It's almost Lunar New Year, and Chloe can’t wait to celebrate! But first, Chloe and her family must prepare for the new year. They buy new shoes, lay out good-luck oranges in a bowl, decorate the red envelope, and make a crispy turnip cake. Everyone comes together to cook a fantastic feast, saving a plate for A-má, no longer with them, of course. Chloe enjoys the festive celebration and yummy food, but most of all, she loves spending time with her family.
As many of our students start to prepare for their most important annual celebration, just as with the traditions of Christmas there are core elements that all observe, but this story focuses on the traditional things that form part of the Taiwanese version of the celebration, particularly the reunion dinner. There are many dishes, each with a special significance for individual members of the family and it is this coming together and sharing this special time that flows through this story.
The upcoming year is the Year of the Dragon, and while this opens up all sorts of possibilities to investigate, perhaps this story will encourage an exploration of how each of our Asian neighbours celebrate, especially the different emphases on various elements and the food that is shared. Students could share their stories, acknowledging their culture and customs and feeling that they are continuing those traditions by teaching others about them. A search of SCIS shows very few picture books about this important celebration that are readily available in Australia, so maybe this is an opportunity to collect the students' stories and create a new resource for the collection.
Themes New Year.
Barbara Braxton
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Patrice Lawrence
Abridged for young readers. Walker Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781529506624. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
The well-known and very popular classic Jane Eyre has been carefully and thoughtfully rewritten to find a new audience amongst younger readers. The significant events that take place throughout Jane Eyre’s life, from her early years as an unwanted orphan, to her time spent at Lowood Institution as a student and then a teacher, her governess position at Thornfield Hall, the devastation of her cancelled marriage, the mystery of Mr Rochester’s wife and the tragic consequences of the discovery are all shared in this story. The sometimes disturbing themes of bullying, poverty, hardship, loneliness and cruelty are still true to the original but presented in a less confronting manner.
Jane’s story is both powerful and moving with her character showing traits of great resilience and fortitude. It is also full of enduring and unrequited love along with the painful heartache that accompanies these deep feelings and is perhaps more suited for mature younger readers. For those older students for whom English is not the first language or who struggle with a lengthy novel, this may provide a welcome alternative to the original version.
This abridged adaptation is an engaging historical read that may encourage readers to further explore the classics.
Simon & Schuster, 2024. ISBN: 9781761425028. (Age:16+) Recommended.
When 26 year old Instagram influencer Bree dies from leukaemia, her family is left facing crippling American medical bills. In a surprise pre-recorded Instagram message, Bree explains that a corporate sponsor will pay off some of the debts every time her younger sister Jodie completes an item from Bree’s unfinished bucket list. To save the family from bankruptcy, Jodie reluctantly agrees to the challenge, but the two sisters are very different people and the bucket list items that the adventurous and outgoing Bree had chosen, are anathema to the shy and insecure Jodie.
Bree’s six remaining challenges range from the seemingly easy ‘plant a tree’ and ‘take piano lessons’ through to ‘perform on Broadway’, ‘fly over the Antarctic’ and lastly, ‘fall in love’.
As she works through the list, supported by Bree’s best friend Claude, Jodie’s personal life is increasingly intruded on. The sponsor’s representative, the enthusiastic Cheryl, frantically attempts to craft Jodie into a public figure. With her achievements relentlessly documented for social media, what could have been Jodie’s personal journey through grief and healing, becomes a 24/7 marketing campaign. This is further complicated by the reappearance of Jodie’s one-time crush Kelly Wong and their re-examining their high-school attraction.
Jodie’s adventures are fun to follow, and Someone Else's Bucket List has a strong element of romance, including a gay relationship between two minor characters. However, it also illustrates a number of more weighty themes. We see people mourn and face their fears in different ways, with tender moments as friends and family strive to support each other as they grieve. We see Jodie grow in confidence and reassess how she appears to others.
Matthews also shows how invasive social media can become, and the resulting negative impact on mental health, self-identity and self-worth. Many sections of the book describe Bree's physical deterioration, response to treatment and her emotional states. These may not be for the faint-hearted reader.
Themes Death, Cancer, Grief, Family, Friendship, Social media, Romance, Personal growth.
Margaret Crohn
Your brain is a lump of goo by Idan Ben-Barak and Christopher Nielsen
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180156. (Age:5+) Recommended.
Idan Ben-Barak has a BSC in Medical Science, MCs in Microbiology, PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science and is the author of the very popular Do Not Lick This Book. His latest publication is about the mysterious brain and the title of this book Your Brain is a Lump of Goo will certainly entice readers to find out what may be written and illustrated inside.
This bright and boldly illustrated book begins with a question written on the front endpaper asking the reader to find the pineapple at the end of the book. It then explains where the brain is and why it is like a pineapple. This is followed by the need to take care of the brain, especially from heavy knocks, and what is it made up of. There is a double page spread of the brain surrounded by random words showcasing all that happens in the brain. It is certainly a busy place! The brain has the main role to play in our everyday living, how we remember and understand things as well as our feelings. There are examples of what helps our brain to grow, and how our brains allow us to be different.
At the end of the book are detailed facts about the brain written in accessible language for the targeted age group. There is also the illusive pineapple to be found on the back endpaper!
Themes The Brain, Information, Characteristics, Care, Health, Feelings.
Jack Jones and his mate Andrew ‘Banjo’ Paterson are young children during WWII. They live on an island off the coast of Perth where their fathers’ work has taken them. Although the island is not named, it is easily recognised as Rottnest Island, a place of strategic importance in the defence of the WA coastline. The story though is of two curious boys, adventurous, mischievous, and yet compassionate, whose misadventures during a different era are sometimes life-threatening. They get into trouble regularly, are never bored and live with incredible resourcefulness during a difficult time in history. Their story is a ‘Boys Own’ adventure based on the early life of the author’s own father. It is exciting and dramatic, and set amongst military and civilian concerns it is very much foreign territory for modern children.
This is a wonderful, historical journey back in time! The independent young boys have a life that is difficult and yet they have many freedoms unknown to contemporary children. They do however seem to regularly place themselves into danger. Their school life and its strict expectations will also present some surprises for young readers. The book contains lots of social history glimpses, and there are many funny moments in this fictionalised account of the life of Jack. The community’s response to the young boy ‘Dafty’ also demonstrates change in social expectations towards children with intellectual disabilities. This book delighted me in its ability to shine a spotlight on this time in history through the eyes of a child. I recognised many things from my own parents’ and grandparents’ pasts that would perhaps be difficult to comprehend for a young reader aged 9-12, however I would not want this to stop them from reading this wonderful adventurous story. It is an absolute delight, written with a youthful naivete, and the fact that it has been republished is a tribute to the power of the story for a new generation of readers. (And anyone who has travelled to Rottnest Island, WA will recognise some of the features eg ferries, Quokkas and the unique geography that are part of this part of Australia.) Teacher's notes are available.
Themes WWII – Australia, Children during War, Adventure, Friendship, Racism, Disability.
The Beehive, written by well-known and highly regarded Queensland teacher librarian and author Megan Daley, is a wonderful narrative non-fiction picture book about a young girl called Willow who shares her love of native Australian stingless bees in an engaging story.
At Willow’s school the Nature Club has its own hives that are carefully looked after by Groundskeeper Tom who has amazing knowledge about all things bee related. He spends time sharing his wisdom with the students and educating them about how to care for the bees by providing the perfect environment. When the hives are to be divided, students are able to take home a hive and finally it is Willow’s turn. The divided hive is placed into a man-made environment, the timber OATH (Original Australian Trigona Box), and taken to Willow’s home where the bees settle into their new environment.
Throughout the story fabulous facts are presented about bees, with a change in font to differentiate from the narrative. Key words such as brood comb, foraging, resin and propolis are highlighted and can be found in a glossary at the end. There is also an index included. The simplicity of both the glossary and index will provide children with a gentle introduction to these two valuable components of a non-fiction text. The beautifully presented and highly detailed illustrations by Max Hamilton perfectly complement both the story and the facts.
As a new publication for the Nature Storybook Series from Walker Books Australia, The Beehive offers young readers (and adults) a valuable opportunity to learn some fascinating and important facts about bees. This delightful book will have a place in all home, school and public libraries.
The glorious front and back cover of Bush Bugs by Helen Milroy showcases various bugs that are featured in this delightful rhyming factual text. The bright and bold endpapers in single tones of one main colour also feature clever silhouettes of the same bugs, so younger readers will be anticipating finding out what the ten bugs are called.
Each double page spread has a short verse with a beautiful brightly coloured full page illustration, followed by the next double page completing the rhyming couplet:
Mosquito sucks
blood to feed her young
while blowfly loves to
eat some dung
----------------------------------
slater scurries
off to hide
but jewel bug roams
both far and wide
This smaller picture book is perfect for little hands and a wonderful introduction to bugs and simple facts for very young children. For those of you familiar with Helen Milroy’s similar books for younger readers: Backyard Birds, Backyard Bugs, Backyard Beasties and Bush Birds, this latest release will make another fabulous addition to your collection. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Australian Bush, Bugs, Facts.
Kathryn Beilby
Beach song by Ros Moriarty and Samantha Campbell
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180248. (Age:4+) Recommended.
The endpapers will remind readers of the array of natural things found at the beach as they search the sand. The pages open to a child surfing with dolphins, soaring with seagulls, skimming with seals, staring out at the whales at the edge of the rocky reef, swimming with the little fish close to shore, watching the squid as it flies along the ocean floor. Each double page will entreat readers with a text describing what this animal sees as it lives in the ocean, asking the readers to think about what they see when they go to the beach. They can dip and dive, swim and snorkel, surf and float, twist and roll in the water, keeping their eyes on the view that the animals see. On the shore they can jump into a rock pool and stick like a limpet, scramble to the trees and laugh like a kookaburra, run and jump to see what the seagull sees, dig a stick into the sand, leaving trails like a lizzard, call like a cockatoo, until the day comes to a close, and he must do as the pelicans and the bats and owls do, and seek out his bed for the night.
Each time he sees an animal, the text is active, encouraging movement and involvement, showing the reader through text and image what that animal does as it is watched at the beach. Their voices will be heard in the classroom or where ever the book is read, with the listeners laughing like a kookaburra, calling like a cockatoo, hooting like a owl, splashing like the sea creature, blowing like a whale. The word and pictorial images will stay with the reader, and when they go to the beach, they will recall this story, keeping their eyes on alert for what they can find, hear and see.
Each double page shows a broad sweep of the beach and its creatures, both on the sand, on rocks or in the sea. This is a wonderfully interactive book.
Themes Sea, Sea animals, Beach, Sand, Sea birds, Sounds.
Fran Knight
The scarlet veil by Shelby Mahurin
Electric Monkey, 2023. ISBN: 9780008582494. (Age:15 - Adult) Highly recommended.
The world of Belterra could be likened to a 18th century French court except for a variety of mythical beings. In the town of Cesarine, the reader will encounter many of the familiar magical characters from Serpent & Dove series. ( Book 2, Blood & Honeyand Book 3, Gods & Monsters.) Our heroine Celie Tremblay is clearly grappling with finding her identity and the trauma of past events, manifesting in flashbacks.The squad of misogynistic Chasseurs (Huntsmen) do not make it easy for Celie to follow her destiny by ridiculing her performance as the first ever Huntswoman to join the Chasseurs. Being betrothed to the Commander is awkward for both of them despite Jean Luc being extremely proud of her.
But Celie is among the last Chasseurs to find out about a worrying spate of murder victims drained of blood, until she stumbles across the latest victim, Babette. Inhabitants of Belterra are not acquainted with Vampires at all – they are far too successful and secretive which makes the murders more horrifying.Overhearing a meeting, to which she is not invited, she accepts that Jean-Luc does not take her seriously.While walking alone against orders, attempting to prove her worth, Celie is mistakenly abducted because she is wearing someone else's cloak. Her Captor, Michal is the dark vampire king. He takes her to Requiem. Will this lure her friends into his clutches or is he merely trying to find answers for magic disappearing from his island kingdom?
Readers will be enthralled by the placement of a very soft character into a very sinister, blood thirsty world and pairing her up with a new kind of monster. The effect is a crossover book with wide appeal.
Romantic intensity oozes from the attraction of opposites and Celie and Michal mirror the fairytale of Beauty and the Beast. But the Beast is actually evil and his menacing stretched out for hundreds of pages like a tapestry gradually softened by Celie. Will captivity with the Vampire be hell or sanctuary in this rich bloodthirsty romantic adventure? You won’t see the Epilogue coming. Recommended for YA fans of Romance, given the relationships are kept 'high minded'. (619p) Visit youtube for several recent interviews with the author.
The author’s dedication in this book reads ‘For Black girls everywhere who feel like they’re not enough. You are. I promise.’ The characters are all Black or Brown, and all dwell in the fantasy kingdom of Keirdre which includes fae people, witches, some humans (lowest in the hierarchy), and most formidable of all, the Siren, she of Greek mythology who lures beings to their deaths beneath the waves. Saoirse is a Siren, forced to hide her identity, in this land ruled by the fae, where all other Sirens have been banished or killed.
Saoirse is also an assassin, a paid killer. When she casts aside her disguise her beauteous looks make her a temptress that none can resist as she sings them to their deaths. She works for an unnamed Employer, in a conspiracy against the oppressive monarchy, for money for her impoverished family . . . and for the thrill of the kill. It is in her blood, a power that is very hard to keep under control. The dilemma for Saoirse is ensuring she does keep control so that the adopted family she loves continues to care for her without fear.
Saoirse has no compassion for her victims until threatening demands from a blackmailer start raising questions in her mind, about her secret Employer, the connections between the murdered men, and whether she is actually being manipulated in her newly won role as guard to the Prince, a man she didn’t expect to like, but who gradually rises in her estimation. The quandary is whether she is actually an agent for good or for evil. Is she a monster; and can she ever be worthy of love?
This book had me enthralled from the very beginning. Although it is a fantasy novel, Burton doesn’t spend a lot of time on world-building; the setting of Keirdre is a backdrop. The central drama is the conflict within Saoirse, and her gradual change of perspective, as she gets to know and appreciate the character of Hayes, the Crown Prince, and she starts to realise how she is being used by unscrupulous forces. She has to take responsibility for her powers and for her actions; a particular challenge when she does not know who is friend and who is foe.
This is an exciting new fantasy novel for YA readers, who will be glad to know that this is only the first instalment in a duology which promises to continue with the soon to be released ‘Drown me with dreams’.
For readers who enjoy this book, I would also recommend Spice Road (2023) by Maiya Ibrahim, another brilliant fantasy novel, with diverse characters and a similar theme of finding one’s true values.
This camp is doomed is the first upper primary novel by Anna Zobel and it doesn’t disappoint!
The students at Dennith Grange School come from a world where teenagers don’t only have to worry about the normal adolescent challenges but also the spontaneous onset of their individual powers, these could be shapeshifting, premonitions or total recall. The story begins as they board the bus for Camp Buttress a run-down facility that has been in the Klock family for generations.
The students are all relatable in their own ways particularly for teachers who will be able to identify characteristics of each in their students. The camp is being run by teenager Alessia Klock, as her parents have been called away. Alessia seems to be out of her depth and unsure of what to do without her schedule, the students are not sure that they are safe or will make it through camp and along with the Grandmother who is cooking, although that is questionable as the food is not appetising, the camp seems to be more of a survival camp than an outdoor experience.
This book will be enjoyed by any reader who likes mystery, supernatural and relationship themes, the students work together to stay alive and solve the mystery they uncover.
This is a really well written book that will engage the reader and would be enjoyed as a class novel or as a read alone. Adults and younger readers will relate to the characters and the story, except for the powers, but these are relatable as the students all struggle with the discovery and understanding of their powers. This will become a favourite in any library.
I'd rather eat chocolate by Narelle Wynter. Illus. by Rebecca Cool
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833440. (Age:4+)
This simple rhyming story is about a young child who does not want to eat vegetables. His dad explains with humour how a number of different types of vegetables will help him do some activities better. The young child then thinks deeply and offers a response.
“Do deer eat zucchinis? If it’s true what you say.
I might have zucchini later in in the day.”
The big, bold and bright illustrations in this story perfectly complement the text which is well spread out and easily accessible to young readers. On the back endpapers are QR codes for various recipes which take you to the website Food Matters.
Themes Vegetables, Rhyme, Humour, Recipes.
Kathryn Beilby
Busy Betty by Reese Witherspoon. Illus. by Xindi Yan
To be honest I wasn't sure that a picture by a Hollywood star would be any good, but I am happy to say that I was wrong. Busy Betty is a story by Reese Witherspoon and tells us all about Betty who finds it hard to focus on one task at a time, and often gets distracted. She has a friend coming over and wants to make sure the dog is clean and ready to play! But, Betty gets distracted and creates much more mess than she started with. When her friend comes over they pool their busy brains and perfect plans to create their very own business....a dog wash.
There were many things that I liked about this story, to start with I enjoyed the writing. I think that the author captured how the busy brain of a child works. From one thing to another, distracted by hunger and ideas, and then the inevitable mess at the end. It was also really lovely to see how Betty's friend had no issue with any of this, accepts her for who she is and then together they came up with an idea, worked hard and put it to practice. It showed a wonderful picture of childhood friendship, no strings attached!
The print in the book is also nice and big, with the majority of it in black (except a few larger, coloured words) and on a white background. From an accessibility angle this is great but also I feel that this would ensure that parents could read it over the shoulder of their child and that emerging readers could have a go too.
The illustrations are very good, with Xindi Yan capturing lots of the mess and craziness of Betty's world. The dog Frank is so funny and you can imagine him in so many of the scenarios.
A great book for children 3+.
Themes Pet, Friendship, Small business, Persistence, Cooperation.
Lauren Fountain
Loki: A bad god's guide to ruling the world by Louie Stowell
While Heimdall and Hyrrokkin take a well-deserved holiday from their "children" Odin sends Baldur – Thor's half-brother to babysit. This makes Loki’s task of proving he can be good harder than ever, considering Baldur doesn’t believe that Loki can change for the good at all. As Baldur and Thor bond, Loki's attempts to prove he's good start getting a bit desperate.
At the heart of this story is the school play. The drama teacher casts Loki as the villain in the play because she believes he is the best actor for the part. But Loki really wants to have the part of the hero, which was given to Thor, and he starts to wonder whether there's any point in being good when everyone seems convinced of his wickedness.
During rehearsals he discovers a rather special ring in the prop room and, not realising the ring is the cursed ring of Andvari, he wears it and begins to hear a voice that convinces him that he can rule the world. Will Loki give into the ring and perform the darkest of tasks just to be the most powerful person in the world?
This is Loki's third diary in the best-selling series about the Norse God of mischief, trickery and deception which began with The Bad God’s guide to being good and continued with A bad God’s guide to taking the blame. All the books contain entertaining comic sections, doodles and speech bubbles that enhance the story for the reader and will appeal to reluctant readers. There is also a website dedicated to the books with activities, videos and a teacher section.
Themes Gods, Magic, Middle-schooling.
Gabrielle Anderson
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9780241651346. (Age:12-17)
In Algaesia it is a year since the Empire fell, Galbatorix and his dragon Shruikan are dead and Murtagh, son of Morzan, half-brother to Eragon, falsely branded a traitor by the Varden, is travelling incognito with his dragon Thorn. Few people know his true story and the Elves and the Dwarves have no love for him after he was responsible for killing two of their own. Murtagh’s bond with his dragon goes deep, every night each speaks his one true name, together, prepared to face any challenge, their combined magic making them very powerful. However, Murtagh is troubled by the way he was manipulated during the time of the Empire and now more than ever feels the need to prove his worth and erase the stain of being Morzan’s son. Using the name of his old sword instructor Tornac, he travels to Ceunion to find out more about something evil rising in the land linked to a mysterious black rock. Thorn thinks the rock smells like 'blood hate and anger' but against his advice, Murtagh and the dragon set out to find the source of the evil and the witch Bachel who seems to be involved. Murtagh is not afraid of death, having experienced the depths of pain fear and debasement and now welcomes the chance to pursue a clear and righteous cause. It is 20 years since the publication of Eragon, the first book in the Inheritance Cycle and those who loved that book will welcome the chance to revisit that world. The story was a bit fragmented at the start with some short challenges involving kittens, fish and dragon scales that sat rather awkwardly with the later story and the trials with the witch could have been edited down to be less repetitive. Much as Murtagh seeks to prove himself I didn’t feel his character developed at all and there was a lot of killing with collateral damage made ok by the offhand comment to 'spare the children if possible'. Fans will still embrace this sequel to Eragon but Murtagh can stand alone with enough backstory to satisfy new readers and it is a good excuse to read or re-read the whole series.
