Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781742317679.
(Age:10+) Recommended. War, Holocaust, Japan. As director of the
Holocaust Museum in Tokyo, Fumika Ishioka wanted to have something
tangible to present to the children who visited. She asked far and
wide and only Auschwitz sent a box of things, including a suitcase
with a girl's name printed on the top. This started the children
visiting the centre, to ask questions, and so a small group of
children along with Fumiko, investigated further. When in Prague she
went to the Holocaust Museum and there found that the child had been
killed at Auschwitz but she had a brother. This then led to further
letters and enquiries, and finally the man was found and came to
Tokyo to see the museum and talk to the children.
Told in alternate chapters, readers will easily assimilate the
information about Hana and her family and what happened to them,
alongside the story of Fumiko and her search. Each story compliments
the other as we are breathless in wanting to know how each journey
unfolds. One is very sad with Hana being killed in a camp, while the
other brings her back to life as her brother is found and Hana's
dream of becoming a teacher comes true.
The impact of this tale is powerful, its seemingly simple story of
reuniting a man with his sister's suitcase is the basis for talk
about where they were and why, how one survived and not the other,
what happened to the rest of their family, and what happens today in
remembering the horror of those times.
The original book is here presented with additions, telling what has
happened since, and with additional chapters about Hana's brother,
the letters received at the museum from children allover the world,
the quilts, the displays, exhibitions and awards received by the
original book. All add to the original story and will warm the
readers that the story has lived on.
Fran Knight
The poppy by Andrew Plant
Ford St, 2014. ISBN 9781925000313.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. World War One, Villers-Bretonneux, Diggers,
Picture book. The first of many such books to be published in 2014
and 2015, for the one hundred years anniversary of the beginning of
World War One, and one hundred years since the first Anzac Day in
1915, this will be put alongside Sally Murphy's Do not forget
Australia (Walker Books) and The promise, written by
Derek Guille (Scholastic).
Picture books about our involvement in war have appeared
consistently in the past several years, so there are plenty to chose
from when stocking the library or putting on a display for one or
other of the memorial days during the year. The poppy recognises the commitment and effort made by the
Australian, New Zealand and Canadian troops on April 24 1918, in
holding back a German advance on the little French town of
Villers-Bretonneux. Their courage and sacrifice is recognised by the
town, and this book recalls the night many gave their lives. The
children of the town chase after a poppy floating over the Rue du
Victoria, the Victoria School with Do Not Forget Australia sign in
every classroom. Beginning at the war cemetery outside the town, the
route of the children and the poppy shows the readers just how
Villers-Bretonneux remembers Australia and what was done on that
day.
The bold illustrations outlined in black, stare out of the pages, as
the children run along, freely because of the efforts made by these
men. Several pages are standouts for me; the beginning and end pages
reflect each other in giving a view from high over the hills around
the town, the middle pages recall war with threatening clouds coming
over the horizon rather than showing images of war, and the town
itself is shown with its Australian references. As a tool in a class
where war is being discussed, or freedom, or remembrance, this can
be added to the fine array of books already published.
Fran Knight
Tough times: 1931: do you dare? by S. Mitchell
Do you dare? series. Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143308010.
1931 is a scramble through the mean streets of Melbourne's Fitzroy
as seen through the eyes of Max, aged about eleven. It is two years
into the Great Depression and unemployment is hitting Australia's
working-class families hard. When the book opens, Max's father is
still in work as a boot maker, although on reduced hours of two or
three days a week. With three children and the family pet, Fungus
('a constant irritation underfoot') to feed, and the mortgage to
pay, money is tight. Tom's love for his parents and siblings,
especially his four year old brother Petey, are a highlight of the
book. Tom's best friends from the Daredevils gang are Samson, whose
Dad died in the Spanish Flu outbreak and who is really poor, and
Frank, one of six children at a time when families were much larger
than they are today. The book appears to be written to engage boys
in reading and in history and will probably succeed at both,
especially with a vein of backyard 'dunny' humour and bare bums
(Fungus bites the seat out of the pants of Razor, the local hoodlum)
to sustain them. Girls may find it harder to relate to the
adventures, though the only female gang member, Joan, is a
thoroughly modern miss and the most daring devil of them all.
The figure who underpins the second part of the book is 'Mac', a
benevolent, white-suited gentleman who intervenes on Tom's behalf
just as it seems inevitable that his family must be torn apart. Mac
is 'Australia's Willy Wonka' - in real life, Sir MacPherson
Robertson, founder of Robertson's chocolate factory. In his early
life, MacPherson Robertson experienced greater privation than any of
the characters in the book and in later life he was a genuine
philanthropist. Students can extend their learning to
the life and legacy of this great Australian. South Australian
children can compare his efforts to counter the worst aspects of the
Depression with Sir Edward Hayward's decision in 1933 to initiate
the Christmas Pageant to raise the spirits of the people of
Adelaide. Other Australian 'icons' such as Phar Lap and six-o-clock
closing also provide opportunities to explore the social conventions
of the era.
South Australian teachers may be familiar with Max Colwell's book
Half Days and Patched Pants and play of the same name. Several
scenes in Tough times: 1931: do you dare? would also be very suitable to act out.
Even better, in keeping with the era, students could record and
present the scenes as a weekly radio show.
I would recommend Tough times: 1931: do you dare? to teachers wanting a springboard
into important local and global changes in our society that occurred
within the memory of older family members of the students of today.
Francine Smith
Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Faber, 2013. ISBN 9780571294404.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Obesity. Bullying. Suicide. YALSA
2013 Teens' Top Ten titles, Telegraph's Top 10 YA books 2013. Butter
is a lonely, extremely overweight boy who is ignored at school.
Although he is a very talented saxophone player, Butter refuses to
join the school band and efforts to control his weight have failed.
Desperate for recognition, he sets up a website, ButterLastMeal.com,
where he announces that he will eat himself to death on New Year's
Eve. To his surprise, some of his classmates become morbidly
interested in his plan, betting on what he will eat for his last
meal and closing off access to the website to only people who can be
trusted not to report what is going on.
This is a riveting read; I was totally engrossed as Butter describes
how he got his nickname, his mother's futile fluttering about his
eating, while enabling it, his father's seemingly indifference to
his son and his heart-breaking anonymous online correspondence with
Anna, one of the popular girls at school. Lange vividly describes
Butter's feelings as he suddenly becomes popular with the in crowd
at school. They invite him to go bowling, to parties and to sit with
them in the canteen. Their perverse interest in his impending
suicide and their attempts to ensure that news of it doesn't reach
the authorities are all overlooked by Butter as for the first time
he feels that he belongs.
This story delves into the heart and mind of a young man whose
obesity governs everything that he does. The reader learns about his
feelings, his struggles and his overwhelming need to belong. The
bullying, both physical and online is told in a straight forward
manner, and none of the characters are black or white, all have
flaws and strengths. As a reader I was kept on the edge of my seat
as I wondered how Butter would cope when his deadline approached.
This is a book that is a worthy addition to a library, not only
because of its themes of obesity and bullying, but because of the
way that it grabs the reader's attention.
Pat Pledger
Lost series by Tracey Turner
A & C Black, 2014. Lost in the Desert of Dread. ISBN: 9781472907493. Lost in the Jungle of Doom. ISBN: 9781408194652.
(Age 10+) Themes: Survival, Deserts, Rainforests. The Lost Series by
Tracy Turner focuses on survival in four of the most difficult
environments in the world. Similar in style to the Choose Your Own
Adventure series, the reader is given vital clues to help them
navigate the dangers and then after reading the scenario choices a
choice is made.
In The Desert of Dread careful choices need to be made to survive
the extremes of temperature, scorpions, hungry animals and
dehydration. Factual pages help the reader understand why their
choices lead to their demise. Topics covered include scorpions,
Spotted Hyenas, salt deficiency, using your watch as a compass,
sandstorms and sand cats.
The Jungle of Doom explores the frightening dangers of crash landing
in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. Careful reading of the
survival tips is needed before the reader starts their journey. The
need for water, fire and shelter is vital. Dealing with the
predators, vampire bats, jaguars, electric eels and snakes is just
part of the journey. With so many dead ends the reader can start
again to plot their jungle escape.
These books are factual fiction and more suited to readers from ten
and up as they deal with survival and death in harsh environments.
Rhyllis Bignell
Hero on a bicycle by Shirley Hughes
Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 9781406336115.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. War. Resistance. While his English mother
and his sister, Constanza lie awake at night waiting for him to come
home, Paolo cycles into Florence from their home, avoiding the many
pitfalls that lie in wait for unsuspecting travelers during the last
year of World War Two. His own father has joined the partisans in
the hills, his family is looked upon with suspicion because their
mother is English and their few friends have deserted them.
The war background is described in some detail, as the family goes
about its business, waiting for the war to end, hoping their father
comes back alive and well. But one night when two men intercept
Paolo telling him to pass on a message to his mother, things change
dramatically. Pressured into harbouring POW's, the family finds they
are involved more deeply than they want to be, and it is Paolo and
his bicycle that run the greatest risk.
Taking them into the city the following day, they walk into a trap
and one is captured the other returned to the cellar. With Joe
hidden, the family risks all, and tension fills the air when the
Gestapo comes by ready to search their property.
This is an exciting read of a family pushed to helping the
resistance during World War Two. With a fully described background
and the fact that it is based upon a family that Hughes knew, the
situation will enthrall the readers.
Fran Knight
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Penguin, 2013. ISBN: 9780141347332.
(Age: 15+) Ruta Sepety's second novel takes us to the French quarter
of 1950's New Orleans. Amidst the crime and corruption, we meet
Josie Moraine, the daughter of a prostitute, who has grown up no
stranger to brothel life, but who dreams of more. Josie's dream is
to get out of New Orleans and attend college, and she also holds on
to the hope that somewhere out there she has a father from whom she
may have inherited some good, to balance out her mother's bad.
Sepety's has developed strong characters, whose depth and sense of
loyalty paint a strong picture of community within the ghetto of
post-war New Orleans. The protagonist, Josie, does seem somewhat
larger than life in her ability to remain largely unmarred by the
world in which she lives, and the brothel madam is held up as both a
heroine and benefactress. While the novel did seem a bit too clean
cut for the environment around which it revolved, it was full of
fascinating characters and interesting details of community life
within this part of the city. Out of the Easy is an engaging novel that is easy to read but
doesn't dumb down the language. It has been elegantly written,
though I did feel that the plot, while containing several elements
of intrigue, did not have as stronger resolutions as I would have
liked.
This is a novel driven largely by character and setting, and both
work well to weave a story that left me wanting more. I commend
Sepetys for her efforts and would read other books by her.
Certainly not a novel for younger readers, though sexual references
are not explicit.
Sarah Rose
Editor's note: Out of the Easy has been nominated for or won
many awards,
including YALSA Top 10 Fiction for Young Adults.
My Nanna is a Ninja by Damon Young
Ill. by Peter Carnavas. UQP, 2014. ISBN 9780702250095.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Humour, Family relationships, Love. Some
nannas dress in punk, some in blue, but this one dresses in black,
setting the scene for this funny tale of difference. Each page gives
a familiar scenario for a nanna, how they dress, what they do in
their spare time, how they eat, what they do on holiday. Many go
swimming or ski or ride but this one practices somersaulting all day
long. Some eat with chopsticks, or teaspoons or forks, but this one
uses her shiny swords. Finally, it shows how each nanna puts the
loved child to bed. Some read a story, some stroke the weary head,
saying 'I love you', some yawn loudly, some yodel, but this nanna's
kisses can't be heard, but the child knows that she has been there.
Beautiful watercolour illustrations accompany the story of
difference, and show the nanna in all of her glory, being part of
the child's life even though she does not do all the things the
other nannas do. Kids will laugh out loud as each nanna is shown,
then on turning the page they find out what the Ninja nanna does. I
love the endpapers with the repeated illustrations of the Ninja
nanna and the fact that it grew out of reading stories at his
child's kindergarten and noticing that the grans were all the same.
This is a tale full of the love of life, despite how you look or
act, despite what others do and expect of you. The love and
companionship between a child and his grandmother is all that
matters, not what they wear or do. In a classroom, this picture book
could promote equality and sharing, discussions about difference,
and the meaning of family.
Fran Knight
Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Macmillan Children's Books, 2013. ISBN: 9780330529761. Goddess by Josephine Angelini is a fantasy novel that is the
third and final book in a trilogy about the extravagance of the
Greek gods. Helen is a young woman who is a daughter of the powerful
Zeus and sister of the beautiful Aphrodite with powerful friends
both on earth and on Olympus, Helen is a very powerful young woman.
But when she gets flashbacks from the lives of other Helens
throughout history and sees her friends playing different roles
through time, Helen becomes torn when her one true love in every
other life is her cousin in this one! Along with this new
revelation, Helen is more powerful than herself and others fathomed
due to the accidental combination of the different houses bloodlines
with her two closest friends and torn affections, Orion and Lucas.
This is a long prophesised occurrence and Helen soon learns
something life changing from her uncle Hades about this new
development. The world is in danger from the gods and goddesses of
Olympus and she is both the cause and the saviour. Helen must
quickly find a way to save the man she loves and resist him at the
same time while saving the world and her semi-mortal family from her
immortal one. Goddess is a faced paced action novel that draws the reader
in with curiosity and mystery, slowing the pace only to allow the
timeless romance of forbidden love. This novel is well suited to
older teens due to the action and romance themes as well as people
who have read the other books in the series. Drawing you in with
mythology, Goddess isn't a book that you can put down
easily.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
The first voyage by Allan Baillie
Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143307679.
Set in the Stone Age, this novel considers how ancient people were
able to migrate to the land mass referred to as Sahul (comprising
Australia and New Guinea), the coastlines of which extended much
further and which have significantly altered with the passing of the
Ice Age.
In Timor, the violently aggressive Crocodile tribe seek to drive the
small Yam tribe from the island by opportunistically killing members
and trying to provoke battles. Left with nowhere to run and hide,
the Yam tribe is doomed unless new territory is discovered and the
leader, Eagle Eye chooses to follow migrating birds to a new land.
The tribe must find materials and learn how to build and provision
rafts for what would have been a terrifying voyage into the unknown.
Told from the perspective of young adolescent warrior Bent Beak, the
story cleverly mirrors the experience of present day refugees who
are prepared to risk their own and their children's lives on a
perilous journey in order to escape violence and death.
Bailey has a considerable freedom to imagine the circumstances and
actions of these ancient people and he writes with a great deal of
humanity, prompting the reader to deeply consider the plight of
desperate people. The nature of leadership is revealed, with Eagle
Eye having almost no power to change anything whilst saddled with
the responsibility of choosing the best outcome for his
people. Ingenuity, group cooperation, roles and relationships
are features of this tale which helps us to visualise the enormous
task faced by those who came to inhabit our land.
This is a good book for young teenagers yet many will struggle to
understand the massive geographical change which made the journey
possible. The book's blurb is confusing, stating that it is set
30,000 years ago which does not seem to match the setting or title
given the existence of Homo Sapiens in Australia for a minimum
40,000 years. However the 'first voyage' may refer to people
venturing from this particular region. Similarly some readers may
not comprehend the author's depiction of megafauna including a
diprotodon which does not fit the era. The novel would have
benefitted from a comprehensive foreword with better diagrams and
information than are provided in the brief postscript. This
may help young readers to visualise the arrival of ancient ancestors
from various regions, joining others already here, by means of
island hopping taking place over a huge time scale.
Rob Welsh
Jonathan! by Peter Carnavas
Ill. by Amanda Francey. New Frontier Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781921928611.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Humour. Jonathan loves to dress up and scare
his family. He tries his dad and mum and his sister, but they all
tell him the same thing, 'Not scary, Jonathan'. Disappointed, he
leaves the house only to find a dinosaur. The dinosaur comes home
with him and scares the family so much that they run away. A clever
twist brings the story back to reality, as Jonathan learns that
there are ways to scare people after all.
The seemingly simple story is augmented with witty illustrations,
showing Jonathan as he tries to scare his family. The soft water
colours suit the foursome, as they go about their daily tasks and
activities, the warmth of the colours enveloping a loving family. I
love the shadow of the dinosaur creeping over the house, and I love
its stance at the door, waggling its hands around waiting to scare
the family inside. Kids will love watching Jonathan's antics as
well, recognising the stances he takes when disappointed.
In a classroom where different tales about being scared are under
discussion, or attempts being made to make scary costumes, or a neat
tale of a family, this book will suit a range of activities. And
teachers and parents will make use of the repetition within the
story to encourage listeners and readers alike to join in.
Fran Knight
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780732295189.
(Age: 13+) How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara
Eglington is a fantastically relatable novel that deals with issues
such as cyber bullying, heartbreak, insecurity, romance and
friendship. The way Tara Eglington writes this inspirational and
striking sequel to How to keep a boy from kissing you helps
the reader become engrossed in this misshapen fairy tale of a love
story and keeps the reader thoroughly interested from start to
finish. This novel is suited very well to both younger and older
teenage girls who like to read about romance and friendship.
Aurora is a teenage girl who has finally, after testing trials,
found her perfect fairytale prince and is working to make her dream
relationship become a reality. After a handful of unfortunate
occurrences - some that leave her dream boy Hayden in the emergency
department - Aurora's dating confidence deflates considerably. Amid
this sea of misfortune and uncertainty Aurora's good friend Jelena
has started campaigning to become student school captain and plans
to include Aurora's Find a Prince/Princess Program as one of her
feature campaign points. And, with her alternative dad trying to
find love for himself, Aurora tries to find some balance in the her
suddenly chaotic life, the fates decide to test her willpower as she
keeps calm and fights her way through with warrior princess
strength.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
My first book of baby animals by Mike Unwin
Ill. by Daniel Howarth. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408194645.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Animals. Baby animals. Within a question and
answer format on each double page, this book shows many animals and
their offspring. The first few pages give information about animals
growing up, and how many babies some of the animals have, from an
orangutan having just one baby at a time, to a turtle which lays
more than one hundred eggs at a time, followed by an introductory
'Who is it?' which is replicated on every right hand page after
that. After that the format begins, with the left hand side of the
double page showing an animal and its baby, with some information
and the right hand side page asking the question, 'Who is it?'
From tigers to giraffes, to polar cubs to puppies and kittens, the
layout will draw in the reader wanting to know more about these
familiar and not so familiar animals.
On the second to last page is a glossary of words, followed by a
neat index, giving a picture of the baby animal, in alphabetical
order with a reference page number.
Northern hemisphere it might be, but most of the animals are known
and seen by children in the south, if not on television, then in
zoos, and presented in this way, gives an easy introduction not only
to that animals, and its offspring, but uses the correct terminology
and introduces using a contents page, glossary and index.
Fran Knight
The Giggle Gum Tree by Juliet Williams and Elizabeth Botte
IpKidz, 2009. ISBN 9781921479182.
Lily and Amanda live in a very tall house made of purple bricks - it
is so tall that it sways in the wind! Each day, they walk to school
through the park and the path passes beneath a tree with beautiful
draping branches that makes them giggle and puts them in a good mood
for the day. They call it the Giggle Gum Tree. But not everyone
likes the Giggle Gum Tree - Mrs Pritchet gets tangled in the
branches and Mr Glumper trips over the roots that have broken the
path. So they complain to the Tree Police and the girls are dismayed
to discover a sign which says that the tree is to be chopped down in
five days. They are no longer giggling. Quite by accident, they
discover a plan that might save the tree and also the problem of
their too-tall house - but will they be able to persuade the
grown-ups to accept it?
Although the font is quite small, Miss 7 enjoyed reading this one
and although she figured out what the girls' solution might be, how
they achieved it brought a smile to her face.
The colourful illustrations are inspired by those in children's
books of the 1950s and Miss 7 commented on the way the expressions
of both people and creatures had been so well captured.
This is a story that really lends itself to a problem-solving
exercise if you stop at the page with the sign and ask, 'Is chopping
the tree down the only way to solve the problem?' Students will have
fun letting their imaginations roam wild to find solutions and then
comparing them to the answer that Lily and Amanda propose.
Barbara Braxton
The brothers Quibble by Aaron Blabey
Penguin Viking, 2014. ISBN 9780670076000.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Sibling rivalry. Family. All children
will see through the antics of Spalding as he tries to deal with the
advent of a new brother, Bunny. Spalding has been the only child for
quite some time, used to getting his own way from his quiet,
unassuming parents, a real 'King of the Castle', complete with
cardboard crown. He swings his mighty sword upon his mighty stead,
that is, until, Bunny is introduced.
From then on, pushed aside by his doting parents, he decides to
cause mayhem, until he is sent to his room. His war footing however,
is softened when his brother grows, as babies do, and he calls
Spalding by name.
The change is slow, but change does occur. The reader will chortle
as Bunny tells Spalding that he loves him, using a ladder to get up
to Spalding's room when he is given time out, nestling his head upon
Spalding's lap. All of these endearing ways wriggle into Spalding's
heart, and as Bunny grows, their relationship changes again, and
they are pictured arguing and Bunny hits Spalding with his ugg boot,
just like all kids. Brothers at last.
The delectable illustrations from Blabey's brush add to the fun
showing the glowering Spalding softening as Bunny becomes endearing,
but then Bunny's face in using the ugg boot reflects Spalding's at
the start of the book. Blabey's illustrations are just wonderful and
add to the general humour and mayhem produced by the two boys.
Fran Knight
