensitive and
challenging way to look at human relationships. 'House Arrest' is
such a surprise but so honest. It really is a volume of
'workshopping the heart' in all the emotions invoked by the clarity
and depth of the work The reader is invited to share the emotions of
the poems but also to enjoy their own reactions to each piece. It's
a very thought provoking volume, well worth re-reading.
Sue Nosworthy
Supertato by Sue Hendra
Simon and Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9780857074478.
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. Humour, Wordplay. Another in a line of books
by Sue Hendra, using words as a ploy to make the readers laugh, will
appeal to a younger audience, just coming to grips with language an
its many uses and meanings. The preceding titles, Barry the fish
with fingers, Norman the slug with the silly shell
amongst others are laugh out loud stories that will engage their
readers.
When mayhem occurs in the supermarket late one night, the carrot,
broccoli and cucumber call on Supertato for help. He quickly
appraises the situation telling them all that he knows who is behind
all of this, the pea. The vile pea with its black mask has no
intention of returning to the freezer from where he has escaped, so
follows a cat and mouse escapade around the supermarket, until calm
returns.
With bold illustrations, full of life and colour, the story about
the super potato will enthrall its intended readership, and make
them laugh at the use made of words to do with vegetables in the
story. And along the way help them understand some words to do with
shopping at the supermarket and the names of vegetables, which for
some children are rarely seen.
This is a delight on several levels and will be seen in classrooms
and at home as children and adults discuss some of the routines of
daily life.
Fran Knight
Let's play by Gabriel Alborozo
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316283.
(Ages: 2-8) Recommended. Picture book. Let's Play is a delightful
introduction to many of the instruments that make up the orchestra.
Hosted by a moustachioed, music loving maestro, a group of delighted
children discover the sounds and colour of orchestral music.
Starting with black and white line drawings of our bespectacled,
baton wielding teacher and the children, each instrument is
introduced and played with the sound represented by shapes and
colour to the entertainment of the children and who dance and join
in playing. From the bright yellow reverberations of the cymbals and
the brightly coloured rectangles representing the xylophone sound,
to the shades of deeper orange swirls and wisps representing the
bassoon contrasting with the single blue line of the piccolo there
is a wealth of colour and movement on every page.
Of course the orchestra finally plays together accompanied by the
now colourfully clothed children and the final page is a vision of
movement and colour.
Readers will recognise the joy of the children and the exuberance of
the orchestral members, like Jeffery banging the cymbals, or the
highly energetic Marguerite on the xylophone, from the
illustrations. To fully appreciate this book however the reader will
need to have some experience with the different sounds the
instruments make.
What a great way to begin an exploration of the world of music
if this book and a recording of the sounds were to be used in
harmony.
Sue Keane
Too hot for spots by Mini Goss
Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743435410.
Recommended for children aged 3+. Too Hot for Spots is a lovely
picture book with bright, real life photos to help tell the story.
Barry and Stella are dogs and in this story they are taking turns to
be the doctor or the patient. The story is told through a
conversation between the two characters and will be a great book for
parents to read with their children. The images have all the tools a
doctor needs and are great discussion points. It would also be a
good story to use during oral language in a reception class.
Kylie Kempster
