Orion Publishing Group, 2012. 296p. ISBN 9781780620305.
(Age: 14+) Highly Recommended. Realistic. In My Sister Lives on the
Mantelpiece, Annabel Pitcher described the breakdown of a family
after a child's death. This subject matter is sustained in her last
book, Ketchup Clouds. However, the narrator's role in the tragedy is
pivotal even if less circumstantial than in McEwan's Atonement. In
both, the confusion of young love evokes a palpable absolution in
readers despite calamitous consequences.
Retold from Zoe's perspective, we can understand how she
unintentionally came to be playing two brothers at once by seeing
Aaron behind Max's back. We see how she struggled with both her
kindness and her true feelings, to change the spiralling tragedy.
Why didn't she simply invent a gross habit and get herself
conveniently dumped? But Zoe's guilt, exacerbated by the boys'
grieving mother, leads her to enter into a correspondence with a
murderer on Death Row in Texas, who was convicted of a crime of
passion. The letter format works well for a slow reveal confession
and the exercise of unburdening, not to a psychologist or priest but
to a kindred spirit, is believable. Whether she actually sent the
letters to Stuart Harris or not is unclear but she certainly never
received a response or never wanted one given her fictitious return
address.
The double tragedy is that our decisions sometimes mean that there
is no going back, condemning the penitent to a half-life of
compromise and suppressed memories. Pitcher has written another
engaging cautionary tale - this time in the epistolary tradition.
Young adults will not easily forget it.
Deborah Robins
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
Penguin group 2012. First published by Ward Lock, 1894. ISBN 9780670076871.
It was my first time reading this Australian classic and I soon
found myself engrossed in the story of these unruly children as they
got up to all kinds of mischief. At first the numerous children were
confusing but as each personality became more defined the characters
took on a life of their own as they shared a story from the past.
This distinctly Australian story tells us about the mischief of the
seven Woolcot children at their home of Misrule. After leaving The
General at the barracks with their father, Judy Woolcot, the
ringleader and instigator of the seven's mischievous enterprises is
sent away to boarding school. While she is gone her brothers and
sisters become somewhat tamer and less mischievous however when Judy
returns from boarding school she is in ill health and makes her
siblings promise to keep her return a secret from their father and
inexperienced step-mother. However it isn't long before The Captain
discovers Judy in a disused loft in a state of utter vulnerability,
the doctor is called and a holiday is suggested. However this
is a holiday which is to have disastrous results for the Woolcot
family.
Throughout the novel a number of issues are observed including the
implications of irresponsibility, vanity and selfishness, and while
the author states that Australian children are never good she wrote
in the hope that they might become aware of the consequences which
accompany them. I would recommend this book for children and
families as it is full of life lessons and cautions as well as being
one of those uniquely Australian novels.
Kayla Gaskell (age 16)
Brave squish rabbit by Katherine Battersby
Brave squish rabbit by Katherine Battersby
UQP, 2012. ISBN 9780702249433.
(Age: 3-5) Picture book. Bravery. With an enticingly tactile soft
cover and piercing blue background to the little picture of brave
rabbit and his soft toy, children will love to pick up this book and
have it read to them. Inside they read of the rabbit, called Squish
and the list of things he is frightened of: storms and lightning,
chickens, and especially the dark. Each page shows Squish as a small
drawing in the bottom corner of the page, cowering with fear. But as
he develops more strength to overcome his fears, his image increases
in size. Looking for his friend Twitch, he is bereft when she has
gone, so he searches in the dark for her, gradually gaining more
confidence.
While this book reprises the cute character of Squish, it may not
win the recognition received by the first book, Squish rabbit, which
won an award from CBCA in 2012. The story will capture the attention
of younger readers, and help them think about some of their fears,
while providing a book both at home and in the classroom for fears
to be discussed. The illustrations are a mixture of found objects,
collage, line drawing and digital collage thus further exciting
interest in the way the book is presented.
Fran Knight
Unforgotten by Tohby Riddle
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379722.
(Ages: 10+) Picture book. Memories. Caring for others. With the
plethora of novels written with angels as the main characters, it is
not surprising to see a picture book for older readers reprising
that theme. Many novels contain fallen angels, and in this one,
fallen is physical not a state of mind. Divided into three sections,
the bare bones of this picture book can be outlined as follows: the
first reveals what angels do for humanity, the second shows an angel
which has been overwhelmed by the work it must do, while the third
exposes a group of children and animals reviving the angel enough
for it to return home. All done in spare prose, the illustrations
entreat and seduce the reader to dwell, to admire, and to muse.
The angels oversee the human population in Europe, soaring overhead,
watching, being there, comforting, warming and mending. Their coverage
is enormous: there are wars to contend with, poverty, homelessness,
hunger, loneliness. But the angels keep on, until one day, one angel
can no longer go on. It falls to the ground, exhausted. And there it
stays, unnoticed and unloved, forgotten and alone. It is found by
workers who surround it with safety markers and then carry it away
to make a plinth for it to stand on.
With the plinth and the statue installed in a public place, it
lingers for years, unloved and dying, until a group of
children and animals take notice of it. They take it back to their
dwelling, and there nurse it back to health until, noticed and
loved, revived, it travels back to where it came from. The kindness
of strangers has overcome its forgotten state.
With acres of black space, the illustrations, made up of collage and
filled in pictorial work, draw the eye in to notice the detail. And
what detail! Photos from the turn of the century European cities are
juxtaposed with photos of New York, warehouses and lifts; pictures
of people in Victorian dress stand alongside those in more modern
clothing, or those of the 1930's; cars from the early part of the
twentieth century stream along the roads, bridges and buildings
highlighting the ever passing traffic, both of people and cars,
ignoring the angel. People have statue heads, bodies are part statue
and human, emphasising their indifference, watching as a statue
might, with unseeing eyes. Metaphor abounds in this richly layered
book, and will be looked at with awe by someone intrigued with the
symbolism of the illustrations. Not for everyone, this sumptuously
produced book will find a willing home amongst more discerning
middle school readers.
Fran Knight
Exposure by Mal Peet
Walker, 2012. Pbk. ISBN 9781406340914.
For decades, writers and teachers alike have tried to find
accessible ways of teaching Shakespeare to high school students.
Over the years, the Bard's work has been translated into graphic
novels, prose and short story form, and of course deconstructed with
York's Notes.
Here we find an approach which manages to explore the themes and
ideas within Shakespeare's plays, but retain a modernistic approach.
Mal Peet's Exposure takes one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays,
Othello, to a modern setting, and in doing so creates a fathomable
and more accessible guide to the play.
Peet is clever in utilizing theatrical writing and elements of play
format to establish characters and situations for the reader. This
approach may also ease students into the form of playwriting.
While this traditional style can be found in the novel (for another
example, each part of the book is labelled as ACT 1, 2, 3... ), the
story-telling oozes with a gritty, urban mood and a lingo to match.
The prose is hard-hitting, powerful and frequently moving, delving
into mature territory which many YA authors leave untouched.
The dialogue is dramatic and the social commentary scathing -
Exposure is a book crackling with intensity, wit and drama, which
finds a voice speaking the truth of Shakespeare's work and the truth
of our own times.
Henry Vaughan (Student)
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin
Text Publishing, 2012. ISBN 9781922079145.
What's not to like about Nicole Castro? She's smart, popular and
dates the best looking guy at school. She rides horses in her spare
time and drives a flash car because her daddy is rich. Did I also
mention she is drop dead gorgeous? Sometimes you just want to hate
that kind of girl and somebody does! One day at school in a quiet
corridor, someone throws acid at Nicole's face, scarring that
perfect face forever.
Nicole is forced to take a break from school while she undergoes
treatment but she returns regularly to meet the school counselor.
In the waiting room she befriends fellow student and computer geek,
Jay Nazarro. He has problems enough of his own. It's hard to recover
from the humiliation of suffering an epilectic seizure complete with
soiled pants in front of the whole school assembly, particularly
when it's uploaded on YouTube. His mother has died and when his dad
is not at work he escapes from grief with heavy drinking. However
Jay decides to find out who is responsible for the attack on Nicole
which sets him on a dangerous path where suspicion falls in the most
unlikeliest of places.
This book is a satisfying thriller that haunts the reader to the
very end. Griffin ensures that our loyalties are constantly shifting
as the characters are manipulated to reveal more of their true
selves. As a computer hacker, solitary and wary, Jay is reminiscent
of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, with his
ability to uncover relevant data to move the investigation forward.
This book will appeal to anyone fascinated by understanding the
motivations of those that commit crime.
Tina Cain
Fire spell by Laura Amy Schlitz
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408826218.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Set in Victorian London, the story begins
with Clara Wintermute, a lonely child whose four siblings have died
from eating watercress contaminated with cholera, leaving her
parents locked in grief. She befriends two ragged orphans, Lizzie
Rose and Parsefall, when they perform a puppet show for her on her
twelfth birthday. The orphans work for Grisini, a Fagin-like
character who kidnaps children and then demands ransom. He is able
to hide the children by trapping their body and minds in a
marionette until the ransom is paid. Grissini is in thrall to the
witch Cassandra who is now dying and seeking to rid herself of the
opal fire stone which has the power to restore life but also create
evil. When Clara is kidnapped Parsefall discovers what has happened
to her and he and Lizzie Rose become involved in a power struggle
with Grisini and Cassandra.
These are touches here of E. Nesbit characters, Neil Gaiman's
Coraline and The Graveyard Book as well as Cornelia Funke's Inkheart
Trilogy. Targeted at the 9-12 age group, at almost 400 pages, it's a
challenging read, suitable for confident readers as the story is
revealed through different characters' perspectives. There is plenty
of action and suspense, although the plot is at times rambling,
contrived and anticlimatic. However, the characters are real and the
settings memorable and atmospheric. Life for the rich and poor of
those times is well researched and this award winning author has given
great attention to detail. Those who persist with this novel will be
well rewarded.
Kevyna Gardner
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
Viking, 2012. First published 1980. ISBN: 9780670076864.
Ruth Park's novel Playing Beatie Bow is a brilliant interpretation
of the confusion and hurt a child from a close-knit family will go
through when her parents split up, with the added mystery of a time
slip between centuries. This well written novel is brimming with
detail and an intimate understanding of the characters as well as
their time.
The novel follows Lynette (Abigail) Kirk first as she completes the
awkward transition between child and adolescent with the added
stress of her father's re-involvement in her life. When Abigail
takes Mrs. Crown's beastly children to the park and watches them run
scared during a game of 'Beatie Bow' a series of events starts to
unfold. Unable to speak civilly to her mother Abigail finds herself
chasing a little girl along the streets and through time itself
until she finds herself, an injured stranger, in 1873. Unable to get
back to her own time Abigail must help the Talliskers go about their
business until she does whatever it is that she was brought back in
time to do. With a few scuffles, a kidnapping and a hint of romance
Abigail finds herself growing both physically and mentally as she
prepares herself for her return home.
This wonderful novel set in the nineteenth century is one which I
would recommend for children of middle school age and older as it is
a quaint little classic showing the implications of vanity and the
importance of generosity and kindness to all people.
Kayla Gaskell (age sixteen)
The Red Knight by Miles Cameron
Gollancz, 2012. ISBN 9780575113299
A young knight and his company of mercenaries are hired by the
Abbess to protect the Fortress and Convent of Lissen Carak from the
creatures of the Wild. The creatures of the Wild, led by Thorn are
determined to rid the land of humans and to rule the kingdom of Alba
themselves. The author presents an epic fantasy tale combined with folklore, chivalry, magic and much more all described in great
detail that adds so much to the story. In scope it is somewhat
reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings and that is no bad thing.
There is so much diversity and so many layers in the tale that it is
hard to do it justice.
The interplay between the characters and the language is just one
of its many outstanding features. As the story is broken into
episodes that are marked by location and character you get differing
views of what is happening at the same time. The liberal use of
profanity although totally in context and the ideas involved suggest
an older readership. To say that it is a classic story of good
versus evil is too simplistic as there are just so many shades to
the characters. Even identifying favourites is difficult, but I
especially liked the Red Knight, Bad Tom, the Abbess and the Wyrm.
The battle scenes and use of magic are particularly well done and are
nicely counterbalanced by an insight into the motive and backgrounds
of those involved.
I loved this book, apart from a number of mistakes with spelling and
sentences that should have been corrected, I can't think of anything
I didn't like except that it ended. Bring on the next one.
David Rayner
The house that Wonky built (kit) based on the song by Craig Smith
Ill. by Katz Cowley. Paper engineering by Phillip Fickling.
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781775431152.
(Age: 5-9) Recommended. Lots of fun for young children and adults
who enjoy folding and making things, this would make a perfect
present. The house that Wonky built is based on the Wonky Donkey
song by Craig Smith that won an APRA Silver Scroll Award in 2008 for
Best Children's Song of the Year. It contains the book, The Wonky
Donkey, and a CD of the very catchy song as well as a fabulous fold
out of Wonky's stable and three rooms. There are stickers to
decorate Wonky's home, and these will provide much entertainment for
the young.
I really enjoyed reading the book and listening to the song on the
CD. The book in itself is a great read aloud, with its repetition of
information about the donkey and is very amusing. Children will
enjoy guessing what is going to come next and the conclusion of 'a
spunky, hanky-panky cranky stinky dinky lanky honky-tonky winky
wonky donkey' is sure to make the listeners giggle. Katz Crowley's
illustrations of the donkey and the little bird who spots him are
hilarious and will really appeal to its audience. And of course the
song is very catchy, funny and is certain to become a favourite.
The fold out of Wonky's house is beautifully made and quite a
treasure. Children love stickers and they will have fun working out
which room to put each one. As well as the stickers there are sturdy
cut-outs that need to be folded to make furniture.
Pat Pledger
I Dare You by Aleesah Darlison
Lightning Strikes series. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN: 9781921977510.
(Ages: 8-12) 12-year-old Ben has moved with his family to the big
city and he's not happy about it, especially as he has had to leave
his beloved bike behind. Things only get worse when he accidentally
steps on the school bully's foot and makes an enemy before he even
makes it to his first day of school. From then on things go from bad
to worse as Ben is forced to complete stupid dares like putting a
frog in his teacher's desk and tipping snails over the nerdiest girl
at school. How can he say no when otherwise Marty will show everyone
the embarrassing photo of Ben and his annoying little brother or get
his Mum fired from her new job? As if it's not hard enough to cope
with the big move and having the school bully on his back Ben's
chances at making friends are being ruined because of the silly
things he has to do for the dares. Can he manage to make things
right again before everything gets out of control?
This is a simple story with a lovely message about how family looks
after each other and how bullies can be dealt with if people stand
up for themselves and each other. By the end of the story Ben
realises that he loves his little brother despite his annoying
habits and that parents aren't perfect but they do their best. The
themes of bike-riding and bullying make this an appealing and
relevant book for middle primary boys in particular.
These Lightning Strikes series books are modern and popular with
both younger readers and older reluctant or high-interest
low-ability readers.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Motive Games by L. D. Taylor
Wombat Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921632259.
Phil's dad has died and he is sure that it was not an accident. The
problem he has is proving that it was murder and then finding out
who did it. Helped by his friend Oliver and retired police detective
Turpin, Phil sets out to achieve this. The story details Phil's
efforts, through his work with Motive, a company that designs
computer games. His dad had designed a game called Serial Assault
which many people believe had led to the death of some of the
players, so there is no end of suspects. Through his computer
animation skills Phil produces a simul based on the police report
that convinces him that his father was murdered. He then tries
to work out the method and some likely suspects.
The story moves along quickly helped by relatively short
chapters and not much character development. There is a lot of
detail about the computer systems involved in designing and
developing games that may appeal to those interested in the
technical side of gaming. As well there is a glossary at the
end which explains the many technical terms used throughout
the book. Overlaying all of this is a Christian message about faith
and hope and the book won an award for this.
Whilst I found the story intriguing, for me there was too much
jargon that got in the way and the Christian message was not
seamlessly integrated. However more computer literate readers may
find that the detail adds to the story and engages their interest.
Despite its worthwhile objectives I found it only moderately
interesting although gamers might disagree.
David Rayner
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilsen
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781407133058.
(Age: 12+) The False Prince tells a riveting story about Conner, a
noble who kidnaps four orphans to fulfil his cunning plan of
training one of them into becoming the lost Prince. One of these
boys is Sage, a trouble maker, pickpocket, and trickster who refuses
to bend to Conner's will. His defiance may ultimately lead to his
death, but will he become The False Prince in the end?
With its multiple layers of deceit and trickery, this middle grade
story targeted at middle school level was thoroughly enjoyable. Told
through the first person perspective, the novel weaves a story that
is intricate yet easy to read and grasp. Sage's voice in the story
perfectly conveys his mischievous, yet smart and cunning
personality.
Sage is one of the most entertaining characters that I've met in a
story, he's always one step ahead of everyone, and his defiant
behaviour eventually falls into place in the end. He's cunning,
mischievous, clever, and gets some of the sharpest lines in the
book.
Roden, Tobias and Sage are an interesting trio. When they were
first kidnapped, they bonded in confusion and built a friendship on
camaraderie. Slowly, as they are pitted against each other to excel
in their lessons, you begin to see their desperation in different
ways. Roden, the strong fighter, and Tobias, the bookish sort, were
multi-faceted throughout the book.
Unlike many YA titles dominating the market, it's refreshing to see
the limited amount of romance in this one. The False Prince tells a
story, albeit a powerful one that can be read over and over again.
Jeann Wong
Wreck the Halls by Meg McKinlay
Lightning Strikes series. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN: 9781921720697.
95 pp.
(Ages: 8-11) Nathan has prepared himself for a joyless Christmas
with his Grinch-like parents who are completely indifferent to the
merriment of the festive season. But when his Dad announces the
family trip to the caravan park is cancelled due to a work emergency
things start to look up for the school break. Visions of blissful
backyard cricket, swimming and bike-riding start to roll around in
Nathan's head. That is until his two best mates Ronnie and Weasel
sheepishly inform him they have two-week long passes to the Wild
World adventure park. With barely enough money for slushies and his
money-scrimping parents certain to deny him, the race is on to come
up with the $150 entry fee so Nathan can salvage his dire looking
Christmas holiday. Everything goes wrong but somehow that makes
everything right.
This is a typically Australian Christmas story centering around a
community of chummy but competitive neighbours with smatterings of
pop culture references. YouTube savvy pensioners, Google Earth
satellite calculations and a carbon footprint obsessed mother sit
side by side with street Christmas parties and bike rides to the
local Wacky Warehouse. Traditional Aussie Christmas is happily
combined with new communications and technologies. The story is
simple and believable and the main characters show humour and
personality without being overly complicated. Overall a very easy
and pleasurable read that is relevant to the children of today and
their presence in the online world. This is a great read-aloud or
independent reading book with a Christmas theme, especially for
middle primary boys.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Monster Matsuri by Cristy Burne
Takeshita Demons series, bk 3. Frances Lincoln Children's Books,
2012. ISBN: 9781847801371. 203 pp.
(Ages: 9-12) This is a great series to recommend to all those
younger children who love the idea of anime or manga. Set in London
the books focus on Miku whose family recently moved from Japan to
England and the supernatural demons (yokai) that exist covertly
within the everyday human world. It is relatively easy to pick up
the background of the series without reading the prior instalments
as we learn in the first chapter that Miku and her friends Alex and
Cait are now well versed in dealing with and defeating demons and
they show us early on that not all demons are evil, in fact some are
good and some are just strange. When Miku's younger brother is
kidnapped - again - the three friends must follow the clues and
venture through the invisible wall into the House of the Demons.
Things get stranger and stranger as they get closer and closer to
Kazu. But why has Kazu been kidnapped again and why do all these
demons know Miku's name? If only her grandmother had explained more.
If only her father would tell her what he knew.
This is definitely not a book to hand to young children who are
easily spooked. Long, probing tongues and demons whose heads fly
around looking for children to eat are just some of the spooky,
horrible things that will be encountered on a Takeshita Demons
adventure. It is probably useful to note however that in this book
at least there are no real gruesome or violent occurrences, just the
idea or prospect of its happening. In the back of the book there is
one page of factual information on Japanese Demons and a glossary of
the demons featured in Monster Matsuri. This is great
fast-paced adventure with some unexpected twists and turns, a dash
of humour, great character development and some really spooky
moments! There are sparse manga-style illustrations that add
wonderfully to the overall mood of the story.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
