Hot Key Books, 2013. ISBN 9781471402029. Reprint.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Theatre. Hotels. New York. Scarlett Martin's
family owns the Hopewell Hotel, in the heart of New York. Things
aren't going too well for the Martin family, after the crushing
medical bills that came in when Marlene, the youngest in the family,
got cancer. On her 15th birthday, Scarlett is given the care of one
of the suites in the hotel, the Empire Suite, and with it comes Mrs
Amberson, a rich world traveller, who begins to change her world.
She also meets Eric, a gorgeous actor colleague of her brother,
Spencer, when they get together to do a version of Hamlet. Scarlett
is carried along with Mrs Amberson's vision of a daring Hamlet, and
acting as her aide learns much about life and the theatre.
This is a feel good book, with lots of humour and well written
witticisms that kept me smiling through the trials of the Martin
family as they desperately try to maintain their individuality while
helping out with the family's finances. It was refreshing to read
about a family, each member with different strengths and flaws, and
with sibling rivalry and a realistic take on the coddling of
Marlene, the sibling who had cancer. Told from the point of view of
Scarlett the reader is drawn into the family dynamics as she
describes life in a hotel and the decisions and sacrifices that each
person has to make. Each sibling's character is very well drawn,
from Lola who has a very rich, but dull boyfriend, to Spencer who
gives her a hard time about him, to Marlene who is not expected to
help with chores. Scarlett herself is a very mature 15 year old and
her crush on Eric, an older boy, is brilliantly done. Mrs Amberson
is an enigmatic character and what makes her tick tantalises the
reader.
The setting of the Hopewell Hotel and New York City is very
appealing as is the theatre production that Scarlett finds herself
involved in. Readers who like to learn about how plays are produced
will be thrilled with this story, but it is the humour and wonderful
characterisation that will keep readers enthralled in this story.
Pat Pledger
I love footy! by Matt Zurbo
Windy Hollow, 2013. ISBN 9781922081179.
(Age: 4+) Picture book, Football, Involvement. An affectionate look
at the game played by thousands of kids throughout Australia in
their backyards and local parks, ovals and sports grounds, Matt
Zurbo gives us a peek inside their fears, needs, wants and desires,
as the boy in the book shows us what he can do. From playing
football where he feels like a giant, confident, able to leap tall
fences, charge through the opposition, play with his friends on his
team, each positive side of being in a team is given. After that the
negatives are give, playing in the cold and wet, the mud and slush,
being yelled at by the coach, having a larger opposition, or being
left out of the team. Each of the observations is accompanied by
hilarious, bright illustrations, which will delight the younger
readers, as they peruse the array of children presented, and the
antics they portray.
Promoting team values, the book presents an array of positives which
come from joining a team: friendship, learning to get along,
overcoming hardships together, revelling in the highs and adjusting
to the lows of being in a sports team, taking the good with the bad,
and learning to predict what may happen so that eventualities might
be covered. All of this in one small picture book, which could be
well used by classes, looking at the reasons people play sport and
why the class should get involved.
Fran Knight
Blossom Possum and the Christmas Quacker by Gina Newton
Ill. by Christina Booth. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781742839592.
(Age: 3+) Christmas. Australian animals. It was Santa Claus' last
stop for the night. Feeling hot and tired he decides to have a
snooze and tells his reinroos to wake him 'up in five'. Blossom
Possum found him fast asleep and couldn't wake him up. She ran off
to seek help and found Rocky Cocky, Echo Gecko and Toey Joey who
couldn't wake him either. So off they go and find some more animals
who might be able to solve the problem of saving Bush Christmas.
This is a Christmas story that kids will enjoy because of the
rhyming of the animals' names. Combat Wombat and Toey Joey are fun
names among many others and children would have the opportunity to
remember them and chant along as each set of new animals is added.
The rhyming in the story is not so easy and occasionally makes this
a difficult story to read aloud.
Kilmeny Niland illustrated the first book about Blossom Possum, Blossom
Possum: the sky is falling down-under, and following in her
footsteps, Christina Booth's illustrations are fabulous and bring
the story alive. The colours of the Australian landscape are
beautifully captured. Each of the animals has distinctive and often
humorous characteristics which will add to children's enjoyment of
this Australian Christmas story.
Pat Pledger
The last girl by Michael Adams
Allen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743316468.
Recommended for readers 15+. This novel takes a very interesting
concept for its 'end of the world as we know it'. Adams explores our
world of 24/7 connectivity, and extrapolates that to create a vision
of what would happen if we all (and I mean the whole world) suddenly
had this connectivity without any mediating devices, and we were all
privy to everyone else's thoughts all at once. He allows the darker,
baser sides of human nature to rise to the top:
'The internet placed the world's knowledge at our fingertips, right?
What did most people use it for? Porn and online dating, playing
shoot-'em-up games, spending real money to buy virtual farms,
pop-culture trivia, pirating movies and music, showing strangers
what they ate for lunch and pouring hatred on people they didn't
even know'. (p.288)
The result is a chaotic and amazingly rapid disintegration of
society. Many people die, and then there is such a sensory overload
that almost everyone becomes catatonic and goes into a state of
semi-hibernation. These people can only be rescued by the sentient
few.
The protagonist is a 16 year old girl from Sydney who is immune in
that while she can hear everyone else's thoughts, no-one can
penetrate hers. We follow her journey into the Blue Mountains in
search of her mother, with the dangers along the way. She meets a
couple of others like herself, and Adams poses a number of moral
dilemmas, with different ways of handling the idea of saving
humanity. It reminded me of The Day of the Triffids by John
Wyndham.
The novel is pacey, well written and thought provoking, and would be
a worthy addition to the school library. There is a sequel on the
cards - the novel has a taster at the end of the next book - The
Last Shot.
Anne Veitch
The Sultan's eyes by Kelly Gardiner
Angus and Robertson, 2013.
Highly recommended. With The Sultan's Eyes, as with its
predecessor Act of Faith, Kelly Gardiner has created the
thinking person's historical romp. I thoroughly enjoyed this
imaginative and well researched tale of the inquisition.
This is excellent adventure against the historical background of
early printing which enabled the spread of ideas that lead to the
Enlightenment. Kelly Gardiner gives the reader a delightful heroine
in Isabella Hawkins. The novel features a fine supporting cast of
characters, and rich description of both Venice and Constantinople
Isabella has to flee Venice, when the inquisition arrives and poses
danger to herself and her friends. They have to outwit their old
enemy Fra Clement and they escape to Constantinople where the fame
of the four friends has preceded them and they have to juggle the
politics in the court of the young Sultan very carefully.
Isabella comes into contact with an old friend and his family also
in exile from England and has to reassess her understanding of his
behaviour and past. Her connections from the past tantalisingly
offer the poisoned chalice of freedom from exile and the right to
return to England. Will Isabella abandon her friends to return?
The reader observes as Willem and Isabella circle each other with
their feelings unsure of how they feel for each other, and wary of
the new people in their lives, who may break up the four adventurers
and exiles. The adaptation of a new life means that each takes their
own direction until the opportunity arises to print a lost book of
Hypatia.
An unexpected twist in the plot brings matters to a head and
Isabella has to work out who she loves and trusts in order to plan
her next move.
Kelly Gardiner has written an intriguing well researched story of
the Enlightenment with flair and aplomb and just enough 21st century
nouse. Her plotting and characterisation is a joy.
In a world of sparkly vampires and new adult readers this
intelligent story is highly recommended.
Michael Jongen
Lizzy Bennet's diary by Marcia Williams
Walker, 2013. ISBN 9781406346947.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Inspired by Jane Austen's much-loved
classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, Lizzy Bennet's Diary
tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet. When Lizzy's father gives her a
diary, she fancies she will use it to write a novel as her real life
is exceedingly dull. Then the handsome Mr Bingley moves into nearby
Netherfield Park and suddenly life is every bit as thrilling as a
novel. Who will he dance with at Meryton ball? Who is his haughty
friend? And will Lizzy ever receive a marriage proposal? [Taken from blurb] Lizzy Bennet's Diary is utterly delightful, for fans of Jane
Austen and newcomers alike. A special mention must go to the
beautifully designed and illustrated cover, as well as the lovely
illustrations within the pages. Both catch the eye immediately, and
deserve plenty of praise. The story itself is very well-written;
Marcia Williams has managed to capture the atmosphere and characters
of Pride and Prejudice while still injecting some modernity and
originality into the tale. Another very enjoyable addition to the
book is the use of many original letters to and from various
characters, which add much more to the story. One of the best things
about Lizzy Bennet's Diary is how accessible it is; it can
truly be enjoyed by all ages, Jane Austen fans or newcomers alike.
Bright, colourful and enchanting, Lizzy Bennet's Diary
retains all the magic of the original Pride and Prejudice,
and deserves to be enjoyed by everyone.
I highly recommend this book (if not just for the beautiful
illustrations).
Rebecca Adams (Student)
How I live now (Film Tie In) by Meg Rosoff
Puffin, 2013. ISBN: 9780141346564.
(Age: 14+) Meg Rosoff's debut novel, first published in
2004 was the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and
received great acclaim from all quarters. After finally reading this
powerful novel, re-issued to coincide with the film released in
October this year, I can wholeheartedly concur. From the very
first few pages I was hooked into Daisy's story and indeed read the
entire book in a single morning and afternoon commute.
Daisy is a fifteen year old New Yorker with an indifferent father
who is besotted by his pregnant second wife, also known as Davina
the Diabolical. Daisy's mother died giving birth to her and
throughout the book there is an overwhelming sense of the vacuum
this has caused in Daisy's psyche. To spite her father, Daisy makes
a choice to go and live with her English cousins and aunt, the
sister of her late mother, and it is as she initially meets with
this very charming but definitely different family, that we begin to
read between the lines and learn that Daisy has brought some serious
emotional baggage along with her including anorexia and
self-harming.
Aunt Penn although briefly appearing, represents Daisy's absent
mother figure and her cousins Osbert, twins Edmund and Isaac and
Piper quickly become a vital part of Daisy's sense of belonging. In
particular, she is drawn immediately to 14 year old Edmund and upon
realising the attraction is reciprocal a very deep and passionate
physical relationship begins between the two.
The backdrop of a looming war with an unspecified enemy moves
quickly to the forefront of the plot and when Aunt Penn is stranded
in Oslo on a peace mission, and the invasion escalates the children
are left to fend for themselves. The ensuing trauma endured by all
of them, including painful separations, survival under the most
adverse of conditions, witnessing horrific brutalities and more
change their lives forever.
With echoes of the Holocaust resonating throughout the scenes of
war, the family torn apart are finally reunited but with inescapable
permanent consequences.
A fabulous read for mature readers from Lower Secondary up
Sue Warren
She'll be coming round the mountain sung by The Topp Twins
Ill. by Jenny Cooper. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781775431725.
(Age: 4+) Picture book, Singing, Verse. The well known song, She'll
be coming round the mountain is reprised here for younger
students to sing along with the CD provided or read the story and
the words as a picture book, or enjoy the funny illustrations.
This is another in the productions offered by Scholastic, which
showcase an old song, revamped and recorded by local talent, and
illustrated by known and loved illustrators. The series includes My
Daddy ate an apple, Do your ears hang low? and There's
a hole in the bucket. Each book includes a CD for the reader
and class to enjoy, sing along to, develop actions to as they use
the book. The books lend themselves to a variety of uses,
particularly in the classroom, where music, poetry and singing along
are valued.
Jenny Cooper gives this version of She'll be coming round the
mountain, a Western feel as the animals all join up in line
dancing mode as their numbers swell with the arrival of yet more
things coming around the mountain, until the last few pages are full
of fun bordering on pandemonium. Kids will love picking out the
different animals with their musical instruments and clothing suited
to the occasion, and I can well imagine a class yelling out the
refrain, 'Singing ay-aye, yippy', till the cows come home.
Fran Knight
Baby bedtime by Mem Fox and Emma Quay
Penguin Australia, 2013. ISBN 9780670075195.
Highly recommended for 2 years +. From the beautiful blue and lilac
tones to the slightly padded and textured cover to the soothing
lyrical text, this book deserves a place on the shelf for all little
people as one of their very special bedtime reads.
Mem Fox has once again created a simple but very moving rhyming text
that flows with such gentleness and is so perfectly accompanied by
Emma Quay's exquisite illustrations that the reading becomes a
heart-stopping experience.
Mem's own
wordsabout how the book came about explain the love
with which this book is suffused and even before I had read her
comments, the text had revealed overwhelmingly the intensity of love
one has for a special new baby.
'I could eat your little ears.
I could nibble on your nose.
I could munch your tiny fingers.
I could gobble up your toes . . .'
Quay's illustrations, created with a mixture of pencil, acrylic and
Photoshop - using found op shop items such as lace and so on - have
skilfully steered away from a gendered approach by using a mother
and baby elephant (and yes, I just love elephants so that was very
apt).
I love everything about this book - the feel of it, the look of it,
the sound of it, and the emotion of it. For those who may have a
special baby in their life (and aren't they all?) this would make a
perfect 'welcome' gift. For those of us whose babies are now little
people, it will still be a beautiful
snuggle-up-before-bed-so-you-know-how-much-I-love-you read aloud.
Sue Warren
Pureheart by Cassandra Golds
Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780143204275.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. After Deirdre's grandmother dies, she is
left alone in a broken-down block of flats named Corbenic, after the
Grail castle of Arthurian legend. One cold, misty night when she is
looking out of the window, Deirdre spies a familiar face - Gal, a
boy she has not seen for many years. Together, they must uncover the
dark secrets of the old building, before it collapses and they are
lost forever...
The first word that comes to mind when describing Pureheart is
'dreamlike'. The idea of dreams and reality intertwining is a major
part of the novel. There is also a general 'dreamy' atmosphere,
influenced heavily by the author's flowing, thoughtful, at times
bewildering writing style. Although the beginning of this novel is
quite firmly rooted in reality, the story quickly progresses into
something more. Before long, this reality abruptly combines with the
fantastical, throwing the reader into a magical, enchanting world.
Not too much will be written here about the way this story turns, as
much of the enjoyment arises from its unexpectedness.
The characters are also fascinating and memorable, and they add just
as much to the surreal atmosphere of the novel as the writing style.
It is hard to explain exactly how or why this novel is so good, but
one thing is for sure: by opening the pages of this well-written,
dreamlike novel, readers can expect to step into an enchanting,
beautiful world.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (student)
The Isobel Journal by Isobel Harrop
Hot Key Books, 2013.ISBN 9781471402272. The Isobel Journal is a breathtakingly beautiful and artistic
book that would be slightly shamed if it was referred to as a simple
picture book. This book contains drawings, sketches, photos,
paintings, diagrams, notes and so many more different types of media
and material. This really makes the book feel like the journal of an
older teen/young adult. Accompanying these stimulating illustrations
are the words of Isobel as she rolls through what seems to be almost
an inner monologue that gives the book a somewhat story-like vibe
and conveys character as well as conveying the personality of Isobel
herself. She also tells about some of her hopes and dreams, things
she wants to do and things she doesn't. Questions she asks herself
are a prominent feature as well as trails of thoughts that end up
getting you thinking too.
There is something about this journal that is inspiring and makes
you feel like you want to draw, take some photos, maybe do some
creative writing, and even go for a walk. This is perfect to curl up
with on a cold and blustery day or even just to have a flip through
when in need of motivation or inspiration. It serves well if you
like to read lightly too or don't have that much time to sit down
for hours and get stuck into a book. This book is completely unique
and exciting, I've never read anything like this before and I
absolutely adore it.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
I love you Father Christmas by Giles Andreae
Ill. by Emma Dodd. Orchard, 2013. ISBN 9781408330227.
(Age: 3+) Picture book, Christmas, Family, Love, Verse. In jaunty
and easy to follow four line stanzas, the poem flows along as the
little girl tells of why she loves Father Christmas. She mentions
many of the details which people know accrue to Father Christmas and
the customs followed at this time of the year, so that in the
classroom or at home, children can be reminded of just what happens
at this event in the western calendar. All is fun, as Father
Christmas brushes his teeth and eats a bit of Christmas pudding
before he sets out across the skies bringing presents to children
over the world. The narrator reminds the reader that manners must
have been used throughout the year, that dinner must have been eaten
to the last crumb, friends treated respectfully, parents helped out
with doing chores and the bedroom kept tidy. All these she promises
that she has done, because she likes receiving the presents at the
end of the year.
All through the value of family is presented as the child is part of
a loving family, and the last picture shows the child with her
family on Christmas morning with her presents. The bold
illustrations with their blocks of colour reflect the images of
Christmas seen at this time of the year, and reinforce for the
younger reader what happens in our communities.
Fran Knight
Clementine's walk by Anne White
New Frontier, 2013. ISBN 9781921928475.
(Age: 3+)Recommended. Picture book, Animals, Verse, Family,
Responsibility. Clementine the family dog is desperate to be
taken for a walk, but no one has the time to do it. Mum is painting,
Nora is knitting, James is putting together a jigsaw puzzle taken
apart by Clementine, Dad is reading the paper. The baby in its pram
simply did not understand. Even the chooks do not want to be
involved. But just when the whole family finish their tasks, and
pronounce themselves ready to go for a walk, Clementine is nowhere
to be found.
Told in rhyming stanzas, the reader will be introduced to the ideas
behind poetry in this easy to read story. They will predict words
that rhyme, select words that may fit the scanning lines, learn
parts themselves to be able to say out loud when they reread the
book, and simply learn to love the poetic form.
The endpapers with maps of the route taken by Clementine and the
family will add to the fun of children reading the book for
themselves, and also introduce mapping skills at a first stage.
The jaunty illustrations add to the fun of the story, as White uses
watercolour and fine pencil outlines to construct her family and
their problem. Clementine is wonderful, radiating a personality for
all to see, and each member of the family has their own
characteristics for the reader to spot. And I love the last three
pages of the whole family, including the chooks being taken for a
walk by Clementine.
Fran Knight
How to wash a woolly mammoth by Michelle Robinson
Ill. by Kate Hindley. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781742760773.
An exuberantly funny look at bath time through one little girl's
attempts at getting the woolly mammoth into the bath is displayed
through spare text and colourful illustrations. She tries varying
methods of getting the large animal into the water, and then has to
contend with other problems, of how to wash his hair, for example,
particularly avoiding the problem of soap in the eyes.
Told hilariously using the guise of a training manual, each page
offers younger readers a fun read, complete with illustrations that
add another level of humour, as the mammoth's mood changes according
to what is happening to him.
A very funny take on bath time and its inherent problems will be
eagerly devoured by younger readers, particularly those averse to
taking a bath.
The humour is continued with a range of products suitable for a
mammoth bath at the end of the book, making this a joy to read aloud
and share.
Fran Knight
The Wool series by Hugh Howey
Century, 2013. Wool. ISBN 9781780891248. Shift. ISBN 9781780891224. Dust. ISBN 9781780891880.
(Age: 15+) This complex SF trilogy of weighty tomes set in a future
dystopia makes compelling reading. Shift, written after Wool,
provides the overview, the link with the 'present' (2049BCE) and the
political machinations which have gone into setting up fifty
underground towers (silos) to preserve humankind from the ravaged
surface. Shift skips back and forth in time, covering a span of 300
years. Two scientifically successful applications - cryogenics and a
drug enabling people to forget their pasts - create a diabolical
combination for the men in Silo 1, as their womenfolk 'sleep' on,
and the men are woken for shifts of a few weeks at a time (sort of a
grim Groundhog Day effect). Only a few know the full history of the
silos, and the story revolves around one who was innocently involved
right from the beginning, and what unfolds as he gradually acquires
resistance to the drugs of forgetfulness and starts to piece himself
and the situation together again. Wool depicts the story of a silo ignorant of the existence of
the other silos, and Dust concludes the trilogy. One is a
silo that has collapsed, and the other is a silo in rebellion.
Ultimately there is contact with each other and also Silo 1. The
reader will stay absorbed by the political intricacy of Silo 1, and
the grim survival of Silos 17 and 18, initially ignorant of each
other and the reasons for their very existence. Ultimately there is
hope, but the reader is kept guessing till the last few pages.
These thought-provoking, well-written and multi-layered novels could
appeal to senior students, particularly those who enjoy science
fiction. Possible comparisons could be made with books such as
Huxley's Brave New World or Atwood's The Year of the
Flood.
Anne Veitch
