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
Big Sky Mind by Whitney Stewart
Ill. by Sally Rippin. Windy Hollow Books, 2014.
ISBN 9781922081339.
Recommended. Big Sky Mind, with its cover featuring an elephant and
monkey, looks like another picture book and opens with these two
animals obviously having had an argument sitting at either end of a
garden bench fuming. The text however tells another story and
introduces the reader to the world of mindfulness and meditation.
This is an easy to follow introduction to meditation techniques for
children and beginners.
After a simple set of instructions on how to prepare oneself, each
double page spread features a meditation accompanied by Sally
Rippin's delightful and amusing illustrations featuring the animals
from the cover. 'Mind Drawing, to focus your mind', 'Protection
circle, to feel safe' and 'Mind Clearing, to ease your mind' are
just three of the nine techniques proposed.
Common questions regarding meditation are answered in a 'What do I
do when I feel...?' section covering topics including boredom,
wriggling, sore legs and frustration. The answers speak directly to
the reader with easy to understand suggestions and an acknowledgment
that this is a learning process: 'Have no expectations and be kind to
yourself.' It seems like good advice to me from my early experiences
with meditation.
This book could be a useful addition to a parent or teacher's
library especially at a time when the benefit of yoga is being
explored in some schools. The book affirms the value of 'meditating
before you act', and finding ways to have confidence in believing
that you can solve problems by relying on your inner wisdom, reduce
stress and be mindful of others.
Sue Keane
Jumblecat by Archie Kimpton
Ill. by Kate Hindley. Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN 9781471402784.
(Age: 7-12) Recommended. Billy Slipper is an ordinary boy who finds
an unusual pet. Add an extraordinary set of characters reminiscent
of a Roald Dahl book, and the adventure begins.
Billy's mother is obsessed with dirt, so she has covered the inside
of the house with plastic. His twin sister loves getting him into
trouble and his father says nothing just goes to work as a milkman
or watches television.
One day, whist escaping the chaos he created with a cheese sandwich
by walking on Tumbledown Hill, he rescues a jumbled up, extremely
ill mannered talking cat. As Billy can't take the cat home, his
mother also hates cats, he seeks help from his next door neighbour
and friend, the eccentric and very old Mrs Mandiddee who delights in
Billy's new find.
Together they enter the cat in 'The World Fair of Curious Creatures
and Strange Animals' in the hope of winning enough money to have the
cat rearranged by the vet so it looks normal. Not surprisingly,
Jumblecat wins the competition judged by the disturbing Colonel
Beauvrille, who is not pleased when Billy refuses to sell it to him.
This is where the real adventure and mayhem begins. Billy's mum does
a deal with the Colonel while Billy is out and Jumblecat is taken to
Deadham Castle, the Beauvrille family home. It is up to Billy and
Mrs Mandiddee to recover Jumblecat with some timely help from Mr
Slipper in his milk van. There is some urgency to the rescue bid
when they discover the Colonel happens to be a taxidermist.
Returning Jumblecat to normal takes a bit of creative thinking, and
what will Mrs Slipper do when they return home?
Madcap adventures and quirky characters, written with vivid
description and interspersed with Kate Hindley's illustrations, are
sure to attract readers who have enjoyed books by Dahl, and more
recently David Walliams.
Sue Keane
The geography of you and me by Jennifer E. Smith
Headline, 2014. ISBN 9781472206299.
Well recommended for upper secondary students. A cleverly contrived
plot where the main characters are able to express their inner
thoughts, which closely ally a reader's own view of the situation at
the time. Lucy lives on the 24th floor of an apartment in New York
and when the power goes out on an incredibly hot day she meets Owen,
who lives in the basement, not that Lucy is aware of that. They get
stuck in a lift and talk. This leaves each of them with a yearning
to see more of each other. Owen's mother has died and he and his
father are trying to sort out their lives and so after an
unsuccessful stint at mending the pipes in the hotel they set off to
'drive out west, find some place better suited for them, a place
with more sky and fewer people. Maybe, in that way, Owen would be
able to say goodbye too' p78. They do. Lucy's rather casual parents
finally insist she joins them in Paris and onto Scotland. And so
starts an exchange of irregular postcards to each other. The genuine
feelings each expresses about their relationship is heart-warming,
amusing and tender as first love blossoms. It's an engaging easy to
read story of young people finding their voice and creating a world
where they can share their thoughts and hopes. The font is clear and
well-spaced. It focuses on young people's fragile relationships
while learning about each other.
Sue Nosworthy
Running on a Patchwork of Earth by Jonny Zucker
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781472905345.
(Age: 8-11) It is not often that a sport such as middle distance
running features in novels for 8-11 year olds. We may have to thank
the Olympics for sparking the idea and giving us an insight to this
sport and the reality that change brings new opportunities if you
are willing to take the chance.
AK attends a boy's boarding school in Iten Kenya where the best
runners are trained and mentored by the best running coach Brother
Colm. As an aspiring 800 m Olympic runner AK relishes the
opportunities he has to train and learn. In fact he feels running is
his destiny and devotes all his energy and time to it despite his
parents and teachers urging him to focus as fully on his school
work.
AK's immediate focus is on trials for the school Athletics Team and
just as he makes the cut his father arrives and announces that the
family are moving immediately to London for at least a year due to
his work as a scientist. Naturally devastated AK finds accepting his
new life difficult despite making friends with two girls in his
form. His dreams of becoming a great runner are shattered however as
athletics training is not available at the school and the local
clubs are not open to new members.
Eventually AK begins running alone at the local park and attracts
the attention of Frank, the unkempt, depressed and out of work
father of the school bully. Frank was destined to have a future as a
runner when he broke his leg and his career prospects were over.
Frank offers to train AK who accepts, despite some misgivings, and
they both gain from the experience.
This is a story about acceptance and adapting to change. Taking
responsibility for his own training opens a new opportunity for AK
whilst Frank makes changes to his own life and relationships moving
on at last from his past disappointments.
Sue Keane
Adorable Alice by Cassandra Webb
New Frontier Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781921928017. Adorable Alice is a beautiful picture book highly recommended
for children aged 3+. Whether reading it with an adult or trying on
their own, children will wonder at Alice, a young girl who explores
her house by using her different senses. A great book to support
learning the days of the week, who is in a family and our different
sense and how we use them.
The pictures are detailed and colourful and I like how the author
doesn't explain Alice's reasons for acting like she is. This means
there are a lot of chances for discussion and interpretation.
Kylie Kempster
Howler by Michael Rosen and Neal Layton
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408846179.
(Age: Pre-school - Year 2) Have you ever considered what it must be
like to follow a pregnancy through the eyes of the family pet? In
this very funny take on a common situation, Dog introduces us to his
pet girl, Rover and her family and provides a running commentary of
the changes he notices in Rover's mum as her tummy gets bigger and
bigger. It takes him a while to realise it's not just because she's
swallowed a big dinner and he doesn't understand why he can't sleep
in the big new basket Rover's dad brings home or gets into strife
for trying to catch the animals hanging from the mobile on the
ceiling. Finally, it becomes clear when a very small human appears
on the scene although he is puzzled when Rover tries to eat it and
it tries to eat Rover's mum. He calls the baby Howler because that
what it does, yet no matter what he does he is ignored or in BIG
trouble.
So he starts to spend time with the dog next door, Ruff-Ruff and
it's not long before she starts to get bigger and bigger . . . and
gradually his understanding of the phenomenon develops.
This new edition of this story by the author of We're Going on a
Bear Hunt is very funny and gives a totally new take on that
classic pre-school theme of a new baby joining the family. Neal
Layton's illustrations appear to be quite simple but they convey so
much meaning and expression that they are the perfect accompaniment,
creating a fresh, lively and entertaining story. As well as showing
the young child who is also awaiting a new brother or sister that
'someone' empathises with their bewilderment, if can also that can
be used to help them understand the concept of perspective and our
view of an event depends on our position within it. Discussing the
book from the point of view of rover, her mum her dad, even
Ruff-Ruff's owners, would all enrich and enhance the experience.
Barbara Braxton
Waterfire saga: Deep blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Hodder Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9781444921182.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Deep Blue is the first thrilling instalment
in the Waterfire saga which follows the perilous adventure of six
teenage mermaids are they endeavour to save their ocean home from an
unknown terragogg enemy. The story starts by following princess
Seraphina as she prepares her songspell for her dokimi, a coronation
and betrothal ceremony. The ceremony is interrupted however and her
homeland of Miromara is laid waste by enemy mermen from Ondalina.
With the sea-people preparing for war Seraphina's life and that of
her betrothed's cousin, Neela, are in danger. The girls must do all
that is in their power to get away, even if that means stepping into
the mirror realm and facing down dangerous terragoggs. Drawn
together by dreams of river witches and a terrifying monster the
girls must choose to embrace their talents and either fight or take
flight from their enemy, for they are the descendants of the six
greatest mages who ever lived.
A full blown fantasy with rich details and a portrayal of everyday
environmental concerns for marine life and pollution, this novel is
the perfect fantasy for the modern girl. I would highly recommend
for girls ages eleven and up who love fantasy. The novel is filled
with strong female characters, in a matriarchal setting, who are both
beautiful and smart. The reader is thrown into an enjoyably foreign
new world with a multitude of historical and mythological
references. The novel deals both directly and indirectly with issues
of teenage rebellion, body image, trust, the importance of obedience
and of facing one's problems.
Kayla Gaskell (Student)
Chu's first day at school by Neil Gaiman
Ill. Adam Rex. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408847039.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Picture book. School. Anxiety. A sequel to
the highly successful, Chu's day, this book has the little bear
going to school for the first time. He is anxious about making
friends and fitting in. He is worried that the others will not like
him. His parents try to reassure him but he is still concerned.
We see him in the classroom where he meets his teacher who has a
friendly face. She shows them where the toys are and gets them to
sit in a circle and tell each other what they can do. Several of the
others do this, the giraffe can lift things down from high places,
the monkey can climb trees and the parrot can sing, but Chu cannot
think of anything and so stays silent.
But suddenly he does show them what he can do. A gigantic sneeze
erupts and throws the roof off the school, sending the classroom
into chaos, upturning desks and chairs, throwing everyone around the
room. He can do something, and is very pleased with himself, and the
others think so too.
He goes home happily.
The bright illustrations follow Chu's story throughout the day,
drawing in the background to the story, showing the kind teacher and
the range of animals in the class. The standout images of the
children doing the things they can do are wonderful as are the last
few pages showing the results of Chu's sneeze. This will be a
comforting and funny story to read out loud to new arrivals in a
classroom or those about to go to school.
Fran Knight
Fossil by Claire Ewart
Walker, 2014. ISBN 9780802737373.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Picture book. Fossils. Archaeology. First
published in 2004, this is a handsome picture book. Claire Ewart
once lived near a lake which had been dredged from a stream bed, so
uncovering a myriad of pieces of brachiopods, mollusks and corals,
each a fossil.
This story relives all the excitement of finding a fossil, that once
was a bone. The story imagines the life of the bird, a pterosaur, as
it lives its life cycle. Flying freely in the pale blue skies,
scooping squid from the seas below, wearily heading for home,
feeding its young from the food it has partly digested, then folding
its wings around the young to sleep. The next day sees the same
routine until, one day, its living days over, it becomes bones in
the sand, buried beneath many millions of days to become a fossil,
which is then found.
Beautifully told in poetic words, the story tells smaller children
the life cycle of these ancient dinosaurs, talking about their lives
form birth to death, showing through the illustrations that they
were simply birds, and followed the same life cycle as all of them,
finally becoming a fossil for a child to uncover. This celebration
of the science that tracks down these fossils and explores them for
our better understanding, is an amazing book. Its illustrations in
watercolour depict the animal's day from flying high to catching
food, avoiding predators and bringing up its young.
I was surprised that I was given two books at the same time. One,
Fossil, and the other, Edward and the great discovery (Rebecca
McRitchie) deal with parallel topics, one finding a fossil and
imagining that animal's life story, the other, following the story
of a family of archaeologists. Each compliments the other, and could
be well used in a classroom where science is under discussion, and
introducing fossils, dinosaurs, endangered species, or archaeology
could be done using these books as a starting point. But all that
said, Fossil is a wonderful introduction for younger readers
of a rich part of our lives.
Fran Knight
