Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1-921529-80-1
(Suitable for 8 to 10 year olds). Cecilia Undergarment, an unusual
name, lives in an unusual house. Her father sells balloons and their
balloon shaped home is 'suspended' in the air. Cecilia can
communicate with animals (unusual ) and while talking to her
neighbour's neglected dog Rocky, decides to rescue him. It is
this decision that results in Rocky and Cecilia floating in her
detached balloon bedroom into the dark and dangerous forests of
Northwood, where no one ever returns.
While being pursued by the notorious, ferocious black lions in the
forest, Cecilia and Rocky discover a community of fellow lost
travellers who have been living together in an abandoned castle.
This community is ruled by the despot, King Harry.
Brave and resourceful Cecilia sets about discovering the mysteries
and stories of the lost castle, King Harry's background and a way
home for everyone.
The author often talks directly to the reader, challenging the truth
of this fantasy story.
The ending resolves many of the forest's mysteries but I would
have liked a bit more information about the outcomes for the other
lost inhabitants.
Jane Moore
Conspiracy 365 : revenge by Gabrielle Lord
Conspiracy 365 Series. Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978 1 74169 976 0
(Ages, Middle school) Recommended. Adventure.The twelve
months of adventure, of life threatening situations and of survival
have now drawn to a close, but Boges and Cal, Winter and their
friends, still have not been let go. One night Cal disappears. In
trying to keep the lid on Cal's mother's sanity, Boges lies to her,
hoping to find him before she realises that he has been kidnapped,
that the whole sorry mess has begun all over again.
This time, two of the slimes from the series have reappeared. They
want the Ormond Collection, and are willing to kill Cal to get it.
Cal has been injected with a poison and will die if they do not
acquiesce to the killer's demands. So begins another life and death
struggle as the two, Boges and Winter, helped by Ryan, try to
uncover the clues left in Cal's letter to find out where he is and
so deactivate the poison he has been given. A page turner, the
episodes are short and snappy, sharp and breathless, as the teens go
to any lengths to save their friend.
It may be helpful to have read the preceding 12 books, but not
totally necessary. Some of the bad characters have reappeared, and
in the main the goodies are the same, and all are quickly drawn to
give a lasting impression of their qualities.
Fran Knight
Eona by Alison Goodman
Angus and Robertson, 2011. ISBN 9780732284947.
(Age 14+) Recommended. Eona has been revealed as a female, the first
woman Dragoneye for hundreds of year in this sequel to Eon.
She is having problems controlling her power although it is up to
her to save her country. With fellow rebels Ryko and Lady
Dela, she is on the run from High Lord Sethon's army. The rebels
must find the black folio, which will help to put Kygo, the Pearl
Emperor on the throne. Eona has to come to terms with her
emerging powers, the anguish of the ten dragons whose Dragoneyes
were murdered and her growing feelings for Kygo.
Eona is an exciting adventure fantasy with suspense, drama and lots
of action to keep the reader alert and involved in the story.
However it is the depth of the character building that makes this an
engrossing read. Eona, after spending many years as a boy, has to
come to terms with her female side, and assure her companions that
she is honest and not deceiving them as she has done for so long.
She has many difficult decisions to make about the power that she
wields, and whether violence is justified in war. Can she trust Kygo
to use the power that she as Dragoneye possesses? The growing
feelings between Kygo and Eona are also beautifully brought to life
with all their complexity with issues about power sharing, trust and
loyalty being tested. There is also ambiguity around Lord Ido's
actions and Eona has to make many decisions that require great
sacrifice.
Goodman has continued with her wonderful world building in this
sequel. Her description of the battles, the training of Eona's
dragon, the countryside and the people give it a depth that is not
always found in fantasy.
This is a wonderful duo of books that should be on every library
shelf and promoted to readers.
Pat Pledger
Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres
Random House, 2011, ISBN 978 1 74275 101 6.
(Age: Upper secondary) Highly recommended. In this, the second book
in the Night Creature series, Naif (formerly known as Retra) has
escaped death on the party island of Ixion. She was rescued by the
pirate Ruzalia, but wouldn't have survived Ixion without the help of
the mysterious, beautiful but sinister 'Riper' Lenoir, to whom she
was bonded.
Whilst on Ixion, Naif learnt that the young people (and only young
people are allowed on Ixion), had escaped the extreme conservatism
of their previous homes, only to have their life-span cut short. It
is the unknowing price they pay for the music, colour and freedom of
Ixion (burn bright - die young). She discovered a connection between
the Ripers (the rulers of Ixion) and the Elders of Grave, her
homeland.
To unravel the threads that bind the two supposed enemies, and in
the hope of reversing the process that causes the untimely death of
all the young 'badged' people on Ixion, she convinces Ruzalia to
help her return to Grave
She therefore finds herself in the very place that she took such
pains to escape. But what she finds there will overturn all her long
held and imposed beliefs.
This is a very good read, full of intriguing and strange characters,
with betrayal and danger always just around the corner. Fast paced,
original and with a slightly steam-punk feel (in the form of
airships, carriages that walk on legs and abandoned underground
cities). There is a real sense of the oppressive, religiously
fundamental society from which Naif comes; the controlling Elders
and the menacing Wardens with their ferocious hounds. Naif is a
wonderful, engaging character; strong, loyal, determined and
selfless. Despite her restrictive upbringing, and the very real and
terrible dangers she faces, Naif does not allow her resolve to save
her friends weaken. She is not without her flaws, as she struggles
to reconcile her feelings for the seductive Lenoir and to overcome
her fears and prejudices.
This book doesn't have the drug use and sexual undertones of the
first in the series, but I would still only recommended it for upper
secondary.
Alicia Papp
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
Text, 2011. ISBN 9781921656934.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. In the near future, high school is a game.
In fact, The Game. Kids are given points according to how they
dress, what friends they have, how much they get involved with
school work or play games, what they say, and basically everything
that could possibly be judged about them. Get enough points and
you'll get branded, which involves getting sponsored by companies.
If you're branded, it means you're popular, which everyone wants.
Except for Kid. She doesn't want any of that.
One day she and a group of other kids see an unofficial stunt, in
which two kids push a dummy off a balcony. It falls and splatters
nastily, and across the dummy's head is a sign: Choose Your Suicide.
Kid starts to research and finds out about a group called The
Unidentified, which are a secret, rebel group made up of kids
playing The Game who don't want to follow the rules. The Unidentified is one of the few books I've read that
closely mirrors today's society without going overboard. The
constant comparisons with culture in normal high school and The Game
are amusing and surprisingly close to the truth. All the 'players'
in The Game get an online profile they can view on their notebook or
their intouch (both things were given to them in the game. The
intouch is basically a smartphone.) These profiles are pretty much a
cool combination of Facebook and Twitter.
This book is interesting for the most part, but towards the end I
felt it starting to lose direction and then out of nowhere it ended,
without much sense of conclusion and without some of the
complications resolved. The Unidentified is an interesting and refreshing novel,
perfectly ideal for reluctant teenage readers.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams
Devoted by Hilary Duff
Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN 978 0 85707 152 1.
Highly Recommended. Clea Raymond found her mysterious and handsome
soulmate Sage and discovered that they have loved for many past
lives, all of which have ended tragically. But there are dark forces
in the world that want to destroy Sage and the elixir that runs in
his veins. When Sage is taken, Clea believes that he is still alive
and will not stop at anything until she finds him. With Clea's
friend, Ben, she makes an uneasy alliance with Cursed Vengeance, an
ancient group that can help them to Sage. Clea must found Sage
before Cursed Vengeance does or risk his death at their hands. Due
to their past lives - and Ben's role in Sage's kidnapping - Clea
questions whether she can count on Ben and if she really is saving
Sage or just leading them to repeat their disastrous past lives
again.
I felt so heartbroken for Clea for the dreams she is being forced to
have. I really enjoyed this book; it's been beautifully crafted and
compelling. I couldn't put it down and found it to be a great visual
feast. Devoted is stunning, just love it.
Cecilia Richards (Student)
Bunjil the eagle : a story from Jaara community by the Jaara community with Liz Thompson
Sharing our stories (series). Pearson Education. 2011 ISBN 978 1
4425 4688 2.
(Ages 8+) Recommended. Aboriginal folklore. A creation story from
the Jaara people of Victoria, this tells of the strong rivalry
between the crow and the eagle. Their rivalry caused volcanoes to
spring up, and lava to flow, and explains why the mountains and
lowlands are where they are today. It also explains why the eagle
remains in the sky above the highlands while the now black crow
resides in the lowlands, and why the bat only comes out at
night. This story not only explains the layout of the
landforms in the area around Ballarat, but also why these birds are
all totems to the Jaara people and so are never to be killed.
As with the others in this fine series of 14, Sharing our stories,
the introductory pages tell a little of the place the stories are
set, and where the Jaara people live, before introducing the
storyteller, Brien Nelson.
The vibrant illustrations by the students in the area of the Jaara
people, between Echuca in the north and Ballarat in the south, are
an absolute treat, adding to the story. At the end of the book are
several pages with the students' own words, and those of several of
the elders. In this way students can gain some insight into how
Aboriginal people have been treated in our shared history. A brief
but serviceable index is augmented by a glossary added at the bottom
of each page, defining the highlighted words. This is a most useful
addition to the classroom. More about this series can be found
at this website.
Fran Knight
Where's Santa? by Louis Shea
Scholastic Australia. 2011. ISBN 9781 74169 765 0
(All Ages) Picture book. Humour. Christmas. In the tradition of the
highly entertaining Where's Wally books, this will give
hours of fun on Christmas Day for the whole family, searching each
page for the figure of Santa, and then going to the list at the end
of the book to find all the things mentioned there. Or in the
classroom or library for those with a little spare time, this is a
fun book to peruse for five minutes, but it becomes so engrossing
that five could easily expand to fifty minutes. Each double page has
a scene filled with little figures, animals and objects, nearly all
dressed in the same colours as the Santa figure, and trying to find
his little figure in amongst the colour and detail is time
consuming, but loads of fun.
A page at the beach, or at Christmas shopping, or in the traffic,
the last day at school and even on the roofs at night, are all drawn
with the most delicious detail and are infectiously funny as the
reader scans the pages looking for Santa. Great fun for the weeks
before Christmas.
Fran Knight
Totally Cody Simpson by Alana Wulff
Random House, Australia, 2011. 96 pages.
I 'totally' knew very little about Cody Simpson before I read this
book. After a quick search on the internet I now understand he is a
young Queensland singer (born in 1997) who at 12 was discovered on
the internet and signed to record in America, where he now lives
with his family. As the book states, his amateur YouTube video
resulted in signing a major deal with Atlantic Records. This
unofficial guide tells you everything you want to know about Cody
and other young singing stars of his generation, including a
comparison with Justin Bieber.
Presented in a colourful scrapbook style this book is full of photos
and small bites of information. This would be a fan's dream read and
even gives the reader a chance to day dream about being Cody's
biggest fan, a quiz to test how 'in sync' you are with Cody's likes
and dislikes, a word search, write your own Cory song and a 'Spot
the Difference' between two Corys.
Any young aspiring artists are given advice and there is a strong
theme of 'Follow your dreams'.
This book will appeal to its target audience, pre teen and young
teen girls, who are fans of Copy Simpson and wish to follow his
journey 'from beach babe to SUPERSTAR'.
Jane Moore
A straight line to my heart by Bill Condon
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 978 174237 730 8
(Ages 12+) Highly Recommended. Humour. Romance. I did not want to
leave this book or its characters.
Tiff has finished school, and is doing some work experience at the
local country newspaper, where she feels she is not up to the job.
The old journalist called the Shark, her supervisor is difficult,
evasive, sometimes disparaging and often distant, and she wonders
whether she will even finish the week.
She lives with her mother's sister's old friend, Reggie, and his
son, Bull, and this pair has been her family since her mother died.
Her best friend, Kayla lives with her mum and two of her siblings,
the other two being in care. Mum has just announced that she and her
new boyfriend, Colin, a much younger man, are about to marry and
move to Perth, taking Kayla with them. Tiff is distraught, she and
Kayla have been friends since time began and neither can imagine
life without the other. In the meantime, Tiff has met Davey a boy
from the next town, who is a stop and go worker with the council.
The lives of these people matter to the reader as they cope with the
stresses and strains of life. Bull has a new girlfriend and Tiff
wonders what will happen to the family if she moves in: Reggie is
ill, and Tiff is concerned about what will happen if his test
results are not good: while keeping her head above water in the
tense atmosphere of a newspaper room makes Tiff wonder about what
she will do with her life. All of these conspire to make this a
keenly felt and funny story about a very ordinary group of people,
coping with the life given them. At a time of immense changes in her
life, Tiff must work out what is important as well as who matters,
This book is a breath of fresh air. It is a story grounded in the
realities of life in Australia today, with none of the contrived
situations usually offered, and with a deft touch of humour that
underlines the relationships between all members of the different
families. It speaks of not giving up, of trying again, of not being
restricted by mistakes made in the past, it celebrates the family
and friendships, of change and permanence, a wholly satisfying read.
Fran Knight
The Lost Stories by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice Book 11. Random House, 2011. ISBN: 978 1 86471
818 8.
Highly recommended for ages 10+. During the opening pages in which a
team of archaeologists are excavating Castle Redmont, Audrey, one of
the team, stumbles upon the remains of a Ranger's hut. Amongst the
artifacts, she and the Professor find a bundle of manuscripts which
tell The Lost Stories of Araluen. Amongst these tales, Will
learns the full story of his heritage and the events leading to his
becoming an orphan, stories behind the battles, the breeding program
of the Ranger ponies and major celebrations and events such as
weddings are described in far greater detail.
After initially having to be cajoled by students and my son into
reading the first book of the series, I have become a major devotee
of Flanagan's work. The language used does not suit the times in
which the series is set, yet this just serves to make the book more
accessible to younger readers. Each book is engaging, easy to read,
filled with adventure but at the same time balanced by the
relationships between the characters and their personal growth and
development. Although it is predominantly boys who read these books,
the series has a great deal to offer the female reader as well.
Whilst I can see the purpose of the introduction to this story, I am
not sure that it necessarily fits with the rest of the book.
Likewise, the introduction to the new series in a similar manner
seems a tad contrived. That aside, I still enjoyed the stories
immensely and look forward to the second Brotherband title.
Jo Schenkel
Inner city : stories from the thick of it, edited by Tony Bradman
Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4081 1377 6.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. Realism. Short stories. Six short stories
about life in the city are included in this volume, telling of life
for a variety of young people living in a variety of different
places. In his introduction, Bradman says that all cities are not
vice ridden, full of drugs and thieves, but are filled with people
of all makes and sizes, bad and good, rich and poor, and many may be
living next door to each other. In the first story, A thousand
acres of sky by Joanna Nadin, Luca and Manny are going to live
with their grandmother in her London flat, after their mother has
died. They live in Cornwall and both children are worried about
moving to the city where they cannot take their pet chicken, or have
their own bedroom, or talk to their friends. Luca particularly will
miss her thousand acres of sky that she can see each day, but finds
it in the city in an unexpected way. A story of fitting in and of
change.
The second story, It's all right I have a list that helps to
make everything clear and it's real easy to follow by Ian Beck
cleverly allows us into the thoughts of a young boy going home from
school. Mum's list is simple, leave school, Walk to the station, Get
on the train, and so on, but getting to this point each time is
fraught and sometimes dangerous. The reader can see that Robbie is
different and empathise with him as her performs his tasks, ticking
them off on his list as he goes. It is a great story for getting
inside the head of another person and seeing what seems a simple
task from another perspective. Truant by T. M. Alexander, too gives us a story of life as a
truant, on the edge of going to another place entirely as he becomes
involved in things beyond his understanding. Life at school is dull
until a new drama teacher takes an interest in him and encourages
him to join the drama club. A brush with the police is enough for
him to reject his old friend and stay at school. This is a
fascinating story showing what can happen to young boys living in
proximity to illegal activities. All in all a stunning collection
for use in the classroom or just to read.
Fran Knight
The ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon by Aaron Blabey
Penguin/Viking, 2011. ISBN 978 0 670 7474 7.
(Ages 7+) Highly recommended. Picture book. From start to finish I
was entranced with Miss Annabel Spoon and her dilemma, as she
spooked the people in her town, hopping into bed with the children,
starring into windows, and generally scaring people until they all
felt they were doomed. That is, until young Herbert Kettle happened
along, offering to solve their problem.
The glowing illustrations, reflecting stark hues of greens and
browns, yet shimmering in their appearance, are full of fun, as the
hapless Herbert prepares to battle with the ghost. The beautiful
rhyming stanzas, easily read, and inviting the listener to predict
the next words, are full of words that extend their vocabulary,
drawing them into the love of words and their meanings. The crisp
illustrations, using pen and pencil on watercolour paper, and
acrylic paint, are a visual treat. I love the looks on the faces of
the populace and Miss Spoon's hair is a focus point for me through
the book. The contrast between the gloom of the opening page and
that of the last double page spread is wonderful, and the little
groups of people again are beautifully contrasted.
As Herbert plucks up his courage and finds the ghost's house in the
woods, he enters the building only to find her in tears. A simple
reason for her ghostings is offered and a neat solution to the
problem is found. The resolution to the story is warm and agreeable
to all; her problems and those of the townspeople are solved.
This innovative author/illustrator has won awards for his other
books, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, Sunday Chutney
and Stanley Paste, and this will be no exception. It is
perched on my favourites shelf for all to see and for me to read
again and again.
Fran Knight
Does your face fit? compiled by Roger Stevens
A and C Black, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4081 4950 8.
Recommended. Poetry. Humour. Subtitled Poems about fitting in and
standing out, this small book of poems had me laughing out loud and
breathing a knowing sigh at the situations offered. Performance
poet, Stevens, has collected poems from kids he has worked with,
disadvantaged and overlooked in the main, but able to put words
together to form a cohesive moment. Fitting in, isolation, feeling
left out and overlooked are just some of the themes explored in this
series of poems. Who could not feel some affinity with
Feelings?
Feelings?
I don't talk about them.
I write down how I am feeling
In my Feelings Diary.
That helps.
And when I'm fine
I don't write a line.
My diary's almost full.
Bernard Young
It will make people laugh but also stop and think as do many of the
themes in this collection.
Most of the poems are short and all are easily read and digested. In
a classroom, they would all work well, being read out loud and then
used as models for the student's own writing. A website is given to follow
up more poems and what Stevens is doing. It is a busy website full
of interest about Stevens and what he is doing with students and
their poetry. It is a website where child poets can publish their
work, enter competitions and access other works. It is worth
visiting with your class.
Fran Knight
Indonesia by Carmel Reilly
This Country series. Pearson Australia, 2011. ISBN: 9781442546974.
32 page, hardcover.
This colourful non-fiction title provides a general overview of
location, history and modern life in Indonesia. The table of
contents includes the headings Environment, In the past, Government,
People, Day to day life, Unique relationship as well as including a
timeline of events, glossary, index and the URL of a website which
can be visited to seek further information. There are full page
colour photographs in each section, along with solid blocks of
information, interspersed with additional smaller photographs,
captioned maps, diagrams and fact boxes. Topics begin with
introductory paragraphs presented in bold type as well as bold
paragraph headings highlighting general subjects and the names of
the islands which make up Indonesia.
The information presented in this title contains names and events
which are likely to be familiar to young children as they are still
mentioned in the media. Amongst these are the Bali bombings and the
infamous Schapelle Corby. Although, at first glance, the text
appeared to have been too densely presented, closer investigation
reveals that, with only a paragraph or two under each heading, it is
well suited to students in both upper primary and early secondary
years. This text would be an asset to schools offering Indonesian as
their LOTE subject.
Jo Schenkel
