Reviews

Happy birthday Hugless Douglas by David Melling

Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9781444913262.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Birthdays, Twins. Hugless Douglas is really looking forward to his birthday and his birthday party. He is given a heap of presents by his many friends, and is eager to open them when his twin cousins appear with the biggest present he has seen. Felix and Mash rush inside and open all the presents they can find, leaving Douglas to feel left out. He likes opening presents but they open them before he is able to get to them. Their present is unwrapped fiercely revealing a doctor's trolley.
With his favourite day taken over by the noisy twins, Douglas goes outside to play on his new pogo stick, but falls off. His friends race inside and grab the doctor's trolley, telling Douglas that they will fix him up.
Thus follows a fabulous time when the friends wrap as many bandages around Douglas as they can, and finding enough to wrap the others as well.
So the whole day ends in fun with everyone working together to make Douglas better again and eating all the cake offered. For Douglas what was the worst day turns out to be the best day.
This is a beautifully illustrated book about birthdays and friendships, about finding that a day is turning out all wrong, but becomes much brighter as things move on. A lovely tale to read to children when things perhaps have not turned out as they hoped, or simply a lovely story to read out loud.
Fran Knight

Shiverton Hall : the creeper by Emerald Fennel

Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408827796.
The creepy and mysterious Shiverton Hall is a school with a reputation for being involved in horrific events over hundreds of years. The school and the surrounds of the aptly named village of Grimstone provide the setting for suspense and horror stories, sometimes involving the kidnapping and disappearance of children which took place at different times over a long history. Related by various characters, the grisly and frightening tales at first seem disconnected but the reader soon appreciates that they are significant in the development of the plot involving central character Arthur Bannister and some close school friends. Events from an earlier novel Shiverton Hall in the series involving Arthur are referred to on several occasions by the author, yet no recapping or summary is provided for those unfamiliar with the preceding book. Readers may be dissatisfied and even confused because those events would seem to have been terrifying with a shocking outcome. This is pivotal to Arthur's thoughts and behaviours in this novel when he leaves his family to resume boarding and study at Shiverton, despite being warned about doing so by a hideously scarred, burned man.
The start of the school term sees the assigning of community service roles for students, which lead to amusing adventures and the arrival of the flamboyant Inigo Cornwall, a new teacher who is also a famed celebrity in the art world. His appalling classroom technique and complete disinterest in education prompts the reader to ponder his role in the school community. This novel comprises several mysteries which of course are revealed in the conclusion and the various frightening tales are drawn together. Some descriptions from the horror stories and the concept of child abduction may be confronting for younger primary students.
Rob Welsh

Pearlie goes to Rio by Wendy Harmer

Ill. by Gypsy Taylor. Random House Australia Children's, 2014. ISBN: 9780857982162.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended for newly independent readers, especially girls, from age 6 upwards. Hurly Burly! Pearlie is just in time for the World Cup! I think any of us who have seen our younger girls squabbling like parrots over the Pearlie books will know that this newest one will be a welcome addition to any library shelf.
Pearlie catches a magic ladybeetle ride to Rio where she meets a new friend, Morena the Tijuca Forest fairy, and is completely enthralled with the exotic wildlife like colourful birds and lizards that walk on water. But it's the amazingly beautiful caterpillars that really impress her and she is more than happy to take care of feeding them, and guarding them while they metamorphose inside their chrysalises. After all, when they emerge it will be time for the giant celebration of the Butterfly Carnival.
Narrowly escaping a scary mishap with a naughty bird, Pearlie and Morena are ready to samba the night away at the most wonderful event ever.
Miss Small is a real Pearlie devotee and she, as well as many others, will eat this up with a relish.
Round off your class's interest in the World Cup celebrations in Brazil by sharing Pearlie's Rio experience with them - they will love it!
Sue Warren

The Water Castle by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN: 9780802735935.
(Ages: 11+) Contains some graphic and violent content with some supernatural themes. A story about a young boy named Ephraim Appledore-Smith who is related to the scientist Orlando Smith. Orlando Smith had been searching for the Fountain of Youth his whole life. Ephraim Appledore moved to Appledore Mansion in Crystal Springs with his family after his father had a stroke. At first Ephraim didn't want to move to the Appledore Mansion because he was happy living where he was. He allowed his siblings and mother's enthusiasm to convince him that it would be a great move. Previously, there were three main families that lived in Crystal Springs. The Appledores, The Darlings and the Wylies. The Appledores were explorers and scientists who owned Ephraim's ancestral home, the Appledore Mansion and it is believed that the Fountain of Youth is hidden somewhere in its grounds.
The Appledores and the Wiley families are long-time rivals in the search of the fountain of youth. The Wileys believe that they have been searching for this fountain longer than the Appledores's and it is this belief that creates bitterness between these two families.
Ephraim becomes friends with his neighbour's daughter Mallory, who at first dislikes him. This changes when Ephraim's class does a project on an explorer. Ephraim and Mallory chose two different explorers who each claimed they had found the North Pole first. After many discussions, both Mallory and Ephraim agreed to do a joint project on how each explorer believed they were the first to discover the North Pole. In the midst of this, Will Wylie has taken a disliking to Ephraim because of the ongoing feud between the Appledores and Wylies.
Eventually, Ephraim befriends Will and they work together with Mallory to uncover an old science lab with notes that indicate that the Fountain of Youth is held within the grounds on Appledore Mansion. This discovery leads the trio on an epic adventure in their quest to find the fountain of youth, which is believed to cure any form of illness and slow down the aging process if it is continually consumed. Ephraim is determined to find the Fountain of Youth to cure the effects of his father's stroke. Eventually they find some half-filled bottles of water hidden in a secret hiding place in the stairs of a secret lab. Ephraim is desperate to find out if this is the water from the Fountain of Youth. However, Ephraim is faced with the decision to sample the water in the bottles and perhaps remain a twelve year old boy forever or to abandon their discovery in hope his father's condition will improve on his own.
This adventure forms a strong and unlikely friendship between these three children of feuding families. The story ends with Will recovering in hospital from a piece of wood stuck in Will's thigh caused by an unsuspected trap in the lab, with Mallory preparing for a trip to Alaska with her mother and Ephraim waving to his father who miraculously recovered from his stroke leaving the question - was it this water that cured Ephraim's father or did he heal on his own?
Christina Sapio

The simple things by Bill Condon

Allen & Unwin, 2014 ISBN 9781743317242.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Family, Rural life. Going to visit an aunt many miles from the city is not what Steve wants to do, but his parents are concerned about her health and have not seen her for nine years. On arrival, he is told they will be there for the whole holidays, three weeks, and she is a caustic, strange old woman who does not mince her words.
At first he is taken aback when he offers a hug, her response not being what he expects, but then the two begin to see each other in a different light, as he plays jokes on her, banging the door of the outside loo when she is in there, and finding her talk about family history of interest.
Their lives become closer as he realises that she is lonely, that she is frail, but will not admit it. He tries to patch up her soured friendship with her next door neighbour, Norm Smith, now undergoing chemotherapy, and goes with Norm and his granddaughter fishing.
This is a charming story of an unusual young boy learning to accept his aunt for what she is, seeing her as others see her, but also looking underneath. Condon writes sympathetically of this woman and her family, and of the life she leads in the country town, and of her relationship with her neighbours and various other community members. Her growing delight with her nephew endears the reader to this cranky old woman, as the whole story becomes one about a developing friendship between two disparate and sometimes difficult people, with Lola finally revealing something of her past.
Fran Knight

Mutant city by Steve Feasey

Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408843031.
(Ages: 13-15) Highly recommended. I really enjoyed this book which I read in three sittings and I highly recommend as an attractive read for reluctant boy readers particularly in years nine and ten. The subject matter, dystopian society and mutants with powers, and its bright embossed cover and the attention paid to the blurb will attract many readers. It is a fast paced plot driven story packed with adventure and adrenalin.
Five very young children are rescued from an experimental science facility and hidden away in safe houses. Thirteen years later they each telepathically receive a message to go to Mutant city. In particular we follow Rush as authorities aware of his existence raid his farmhouse. He escapes but realises he will have to cross the wastelands in order to avoid the troops. He also realises that he has an important mission to accomplish while on his journey.
Meanwhile Tia from her privileged position in the inner citadel seeks to go into Mutant city in order to expose the unfairness of life in the ghettos. She meets Jax, a strange mutant who is seemingly the leader of a resistant mutant group, he persuades her that she needs to get him and his friends into the citadel.
There is a strong cast of male and female characters, and if there is one strong lesson from this story it is that a united team can achieve more than individuals standing on their own. Steve Feasey also pictures two societies living side by side which to my mind suggests a sense of the slums outside some of the great cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Mumbai and the inequality.
Even though set in the future after war, the themes really are about prejudice and rights and thus can be useful in helping to explore broader themes.
This is also a strongly marketed book using social media which may useful in selling the novel to readers. The book sets itself up for the inevitable sequel mutant uprising.
Michael Jongen.

Slaves of Socorro by John Flanagan

Brotherband series. Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781742759340.
(Age: 11+) Highly Recommended. Conflict. Adventure. Sailing. Heroism. Quests. Slaves of Socorro is the fourth book of the Brotherband series, and it is again a very engaging adventure involving a young sea-faring band of young heroic men (and one girl) who are involved in quests that use their superior sailing skills and their variety of fighting talents. In this book the team are engaged to rescue a group of slaves that have been captured for the slave market by a renegade crew from their home country of Skandia. The setting is the fantasy creation of the author, but the comparisons to adventures of the Vikings can easily be made.
Having previously only read the first book from this series, I was concerned that the gap in the continuity would cause issues in my enjoyment of this book, but the author gives enough background detail to link what has happened before to what the characters face in this book. In fact, the book could be read independently from any other of the series, but I would not recommend this as some of the character development would be lost. Flanagan has definitely written a book that male and female readers will love, as the excitement, adventure, hand-to-hand combat and characterisation makes for an exciting and enjoyable read. The humorous relationships and bickering between the Brotherband members adds an element of lightness to the quest. The sailing skills that are utilised also open up a new world of expertise to the reader.
Flanagan writes books that young male readers will immediately enjoy, and will be waiting for the next book in the series impatiently! This series, along with the Ranger's apprentice series, would be high on the reading preferences for upper primary and early secondary readers.
Note: There is violent conflict, but there are aspects of morality associated with what constitutes right action in the face of 'war-like' activity.
Carolyn Hull.

How to train your dragon by Cressida Cowell

Little, Brown & Company, 2014. ISBN 9780316085274. Recommended for children aged 8-12. To become a Viking hero it was a tradition of the Hooligan Tribe to undertake the dreaded Dragon Initiation Programme. Failure meant banishment from the tribe forever.
The unremarkable Hiccup, the son of Viking Chieftain Stoic the Vast, and a member of the Hairy Hooligans, must capture a sleeping baby dragon from the cave in Wild Dragon Cliff, preferably without awakening the mass, take it back to the village and train it to obey and catch fish for him. No easy task.
Hiccup and his little dragon, Toothless, are scorned and bullied by other members of the gang. He has great difficulty training his reluctant dragon, but patience pays off and Toothless eventually proves to be very heroic when most needed.
All the characters have unbecoming names such as Snotlout, Thuggery, Baggybum and Gobber, who is a six-and-a-half foot giant with a mad glint in his one working eye and a beard like exploding fireworks.
The teenage Hooligans and their counterparts, the Meatheads, initially clash in fierce rivalry. A dreadful crisis threatens the entire village and the 'Big Drums' summon the two teams of boys, who must work together to overcome two humungous dragons, causing spectacular havoc.
Brave Hiccup, the only person who can converse with dragons, devises a remarkably clever plan and endures a mindboggling experience with Green Death and, with Toothless helping, struggles to outwit the monsters, to avert a catastrophe.
Joan Kerr-Smith.

Captain Underpants and the revolting revenge of the radioactive robo-boxers by Dav Pilkey

Scholastic Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781743621806
(Ages: 9+) Laugh out loud humour with FLIP-O-RAMA that allows you to animate the action.
Captain Underpants returns in his epic tenth novel with Mr Krupp who turns into Captain Underpants with the click of a finger. In this novel George, Harold, Sulu and Crackers embark on an adventure to figure out a way to undo the time-travelling hijinks of Tippy Tinkletrousers that prevented George and Harold from creating Captain Underpants in the first place!
Tippy Tinkletrousers was in big trouble because he had zapped himself back in time five years, and accidentally scared four bullies from the school. This thoughtless mistake set in motion a series of events that ultimately got Mr Krupp fired. Since there was no Mr Krupp, there was no Captain Underpants. Since there was no Captain Underpants, there was nobody to save the world from the terrible devastation caused by the villains from the first three epic novels.
To fix this problem Tinkletrousers decides he has to go back in time to stop himself from scaring those four bullies. After several seconds of made for television style of special effects, Tippy found himself transported to the awful night of the terrifying thunderstorm. He knew at any moment the four bullies would come running from the school and tear across the football field. Then they would come face to face with a slightly younger version of Tippy who was the only one who could stop it all from happening.
Tippy, George, Harold, Sulu and Crackers constantly travel through different times, including the caveman era where Tippy Tinkletrousers gets pummelled in many different ways.  By page 210 of the book, the author tells when and how our universe began, what causes this to happen, what is this theory called, how did the dinosaurs become extinct, what caused the last major ice age and who made the world's first cave drawing. Unfortunately, this information is not useful for any practical benefits.
Page 212 contains the 'I'm smarter than you' song which is bound to make you giggle in true Underpants style.  
The novel ends with the explosion back when nothing existed, when Sulu, Crackers and Tippy cause the whole universe to form. While all the action was happening, before Crackers left, she leaves three purple and orange speckled eggs.
Could this be the beginning of another Captain Underpants adventure? Stay tuned to find out.
Christina Sapio.

Silly birds written and illustrated by Gregg Dreise

Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142993.
(Age: 5-7) Picture book. Moral tale. Aboriginal themes. Birds. The story of an animal which defies its elders is one that permeates through all cultures, and here is presented with an Aboriginal base, as the eagle, a magnificent bird, wastes its time defying its elders and consorting with the turkeys on the ground.
Maliyan the eagle has loving parents, and they make sure that he listens to what they tell him. He doesn't want to be a wombah thigaraa, a silly bird. But then he meets Wagun, a silly bird, and together the pair talk all the time, not listening to their elders. Wagun speaks only of his own accomplishments. Maliyan's parents despair, their son is not taking care of their environment and eating the food meant for all. They tell him how they feel and he begins to feel badly about what he has done. He realsies that his abilities are not in talking like the turkey, but watching and listening, and he flies into the sky to do just that, while the turkey stays on the ground. To this day the eagle remains in the sky ever watchful, while the turkey remains scratching on the ground having lost the ability to fly.
This is a wonderful tale of respecting the elders, of making the most of your own abilities, of not being swayed by the easy path, of not being taken in by your peers.
The story reflects the saying 'its hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys', often heard from Gregg's Uncle Reg Knox as well as the elders in his community in South West Queensland where the Kamilaroi people live. A lovely retelling of an old story which could be used in a class where cautionary tales are under discussion, or Aboriginal stories being read.
Fran Knight.

Phyllis Wong and the forgotten secrets of Mr Okyto by Geoffrey McSkimming

Allen & Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742378213.
Meet Phyllis Wong, great-granddaughter of the famous Wallace Wong (that great 1930s conjuror of stage and screen fame) herself a cannily adept magician. Phyllis lives in the beautiful Art Deco apartment block built by her fantastical forebear along with her Dad, Harvey, and a very smart fox terrier called Daisy. Her best friend Clement is an able foil and sometimes inept assistant for her adventures and the cast is rounded out by other inhabitants of the Wallace Wong building, all of them rather unmistakeable and somewhat eccentric.
This first adventure begins with the distressed Mrs Lowerblast, proprietor of Lowerblast's Antiques & Collectables Emporium (ground level Wallace Wong building) being terribly upset to discover the theft of a precious piece of Australiana pottery. As things heat up a valuable diamond necklace also disappears, closely followed by a rare Picasso, without so much as the slightest hint of a human culprit being involved. Could it possibly be... well, ghosts? How can a valuable necklace - securely protected - just vanish into thin air as if by magic? Ahh, as if by magic! - Phyllis Wong brings all her unusual powers of observation and thinking into play and combined with her expert knowledge of sleight-of-hand manages to reveal a very nasty criminal, helping out her friend and neighbour Chief Inspector Inglis.
McSkimming's skill with bringing characters to life on the page, his quirkiness with language and his ability to create a rollicking mystery laced with humour and cleverness never fails to impress. Phyllis Wong lives in a very modern world, with all the gadgetry young readers are used to yet the story still retains the essential flavour of older style adventure-mysteries with their endless appeal, where good always triumphs over evil. The city in which she lives is skilfully anonymous enabling any reader to project themselves into the thick of the action with ease. Phyllis is a strong character, being smart, resourceful and mature, with a fierce loyalty to her friends of all ages. With plenty to engage both boy and girl readers these will be sure-fire hits with children aged around upper primary to lower secondary.
Watch the book trailer and trailer with the author.
Sue Warren.

Phyllis Wong and the return of the conjuror by Geoffrey McSkimming

Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743318379
The second of the Phyllis Wong mysteries sees Phyllis, Clement and Chief Inspector Inglis caught up in a baffling case of rare Shakespearean manuscripts, which are suddenly appearing in auctions. How can it be that such rare items as the First Folios of Shakespeare almost flood the market, when so few of them have survived the centuries since they were first published?
Of course, if one could travel back in time and buy them firsthand and bring them back to the present day that would make perfect sense. But that is impossible - or is it?
Phyllis is astounded to meet her famous great-grandfather Wallace Wong when he travels through time and reappears in his old basement of magical wonders, now Phyllis' own workshop. Wallace shares with Phyllis the secret of 'transitting' through strange Pockets in time and space, a skill he developed through his dedicated study of science, inspired by Einstein's theories, as well as his own application of the mysteries of magic. This certainly explains Wallace's strange disappearance in the middle of his act in Venezuela, back in 1936. And - importantly, explains how the nasty Mistress Colley is obtaining Shakespearean First Folios to sell for enormous profits. Not exactly illegal, if somewhat unethical but when it becomes apparent that Mistress Colley intends to steal original manuscripts written by the Bard, it's time for the resourceful Miss Wong to step in.
Phyllis, Clement and Chief Inspector Inglis know the only way to foil the plans of the loathsome Mistress Colley is to transit back to The Globe and thwart her illicit designs. As one might imagine, there is bemusement - and amusement - all round for obvious reasons when strangers appear and try to warn William Shakespeare. However, as with all satisfying adventure-mysteries, the action rolls on and the villain is stymied.
Another real page-turner (I read it in one sitting!), this second volume of Phyllis Wong certainly has me anticipating the next instalment.
Be sure not to miss out, put these on your shopping list - they are guaranteed to 'vanish' off the shelves rapidly!
Watch the book trailer and trailer with the author.
Check out Phyllis' FaceBook page as well.
Sue Warren.

The Croc and the Platypus by Jackie Hosking

The dawn chorus by Suzanne Barton

Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408839218.
(Age: 3-5) Warmly recommended. Birds. Music. Dawn. The swirling lines of music on the endpapers take the readers into the story, as they follow the tale of the music which accompanies the rising of the sun each morning.
When Peep wakes one morning he can hear the most wonderful singing and goes from one animal to another asking who is making this beautiful sound. No one can help, the owl hooting that it isn't him, the mouse squeaking that it isn't her, but the frog thinks that it comes from over there. Looking up, Peep notices that there are many birds in the tree above his head, singing together. When he asks what is happening, they tell him that they are the dawn chorus, singing in the day. Peep asks if he can join in, and is told to come back in the morning to audition. After practising all night, he returns in the morning, only to find that he is too late. But the next morning he sleeps in as well, and finds that he can sing well at night, because he is a nightingale, a bird that sings at night, not the morning.
A lovely story of doing what you are meant to do, of finding your own niche in the world. The dawn chorus is beautifully illustrated with soft watercolour images that float across the page. Younger readers will thrill to the story read out loud, following Peep's attempts to find where he belongs, going from one animal to another to follow the music that he hears, knowing that music is his life.
Fran Knight

The Amazing A to Z Thing by Sally Morgan

Ill. by Bronwyn Bancroft. Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781921894190.
(Age: Pre-school - Yr 2) Anteater had something amazing to show her friends, so she invited Bilby to have a look. 'It will make you gasp in astonishment'. She said. But Bilby was too busy resting. 'Show Chuditch,' he said. So Anteater did, telling Chuditch that she has something that will make her squeal with happiness. But Chuditch was too busy smiling at herself in the water. 'Show Dingo,' she said. And so it goes on with Anteater visiting all the animals of the alphabet, each time appealing to a different emotion but always getting the same response. Everyone was too busy until Anteater decided to look at it herself and began to gasp and giggle and hoot and laugh and shout and dance.
This book is a masterful merging of two extraordinary talents - the storytelling of Sally Morgan who takes the concept of an alphabet book to a whole new level and the artistry of Bronwyn Bancroft whose traditional indigenous illustrations add such colour and character.
The very best picture books are those that have many layers and which, even though they might have an apparent target audience, have the capacity to be used across the ages. This book is one of those. As well as reinforcing the letters and order of the alphabet, and exploring the gamut of emotions, not the least of which is perseverance, the reader is also introduced to a host of Australian creatures, familiar and not-so. Who knew that a chuditch was a quoll from Western Australia or that Velvet Worms existed when Australia was part of Gondwana and they're not really worms at all? And there are another 24 creatures to investigate. And that's just the text. Bancroft's use of colour and pattern, shape and line provide a whole new tangent to explore.
Anteater may have an amazing thing - but this is an amazing book.
Barbara Braxton