Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743621813.
This is the second in the Ava Anne Appleton series, in which
Ava has all kinds of adventures. Ava's parents have embarked on a
year long holiday traveling around Australia in their mobile home
that they call the Adventurer. Her parents are very keen but
Ava is not so sure, especially when it comes to driving along very
narrow roads at great heights. She is missing all her friends and
even her little dog Angus can't seem to cheer her up. However a
stopover at the historic homestead Kardinya changes everything. Here
Ava meets Bonnie Brown, who could almost be her twin. Bonnie has
been traveling around Australia with her parents and her little dog
Banjo for almost a year now.
They find that they have so much in common and immediately become
best friends. Ava and Bonnie are the same age, like the same things
and even live very close to one another. They immediately join up to
explore the old homestead together as their parents prepare a shared
lunch. After lunch they find it very hard to say goodbye but take
consolation that when Ava returns home at the end of the year they
will be able to spend time together. Due to a very nasty storm the
two families meet again by chance and the two girls are inseparable.
Bonnie is keen to share all the wonderful adventures that she has
had traveling with her family and convinces Ava that she is in for
the time of her life.
The next morning they find that their parents have organized a
hot-air balloon ride for all of them. Again Ava is just a little
scared but Bonnie convinces her to jump on board. Needless to say
Ava has a wonderful time. Ava is filled with new confidence and
looks forward to future adventures on the road.
This story explores issues of friendship and of being confident in
new situations. It is a great read for younger children, using clear
imagery and simple black and white pencil sketches. It is not
necessary to have read the first book to understand and appreciate
this episode. The story moves along quickly and leaves the reader
wondering what will happen next.
Lyn Poole
Racing the moon by Michelle Morgan
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316351.
(Age: Young adult) Michelle Morgan uses the voice of a pre-teen lad
in Glebe during the 1930's for her Racing the Moon narrator.
She captures the 'man of few words' ethic of the time because the
protagonists' voice is very authentic. Despite the larrikin
exterior, his inner character is also indicative of many past heroes
of childrens' fiction.
Joe is a product of his upbringing. At a time when the penchant of
fathers is to beat their male issue, browbeat their spouses and
indulge in a little illegal activity, Joe and his father have a
seemingly ambivalent relationship. Morgan's talent is for
juxtaposing the an idyllic Australian past with the kinds of dark
secrets that are common to human nature across all eras. Thus Joe
can be thinking of billy cart racing one minute and discovering his
dad in bed with a strange woman the next.
The friction between father and son is timeless and proves the
catalyst for Joe to be shipped off to boarding school across the
harbour. When confronted by a paedophile in a position of religious
and educational authority, it is Joe who is not believed and shipped
off to a reformatory school in the country.
Reconciliation for the victims of the sexual abuse of yesteryear is
very topical at the moment. However, we do not see Joe as a molested
victim because he manages to stand up for himself. His punishment is
however harsh, futile and unjust giving us an understanding of
insurmountable power relationships which would have been far more
devastating for a less assertive child.
Can Joe's rite of passage be complete at the farm school when faced
with a bully of a different sort? Can Joe's father appreciate the
young man Joe has become?
Don't be put off by the naive cover, Racing the Moon is
confronting Young Adult fiction and readers of any age will be
captivated by Joe, who wins our admiration as a stoic and heroic
figure.
Deb Robins
Jack's bugle by Krista Bell
Ill. by Belinda Elliott. Windy Hollow Books, 2014. ISBN
9781922081292.
(Age: 9+) World War One, Mateship, Death, Remembrance. Following the
story of Jack and his bugle will take readers from the heights of
enlisting when war was first declared, to the admission into the
army with its medical inspections and shots, to the long voyage to
Egypt where men waited in the training camps before their
embarkation to the front at Gallipoli. Readers will get a sound idea
of the euphoria with which men enlisted and the dreariness that
overtook them waiting for war, and the shock of the battle itself
when gunfire rained down upon them at the beaches where they landed.
All told through Jack and the bugle which he carried, a piece of
home, something that he treasured.
When his mate, Harry, finds the abandoned bugle on the beach he
knows it means that Jack has been killed, and he carries the bugle
back home with him, a treasured memory of a lost mate and the
conflagration he has endured. But in turn when he dies, the bugle is
abandoned and finding its way into an op shop, is bought by a young
lad with a link to Jack.
Reading this book will give students a sense of the loss that
occurred at Gallipoli, the reasons people enlisted and the shock of
the war. Along with the many other picture books produced for this
the one hundredth anniversary of the First World War and the
Gallipoli landing in 2015, students will gain more understanding of
the war in which Australia was involved. Teacher's
notes are available from the publisher's website.
Fran Knight
My life and other stuff I made up by Tristan Bancks
My life and other stuff I made up by Tristan Bancks
Ill. by Gus Gordon. Random House Australia Children's Books, 2014.
ISBN 9780857983190 My life and other stuff that went wrong by Tristan Bancks
Ill. by Gus Gordon. Random House Australia Children's Books, 2014.
ISBN 9780857980373.
(Age: Primary) Recommended. Tom Weekly is of indeterminate age and
lives in an iPadless world of adventure, weird adults and relatives,
friends that at times seem barely worthy of the name and an
unrequited passion for Stella Hollings. His sister is mean,
his mother all unknowing and his gran can never resist a
catfight. Tom creates his world with his own imagination and
whatever tools happen to be handy such as a cardboard box or a
texta.
Tom creates his own adventures and his own tall stories, and he can
be an unreliable narrator, but the general havoc he can create, ably
assisted by best mate Jack, brings out my inner ten year old.
As well as sharing his stories, Tom has many other interesting
asides which will hold the attention of his intended boy
audience. For instance in the would you rather game... 'eat
dog poo or cat vomit?'
The stories are generally funny and sometimes macabre in a Simpsons
treehouse of horror way and Bancks often leaves it up to the readers
imagination as to what happened next. Tristan Bancks has
plenty of nice lines for the adult reader (and this book does beg to
be read out loud). 'My nan is a frail biscuit of a woman'
precedes a wonderful tale of Tom's nan going into training to climb
Mt. Everest.
There is the surreal tale of the birthmark, very evocative of a
South Park episode with the birthmark reaping its revenge on a kid
who dares laugh at Tom. There is the curious tale of the dog
kisser and I believe that poo, vomit and bed wetting may be
mentioned.
I often recommend to my students that they read a book about the
opposite sex in order to learn how the other half thinks.
Reading this book reminds me that primary school boys may often be
in a world all of their own making. I have no doubt that this
comic creation will entice and encourage many boys to read and enjoy
Tom Weekly's world.
Michael Jongen
Sea of shadows by Kelley Armstrong
Age of Legends, bk 1. Atom, 2014. ISBN 9780751547818.
(Age: 14+) Horror. Fantasy. Twin sisters Moria and Ashyn live in a
village next to the Forest of the Dead, where exiled criminals are
sent to die. They have powers as Keeper and Seeker to quiet the
souls of the dead. When their village is devastated, they have to
warn the Emperor of the threat to the Empire. Accompanied by
warrior, Gavril, and thief, Ronan, and their two animal companions,
they face the perils of the wasteland in their dash to save the
children of the village.
Armstrong is an accomplished novelist of two other young adult
series and many adult books, and she brings her plotting skills to
this, the first in the series. The characters of Moria and Ashlyn
are fully fleshed out, each with strengths and weaknesses and each
with honourable intentions. Moria is impetuous but loyal, a girl who
is not afraid to do her duty while Ashlyn is quieter but has an
inner strength. Their companions, Gavril, a stone faced young
warrior and Ronan, a wily thief, are perfect foils for the young
girls.
There are many thrilling and often terrifying moments in this story.
The descriptions of the Forest of the Dead and the fate that befalls
the villagers who go there paint a very scary picture of the evil
that the twins face. Other mythical creatures that attack them on
their journey add to the excitement. But they don't just face terror
from evil beings, there is also terrible evil in some of the people
they thought they could trust.
This is a classic dark fantasy/horror story, with twins, two boys
they could fall in love with, a dangerous quest and lots of
unexpected twists to keep the heart pounding. The story ends
unexpectedly and makes the reader keen to find out more. It should
appeal to readers who like horror and a good scary story.
Pat Pledger
The short giraffe by Neil Flory
Ill. by Mark Cleary. Albert Whitman & Co., 2014. ISBN
9780807573464.
Boba the Baboon had come to take a photo of the tallest animals in
the world and the giraffes wanted to make the photo perfect. They
prinked and they preened and lined up ready for Boba. But when the
photo was taken there was a problem - they all looked perfect but
tucked in the right-hand corner was just the tip of a head. It
belonged to Geri - the shortest giraffe who had ever lived! Not
wanting to spoil the perfect picture she offers to step out
altogether but the other giraffes don't like that idea so they try a
variety of ways to bring Geri up to their level - with startling
results, none of which is successful. But then Caterpillar who had
been watching and thought that regardless, Geri was still tall, has
an idea. and Boba gets his perfect picture after all.
Accompanied by colourful, whimsical illustrations that support the
text so well, this is a refreshing story created by the author when
his son asked him for a bedtime story. Given the nature of many
children's picture books, you expect it to have a storyline of Geri
being literally looked down on by the other giraffes and through a
series of incidents learning that how you are and who you are is
enough, even if you don't quite measure up physically. But instead
it's a delightful tale of diversity being embraced and those with
the 'power' being compassionate rather than disdainful. Even though
the target audience is early childhood, it would be a great way of
introducing the concept of perspective to slightly older children.
If your picture's not perfect, then change the picture not the
people.
It also offers a great opportunity to actively involve the child in
the story and begin developing the concept of cause and effect,
action and consequence by thinking of ways to make Geri taller and
what might happen as a result. Miss 3 thought a ladder would be the
answer but it would be hard for Geri to get her gangly giraffe legs
up it. She also asked, "What if Geri is scared of being up so high?"
This is Flory's debut into the world of writing children's stories
and it is a very successful one, being identified as one of the
CBCA's Notable books Early Childhood Book of the Year award. Being
considered to be among the top 16 books published for this age
group, especially when the competition features such established
names as Fox, Lester, Laguna and Gleeson, has to signal a
significant new talent on the scene.
Barbara Braxton
Crystal Bay Girls: Quincy Jordan by Jen Storer
Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143307594.
(Audience: young adult) Recommended. Themes: teenage identity,
family drama and coming of age. A story of 14 year old Quincy
Jordan who is struggling to find out who she really is and whether
she wants to be the person people think she 'should' be. Quincy has
her life in order - a best friend, great private school and a future
career as a surgeon. After her father cheats and her mother falls
apart, Quincy and her mother move to hippy seaside town of Crystal
Bay to stay with her newly discovered aunt, uncle and cousins.
Quincy is determined that this situation is only temporary and
struggles to accept her father's faults and that her dream career is
not actually what makes her happy. With the help of her cousin Esme
and her new friends, Quincy slowly adjusts to life in the Bay and
even discovers that life might not be as bad as what she thinks. She
meets a boy who helps her to settle in and becomes involved in the
school musical. This ignites her passion for life and helps her to
realise what she really wants to do as a career.
This is the first story in a series of books about the girls from
Crystal Bay. It contains themes that a lot of teenagers can relate
to - family breakup, adjusting to a new school, romance and
friendships. I would recommend this book to teenagers and am
interested to read the next in the series.
Larissa Kalms
Awesome Aussie Things to Do with Mum ill. by Simon Williams
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742839950.
(Age: 7-11) This activity book is aimed at primary school children
and has lots of things that could be done either with Mum or with
other adults. There is a Contents page that gives a good overview of
the activities and projects. It is organised into the following
sections: In the backyard, Games, Home sweet home, Stuff to do on
rainy days and Beach Daze. In the backyard gives ideas about
pressing flowers, making a rock garden, planting plants to keep away
bugs, keeping worms and making a bonsai plant. Games contains ideas
about skipping rope, playing with elastics, making Cat's Cradle,
knucklebones and hopscotch. Home sweet home has knitting and other
craft. Stuff to do on rainy days includes making silhouettes, magic
tricks, balloon shapes and a bedroom makeover. Beach Daze has ideas
for sunhats, volleyball, sandcastles and other beach activities.
All the ideas are simply and humorously described and illustrated
with step by step instructions. There is a clever emphasis on
showing how wonderful Mum is and what she can do, and a few subtle
hints that would help Mum out - like the feng shui bedroom makeover
that involves giving away things that are not needed and tidying up!
The activities are all ones that could be done at home, albeit with
the cooperation of an adult as supplies would need to be purchased
and to be at hand.
This book would provide lots of ideas for time fillers for school
holidays for parents, and ideas for grandparents when children come
to stay with them and would be a useful book to have on hand for
when children are bored.
Pat Pledger
Jumping fences by Karen Wood
Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316399.
(Age: Young adult) Themes: country life, romance, mystery. Country
girl Zoe wakes up in hospital after a farming accident and tries to
piece her life back together after everything seems to be different.
She can't work out why her boyfriend and best friend won't talk to
her, her father is constantly grumpy and then there is the neighbour
Josh. Mysterious but kind, he helps Zoe to discover what happened
before her accident and what is happening to the cattle stolen from
her dad's farm.
As the book progresses, Zoe finds out bit by bit more about the
people in her life, who she can trust and more importantly, who she
wants to be with! Over time, the cause of her father's grumpiness is
revealed to be stress about losing the farm. Initially after her
accident, he treats Zoe with kid gloves but his confidence in her
grows and she is allowed to do more around the farm. Also over time,
we find out more about Josh and his background and how Zoe comes to
accept him, then eventually fall for him.
I enjoyed how the story unravelled gradually and it gave the reader
a chance to predict what was going on. It was enjoyable to find out
more about the characters, although some of the characters lacked a
bit of depth. This book would appeal to young adult readers who
enjoy reading about rural life, romance and a little bit of intrigue
as well.
Larissa Kalms
Love you, Mum by Karen Hull
Lothian Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9780734414441.
(Age: Pre-school - 5). A small book, perfect for the hands of small
children, Love you, Mum celebrates the love of a young animal or
bird for its mother. It is written with the second and fourth lines
rhyming and this makes for an interesting read aloud:
'I love you in the morning.
Wake up, sleepyhead.
I love you at breakfast.
Time to get you fed.'
The vibrant illustrations of Australian animals show everyday
occurrences between mother and child, like having breakfast,
catching a nap and asking for just one more story and beautifully
portray the love that exists between each pair. It also illustrates
some of the characteristics of Australian birds and animals, for
example the baby koala clinging to its mother's back, and dingoes
howling in the desert and provides the opportunity for young
children to learn about them, while rejoicing in a mother's
love.
This story is ideal to use for Mother's Day and could be used to
reinforce the fact that love can be shown through normal times for
human mothers and children.
Pat Pledger
Twice Upon a Time by Kate Forster
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014. ISBN 9781742976792.
This is a romance story with Cinderella references, and is not
particularly cerebral - akin to a Mills and Boon Romance.The main
character, a 19 year old Australian named Lucinda, but known as
'Cinda', is on a backpacking/painting holiday in Europe when she
meets a party-boy, charming Prince and falls for him, before she
knows his true identity.The whirlwind then begins and she is whisked
away to enjoy his world and largesse, with her Fashion designer Male
travelling companion (who is stereotypically not interested in her
or any of her gender). The Prince's twin brother and Mother are not
impressed with a potential commoner in their midst, and make life
difficult. However the charms of the honest and unworldly Cinda
eventually cause the more abrasive and slightly older twin to also
become caught in her innocent spell.The unfolding of the dilemma of
being 'loved' or 'in love' with more than one twin,of the sacrifice
needed for true love to find its way and of the transformation of
Cinda from bohemian beauty to Princess is the essenceof the story.
Along the way the reader gets a glimpse into the somewhat heady (and
occasionally drug assisted) lifestyle of the wealthier end of the
world - Private jets and large boats, hotel suites in London,
Chateaus in France, principalities that require diplomatic duties,
model-like expectations for women, paparazzi entrapment, and
selfishness that is rampant. One wonders if this aspect was
researched or just belongs to the voyeuristic magazine-fantasy world
that we all believe exists.
As none of the characters in this book are of High School age, it is
not really a YA novel. It is perhaps likely to appeal to a romance
reader with low expectations.
Carolyn Hull
Boy vs Beast: Rock Mutant by Mac Park
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781921931680. Boy vs Beast : Rock Mutant is the next book in this series
aimed at boys aged 7+ . It is a short novel aimed at independent
readers. Like the other books, it introduces the main character Kai
and his desire to be a Border Captain - fans of the books will
understand this! Kai's job is to protect earth from the beasts in
Beastium and to solve any problems in Beastium. In this story, water
has been found in the rock land and Kai is off to fix it.
The Boy vs Beast series is a good introduction to first
chapter novels. The chapters are short and quick moving and at 60
pages long, a child can comprehend it easily.
Kylie Kempster
Editor's note: Previously published as Terraserpix.
Afterworld by Lynette Lounsbury
Allen & Unwin 2014. ISBN: 9781743315101.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. A wonderfully descriptive novel, Afterworld
incorporates ideas from many religions and cultures in the formation
of its after-death land. With themes of humanity, mortality and love
this novel is easily one of my new favourites.
In India life is chaotic and sad, beggars line the streets and boys
run in packs to rob unsuspecting victims. Dom returns to India after
a term spent in an American boarding school, sister Kadie arrives to
meet him on the way home they are unable to avoid a head on
collision with a truck, Dom blacks out and wakes in the Afterworld,
alone and frightened, trying to accept that his life is over. Or is
it? Death is like nothing Dom could have expected and danger awaits,
he is the youngest man to ever set foot into the city of the dead,
he is instantly famous. He learns that even the dead still
discriminate against the young and the weak. He piques the interest
of the Nephilim, monsters even in death. The children of angles and
humans hold the Trials which are vaguely reminiscent of roman
gladiatorial games. The Trials allow the winner to move forth into
the maze and onto the next stage in the cycle of death. Eager to see
Dom compete the head Nephilim, Satariel, travels into life and
brings back Kadie's soul as a bargaining chip. With the help of his
guide, Eva, guardian, Eduardo and the favour of the awe he must
compete to free his sister's soul.
Filled with interesting names and stories from other cultures Afterworld
portrays the importance of family, friends and motivation. There is
also a reassurance that the dead can wait or find their loved ones
before moving on through the cycle of death. I would highly
recommend this novel for young people aged fourteen and up.
Kayla Gaskell
10 hopping bunnies by Ed Allen
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN: 9781742836362.
This delightful rhyming book uses a collection of hopping bunnies,
avidly involved in a myriad of different pursuits, as the focus for
counting. Their activities include egg and spoon races, listening at
school, working in the vegie patch, choosing books to borrow,
digging holes, getting into shape, swinging on trapezes, being in a
talent quest and playing hop scotch. As the group of ten bunnies
slowly diminishes, the child reader would undoubtedly wonder where
they go as they disappear. When the final bunny gets caught out in
the storm, where will he go and will he see his friends again?
With its simple rhyming story, vibrantly coloured cartoon style
pictures, depicting the bunnies in every colour of the rainbow, this
is a book which could be read over and over by parents of very young
children and enjoyed by those emergent readers capable of reading a
picture book alone. As a simple counting book, it would have a place
in the classroom. It could also prove useful in helping children to
predict what might happen next in the story, as well as assisting
them to learn about rhyme and repetition. Personally, I would also
love to use the stylised rabbits as the focus of a step by step
drawing lesson. Children would enjoy drawing the rabbits in a
variety of poses and colours and a great classroom display could be
produced as a result.
Jo Schenkel
Billy is a Dragon: Werewolves beware by Nick Falk
Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780857983077.
(Age: 8+) Billy is a Dragon: Werewolves Beware is the second book in
this series but can be read independently of the first. It is a
quick moving, fun adventure based around Billy who has become a were
dragon.
Billy is learning to shift into a dragon but something or someone is
hunting him. Is it the nasty teacher who seems to be out to get him?
How will Billy hide his wings at the dinner table? What is unusual
about Billy's dog Bertha? Why does his sister get kidnapped and
should Billy rescue her? (she is rather annoying after all)
Author, Nick Falk, has created a fun and descriptive story that
would appeal to all readers even though it is recommended for
readers aged 6 +. I would recommend it to independent readers aged
8+ otherwise it would be a great read aloud novel for parents and
their children to read together.
Kylie Kempster
