The Romance Diaries - Ruby by Jenna Austen
Harper Collins Publishers, 2013. ISBN 978073333152 7. The Romance Diaries - Ruby is aimed at girls aged 12 years+.
It is an easy to read, diary-style story involving the lives of the
main character, Ruby, and her friends. Even though the female
characters are teenagers and it mainly focuses on their
relationships, the language used is definitely not aimed at older
readers and provides a positive insight into the relationships many
girls will one day experience.
Ruby is about 16 years of age and is tired of seeing her friend,
Bella, heartbroken after failing romances. An avid romantic novel
reader and budding writing, Ruby devises a plan to help choose the
perfect partner for Bella. Her first match-making attempt seems
successful and when Ruby meets Will she decides he is perfect for
Bella. Unbeknownst to Ruby, Bella has match-making plans of her own
and when Ruby receives flowers and anonymous emails she begins to
understand what it feels like to be in love. Will Ruby realise she
is more than a match-maker and is about to become a main character
in her own romantic story? The Romance Diaries - Ruby is aimed at more independent
readers and is highly recommended to any girl who is a bit of a
romantic at heart! Even I was cheering Ruby on in her pursuit of
happiness!
The author, Jenna Austen, incorporates teenage-style language,
references to modern texts, like Twilight and easily engages
readers in the lives of Ruby and her friends.
Kylie Kempster
A Pterodactyl Stole My Homework by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers
Saursus Street series. Random House, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74275 656 1.
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Sam is in a predicament. A pterodactyl has
stolen his homework and his mother doesn't believe him! Would you?
How will he get it back? Saursus Street: A Pterodactyl Stole My Homework is a funny
adventure story featuring eight year old Sam and his older brother,
Nathan. It is aimed at independent readers aged 8-10 years and is
especially good for readers who love dinosaurs. I would highly
recommend this book for those boys who aren't big on reading as they
will enjoy the adventure and fun. The language used is easy to read
and understand too.
It is the second book in the series but readers won't need to read
the first one to help them understand the story.
The chapters are short, helping the story move along quickly, and
the use of different fonts to emphasise words is reminiscent of Geronimo
Stilton books.
Readers will giggle at the antics of Sam as he hunts down his
homework. He is harassed by his horrible teacher, threatened with
boarding school and loses his pants! Will Team Dinosaur (Sam and his
brother) find the stolen homework and discover why a pterodactyl is
busy stealing all over town?
Kylie Kempster
The kill order by James Dashner
Chicken House, 2013. ISBN 9781908435590.
(Age: 14+) A prequel to the Maze Runner trilogy, The kill
order is the story of what happened before the Maze was built
and WICKED was formed. The earth was devastated by solar flares,
cities were flooded and people fled to higher ground. Mark and Trina
managed to escape New York City accompanying Alec, an experienced
ex-soldier and a group of teens.
This was a very exciting book that was hard to put down. Dashner's
description of the devastation caused by the sun, the resulting
tsumanis and the sheer terror of trying to escape death is riveting.
Using Mark's dreams to retell what has happened, Dashner brings to
life what it would be like to live after an apocalypse. Mark's
narration is thrilling and the action is non stop, so much so that
there is little time for deep characterisation. The group battles
the bergs that send down darts full of a fatal virus that makes
people go mad before they die. They battle a cult of mad people, and
the baddies who have sent the bergs. There is little relief from the
violence of the clashes, which were very graphic and all too real
and which I found to be quite disturbing.
Readers who enjoyed the Maze Runner trilogy as I did (review),
will want to find out how it all began; however The kill order
is not for the faint hearted.
Pat Pledger
Daizy Star, Ooh la la! by Cathy Cassidy
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 978-0-14-133744-9.
Recommended for primary aged students. This is the fourth book about
Daizy Star, a primary school aged girl who is searching for a way to
shine. As the title suggests Daisy is off to Paris on a school trip
with her friends. Daizy is still trying to discover her special
skills and abilities and desperately wants to earn a star in her
class before the end of the school year. Along the way she has
problems with her Dad who dresses as a giant squirrel, annoying boys
and French art. Daizy Star, Ooh la la! is an easy and fun read and deals with
many of the issues young girls face, such as friendship, school and
family. These books are very popular with middle, upper primary aged
girls at my school.
Cathy Cassidy has written 20 books for girls but Daizy Star
is aimed at the pre-teen girl.
For more information on the Daizy Star books go to the author's site.
Jane Moore
The Brain Sucker by Glenn Wood
Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-921977-63-3.
Recommended for 9 to 12 year old students. What if your heart was so
black, that you wanted to destroy all the goodness in the world?
Lester Smythe is one such man. He has invented a brain-sucking
machine to remove all kindness from people. When Lester uses the
machine on 13 year old Callum's grandmother, Callum and his
friends decide to track him down and stop his evil ways.
Callum does not let his wheelchair restrict him and with the help of
Sophie's inventions he begins a quest to return his grandmother to
her considerate and gentle self. Even Jinx, his accident-prone
friend becomes part of the action.
This is a great tale for middle primary students and creates some
interesting discussion points about people's behaviour.
Are the rude actions of people in the city part of their kindness
being removed by the brain sucker or just modern life?
You can hear Glenn Wood read the beginning of his book here.
Jane Moore
Tom Gates - Genius Ideas (mostly) by L. Pichon
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 978 1407 13450 5.
(Age: 10+) This book is a light-hearted story, told from young Tom's
point of view. A point of view that is hilarious at times, and by
page 22, the reader will have met a crazy looking sister and a dad
in tight blue bicycling shorts! Embarrassing!
The author, L. Pichon, uses descriptive text and black and white
illustrations to keep the reader engaged and the easy to read
language will keep any 10year+, independent reader happy. It is
aimed at boys but girls who have enjoyed books like The Loser
List and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will enjoy this comical
look at the events in Tom's life. Tom Gates - Genius Ideas mostly is almost like a diary, with Tom
offering his opinions on his daily activities. He faces the same
problems faced by many children which will help readers relate to
Tom's character. To me, the main theme of the story is how Tom sees
the world and how he'll survive what is going on rather than a
definite plot with a resolution. It is this point of view and the
crazy illustrations that made it a pleasure to read, even for me.
(Kids will love the instructions on how to make a paper banger and
the bug flipbook, another bonus!)
Kylie Kempster
Girl's best friend by Leslie Margolis
A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery. Bloomsbury, 2010.
Recommended for primary aged students. Maggie has a secret life.
Unknown to her parents, Maggie is a dog walker after school. Not
only does she have to keep this a secret from her family but a
mystery needs to be solved. Dogs are disappearing and Maggie thinks
she may be on the trail of a dog napper. She becomes involved with
her ex best friend's missing dog and discovers that her secret
crush, Milo seems to be part of the problem.
This book has a lot of appeal for primary aged girls - a good
mystery, animals, issues with friends and boy trouble.
Lots of clues are revealed along the way and many of the characters
are potential suspects in the dognapping saga.
The other book available in this series is Vanishing Acts.
Leslie Margolis has a great website
with book trailers.
Jane Moore
All That I Am by Anna Funder
Penguin Books, 2011. ISBN 9780143567516.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) All That I Am is an
Australian multi-award winning novel. It doesn't wear its learning
lightly. It tells an important story, based heavily on fact, about
the emergence of Hitler; the terrifying reach of the Nazis inside
Germany and further afield; and the refusal of Germany and other
countries to recognise, let alone curb, evil. The characters are
from history and fiction. Anna Funder uses the tools of the novelist
to embellish the historical figures such as playwright Ernst Toller,
particularly in the details of his everyday life, words and
feelings. There is much information to impart, which can make the
storytelling suffer, but the narrative devices of dual narrators
assist this. There are two character narrators, but four voices.
Ruth is an overlooked Jew who is glad she isn't beautiful because
she can observe others without being looked at herself. She is
married to handsome Hans and is Dora's cousin. We hear Ruth's voice
as a young woman escaping from the Nazis and working for the
Resistance in London. We also know her as an old woman living in
Sydney. Toller is the other narrator. We hear his voice both during
the turbulent events of the Nazi ascendancy and later, when he is
rewriting his memoirs.
I wasn't immersed in the book until halfway through, possibly
because of the changing voices. Once into the story, though, I was
absorbed. It's an authorial dilemma - provide information through
multiple narrators but risk not creating a strong enough character
to ease the reader into the story. Probably the main character,
certainly the heroine, is courageous, intelligent Dora Fabian - a
historical figure, who devoted her life to making other aware of the
truth.
Funder has wisely avoided the well-trodden paths of dwelling on the
physical escapes from Germany, including Ruth's. She has a political
and emotional focus.
As a supplement to modern history, this novel is very worthwhile;
it's just a shame many students will find it difficult to access.
Joy Lawn
Ruby Redfort: Take your last breath by Lauren Child
HarperCollins, 2012, 400 pgs., h/b. ISBN: 9780007334087.
(Age: 9-14) Recommended. Take your last breath is the second book in
the Ruby Redfort series, written by Lauren Child, bestselling author
of the Clarice Bean series. Ruby Redfort is an undercover
secret agent and a very smart 13 year old kid, who cracks codes and
solves puzzles. At the beginning of the book, Ruby is
attending a dive camp. During her training, Ruby finds she
struggles to hold her breath for very long which may prove to be
vital in this adventure which takes part on and in the ocean.
Strange things start to happen in Ruby's seaside town of Twinford.
Lots of unusual ocean activity, including sea creatures attacking
people and a secret agent diver washing up dead on the beach.
What is going on? Ruby and her team are on the case, along
with her loyal best friend Clancy, who is a good friend, but useless
in an emergency. One episode in the book was a little
unrealistic, otherwise an excellent mystery which was easy to
read. I would recommend this book in the Resource Centre for
9-14 year olds.
Michelle Thomson
Fire Engine is Flashing by Mandy Archer
Ill. by Martha Lightfoot. Busy Wheels series. Scholastic ISBN:
9781742835105.
(Ages: 3-6) This is a simple story of what happens at the fire
station before the alarm starts ringing right up until the point
where the fire engine and crew drive back to the station. The fire
engine is personified ('Fire Engine' rather than the fire engine)
and the story is lightened by containing cartoon foxes rather than
people. Told in a simple yet engaging fashion with an interesting
story Fire Engine is Flashing is great at introducing some
of the technical language and concepts of fire fighting in a fun
way. These terms are in highlighted print and the illustrations help
the reader to understand these new terms through clear, bold
pictures. The text uses proper terms that may be unfamiliar to young
children but which are used regularly in the everyday vernacular and
will quickly become meaningful in the context of their lives. They
also provide opportunities for rich discussions around synonyms with
the inclusions of words such as 'wail', for labelling things around
them such as 'hydrant' and for discussing the specific equipment
used by fire fighters such as 'air-tank'.
The story engages the reader by telling the story in a fast paced
way without detailed description or explanation. It also contains
lots of sounds that young children will love to mimic and strives to
involve the reader and get them to feel the emotion and harried pace
of the adventure by directing text at them such as 'Fire Engine is
ready to go! Hurry, hurry!' and 'There's not a second to lose!'. The
last few pages of the book contain a labelled diagram of Fire Engine
complete with terms such as 'breathing apparatus' and labelled
pictures of other emergency vehicles. While the illustration of the
fire engine is fairly similar to an Australian fire engine the other
vehicles are dissimilar. Overall a pleasant book that will delight
young children, especially the myriad who love machines and
emergency vehicles.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
School for princes by Jamila Gavin
Sub-title: Stories from the Panchatantra. Francis Lincoln Children's
Books, 2012. ISBN 9781845079901.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Imagine a collection of fables with a back
story. A king finds a wise teacher to guide his arrogant,
irresponsible sons to maturity. The old man recounts fables in order
to teach the young princes how to be responsible rulers who
understand that everyone is deserving of respect.
Jamila Gavin has chosen five stories from The Panchatantra, a
collection of fables from the Peacock City of Tamil Nardu in
southern India. Like the fables of Aesop and La Fontaine, these
stories have morals and focus on the interactions between animals.
However, unlike their pithy European counterparts, they are more
like short stories, rich in detail and emotion. The characters
engage in life and death struggles as they discover which values
enhance life and which lead to loss and destruction.
The teacher is Visnu Sarma, believed to be the originator of the
fables, but his patient tutelage of the young princes is fiction.
Jamila Gavin has written five stories of her own to explain how the
young men gain wisdom. Her creation of Preeta, a village girl,
assists the teacher in his task, as she provides the princes with
insights into the lives of their future subjects. The literary
device is so successful that many readers will overlook the
interweaving of stories created more than 2000 years apart. Although
the writing style is redolent of traditional tales the world over,
the powerful dialogues and vivid descriptions are the work of a
gifted story teller.
Bee Willey's illustrations for the narrative are lively, stylised
depictions of the people and their region, but the fables themselves
are accompanied with simple line drawings. Changes in the background
colours of the pages further emphasise the interweaving of the old
stories with the new.
Although School for princes provides a fascinating introduction to
the traditions of Tamil Nardu, the princes' learning journey is one
that will be recognised and enjoyed by readers from all cultures and
all walks of life.
Elizabeth Bor
There was an old bloke who swallowed a bunny! by P. Crumble
Ill. by Louis Shea. Scholastic, 2013. RRP $13.95. ISBN
9781742831602.
Recommended Reading Ages 2-6. This is another rollicking rhyme by P.
Crumble that follows the much-loved format of There was an Old
Lady who swallowed a fly. This time the old bloke is back on the
farm looking for another tasty meal filled with animals that are
quite hard to swallow. Each page ends with the cry of 'Crikey,
that's funny'. This is a great read-aloud encouraging young
readers from 2-6 to join in with the accumulative text.
Louis Shea's wildly colourful illustrations both in the farm
yard and in the bloke's tummy, add a great comic dimension to the
text. These include, the old bloke's one-tooth mouth, creative
disguises and devious determination to catch and consume a variety
of farm animals from a bunny to a cow.
This fun rhyming story adds to the collection of P. Crumble stories
including: There was an old lady who swallowed a star and There was
an old lady who swallowed a mozzie!
Pre-school and Reception students could use this as a model for
writing a class or individual texts. This is a good resource for
Drama and Poetry as well, a springboard into performing for Junior
Primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell
Media muscle: Body image and the media for guys by Lisa Cox
Wombat Books, 2012. 39 p.
(Age: teen) This is the second book by young Australian author Lisa
Cox and continues her interest in adolescents developing a positive
body image. Her first book Does my bum look big in this ad?
(2010) challenged stereotypes of female beauty in the media and
aimed to promote self-esteem among young women. Media muscle concentrates on an adolescent male audience. Its
goal is to tackle body image pressure on young males and to promote
in them a positive body image, in particular trying to combat the
unrealistic images of young men in magazine ads. As she states, it
is truly unrealistic what Photoshop can do! This book explains
simply how the media industry works in popular culture and suggests
ways to critically evaluate, what is being presented to the
reader/listener/viewer.
Having read both of Lisa Cox's books, I think that this one shows
clear development in her writing and presentation skills. She has
also consulted widely with psychologists, teachers and a health
professional to enhance the credibility of the content. Media muscle is a slight publication, which reads like a
pamphlet or blog. It is a paperback and strongly bound with quality,
glossy paper.
There are small, cartoon-like colour illustrations and a section
called 'Something to think about' at the end of 5 of the 7 chapters.
For example, at the end of Chapter Two: 'List three things you like
about yourself . . . if they are physical, why do you like those
parts of your body?'(p.17) Also included are Contents and
Acknowledgements, but no Index.
This publication would be suitable for a secondary school library or
the teen collection in a public library, as a useful resource to
develop media literacy and a positive body image in young people.
Margaret Strickland
Spinifex mouse by Norma MacDonald
Magabala. 2013. ISBN 978 1921248801
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Australian animals. Aboriginal themes.
Cheeky the spinifex mouse loves to party. He loves to display his
skills, whirling and twirling, somersaulting, and cartwheeling,
showing off his skills to his brothers and sisters who were not
nearly as agile as he. Each morning when his family returned from
foraging for food, he sneaks out to practise his skills, but in
moving further away from his burrow, puts himself in danger.
Both the brown snake and the eagle spy the little spinifex mouse as
their next feed.
Cheeky stops by the spinifex grass and eats some of the seed left by
the people who collect it to make damper, and while he is there the
brown snake comes closer. Slowed down by the seeds in his belly, the
mouse is almost taken by the snake, but the eagle swoops and has him
in his talons. Luckily he is able to escape both predators and
return to his burrow a wiser little animal.
The illustrations in line and water colour reflect the Australian
desert environment, and will be enjoyed by younger readers, although
several seemed oddly static.
The lessons taught by this parable are all too obvious and children
will duck with Cheeky as the eagle swoops and tell Cheeky about the
snake. They will love talking of near misses and what they should do
in similar circumstances. They will easily learn much about the
Australian bush and its occupants, and assimilate some lessons about
the Aboriginal people who use the land.
Fran Knight
My totally awesome story by Pat Flynn and Peter Carnavas
University of Queensland Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-7022-4947-1. My Totally Awesome Story was a great book to read. It was
like a Diary of a Wimpy Kid because the story lines were
very similar and would appeal to the same audience. It is about
Duane who plays football and likes motorbike riding. His best friend
are Meatbal and Chase who is a cute girl.
The story is about Duane in his English class where he is trying to
write a story for the teacher. This is where the title come from: My
Totally Awesome Story. The teacher asked Duane to do a writing
activity like Homework Journal. Pat Flynn the author has done
workshops with the kids all over Australia for the past ten years as
material to make up the story. It teaches them how to write their
own Totally Awesome story. Pat has slipped truckloads of writing
tips and ideas into the book. After playing around with some ideas
that were just a bit too polished, he made the decision to switch to
drawing with his left hand so it look like it was Duane's age - what
a great idea.
Tyson Brown (student)
