Ill. by Sarah Young. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 4063 3938 3.
(Ages: 9+) Warmly recommended. Greek mythology. A new retelling of
the Greek myth is always something to feast upon, and this is no
exception. Retold by children's writer, Ann Turnbull, the stories
are given a tantalising air of promise and daring in her hands,
leading the reader into the familiar stories retold with verve and
excitement. The accompanying illustrations by Sarah Young are
beautiful adjuncts to the stories, the styised faces and backgrounds
adding to thee bold words.
So we have the story of Persephone being kidnapped by Hades and
tricked into eating, so forcing her to stay with him in the
underworld. But her mother begs the Gods for help, and so Persephone
returns each year, bringing spring and summer to the world, while
her descent into Hades each year, brings the drear of autumn and
winter.
Divided into three sections, Earth, the heavens and the underworld:
Monsters and heroes: Gods and mortals, each section brings to light
some well known stories, Persephone, The Minotaur, Atalanta and
Midas, amongst others, while revealing several lesser known (at
least to me) Bellerophon, Kalydonian boar hunt and and a slightly
different take on Pandora. All are enticing, the combination of the
words and illustrations forcing the reader to curl up in a corner
and just read, revelling in the stories thousands of years old,
seeing with new eyes some of the links to other myths and legends
heard long ago but only vaguely recalled.
Fran Knight
Baby tawnies by Judy Paulson
Random House, 2012. ISBN 978 1 74275 576 2
(Ages: 6-8) Recommended. Picture book. Owls. A loving look at two
baby Tawny Frogmouths as they begin to spread their wings, learn
about their environment, testing how far they can go without taking
too many risks while their parents are away fetching their food.
Each night, Lyla urges Reggie to hop on the branch with her, as she
tests her wings. She finds she can hop on the branch, then she
attempts to creep along the branch, urging Reggie to follow. Each
night they try something a little further away from the safety of
their nest until one night they can fly.
But all this effort takes its toll, so when the parents return with
their night's foraging, the two are fast asleep.
In alternate pages, the baby tawnies try out their wings, while the
parents return with food, surprised at their offspring being asleep,
but the repetition of the sequences will be intriguing to younger
readers as they learn about the baby birds learning their skills,
and see what the parents bring back for them to eat.
This is a lovely book to introduce baby animals and their needs and
learning, as well as the role the parents play in the development of
their young, and specifically, what tawny frogmouths eat.
The beautiful illustrations, models of felt, wool and wire, are
stunning and readers will be as intrigued as I was in looking
closely at the birds to see how they were made.
Fran Knight
Crypt: Traitor's revenge by Andrew Hammond
Headline, 2102. ISBN 978-0755378227.
(Age: Teenagers: 13 years and up - in particular boys). Recommended.
This book is the second in the C.R.Y.P.T. series and
although I have yet to read the first The Gallow's Curse, I
was certainly able to follow the storyline in Traitor's revenge.
It follows the investigation of the Crypt team: Covert Response
Youth Paranormal Team into some paranormal activity at the Houses of
Parliament in Westminster, London. I love the fact that a
significant historical figure from British history is portrayed in
such an unusual manner. People's preconceived notions of ghosts and
their abilities will be challenged by reading this book.
Never so fast has 340 pages been read. I love the suspenseful story
line that takes the reader on lots of plot twists. I didn't want to
put the book down. Take a historical event, a city steeped in
history - York and add ghosts with diabolical intentions and you
have one exhilarating read. Andrew Hammond's evocative imagery takes
the reader right into the room with the characters. The chapters are
written in such a way that the pace of the book speeds up building
to the climax of the story.
I think in particular that this book will appeal to teenage boys -
it has attention grabbing storylines, characters that they will
relate to and enough gruesome gore and blood that will have them
begging for more. I believe that as the chapters are one - three
pages long that it may even appeal to reluctant readers. The way
they are written ensures that the reader craves to know what is
going to happen next. I loved the book and cannot wait to read the
first one so that I can understand the story of the main characters
and as to how C.R.Y.P.T. was established.
I was a little disappointed by the ending as it seemed to be settled
very quickly after such a build up the throughout the chapters. I
felt that the ending was a little rushed. Having said that I am
really looking forward to the 3rd in the C.R.Y.P.T. series Mask
of Death which will be released in 2013.
Elaine Grottick
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Atom, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-90741-37-3.
(Age: 14+) 'Do you think being the Scion matters to me if I lose
you? Because it doesn't. None of this matters.'
'Calla has always welcomed war, but now the final battle is upon
her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren even if
it incurs Shay's wrath, there's keeping her brother Ansel safe even
if he has been branded a traitor. There is also proving herself as
the pack's alpha, and ridding the world of the Keeper's magic once
and for all. When the final battle ends Calla must decide what to do
and who to love. That is if Calla even makes it out alive. ' (Blurb)
Bloodrose is the final installment of the Nightshade
trilogy, the main character Calla Tor faces many of the same
problems that she faced in Wolfsbane, such as trying to keep Ansel
safe from the Keepers, who the correct person is to love, trying to
rid the world of the Keeper's magic, trying to find all of the
pieces of the Elemental Cross, trying to find Ren and many other
problems that present themselves along Calla's journey. The novel is
set in many different places such as a forest, Italy, and a castle.
I enjoyed reading this novel because it is told from Calla's point
of view, and I also feel as if I am in the story. Andrea Cremer has
done a beautiful job of creating this suspenseful story. I also
enjoyed reading this novel because of the friendship, family,
romance and adventure themes that present themselves during the
story. Bloodrose is the perfect way to end the Nightshade
trilogy; as it keeps you in suspense until the final chapter.
I would recommend this novel to older readers.
Emily Madden (Student)
Dingo's tree by Gladys Milroy and Jill Milroy
Magabala Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781921248436.
Highly recommended for ages 7 and up. When dingo wishes to escape
from the hot, summer sun, the other animals refuse to allow him to
share their shady trees. Instead, he draws a picture of a tree
boasting many branches, each covered in raindrops, on the rock
outside his cave. Dingo awakens to find that the tree has indeed
grown, tall and straight, directly up into the sky. To his
disappointment, however, it has no branches or leaves thereby
causing the animals to laugh at him. Over time, the land falls prey
to the drought and, whilst the other waterholes dry up, dingo's
continues to remain full. Unlike the other animals that have teased
dingo and failed to share, he kindly allows each of the other
creatures to drink from his waterhole. A cyclone occurs. As a
result, the waterholes are filled but dingo's tree disappears. As
the earth goes through additional seasons, the animals talk together
about their problems and the changes they notice. Crow adopts
'Little Tree' to keep watch over the raindrop it holds and life goes
on until even larger problems occur. Finally, when the rivers cease
to flow and the mountains are decimated, who will take care of the
environment? Will there be a happy ending?
Containing a sobering, cautionary tale about the environment and the
detrimental effects of man, this title would make a welcome addition
to the classroom library. It could be used as an introduction when
embarking on any study of the Australian environment. The
custodianship of the land and the responsibility of humans for our
native flora and fauna are highlighted in a confronting manner, yet
the bright and appealing illustrations make it acceptable to younger
children as well. Due to the substantial amount of text, this title
is perhaps better suited for middle primary students to read
independently but could certainly be read aloud to younger students.
This would be perfectly suited to my unit on drought and the
Australian landscape.
Jo Schenkel
The one and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Harper Collins, 2012. ISBN 978 0 00 745533 1.
(Age: 9-14+) Highly recommended. I have often wondered if animals
could talk, would we as humans, change our behaviour towards them.
The One and Only Ivan, told in the first person by Ivan the silver
backed gorilla, penetrates both your mind and your heart, as Ivan
describes his life in captivity for the past 30 years. Based on a
true story, Ivan was captured and transported to America where he
was purchased to entertain the shoppers in the Exit 8 shopping mall.
His world consists of a glass cage and a few friends, Stella the
aged and ill elephant, Bob the homeless dog and Julia, the cleaner's
daughter who visits after hours. It is the arrival of the young
elephant Ruby, that impacts and changes Ivan's life the most, that
and the chance TV viewing of other gorillas in a more natural zoo
environment.
Ivan can paint and through his art he tries to communicate the
future he wants for Ruby and himself. Katherine Applegate wanted to
give Ivan the voice that could talk to humans, could tell his story
and she achieves this wonderfully.
Told in a diary style, this book is emotional and at times,
disturbing. The wisdom and kindness of the animals is evident and
not all humans are without compassion and question 'How could this
happen?'
The book trailers are just as emotive as the book and can move you
to tears. There is one here and here.
Ivan, a real gorilla, now lives at Zoo Atlanta, and you can see him
online.
I highly recommend this book to 9 to 14+ year olds.
Jane Moore
The wrong boy by Suzy Zail
Black Dog Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-742031-65-1.
(Ages: 14+) Four stars. In Suzy Zail's emotional narrative, The
Wrong Boy, Hanna Mendel is caught in the midst of the horrors
of the holocaust. This is Suzy Zail's first work of fiction for
young adults and from its opening page, the reader will feel empathy
and heartache for those who suffered during this violent era.
Hanna is a young Jewish teenage girl with aspirations for her
future. She has hopes of becoming a concert pianist, and is imbued
with excitement at the prospect of attending the Budapest
Conservatorium of Music. With such promise so close at hand, Hanna
can barely comprehend the impact that her family's incarceration in
the Debrecen ghetto, and ultimately their internment in
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is about to have on her life.
With moving clarity, Hannah's voice throughout reveals the stench
and raw agony of the cattle trains, the belching prison chimneys,
and her awakening to the plight of her family, as her father is
drawn away by the SS Guards, leaving her sister and mother to cope
alone. Finally with the branding A10573 on her arm, she knows her
life has changed forever. Hanna makes an opportunistic decision and
joins the Birkenau Women's Orchestra. Her actions have unexpected
consequences as she begins an unusual relationship.
This novel will be an excellent library and resource book. It will
help to open the conversation with young teenagers about this dark
side of modern history, and the atrocities borne by the Jewish
people during the Second World War. Suzy Zail has researched well
and draws extensively from her wide reading, and her father's first
hand accounts of his experiences during the holocaust.
Colleen Tuovinen
Muncle Trogg and the flying donkey by Janet Foxley
Ill. by Steve Walls. Chicken House. ISBN 9781906427955.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. The second Muncle Trogg book features
Muncle, the world's smallest giant, and his good friend Emily. In
this story, Muncle is trying to encourage everyone to evacuate their
volcano home before it erupts. Fearing that no-one will listen to
such a tiny giant, Muncle develops a plan to persuade his friends to
listen to the Wonder Donkey, and Emily helps the plan come to life.
This book is full of wonderfully vivid scenes, designed to take the
reader on a flight of fancy. The scene where the giants are training
their dragons is particularly special. Young readers will love all
the clever illustrative additions, like 'scrape this up for a tasty
snack' and the thumb prints on the edges and corners of the pages,
really add to the 'authentic' feel of the story.
One of those books you can give to a young man (or lady!) and have
them disappear on a rainy weekend to escape to another world
entirely. The language is rich and imaginative, without being
anything you wouldn't want your Smalling repeating, and the
friendship between Muncle and Emily is very special indeed - without
issuing spoilers, Emily saves his life. The relationship between
Muncle and his family is also special - apparently a big change from
the first book, where Muncle is upside downed by his 'little'
brother quite often.
This is a rollicking read for ages 7+ and comes recommended,
especially for reluctant readers.
Freya Lucas
Wanda Wallaby finds her bounce by Jonathan Emmett
Ill. by Mark Chambers. Bloomsbury Paperbacks. ISBN 9781408818398.
Recommended. A fundraiser for the London Zoological Society, this is
a bright and colourful story about a wallaby called Wanda who has
lost her bounce. She wanders through the book, asking lots of other
animals for help, until she meets the crocodile, who proves an
unlikely ally in her quest.
The book uses clever devices, such as random capitalised words, to
keep the reader engaged. The watercolour illustrations are
captivating and engaging for small eyes, and Wanda really does
appear to move through the story. Another interesting aspect is the
use of all 5 senses through the story -Wanda asks the animals what
her bounce might look, smell, sound, feel and taste like. This would
be a good entry point to further explore and discover the 5 senses
with young readers.
One small criticism would be the description of the echidna in the
story as an anteater. The 'fun animal facts' at the end of the story
states that 'all of the animals in this story live in Australial. My
Australian reader was very perplexed by my reading of 'anteater'
when it was, quite clearly, an echidna in the picture. It seems such
an odd choice in an English publication, designed to introduce
children who otherwise wouldn't be familiar, to Australian animals.
That said, this book really is a lovely one, with a humorous twist
at the end, which small readers will enjoy. Recommended.
Freya Lucas
The fault in our stars by John Green
Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780143567592.
(Age: 13+ years) Highly recommended. John Green, author of Looking
for Alaska and Will Grayson, Will Grayson, writes about teenage
sufferers and survivors of cancer in his latest novel The Fault
in our stars. The narrator, sixteen year old Hazel, has
thyroid cancer which is being held at bay by a miracle drug.
However, intelligent, clear-eyed and iconoclastic, she knows and
accepts that the remission is temporary. Through Support Group,
which provides her and the reader with some black humour, she meets
other sufferers, one of whom is Augustus, a survivor of bone cancer.
Hazel, knowing that her life will be short, does not welcome love
and resists accepting it. However, Augustus is attractive, amusing,
smart and consequently irresistible. Together Hazel and Augustus
reject the glib assurances and encouragements offered by
well-meaning but ignorant non-sufferers. They experience as much of
life as they can, initially through reading. Hazel's favourite book
is about a cancer family; she wants to find out what happens to the
survivors, and the reader realizes that this is a central concern of
her life. What will her mother, her very caring and loving mother,
do when Hazel dies? Augustus uses his Wish (from a Cancer charity)
to find the author who has no answers for them. However the trip to
Amsterdam, complete with Augustus's prosthetic and Hazel's oxygen
tanks, to find him becomes a memorable time for them as they
experience happiness and have to accept its transience. Hazel,
accepting of her future, unexpectedly has to be clear-eyed and
resolute about another's suffering. Hazel learns that survivors must
provide their own answers, and sufferers their own happiness,
however fleeting. The word-play in the novel is a pleasure, and the
insights into the lives of cancer victims seem perceptive and
convincing. Ultimately the novel is very sad, but it is also very
funny, and without being didactic offers some wisdom about what is
important in life. It is highly recommended.
Jenny Hamilton
Try! by Sharon McGuinness
Ill. Tom Jellett. Self published flipbook and ebook. 2012.
"Jesse Baxter was crazy about football.
Not soccer.
Not AFL.
Not even rugby union. "
For Jesse, football meant league. Rugby league. Whenever he talked
about football, Jesse's palms grew sweaty, his feet itched and his
heart beat faster."
All Jesse wanted to do was play real football. But Jesse's mother
did not agree - like most mums, she was concerned that he was too
small for such a rough-and-tumble sport, particularly when Jesse's
nickname was 'Flea'. But persistence (and taking out the garbage)
pays off and Jesse gets to join a team. However, he soon learns that
while being little can be a barrier, it's just a detour not a
roadblock if you are really focused on your goal. His story of
triumph over adversity will resonate with many.
Our very own Sharon McGuinness (of Mrs Mac's Library fame)
has published this book just in time for the rugby league season
when hundreds of Jesses will be signing up for their local league
teams and watching their idols play on television. Using her
teaching experience and teacher librarian expertise, Sharon has
written it for those who are emerging readers ready for novels with
short chapters interspersed with terrific illustrations, and is
ideal for those boys who are looking for stories about their
favourite game that they can read for themselves. It comes complete
with links to follow that give more information about the sport, and
teaching notes including an interactive whiteboard game and being
able to colour the cover in your favourite team colours.There's even
an opportunity to submit a book trailer which might be featured on
the site. Try! comes in two formats - a flipbook which is a pdf file
that reads like a book for $5.00 or an ebook compatible with a
variety of devices for $6.95. All the purchasing details are
available from Sharon's new
site, Mrs Mac's Books.
I've been anticipating the release of this book for quite some time
now, and I'm so glad that it is finally here, because it will fill a
gap and a need that will mean that the teacher librarian is just as
much a hero as Jesse is. Congratulations, Sharon.
Barbara Braxton
A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison
HarperCollins, 2012. ISBN: 9780007156849.
Tallulah Casey arrives back at Dother Hall Performing Arts College,
excited about being reunited with her recently acquired friends
Flossie, Honey, Jo and Vaisey. Amidst much hugging and hand knitted
garments, she receives a warm welcome from her stand in parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Dobbins and the twins, Max and Sam. In her 'squirrel room',
Tallulah continues to write in her diary and measure the growth of
her 'corkers'. Boarding in a private home and not at school, she
enjoys having the freedom to visit Ruby, her bulldog Matilda and the
baby owls. School resumes and she is immersed in the daily life.
This is not without its ups and downs with regard to 'boy interests'
of Tallulah and her group of friends. With a new musical to rehearse
and family issues with which to contend, life is never dull and
boring.
As with the Georgia Nicholson titles, Rennison has created a
likeable, hilarious and endearing character in Tallulah and girls
will be clamouring to read this series. With themes of friendship,
crushes and snogging, acceptance of others no matter what their
differences and a smattering of somewhat eccentric teachers and
interesting vocabulary, this is another entertaining title. There
are certain parallels between this and Sue Townsend's title The
Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. I laughed out loud at the main
characters in each book as they measured various parts of their
anatomy to gauge their movement into adolescence. An easy read for
girls in Upper Primary and early secondary school, I can see they
will always be on loan and never on my library shelves!
Jo Schenkel
The alchemy of forever by Avery Williams
Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9780857076816.
(Age: 12+) Seraphina was only 14 years old when she turned immortal.
Her boyfriend Cyrus shared his father's formula for immortality with
her, which enabled their souls to move from one body to the next for
eternity, ending the life of the body's original soul in the
process.
Nevertheless, Sera became tired of murdering innocent people once
six hundred years passed. She came to a final decision to die and
leave her controlling boyfriend behind, until she came across
Kailey. Seraphina couldn't perform another murder on a young girl,
even if Kailey's life was almost gone . . . But when she falls in
love with Kailey's world, she realises that for the past few
decades, she may have something to live for. But does it mean that
Cyrus is ready to let her go? The Alchemy Of Forever is written in the first person and is
a fast paced novel. The style in which the author writes is likable
from the beginning, especially when it came to the action bits, but
the actual book is cold and expressionless. It's written in a diary
form and not many descriptions were made of particular characters
and settings. The Alchemy Of Forever is a somewhat
interesting book, but I wouldn't suggest reading it more than once.
The characters didn't develop with the book, as they stayed the same
for the whole story without changing, so it was quite boring when it
came to dialogues. However when it came to action, such as the bit
where Sera was running for her life, it was interesting to read. In
fact the way Avery Williams was writing about it, the whole bit was
quite fascinating.
This book will definitely not become a bestseller, but it is a good
novel to read in your spare time, as it includes many interesting
plot twists, with the main one at the end.
Nika Aroutiounian
Go Girl: Sink or swim by Thalia Kalkipsakis
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012 ( first published 2008 ). ISBN 978
174297138 4.
(Age 7-10) The Go Girl books have been around for a few
years but the recent publications are new stories with a new jacket
style. This series is Australian and according to the publisher's
website 'provide(s) simple, real-life stories about characters
experiencing and exploring new situations . . .'
Bec in Sink or Swim is excited about being promoted to a new
swimming group. She goes from being the best swimmer to the least
experienced in her group. Everything is going fine until the big
race when Bec becomes nervous about her performance.
Bec has to learn to deal with her anxiety and to trust her own
abilities. This would be a situation that many children encounter
and it gives them an insight into dealing with their own worries and
stress.
Thalia Kalkipsakis has made Bec a believable character and girls
will be able to identify with her problems.
I would recommend this book to girls aged 7 to 10 years.
For the earlier books go to this site
but for this new series visit here
(the students will need to log in with a password for this site).
Jane Moore
Literature to support the Australian curriculum: History by Fran Knight
Pledger Consulting, 2012. ISBN 978-1-876678-26-5.
(Age: Teacher reference. Primary and secondary) Recommended. In the best traditions of teacher/librarianship, Fran Knight has produced another aid to supporting, extending and enriching the curriculum for teachers and students. Good literature can offer much in developing students' understanding of situations they cannot experience themselves, such as historical contexts. This book provides annotated lists of a wide range of books covering all topics in the Australian Curriculum: History from Personal Histories for the Foundation Year students to the Shogun Japan for Year 8 and Vietnam and the Environmental Movement of the 1960's.
One of the challenges for many teachers in tackling the Australian Curriculum: History is their own personal knowledge of the topics they need to teach. Using the books listed provides an exciting approach to developing a rich understanding for teachers and students alike. For many teachers, developing their own understanding of the historical concept will be a necessary precursor to teaching it. Reading some of the titles on the list will be a wonderful aid for teachers to get the pick up some of the 'back-story' to a historical period. Who wouldn't want to read about Krakatau or the Indian mutiny during the English Empire? Alternatively you might be interested to read about the Feathered soldiers: an illustrated tribute to the Australian wartime messenger pigeon. Maybe a graphic novel of Auschwitz or a child-friendly Canterbury tales would be of interest. Reviewing this resourceful list, I found myself wanting to grab a pile of books and get reading.
Fran's knowledge of literature spans a significant time. Her annotations are reliable and thoughtful. She understands how classrooms work and the variety of students within each class and so each section contains a variety of reading levels and styles of books - including graphic novels and picture books for senior students. She also includes links to Teacher Guides for books when available.
Many titles are recent releases although a few are a little older, the majority being published after 2004. Some titles may require a little finding - for example in online booksellers offering second hand editions. Some may need to be accessed from specific organisations such as a regimental bookseller rather than your favourite bookseller but the search will be worth it. Some titles are also available in Google Book editions.
Diana Warwick
Editor's note: This is available from http://www.readplus.com.au/resources.php
