Wakefield Press, 2012. 359pgs, (pbk.) ISBN:9781743051054
(Ages: 15 and up). Recommended. They Hosed Them Out is an
Australian war novel based on the author's own experiences as an air
gunner, flying for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the
Second World War. Air gunners were considered a lowly position and
they had a shockingly low life expectancy. As the title suggests,
there are some confronting scenes in this novel. Hosing gunners out
of their turrets was the only way to remove the blood and guts
splattered in the confined space. Survival rates were distressing,
resulting in the unwritten RAAF rule that after a friend or flying
companion was lost you drank to his memory once only and never
mentioned his name again. The well documented horrors of the brutal
reality of war based on Cusack's logbook are well balanced with some
highly entertaining stories about Cusack's time on leave. Cusack was
a bit of a larrikin who was always getting into trouble for not
following rules and protocols and when not on aerial operations,
Cusack and his mates play up, drinking and gambling. This
fictionalised memoir is a newly revised and expanded edition
featuring chapters never published before; a fascinating biography
by Cusack's daughter Kerry McCourt and a new introduction by the
editor, war historian Robert Brokenmouth. This is an outstanding
book about the air war and even if you are not that interested in
Australia's military history, you will find this powerful story
engaging. There's adventure, empathy, humour, emotion, fear and
plenty of adrenalin rushes.
Michelle Thomson
Scarlet in the snow by Sophie Masson
Random House, 2013. ISBN 97681742758152.
(Age 11+) Recommended. Fantasy. Fairy tale retold. A terrible storm
forces Natasha to take shelter in a strange mansion. Inside it is
beautiful but eerie - the picture frames are empty and no one seems
to be around. In the garden she finds a stunning red rose but when
she touches it a fearsome creature appears and demands retribution
for her spoiling the only bit of beauty that he had. Natasha is
thrown into a huge adventure, as she realises that there has been a
wicked spell cast on the Beast and with her deep compassion guiding
her, knows that she must rescue him.
The accompanying blurb relates that this story has been 'inspired by
two beautiful Russian fairytales - The Scarlet Flower (the Russian
version of Beauty and the Beast) and Fenist the Falcon' and while it
starts with the traditional themes that I was very familiar with, by
the end of the tale, I was astounded about where the story led. It
is beautifully told in rich, complex language and lovers of the
fairy tale retold genre, as I am, will happily read the story of
Natasha and her Beast.
Natasha is a combination of an intelligent, strong personality,
overlaid with a goodness that I sometimes found a little difficult
to take. However she is an intrepid adventurer, seeking the truth
about the Beast, researching old newspapers and travelling to
distant lands hoping for an answer that will break the spell that
enchants the Beast. Natasha overcame many obstacles to true love,
some of which were strange and quite compelling.
Masson has been able to bring alive aspects of the fairy tale
setting and her descriptions of Natasha's stay with the witch of the
forest was really vivid and memorable as were the sleigh rides and
the Beast's mansion.
This is an enjoyable addition to a growing genre of retellings of
fairy tales.
Pat Pledger
A really super hero by Charlotte Lance
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781 74331 302 2
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Heroism. Trying vainly
to get her spot in the limelight, her photo in the paper, and people
to talk about her, the hero of this charming tale tries all sorts of
ways to become heroic. She has her Mum sew an 'S' on her pants, but
when Mum sews it on a little oddly, she must move sideways so that
people can see the sign. She tries to help the postman but ends up
squashing his bike, she mixes up a potion, only to burnout the smoke
alarm. All sorts of funny things happen as she tries in vain to be
noticed: her invisible cloak will not work, her ability to move
things just by thought does not work. All through the story Mum is
behind her, helping, cleaning up, getting more and more exasperated
with the daughter. She is a delight to watch.
The bright breezy stanzas of verse are lovely to read aloud
and will delight the audience as well as the reader. The seemingly
simple illustrations with pencil and water colour are full of
interest and little jokes. Readers will really enjoy closely looking
at them and gain another level of understanding about the tale.
Readers will be able to predict the rhyming words in each stanza,
learning some new words as they read. Using the opening lines,
'I want to be a hero
A really super one'
would make an energetic lesson with students attempting another two
lines to follow the first two, reprising their skills at rhyme and
rhythm, scanning and poetry.
Fran Knight
Nameless: A tale of beauty and madness by Lili St. Crow
Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9781921880193.
(Age 14+) Recommended. Fantasy. Fairy tale retold. Enrico Vultusino,
godfather of the Seven, the most powerful families in the land a
magical alternative universe, discovers a 6 year old girl all alone
in the snow. Camille is mute and scarred and Enrico takes her home
to be raised with his own son, Nico. Now 16, Cami is no longer a
mute but is distrustful of all except her close friends Ruby and
Ellie and Nico who she loves. When she meets Tor, who is also
scarred, the secrets of her birth begin to appear.
Lili St Crow writes dense, complex stories that draw the reader in
with their complicated plots and strange characters. Cami is a
wonderful heroine, who struggles with a stutter, nightmares and
irrational fears, but who is prepared to take risks and who has an
underlying strength. St Crow builds up an atmosphere where the
reader is always uncertain and questioning about the motives of the
people around her. Does Enrico love her and will she be able to stay
as a Family member when he dies? Is Nico interested in her? And who
is the strange boy Tor and why is she so drawn to him, even though
she knows it is dangerous to be with him?
This is a dark and Gothic like story of Snow White, with
vampire godfathers, powerful families, and strange and terrifying
things living underground. It is not a story for the faint hearted
who are looking for a light romance with vampires. The suspense
around Cami's birth and what could happen to her is taut and
exciting and I couldn't put this book down. I look forward to the
next in the series.
Fans who enjoyed the paranormal series, Strange Angels or
who like paranormal tales will be thrilled with this unique story
with its themes of magic, love, friendship and betrayal.
Pat Pledger
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar chronicles, bk. 2. Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780141340234.
(Age 14+) Recommended. Science fiction. Fairy story retold. The
second in The Lunar Chronicles returns the reader to Cinder,
the cyborg mechanic, who is trying to escape from prison. In France,
Scarlet Benoit's grandmother has disappeared and she is frantically
trying to find her. Scarlet, who wears a red hoodie; meets Wolf a
stranger to whom she is drawn, although she knows that she shouldn't
trust this stranger. Wolf agrees to help her find her grandmother,
who turns out to have many secrets that Scarlet was unaware of.
During their search they encounter Cinder and find themselves
rushing to stay away from the vicious Lunar queen.
After reading good reports of Cinder, and thoroughly
enjoying its combination of science fiction and fairy story, I
happily read Scarlet, and liked it just as much. I particularly
enjoyed the introduction of two new major characters, Scarlet and
Wolf, and loved the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Scarlet is not a timid girl afraid of the big bad wolf, instead she
is strong and feisty and determined to do something about her
grandmother's disappearance. Wolf's background which is gradually
revealed throughout the book makes him an interesting and vulnerable
character.
Cinder's story is not ignored and Meyer manages to combine the two
storylines into one huge, entertaining story. The introduction of
Carswell Thorne, a womaniser and fugitive thief, as Cinder's
companion in her escape from goal provides many light moments of
humour as he wisecracks his way to freedom. Prince Kai finds himself
facing huge dilemmas as he wrestles with what the wicked Lunar Queen
wants - him as her husband.
There is plenty of action and adventure in this story and it is sure
to be popular with readers who like strong women main characters,
science fiction and the clever retelling of fairy tales.
Pat Pledger
The Yalda Crossing by Noel Beddoe
University of Queensland Press, 2012. ISBN 978 0 7022 49396
(Age: Senior secondary) The purpose of Noel Beddoe's novel is to
revisit the massacre of members of the Wiradjuri people by white
settlers on the Murrumbidgee River near what is now Narrandera in
the early 1840s. He does this through the eyes of Young James the
adolescent son of one of the settlers Captain James Beckett. Brought
up in England by a loving grandfather on whose death he is
mistreated by uncles, James is whisked away to Australia by his
father who he always refers to as The Captain and who he regards
with a mixture of fear and awe 'I could not look in his face and
speak of myself'. They land in Sydney and use the profits from
selling their cargo to buy provisions for a journey over the
mountains to settle Yalda Crossing, land, outside those designated
open to settlement by the government. The group endure hardships
while establishing themselves but things really start to go wrong
when they expand onto the local people's sacred lands.
The novel admirably leads us to consider the pressures experienced
by both the native people and the inexperienced settlers which led
to disputes, misunderstandings and in this case a massacre. The
settlement prospered but for Young James the cost was too high and
he spent the rest of his life haunted by it. Much as I admired the
work I found it difficult to accommodate the structure of the book
where the 'present' (Sydney 40 years later presented in italics) is
interleaved with what are purportedly journals written at the time.
I also found little character development, even accepting the
emotional stunting their backgrounds might suggest, which made it
difficult to relate to the moral dilemmas they faced. That said this
is still a valuable reflection on a rarely examined aspect of
Australian history suitable for all senior secondary students.
Sue Speck
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
Piaktus, 2013. ISBN 9780749958138.
(Adult) Eli Landon returns to his grandmother's house at Whiskey
Beach after a year that has been terrible. Accused of murdering his
wife, but not convicted, Eli has dealt with intense media pressure
and police investigations. His friends have faded away and he is
seeking sanctuary. Abra, the woman who acts as housekeeper for his
grandmother (as well as being a yoga instructor and much more), is
determined to help Eli defend his name. Then there are unseen evil
forces at work at Bluff House, with house break-ins and a huge hole
that has been dug in the cellar.
I am a fan of Nora Roberts and always enjoy her romantic suspense
stories. She is a prolific author (she also writes under J.D. Robb)
and usually puts out 2 or 3 books a year. Whiskey Beach is
written from the male viewpoint, which is fairly unusual for
Roberts, and I think that this may be the reason that this story
didn't resonate as much with me as many of her other novels. Abra is
a strong feisty woman but didn't really connect either. The buried
treasure theme was a familiar one and made for easy reading.
This is an easy to read, but not riveting, romantic suspense story
and Nora Roberts' fans are sure to enjoy it.
Pat Pledger
Riley and the jumpy kangaroo: a journey around Canberra by Tania McCartney
Ill. by Kieron Pratt. Ford St., 2013. ISBN 978 1 92500 02 3.
(Age: 6+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Cities. Canberra. The
fifth in the series of Riley and his zany bunch of animals traveling
around major cities will fill a niche in school libraries. With few
books about cities on offer to a younger audience this series of
books will have appeal for use in the classroom when discussing the
city in question or library where younger readers are looking for a
picture book about that place. The large pages of photographs
showing significant places in the cities mentioned have broad
appeal. With the Canberra book, many students will have heard of
Parliament House, and seen images of it on television, so to be able
to look at it more closely and in a sequence with other significant
places in the city, the City Walk, Black Mountain Tower, and the
National Botanic Gardens, to name just a few, will intrigue and
delight.
That there is a jumpy kangaroo hopping its way around the city will
add a further level of interest as they ponder where it might jump
next. The students could use a map of the city to trace the
kangaroo's way around, or pin point its positions as it hops through
Canberra, but whatever is done in the classroom or at home, students
will have a better understanding of what makes up a city like
Canberra. And what better book for younger readers when they are off
to Canberra for their next family holiday.
Fran Knight
The watcher in the shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Text, 2013. ISBN 9781921922527
(Age 11+) Recommended. After the death of her father, Irene's
family which had been well off, fall into poverty and when Irene's
mother accepts a job as a housekeeper for a strange toymaker, they
all believe that things will improve. However, Lazarus, the owner of
the crumbling mansion by the sea, creates strange and dangerous
mechanical beings. Fearful lights come from an old lighthouse and
there are strange stories about a woman's disappearance. Irene meets
Ismael, a young sailor and together they battle the angels of the
dark in this gothic thriller.
From the opening letter, which is addressed to Irene, and which
laments the fact that the writer has sent her 100 letters and
received no replies, Ruiz Zafon sets up an atmosphere of suspense
that is unrelenting from beginning to end. The mechanical robots
that Lazarus builds are indeed very frightening, and Lazarus himself
appears to have risen from the dead. There are indications that
awful secrets are hidden behind locked doors and a fearsome angel is
seen in the dark woods surrounding the house.
The old fashioned tone perfectly suits this gothic novel. Even
though Irene is only 15 and Ismael not much older, they both feel
like adults who have to take on an adult role and solve the mystery
surrounding Lazarus and his awful toys.
Readers who want to be scared and who like a good horror mystery in
the tradition of Edgar Allen Poe or Mary Shelly will revel in this
riveting story. Teacher's
notes are available at the publisher's website.
Pat Pledger
Ellie MacDoodle: Have pen will travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw
Bloomsbury, 2011, 192 pgs (pbk.) ISBN 9781599907154.
(Age 7+). Recommended. Eleven-year-old Ellie McDougal is called
Ellie McDoodle by the kids at school because she loves to draw. When
her parents go away, Ellie is forced to go camping with her annoying
cousins and control freak aunt and uncle. Ellie captures all
the excruciating and funny details of a dreaded camping trip with
her crazy relatives by illustrating her sketchbook with her
observations. Due to her scathing descriptions of her
relatives it is imperative she keeps this sketchbook hidden at all
times. But one day her cousin Eric finds her sketchbook and
along with her aunt, they read it. Now her aunt wants to talk
to Ellie about her sketchbook. This is an easy read with
excellent drawings to compliment the writing. The book
includes; many interesting facts about animals and plants, easy to
follow instructions and diagrams on how to play the games they
played, jokes and humorous tales, rules for life in general and
valuable lessons about getting along with others. At the end
of this book there is an exciting bonus section that includes an
interview with the author, how to keep a sketch journal and tips for
drawing comics. This book is set out as a daily journal, so if
you liked the Wimpy kid series then this book could appeal to
you. If you do enjoy this book, then you will be happy to know
there are more Ellie McDoodle books to look forward to.
Michelle Thomson
When my name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
University of Queensland Press, 2013. ISBN 9780702249747.
Daily life for Sun Hee and her family becomes almost intolerable
when the Japanese invade Korea during the Second World War. Hungry
for resources to supply the war effort, the brutal new masters strip
the local population of food, possessions and even young men to fill
the ranks of their army. When the dictatorial regime becomes so
oppressive that the Korean citizens are ordered to change their
names and speak Japanese, tensions develop in Sun Hee's family as
they struggle to maintain their security and identity.
This story is told over several years from the perspective of Sun
Hee, an obedient and dutiful daughter with contributions from her
older brother Tae Yul who displays understandable anger and
resentment towards the new regime. The reader feels great sympathy
for this close knit and loving family which had been leading a
simple, wholesome and fulfilling existence before their country was
annexed.
Readers are led gently down a path which prompts the deep
consideration of what constitutes honourable and courageous
behaviour in opposition to tyrannical rule. The impotent rage of the
teenager is presented side by side with the undeniable courage of
the uncle who actively works in resistance and risks violent death
in doing so. The children's father shows a different sort of courage
however as he personally accepts humiliation but must also counsel
his family members to meekly accept ignominy and exploitation to
preserve their safety. Female characters such as Sun Hee, her mother
and neighbours demonstrate their bravery in different ways, defying
their rulers and choosing to protect the weak rather than submit to
bullying abusers of power.
Characters who comply with the Japanese are not presented as
traitors but as victims of circumstance who are perhaps less stoic
and robust as their peers who seethe against the regime. Readers
cannot help but ponder their own courage under such oppressive
circumstance and consider at what point the hunger of their children
(or themselves) would cause them to buckle.
There is a sense of hope which prevails throughout this story and
whilst the family endures devastating events which bed the narrative
down in reality, it does not degenerate into a traumatic tale of
familial or national ruin.
Rob Welsh
When we wake by Karen Healey
Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN9781742378084.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian fiction.
Set in the year 2127, 16 year old Tegan wakes up from a 100 year
sleep. Her last memories were so happy: she had discovered that the
boy she had wanted for so long wanted her too, and she was going to
a protest with her best friend. In this new world some of the things
that her friends had fought for have happened. Gay marriage is legal
and the world is greener, but Colonel Dawson seems to be
manipulating her for his own ends and a religious fundamentalist
group leader talks of an Ark Project that is using frozen bodies.
When Tegan wakes up in a new world 100 years after she had been
accidentally shot and cryogenically frozen, she has an immense
amount of information to process. However she is a feisty,
intelligent girl who analyses what is happening to her and is
prepared to take risks to find out what is going on. Once she begins
to recover from the shock of what has happened to her and her grief
over the realisation that all her family and friends have been dead
for a long time, she starts to take notice of the politics of the
new world that she has woken into.
I loved this science fiction story. The characters were really well
drawn and the scenario that Healey came up with is quite believable.
There is a lot of action to appeal to those who like adventure
stories and a growing romance between Tegan and Abdi will satisfy
those who have to have a love story. Interwoven between the story
are the songs of the Beatles - each chapter has a Beatle song title
and reference is made to John Lennon's Imagine.
However it is the strong themes of what is right, social justice,
racism and environment and the fact that Tegan has to remain true to
her principles that makes this such a good read. It would be an
ideal class set or literature circle book.
Pat Pledger
Hooray for bread by Allan Ahlberg
Ill. by Bruce Ingham. Walker Books, 2013.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Poetry. Bread. Bread
from its baking to the last crumb is shown in this homage to the
baker and his family. If you don't want to go out and buy some flour
and try your skills at the end, then I am sure many children will be
clamouring to try it for themselves. What an introduction to the
baking of bread in the classroom or at home, an introduction to the
place of bread in our lives, as well as a wonderful book to read
aloud, with its rhyming verses, tempting children to try to find a
rhyming word, predicting the outcome of the verse, or trying to
write a new verse for themselves. How ever it is used, it is a
delight and will cause legions of children to want to eat some
bread. So have some ready.
The opening pages will surprise some readers. The title and
publication pages do not come up at the start, but instead the first
four pages are devoted to the early riser, the baker, and his shop
is shown in all of its glory as he brings out the loaf of bread
which will take the central spot in the rest of the book. From the
bakery, the bread comes home, where the first slice is taken by the
baker, the second to the wife, and the next two are made into a
sandwich for his son, with a bit for his dog. We read of how each
slice has a place in the household, down to the little mouse which
takes the very last crumb.
The stunning pages present the scene of the baker and his family
with warmth, the watercolour illustrations giving a glowing quality
to each scene. The illustrations will be scanned by the reader,
looking for the bread which has a position on every page as well as
the small details included in the unfussy pages.
Fran Knight
Prisoner in Alcatraz by Theresa Breslin
Stoke, 2012. ISBN 9781781121245. 80p.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Easy Reads. Reluctant readers. Marty has been
sent to Alcatraz, the prison for the most hardened criminals. It is
located on an island and no one gets out of Alcatraz. When Marty, a
skinny boy, arrives there he is targeted by Cut-throat Carter and
Frank, two notorious prisoners. They need him to wriggle through a
drain and make an impression of the key that will help them get out
of the prison.
This is a very short novel that is aimed at struggling young readers
and reluctant readers. However it is so engrossing that I read it in
one sitting and I can imagine that anyone who picks it up will find
it fascinating. I have been to Alcatraz and Breslin manages to paint
a picture of what it was like to be imprisoned in those forbidding
grey buildings. The prisoners faced a dreadful life, many were
vicious and hardened and the dullness and conformity of their daily
routines led to many planning riots and escapes.
However it is the voice of young Marty that brings the story to
life. Although he has killed two people and tried to escape from
prison, the reader is able to imagine what sort of person he is. He
is easily led and his naivety is apparent and so as a reader I was
able to sympathise with him. Marty knows that what he has done is
wrong.
This book will have lots of appeal because of its themes of crime,
gangsters, a notorious prison, prison escapes and homelessness.
Pat Pledger
Wool by Hugh Howey
Century, 2013. ISBN 9781780891248.
This novel falls firmly into the dystopian fiction genre. It opens
with a killer sentence, if you'll pardon the pun: 'The children were
playing whilst Holston climbed to his death . . .'
The action takes place in an underground silo, buried beneath the
earth as a response to the above-ground having become completely
uninhabitable, a wasteland of swirling toxic gases and poisoned
earth. How this came about is only partially explained towards the
end of the novel. The silo has been in existence for many
generations, and is completely self-sufficient. Every generation or
so there is a minor or major uprising, as the inhabitants chafe
against the strong control and isolation of their existence. These
uprisings are put down pretty savagely by Security. There is an
interesting twist adolescents will enjoy, which is that cleaning is
the fatal consequence for committing the most punishable crime.
Teacher librarians will also be amused by the fact that I.T. are the
baddies.
The author was a professional yacht captain before becoming a
writer, and he is certainly to be commended for his initiative and
imagination in producing this novel. However, there are certain
serious faults which mitigate one's enjoyment, and which should have
been addressed before publication.
Firstly, the novel is far too long, clocking in at 535 pages. I feel
it would be much better had it been edited to about two-thirds of
its length. The establishing section, whilst interesting in itself,
is a bit disconnected from the remainder of the novel, and in fact
we don't meet the main protagonist until page 89.
There are occasional infelicitous or awkward sentences, e.g. 'It was
lunchtime, but neither of them was powerfully hungry', or 'He tried
to wrap his brain around it, while Alison sat in the cell . . .
seemingly pleased with her far worse status as a cleaner'. In fact
'powerfully' used as an adjective appears numerous times throughout
the book, e.g. 'she powerfully hoped so', and I can't help thinking
this is an awkward construction and should have been edited out.
Some of the plot reveals are quite unexpected and genuinely
surprising, although the denouement felt rushed and only partially
explained, as though the author realised the length had got out of
hand and was trying to wrap up the novel quickly. It actually ends
on a bit of a cliff-hanger, obviously a tempter to read the next
instalment in the story, which is introduced by a few pages at the
end. This is a throwback to my childhood days in the local cinema,
where the hero or heroine ends the instalment for that day in a very
perilous situation, and we had to wait until the following Saturday
afternoon to find out what happened. Nothing wrong with that!
Would I read the sequel? I was asked if I wanted to review it, and
whilst it would be interesting to follow the rest of the story, if
it is anywhere near the length of this novel I won't be doing it.
Peter J Helman
