Ill. by Naomi Turvey. Ford St, 2014. ISBN 9781925000177.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Redemption, Forgiveness, Father-son
relationships. A fantastical moral tale will greet the readers who
open these pages, magnificently illustrated by newcomer, Naomi
Turvey.
Deep in the Blue Mountains lives a forester and his family. His
first born sons are replicas of himself, strong and fearless, but
his third son is puny, a runt, and derided by the men in the family.
When his wife leaves, the man does not question the reason and
continues his derision of the boy, Martin.
But one day when fire has ravaged the hills, the eagles look for
food for their young and spying the older boys take them off to
their nest. Martin's father is distraught, saying predictable things
to his now only son, and so the boy leaves. He finds the remains of
a fledgeling eagle and donning its feathers in the form of a cape,
climbs the treacherous cliff to the nest where he joins the eaglets
in calling for food from the adult birds. He grows into a
magnificent eagle, and later spying his father mourning the loss of
his wife, sons and Martin because of his inability to love them for
what they are, swoops down and takes him upon his back before the
man throws himself into the valley below.
Children and young adults will love this tale of redemption, of a
father admitting his shortcomings, of the son forgiving him despite
all that has happened. They will love the story of the cuckoo taking
a young bird's place in the nest and the parallels to this story and
will look for the themes of this tale in the illustrations. Turvey
has used a wonderful pen and ink style of illustration reminiscent
of wood block illustrations of old, underlining the morality of a
tale which transcends time. She has built in patches of colour which
add a tiny difference to some pages, making the eyes look again at
the page. She has framed the illustrations, giving them an aged
appearance, and sometimes drawn part of the illustration outside the
frame, drawing the eye across the page. As hard as it is to pick out
pages which resonate with me, and will with other readers, I must
point out the wonderful tall, soaring trees taking more than their
fair share of the frame on the page, and the gum nuts reminiscent of
May Gibbs, and the child cowering by his father's boot. The language
and illustrations coalesce, making this a book to treasure in the
classroom, library or home.
Fran Knight
Side effects may vary by Julie Murphy
Penguin Books, 2014. ISBN 9780143571711.
(Age: Senior Fiction) This is a debut novel for young adults by an
American writer.
Readers will be familiar with 'bucket lists' often conceived out of
revenge in school situations but there is a twist in this story.
Alice has been diagnosed with leukaemia and is on a mission to
fulfil her list but she asks dear friend Harvey to help her. As a
life long and adoring friend, he does not take much convincing.
Alice admits to herself that it looks as if she is using Harvey, but
her illness provides the excuse, and she knows that Harvey is always
there for her. Even when there is a sharp turnaround with Alice
having gone into remission, she is determined to proceed with the
'bucket list' in a reckless fashion, injuring Harvey along the way,
and obscuring the truths about their relationship.
Alice and Harvey provide alternate narratives with the action moving
from the past to the present and vice versa. It is to the author's
credit that this potentially confusing method of storytelling
actually reads fluently and effectively. Alice is a frustrating
character, at times treating Harvey with little regard for his
feelings, and then being jealous on hearing of his new girlfriend.
Both are very interesting, however, devoted to their causes,
supportive of each other and good analysts of situations.
This is an enjoyable read: the language flows well, there are great
moments of humour and the plot moves at a good pace.
Julie Wells
Paul meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb
Candlewick Press, 2014. ISBN 9780763661304.
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Friendship, Loneliness, Horizons. Paul does
all he can in his fish bowl. He swims from top to bottom, from side
to side, makes little circles and big circles. One day when
Bernadette drops in, she questions him about his world, and then
points out the many things outside. Pointing to a banana she asks
him what it is, His response is tepid, until she points out that
what they are looking at is a boat. Then a vase of flowers becomes a
forest, the paper is a lovely dress, the teapot an elephant. Each
thing pointed out becomes something much bigger and more
interesting, and Paul's world is widened, even more so when
Bernadette stays with him.
His new friend has shown him the world and how it is a much more
interesting place with two looking at it. Being alone narrows his
vista, being alone means doing the same thing each day, being alone
means seeing things in the same way. Having a friend means seeing
things anew, seeing things differently, seeing things together. Even
when they are swimming around and around the same space they are
together.
What a charming tale to introduce the value of friendship to a
child, group or class.
Fran Knight
Coming of age: Growing up Muslim in Australia ed. by Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren
Allen & Unwin Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9781743312926.
Highly recommended for 11+ readers. Here we have contributions of 12
very successful Australians that just happen to come from a Muslim
background. Their stories relating the discovery of who they are and
how they fit into the world are as different as the individuals
themselves. When all young people move into adulthood, there are
many questions to answer and many insecurities to recognize and deal
with. However, when you are also trying to maintain a balance
between two widely different cultures the confusion intensifies.
The personal recounts of these years of turmoil remind us all that
each individual, regardless of culture, needs to look to the past to
be able to move into the future. Young Muslims and non Muslims alike
will identify with the emotions experienced by these 12 teens
finding their own pathways in life. Their stories deal with issues
of religious beliefs, morality, honour, family expectations, courage
and stereotype. As with many religions, there exist many
interpretations followed by different sections of the community.
This book helps Muslims and non Muslims to understand and appreciate
the diversity within the world of Islam.
Lynne Poole
Billy is a dragon: First bite by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers
Random House Australia Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9780857983053.
This is the first book in the Billy is a dragon series. Poor
Billy, for his birthday he has been invited to the local pet shop to
look for a new pet. Things go horribly wrong when the shop owner
insists on showing Billy a red lizard, one he calls a DragOn lizard.
Billy feels compelled to reach out and touch the lizard which
promptly latches onto his finger with its very sharp teeth. He
screams so loudly that his mother rushes him back home.
The next day at school Billy's finger is red and swollen and Billy
begins to feel a little strange. His body is changing slowly but
surely into that of a . . . Dragon. He manages to keep out of
everyone's sight, all that is except for Jeanie, his best friend.
Billy is quite scared but Jeanie is very impressed.
Billy soon comes to really like being a Dragon, especially when he
finds that he can fly. However, Billy also wants to be able to go
home. Unfortunately for Billy, his mother and sister are traumatized
and his father decides to catch the 'unusual lizard' and take it to
the Zoo. Luckily Billy escapes. A return visit to the pet shop gives
Billy the information that he needs to turn back into a regular boy
. . . or is he? Check out the next book in the series: Billy is
a Dragon Werewolves Beware!
This is a delightful book for younger readers. The story is fast
moving and easy to read. There are wonderful illustrations on every
page and Word Art makes it very attractive for reluctant readers.
Lynne Poole
My Mum says the strangest things by Katrina Germein
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Black Dog Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922179562.
(Age: 3 to adult) Highly recommended. Humour. Language. The strange
things we say without thinking, the responses to often said phrases,
the metaphors and similes that are part of our language are given an
airing in this very funny book by Katrina Germein, richly and
hilariously illustrated by Tom Jellett, both of whom collaborated on
the successful duo of books, My Dad thinks he's funny, and My
Dad thinks he's funny too.
For adults reading this book to children, or just reading it to
themselves, sayings we often hear are expressed and given a context
so that we can see just how ludicrous they are. From the often
heard, 'ants in your pants', to 'the maid is on holidays', and 'spinach
makes you strong', the list of commonly heard phrases keep the
readers turning the page to see which one comes next. Each page has
at least one saying with Jellett's squawking illustration showing
just what the saying means when taken literally. His bold and in
your face illustrations will make younger children create gales of
laughter, as they recognise the refrains often heard in their house,
while older children will get a kick out of recognising the sayings,
but will also begin to question just why people say them, and for
those older still, reflection comes with every page turned as the
origins of the phrase becomes a focus.
In classrooms this will be a hit with children reading the sayings
out loud to each other and laughing at the possibilities Jellett
produces in his illustrations, while a teacher reading this aloud to
a class will have the opportunity to discuss sayings with the class,
while in older classrooms, the range of sayings can be discussed,
more added, the idea of metaphor and simile introduced, along with
idiom and literal speech. The whole rounds off with several pages
devoted to Mum putting her young children to bed, telling them that
she loves them all the way to the stars and back, as she sneaks from
their room in her space uniform.
So Germein and Jellett bring the story back to Mum and her love for
her children, the focus no longer on her saying the strange things,
but her love and devotion.
Fran Knight
Mummy, you're special to me by Laine Mitchell
Ill. by Kim Fleming. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742839813.
(Age: Pre school) Mothers, Family relationships. Each double page of
this book about mothers and their offspring, is devoted to a four
line stanza telling how one mother loves her charge. She may know
numbers, telling the time, counting, or painting and writing a play,
or taking the children on picnics. Whatever expertise she has is
illustrated by Fleming in a soft watercolours as he illustrates each
stanza with a different set of animals. Thus the sheep are on the
page about counting, the one who writes and performs plays is about
the octopus, and building sandcastles on the beach is devoted to
turtles. Children reading this book will have another layer of
meaning behind the pictures as they can see the underlying play on
words. On each page too they can search for the giraffe, the first
animal appearing in the book, and the one which follows the action
of the book to the end. Underneath each stanza is the refrain of the
title, allowing someone reading it aloud to encourage little voices
to join in.
Fran Knight
Warriors by Krista Bell
Windy Hollow Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922081032.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. History, China, Travel. Two stories of the
Terracotta Warriors are told side by side in this fascinating book
for younger readers. Andrew travelling to China with his father,
knows little of the country of his family. So when they get to
Xi'an, Da tells his son the story of the finding of the sculptures
in 1974, when farmers digging a well, came across a stone head. They
believed it as had others before them, to be part of ghosts in the
fields but when an archaeologist from the district museum came and
looked, it was declared a site of historical interest. Consequently
this area in Central China is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The story of how they came to be there is also told. Da tells Andrew
some of the story of the emperor who wanted his army buried with him
when he died, and scraps of paper on the pages next to the story
gives more information. So Da tells his son about the emperor, Ying
Zheng, while from the act sheet, we learn that he became emperor
when thirteen and took over from his guardian when he was twenty
two. Other fact sheets fill out the story that Da tells, allowing
the reader to develop their own sense of the emperor who left behind
this strange army.
Much more information is given in the maps, postcards home to
Melbourne and fact sheets given within the covers of the book, even
the endpapers adding to the tale, and the range of photographs
ensures that readers will be occupied long after the words have been
read. Teacher's
notes are available from the publisher's website.
Fran Knight
In certain circles by Elizabeth Harrower
Text, 2014. ISBN 9781922182296.
(Age: Senior secondary) Written in 1971 but unpublished until now,
this is Elizabeth Harrower's final novel. The psychological strains
of relationships are examined in the story of a successful and happy
family which attempts to improve the lives of others less fortunate.
Zoe, the pampered, talented and generous daughter of the Howards,
successful academics, is intrigued by taciturn, aloof Stephen and
his younger sister, Anna, but frequently offends them with her
casual generosity. Anna is proud and understands Zoe well, but is
focused on surviving in her job and tiny flat. Russell, Zoe's
brother, has returned from war determined to help those who need it,
and is about to marry his old sweetheart Lily. He is Stephen's best
friend and they go into business together, while Zoe becomes an
energetic and successful photographer in Paris. When Zoe returns
from Paris she and Stephen fall in love and marry; Anna marries a
musician; Russell and Lily have twins. However, Anna's husband dies
and she acknowledges what she has long known, that she loves
Russell, and he in turn loves her. The final section of the novel
reveals the pain in Zoe's life; Stephen has a cruel need to bully
and dominate and Zoe has become afraid. Life has closed in on her,
and no longer impetuous or spontaneous she faces a bleak future. She
must suffer because of her husband's earlier life, and she who had
no inkling of what it meant to be poor must now understand that
poverty warps the spirit permanently. Anna and Russell have accepted
their separation and similarly expect no happiness, until suicide
letters posted accidently arrive and in revealing the truth about
their situations act as catalysts for change. All the while the
Harbour glitters in the background, successful careers are created,
and seemingly enviable lives are lived out in the Sydney of the
60's, and 70's. However, Harrower makes it clear that happiness is
fleeting. She examines the psychological minutiae of her characters'
lives in prose that is both economical and at times richly
metaphorical.
The novel is recommended for better readers.
Jenny Hamilton
Ava Anne Appleton: Up and away by Wendy Harmer
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
