Reviews

Banjo bounces back by Lachie Hume

Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 978 1 86291 846 7
Picture book, Ages 4-6, Team work
Banjo loves Hoofball, and plays with his friends on Saturday in their team called the Winnies. He loves practicing his techniques with his friend, Bella. But one day while jumping up high to get the ball, he falls and hurts his ankle. The doctor, Dr Gray, orders him to stay at home and rest for 6 weeks, and during that time, Banjo lies about playing Haystation and eating lots of molasses.
When he comes to play again, he is no longer a star, as he has put on weight and his neglect of practice sees him lacking his usual skills. He becomes more despondent and takes to his bed, doing the same things he was doing before, playing Haystation and eating molasses. He shuns his best friend, Bella, but on hearing that she is in hospital, comes out of his shell and visits her. She is worried that she will miss the finals, and Banjo decides to get fit enough to help her regain her place in the team. Together they work hard at playing with the team once again.
A neatly resolved story of team work and working together to achieve a goal, this brightly illustrated book will have wide appeal with junior primary classes where these themes are under discussion. And the humour in the language used, bringing in horsey words will not be missed by the very young.
Fran Knight

Karrawirra Parri: walking the Torrens from source to sea by Mike Ladd

Photographs by Cathy Brooks. Wakefield Press, 2012. ISBN 978 1 74305 019 5.
(Ages: 12+) Recommended. Non Fiction. Environment. This handsomely produced handbook of walking along the River Torrens from its Mount Pleasant beginnings, through the hills and suburbs of Adelaide on to its outlet at Henley Beach will beckon even the moot casual reader to don their sneakers and take a stroll.
Each page builds an image in both words and pictures of a water course moulded and changed by its surroundings as new settlements were added with Adelaide growing beyond the first campsites of the European settlers in 1836. Ladd strolls through early settlements, marked now only by a hearth, or stone wall, following the water course as it becomes a larger stream and then a river. Smetana's Moldau kept coming to my mind as I walked with him, reading out loud the snatches of verse by Wordsworth, Brooks and others, as well as Ladd's haiku interspersing the engrossing commentary.
With only an outline map at the beginning of the book, showing the river through the various Hills communities and suburbs, I needed to grab a more detailed map which showed where access to these beautiful spots was available. But this is a small quibble in reading this absorbing travel book which gave some wonderful tidbits of information. The history behind the name of Dernancourt, for example, or the lists of introduced vegetation, native birds and flowers, the story of the body in the Torrens in 1908.
With the upper reaches being in part through private land, his meeting the Linear Park at Athelstone, meant an easier walk along the areas begun in 1979 to preserve the banks of the river and its wetlands, aiming for flood mitigation. The 35 kilometre stretch to Henley Beach is a wonderful resource, and I can remember the angst when it was first proposed.
First written as a series of article for The Adelaide Review, Wakefield Press has published the complete set in what will certainly delight the armchair traveller, and be a guide to those who want to set out and stride it for themselves.
For students looking at the environment of Adelaide, then this is a stunner as a wide perspective of the river is given, drawing in a myriad of detail: the Aboriginal people both in the hills and on the plains (Peramngk and Kaurna) the naming of the suburbs, the dams, weirs and reservoirs, the flora and fauna, the poetry and small details. I was surprised at how many times the black and red markers were mentioned, and a catalogue of deaths along the river, or the overgrown patches of introduced weeds and the kindness of strangers. Not an academic tome, but a richly detailed story of one man's walk through an area we all know about, but do not really know.
Fran Knight

Trust me too edited by Paul Collins

Introduction by Judith Ridge. Ford St Publishing 2011. ISBN 978 19121665585.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. Short story collection. With writers like Phillip Gwynne, Jack Heath, Deborah Abela, Janeen Brian and many more (nearly 60!) contributing stories to this large compendium of stories, there cannot be any reader who is not covered. Spoilt for choice, I had trouble dipping into the book, with such a wonderful array of well know and new authors to choose from. So I began at the beginning and ploughed my way through, laughing at some, stifling a tear at others, amused at some, and scared by others, perhaps skipping and skimming a few that did not grab me at once, but then returning to try again when I finished the book. What a treat it all was. From the sublime pictures by Shaun Tan, to the short poems by Leigh Hobbs and Christine Bodgers, and writings by David Miller, Gary Crew and Simon Higgins, as well as the longer story by Isobelle Carmody, each is quite different from the other. Old favourites, Hazel Edwards, Justin D'Ath, Archimede Fusillo, rub shoulders with newcomers, names I had not heard of but will watch out for.
Standouts were Phillip Gwynne's tale, Led Zep, aligning the older and younger generations, Kirsty Murray's The night swimmer, with its eerie overtones, and Meredith Costain's poem, Shoegitti, giving an explanation to why those shoes appear on electricity lines.
This is the second book produced by Paul Collins (the first, being Trust me) which will fill a niche in upper primary and lower secondary schools where a neat group of short stories is required, but also will be picked up by those who want an array of stories to read, dipping into the depth of a group of authors before tackling their novels.
Fran Knight

The things we did for love by Natasha Farrant

Faber and Faber, 2012. ISBN 9780571278176.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. As World War II rages through Europe, in a small French village of Samaroux Arianne and Luc fall passionately in love. However, it doesn't take long for the German forces to close around their little disregarded town. Luc is unexpectedly summoned into the dangerous world of Resistance, where he is eager to atone for his family's troubled past. Arianne is prepared for anything in order to keep Luc safe at any cost. But there is someone else to whom Arianne is dear. Who also loves her and would stop at nothing to get rid of the opposition.
The things we did for love by Natasha Farrant is a devastating story of first love and war, heartbreak and betrayal. This book will never be forgotten.
It is a book that attracts people with its simple, yet fascinating cover which features a few black roses scattered on a deep blue background. Such image already gives the readers an idea that this novel would be of a serious kind. Natasha Farrant's powerful writing perfectly explains the conditions of what a life is like during war.
Main characters, such as Arianne and Luc struggle to keep each other safe, ready to sacrifice anything in order to protect one another. Their personalities are introduced in a fabulous way, starting with what their childhood was like, ending with their current behaviour. Characters develop throughout this amazing novel, which makes it particularly interesting to read.
Although it is a book about war, the beginning wasn't really cruel or vicious. Introduction was more of a general story about a long forgotten village in France. It was a peaceful town, not involved in the war. Nevertheless I didn't expect the ending to be so violent when the town was taken by the Germans. The conclusion to this novel was rich with descriptions and really enthralling. It was impressive what a war could do to people and how it erased every bit of humane approach from the German intruders.
Overall I would say that this was a remarkable book. It was written with great attention to the actual history of the French Resistance. However I must say that I was entirely astonished when I realized that this book was based on actual facts. As Natasha Farrant said, 'My book is a story, my characters fiction.'
I highly recommend this book.
Nika Aroutiounian (Student)

Rainbow Street pets by Wendy Orr

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 978-174237-908-1.
(Age 8-11) Recommended. Pet stories are very popular with children and this is an excellent collection of six stories in one book.
Each chapter features an animal and tells how they became involved in the Rainbow Street Animal Shelter. The stories vary from a lost dog, an unwanted lion cub and a stolen horse. Of course they are not only stories of the animals but of the people who are involved with them, the separated owners, the animal shelter workers and the eventual new homes the animals find.
Children who want a pet of their own will identify with the longing of the children in this novel, but Wendy Orr demonstrates that although a pet brings love and companionship there are responsibilities as well, such as grooming, cleaning, exercising and training.
These heart warming stories often connect to each other, with characters appearing in more than one chapter. Each story has a happy ending and there is an obvious concern for the welfare of the animals.  Photographs of the animals feature inside the book in black and white as well as in colour on the bright and appealing front cover.
This is a fairly large novel for its intended reader with over 350 pages but as the book is broken up into the individual stories I feel it is not overwhelming and children will want to read every animal's story and even reread it again!
Recommended for children, 8 to 11 years.
Jane Moore

Messy by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN: 9781742379760.
(Age 13+) Recommended. This is a surprisingly funny and entertaining novel. The blurb might suggest that it is simply going to be Gossip Girls meets 90210 but in fact, it is far more engaging and insightful than this would imply. This is largely due to the cynical edge of the main character, Max. At the opening of the story she is a self-confessed misfit at her Mum's prestigious school: she is scornful of most of her wealthy classmates who she judges to be superficial and self-absorbed. None more so than pretty blonde Brooke Berlin, daughter of action hero (and diet obsessed) Brick Berlin.
So it is somewhat surprising that Max should lower her standards and agree to ghost-write Brooke's new blog, which is intended to raise Brooke's celebrity profile. However, Max loves to write and she has a dream of attending NYU over summer to participate in a writing course. Such a dream requires money and unfortunately for Max, Brooke is offering plenty.
The blog entries on Open Brooke are one of the highlights of the book, which is to be expected as the writers are famous for their own celebrity fashion blog. Max writes sharply and perceptively about the world of celebrities and show-business and the results are highly amusing and entertaining.
Although this is the second book featuring some of these characters, the reader does not need to have read Spoiledin order to enjoy Messy. As is to be expected in a teen novel about Hollywood there are plenty of pop references to TV shows, films, celebrities and modern music. Whilst this novel is firmly set in its LA environment, this is a scene that will be familiar to many Aussie teens. And, of course, there is just the right amount of romantic entanglement to keep teen readers satisfied.
All in all, Messy is an entertaining novel which is sure to appeal to teen girls.
Deborah Marshall

First Australians: Plenty Stories (series) by Trish Albert

National Museum of Australia, 2009.
Life at Mulga Bore.
Indigenous sporting heroes.
24/32pp, col ill.
First Australians: Plenty stories is a series of books showing what it means to be an Aboriginal or Toorres Strait Island person in Australia today. Through different modes of storytelling, we are given some of their history and culture through stories, snapshots of people, photographs and a fact file. Each book is colourful, easy to read with large print and wide margins, with a brief but useful index, contents page and glossary. For classes looking for two most accessible books to give their students when researching Aboriginal life today, then these would be most useful.
I was only sent these two, but looking at the National Museum of Australia website, you can see that there are many more. 2 packs are made for primary students with 9 books and teacher notes in each. A teacher resource book and a poster pack can be bought as well. All can be ordered online from the National Museum of Australia.
The first, Indigenous sporting greats, has Nicky Winmar on the cover in what is now a famous photo of him showing his skin to people who were racially abusing him. Inside the book are outlines of a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island sports people, Jerry Jerome, Eddie Gilbert, Sir Doug Nicholls, Evonne Cawley, Cathy Freeman, Michael Long, as well as the front cover person, Nicky Winmar. Each double page gives a potted history of that person, with a small fact file and several photos. Each is informative and tells of the struggles that person had to achieve what they did.The introduction, Against the odds, frames the stories, showing that these people did in fact achieve against the odds, and the final section poses the question about sport being a place where all players can respect one another.
Life at Mulga Bore is part of the upper primary set group of books and has 32 pages, with many more illustrations and information. Mulga Bore is a small community north of Alice Springs, and is home to seven related families of the Anmatyerr group of people. One of their number, Lindsay Bird Mpetyane is a painter, and through the book, we are shown him painting Bush Plum Dreaming. Through this painting we see and hear about his lifestyle, his painting methods, his background and how the community survives. It is a bird's eye view of the strength of a small community and its central figures, and will enrich primary students' understanding of the lives of some Aboriginal people today.
Fran Knight

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Simon and Schuster, 2012.ISBN: 9781416990673.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Second Chance Summer is Matson's second book. Her first, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, dealt with serious issues in a mostly light-hearted way. This time she offers a much more serious look at a topic that seems to be trending in YA books this year: the cancer novel.
Much like John Green's lauded novel, The Fault in Our Stars, Second Chance Summer steers away from sentimentality and cliche, and the conclusion is devastating and confronting. However, instead of the teenagers being the victims, in this book it is a parent who is suffering.
The main character, Taylor's father, is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a poor prognosis. On the back of this news, the family relocate to their lake house for the summer, a place they have not visited for five years. Returning there is doubly traumatic for Taylor. Clearly she must accept her father's chances, and on top of that, the lake house is where she first fell in love. Henry Crosby of course is now her next door neighbour, and for various reasons it is awkward and confusing for both of them.
Matson doesn't rush this story. She doesn't skimp on details. While the family crisis is dealt with in the present, Taylor's personal dramas are provided through flashback as readers are slowly given the reasons for the awkwardness between her and Henry. While these are fairly predictable and minor, it is easy to understand why Taylor behaved as she did. And their journey back to each other is believable and enjoyable.
Dad's story, however, provides much of the heart of the novel. He wants this chance to reconnect with his children, and there are some very moving scenes as he tries to leave his family without too much sadness and trauma. These serious issues-based YA novels are always well received by mature readers, especially girls seeking something akin to the books of Jodie Piccoult. Themes include grief and loss, family relationships, death and dying, and friendship and romance.
Trish Buckley

To Hope and Back by Kathy Kacer

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN: 9 781743 310632.
Recommended. To Hope and Back is truly the kind of book that will keep you up at night, the novel, a powerful biography recounting the journey of two young people and their families aboard the St Louis, tells a compelling tale about the black and white world of Jews during the Holocaust. Free of many of the gory truths of the time this gripping novel is sure to horrify and provoke sympathy in any man woman or child.
Sol and Lisa know that they are lucky. Germany is being thrown into chaos and even at their young ages Sol and Lisa are well aware of the anti-semantic views of the German Government. Years of caution bought their families the time that they needed to scrape together enough to afford a ticket out of the soon to be war-torn country.
Boarders of the St Louis believe that they are leaving Europe for good and travelling to the safety of Cuba and then on to America and Captain Gustav Schroeder is determined that they should never return to Germany to face the inevitable Death Camps. But when politics gets in the way of bringing the St Louis into harbour can the captain succeed in saving his crew?
These true historical events recounted through the life affirming stories of Sol and Lisa are sure to bring even the hardest hearted person to the verge of tears. Kathy Kacer has captured the sense of hopelessness aboard the St Louis and brought it again to life through the power of the written word. I would happily recommend this novel to be read by anyone interested in history and urge teachers to keep in mind that it would be a brilliant point of reference to be used in class regarding the events of the Holocaust.
Kayla Gaskell, (Student,age 16)

Alex and the watermelon boat by Chris McKimmie

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781743310076.
Highly recommended. Picture book. Floods. Although intrigued and fascinated by Chris McKimmie's illustrations and characters, I have never felt sure that I have completely understood the story, but not so this one, and I love it.
His illustrative technique will be well known to most, after nominations for major awards in Australia, with his use of scribbly mixed media ranging from simple line drawings to great swathes of colour, collage and wash. Each page brings with it an amazing array of things to look at, discuss and marvel at.
In various types of print, the story of Alex unfolds as he is warned not to go outside, because the dam has broken its banks. But of course he does, as his favourite stuffed toy, a rabbit, is missing. Slipping into his watermelon boat, Alex glides past all his neighbours desperately trying to cope with the inundation. It will not take long for the reader to realise that this book is about the Brisbane floods of 2011, and readers will be drawn into the book, looking at the way the flood changes the landscape and people's lives.
Each page shows people coping with the crisis, the lady next door at her barbecue, the man in the boat filled to the brim with tinned food, people standing on their rooves, and a whole host of articles floating down the river with Alex. He sails past the emergency services and the lines of traffic, the helicopter overhead, but then the pages darken as Alex becomes lost.
A wonderful tale of overcoming adversity is told as Alex plants a tree for the birds to return, this book will be well used in classes. Children will be able to talk about the floods and what happens in such a disaster using Alex and his watermelon boat as a base from which to start. Kids will love to read of Alex, and perhaps make their own watermelon boat in the classroom, using McKimmie's eclectic  drawings as a model for their own, expressing their own ideas about the flood and its aftermath. But also having a great deal of fun with Alex and his quest.
Fran Knight

The perfect flower girl by Taghred Chandab

Ill. by Binny Talib. Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 978 1 74237 573 1.
(Ages 7+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Multicultural Australia. I was initially taken back by this startlingly pink book, but on opening the pages and reading this splendid story, was hooked into finding out more about Lebanese Australians and their customs.
Amani's aunt is to be married, and the little girl will be a flower girl. The process before the wedding is told through the her eyes as the families prepare themselves for the big day. Flower girls, a hen's party the night before, rose petals scattered before the bride and groom, lots of food, a tiered cake, a reception with ribboned chairs, fittings for the bridal clothes . . . it could be any wedding, anywhere, but this is Lebanese Muslim wedding, and the similarities will be familiar to all readers. The differences are not underlined but told as past of the story of Amani, and as such will be easily assimilated by the readers. The illustrator, Talib, has included many things for readers to spot: the range of people at the wedding, for example, not all the women wearing head scarves, the array of food, the fittings at shop where the tailor is Muslim - each page has an image to be scrutinised and discussed along with the text.
Not only am interesting tale, well told, but this book is a wonderful introduction to a class and its look at multicultural Australia, the customs of a range of Australians and their similarities and differences. Information is given at the start of the book about the Lebanese Muslim wedding, and a glossary of terms added which will be a good place to start with the class, learning the names and pronunciations of a new range of words. With an emphasis on multiculturalism in the new curriculum, this will be a must for libraries.
Fran Knight

Red by Libby Gleeson

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781741758535.
(Age: 12+) The young girl, covered in mud is lucky to have escaped a freakish cyclone that hit Sydney. Around her, the landscape is decimated. She is lucky that a young boy, named Peri, has come to her rescue.
Unfortunately, that is where her luck runs out. She can't remember who she is, where she lives or even whether she has a family. Only the name, Jay Martin, is fixed firmly in her head.
Peri decides to call her Red, a reference to her flaming curls. He takes her to a refuge centre for cyclone victims after she promises not to involve the police. He has his own reasons for distrusting them. Red is able to locate someone who knows her and slowly snippets of a former life flutter in her memory.
As Red starts to piece the jigsaw of her life together she isn't rewarded with a sense of comfort or belonging. Instead, she learns that before the cyclone she was entrusted with a grave mission, one that puts her life in real danger. Is she capable of accomplishing the task and how can she tell who the enemy is?
This is a fast paced, thrilling book guaranteed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Once started, it is hard to put down. John Grisham for younger readers!
Tina Cain

Trouble twisters: The monster by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN: 9781742373997.
Highly recommended. This is an enchanting new book in the Trouble Twister series, perhaps even more enjoyable than the first one. Jaide and Jack are still living in Portland and learning their trouble twister craft. As you might expect from youngsters who are enthusiastic and curious about exploring their abilities, at times they overstep the mark and take risks. Whilst they mostly work with good intentions, their inability to obey Granny's instructions often leads them further down the path of trouble: but that is half of their name, after all!
One of the delights of this fantasy series is the quality of the writing. Sean Williams and Garth Nix know their craft and their combined narrative skills are a joy to read. A strong sense of place underpins the story and the magical elements are quite complex. Whilst the basic storyline may not be particularly new (Good versus Evil; young people learning about hidden magical talents) part of the joy of this novel is that the characters are credible and engaging. Jack's ability to withstand attacks from 'The Evil' establishes a moral conflict that is set to play out over the series and this adds an extra element of tension and depth to the book.
There is also a playfulness about some of the characters that quite neatly balances the darker elements in the story. The train conductor's weird and witty wordplay is one fine example whilst the twin's rather unusual school teacher, Mr Carver ('call me Heath') is another. Kleo and Ari the dignified and aloof cats again play a significant role in the action whilst Granny X continues to puzzle both the twins and the reader, with her legion of secrets.
This novel is not only a welcome addition to the series but also a fine example of spirited fantasy for younger readers.
Deborah Marshall

Sophie Scott goes south by Alison Lester

Penguin Viking, 2012. ISBN 978 0 670 88068 3.
(Ages 7+) Highly recommended. Antarctica. Alison Lester has again used her considerable skills to present a story about Antarctica, bringing in themes of conservation and environment, alongside a neatly told story of young Sophie, accompanying her father, the captain of the Aurora Australia, on a trip to Mawson Station. Here he will replenish supplies, pick up some scientists returning to Australia, and leave behind some staying for the winter.
In exquisite double page spreads, we see the ship getting ready for the voyage, text on the left hand side with drawings, paintings or photographs on the right. Each double page renders information about the trip in Sophie's nine year old voice, and the reader hears of the icebergs, the animals and birds, life aboard the ship and the dangers which may accrue on such an expedition. The balance of information is wonderful, enough to whet a child's interest, to inform, and make the student want to search for more, without the whole being overwhelming. I love the small snippets of information dotted around the page, the diary format of the tale, the arrangement of the photographs, drawings and information on each page, the beautiful array of photographs and paintings, all combining to give a wonderful presentation of the place Alison visited in 2005.
The text on the verso is broken up by drawings and bits of information. Drawings of an iceberg, for example, shows the reader just how much is below the water line, or a growler, an iceberg which is totally underwater, or photos of the different sorts of ice seen from the ship, and drawings of the clothes Sophie must wear to keep warm will fascinate all readers.
A class would have a great deal of fun with this book, not only reading it as a story, but using details in their units of work on conservation, environment or sustainability, using some of the ideas expressed by Alison Lester. I can well imagine kids using the paper cutout figures as Alison shows in the first few pages, or trying different artistic techniques shown by her in revealing different aspects of the voyage, or designing their own stamps. The possibilities are endless with this fabulous book, designed not just for kids, but all who pick it up, and retaining people's interest as they read it all over again.
Fran Knight

Black heart by Holly Black