Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2012. ISBN 9781742375045.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. This is a delightfully engaging novel
about four women tied together by family and setting: the Abbotsford
Convent, Melbourne. The novel opens in contemporary times with
Peach, a 19 year old university student seeking a summer job at one
of the convent's cafes. She flags at the outset that this story will
be about the past, about the impact of the lives of three other
women on her own... but she doesn't yet know the missing link -
the convent itself.
And so the reader moves back and forth between Peach and the stories
of Sadie (whose child was taken from her in 1915), her daughter
Ellen (brought up in the convent in the 1920s) and Cecilia (a young
nun at the same convent in the sixties). It is not only the setting
that ties these women together, it is also religion and babies. And
their stories have a modern echo in Peach's own life, for her dear,
damaged friend Det, is pregnant - will she keep the baby or give it
up for adoption? And how will her plans impact on Peach, herself an
adopted child? As Det is an artist with a studio in the convent, the
ties of place and birth are even stronger.
This novel is written with warmth and intelligence. The characters
are very real, their personal struggles are sympathetically evoked
and so their lives are immediately engaging. With only one first
person narrator (Peach) the reader is able to learn more about her
back story than Peach herself, so our interest in the mystery of
this family saga is constantly being tweaked. On one level, this
story is about a young girl coming to terms with her history, her
identity and her sense of family; it is about the ties of friendship
and romance. But layered over this is the broader and richer story
of changing times, of opportunities for women, of the impact of
motherhood and religious conviction and love. It is a story with
warmth and heart and style; a winning combination from well-known
author, Maureen McCarthy.
Deborah Marshall
Again by Emily Gravett
Again by Emily Gravett
Macmillan Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9780330544030.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Reading. It's not
often you see a book that successfully appeals to both children and
adults alike, but this one does. A treat for all readers, especially
those long suffering parents and carers who read and reread a book
to their impatient charges, again and again. In this delightfully
illustrated book, baby dragon just adores his nightly read with his
mother. The story in his favorite book concerns a red dragon called
Cedric, just like him. The Cedric in the book never goes to bed, but
goes out at night tormenting trolls and grabbing princesses to make
into pies. An increasingly frustrated baby dragon wants the story
read to him again, and as he blusters about prodding his mother to
read the tale over, he becomes redder and redder, until finally his
anger gets a little too much. And the story being read to him
changes as well, as the Cedric in the story is changed by Mum to be
one that does go to sleep, a hint to her charge that rather falls on
deaf ears.
Beautiful touches appear on every page: the look on the baby
dragon's face, the snuggle blanket, the motifs on the blanket, the
increasingly tired mother as her image becomes more and more prone,
the increased demands of the baby; all are instantly recognisable by
the adult reading this book to the children, and parallel what
happens in their homes. The climax of the story will bring hoots of
laughter from the very willing audience, and the last few pages will
intrigue and delight all who read this tale.
Oh, and the endpapers are a treat as well - it's always an
extra surprise to see endpapers so well incorporated into the
story rather than be left blank.
Fran Knight
Hard nuts of history by Tracey Turner
Ill. by Jane Lennan. A and C Black, 2012. ISBN 9781408171882.
(Age: 9-12) Non fiction, Biography. Humour. Subtitled Who's who in
hard nut history, this attractively presented book outlines potted
histories of many famous and not so famous gutsy people, starting
with Blackbeard, and then trawling through the lives of such people
as Nelson, Boudica, Wu Zetian, Charlemagne, Attila the Hun, Abraham
Lincoln, and Scott of the Antarctic, along with a smattering of
women, Gracie O'Malley, Cleopatra and Mary Kingsley. A few nods to
non British people are included, as are a few indigenous people,
like Sitting Bull.
Each is given an outline of their life and times, with a ranking
about their toughness. Often a double page offers the person's
biography with more information about his times. For example,
Nelson's double page is followed by information about the British
Navy, while the pages about Ulysses S. Grant are followed by two
pages about the American Civil War.
The book relates to a website which can be accessed via the
Bloomsbury site (see page 7) which links to cards for downloading to
make a game of the book and its contents. At the end of the
book can be found a questionnaire asking how hard a nut you are, and
a timeline of the hard nuts in the book, with an excellent glossary
and comprehensive index. All designed to get kids involved in
learning about history through the people who have some notoriety,
the book makes history and its fact finding element fun and
involving, and uses the internet to further engage the modern
reader.
Fran Knight
Stories for 7 year olds ed. by Linsay Knight
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Random House, 2012. ISBN 9781742756622.
Stories for 8 year olds ed. by Linsay Knight. ISBN
9781742756808.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Short stories. With authors like
Jacqueline Harvey, Phil Cummings, Deborah Abelah and Vashti Farrer
contributing stories to this series (and there are two more, one for
5 and one for 6 year olds), Random House can't go wrong. Short
stories are always sought after: a teacher wanting a five minute
filler before the bell, or wanting to model a story writing exercise
in the classroom, or parents wanting a short story to read before
bed, or a child wanting to read something within their operating
range, these books contain a wide range of stories designed to
please.
For 7 year olds, the range includes a very funny story by Phil
Cummings inspired by the pool in his home town where one of his
classmates decided it would be a good idea to take a surfboard.
Another by J. B. Thomas tells us why the crow's feathers are black,
another by Michael Pryor shows us a group of disappearing goats,
while another by Morris Gleitzman cleverly parallels a science
experiment to raise lots of laughs amongst the readership. Each is
distinctly different and funny, and the book includes information
about each of the authors at the end, as well as a page about when
the story was first published, revealing that some have been
published before and some are new. We are lucky that some of these
hidden gems have been given a second outing.
For 8 year olds, the range of authors include Paul Jennings, Andy
Griffiths and R. A. Spratt, with stories as strange and different as
they could possibly be. Both of these books will be a hit in the
school library.
Fran Knight
We love school illustrated by Lucie Billingsley
Hachette (Lothian) 2012. ISBN 9780734411570.
(Age: 4-6) Recommended. Picture book. School. Through a gaggle of
dogs, the story is told of the first day at school. The routines are
followed throughout the story, taking all young readers along with
it. For the very young the experience of school and its routines is
neatly outlined, allowing the child to assimilate all that happens
in this place. The dogs allow a distance and give a comforting
introduction to school procedures.
In rhyming couplets, the story develops as each animal prepares for
school, unsure of what to expect. Once at school, they play with
their own toys, paint some pictures, and then go out for a break,
relieving themselves together except for one dog. They go for a walk,
noticing all around them then take time out for lunch. Playtime ends
with water play, then the dogs all settle down to sleep until they
are picked up to go home with their art efforts for the day.
Each dog is given a different personality through the endearing
illustrations. They are shown doing a range of activities which
introduces the reader to the sorts of things to expect at school.
As a read aloud, or simply to look at by themselves, or as a
classroom share book, this book has possibilities in lessening the
anxieties of younger children hearing about school or about to start
school.
Fran Knight
The girl from Snowy River by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2012. ISBN 9780732293109.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Historical novel. In French's well known and
loved style of historical fiction, she makes us fully aware of her
love of the Australian bush, her adherence to early Australian bush
poetry and her unflagging affection for those early pioneers who
populated the bush beyond the cities. In the past she has used a
time slip technique to deposit her character into a situation in the
past where she must learn to survive. This one has a different sort
of time slip where a character from the period following World War
One, meets and talks with a Vietnam War veteran, his legs gone,
pondering his future on the well known rock near her home. Flinty is
the main carer in her family. Both parents have died, her brother is
killed in Europe, her boyfriend who went to war has returned a
broken man, her returned brother also finds it difficult to cope and
has gone droving, and she has a brother and sister to care for. She
cannot make sense of what is happening about her, just as Nicholas
who she meets on the rock, cannot make sense of where his future
lies. Both support the other, helping bring changes to their lives
which at first they could not see happening.
Flinty comes to rely on her evening talks to this taciturn man,
ensuring her siblings are in bed before she walks up the hill to
step into a different world. He knows where her future lies, and
hints about what may happen, always making sure he does not tell her
specifics but says she will suffer sorrow but will come through it
all. Readers will eagerly turn the pages as I did, after reading
these lines.
This is an engrossing read, full of information about the two
periods in which she has set her characters, redolent of the
attitudes of both time, exposing the wide impact war has had on both
of the main characters and all those about them. This heart warming
story ranges between melancholia, sorrow, elation and happiness, as
their stories unfold. And if it nudges slightly over the edges of
sentimentality, none of French's army of fans will mind in the
least.
Fran Knight
Spellbound: Tales of enchantment from ancient Ireland by Siobhan Parkinson and Olwyn Whelan
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9781847801401
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Myths and legends. Irish myths. I haven't
often come across ancient Irish folk tales so this was most
interesting to read and so acquaint myself with those stories from
their past. Beautifully illustrated in that flat patchwork style of
illustrations peculiar to books of myths and fairy tales, full of
rich colour and often with borders, the book kept me reading until
the end.
The eight stories contain magic and mystery, telling of the ancient
times, and will intrigue readers. Some reveal a man who by his own
hand, destroys or upsets the love shown by a beautiful woman. In
Butterfly girl a young very beautiful girl called Etain, is buffeted
by those who both love and hate her. Beloved by a local lord she
marries him only to find he already has a wife, who takes serious
revenge upon the girl. From then on many things happen to her, but
eventually she and her husband are reunited as swans. It's an
amazing story of love (particularly the woman's) and retribution, of
overcoming evil, of finding your way in the end.
Another, The enchanted deer, has a young woman found in the forest
as a deer by day. She marries her rescuer only to be left alone for
too long, so returns to the forest where her husband later finds
their son. In Lord under wave, again, the man marries a woman who
initially appeared as an old ugly hag, only to find in the night she
changes to a beautiful young woman. They marry and all he has to do
to keep her is not remind her of her past. He does! She flees! And
then he spends time looking for her. Another odd mixture of love and
magic, around a man's ability to see only what he wants and not the
needs of his wife. The stories are all unusual and will make a great
treat for students wanting to hear different stories read aloud or
study as part of a different culture. For older readers, these may
form the basis of a study of folk tales and their presentation of
male and female roles. Each would be superb read aloud and set up a
neat platform for discussion.
Fran Knight
Poo! A history of the world from the bottom up! by Sarah Albee
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408171905.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Non fiction. Excrement. Humour. A history of
how humans dispose of their waste material is given a very funny
airing in this mammoth tome. With 170 pages jam-packed full of
information rarely thought of, this book will fill in hours of
harmless fun for kids and parents alike. Fascinating titbits about
whether there were toilets in a pyramid or how a knight went to the
toilet, or how the sewers of London came to be built, invite readers
to linger on the pages and illustrations. Full of tales which will
be told and retold amongst their peers, younger readers will eat
this up.
The layout of the book is somewhat dreary, with blue and green
colours used with copious white background and black print, but the
information will warm the book to its target audience. The
toilet rolls that decorate each page too, leave the reader in no
doubt about the stance the author is taking, although I found the
repetition in the first few chapters, of how and why the stuff is
important along with reference to just a handful of pooers a little
unnecessary. But again, the target audience will dip in and out of
this book, gathering what information they want, discarding others
along the way. This will cause a sensation amongst those hardened
non readers, those for whom the Guiness Book of Records is the book
they cut their reading teeth on, and for whom the many list books
around now are snapped up. Others will come in when they can,
reading it over shoulders, hearing about it on the playground
grapevine, asking for it for Christmas. How ever it gets to them and
why they pick it up will be of no consequence once they read and are
drawn into the world of poo.
Fran Knight
The snow Womble by Elizabeth Beresford
Ill. by Nick Price. Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408834244
(Age: 3-7) Picture book, Environment, Christmas. Elizabeth Beresford
died in 2010, and her famously inventive and ground breaking stories
about the Wombles are now being reprinted. The Wombles, conceived
initially to clean up Wimbledon Common, first appeared in 1968 when
environmental themes in children's literature were sparse. A
television series followed and the Wombles became very well known in
the United Kingdom with a song that most people can sing or at least
hum. With their theme, 'make good use of bad rubbish' they proved to
be a herald of good behavour.
In this book, The snow Womble, first published in 1975, only a hint
is given of the original intent of the series of books. When the
Wombles emerge from their burrows on a very wintry morning, the
whole of the common is under snow and so very white and very clean.
The young Wombles decide that they do not need to tidy up today so
take some time off. Three decide to build a snow Womble, but
while Bungo builds the model, Orinoco sleeps and Tamsk
snowboards. The finished product is made to look like Great Uncle
Bulgaria so that when Tamsk snowboards down the hills he calls out
to uncle to move, which of course, he does not. The inevitable
happens, and several valuable lessons learnt, especially when Great
Uncle Bulgaria emerges from his burrow to hear the little Wombles
talking about him.
At the end of this fun filled book is a sheet of stickers for kids
to use, showing each of the Wombles.
Fran Knight
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Penguin (Australia) 2012. First published (Australia) Cheshire,
1967. ISBN: 978067007685.
Recommended. 'Whether Picnic at Hanging Rock is fact or
fiction, my readers must decide for themselves.' - Joan Lindsay.
My first impression of the text Picnic at Hanging Rock was
that it would be an English story about well-behaved girls at a
boarding school who went on a picnic; however I soon found that this
classic is much more than this. The children's novel is a hauntingly
atmospheric tale which has wormed its way into the hearts and minds
of Australians providing an unsolved mystery of whether the story
was indeed fictional. Our story starts at Appleyard College for
Young Ladies where students and teachers alike are revelling in the
holiday of St. Valentine's Day. The girls set off (with two
governesses) on a long anticipated picnic to Hanging Rock and spend
a lazy afternoon at the picnic grounds. However, while exploring;
three senior girls disappear without a trace leaving their
companion, Edith delirious with terror. The incident soon sets off a
magnificent series of events.
A dramatic mystery without a conclusion Joan Lindsay shows a
previously unknown devotion to her work. The novel was written over
a period of four weeks and as much mystery surrounds the story as
the publication (the novel was published purposely without the final
chapter). Although the more pressing mystery of this novel is
whether or not this is truly fiction? The author bids the reader to
decide for themselves however I remind the reader that there is a
grain of truth in every work of fiction.
Kayla Gaskell (Student, age sixteen)
Time between us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Doubleday Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9780857531155. Time between us begins in San Francisco, 2012, and moves
backwards into a main setting, Chicago, 1995. Anna is a 16-year-old
girl who dreams of travel and adventure, but these dreams are
smothered by hum-drum teenage life.
Bennett is 17 (in 2012) and is trying to find his sister Brooke, who
is lost travelling in the past. Destiny pulls the two teenagers
together in their search for Brooke, and their struggle to face
their doomed love affair.
Along the way, the couple are faced with a series of obstacles
preventing them from fulfilling their two goals, and towards the end
Anna is faced with a difficult and potentially like-changing
decision.
The characters have been written before: the relationship in the
center of the book echoes overtones of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight
saga, and Bennett provides a mysterious, brooding Edward-esque
figure. Tamara Ireland Stone weaves an intricate and involving set
of scenarios to test her characters individually and as a unit.
While the relationship between Anna and Bennett can be similarly
found in many already existing novels, there is a sense of freshness
and vibrancy injected into this typical romantic plot. The presence
of time travel creates a quasi-science fiction mood, while the
reality of the characters and their emotions brings it back into
dramatic territory without letting the fantasy get too out of hand.
The situation of the characters remains fixedly unrelatable, but the
protagonists are fairly average and easy to identify with.
Tamara Ireland Stone is clearly a seasoned writer, as she weaves
different locations and time periods cleverly and effectively. Time between us is an unconventional and gripping love story,
bound to challenge existing notions of romantic young adult fiction.
Isobel Davies (Student)
Possessed by Niki Valentine
Sphere, 2012. ISBN 9781847444561.
(Age: 15+) Possessed is the story of Emma Russell, a young woman
from a simple working class environment who is a talented musician.
Her abilities have resulted in the opportunity to study music at a
prestigious university and it is here she meets identical twins
Sophie and Matilde. For some reason they befriend Emma and introduce
her to a life of champagne, parties and social status. Emma is
naturally drawn to the quieter twin, Matilde and is devastated when
she unexpectedly commits suicide. Bewilderingly, Sophie seems
to thrive after the death of her twin but her relationship with Emma
becomes increasingly bizarre.
Things begin to happen to Emma that border on the supernatural. She
wakes up in strange places, loses great chunks of time and appears
to have participated in events that she has no recall of. Sophie
also begins to behave erratically, at times warm and loving and on
other occasions cruel and spiteful. How much of these strange
happenings can be attributed to grief? Emma becomes more and more
fragile as the story progresses to the dark climax.
This book has been described as a psychological thriller,
reminiscent of Black Swan and this description is probably the most
apt. The reader has to grapple with many questions such as why the
popular, affluent twins are attracted to wallflower Emma in the
first instance and why Emma becomes so heavily invested in them so
early in the story, particularly when the price of the friendship
seems so high. However, like shifting sands nothing is quite
what it seems and reality is continually distorted. The reader must
draw their own conclusions as to where the truth lies.
Tina Cain
The Enormouse Pearl Heist by Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo Stilton Series, bk 51. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN
9780545341035.
(Ages: 7-10) Highly recommended. This series is the most popular in
our library; the novels hardly spend any time on the shelf! Each
book is a fabumouse, fast-paced adventure featuring Geronimo Stilton
the editor of The Rodents' Gazette. The readers love the colourful
word-art, bright illustrations and cheesy puns.
This book stays true to type as Geronimo and his friends embark on
another exciting escapade. Petunia Pretty Paws an environmentalist
and TV reporter (who is Geronimo's crush), invites him to go scuba
diving in the South Mousific Ocean, staying on Shell Island.
Whilst diving for the first time, Geronimo discovers a giant blue
oyster with a huge glowing pearl inside. This leads to a rollicking
adventure with plenty of problems from the Provolone family. When
Geronimo publishes a special feature about the pearl in The Rodent's
Gazette more difficulties occur. Luckily Aunt Sweetfur, Benjamin and
Bugsy Wugsy help to save the day.
This series is a great for boosting the independent readers'
confidence. They are written in the first person making it easy to
empathise with Geronimo and his quirky character traits. He
sometimes lacks in self-belief and has a great support network of
friends and family. This book starts with a colourful illustration
of all of Geronimo Stilton's colleagues, family and friends in his
office at the Gazette and ends with a detailed map of Mouse Island.
I would highly recommend this book as a great addition to the
series. Reading them with a class can lead into some cheesetastic
learning activities: rebus stories, writing a new adventure for the
characters, mapping skills, develop class newsletters adding
different font styles and types as embellishment.
Rhyllis Bignell
Kicking and dreaming; a story of heart, soul, and rock and roll by A. and N. Wilson (with Charles R. Cross)
Harper Collins, New York. 2012. 279p.
(Senior secondary - adult) Autobiography. I have to confess that I
have no predilection for biography, where selected omissions can
invent an entirely different portrait. The travelogue of the two
sisters fronting American rock band Heart is penned by
Charles R. Cross but written as if alternating the voices of Ann and
Nancy Wilson. Kicking and Dreaming proves to be a typical name dropping
memoir and as such will appeal. A lifestyle of free love and drugs
seems glossed over and the girls surprisingly conservative, all
things considered. Whether any seamy events remain unselected or
not, these women share a strong sense of family - a lifelong
devotion to parents, siblings, childhood friends and to each other.
Yet both sisters despite their recurring insecurities about body
image, infertility and relationships; share a passion for music and
a dedication to the band they joined in Canada in 1972.
The most striking theme of the autobiography of the Wilson sisters,
is their exploration of sexism in their industry. Fame provides a
vehicle for Nancy, and Ann in particular, to confirm firsthand the
insidious male domination of Rock music both on-stage and off. Fully
aware that their performing and recording careers, though purporting
to be unconventional, directly reflected society in this respect;
the sisters nevertheless earned considerable respect as musicians,
lead vocalists, song writers and as co-authors. And on cue, almost
in affirmation, Heart will finally be inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2013. Only three bands fronted by
women have received the honour - Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac
and the Pretenders. Frequently lauded as an inspiration for more
well-known musicians, featured often in Rolling Stone magazine and
with 40 years of good record sales, this acknowledgement is
certainly overdue.
The alternating voices of Ann and Nancy Wilson keep the perspectives
fresh and the impression of autobiography credible. No 1 hits such
as Crazy on You, Barracuda and Magic Man are
impressive enough but anecdotes involving most of the great folk,
pop and rock musicians of our time maintain our interest, most
notably Elton John, Lynyrd Skynard, Pearl Jam and Paul McCartney. I
know one die-hard Led Zepplin fan on campus will be checking out
this one!
Deborah Robins
The Glass Forest by Andrew Peters
Chicken House, 2012. ISBN 9781906427474.
(Age: 12+) Arborium is a kingdom that exists in the towering
canopies of ancient trees, presided over by King Quercus and
protected from afar by Corwenna, Queen of the Ravens. Steeped in
ritual and tradition it is home to Ark, who despite being only
fourteen years old, has been bestowed with special powers which make
him the principal defender of Arborium. The kingdom is under threat
from Maw, an artificial, technology driven civilization
characterized by towering structures of glass and steel. Maw wants
Arborium because wood is a scarce and valuable commodity and whoever
controls the forests wields enormous financial and political power.
Ark and his friends become aware that Maw has developed highly
sophisticated weaponry which it plans to use to destroy the tree
dwellers. Ark and his trusty ally, Mucum decide to enter Maw as
spies to collect information which will enable them to thwart their
enemy. It is a highly dangerous mission and time is against them.
The envoy of Maw, Fenestra, is orchestrating the invasion and
invites senior officials for a briefing. Mucum is able to trick her
daughter, Randall, to plant a spying device but when they are
uncovered all three are in immediate danger. Will they make it back
to Arborium alive and how can they find a way to match the mighty
resources of Maw?
This book is a sequel to Ravenwood and will delight fans and
those who enjoy dystopian or alternate world fiction, such as Lord
of The Rings. It is exciting, fast paced and sophisticated.
Mucum provides tension relief with his comical banter and hints of a
special connection between Ark and Randall add another dimension to
the story which perhaps the author intends to explore in a further
book. Although the book stands alone, it would be worthwhile reading
the first one for greater background knowledge.
Tina Cain
