Reviews

The hunger games: Catching fire: The official illustrated movie companion

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Scholastic Press, New York, 2013. ISBN 9780545599337.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Movie tie in. Dystopian fiction. Adventure. Strong women characters. Timed to be released as the second film in The hunger games series is due out, this will be a surefire winner of a book. Jam packed with information, the book will fill any follower of the series with all they need to know - and a lot besides. The photographs taken from the film fill the pages, sometimes the whole double page spread is used, and the effect is quite breathtaking. No one will be able to resist this offering. As with the first tie in book for the first film in the series, The hunger games, the opening section gives a brief introduction as to what has happened before this story starts, so whetting the appetite for what may follow.
The book then follows the plot of the new film, giving side panels of information about the setting or the characters or the actors. So in Part 3 'Expanding the world of Panem', a great deal of information is given about the setting, particularly that of Katniss' world, while furthering the plot development. Part four 'Designing the arena' is just as fascinating, detailing the plans for and evolution of the arena for Book Two. Part Five focusses on costume design, an amazing part of the films, with wildly imaginative costumes made for the competitors and the leading figures in the organisers. The whole chapter is a mass of photos of these extraordinary creations that will satisfy any reader.
The whole book whets the appetite for seeing the film, released just before Christmas, 2013, and is every bit as good as the first of The hunger games.
Fran Knight

5-minute Marvel stories by Marvel Comics Group

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Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781743622216.
(Age 6+) Fantasy. Heroes. Reluctant readers. Bound together in one volume come 12 stories of super heroes from the Marvel Comics Group. Readers will be overjoyed to read about the adventures of their favourite heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Avengers and the X-men. To be able to read or to listen to a story about them that takes just five minutes is a plus. The super heroes are busy foiling alien invaders, battling super crooks and making sure that the villains get their come-uppance.
This is an ideal book for children who love the super heroes. Because of the shortness of the stories, all of which are brightly illustrated, each makes for a great read for the newly independent reader and a fun read aloud as a bedtime story. Reluctant readers will also enjoy this book, as each exciting story is short, but the book itself is large and well organised.
This is a fun book that children are sure to enjoy and would make a welcome gift for the child who adores the Super Heroes.
Pat Pledger

The forgotten rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright

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Text Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781922147370.
(Age 16+) Recommended. Many readers of Australian history know that women sewed the Eureka flag. Less well known is that they were at the forefront of the 1854 rebellion as activists and participants. Clare Wright may have rewritten the history of a significant turning point in Australia's political and social history.
The forgotten rebels of Eureka, is both an academic argument and a narrative history. The author's thesis is that women played a crucial role in transforming discontent over mining licences and access to land into a call for justice and the extension of democratic rights. The early chapters depict the journey to Ballarat from overseas and across colonial borders, the creation of homes in a tent city and the search for sources of income. Many of the women, including those who became influential leaders, are identified by name. Their experiences as wives, mothers, miners, shopkeepers, journalists, hoteliers, actors and prostitutes help to explain the dynamics of a community in crisis. Once readers are familiar with the fabric of Ballarat society, Clare Wright launches into a narrative of the rebellion and its aftermath, demonstrating that women were both present at the stockade and among its casualties.
The writing style emphasizes rather than understates the drama. Excerpts from newspaper articles and memoirs provide contemporary voices. An epilogue charts the post-Eureka lives of some of the principal participants and the large font eases the demands of digesting a wealth of information. Source notes and a bibliography will satisfy scholars. Explanations of some aspects of life on the goldfields may be confronting for young adults.
By including women in the story of Eureka, Clare Wright has redressed a longstanding gender imbalance in the telling of an iconic story, to reveal a community of people who challenged the existing order. In doing so, she has also illuminated many of the rebellion's larger themes including multiculturalism, the role of the press, the administration of justice, the use of armed force and the campaign for universal suffrage.
Elizabeth Bor

The Wombats go on camp by Roland Harvey

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Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743315040.
A Roland Harvey book is always a gem with plenty to discover in each picture. With the success of his other books like At the beach and In the city and my particular favourite My Place in space we have come to expect busy pages of tiny detailed, colourful and humorous pictures populated by a wealth of characters. The Wombats go on camp is more focussed, featuring a small group of twelve children and two adults.
The Wombats are attending their first ever camp. The end papers contain a picture and profile for each student which gives relevant information about their likes and dislikes. Each double page spread features an activity at camp from the bus trip through settling in to the dormitory to the usual adventure activities, performance, night walk and late night scary stories. Accompanying each picture is a reflection by one of the students on the activity and the actions of their peers.
While there is not the usual chaotic feel to the pictures there are familiar touches in his signature kangaroos, possums and other native animals scattered through the pages. Other quirky drawings keep the reader amused from the adults racing to save adventurous children to an elephant's trunk appearing at the performance. My favourite page would have to be the night walk for its atmospheric feel.
The Wombats will be popular with students familiarising themselves with what to expect before they embark on their first camp, and to remind the teachers that they may be mad suggesting a camp in the first place.
Sue Keane

Clumsy Duck by Britta Teckentrup

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Koala Books, Australia: 2013. ISBN 9781742760353.
Preschool Picture book. Clumsy Duck is always tripping over and is very frustrated when friendly Chick comes along and invites Duck for a walk. Chick decides there is a reason Duck has oversized feet and after some experimentation and a tumble in the pond they discover what it is.
This is a gentle story of friendship and discovery, celebrating difference as the duck and chick try a variety of activities that chick is good at but which duck tries and fails. Duck is persistent as she has a go at everything despite the obvious limitations of her feet.
The illustrations are bright and colourful as the birds move through a stylised flower strewn landscape which also features a frog, snail and various insects to add interest. The eyes of both birds give an impression of sadness and happiness simply with the placement of the black dot within a white circle.
The oversized format is great for sharing by little people on the floor but could be problematic for little hands and laps.
Sue Keane

Man made boy by Jon Skovron

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Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743315132.
(age: 12+) Recommended. Frankenstein's monster. Love. Mythology. Humour. Boy, the son of Frankenstein's monster and the Bride, lives with his parents in an underground series of rooms and caves beneath Time Square. Known as The Show, the Trowe dug levels of living space for the creatures shunned by the human race, Medusa, Sirens, Charon, and Trolls, amongst others. Boy is a clever and intuitive computer hacker and it is his skills that are nightly required to keep the networks in the theatre going, attracting the audiences which comes to be scared by the monsters.
But Boy is restless. He feels undervalued. He is bullied, and his parents want to send him to Switzerland to stay with the Frankenstein family. More importantly he loves Liel, a Troll. Having developed a computer program that he thinks will change the world, he rallies support from his online friends, packs his bag and leaves.
Going into the human world is something many of the monsters dream of doing, and it is an unknown world that Boy steps into. He moves in with a hacker he knows from the internet but must find work to live.
But one night he sees Liel, and she reveals she is there because of an email he sent her. He is thrilled, but the question remains, just who is hacking his system and sending information to people purportedly from him.
Liel becomes housebound, her green skin not conducive to going outside, and so Boy is forced to seek help from Luellen from The Show who uses glamour to change his form and allow him to mix freely with humans. As Liel becomes more hooked on using this drug, Boy finds her shunning his company for her new human friends. On top of all this, someone is stalking him. His program has developed a mind of its own. The created has become a creator.
This is a great read, funny, warm and often moving. We follow Boy's dreams of living in the human world with empathy, see him stride through the streets avoiding questions and giving out the story that his stitches are the result of a bad accident. When Liel appears, his life is complete, but problems mount as someone is hacking his computer, stalking them, and the problem of Liel's use of the drug glamour becomes overwhelming. Leaving New York, Boy meets up with the granddaughters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and together they make a road trip to New Mexico where another complex like The Show exists, to seek answers from The Sphinx.
This book is a glowing mixture of many genres, adventure, crime, romance, alienation, retelling of myths and will appeal to a wide audience, particularly those who crave a long read in which the main characters are so well drawn that the reader cares about their fates. The one liners poke fun at the mythology surrounding Frankenstein and many of the monsters involved, making this a laugh out loud read, and in the end a story about what makes us human.
Fran Knight

Of Lions and Unicorns by Michael Morpurgo

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HarperCollins Children's Books, 2013. ISBN 9780007523313.
(For all ages) Subtitled A Lifetime of Tales from the Nation's Favourite Storyteller. As the title suggests, this collection of short stories by one of the most popular English writers for children, covers a wide range of subjects. Michael Morpurgo is well-known in Australia too, with so many of his works available here. The adaptation of his famous story, Warhorse, to a stage play and film has furthered our interest in his career. There are twenty-five short stories in this anthology, written over the past 30 years, along with extracts from a further twenty-five of his best-loved novels.
The joys and turbulence of his childhood, the impact of wartime on his family and country, his passion for rural experiences, and his love of animals, art and adventure all emerge in this interesting and charming collection of tales. Morpurgo's language can be deceptively simple; in some ways his writing style is a touch 'old fashioned' but his sentences flow and it is very easy to stay immersed in each of his stories. Some will appeal more to older readers - indeed, numerous stories will be of particular interest to those who have read about Morpurgo - there are numerous stories revealing his own life experiences. This collection can be browsed through, read in detail or one or two can be singled out - in each case, the reader will not be disappointed as the author's sincerity and warmth emerge quite naturally from his storytelling. For a book of nearly 600 pages, the text size and paper choice work well, and helpful copyright details for each entry are included at the back of the book. Illustrations by Quentin Blake, Christian Birmingham, Michael Foreman and others add to the appeal, along with black and white page markers denoting each story.
Julie Wells

The Bloodhound Boys : The Great Blood Bank Robbery by Andrew Cranna

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Walker Books Australia, 2013. ISBN 9781922179302.
A Graphic novel primary aged cartoon and adventure enthusiasts will enjoy.
With a title like this what boy would not be tempted to pick up the book and at least flick through the first few pages. There they will see black and white cartoons much like they might draw featuring a myriad of monstrous characters living underground in Skull River City. The main characters, are six school friends, Rocky Werewolf, Vampire Vince, Gretel Ghoul, Ancient Archie (a mummy), Luci Fer and Loch Ness Leo, who enjoy a Bloodshake at The Headless Horseman cafe after a stirring game of skullball.
Unfortunately the pipes delivering blood to the cafe are empty and soon the friends find out about the Blood Bank Robbery. Vince and Rocky decide to investigate. Rocky's dad works in security and they have access to the Bank and they are motivated by their friend Gretel who suffers a rare blood disease and is in danger of dying unless she can access a regular supply of fresh blood. The adventure continues with many twists and turns including saving a dinosaur, finding Vince's Dad who disappeared years ago and challenging the Mosquito King.
The story is told through the cartoons complete with backgrounds and speech bubbles and of course the inevitable sound effects without recourse to linking captions. The characters, whilst monsters are charming and expressive as they rise to the challenges before them.
I can see the book being popular with students looking for a simple but at times amusing dialogue who will enjoy and be tempted to emulate the cartoon style and create their own version.
Sue Keane

The Boy on the Wooden Box by Leon Leyson, with Marilyn J. Harran and Elizabeth B. Leyson

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Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN 9781471119675.
For all ages. This book is a memoir, recollecting the author's experiences over a period of years. Encouraged by his wife and a publishing friend, Leon Leyson decided to tell his story.  As a Jewish boy of fifteen years, he and his family were rounded up by Nazis and placed in unbearable circumstances; at times separated from each other, suffering hunger, exhaustion and extreme neglect and hatred. Oskar Schindler thought this young boy's life was of value and went to great lengths to ensure the survival of most of his family members. Leon was given a box to stand on as he worked in Schindler's factory.
The Prologue introduces the reader to Leon in 1965 when he meets his saviour before taking us to earlier, happy times when Leon is growing up in a rural village in north-eastern Poland before moving to Krakow. The youngest of five children, Leon describes his parents and siblings with great warmth and affection, and informs the reader about life in Poland at the time. When war comes, the Poles are confident that the allied forces will stop the invading Germans, but hopes are dashed on 6 September, 1939, when, less than a week after crossing the border into Poland, the enemy troops arrive in Krakow. The years of hell had begun for Leon and his family.
Obviously the subject of this book is confronting, but the innocence of Leyson's narration is very powerful and brings the story close to readers of any age.
Julie Wells

Riggs Crossing by Michelle Renee Heeter

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Ford Street, 2012. ISBN: 9781921665707.
(Age: 15+) After being hurt and traumatised after a car accident, Len Russel is placed in the Refuge, a Sydney home for children with no where else to go. Without any formal schooling to occupy her time Len becomes sour and judgemental, preferring to think that she will have a glamorous future like Clarissa Hobbs, the protagonist of her favourite television show. Wielding an outstanding level of intelligence Len has private tutoring with a woman from the university, Miss Dunn. It is Miss Dunn who encourages Len's aptitude for reading while carefully neglecting to comment on Len's intelligence. Despite maintaining that she has no recollection of her name or past, memories swirl around her like dust motes, easily disturbed. She soon gathers that her father was involved in the illegal farming of marijuana crops. In spite of her youth Len knows better than to share her memories, knowing that it could get her father into serious trouble. Unsure of what to do Len becomes more solitary, preferring to keep to herself and away from the other Refuge children.
Written in the first person and present tense Riggs Crossing is a highly engaging read and I would recommend it for people aged fifteen and up (drug references and some inappropriate language). A combination of flashbacks, present day events and case notes Riggs Crossing demonstrates how easy it is to unknowingly emulate others and pick up their habits, good and bad. This is shown by Len's knowledge of the drug trade and by her rebellion and harassment of the other children once Bindi and Cinnamon leave the shelter.
Kayla Gaskell

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

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Divergent series, Bk 3. HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780007538027.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian fiction. Goodreads Choice for Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction (2013). Tris and Tobias finally have a chance to find a new life together when the faction based society they were living in is shattered by violence and power mongering. However the society that they find beyond the fence is even more distressing than the one they left behind and Tris and Tobias face even more dilemmas as they begin to learn the truth.
Allegiant does not stand alone and readers need to be familiar with what has happened in the previous two books to work out the motivations and backgrounds of the characters. Told in two voices, that of Tris and Tobias, the reader is immediately pushed into the action following Insurgent, book 2 of the trilogy.
It is impossible to write too much about the plot because it would spoil it for readers. It is sufficient to say that Roth pulls no punches in this dystopian society. People that the reader cares for die and Tris is faced with a terrible choice that will require all her courage.
The themes of bravery, loyalty, sacrifice, power and morality are all integral to the story and make this into a book that will linger in the mind long after it has been read. What is happening in the larger world that Tris and Tobias and their friends face is shocking for them and for the reader but Roth's powerful conclusion, amid violence and death, does make sense in a dystopian society.
This is one of the better dystopian series around and it will be interesting to see how it translates into film.
Pat Pledger

Thankless in death by J.D. Robb

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In death series. Piatkus, 2013. ISBN 9780749959371.
(Age: 15-Adult) Crime. Jerry Reinhold's parents tried to get him to take responsibility for his life and get a job. His girlfriend kicked him out because he became violent. But Jerry believes that life owes him everything and goes on a killing spree beginning with his parents. Eve has been given his case and together with her team she and Roarke are in a race against time to get to Jerry's next victim before he does.
This follows a different format to what is usual for the best-selling In Death books as the reader knows who the killer is and what he is planning to do next. This gives a different feel to the book, especially as Jerry Reinhold is a very chilling, creepy villain who has no conscience and no qualms about who he kills. Robb's description of a sociopath who believes that he deserves everything without having to work for it and who has grievances against teachers, workmates, girlfriends, family and friends, is quite terrifying.
Eve's relationships grow in this book. Peabody is a great colleague and Roarke's large Irish family appear for Thanksgiving, giving Eve a taste of family life and ties and helping her to forget her dark childhood. Her love for Roarke and his love for her are integral to the plot and as pleasing as ever.
Fans of this series will find Thankless in death dark, but as engrossing as others in the series.
Pat Pledger

Bringing down the wall by David P. Reiter and Sona Babajanyan

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IP Kidz, 2013. ISBN 9781922120199. Ebook ISBN 9781922120205.
Once, Joshua was very close to his grandfather but since his grandmother got really sick and died, he hasn't seen him because his mother will not let him. Joshua suspects it has something to do with his grandfather's new wife, but eventually the tug of family overcomes him and he sets out on his own to visit him secretly. Timidly he approaches the house and knocks, and is greeted by Riva who tries to persuade him to ring his mum while they wait for Grandpa to come home with ice cream. But Josh wants to see his grandpa first and when he arrives, they sit down and Grandpa tells him a story from his childhood about little boys not being able to make a difference.
But Joshua disagrees - he thinks they can and he thinks he is.
That's not the only lesson Joshua learns that day in a sensitive portrayal of a situation of a family's rift that is all too common. For not only does Joshua learn that just one person can take the step to healing, he also has his grandfather's wisdom of knowing why the rift has occurred and there is understanding rather than blame. Sometimes time can heal, but sometimes it can create a gap too wide to cross. His may not be the only heart healed today.
The soft muted tones that Sona Babajanyan has used in the illustrations echo the poignancy of this story that explores topics that are common in our students' lives but not necessarily written about in books. The ache between grandchild and grandparent and vice versa is tangible, and there's always a piece of you missing when one is removed through divorce or death. Too many years can be lost if there is no reconciliation and Joshua may prove inspirational to some. This is fiction mirroring real life. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to pick up the phone. Little people CAN make a difference, indeed.
Barbara Braxton

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder

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Healer series, bk 3. Harlequin Mira, 2014. ISBN 9780778315858.
(Age: 14+) Recommended as a light paranormal read. The final in the Healer series, sees Avry working with Reyne. Kerrick her true love, is missing and she doesn't know if she will ever see him again. She has defeated King Tohon but he haunts her dreams, taunting her with her fears. Although she survived the plague, it appears again to test her ability as a healer. Cases of a mutant strain are developing in the soldiers and her healing powers are really needed. The Skeleton King has gathered his army of undead and the fate of the Fifteen Realms depends on her skill.
Taste of darkness brings the Healer series to a very satisfying conclusion. It sees Avery growing in strength and maturity as she struggles to find a cure for the plague and fights against the dreams that King Tohon sends her. She is loyal to her friends and never abandons them. Her little group of Monkeys and Odd the soldier provide moments of light relief through some quite horrific scenes featuring the Skeleton King and the machinations of those hungry for power.
Avry's romance with Kerrick faces many hurdles as his link with the forest grows and his ability to go outside it recedes. Avry's determination and stubbornness come to the fore as she refuses to believe that he is dead. Both know that bringing peace to the realm is more important than their love for each other and they face separation to ensure that they do the best for the kingdom. They need to use all their skills through battles, betrayal, capture and torture before peace comes to the realm
Readers who have followed this series will be rewarded with a well written third book that brings everything together after heart stopping moments, gory battles and intriguing magic.
Pat Pledger

Twinmaker by Sean Williams

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Twinmaker series, bk 1. Electric Monkey, 2013. ISBN 9781405264334.
(Age 13+) Recommended. D-mat has revolutionised the world that Clair and Libby live in. It is a teleport system that lets people and goods travel instantaneously to anywhere in the world and has made the use of fossil fuels redundant. When a code promises people Improvement, the chance to change your appearance and make it different and better Libby is determined to try it. Clair is more sceptical and things go dangerously astray when Libby disappears. With the help of Jesse, whose Abstainer father believes that the d-mat is evil, and the mysterious online Q, Clair is in a race to rescue Libby while she and her companions are chased by mysterious killers.
As a fan of Philip K. Dick whose characters often are able to teleport themselves, I have long been fascinated by the idea of a teleport that could take you anywhere in seconds. I loved this story that put a teleportation system into an adolescent novel and pointed out the both the strengths and the weaknesses of this technology. Clair believes that the d-mat is a force for good, but is worried that the Improvement is a con that draws in insecure people and changes their personalities for the worse. Clair is a stalwart friend, who is torn by her attraction to Zep, Libby's boyfriend, but who desperately tries to find Libby when Improvement takes her over. Jessie, with his Abstainer background who refuses to use the d-mat, proves a good foil for the techno savvy Clair and Q, providing lots of thought about how technology should be used.
The world that Williams builds is an interesting dystopian one. Not much information is given about the Water Wars that had ravaged Earth, but it is easy to imagine a world where technology has taken over and where power could be held in a few hands. However it is the action that really makes this novel zip along. There are multiple chases, lots of unique baddies and a climax that leaves the reader panting for the next book.
The conclusion leaves questions unanswered and the nature of Q is a puzzle but this action packed book with its themes of technology, friendship, deception and body image should prove very popular. I can imagine it as a TV series or a movie and look forward to the next in the series.
Pat Pledger