Twinmaker series, bk 1. Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743315866.
(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
Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
Dead Beautiful series, bk 1. Disney-Hyperion, 2010. ISBN
9781423119562.
(Age 14+) Paranormal. Romance. Death. When Renee Winters finds her
parents dead in the Redwood Forest she is devastated. Although the
police believe that heart attacks caused their deaths, Renee knows
that the gauze that was in their mouths and the coins scattered
around their bodies points to murder. After the funeral, Renee's
grandfather sends her off to Gottfried Academy, an elite boarding
school where existential subjects like Philosophy and strange ways
of looking at Horticulture are studied. There she meets Dante
Berlin, a strange aloof boy whom she is inexplicably drawn to. As
she begins to adjust to boarding school, danger looms and the curse
that hangs over Gottfried Academy makes her fear for her life and
the life of her friends.
For readers of paranormal romances there will be many familiar
situations in Dead Beautiful: death of parents, a mysterious
boarding school, brooding gorgeous boy and danger. However readers
new to the genre will soon be caught up in Renee's life as she comes
to terms with the awful reality of her parents' death and begins to
settle into the life of a boarding school. As she leaves her old
life and friends behind, her fascination with Dante begins to take
over. Woon gives the readers plenty of clues about what is happening
to both Dante and Renee, as he refuses to kiss her on the lips and
she goes numb when he touches her.
The mythology about the undead and the souls of children is quite
fascinating and adds a deeper dimension to the plot. The references
to the dead language Latin and Philosophy and the article Renee
finds about the Curse of Gottfried Academy and her ability to find
dead things all build up the suspense around the mystery of what is
happening to students at Gottfried and why her parents died.
Teenage girls will find plenty to enjoy in this story: a riveting
mystery, the undead, a mysterious boy, gloomy boarding school, and
rumours of a strange headmistress and spooky monitors burying a
student alive. They are sure to pick up the next two books in the
series.
Pat Pledger
The dream thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys, bk 2. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9780545424943.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Paranormal. Things are changing for
Gansey, Ronan, Blue and Adam since the ley lines have been woken.
They are still determined to find Glendower, the legendary Welsh
king, but others are also on the same quest. Ronan's dreams are
starting to take over, not only has he pulled a raven out of his
dreams but he finds that they are starting to haunt real life with
dangerous creatures. A sinister hit man, Mr Gray, is on the prowl
searching for the Graywaren and Kravinsky is taunting Ronan to race
against him in the souped up car races that are held at night.
Told from different points of view, the reader learns more about
each character as what is happening comes from a different
perspective. The dream thieves concentrates on an angry and
troubled Ronan, who desperately searches for a way to bring back to
life his home and his mother. He gradually begins to understand the
power of his dreams but is ill prepared for what this could cost
him. Adam becomes isolated and Gansey, the golden boy, is still
obsessed with his quest for Glendower. Blue, as direct and practical
as ever, works with her family and tarot cards to find solutions to
the power surges and the disappearance of Cabeswater.
There are some very exciting moments, particularly when Ronan and
Kravinsky race their cars and manipulate dreams and some poignant
moments when Blue begins to think about who her true love might be.
Things do no always turn out how people would like them to.
Stiefvater has written a mesmerising and very intricate story with a
cliff-hanger at the end to ensure that the next book is read. This
is a beautifully written book that requires close attention and
thought to work out what is going on and the series is sure to
appeal to readers who enjoy the paranormal.
Pat Pledger
Rainforest Lullaby by Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781742838205.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Rainforest Lullaby is a lovely
picture book using rhyme and images to show the sleeping Australian
animals. It is highly recommended for adults to read to children
aged 4+ and good for independent readers aged 7+.
Use the book to introduce a unit on Australian animals or to discuss
and write poetry with older children. It could be used to identify
rhyming words, recreate the story with different animals or add to
the story by imitating the author.
Kylie Kempster
Secrets at the Chocolate Mansion by Leslie Margolis
Maggie Brooklyn Mysteries bk 3. Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN
9781619632660.
Recommended for readers from 10-12 years of age who enjoy mystery
stories. Themes: Mystery Stories, Brothers and Sisters, Dogs,
Ghosts. Haunted mansions, candy store sabotage, problem
relationships and two mysteries to solve luckily Maggie Brooklyn
dog-sitter and sleuth is up for solving these cases. At the opening
of Sonya's Sweets a new store in Brooklyn owned by Maggie's friend
Sonya and her mother the pies turn out to be salty not sweet, a
baseball breaks the new stained glass window and a threatening note
is discovered. When Maggie begins to investigate her life becomes
more and more complicated. As well as school problems and boyfriend
dramas, she also becomes involved with a ghostly problem at a nearby
haunted apartment building that was formerly owned by a chocolate
tycoon. Whilst babysitting Beckett for his mothers Lisa and Caroline
with her twin brother Finn, Maggie is confronted with two ghost
stories, the Irish maid and an apparition that appears in the
mirror. Added to the mix is a Girl Scout who is up to no good and
this makes for another busy mystery for Maggie.
Leslie Margolis has created a relatable and realistic girl sleuth
who copes well with her family, school and life dramas. Each book in
the series focuses on a different mystery and can be read as a
standalone novel. At times the characters crowd in and there are a
lot of politically correct things added to the story including
Nofarm the dog.
Rhyllis Bignell
My Daddy ate an apple, words and music by Craig Smith
Ill. by Scott Tulloch. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781775432005.
(Age: 3+) Picture book, Verse, Singing, CD accompaniment. This is
another in the series of sing along books produced by Scholastic,
which includes, She'll be coming round the mountain, Do
your ears hang low? and There's a hole in the bucket.
Each book includes a CD for the reader and class to enjoy, sing
along to, and develop actions to as they use the book. The books
lend themselves to a variety of uses, particularly in the classroom,
where music, poetry and singing along are valued.
This one, unlike the others, is an original song by Smith, who also
wrote the words and music for two other books in this series, the
award winning, The wonky donkey and Willbee the
bumblebee. All are refreshingly alive and inviting for the
younger reader and listener to join in.
Any of them would make a valued present to a younger child or
family, and in the classroom or library lends itself to a variety of
uses. The illustrations by Scott Tullock show a range of different
animals, the one eating the apple, the zebra being the main
character. His antics and those of his helpers around him will cause
a great deal of laughter amongst the readers, and following the
route of the little worm will keep young people engaged.
Fran Knight
I'm a dirty dinosaur by Janeen Brian and Ann James
Penguin Australia, 2013. ISBN 9780670076154.
Highly recommended for any little dinosaur lovers from 2 years up. I
just LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!! Where to start? Yes, it is very
simple for little people with a rollicking rhythmic text that just
begs to be read aloud accompanied by some stomping feet. A young
dinosaur progressively gets grubbier and grubbier until finally he
decides it is time to have a bath in the local swamp.
Janeen Brian has created a perfectly balanced rhyming text that is
matched by an onomatopoeic refrain for each action creatively
executed in bright primary colours.
'I'm a dirty dinosaur with a dirty tail.
I flick it in the muck or I slide it like a snail.
SLIDE, SLIDE,
SLIDE, SLIDE,
SLIDE IT
LIKE A SNAIL!'
The superlative Ann James, who never fails to produce outstanding
artwork, has matched this dinosaur tail . . . oops, tale . . . with
illustrations in magic pencil, watercolour and mud - yes, mud! The
little dinosaur is seemingly simply outlined in rainbow magic pencil
which echoes the colourful font of the refrain and with each
illustration more mud is added to his blank canvas to match the
text.
Another detail about the book that has real appeal is the very
sturdy cover with rounded corners - most suitable for small hands.
If you haven't already grabbed this book, make sure it is on your
list pronto - I know I can't wait to share it as a bedtime romp at
my place.
Check out Ann
James talking about her creative process here at Penguin, and
at My
Little Bookcase is an idea for muddy paintings.
Sue Warren
Ice breaker by Lian Tanner
The Hidden series, bk 1. Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN
9781743314340.
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Adventure, Fantasy. The first in
The Hidden series, introduces Petrel, a young girl who
survives by her wits in a strange world aboard a huge ship where
three tribes have developed, markedly separate from each other, the
Cooks, Engineers and Officers. She avoids each level of the ship,
using the passages behind the metal of the ship to crawl from one
level to another, with her two rat friends Mister Smoke and Missus
Slink.
Known as Nothing Girl to all tribes they tease, abuse and chase
Petrel when she is sighted, as she is the daughter of a forbidden
relationship, between two people from two levels, for which crime
they were thrown overboard. This is an even nastier world like the
one created by Tanner for her last unputdownable series, The
Keepers.
Onto this ship comes a small boy who Petrel calls Fin. Found on the
ice he needs to be nursed back to health, but a stranger on board
causes increasing tension between the ship's tribes, and when the
leader is killed, war breaks out.
Petrel scurries Fin to a safe haven but she is found by Squid, the
daughter of Seal, another leader, and together they try to hide Fin
after his talk while delirious shocks them all. He is the harbinger
for a ship following, intent on destroying the ship and all of its
inhabitants. So time is of the essence.
Petrel and the rats seek out the 'sleeping captain', the story of a
man who will save the ship, and so through the secret tunnels and
cavities of the ship they travel, with war and now fire raging on
every level.
This is an exciting adventure story, set in a blizzardly cold place,
where to go on deck means having to wear very protective outdoor
gear, to be thrown overboard means a quick death from the cold.
Petrel's life is always precarious, but when she defends the found
boy, she is targeted by everyone. With a steampunk background, the
mechanics of living in such a world is well drawn, making a
wonderful background to the story which will capture the imagination
of any reader, but particularly those absorbed by fantastical
worlds.
Fran Knight
House of Hades by Rick Riordan
Heroes of Olympus series. Puffin, 2013. ISBN: 9780141339191.
(Age: 12+) In this latest adventure of the intrepid and dauntless
demi-gods, Percy and his girlfriend Annabeth are trapped trekking
through the Underworld, pandemonium reigns in the form of an
escalating feud between the Greek and Roman versions of the
immortals and most dire of all, the earth is under threat from Gaia
(Earth) the most ancient, powerful and malignant goddess of all.
As Percy (son of Poseidon, for those who don't know) and Annabeth
(daughter of Athena) combat monsters and dark forces, the rest of
the band of seven are struggling with their part of the fateful
mission to save the world. They are Leo (son of Hephaestus), Frank
(son of Mars), Piper (daughter of Aphrodite), Hazel (daughter of
Pluto) and Jason (son of Jupiter) and each brings to the band of
comrades their own special attributes or demi-god powers.
"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arm to the Doors of Death."
The wonderful juxtaposition of teenager/demi-god is one of the most
significant devices in the books. As normal as teenagers can be with
their anguish over boy/girl relationships, being popular and so on,
these teenagers deal with a rigid definition of their own half-blood
heritage.
Moments of humour break the tension and the whole plot is believably
and proficiently executed as time races away and the band of
semi-divine warriors each face their own demons.
Devotees will have already scoffed this up upon release but
definitely worthy of a place on the shelves for readers 12 and up.
Sue Warren
Without Me? by Kayleen West
Wombat Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921632532.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Without Me is a lovely story of a
young child who decides to run away from home. As she leaves the
house, she thinks about her dog and cat and who will look after
them. Then she thinks about her sister and her brother and her Mum
and Dad. The child decides to take everyone with her and then thinks
about all the things they will need. The child decides it would be
much easier to stay home where she is loved.
This is a gorgeous story of being thankful for what you have and the
colourful illustrations bring it to life. It is recommended for
children aged 5+ who can read it with an adult and for independent
readers aged 7+. It would be a great story to use in the classroom
with the Child Protection Curriculum as teachers could discuss the
mixed feelings the child is having as well as safe behaviours.
Kylie Kempster
Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant
Random House, 2013.
Hoof Beat/Riding Camp. ISBN: 9780857981042. Horse Wise/Rodeo Rider. ISBN: 9780857981059. Starlight Christmas/Sea Horse. ISBN: 9780857981066. Team Play/Horse Games. ISBN: 9780857981073.
Recommended for girls 8+. Yes, just when you thought you were safe
from frenzied whinnying, head tossing and ponytail flicking from the
little horse-mad girls in your library, along come a whole saddlebag
full of new Saddle Club adventures. Attractively presented with very
contemporary covers and two complete stories in each volume, these
will no doubt be trotting - or even cantering - off your shelves in
short order as soon as they are spotted.
Carole, Lisa and Stevie are the Saddle Club members, their
friendship forged by bonds of their shared love of horses and riding
together at Pine Hollow Stables.
Their adventures in these volumes include their first rodeo,
holidays spent apart but with individual excitements such as
Carole's Christmas present bay gelding Starlight, a new Pony Club at
the stables, visits from an Italian riding team and loads more.
Perhaps not the most highbrow of reading but enjoyed endlessly by
all those girls who long to have their very own horse as well as
those who are lucky enough to already own one, over the years I have
seen this series borrowed over and over again.
We all need our 'chill time' when we can pick up what I refer to as
'lolly' books and just read without having to think too deeply.
Sue Warren
Twin Magic: School Bully Beware by Kate Ledger
Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9780545480260.
(Age: 7+) School Bully Beware is the story of twins, Lottie
and Mia. It's a school day and there is a new boy at school. His
name is Max and he seems to be a bully. The girls and their friends
aren't sure what to do, especially when Max kicks their ball away.
The cute twist in this story is the twins have secret super powers
and use their powers to get the ball back. Is Max really a bully or
just a new kid trying to fit in? School Bully Beware is a Scholastic Reader aimed at a Year 2
reading level. The easier text and bright pictures will be appealing
to girls aged 7+. The story would also be good to use as a class
text, to help children discuss acceptable behaviour, help discuss
why children choose to act in different ways and help understand the
structure of a simple narrative.
Kylie Kempster
Send for a Superhero by Michael Rosen
Ill. Katharine McEwen. Walker Books, 2013. ISBN: 9781406327090.
(Ages: 3-5) This is actually a comic within a picture book. Dad is
reading a comic to Emily and Elmer, trying to get them to go to
sleep. While they read about monsters called Filth and Vacuum who
are trying to take over the world, Emily and Elmer interject with
comments and some sibling sniping.
The comic itself is quite entertaining, with an array of
stereo-typical superheroes finding themselves unable to save the
day, so Extremely Boring Man has to be the hero. He comes to
the rescue in a most unusual way. The story of the father and the
children seems a little forced at times, however it does ring true
with the types of comments children come up with during story time.
Unfortunately I felt it lacked the charm of many of the author's
other books.
Donella Reed
Rules of summer by Shaun Tan
Hachette, 2013. ISBN 9780734410672.
(Age: 7 to adult) Highly recommended. Picture book, Summer, Art
perspectives, Childhood. The rules of engagement between friends and
siblings are often arbitrary, changing on a whim, but sometimes
having a strong reason at their base. In this book, Tan presents
those rules between two boys over one summer. Many pages are very
dark, reflecting the cautionary tales of the past, where rules are
given to warn of the possible repercussions of an action while some
are light hearted, some simply reflect the relationship between the
two.
Tan shows the two boys, one older and bigger, fencing the behaviour
of the other with his short, pithy rules. 'Never', begins each page,
telling of a rule which must be followed. Never forget a password,
never give your keys to someone else, never leave the door open at
night, and on they go, the pages darkening as more gloomy
backgrounds fill the boys' days.
And it seems that some of the actions by the older boy are
questionable, scrapping with the younger boy on the ground, leaving
him shut in a furnace, only to return with bolt cutters, one of the
'always' rules that begins to grace the lightening pages.
With nods to the work of Jeffrey Smart, Dali, and Van Gogh, Tan
brings his own imaginative powers to hie illustrations, adding
futuristic themes with space vehicles and robotic dinosaurs, fantasy
in the form of pages of all seeing birds, humour with the tennis
match against a mechanical toy and wonder at the scope of summer's
produce. Each double page with the words on the left and an
illustration on the right, will draw gasps of recognition, fear,
pleasure and, humour as he plays with our emotional responses to
such imagery.
The older boy is at worst a bully, but could simply be teaching a
younger brother the way around the neighbourhood, at the end sitting
with him on the couch, sharing popcorn while watching television,
redeeming himself for his actions of the past.
On Tan's website
is a most informative series of video clips outlining his thoughts
and sketches, his ideas and paintings for this work.
As with much of his work, children and adults alike will spend time
looking and thinking, while in the classroom, lessons could be
developed around the themes, friendship, rivalry, neighbourhoods,
using the set of comprehensive teacher notes to be found on the
website above.
Fran Knight
The Pirate who had to Pee by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2013. ISBN: 9780733332944 .
(Ages: 2 to 5) Highly recommended. The authors of The Fart
Monster have again brought humour to bodily needs in this very
funny picture book.
'Out of Order' is the last thing Pirate Pete wants to see on the
door of the ships only toilet! Young children will love this funny,
rhyming journey across the ocean to find a working toilet. The
imagery of rolling seas and waterfalls is enough to make anyone need
to pee, and the look on a particular mermaid's face is quite
hilarious.
With gorgeous illustrations full of humorous things to spot (the
words written in the sea can even lead to a discussion about
onomatopoeia), this is a perfect book for all little pirates.
Donella Reed
