Bloomsbury, 2014. (First published 2010.) ISBN 9781599906614. The twin's daughter has some elements of the gothic novel.
The atmosphere is one of suspicion, a sense of foreboding, mystery
and danger. Set in Victorian London, the Sexton's home is lavish and
contains the necessary secret tunnel which joins it to the house
next door.
The opening line sets the scene for what is to follow, 'I was
thirteen the year everything changed with a single knock at the
door.' The knock on the door is quickly revealed to be Lucy's
mother's long lost identical twin sister who has been brought up in
the work-house after having being rejected by those who adopted
Lucy's mother. There then takes place a Pygmalion transformation as
Aunt Helen is welcomed into the house and lavished with those
accoutrements her own life never provided - clothes, education and
social graces. Such is the effectiveness of this change that Aunt
Helen and Lucy's mother are sometimes mistaken for each other. It is
this similarity which provides the twists and turns of the plot. The
reader is often invited to question Aunt Helen's real motives even
when Lucy embraces her. The 'unspeakable crime' which occurs halfway
through the story adds yet another twist. On another layer there is
the development of the relationship between Lucy and Kit, the boy
next door, which even less experienced readers can predict will end
in romance. The minor characters of the neighbours and the aged Aunt
Martha who come to visit add little to the story. The themes of
guilt, restitution and growing up are really only shallowly
explored. The twin's daughter has the necessary ingredients for a
gripping yarn but Baratz-Logsted fails to deliver. The characters
are two dimensional and the plot contrived, failing to effectively
create the atmosphere which would keep a reader turning the pages.
At best it can be described as 'a little bit creepy'.
Barb Rye
Incy wincy spider ill. by Karen Erasmus
Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9780734415493.
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. Picture book. Humour. Nursery rhyme. What a
lively and joyous little tale is presented here as the Incy Wincy we
all know being washed out of the water spout is given an airing as
he tries in vain to find a safe haven. Children will love reading of
his adventures, and be encouraged to add another refrain, telling of
Wincy's trials.
The nursery rhyme has only four lines: Incy wincy spider climbed up the water sppout
Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again.
There are versions with slight word changes, but the poem in this
book takes the story further as Wincy tries to find a place of
safety. Youtube has a number of presentations of this song for
children to sing along to, including one by the Wiggles, as well as
a Disney one.
This one has Wincy climbing under the house, or up a sandcastle, or
climbing into the laundry hamper or finding a warm bed which belongs
to the family dog. Each time something or someone chases him out.
The illustrations by Erasmus complete the very funny tale, by an
unnamed author, encouraging classes again to make their own Wincy
spider and poem.
Fran Knight
The artist's way for parents: Raising creative children by Julia Cameron with Emma Lively
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743315064.
Scan the literature for quotes about the importance of the
imagination and creative thinking as an essential part of the
learning process and you will come up with thousands from people
ranging from Einstein to Jobs. Even Dr Seuss had one:
'Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.'
Following the amazing success of The artist's way published
20 years ago and still selling, Julia Cameron has now written this
guide for parents who want to enable their children to maximise this
innate part of their being. Based on her belief that 'Creativity is
a spiritual undertaking. Parenting is a spiritual undertaking' she
describes this book as 'a spiritual toolkit, a support, a guide.'
She says, 'Let us lessen our grip on the obsession with perfection,
with the 'mastery' of parenting, and allow ourselves to explore and
delight in the mystery instead.'
This is not a how-to book that provides instructions on how to teach
the child to paint, knit, model, or play a musical instrument. With
chapter titles such as Cultivating Curiosity, Cultivating
Self-Expression, Cultivating Conscious Inflow and Cultivating
Humility it has a much broader focus written in a conversational
style with anecdotes and examples that could easily be adapted to
the classroom or the home. She addresses the issue of clutter and
mess that often inhibits parents from encouraging creativity, while
at the same time encouraging the parent to examine their own likes
and compare them to those of the child, providing a mix of the
practical with the philosophical. Spattered with such exercises that
challenge thinking and encourage small changes with big impacts,
this book has a place in both your Teacher Resource and Parent
Library sections.
There are a few pages devoted to the power of reading and at their
end, she writes, 'Sharing experiences through reading, we connect
ourselves to something larger. Connecting to something larger, we
become larger ourselves.' I think that 'reading' could be
substituted with 'creativity' and encapsulate the whole theme of
this book.
Barbara Braxton
The truth about Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014. ISBN 9781742979502.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Reluctant readers. Rumours. Peer pressure.
Brandon Fitzsimmons spreads the rumour that Alice Franklin was with
two guys at the party. Alice wears tight tee-shirts and was found
kissing Brandon in the closet a couple of years before. This is just
the beginning of the rumours about Alice. When Brandon is killed in
a car crash, his best friend who was in the car with him, tells his
mother that Alice was texting Brandon and caused the accident, even
though Brandon had been drinking. From then on the rumour mill rolls
on out of control.
Told through the eyes of four teens, Mathieu brings the story of
Alice to life. Elaine, the pretty popular girl who had an on again,
off again relationship with Brandon, believes she knows all about
Alice and that the rumours have to be true. Kelsey was once Alice's
best friend, but afraid to lose her popularity with the in crowd,
leaves Alice alone and contributes in a terrible way to the stories
about Alice. Josh was Brandon's best friend and started the nasty
rumour that Alice caused Brandon's death. Kurt is the school nerd
who has had a crush on Alice for ages. He is the only one to offer
her friendship. Alice finally gets to have her say in the
final chapter and her pain and anger comes through clearly.
Mathieu captures the voices of her four protagonist, revealing their
weaknesses and their reasons for shunning Alice. She cleverly has
each person adding to the story of Alice until the reader knows and
understands Alice's personality and then hears the truth from Alice
at the end.
This is a relatively short story, with easy to read chapters. The
themes of teenage parties, boyfriends, rumour mongering and peer
pressure is sure to be popular with teens.
Pat Pledger
Possum's big surprise by Colin Buchanan
Ill. by Nina Rycroft. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742839271.
(Age: 3-5) Warmly recommended. Australian animals, Rhyming stories,
Birthdays. The beautiful soft water colours make this story sing.
Flossy the possum skips across the title page, then the publications
page until she is finally in the story. She is hurrying home, but is
detoured by the range of animals she meets. Each second page ends
with 'When all of a sudden', and kids will love reading this line
above all, out loud, imagining the creature that will follow.
In rhyming stanzas, the words beg to be read out loud, with
repetition adding to the suspense of turning the pages.
And Rycroft has illustrated this text with verve. Kids will adore
her animals, softly furred and placed with their trees and bushes,
wrapping things for the last page, giving a hint of what is to come.
The illustrations dance across the pages like the possum, taking
space that necessitates the text moving in different ways. Beautiful
trees hang across pages, while ants scurry to their home with their
find for the day.
The front page with animals peeking form behind the tree is
paralleled on the back cover, where we see the back view. Kids will
love the humour in the illustrations, and the fun with the words.
This is a wonderful combination of a fun filled text marrying
exquisite illustrations, making a humorous book that will appeal to
a cross section of children at home, in the library or classroom.
Fran Knight
The Last Thirteen Series by James Phelan
Scholastic, 2014. The Last Thirteen: 10. ISBN: 9781742831879. The Last Thirteen: 9. ISBN: 9781742831886. The Last Thirteen: 8. ISBN: 9781742831879. The Last Thirteen: 7. ISBN 9781742631909.
(Age: 12-15) Recommended. Themes: Action, Adventure, Dreams,
Survival, Science fiction, Thriller, Good and evil,Fate, Heroes and
heroines, Prophecies.
James Phelan continues to build the suspense in these four novels in
The Last Thirteen series; through his use of fast-paced
action, plots that have unexpected twists, rogue secret agents,
futuristic technology and enthusiastic tech-savvy teenage characters
involved in life and death situations. Each book ends with a
cliffhanger and the next begins with a recap of previous events,
they need to be read sequentially from Book 13 to Book 1.
Sam's thrilling journey continues with his quest to find the chosen
dreamers, to stop the ever-increasing power of a number of enemies
and save the world. The search continues across the globe from Paris
to Brazil and on to Cuba, where Sam has to rely on his dream
memories, his skills, his stealth suit, Academy friends and on the
skills of the dreamer he must find. Clues must be followed, devious
plots foiled, kidnapped friends rescued all with little rest or
sustenance. James Phelan takes the reader on a Bourne Identity style
reading adventure.
The first book was published by Scholastic in September 2013 and the
final will be released in December 2014. There is a comprehensive website with exclusive
information, competitions, updates and book trailers. The countdown
clock shows how many minutes until the next book is released.
Recommended for readers from 12-15 years
Rhyllis Bignell
My Life . . . series by Tristan Bancks
Random House Australia Children's, 2014. My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up. ISBN: 9780857983190 My Life and Other Stuff that Went Wrong. ISBN: 9780857980373.
Highly recommended for readers 9 and up. When your readers have
eaten up all the Andy Griffiths and Jeff Kinney laugh-out-louds,
these are the next choice for them. With the same kind of hilarity,
groan-making grossness, ridiculous situations and craziness, boys in
particular will revel in these books from Tristan Bancks.
Tom Weekly is the anti-hero in question and whether he is mucking
around with his best mate Jack, being victimised by his evil older
sister Tanya, in trouble with his long-suffering mother or arranging
a 'granny fight', Tom has the knack of getting himself in and out of
tricky situations with the ease associated with most ten-twelve year
old boys.
Has your nan ever wanted to climb Everest and enlisted your help in
her training preparation? Are you a dog-kisser or a non-dog-kisser?
Ever been singled out by a killer magpie? Tristan's love, as a kid,
of the weird and wacky stories by Paul Jennings is evident in his
snapshot short stories about Tom and his misadventures.
Written in a similar style to the Wimpy Kid books, with Gus
Gordon's amusing drawings interspersed with the short stories,
lists, jokes and more, these are engaging and easy to read for
reluctant readers as well as being superb quick read alouds.
Encourage your readers to visit Tristan's website for not only more
information about the author and his work but interesting
interactive fun and handy hints on writing and life.
Sue Warren
A kid a camera and a big idea: The complete guide to movie making for kids by Claire Dicarlo
Buzz Movie Makers, 2014. ISBN 9780987563408.
Movie making is no longer the realm of the big names like Baz
Luhrmann, Sir Peter Jackson and George Lucas. Technology has now put
the tools into the hands of our students and for six years Tropfest,
the world's largest short film festival, has held Trop Jr for film-makers
15 and under. Producing a video is a common assessment task in a
range of circumstances, not to mention the accessibility of YouTube!
But while having the tools and an audience are essential, having the
know-how or access to someone with the know-how to make the movie
stand above others is the critical intermediary step. This book
provides that.
Author Claire Dicarlo is both an actress and a film-maker and her
passion is to get kids to tap into their imaginations, and have the
courage to share their stories with others through film. While she
has founded Buzz Movie Makers in Melbourne and has made over 1000
short films with children, she realised that there were many who
could not access her expertise so this book is the result of trying
to reach them. It is a stand-alone step-by-step guide.
Comprising 27 chapters full of information, explanations, tips,
tricks and the stories of real kids and a DVD that puts the words
into practice so the reader can see what to do, it is the ideal
resource for the budding movie-maker, the art faculty or anyone
wanting to take their movie from 'home-movie' to professional.
Claire speaks directly to the reader as she writes, starting at the
very beginning of the process by having them consider why they want
to make the movie. What is its purpose? Is it to persuade, inform or
entertain and how do they want their audience to feel as a result of
viewing it. Is it take them to a different place or a different
time? These decisions are the foundation of any movie (or writing).
She discusses how to come up with a great idea, how to structure the
story well and how to write a script. There is even a chapter about
how to enter a movie festival and another that enables them to
ensure they comply with copyright in both production and screening.
It is much more than a technical diary. The information is in short
chunks, headings are in question format and there are photos and
illustrations throughout. Tips, examples, case studies and
worksheets for the reader to jot down their own ideas accompany each
chapter.
While Claire's target audience is kids from 9-13 and it is written
so that they can follow it independently to make their own film,
this resource has a real appeal for those like me who would love to
get students doing this, starting with a book trailer, but just
don't have the expertise because movie-making wasn't an accessible
skillset for us as we learned our teaching craft. There is a place
for this both on the general shelves as well as the Teachers'
Resources section and there would be many parents who would welcome
its suggestion as a gift for their budding film-maker.
Crowd-sourced through Pozible
(have a look to see how much putting such a project together costs)
it is an excellent result for those who invested.
Barbara Braxton
To see the world by Elaine Forrestal
National Library of Australia, 2014. ISBN: 9780642278494.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. To see and understand History it is
sometimes valuable to step inside the shoes of those who travelled
the world in the past, and to do it through enjoyable fiction.
Elaine Forrestal has told the story of the feisty Rose de Freycinet
who travelled on board her husband's French sailing vessel, the
Uranie, on the 1817-20 journey of discovery and scientific
investigation, which included a visit to Australia. Rose was an
unauthorised passenger on this French Naval journey, and her story
has an unlikely observer and narrator in To See the World - the son
of a Mauritian mother and French Government employee. The young boy,
Jose, appears in portraits from the time, being taught by Rose de
Freycinet. The journey includes the details of the drama of this
sailing journey, which includes storms, illness and death, and
shipwreck as well as the normal day-to-day life of a sailing ship.
The delight of this book is that we get a wonderful glimpse of the
world in Australia's youth, when Sydney was still a very small
settlement, and when a voyage to Australia was long and arduous. The
individuals that sailed on board this voyage are presented as
remarkable and were willing to set aside their own comforts in the
pursuit of knowledge of the world. Forrestal makes the journey of
discovery for us as readers a pleasant experience too. This book is
a great entry point for a discovery of our own history. It is
obvious that the narrative is based on Primary evidence from The
National Library's Collection and uses a transcript of Rose De
Freycinet's own journal as a source for the detail of the journey.
This in itself gives an insight for students in the value of Primary
sources to help us get an understanding of History.
I can recommend this book for Students 12+, although younger capable
students would also enjoy the book. In many respects those who have
enjoyed the historical retellings of Jackie French - Tom
Appleby: Convict Boy , Roseanne Hawke - Taj and the Great
Camel Trek, Rosemary Hayes - The Blue-eyed Aborigine,
Anthony Hill - Captain Cook's Apprentice, would also enjoy
this insight into our history, and particularly the involvement of
the French. (My only distress is that I do not know any French,
because there are a number of untranslated phrases included in the
book. With a translator App, or Google Translate at hand this
presents no problems for the digital native.)
Carolyn Hull
The silly book of side-splitting stuff by Andy Seed
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408850794.
(Ages 9+) Highly recommended. A must read collection of humorous and
interesting facts for all ages including the young at heart! Take a
walk through history with Andy Seed as he looks at the funny side of
historical facts, wacky and unbelievable inventions, nonsensical
poems, silly sports with their blundering commentators, mishaps and
glitches, the worst films titles ever, live T.V blunders and
shockers, subtitles that went bad, games that bombed, preposterous
names, silly careers as well as splendid obsolete or archaic words
to name just a few.
Find out what Hollywood has taught us, who's on the list of most
annoying people and why, the most disgusting foods from around the
world, yucky survival foods you probably won't want to try,
hilarious one liners that are still used today, ways to get yourself
out of a jam, along with the crazy laws made by the most silliest
rulers and the eccentrics of history.
Andy Seed looks at some of history's greatest accomplishments and
the things that worked, as well as the things that didn't go so
well! There is also something for those who are interested in
building their vocabulary! Find out what buildings were built in the
most unimaginable places.
If you are the type of person who likes Horrible Histories,
you'll love this book and its collection of history's funniest and
amazing people, inventions and other crazy stuff. Andy Seed has
something for everyone's fancy no matter how young at heart you are!
Christina Sapio
In the Memorial Room by Janet Frame
Text Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781922147134.
(Age: Adult and mature secondary readers). Beautifully produced with
a dust-jacket in hardback format, the cover design of Janet Frame's
In the Memorial Room enigmatically evokes its title and
contents. The Cote d'Azur is reflected in one illustrated spectacle
lens, while the other lens is clouded. These hint at several
elements of this dense, extraordinary satire.
New Zealand writer, Harry Gill, has won the Watercress-Armstrong
Fellowship, an incestuous award administered by Frame's insufferable
minor characters. This award is supposed to be a living memorial to
real poet, Margaret Rose Hurndell who lived and worked in Menton,
France, where Harry is expected to work in a tomb-like room. Janet
Frame also received a Fellowship to France so we can assume that
some of Harry's appalling experiences might resemble her own. Some
of the award trustees unsubtly signal that their son, Michael,
should be the recipient of the Fellowship. He looks much more like a
writer and even has an artistic beard.
Partly due to his poor eyesight, Harry is timid and bookish; he
misses the best of things and seeks 'intentional invisibility'.
Frame's descriptions of his retreat and obliteration using imagery,
surrealism and fear-of-hyphens is impressive.
English teachers could incorporate a number of Frame's literary
techniques to create lessons or lesson breaks: metonyms, metaphors,
similes and anticlimax; speaking or writing primarily using verbs;
verbal versus written conversations in real time and deconstructed
letter writing.
Joy Lawn
Karana, the story of the father emu by Uncle Joe Kirk, with Greer Casey and Sandi Harrold
Ill. by Sandi Harrold. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743623138.
(Age: 4-6) Australian animals, Aboriginal themes. The story of the
emu playing a definitive role in the hatching and bringing up of the
emu chicks is told in this tale by Uncle Joe Kirk a Brisbane and
Wakka Wakka elder to tell younger readers of the strength that
family has in society.
The emu builds a nest all the time watching out for the female emus
coming by. In rhyming couplets, the story is told of how the emu
sits on his eggs through heat and cold, until he finally feels
movement beneath him and the eggs hatch. He then shows them what to
eat and drink, swallowing small stones to help digestion, and
flattening their bodies on the long grass to avoid the threat posed
by eagles, snakes, dingoes and goannas. Once he has taught all he
knows for his offspring to survive, they go off by themselves, and
he builds a nest ready for the next female to come by.
A story which reinforces the role of the male within the family and
of a family teaching its young how to survive, the lessons learnt
will make a neat platform for discussion in the classroom, using an
Australian animal as the role model as well as showcasing a story
used in Aboriginal families.
Fran Knight
Dead dog in the still of the night by Archimede Fusillo
Ford St Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781925000344.
(Age: 14+) Reluctant readers. As the son of Italian immigrants
growing up in Melbourne, it is no surprise that Archimede
Fusillo's work often features an Italian flavour and with more
than a nod to his own adolescence.
About his first book Sparring with Shadows Archie wrote 'I
have tried to show that boys do have emotions, are vulnerable, and
that it is acceptable to express their feelings. There is a constant
duality of feeling one way and having to appear another.'
His new book with the eerie title continues this theme and once
again focuses on a character struggling to come to terms with many
conflicting feelings. Primo is the youngest son of a family with
strong personalities, long held resentments and simmering sibling
rivalry. His domineering and womanising father is reduced to an old
man suffering dementia and in a nursing home, though still exerting
his influence on the family. Primo's mother is trying to come to
terms with her long-suffering of her husband's many infidelities,
his middle brother has become embroiled himself in an ugly
separation due to his own indiscretion and also facing the wrath of
his mistress and her drug dealing brother, his older brother wants
to sell off the old man's mechanical workshop and take possession of
his prized classic Fiat 500 and Primo is dealing with his final year
at school and a disintegrating relationship with his girlfriend,
Maddie.
The immaculately preserved scarlet Fiat becomes a focal point of the
story. 'I want to buy a car. A special one. A Bambino. Red. Red for
speed. Red for the sex.' While Primo's family might think this
statement of their father reflects upon his philandering, it becomes
apparent that this one thought had sustained him from his peasant
childhood until its fulfilment. For Primo the car represents
adulthood and independence as well as being his father's prized
possession. For older brother Santo, it is a classic cash cow - ripe
for the picking.
When Primo 'borrows' the car to impress his girlfriend and then
prangs it, he is desperate for money to repair it before anyone
finds out. Brother Adrian's peccadillo with his adultery provides an
opportunity for Primo to warn off the scorned lover, Crystal, with
the promise of payment for services rendered albeit not in the way
Adrian had envisaged. Tangled and intricate, the plot unravels with
miscommunications, wrong perceptions, hidden emotions and gritty
realistic episodes. While the media release suggest this book is
suitable for readers 10 and up, my own recommendation would be for
older boys - perhaps 14 and on. There are numerous references to
drugs, sex, violence, strong language and adult concepts. Heaven
sent for some of my own reluctant Year 10 readers.
Sue Warren
The secret maker of the world - stories by Abbas El-Zein
UQP, 2014. ISBN 9780702250071.
(Age: Yr 11-Yr 12, Adult) Recommended. I resisted this collection of
adult short stories at first and then I read several stories in
rapid succession. I found the stories elegant but did not feel
engaged. The stories while diverse featured a similar theme a man
who unknowingly awaits his fate and whose self absorption has stood
in his way of perceiving the truths around him. I found the stories
to be packed with beautiful lines but at times wished the writer had
'killed his darlings' more often.
However the memory of the stories linger and play with my mind and
two in particular have subsequently gripped my imagination. Red
carpet is the story of a corrupt politician, as he waits in
his office for his aide, mulling over his rise and rise, and
preparing for the speech that will define his success. He is unaware
that in the ten minute walk to deliver his speech his life will
unravel. The killer blow lays in the last line. Birds eye tells the story of the wise scholar who is
oblivious to the undercurrents around him and who procrastinates and
makes increasingly foolish choices as the medieval city Merv is
about to be conquered and sacked. In a preface it is explained that
this story is based on historical events and figures.
There is a vivid imagination and the stories leap across time,
cultures and continents. I feel it will enhance any collections of
short stories gathered for Years 11 and 12.
Michael Jongen
World War 1, unclassified by Nick Hunter
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781472905253.
(Age: 9+) Warmly recommended. World War 1, Archives. Another book
produced with the authority of The National Archives in Britain,
this is a fascinating introduction to the events and times of World
War 1 and will be a boon to those looking at war, as it gives access
to a range of documents, photos, diaries, postcards and maps usually
not seen in the text books.
Looking at the contents page gives an overview of what is inside,
and it includes some topics which can prove elusive to the student.
The opening chapter shows life in the trenches, then the book harks
back to the reasons for the war occurring, each double page covered
with a meaningful brief text, photo, maps, and quotes, with a WW1
fact file containing an interesting piece of information. The
expected chapters are there, Digging in, Trench life, Beyond the
Western Front, Home front, each with a plethora of information,
followed by chapters on topics such as Treating the wounded,
Munitions factories, The war at sea, New weapons and War with words.
The last chapters, Armistice, The cost of war, and Lest we forget,
bring this whole to a sombre close.
The book concludes with a double page timeline, a double page
glossary, and then two pages of extra references and resources, with
a well stocked index at the end.
All in all a fascinating introduction to World War 1 for the younger
child, and an admirable text for the older primary student. I am
sure it will be well used in the library and classroom. I was
particularly taken with the postcard on page 15, an example of what
the men sent home. A wish or Christmas with a soldier pointing his
gun at the recipient! On the following page is a photo of a trench
system before and after bombing, and it beggars belief that people
survived in the trench. A photo too of a horse drawn ambulance on
page 29 got me thinking about transport on the battlefield, while
the photo on page 44 of a wounded man being carried off the field n
1917, brought home the difference between the land at the start and
finish of the war.
Even though I have taught this topic for decades I found this an
interesting and evocative book about a war which began one hundred
years ago.
Fran Knight
