Orion, 2013. ISBN 9781409144526
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Crime. University. When Dr. Stephen Killigan
takes up his appointment at Sepulchre College, Cambridge, his life
changes in some unexpected ways. Heavily tattooed Stephen doesn't
fit most people's image of a Cambridge don, which may affect the way
he's perceived.
After consuming a number of drinks with a friend and colleague
Stephen goes out for kebabs and discovers a masked body in a church
yard. He has to move off to get a signal for his mobile phone and
when he returns with the police the body is gone, as is any evidence
of any foul play. The police, in the form of Inspector Jane Horne,
are not well pleased.
The body of a young boy is found within the university with a
similar mask to one Killigan described on the church yard body. This
all leads to him being a suspect and his reputation in Sepulchre
College and in Cambridge becoming very dodgy. He ends up plunging
into the Cam letting the water take him, when he is rescued by
someone from a different time.
It is no mean feat to construct a time travel tale that is
believable, but Benedict does it superbly. Her historical knowledge
and interaction of her cast of characters allows the reader to be
carried away to wherever she wishes. It is through the travelling
that Stephen meets Jackamore Grass, discovers his relationships with
the present and the past and his addiction to murder. With the help
of Lana Carver, who works in the library and the wonderful Professor
Iris Burton, the eccentric elderly academic whose beliefs have led to
her gaining a rather dubious reputation, he is able to sort out fact
from fiction and convince Horne that he is not a lunatic.
Benedict has created a wonderful concoction, part fantasy, part
historical novel, part thriller and finally a murder mystery. Along
the way she has finely drawn and observed an intriguing group of
people, all interesting in their own right. A thoroughly enjoyable
read. Highly recommended for an adult audience and mature secondary
students.
Mark Knight
What's wrong with the wobbegong? by Phillip Gwynne
What's wrong with the wobbegong? by Phillip Gwynne
Ill. by Gregory Rogers. Little Hare, 2013. ISBN 9781921714962.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Seaside. Appearances. Gossip. As the
wobbegong lies on his towel on the beach, his manly chest puffed out
before him, he lathers sunscreen over his body, listens to his
radio, and very contentedly soaks up the sun. But his neighbours,
the humped whale, the seabird, the crab, octopus and clam are all
worried and cannot help but voice their concerns to each other.
There is something wrong with the wobbegong. He never seems to eat,
just lies palely on the sand without saying a word to anyone. But
just as they are all conjecture, he gets up and races to the sea,
proving that he can moved very quickly indeed. He is active and a
good colour, so the other beach creatures conclude that indeed there
is nothing wrong with the wobbegong until he suddenly gets a little
too close.
In boldly rhythmic lines, begging to be read aloud, the tale of the
sea animals unfolds. For the fist part of the tale, each page begins
with the question, 'What's wrong with the wobbegong?', while after
he rushes into the water, the concluding pages all begin with,
'There's nothing wrong with the wobbegong' making the tale neatly
symmetrical, adding spice to the children's perception of the clutch
of fish.
The astounding illustrations parallel the story with consummate
ease. The sea creatures are all distinct, each given a character
that is recognisable. The wobbegong is proud, and disinterested in
all that is going on around him; the seagull selling ice cream is
glowering and watchful; the humped whale a snoop and keen to
have some answers to her questions, gathering her brood around her;
while the little crab, ineffective but drawn to the wobbegong,
becomes his next meal.
The scene on the beach could be anywhere with any group: a mother
and her children, the lone swimmer, the small family groups, some in
the sea and some lying on their towels, many eating ice cream from
the lone ice cream seller; all watchful and questioning, keen to
have answers about the others on the beach. And all perfectly
replicated in the humorous illustrations.
For a funny tale of a scene on a beach, for a tale to introduce the
idea of not judging a book by its cover, or a moral tale of getting
just deserts, or of being careful of the unknown or of being wary of
strangers, the uses of this story are wide and various. But for me,
I laughed out loud on every page at both the text and drawings. Such
a treat.
Fran Knight
The windy farm by Doug McLeod
Ill. by Craig Smith. Working Title Press, 2013. ISBN 9781 921504 41
9.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Environment.
Sustainability. Humour.
Perched on top of a hill, the rickety farmhouse bends and groans in
the tremendous wind as it flurries around the farm, taking all in
its path. So the pigs are flying through the air, the people are
hunched against the force of the wind, the tree is groaning under
its thrall. Even the title and names of the creators are being blown
across the bottom of the page.
Readers will love to open the book to see how the windy farm and all
of its occupants survive. And what a treat. Inventor Mum makes them
all iron shoes (from old railway iron?) to hold them on them down,
but in using their power tools, the electricity bill is beyond their
means and Grandpa has to sell his old pig, Big Betty. When the
windmill loses some of its blades, clever Mum again comes up with an
idea of using both the old blades and the wind. So wind power is
brought to the farm, using the very thing they have plenty of, and
soon they are overflowing with money, making money for the power
they are producing. But their relations down the road have not been
so lucky. In an apt comparison, this family relies upon their oil
well, but when it runs dry, they have nowhere to turn.
The story will have readers happily chuckling away at the antics of
the families, cheering when they can finally bring their pig back
home, and make money from their wind farm, able to give shelter to
their now impoverished relative.
The illustrations underline the merriment, as Craig Smith details
the family, the farm and its animals with obvious delight. From the
Presley haired neighbour to the frantic inventions of Mum, the
ailing house and the flying pigs, all is given a delicious slant
with his pencil and water colour illustrations which will bring
tears to the eyes of the readers as they howl with laughter, while
imbuing an environmental message along the way.
Fran Knight
The French Promise by Fiona McIntosh
Michael Joseph, ISBN 9781921518713
(Age: Senior secondary readers) The French Promise is a continuation
of The Lavender Keeper, which is set during World War 2, and
concerns Lisette, an English spy, Luc, a lavender grower and
Maquisade from Provence whose adopted family have been taken away by
the Nazis, and Kilian, a charismatic Nazi officer. This, the second
book in the series, begins in Auschwitz where Luc's sisters are living
their final days. The action then shifts to Eastbourne in England
where, post-war, Luc and Lisette are married with a small child.
Lisette is desperately trying to help Luc forget the torment of
losing his family and farm. She persuades him to migrate to Tasmania
which she estimates will have a climate conducive for lavender
growing. They establish themselves on a holding where by 1964 the
lavender flourishes. Now a family with two teenage children they all
seem to be facing a future as happy as their present. However,
unbeknownst to them, Kilian had a son, Max, who never knew his
father. Max's attempts to discover all that he can about his father
leads him to uncover information about Lisette, Luc and the Gestapo
officer von Schleigel whom his father loathed. A tragic swimming
accident and an unexpected contact with Max reawakens the pain of
the past. Luc decides that it is time to return to Europe to enforce
justice on von Schleigel who he has learnt was responsible for his
family's deaths. On the journey Jenny discovers the pleasures of
Paris and Luc falls in love again. He also becomes responsible for
two young men, Max and Robert, who as a child had helped him during
the war. Revenge proves to be more complex than Luc had anticipated,
but he achieves his aim without compromising his principles by the
end of the novel. The narrative moves at a reasonable pace and is
more engaging than the cliched style promises. The characters
are stereotypical and their actions predictable, but the research is
solid and the reader gets a clear sense of the ongoing trauma of war
for people and places for many decades. The novel is recommended for
senior readers.
Jenny Hamilton
Siege and storm by Leigh Bardugo
Grishna trilogy, book 2. Indigo, 2013.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Paranormal. Following on the success of Shadow
and bone (ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2013), comes the
second in the Grishna trilogy. Alina is settled in the
Little Palace and is trying to come to grips with the fact that she
is the Sun Summoner. Haunted by the Darkling, she is desperate to
fight the dark forces that are threatening the Ravka. She is also
desperate to close the distance that she can feel growing between
her and Mal.
I read both the first and second in the series back to back due to
the originality of the setting and the descriptions of powers of the
Grisha. I found the characters of Alina and Mal to be fascinating.
Alina's struggles with her power and her desire to look after her
country, her remorse at the deaths that she has caused all make for
a powerful story. A religious element, when she is hailed as Saint
Alina and worshipped by a growing number of devotees, provides an
intense strand that the reader knows will prove to be really
difficult. Her love for Mal is tested as the Darling and Nikolai
haunt her and as a reader I was longing for Mal to come into his
power as tracker and match Alina.
Readers who enjoy sweeping fantasy will enjoy the adventure, the
incredible inventions of the Grisha and the wonderful setting of
this series.
Pat Pledger
Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo by Tania McCartney
Ill. by Kieron Pratt. Ford Street Publishing, 2013. ISBN
9781925000023.Hbk.
Riley is an aviator who likes to travel with his friends in his red
tin plane
and see the world and explore other cities and countries - usually
in search of
some pesky critter who likes to hide! Following his adventures in
Beijing, Hong
Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, this adventure takes him to Canberra in
time to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of our nation's capital. Starting
with being
startled by strange noises in the chamber of Parliament House, Riley
dashes
outside to discover a kangaroo popping and pinging all over those
famous lawns.
Jumping into his little red plane with his friends Panda, Dragon,
Lion, Koala
and Wombat, they follow the kangaroo on a journey around the famous
landmarks of
Canberra, coming to rest when she finally finds what she's lost.
It is the illustrations which give this book its charm -
cartoon-like graphics
superimposed on actual photos of the Canberra landscape which
tickled Miss 6's
fancy. As a native of Canberra the places were very familiar to her
and she
loved pointing them out and telling me stories about them. Her
favourite is
Questacon followed by the National Museum of Australia.
But this is not just a book for Canberra children. As the national
capital, the
city has a number of significant buildings such as Parliament House,
the
Australian War Memorial and the National Library of Australia, all
of which are
free to visitors, so as well as being a great souvenir of a visit,
it would also
be a great introduction particularly for groups planning to visit
here. A great
addition to all that is happening in Canberra in 2013
http://canberra100.com.au/
and worth a place on the shelves. Where would Riley and his friends
visit if
they came to your town?
Barbara Braxton
Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory
Order of darkness series. Simon and Schuster, 2013. ISNN
9780857077356.
(Age:13+) Recommended. Historical. Middle Ages. Crusades. The second
in the series following Changeling, sees the group led by
Luca Vero, a member of the secret Order of Darkness, travelling to
Piccolo, a small fortified seaside village. With him are his friend
and servant, Frieze, Brother Peter who is also a member of the Order
of Darkness as well as Lady Isolde and her companion Ishraq. While
in the town a huge children's crusade arrives, led by the
charismatic speaker, Johann, who believes that the waters will open
for him and give him and his followers a passage to the Holy Land.
The characters are somewhat wooden, their fears and emotions are
glossed over, but it is the historical background that will grab the
reader and keep them reading. Gregory excels at giving the reader
mesmerizing historical information. I followed the children's
crusade with bated breath, fearing for the very young who left
everything to follow Johann on a journey that they believed was
ordained by God. The map of Piccolo at the beginning of the book was
fascinating and serves to ground the reader's mind in the setting.
Superstitions of the Middle Ages and the conditions that people
lived under are very well described. Any reader of this series will
come away with a more detailed knowledge of what life was like in
the Middle Ages. The way women were feared and branded as witches if
they were not under the protection of a father or husband was shown
clearly as once again Isolde and Ishraq have to fight accusations of
witchcraft. Luca struggle to understand why the sea opened up and
then came back and drowned the village and his yearning to know the
real reason behind the storm rather than the superstition of evil
stormbringers is also dealt with adroitly
There is a website
to support the series with teacher's notes, historical background
and character descriptions and Gregory gives an author's note at the
end that puts the novel into historical context. Illustrations
throughout the book add to its readability.
Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this novel as would readers
who enjoyed other books about the children's crusade like Angel
fish by Lili Wilkinson and Crusade by Linda Press
Wulf.
Pat Pledger
The cat, the rat, and the baseball bat Andy Griffiths
Ill. by Terry Denton, (My Readers Level 1) Macmillan, 2013, ISBN
978174613000. Hbk.
(Age 3+) Recommended. Cats and rats are natural enemies and in this
book Andy Griffiths has the rat coming out on top with the help of a
baseball bat.
One of the short stories in the very popular The Cat on the Mat
is Flat, this one is formatted for the beginning reader and is
sure to be just as popular as the original collection of short
stories. The story line is hilarious and the illustrations by Terry
Denton are just fabulous and add a huge amount of hilarity to the
story. Repetition, rhyming words and very short sentences will be a
boon for the beginning reader and the illustrations also give clues
to what is going on.
Others in the series are Ed and Ted and Ted's dog Fred and Andy
G, Terry D, the brave tea-lady and the evil bee. These are
certainly lots of fun and are sure to appeal to the young child who
is venturing out on a quest to learn to read and to everyone else
who enjoys the Griffiths' quirky humour and the alluring
illustrations of Terry Denton. And that includes cat lovers!
Pat Pledger
Plague unclassified: Secrets of the Great Plague revealed by Nick Hunter
Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781 4081 9217 7.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Non fiction. Plague. Double page spreads
reveal the history, biology, spread and effect of this disease on
the whole world since the Great Plague in London in 1665. From the
rats in London, to the astonishing fact of there still being seven
deaths a year in the USA today, this is a fascinating look at the
disease which caused people to leave their homes if they were not
already boarded up inside. Littered with letters, reports from
diaries, photos from toady and many drawings and illustrations
produced at the time, this book has something for all non fiction
readers, particularly those who like to delve into the more ghoulish
side of history.
London in the 1660's was a closely built city teeming with ships
bringing goods and people from the corners of the world. The Black
Death of the 1340's killed about one in three in Europe and
outbreaks occurred every few years, but London in the 1660's was
very badly hit. Thinking it was caused by rats, these were killed in
their droves, along with the cats. Specialist doctors, known by
their long capes and strange hawk like beaks were able to sell
amazing cures, but people still died. Apart form the facts of the
plague and how it spread with information about what the body
looked like when it was infected other double pages allude to the
appalling size of this calamity. How the bodies are disposed
of, where they are buried, who buries them, who makes the coffins,
who goes to the funeral: all are questions which had to be resolved,
and one diarist noted the stack of coffins in one London street, but
with recent unearthing of mass graves, it is obvious that coffins
were soon not needed given the scale of the problem.
For inquiring readers, this book answers many questions and gives a
fascinating overview of a time in history long gone, although 200
people a year still die of the plague and a different world plague
still exists.
A glossary of words used has been included, along with a most
useable index, list of websites and further references to read.
Fran Knight
Fairytales for Wilde girls by Allyse Near
Random House Australia, 2013. ISBN 978142758510.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Fairytales retold. Fantasy. Isola
Wilde sees things that other people don't see: a dead girl in a
birdcage in the woods, fairies and brother princes. It isn't until a
ghostly girl appears at her window, threatening her, that her life
goes completely haywire. In the meantime the new boy Edgar who comes to
live next door with his noisy family and Grape her friend are a
distraction from her haunted world. The fairytales from her mother's
French book are a consolation but they are dark and fearsome. She is
in danger of losing everything.
There is nothing 'bubblegum-gothic' (from the blurb) about this
story. It is gothic, dark and compellingly strange. The setting of a
magical wood with fairies and strange rabbit-like creatures is
forbidding and frightening. The fairytale world that Isola inhabits
seems to be real and her brother princes are so well described that
the reader feels that they know them very well indeed. There is
Alejandro, the first prince, a young man who had died young. Ruslana
is a fiery warrior queen, with 'berry-black lips, razor-edged,
capable of severing a limb' (p35) and other equally wonderful
creatures are her companions and friends. Her human companions,
Edgar, Grape and James (her second prince) also come alive on the
page and her romance with Edgar is sensitively portrayed .
However it is Isola herself who keeps the reader glued to the page.
She is full of fantastical wonder, of vivid imaginations and deep
fear. The complex layers that surround her and that are gradually
unpeeled bit by bit leading to a dramatic and somewhat unexpected
climax are beautifully written.
The way the book is set up is also unusual and adds to the reading
experience. Near has written descriptions of the characters under
the heading of Dramatis Personae and these introduce the people
gradually. Short sections are separated by a symbol and there are
evocative portraits of the main characters drawn by Courtney Brims,
who also illustrated the front cover. The writing is clever with a
wonderful combination of reality and fantasy.
Readers who have enjoyed books by Margo Lanagan, Neil Gaiman, Angela
Carter and Holly Black will revel in this original story.
Pat Pledger
The Childhood of Jesus by J. M. Coetzee
Text, 2013. ISBN 9781846557262. 324p
(Age: M15+) Highly recommended. This one's not strictly for
teenage readers, but the haunting new novel from Nobel Laureate,
J.M. Coetzee, has a place in a YA collection especially if
philosophy is on the curriculum.
Simon, a middle-aged man, assumes guardianship of a small boy who
has become separated from his mother aboard a refugee boat. Together
they resettle in an unknown land where only Spanish is
spoken. The pair comply with cordial instructions to
forget their past lives but Simon seems to miss the passion of his
old life. He fulfills his promise to 'find' David's mother,
with mixed results, but he never doubts Ines' arbitrary claim to the
boy.
Ultimately, David is threatened with a reformatory school because he
seems unable to learn mainstream methods. A part of Simon
admits that the sensitive boy may be teaching him. He describes his
doubts about David's 'difference' to Eugenio, his co-worker;
'While I was in hospital with nothing else to do, I tried as a
mental exercise to see the world through David's eyes... put two
apples before him. What does he see? An apple and an apple: not two
apples, not the same apple twice just an apple and an apple.'
The characters wrestle with various big questions using the musings
of many unnamed philosophers. But as with all good literature, there
may not be any simple answers.
Considering the title and presence of Christian symbolism, this
could be a modern nativity story. On an obvious level, it may be a
commentary on the challenges of refugees. Alternative readings
are equally enigmatic. Nevertheless, Cootzee cannot be accused
of using the contrivance of the novel to entertain. Rather the fable
haunts us despite the banal style and we develop a strong trust in
Simon to throw more light on those occasions which are not as they
seem.
Deborah Robins
My life as an alphabet by Barry Jonsberg
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743310977
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Family. Death. Humour. Candice's life
is unsettling. Her parents are distant, both from her and each
other, since the death of her sibling, Frances (Sky). At school she
is a loner, clever, quick witted, but derided by the others as a
geek. When Douglas Benson enrolls in her school and sits next to
her, she finds a soulmate. He thinks he is from another dimension
and spends his time trying to find ways of returning but has some
apposite comments to make about Candice and her family. She
decides that she must act before the family completely falls apart
and so begins a campaign of things which turn out most unusually.
This is a wonderful read; at times poignant, mostly very funny,
telling of the relationships within schools, certainly redolent of
the trauma a family goes through when a child dies. But the humour
is astounding. I found myself laughing out loud as Candice begins
her path of bringing her family back together again. When she falls
into the harbour to ensure that her father and estranged uncle both
dive in to rescue her, it could not go more wrong, the whole episode
reading like the script of a TV farce. Her perceived outcome brings
far different results, but undaunted she keeps trying.
Told in the style of an autobiography, a task set by the beloved
teacher, the whole is divided into chapters using the alphabet as
the headings. Each chapter reveals another aspect of her life, and
we are readily drawn into her life and her attempts to set things right.
A thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read with marvellously
sympathetic characters, the book is a joy to read.
Fran Knight
Because of Low by Abbi Glines
Because of Low by Abbi Glines
Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN 9781471117534.
(Age: 18+) With all the talk about the trend for publishing what is
termed as New Adult, a genre 'with protagonists in the 18-25 age
bracket' (Wikipedia), I was interested to pick up Because of Low
by Abbi Glines. There is a red sticker on the front of the cover
that states that the book is 'definitely saucy. How hot do you like
it?' and that, with the statement 'Abbi Glines writes hot guys who
leap off the page - or at least you wish they would' - Tammara
Webber, should give a very strong hint to the content of the book
and certainly put it in the new adult age range for me. There are
certainly hot guys and sexual scenes.
In Because of Low, Marcus Hardy has come home to Sea Breeze
because his family is in chaos. His father is having an affair with
a much younger woman and his mother is devastated. He rooms with
Cage, a player who picks up different girls all the time. When
Willow, 'Low', comes running to Cage to stay the night because her
sister has kicked her out, Marcus is very attracted to her. The
story then proceeds with the development of Marcus and Low's
relationship and some shocking revelations that force Marcus to
reassess what he believes.
Two others by Abbi Glines across my desk are While it lasts
and Just for now, both in the 'Definitely saucy' category.
I'm certain that teens are flocking to read these, but in my
opinion, their content makes them unsuitable for a school library.
Pat Pledger
Car-sized crabs by Anna Claybourne
Bloomsbury, 2013.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Picture book. Animals. Non fiction. There is
so much to like about this informative and colourful picture book,
that I don't know where to start. The front cover shows a Japanese
spider crab, and with the subtitle And other animal giants
the reader knows that they are in for an array of gigantic animals.
Opening the book they will find information about a variety of land
animals (elephants, rhinoceros, hippos, polar bears... ), sea
animals (giant crab, various sharks, squid, jellyfish... ), birds
(condor, albatross, penguins... ), slimy things (anaconda, dragons,
frogs... ) and creepy crawlies (weta, wasp, landsnail... ).
All are gigantic, and the double page spread devoted to each will
intrigue the readers further. My eye was first drawn to the size
scale at the bottom of each page, showing how big each creature is
compared to the size of a man. This gives an immediate appreciation
of the difference in size and why the creature is included in the
book. On the page is a sequence of photographs showing the animal in
all its glory, and in its habitat, while the informative and lucid
text outlines the things readers would want to know. A 'did you
know' circle is on each page giving a fact that is a little out of
the ordinary, while other small snippets of facts are given around
the colourful page.
I was most intrigued with the giant weta, as I am about to go to New
Zealand. On the double page for this insect is a man's hand with the
insect resting on top. This gives an immediate awareness of its
size, and will draw gasps of appreciation from the readers. On the
same page is a smaller picture of the animal, showing where it
lives, while the text outlines its habitat, habits, what it eats and
how New Zealanders treat the animal. In the fact box is information
about its scientific name and what it means, while another paragraph
gives its dimensions (10 cms long, a span of 20 cms, and weighing as
much as three mice! ). A world map showing where all these creatures
reside, a most useful index and fascinating glossary complete this
informative and attractive book.
Fran Knight
The midnight dress by Karen Foxlee
University of Queensland Press, 2013. ISBN 9780702249648
(Ages: Upper secondary-adult) Highly recommended. Crime. Queensland.
Rose and her father are drifters. They arrive in a North Queensland
cane town a few weeks before the Harvest Festival. When Rose
eventually enrolls at the local school she meets up with an unlikely
friend, Pearl.
Rose is prickly, self-contained and doesn't make or seek to make
friends. Initially she doesn't want anything to do with the harvest
dance or the parade and certainly won't get a dress made. Pearl gets
under her skin and she meets Edie an old woman who is a dress maker.
No one goes to Edie anymore. She lives in an old rambling
Queenslander that is falling down around her ears. The rainforest is
encroaching on Edie's property and even her house and the mountain
and Edie seem to have a connection.
Edie is another self-contained person. She has had to be because the
community has shunned her for years. She agrees to organise Rose's
dress as long as she sews it by hand. Edie knows just the dress for
her and fossicks around the rooms for the materials she needs. While
she teaches Rose the stitches and techniques she tells Rose her
history, and about the special hut up the mountain her parents
built.
The narrative is interspersed by the narrative of a detective from
Cairns there to investigate a missing girl. Karen Foxlee weaves an
evocative tale with the North Queensland weather and landscape as an
important player. It's in this environment that the people come to
life reflecting small town attitudes and unique personalities. A
great read, good characters and gripping finale.
Mark Knight
