Smitten series. Hardy Grant, 2013. 280p. ISBN 9781742972527.
Recommended for girls 15+. Unlucky Break is one of a new
series of books coming out this year under the name Smitten
. . .because every girl wants to be. The series promises to have no
'ice-cold vampires or emotionally distant angels' which might limit
the current vampire loving readers. However, its themes of grief,
love, sex, drugs and drinking will resonate with its young readers.
Set in Hollywood, Unlucky Break's protagonist Andie has
flown from Melbourne after the death of her mother to live with her
movie star aunt. Living the life of luxury is an immense change for
her but she falls comfortably into it on receipt of her 'welcome
pack' which includes an iPhone, credit card, MacBook Air and later
on the keys to a black BMW.
Andie quickly becomes BFF with the Jess the young starlet who lives
next door and despite their many differences they soon prove to be
helpful to each other in the whole 'growing up' adventure. Naturally
she falls in love with James Hawthorn the young male star she
glimpses on her arrival at LAX. Unfortunately though he has a drug
addicted starlet girlfriend whom he feels obliged to help. Sorting
out this relationship has its ups and downs and misunderstandings
and embarrassing situations occur frequently particularly after
Andie accidentally runs him over.
Despite the unlikely setting, this novel is an easy read but
definitely for an older teenage audience - think Mills and Boon for
teenagers or Fifty Shades of Light Grey.
Denise Russell
Missing by Gabrielle Lord
Conspiracy 365: Black ops. Scholastic, 2013 ISBN 9781742835181.
Having a holographic cover depicting a teen landing a parasail in an
electrical storm, this book will appeal to young adolescents from
the moment they see it on the shelf. Another quirky element is page
numbers which run backwards, giving a tense countdown towards the
conclusion .
As book one of the Black ops trilogy, this book tends to assume a
lot of prior knowledge from the popular Conspiracy 365 series, in
terms of knowing the background and prior exploits of the
characters. The first few pages are clumsy, yet readers unfamiliar
with the previous works will quickly accept the framework and move
with the story which delivers action and adventure in abundance.
Callum Ormond is recruited by Benedict Bellamy, head of security
agency SI6 to investigate the disappearance of youths on Shadow
Island, a resort set up to give troubled teens a chance to rest and
recuperate before re-joining society. Whilst Callum has been charged
with discovering the whereabouts of a girl known to SI6, by
coincidence, his twin brother Ryan appears to have been taken to the
island too.
Callum is parachuted on to the island in secret where he commences
hidden surveillance and whilst he is initially puzzled by the
peculiar controls and intense security measures applied by those
running the 'resort', he gradually unravels the mystery.
The author effectively maintains a sense of tension and excitement
as teenagers struggle to outwit those controlling the island. The
characters have to evade capture and break into secure zones,
however there are no concepts or events which would be inappropriate
for a twelve year old to read. Violence does not feature beyond
scuffles and restraint, usually in testing and training.
Young adolescents, particularly boys will enjoy this story which
emphasises the value of intelligence, technology, physical fitness
and good friendships. A strong female character is also central to
the narrative.
My only criticism is that the novel concludes abruptly, without any
resolution to the story and with the clear implication that readers
will have to access the next book in the series which presumably
will finish the same way. The current trend in writing an overall
series rather than novels within a series probably engages many
readers, however I personally find this disappointing and unappealing.
Rob Welsh
Night School: Legacy by C. J. Daugherty
Atom, 2013. ISBN 9781907411229.
Well worth a read. Night School: Legacy, plunges the reader
into a world of action and intrigue, at the centre of which is the
Cimmeria Academy, a vast gothic mansion that no longer provides
sanctuary and safety for its inhabitants, and indeed, seems to
harbour nothing but secrets and mysteries.
In this, the second book of the Night School series, C. J.
Daugherty wastes no time in immersing the reader in Allie Sheridan's
life at the Academy, a co-educational boarding school that teaches
far more than academic subjects.
Cimmeria Academy is an intimidating place, but it is the one place
where Allie has felt a sense of belonging. Its old world traditions,
its sense of entitlement and privilege, its unusual subjects, and
the friends she makes make her determined to protect it.
Some of the school's traditions are based around nocturnal
activities where night croquet, with glowing balls and racquets and
night tennis, with a net made of fairy lights provide fun as well
athletic training. But then there is the Night School - a society of
elite students so secret that just talking about it can get a member
expelled.
Able to be read as a stand-alone, Daugherty skillfully manages to
supply enough of the back story, and information about the
significant events in the first novel to enable the reader to
understand that Allie's life is far more than it seems.
From a missing brother who she believes may now be the enemy, to a
hithero unknown grandmother, to parents who have lied to her, to
mentors and friends that she no longer completely trusts, Allie's
life seems to controlled by forces that she must discover and
understand, beginning with who her family really is and why the
mysterious Nathaniel is trying to kill her.
Allie soon uncovers a huge conspiracy of which the Night School is
only a small part. However, it is down to these students to ensure
that the Cimmeria Academy and its inhabitants survive.
As Allie tries to find out the truth about what's going on at
Cimmeria, she soon realises that her life and those of her friends,
and the people she cares about is under threat. She must uncover the
truth about who she really is and where she really belongs.
This novel is action packed, and full of danger, intrigue,
excitement and romance.
Ros Lange
Tiger at the door by Lisa Regan
Ill. by Kelly Caswell. Series: Wild Things. Bloomsbury,
2013. ISBN 9781 4081 7935 2.
(Age: 5+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Animals. Zoos. This
series called Wild Things, published in association with the
London Zoo, has animals coming to stay at a family home. Through the
pages, the animal is shown being accommodated within a house, with
questions about its habitat, sleeping arrangements, food and
activities given an airing as the question is always posed about how
it would fit in. In funny double page spreads aimed at the very
young, the answer is obviously 'not at all', but through this
situation, the author is able to show children the animal's specific
needs for survival. Tiger at the door, for example has a tiger coming to stay.
Each double page gives one of the tiger's needs and suggests how it
could be met. On one page the tiger needs to be hidden as it likes
to be camouflaged, and so the tiger is hiding behind a group of
trees; its tail and eyes just visible. The following page talks
about food, and shows a tiger reading a menu with large animals on
it. Because the tiger is the biggest of cats, it needs a large
animal to eat, so the suggestion is that you provide a buffalo for
its meal. But because it likes its food rotten, it may be good to
provide a pond where it can lay down some of its food for later. In
this way, the information about the tiger is given in funny bites,
with the conclusion that the tiger does not belong in the home. Two
pages of information are given, followed by a glossary and a page
about the zoos involved in this project, with the last page having
the covers of the rest of the books in the series.
Others in this series concern the addition of a Monkey, Penguin,
Lion, Giraffe, Hippo, Elephant and Emu, in the home.
Fran Knight
Ella and Olivia : Puppy Trouble by Yvette Poshoglian
Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Scholastic Australia, 2013. ISBN
9781742836577.
The Ella and Olivia series has proven popular with younger girls as
an introduction to chapter books. They reflect the issues and
interests of girls in the 5-7 age group.
The main characters are Ella, who is in year 2 and Olivia her
younger sister who has just begun school. The series follows their
everyday adventures at school and at home. Puppy Trouble follows their journey as the family adopts a new
puppy, from choosing him at the pet shop to the realisation that as
cute as the puppy is there is a whole new level of the
responsibility that comes with pet ownership. Bob, the pup, is not
as easy to look after as the girls think. Typically he wrecks havoc
in the house and runs away as they take him for a walk.
Written in the present tense, the larger font size is supportive of
the early independent reader. Whilst the chapters are of a
reasonable length the line drawings and embellishments as well as
wide paragraph spacing make the pages of text look less daunting. Ella and Olivia books are a good follow on for those girls who have
read the Billie B Brown books and are looking for something else
in a similar vein.
Sue Keane
Web of Deceit by Katherine Howell
Pan Macmillan, 2013. ISBN 9781742610306
(Age: Senior secondary to adult) Crime. Paramedics Jane and Alex
have encountered all kinds of situations in their work and are
skilled at making quick assessments. When they are called to a
single vehicle accident where the driver is terrified of leaving his
car, they assume he is delusional. He keeps insisting that someone
is out to get him. They take him to a nearby hospital in the hope
that he will receive a psychiatric evaluation. A few hours later he
is found dead under a train. It might look like suicide but Jane is
troubled by his earlier behaviour.
Detective Ella Marconi is allocated to investigate the case
but she is hampered by her budget obsessed boss, lies and
subterfuge. It would be simple to write the death off as a suicide
but when the victim's boss tries to kill himself after being
interviewed, detective Marconi's curiosity is piqued. The sudden
disappearance of a witness further complicates the matter. She
doesn't like taking shortcuts and is determined to unearth the
truth, even if it means going behind her boss sometimes.
Howell is skilled at developing multiple story lines and weaving
them together in a credible manner. In her personal life Jane is
quietly thrilled to have a promising love interest while single
father Alex is struggling with a recalcitrant teenage daughter.
Detective Marconi is in the unenviable position of being
romantically attracted to a doctor despite being responsible for
having his father jailed for murder. When a woman is beaten and left
for dead in Jane's garden and Alex's daughter goes missing the
private lives of these characters intersect in a tense and thrilling
conclusion.
This well written book is guaranteed to satisfy lovers of crime
fiction.
Tina Cain
This is me: Ian Thorpe the Autobiography by Ian Thorpe
Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9781471101229.
Recommended. I picked up this book fully believing that all you had
to do to swim fast was to move your arms really fast. I put down the
book knowing a lot more than I bargained for.
WOW, is the best word to describe this book. I've always approached
autobiographies hesitantly, but WOW every time I have a break I have
to give myself a minute to remember that I'm not Ian Thorpe, but
only a girl who struggles to swim. The book is written that well.
Also some of the things that are written in this book are
breathtaking. For example, when the plane crashes into the Empire
State Building! I felt gobsmacked and had a heavy heart for the rest
of the day. The amazing reason I felt that way was because I had
previously heard about the tragedy, so it was no surprise, but I
didn't realise the negativity the journalists portrayed. I hope that
at least one journalist reads this book and walks away with second
thoughts about the way they approach celebrities with their prying
questions.
Rating: 4 stars
I recommend this book without a doubt. I now have an open mind about
autobiographies and am looking forward to reading another one . . .
Lilly S. (Student
Chinese Whispers by Christine Harris
Raven Lucas. Omnibus, 2013. ISBN 978-1-86291-929-7. 184 pages; p/b;
rrp $14.99
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Chinese Whispers written by
Christine Harris is a great conclusion to her Raven Lucas series.
This award-winning author has a unique ability to engage the reader
until the final page.
Although I have not read the earlier books from this series, I was
hooked from its opening paragraph. Not only is Christine Harris's
plot intriguing, her exotic panorama stretches from Australia to
Malaysia, and her characters are lively and entrancing. The opening
chapter is dramatic, and straight away captures the reader's
attention. Harris punctuates her chapters with evocative phrases
such as 'sirens punch the air'. Her novel is underpinned with great
dialogue and bantering teenage humour that brings her characters to
life.
Raven Lucas is a switched-on fourteen-year-old who is still
searching for her missing father, and nothing will stop her until
she finds him. As she prepares to travel to Malaysia with her
closest friends Sarah and Jessica, she cannot imagine the adventure
ahead: discovery of a murder in a Malaysian market, swimming with
sea-going monitor lizards, and much more.
Raven hasn't been to Malaysia before, and her mother who is still
recovering from a poorly disposition, does not want her travelling
alone. She sends her housekeeper along as chaperone, but the
question is, can she be trusted?
Reading the first two books from the Raven Lucas series
prior to reading Chinese Whispers, will enable the reader to
become fully acquainted with the variety of characters and their
activities that make up this series. This book will appeal to
middle-upper primary girls who seek adventure and mystery, and will
provide a sense of the exotic for girls who one day would like to
travel.
I recommend Chinese Whispers for inclusion in school
libraries, and indeed for the home library of young girls aged 12+.
Great value for money.
Colleen Tuovinen
The Cartographer by Peter Twohig
Fourth Estate, 2012. ISBN 9780732293161.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Highly recommended. The
Cartographer is a grimly joyous account of a young boy who
lives in a tough Melbourne suburb in the 1950s. His identical twin,
Tom, has recently died. Tom was 'bold as brass'; our unnamed
protagonist is 'sharp as a tack'. Now he is trying to be both boys,
adopting Tom's mannerisms until he is disappearing himself. The
boy's perspective is innocent, yet knowing. He is tinged with pain
and the ugliness of the world; witnessing murder, rape and
kidnapping, but still hopeful. His original voice is a tour de
force.
He seems to be dealing with his grief and trying to find meaning by
mapping his shady neighbourhood; beginning with the streets and
buildings - outside and then progressing inside to hear secrets, and
into the railway tunnels and drains. The comic drawings on the cover
signify his role as an urban superhero-explorer. He views the
horrible things that happen to him as tests. The Mapping Manual
which he has found helps him feel that he can create a world of maps
'in which I could walk around in without getting frightened half to
death every five minutes. It was almost as if I was protected by a
secret identity . . . My thought was to harness the power I had been
using to using to turn myself into Tom to instead turn myself into a
brand-new super identity, far more powerful than both of us together
. . . 'the cartographer' '.
Although from the adult list and with corresponding content, the
boy's quest for understanding and survival, the book's principle
that life is to be explored, and the gripping, accessible style and
superhero metaphors, make The Cartographer an appealing and
alternative read for mature secondary students.
Joy Lawn
Divide and Conquer by Carrie Ryan
Infinity Ring, book 2. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9780545386975.
Recommended. Book two of the Infinity Ring series though
written by a different author begins exactly where book one left
off. Well the same spot in Paris only in the year 885 not 1792, and
after the Infinity Ring had once again saved the main characters
Sera, Dak and Riq.
Children, already hooked by the Infinity Ring series and its related
internet game, will find this adventure in history hard to resist.
Those new to the adventures of the young time travellers will soon
be bought up to speed as Sera and Dak reflect on the events which
bought them to ancient Paris.
We are immediately involved in the action as the Vikings lay siege
to the city with our heroes inside as they attempt to work out what
break in history they have been sent to repair. Sera and Riq after
are left with the Franks defending the Ile de la Cite whilst Dak,
who wanders off caught up in the joy of looking at real Viking
ships, is caught while inspecting one of the longboats along the
Seine, and become standard bearer for the invaders.
As with the previous story there is an Hystorian, Bill, to help them
in their quest and they also need to defeat The Time Warden, Gorm, a
member of the SQ, the organisation determined to ensure history
favours its quest for power.
The author of this story introduces an element of young love between
Sera and the young Hystorian. That and the friendship and between
Dak and Rollo, are a relief from all the fighting and politics and
enable us to see the main characters developing. The question of how
their presence is affecting the ones they meet as they travel
through time is raised by Sera.
After inadvertently taking Rollo's dog Vigi with them when they
travelled through time, they choose to go back to 911 and the Battle
of Chartres and meet again with the Rollo and Bill who has joined
with him.
The final paragraph tantalises us with enough information to look
forward to the next book. More adventures in the quest to defeat the
SQ and change their stream of history as well as finding Dak's
parents.
Sue Keane
Words get knotted by Pippa Sweeney
Bloomsbury, 2012. Unpaged. Hardback picture book.
Suitable for ages 6+. The subject of this book is dyslexia, which is
defined as 'a difficulty with words'. The author, Pippa Sweeney
wrote this book to help children, their families and friends to
better understand the condition. She has dyslexia herself, as does
her elder daughter, and she tells us about the hereditary links in
this condition.
The stage for this tale is set by using the analogy of words and
writing being like wool and knitting. When you have dyslexia your
words get knotted just like wool can become knotted. The analogy
contributes to the lovely quirky feel about this book.
There are naive, colour illustrations predominantly created with
wool, which give the illustrations a collage effect. They tie in
beautifully with the analogy described above and the 'knotted'
title. The design and format have been well thought out and the
pages are never crowded.
In the back of the book there is Further information (via websites)
and About the author. Also included are Ten tips for parents, which
focus on making learning as active as possible eg No. 5 'Make cakes
and cookies with your child' (weighing ingredients, placing them in
separate containers, providing simple instructions to read together
with your child), which sounds like fun.
The author also gives many suggestions to teachers for ways to help
children with dyslexia eg colour tints to help reading, computer
games, tape record your stories. Children are advised not to worry
'if you write something differntly each time, diferently each time,
differently each time.' They are encouraged to ask for help from
family members and teachers, who can explain to them what is
happening.
M. E. Strickland
Sarah plain and tall by Patricia MacLachlan
HarperTrophy, 2004. ISBN 978 0 06 440205 7.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Early novel. American history. Step
parents. One of the useful things about AbeBooks and other such
companies, is being able to find and buy a book that was a favourite
years ago and reread it. So it is with Sarah plain and tall.
Recently reading Norah's chicks by Patricia MacLachlan, I remembered
another of her books that I read many years ago and loved. I found it
had been reprinted and was able to get a secondhand copy published
in 2004 for $5. This wonderful story, so well told, concerns a man
and his two young children living on a farm out west, after his wife
has died. The background of the farm work that he does is a subtle
part of the writing, and we see that he has little spare time.
He needs someone to look after the house and the children, and so
advertises for a wife. An answer comes from Sarah, who lives near
the sea. The correspondence is shared between the small family until
she agrees to come and stay with them for a month.
During that month, the plain and tall Sarah endears herself to the
man and his children, while overcoming some of her grief at not
being near the sea, and she agrees to stay to be married.
This Newbery Award winner is wonderful, the story inviting and
enveloping, the feelings of each of the four so well portrayed that
we see each of their fears and understand them. That a young woman
can travel into an unknown place with the possibility of marriage
astounds me and I have a profound admiration of the courage of those
who did so. First published in 1985, Sarah plain and tall has lost
none of its freshness and appeal.
Fran Knight
Dog on Log by Tania Ingram and Kat Chadwick
Omnibus Books, 2013. ISBN 9781862919648. Dog on log is a delightfully simple rhyming picture book. An
assortment of characters including a dog, frog, hog, cat and rat are
gathered outdoors for a birthday party. The reader finds them in a
variety of situations, such as 'Frog on dog and dog on log. Dog and
frog near hog in bog.' The dialogue is accompanied by beautiful
illustrations containing plenty of interesting details to share with
young children. Here is a rat peeping out of a log, there sits a
basket of party hats and a frog holding a balloon. Nearby, a hog
lies contentedly in the water, a bottle of sunscreen close at hand.
The party becomes a little more chaotic as more guests arrive and
the rat tries to steal the cat's cake. Ultimately they all end up in
the bog.
This book is a pleasurable and entertaining read and worthy addition
to any pre schooler's library.
Tina Cain
Destiny Rising by L. J. Smith
The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters Vol. 3. Harper Teen, 2012. ISBN
9780062119605.
Elena has had to face many forces over the years. Now she is
learning about her destiny as a Guardian. Elena has chosen Stefan,
leaving Damon dark and extremely unpredictable. Elena tries to save
Damon's soul while being with Stefan. Even though she is with Stefan
she is still trying to figure out where her heart lies. Klaus has
been resurrected and will stop at nothing until he destroys Elena -
including those around her. While learning about her destiny as a
Guardian, a protector of Earth, she uncovers that to defeat Klaus
she must sacrifice someone close to her
The title Destiny Rising is well suited for the book and
helps the reader picture what the novel may be about. The plot
followed the same line but new problems kept arriving. The novel had
me hanging onto the pages. The novel is exiting with tons of tension
in the pages as I kept reading and I wanted to know how it ended.
Cecilia Richards (Student)
Planet of the Lawn Gnomes by R. L. Stine
Goosebumps Most Wanted. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN
9780545417983.
The Goosebumps series has been popular over a long period of
time and I know many boys who have been turned on to reading through
the work of R.L. Stine.
The lawn gnomes on the cover are enough to make the faint hearted
reader turn away, and the lovers of horror fiction delighted. The
opening chapter reinforces the impression that this is for horror
lovers only as the author introduces the story.
Jay the main character tells the story from his perspective. He
claims he is not bad despite having 'been in some pretty bad
trouble'. He and his family have moved from another town recently
and we become aware that it is because of the trouble Jay has
caused. New neighbour, Mr McClatchy, is now the focus for Jay's
pranks, but the presence of several garden gnomes spooks him.
These are not little gnomes, being almost as tall as 12 year old
Jay, and seem to move about at will, and are everywhere. There is
also the quagmire at the end of the street containing quicksand and
enormous, blind, Buzzard Hawks flying about. The Buzzard Hawks are
large enough to carry away the family golden Labrador Mr Phineas.
With these problems and the fact that no one seems keen to tell Jay
what is going on, leads to a very confused main character, and
reader.
Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of the series in the 90's and despite
the many titles now in circulation, this new Most Wanted
title hasn't changed my opinion. I found the main character Jay hard
to sympathise with and understand, and even at the end was left
feeling bemused.
For true fans it undoubtedly will be a hit, but sadly, I have yet to
be converted.
Sue Keane
