The little fairy sister by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Grenbry Outhwaite
National Library of Australia, 2013 (A. & C. Black, London,
1929) ISBN 9780642277725
(Age: 7-adult) Warmly recommended. Picture book, Australian Fairy
Tales. Nostalgia. It is always astonishing to open a book
that has been reprinted from long ago, and see that font and be
transported back to your own childhood where books were few,
borrowed from the local library or given at Christmas.
In my grandmother's cabinet was this book, and I would take it out
and carefully read it as a child. The story has long been forgotten
but not that font.
In reprinting this book, from the Marcie Muir collection at the
National Library, a new generation will be introduced to these
stories first published in 1929. Marcie Muir, an avid collector and
bibliographer of Australian books for children, accumulated over
7000 books, including 86 editions of Norman Lindsay's The magic
pudding and this collection was acquired by the National Library
after her death in 2007. An introduction by Stephanie Owen Reader
relates a brief history of the Outhwaites, particularly Ida and her
place in the history of Australian children's literature.
The little fairy sister introduces us to a young girl, Bridget,
whose sister, Nancy, has died. She longs to see her again in the
Country of the Fairies where she resides. When Mother and Father are
going out for the afternoon, they leave Bridget sleeping in her
hammock under the tree. She hears Nancy's voice and the two go off
into the Country of the Fairies, until she wakes. While there she
meets many of her sister's companions, Lizard, Kookaburra, Merman
and Tree-man. This delicate, ethereal story and its accompanying
enchanting illustrations, will entice new readers of the genre,
easily outdoing many of the generic fairy stories finding their way
onto the market. That it was written so long ago and included
Australian animals is to be noted, as this was a time when all
things Australian were cherished, but this movement it seems gave
way to all things American as the latter half of the twentieth
century ensued.
Fran Knight
Dandelion by Galvin Scott Davis
Dandelion by Galvin Scott Davis
Ill. by Anthony Ishinjerro. Random House, 2013. ISBN 9780857981028.
Hbk, RRP$A19.95
Benjamin Brewster did not like school. Every morning he counted the
nine hundred and seventy-two steps that it took him to get there.
For The School for the Misguided was a place for ne'er-do-wells and
bullies and Benjamin Brewster was in their sights, their fists and
their feet. No matter how hard and how often he wished his school
would disappear, it never did, and neither did those inside. Until
one day Benjamin picks up a dandelion clock and blows on it... and
wishes on the tiny seeds as they drift away. And even though some
wishes don't come true, miracles happen and Benjamin finds a way
through.
Bullying is and always has been a major problem in schools - as many
as one in six children is bullied each week in Australian schools
and at least 20% are subjected to cyber-bullying. Few families are
left untouched. But in this book, which began life as a computer app
in response to the author's son being bullied, written in rhyming
text, there is a message of hope touched with tenderness. Drawn
without a face so that every child could be him, Benjamin takes the
reader to a place where creativity and imagination triumph. And
while it might not stop the bullies, it is a strategy to make things
a little easier.
There are often queries on teacher librarian networks for resources
to accompany particular topics, and, without doubt, those to address
bullying have to be the most common. Here, in this charming book of
love and tenderness, is a must-have for your collection. Brendan
Brewster might be the hero of this story but Galvin Scott Jones has
stood up to be the hero for his son - the least we can do is be the
hero for all the other victims. Two thumbs-up but only because I
don't have any more thumbs.
Barbara Braxton
Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer
Elemental 3. Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743310762
(Age 14+) Recommended. Paranormal. Hunter is a loner unsure of who
he can trust and what he should do. Everything around him seems to
be hostile. His grandfather is out to get him, his mother won't
stand up for him and he doesn't know if he can trust the Merrick
brothers. Then there is Kate, the new girl at school. Does she have
an agenda too?
I love this series mostly because of the way Kemmerer manages to
combine lots of action with stacks of emotion and some soul
searching about what is right and wrong for both Hunter and Kate.
Hunter is such a complex character and in this novel the author
brings him to the fore, exploring the anger that he is holding in
and the dilemmas that he is facing about whether he should be loyal
to the Guides or to the Merricks. His sense of what is right is
constantly tested but with all his flaws, the reader is more than
willing to go along on his journey. And what a journey! His
grandfather hits him and kicks him out, his mother refuses to stand
up for him and Kate the hot girl seems to be a player, flirting with
all the boys and kissing Silver, the Guide who is out to get him and
the Merricks. Michael the oldest brother is a steadfast rock amongst
all the uncertainty but Hunter certainly all his powers and beliefs
tested in Spirit as Calla the bad girl from the 2nd book in the
series, Spark, threatens death and destruction.
Kate Sullivan is another of Kemmerer's feisty girls, who is
confident and strong, but she too has doubts about what she is
doing. The romance between the two is difficult and tense and some
heart breaking scenes are so memorable.
Kemmerer is a brave author who is prepared to look at issues that
face teens, like death, bullying, love, homelessness and family
relations, all within a paranormal action packed setting that is
thrilling to read. There were tears, action, romance and angst in
Spirit and I am still reeling from the intensity of some of the
unexpected things that happen in this book. Spirit is
definitely one for fans of the Elemental series and is sure to
please lovers of the paranormal.
Pat Pledger
Marlo can fly by Robert Vescio
Ill. by Sandra Temple. Wombat Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921632419.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Being different. Marlo
the magpie would rather stay on the ground than fly. She tries out
slithering like a snake, and hopping like a kangaroo, while the
other birds and animals question her decision. She remains as she
is, trying different things and not wanting to fly until one day she
decides that she wants to see her mother, but as she is in the sky,
Marlo must fly to meet her.
A story about daring to be different, but also needing to conform,
the book will be the start of many conversations in the classroom
and at home about what it means to be different and why sometimes
you need to do as others expect you to. And of course, striving to
gain a skill that you might not have been able to do before.
The illustrations of Australian animals are inviting, and will serve
to encourage younger readers to watch out for these animals and
recognise them when they come across them in other spheres. The
strong black and white of the magpie dominates many of the pages,
contrasting with the softer shades of the other animals illustrated,
crocodile, kookaburra, koala, kangaroo and snake.
Fran Knight
They found a cave by Nan Chauncy
Text Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781922147196.
Originally published in 1948, this story involves four English
children who are sent to live with their Aunt on a farm in the
Tasmanian wilderness, to remove them from the danger of the Second
World War. Cherry and her brothers Nigel, Brickenden and little
Nippy work around the farm and befriend the brave and resourceful
Tas, the son of Mrs. Pinner who is employed by their Aunt Jandie.
When Jandie leaves the farm for medical treatment over an extended
period, Mrs Pinner and her partner are left in charge and soon
commence to mistreat the children. The children decide to run away
and do so with the help and guidance of Tas who jumps at the chance
to escape his mother and step father.
Knowing the bush intimately, Tas leads the group, accompanied by a
herd of goats to a secret cave on a mountain plateau where they live
a rough but exhilarating existence ungoverned by adults.
The story is a little implausible given that the children thrive for
several months in the harsh Tasmanian climate sustained by the
goats, living off the land and the booty from occasional raids on
the farm. The story is pitched at primary level and junior readers
will enjoy envisaging themselves in this situation, surviving
independently and hiding out from adults. The conversational
language echoes Enid Blyton's and is so dated and twee that the
story is spoiled for contemporary readers. Gender roles are
similarly presented, with Cherry assigned all the cooking,
housekeeping and mothering of Nippy. Retro artwork on the book's
cover will not appeal to modern children.
I feel compelled to warn that the story contains language and
concepts which will cause cultural offence to some readers. The
problem with this content is that it is simply presented in a way
which is faithful to the era, in the sense that these views would
have been held and the terms used without consideration of their
impact. This differs markedly to fictional literature in which
characters having racist attitudes and using offensive terms are
depicted, yet these elements are usually presented in a way which
illustrates the folly of these views and the social harm caused,
before leading to a more constructive resolution.
John Marsden points to the author's great respect for Indigenous
Tasmanians in his introduction and the utterances of Chauncey's
child characters are more ignorant than they are deliberately
racist. Whilst acknowledging the reality of the era and that
revisionist or sanitised versions of history are false, it is
difficult to imagine all young readers for whom this is intended
being discerning enough to independently reconcile the attitudes and
language in the context of history. I recommend that teachers and
librarians read this novel carefully.
Rob Welsh
Wildlife by Fiona Wood
Pan Macmillan, 2013, ISBN 9781742612317.
(Age 15+) Highly recommended. Coming of age. Wood brings back Lou
from Six impossible things in this wonderful adolescent
novel that explores friendship, love and fitting in. Crowthorne
Grammar has an outdoor education camp for a term and Lou as the new
girl, grieving over the death of her boyfriend, rooms with five
other girls. Close living is inevitable and she becomes intrigued
with the drama between best friends, Sibylla and Holly, that unfolds
over the course of the camp. Sibylla has arrived at the camp with
the school buzzing about the 20 metre billboard that has her face
plastered over it and finds that Ben Capaldi, the most popular boy
at the camp, is interested in her. Holly seems to be encouraging the
romance but her actions don't show evidence of being loyal to
Sibylla and then there is Michael, who has been Sibylla's best
friend forever. Lou has to decide whether she will become involved
in the relationships that are undermining Sibylla's self confidence.
Very clever writing brings to life what happens when teens are all
living together in an outdoor education setting. I loved the
character of Lou, her grief not overcoming her ability to make wry
observations about what is happening around her. Holly was perfectly
portrayed as the nasty friend and Sibylla as the laid back girl who
was prepared to forgive her. Michael as the complete nerd who can
run, but who is a misfit, is a beautifully rounded character, while
readers will recognise Ben Capaldi, the smart popular boy who seems
to have everything. The romance between Sibylla and Ben is handled
sensitively and will give teens some pause for thought about
beginning first sexual relationships. Some hints about sexual safety
are also thrown in with advice from Sibylla's mother who is a
counsellor.
The themes of first love, grief, friendship and fitting in are all
wonderfully explored against a background of becoming fit, running
and solo hiking in the wilderness. This is quality fiction that
teens will love and would be an excellent literature circle book or
class text for older teens.
Pat Pledger
Eternity cure by Julie Kawaga
Blood of Eden, bk 2. Harlequin Teen, 2013. ISBN
9781743562604.
(Age 14+) The second in the series following The immortal rules,
sees Allison Sekemoto setting out on a quest to free Kanin her sire
from the evil vampire master Sarren. She has left behind Zeke, the
boy that she loves, and she pushes into dangerous territory in her
journey to find Kanin. On the way she meets Jackal, her blood
brother, and hopes that he will be able to help her find her Master.
She travels to New Covington but is dismayed to find that there is a
new plague, a strain of the Red Lung virus that makes both vampires
and humans go mad and act in appalling ways. But she knows that
Kanin holds the secret to the cure for the virus in his veins and
this makes it even more imperative that she finds him.
I really liked the first in the series and thought that it was one
of the best of the vampire/undead books that I had read. However the
violence in this book, even though it was in context and probably
not worse than what I have read in other adolescent books, made it a
less enjoyable read for me. Probably too, the fact that Zeke didn't
appear until half way into the book, also meant that the journey and
the violence played a bigger role that I expected. Yes, like the
teens who will read this book, I enjoy a bit of romance!
There was plenty of suspense and action to keep me reading to the
end and I will certainly be catching up with the next in the series
as Kawaga has written her characters so well that it would be
impossible not to find out what happens to them.
Pat Pledger
Dino-baby by Mark Sperring
Ill. by Sam Lloyd. Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781408836729.
(Age: 3+) Picture book. Dinosaurs. Babies. Now that mummy dinosaur
has given birth to her new baby brother, big sister must change her
ways. She can no longer get up in the morning, banging and crashing
her way around the house. Instead she must remain quiet for
baby-dino to sleep. She cannot play rough and tumble games with him
as he is so new and tiny, but must learn to cuddle, and hold and
kiss the little chap. And instead of snatching away things that
belong to her, she must learn to share and be helpful with the new
baby.
The tale of the baby dinosaur follows the story of the day in the
life of any baby, its need for quiet to sleep, its need to feel
loved and safe, showcasing for the children to whom the book is read
just what a day's routine with a baby in the house is like. For new
brothers and sisters where a sibling has arrived in the house, the
book outlines the changes that will need to be made in their lives,
simply and directly, with bold, bright illustrations and seemingly
simple text.
Fran Knight
Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz
Penguin Books, 2013. ISBN 9780141343990. 229p.
Well recommended. Early secondary and all interested teachers and
parents. This is an amazingly important book for all parents,
teachers, carers and people involved with Asperger's syndrome,
although I understand it is now covered by the Autism syndrome.
Colin Fischer has Asperger's syndrome and this is his first day at
high school in LA. His parents are anxious and when he returns home
shortly after leaving and is wet through they are very concerned. He
has been bullied again. Colin's younger brother Danny is irritated
with Colin and completely misunderstands him. Colin thinks about the
issues at school and we, as the reader hear his internalising.
Regularly, there are additions in darker type explaining the
background to what has happened just before. These are extremely
fascinating, enlightening and detailed explanations giving the
reader an insight into how Colin perceives the incident. The reader
is given information which sometimes preempts and always explains
the thoughts Colin has at that moment. He has a chart, which is on
the front cover, to determine the mood of the person he is with. It
is illuminating to read what he is thinking. Colin understands so
much about human behaviour but is unable to verbally react quickly
or in a way we might expect. His foibles include not wanting to be
touched. His parents understand this and his responses are sometimes
humorous, as with his Dad, and then sad as with Stan (p208). There is
the bully Wayne and a mystery to solve. Colin achieves this and much
to his parents' surprise, he and Wayne (the former bully) bounce on
Colin's trampoline as almost friends. Melissa has always accepted
him for himself but he realises she is growing into a very
attractive young woman. Colin solves the gun incident with clarity
and Sherlock Holmes stealth.
It's an amusing, intriguing and cleverly crafted story. Colin is a
believable and a curiously clever young man showing that life is not
always as we see it but worth the involvement. A great read.
Sue Nosworthy
Berry Hill: Stories and recipes from Beerenberg Farm by Grant Paech with Sally Paech
Wakefield Press, 2013. ISBN 9781743050934.
(Age: All) Recommended. Non fiction. Australian agriculture and produce. Who can resist driving past Beerenberg Farm in the Adelaide Hills and not calling in to pick your own or buy some of the produce from the business that holds a place in all things South Australian? Here is a book which tells the history of this place, detailing the business itself along with a memorable family history.
The tales of the first members of the Paech family, coming here from Germany in 1838, along with the original 52 families of settlers, naming their town Hahndorf, after the captain of the ship which brought them, takes the reader back to a time when life revolved around a few families within walking distance of your home.
Beginning as subsistence farmers on their acreage, the family grew all they needed to eat, the women making jams, preserves and chutneys for the larder, with any spare being sold or traded.The history of the Paech family, paralleling the development of the strawberry farm, is also the history of the town of Hahndorf. The stories of many of the people involved are a treat to read, and the recipes and stories of using the berries fascinated my husband, a jam maker from way back.
Forty years ago, Grant Paech began the strawberry business that we know so well today and this book reflects its success. From humble beginnings selling their wares at markets, to experiments with fruit wines and Worcestershire sauce, to the development of the little jars now seen everywhere, the history of Beerenberg is laced with a range of photographs underlining the family nature of the business.
The book has a range of information to suit all tastes. A history, a loving account of the Paech family, a portfolio of recipes and a homage to the Adelaide Hills; all are a treat.
The recipes given are those from restaurants in the Adelaide Hills, where the fruit is used. All are mouth watering and beautifully photographed, with a recipe index at the end of the book.
Fran Knight
Marlo can fly by Robert Vescio
Ill. by Sandra Temple. Wombat Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921632419.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Being different. Marlo
the magpie would rather stay on he ground than fly. She tries out
slithering like a snake, and hopping like a kangaroo, while the
other birds and animals question her decision. She remains as she
is, trying different things and not wanting to fly until one day she
decides that she wants to see her mother, but as she is in the sky,
Marlo must fly to meet her.
A story about daring to be different, but also needing to conform,
the book will be the start of many conversations in the classroom
and at home about what it means to be different and why sometimes
you need to do as others expect you to. And of course, striving to
gain a skill that you might not have been able to do before.
The illustrations of Australian animals are inviting, and will serve
to encourage younger readers to watch out for these animals and
recognise them when they come across them in other spheres. The
strong black and white of the magpie dominates many of the pages,
contrasting with the softer shades of the other animals illustrated,
crocodile, kookaburra, koala, kangaroo and snake.
Fran Knight
Steal my sunshine by Emily Gale
Woolshed Press, 2013. ISBN 9781742758497.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Adolescent. Family relations. Historical.
Hannah's family is coming apart. There are so many arguments and her
brother is being obnoxious. Her mother seems to hate her and even
her eccentric grandmother, Essie, has played a silly trick on her.
As the weather heats up in Melbourne, Hannah clings to her wild best
friend Chloe for answers and gradually gets to know the appalling
secret that Essie hides and which explains so much of the angst in
her family.
Nestled together in this exceptional book are two stories, that of
Hannah and her coming of age and Essie and the horrifying past that
she carries with her. Both are handled beautifully, but it is
Essie's story that grabbed me by the heart strings and had me
reading on for more. The period of history after World War 2 and
into the 1960s, when young single pregnant women were treated
shamefully, is explored. I won't go into too many details as this
would spoil it for the reader, but this book will open eyes about a
terrible time for women in Australia's history and how its effects
have echoed right to this day. Gale's subtle treatment has Essie's
secret gradually unfolding like a mystery that kept me glued to the
page to find out what had happened to her. The treatment of young
pregnant girls is an aspect of Australian history that everyone
should be aware of and the author does this without it seeming like
a history lesson. An article from the Sydney Morning Herald using
the search term, Bad
girls do the best sheets, gives a description of what it was
like to be unwanted and pregnant in the 50's.
Hannah's growth as a young woman, her relationships with her family
and her best friend Chloe are described sensitively. I particularly
liked the descriptions of the jealousy between Hannah and her
brother Sam. Sibling competition and jealousy, which is very real,
is not often part of books for teens, and I relished this aspect of
family relationships. Best of all is Hannah's maturing and being
able to come up with a solid and workable solution to the family
problems.
Themes of teenage pregnancy, divorce, young love and growing up make
this an ideal class set or literature circle novel. Fans of Melina
Marchetta and Maureen McCarthy will devour this book.
Pat Pledger
Bea by Christine Sharp
UQP, 2013. ISBN 978 0 7022 4961 7.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Being different. Bea the
bird with long eyelashes and brightly coloured scarf around her
neck, stands out from the flock. No digging for worms or pecking at
ants, she'd prefer to be in the kitchen baking. While the other
birds roost together and fluff their feathers, she'd prefer to dress
up and go out to the disco: when the rest are wallowing in the rain,
she melts into a bubble bath and when others are doing what birds
do, she is up high in a hot air balloon exploring.
A neatly written story of being different, of following your own
path, of being true to yourself, this handsome picture book will be
a favourite amongst kids in the classroom and at home. A range
of illustrating techniques and styles is sued to reflect the tale of
Bea, while the differing pages will give all the readers a treat
deciphering the technique used. I loved the mixture of photographs
and coloured pencil, the collage effects and the pages set in the
night with swirls of white showing the path of the stars like an map
of the night sky.
Fran Knight
Tessa Masterson will go to prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 9780802723598. 256p.
(Age: 13+) Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom is
quintessentially American because the guiding assumption is that
senior prom is the pinnacle of adolescence. The small town reaction
to 'coming out' would be predictable except that it really happened
and made the headlines. The authors each adopt the perspective of
Tessa and her best friend Lucas as he struggles to understand
Tessa's emerging sexuality.
The story begins just as Lucas believes his lifelong friendship has
turned into love. He employs a very public grand gesture to ask
Tessa to Prom. Lucas doesn't expect to learn that his best friend is
gay at this juncture and is understandably humiliated. After the
rumour circulates that Tess is taking a girl to the dance and
planning to wear a tuxedo, Lucas in his humiliation, exacerbates the
small town backlash to the point where the Masterson family business
is threatened. It's up to Lucas to make it right and prove to his
friend that he regrets making Tessa's life more difficult.
Despite being a YA book dealing with a sensitive issue, there are
far too few adults supporting the beleaguered teen. No bullying or
vandalism is rebuked and only Team Tessa supporters are suspended.
The lack of caring adults contributes to our disbelief, when the
school board cancels the Prom.
Both the fundamentalist Christian students and a good number of Lady
Gaga's 'little monsters' decide that there will be a prom but does
this really solve the problem? You'll have to submit to dual
authorship to find out through the alternating perspectives of the
central characters. This is an engaging enough school drama for
lower secondary students.
Deborah Robins
Witch by Fiona Horne
Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781742378695. Witch by Fiona Horne is the story of Vania, a 15 year old,
bright and funny girl from Australia. When she and her family moves
to Sumerland, California, Vania feels like she has a special
connection with the place. Upon arriving at her new school, Vania
instantly becomes enemies with the pretty, popular girl Cassidy.
Cassidy's boyfriend Bryce however, befriends Vania and as a result,
a little way into the book, Cassidy and Bryce break up and Bryce
turns to Vania and her unpopular friends. Besides Bryce and Vania,
there are three other members of their group. Amelia and Alyssa are
identical twins who both happen to be psychic and Dean, who is
descendant from the ancient Native Americans of Sumerland. Together
the five of them all have an interest in witchcraft, and with the
help of Brenda, a spiritualist, the group form a coven.
Not everything is however, sugar coated in the coven, Vania has
feelings for Bryce and to make him jealous she casts a love spell on
popular kid Matt. Things backfire and the spell has to be reversed,
which is very humiliating for Vania. Vania gets her tea leaves read
and it is reveals that she is in grave danger. As the five work
together to unmask the secrets of Sumerland their lives will never
be the same.
The first thing I discovered when I started to read the book was the
predictability of the story line. Although the idea of the
witchcraft and the coven is not something I have encountered much of
the overall plot was not very exciting and took me a while to get
into. From reading the first few chapters I already had a basic idea
of what was going to happen; the new girl moves to a new town and
falls for the popular boy but he has a mean girlfriend who makes him
chose with the classic line 'it's either me or her'. In the end
there is some great danger, in this case, there is someone plotting
to kill Vania because she is the only remaining pure witch. After
the danger has passed the nice girl gets the boy and the mean girl
is left with nothing, a very basic story line with no twists.
For those looking for a light read with not much thinking involved
then I would recommend Witch. The writing is very easy to
read and it is interesting enough to enjoy. The font is also quite
large and the book is not very long so for something simple, this is
probably ideal.
Isobel Davies (Student)
