Marshall Armstrong is new to our school by David Mackintosh
HarperCollins, 2011. ISBN 9780007361410.
Picture book. Highly recommended. When new boy, Marshall Armstrong
comes to the classroom, the teacher sits him in the front with a class
member until he finds his feet. But Marshall is different. The
classmate is suspicious of his equipment laid out on the desk.
Marshall's box of pens, his ink pen, rubber bands, several rulers,
slide rule, compass and bull dog clip, contrast wildly with his
neighbour's single small pencil and folder of paper. The next page
underlines the differences even more. The classmate points out his eyes
that always look to the front, the shell like ear, freckles like bird
seed and his tidy shoelaces, all adding up, in his mind, to a huge
difference between the children in the class. These differences are
further underscored when the children go outside the classroom. Here
Marshall does not involve himself in games, and eats the oddest of
food, each in its own labelled container. The neighbour concludes that
Marshall does not fit into their school.
When the class is invited along to Marshall's place to celebrate his
birthday, the classmate predicts that everyone will have a horrible
time. But the party is different with all the class having the wildest
of times, playing hide and seek, making lemonade, playing with the
train set and opening a pinata. As a consequence the class mate changes
his mind about Marshall, saying how great he is. The next new person to
come to the class is welcomed.
A lovely story about fitting in, about welcoming people and about
acceptance of difference is beautifully told and illustrated in David
Mackintosh's distinctive style. His seemingly quick pencil sketches are
filled in with colour and vitality, while each double page spread gives
the reader a different view of what is going on. I love the double page
of Marshall's things, the collection of bits and pieces redolent of
times past, fitting in so well with the drawing of Marshall himself,
with straw hat and round glasses.
Fran Knight
Just a Girl by Jane Caro
University of Quensland Press, 2011. ISBN 9780702238802.
(Ages 11+) Historical. Highly recommended. Elizabeth, daughter of Ann
Boleyn and Henry V111, sits in the Tower of London on the eve of her
coronation and recalls her turbulent life. Caro is able to tell her
story simply but is also able to include the reader in the terrible
intrigue and power struggles that were the hallmarks of the Tudor
dynasty.
The major players in this struggle are very familiar to an older
audience, but not so to the younger readership and Caro is able to
introduce the characters without a hint of condesention. We are able to
understand the underlying reasons behind behaviors, though they seem
outragous to us now. The desire to have an heir to safely and smoothly
continue the government and dynasty of the Tudors is uppermost in
Henry's mind and it is this which puts his children in conflict with
one another as well as their father.
Elizabeth's relationship with her father is explained in a way which
gives insight to the behaviors of both. Her relationship with her
sister Mary Tudor is as unpredictable as any of those at court who may
be in favour at one time but will find themselves in the Tower the
next. Elizabeth learns quickly not to trust anyone completely and
decides, according to Caro, that she will not marry. She is wary of the
great families who would try to use her to gain power, as they did with
her cousin Lady Jane Grey. She is also welll aware of the perils that
marriage brings. Any future husband would use her postion to gain power
for himself and establish a dynasty for his own family. Elizabeth has
also seen the dangers inherent in childbirth especially with the
example of Jane Seymour.
Elizabeth came to understand the problems that occured when the
succession to the throne was disputed or subject to regency, such as
that of her young half brother Edward V1. She could also see the
problem from the other side, where the succession was crystal clear and
gave the plotters and power seekers someone to focus their attention on.
Caro certainly leaves no question that Elizabeth was lucky to inheret
the throne. Her times in and out of favour; labelled as a bastard,
imprisoned in the Tower or Woodstock, or at court having to watch every
word and action in case it gave courtiers or the monarch reason to
doubt her loyalty, would have broken most in her position. Just a Girl
is a very readable historical fiction even though you know the
outcomes. We are given an insight into Elizabeth that provides empathy
and understanding.
Mark Knight
The Rukan Prophecy by YoYo (Group)
Vermonia: 4. Walker Books, 2010.
This is the 4th of a planned 10 volume manga adventure series, which
features really impressive black and white artwork. The fate of
three worlds depends on the courage of four friends, Naomi, Doug, Jim
and Mel, the Blue Star Warriors - the Battle for Vermonia continues.
In this storyline the tribes of the Turtle Realm, led by the Blue
Star warriors fight Uro's dark Yami magic in two epic battles.
The four pillars of the Turtle Realm - fire, wind, water and thunder
are attacked and Mel is imprisoned in a castle. Can they reunite with
her AND save their Realm?
The author YoYo is a Tokyo based collection of writers, artists and
gamers, which began in 2006. It would have been advantageous to have a
character summary at the beginning for new readers and page numbers for
easy return to your reading spot.
This 4th volume can just be read without the earlier volumes but the
reader will be bolting to the shop to buy no 5! Young readers
will love the associated website - www.vermonia.com, where they can get
free wallpaper, posters and music and take part in some engaging games.
Although Vermonia is action packed it is suitable for readers from 9
years to about fifteen who have good imaginations and a love of
fantasy. Manga lovers will be captivated with this book.
Kay Haarsma
Z by Michael Thomas Ford
Random House, 2010. ISBN: 9781864718225.
(Ages: 12 +) Set in 2032, Z is a novel about a teenager, Josh, who
moves from his favourite virtual video game of hunting and torching
zombies to a real life nightmare where the zombies seem too real.
The video game is based on a 'historical' event that occurred in the
2020s when a virus spread across New York and the rest of the world
causing people to become zombies. The only solution to solving this
problem was to employ armies of zombie torchers who patrolled the city
in order to catch and torch zombies. The moral and ethical problem with
this is that these zombies where formally real people and often the
relatives and friends of torchers. As a result, years later, a new
generation of teenagers have taken to the heroics of the virtual zombie
game much to the displeasure of their parents who lived through the
real dangers and memories of the zombie wars. Despite, Josh is
eventually persuaded to join an underground zombie hunting group, which
turns out to be front to pedal the mysterious drug called Z. Along the
way he experiences romance and this more common issues concerning
teenagers such as a fight with his best friend. Z moves beyond what
could an entertaining novel about hunting zombies to touch on some
deeper issues about growing-up, developing new friendship groups, peer
pressure and using drugs. For this reason, slightly older readers are
more likely appreciate these themes.
Adam Fitzgerald
Hour of need by Michael Pryor
The Laws of Magic, book 6. Random House, 2011. ISBN: 9781741663105.
Highly recommended for ages 12 and up.
Aubrey, still bearing the label 'traitor son of Albion', is travelling
with and caring for Hugo Von Stralick, the ill ex-Holmland spy. They
have been observing the evil Dr Tremaine in his current retreat and
pondering the presence of many well known magicians, obviously being
held against their wishes. When Aubrey's first attempt to rid the world
of Tremaine goes awry, he and Hugo endeavour to get closer to the
action and are shortly reunited with Madame Zelinka, her Enlightened
Ones and George, Sophie and Caroline. From there, the action
intensifies with much use of science, magic and teamwork as the heroes
battle to save the world from total devastation.
Pryor's conclusion to this great series is filled with some suspense,
humour, insights into the machine of war and its purpose or lack
thereof. His comments regarding the role of the government are
applicable to that of any society at any time in history. He has
catered for readers of any gender. Stereotypically, many male readers
will love the descriptions of the skyfleet, battles and steampunk
creations and females will be satisfied with the development of the
various relationships throughout the series. Despite this, Pryor
creates strong female characters that are equally as capable in their
fields as their male counterparts. He leaves us with the promise of
things to come in the state of Albion. The vocabulary and more formal
style of language make this series more appropriate for the young adult
reader, as does the fact that it shows the 'coming of age' of the
protagonist, Aubrey. This is a series I am glad to have gone back to
read in its entirety, as the author has cleverly crafted not just the
tale itself but the character development has been realistic and
satisfying.
Jo Schenkel
Tooth and Claw - ghost writing from the underground by Lazlo Strangolov (a.k.a Matt Whyman)
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781406323450.
Recommended for middle to upper primary. 'Little Lumina loves her pet
beagle, Scud, even though he's been brought back from the grave by her
father. But stranger things than this are surfacing in the
volcanic town which is home to Dr Grubo's health clinic.'
Set in a very unusual town, this is a highly quirky story about a
devoted father and a zombie dog. Lumina lives in a spa town,
where there are hot springs and geysers of steam all around town.
Her father works at the local clinic, the place locals visit for their
health treatments, next door to the town's power station. The
earth is bubbling and unpredictable in her town, just as is her life
once her beloved beagle is brought back from the grave by her well
meaning father.
Smelly, squishy and with glowing red eyes, Scud is still as lovable as
ever to Lumina, and unfortunately for her, he is also still as
mischievous. What trouble can a zombie dog on the loose
cause? Find out as you travel with Lumina and some of her family
friends to discover the power of love, slobber and secrets.
A nicely presented book with quirky details on each page that add to
its charm. Students will enjoy the grossness of the story that is
presented with just enough gory details to make it interesting.
There are some points of predictability, but enough twists to keep you
guessing again.
Overall a fairly easy read that would appeal to many young readers, I
would recommend it to those students that like Morris Gleitzman's Toad
Rage series.
Zana Thiele
Goodnight mice! by Frances Watts
Ill. by Judy Watson. ABC Books, 2011. ISBN 978073332425.
Picture book. Mitzi, Billy, Clementine and Oliver are about to be put
to bed by their parents. All four are tired little mice and the
procedure of going to bed is spelled out as they follow the routine of
going to bed. First they kiss their grandfather good night, then climb
the stairs, have a bath, clean their teeth, put on their pyjamas, climb
into bed, have a story read to them and finally the lights are put out
and they go to sleep.
Told in rhyming four line refrains, the rhythm is easy to pick up and
so listeners can predict the next words as it is read aloud. The
straightforward story, giving a procedure before bed time, will
engender a great deal of discussion about what children do before bed
and what time they go to sleep. Teachers will be able to use the story
as an impetus to discussion in the class about routines and their
importance, about procedures and house rules. The mice are
endearing and the illustrations reflect another level of humour which
is obvious to the listener as the story is read. Children will delight
in the antics of the mice in their bedtime routine, taking time to
delay the moment, but all the while, ready to sleep.
Fran Knight
Terry, adventures of a Terek Sandpiper by Anne Hawthorn
Wombat Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921633300.
(Ages 5-7) Environmental concerns. Mixing non fiction and fiction is a
path fraught with peril, and few do it well. Although the information
presented in this book is interesting, its mix of the two genres simply
does not work, and I would have much preferred to see a solid non
fiction book with the lovely illustrations born of this venture. And of
course this would have included a map, which is sorely missing.
A story of the Terek Sandpiper is diligently told by Anne Hawthorn
making a story of its habitat, behaviours and life in learning to ply
the incredible journey it makes each year from Australia to the Arctic
Circle and back. In the first few weeks after it is born, Terry the
Terek sandpiper learns to walk and fly, catch mosquitoes, and eat to
build its strength to fly south. It flies with its group, the crowd
skimming over the Great Wall of China, spying pandas in the mountains,
across the treacherous Yellow Sea and through cyclones, until finally
reaching the Australian coast.
With engaging illustrations by Sandra Temple, this earnest book will
find a home in some classrooms where environmental awareness is under
discussion or where animals and birds and their habitats and behaviours
are being taught. The beginning of the book tells us why the book was
written and at the end is a long page of closely printed information
for the researcher. It is a mix of fiction and information book which
does not quite jell, but readers will find something to like in its
plain simple layout and the strong emphasis on information about this
mostly unknown bird in our midst.
Fran Knight
The secret kingdom by Jenny Nimmo
Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742751986. Pbk 243p
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. When Timoken and his sister are
given precious gifts from their parents when the enemy is about to
slaughter the inhabitants of the castle, the pair flees. Timoken is
given a web woven from the thread of the last moon spider, which gives
him extra powers, and it is this that his enemy, the viridees, want. He
and his sister Zobayda, elude the enemy over many years, taking the
elixir to give them eternal youth. Meeting a camel whose master has
been killed, he becomes part of their family, as do the three leopard
cubs who they save. When the viridees confront Timoken and his sister
she leaps over the waterfall to her death to save her brother, and he
goes on, wary, fighting the enemy along the way, all the while
searching for a place of safety, a home.
One night a boy stumbles across him with an amazing story of slavery,
and so Timoken stops to help him, rescuing the other children and the
girl, Beri, from being sold the following day. They then go to Toledo,
where Beri is from, and here Timoken has a life and death struggle with
the new leader of the viridee, the half human, half viridee sorcerer
son of Lord Degal, killer of Timoken's parents.
Reading Nimmo's The snow spider trilogy years ago left me
breathless.
And this is is no different. Original, entertaining and highly
adventurous, the efforts of Timoken in finding a place of safety where
he and his family can live put their lives is mesmerizing, as he fights
the dreaded enemy who chase him for two hundred years.
Fran Knight
Tyranny - I keep you thin by Lesley Fairfield
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781406331134.
Graphic novel, 120 pages. Much has been written about anorexia and
bulimia, however this little graphic novel seems to deliver fresh
insight into one person's struggle with these eating disorders. Anna
finds puberty a distressing time as her breasts grow and her body
changes. Then she finds that she can slow the 'rounding out' of her
body by dieting, thus regaining some control. Her perception that this
thin self is desirable is reinforced by media images and the comments
of her peers. Fashions fit and she feels pretty, her boyfriend finds
her attractive so thin must be good. Somewhere within these feelings,
common to those many adolescent girls experience, things go wrong. The
association in Anna's mind, that dieting equates with control of her
life means that she can't give it up. Outside messages don't get
through and the side of her that represents this control manifests
itself as Tyranny, who keeps her thin. The author's graphic design
skills and personal experience with this eating disorder mean the
deceptively simple cartoon images deliver a convincing message with
consistent characterisation. The images of Anna's increasing
emaciation dispel any illusion that thinness is glamorous. Her
controlling demon, the dynamic yet skeletal Tyranny is a very strong
force and overcoming it in the end is less convincing. Still it is a
great little book, accessible to many readers, and recommended for
middle to upper secondary students, especially girls. The only real
reservation is that the publisher has rendered the text so thin as to
be barely legible.
Sue Speck
The queen's lady by Eve Edwards
Razorbill, 2011. ISBN: 9780141327334. The Queen's lady is the second in the Lacey chronicles by Eve
Edwards.
This superb novel is set in 1584 and has been thoroughly researched for
historical accuracy. A beautifully crafted romance, it follows the
trials and persecutions of Lady Jane as she struggles to gain and
maintain her independence in life. As I have not yet read the first in
the chronicles I look forward to discovering the beginning of Jane's
story with The other countess and then the end with The
rouge
princess.
After Jonas's passing the dowager marchioness is admitted into Queen
Elizabeth's service as one of the Queen's ladies - the complementing
flowers of the court bouquet. As the newest addition Lady Jane wants to
keep herself as a quiet member of the household but that wish is
challenged by the insistence of her stepsons and their want for her
dowry and inheritance. As if that weren't bad enough, family matters
become more frequent with the Earl of Wetherby and his son making an
appearance at court with a Frenchman, Montfleury, who is after the
Lady's hand. How can she wriggle out of this engagement when her lover
has rejected her and left on an expedition to America?
This story is quite complex, full of twists and turns in the plot
turning the lives of the characters upside down. I would recommend this
book for young adults with advanced reading skills as the captivating
plot is likely to confuse most and the historical period is long
before our time. This is a brilliant novel which would fascinate any
lover of historical fiction.
(Kayla Gaskell, 15)
The Maya Brown Missions: Circle of fire by S.M. Hall
Frances Lincoln, 2011. ISBN 9871847801210.
(Ages 13+) When 15 year old Maya was younger Pam Brown saved her life.
That was the last time she saw her family, after that Pam adopted her.
Now it's Maya's turn to save Pam's life when she is kidnapped by
terrorists. All of Pam's hopes lie in that Maya is smart enough to use
the password she gave her to open the 'Red Moon' file on her laptop and
that she understands the message she gave her in that one phone call:
'Look for the moon'.
In an attempt to find her mum Maya leaves the safe home of Pam's mum
and goes to the Red Moon bookshop in Leeds to talk to Pam's informant,
Khaled.
But he a friend or is he her enemy? Can she infiltrate their cell
without risking Pam's life? And will she get there before it's too late?
This book was hard to get in to and a little boring at first but it was
a good book after that.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)
I am Thomas by Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder (ill.)
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN: 978 1 742371429.
Highly recommended for children 8 and above. Thomas
is not a child who is prepared to simply 'go with the flow'. He
is not like other members of his family or community but is willing to
question and go against the norms of society. As a teenager, he
retreats into his music, to separate himself from the rest of the
world. Despite the pressures brought to bear by those in authority, be
they family, teachers, politicians, preachers or those in the forces,
Thomas fails to relent or accept what he is told. Finally, Thomas seems
set to board a bus, en route to a future of his own choosing.
Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder are again perfectly paired in this
wonderful picture book. Gleeson is always prepared to challenge the
reader through her ideas and Greder does not beautify those he depicts
in his illustrations. Greder's use of colour adds a sense of positivity
and strength to the pictures showing Thomas, the trappings of his
childhood and the glimpse into his future. In direct contrast, the
figures of authority are seen as powerful, often unattractive, black
and white images, appearing to have a sense of menace about them.
This title is another to be used in picture book studies for upper
primary students. Whilst containing powerful messages about coming of
age, independence, peer pressure and conformity, this text leaves much
unsaid and gives great opportunity for discussion with children,
particularly in light of its open ended conclusion.
Jo Schenkel
Falling under by Gwen Hayes
Penguin, 2011. ISBN: 9780143565260.
Falling under follows seventeen year old Theia Alderson, as she
discovers secrets about herself, friends and her family.
The plot of this novel is great. Theia is just a normal seventeen year
old high school girl until she meets a devastatingly handsome boy named
Haden Black. Haden is hiding a very dangerous secret. He is a demon. If
Theia finds this out she will put a lot of people in incredible danger
from Haden's mother Mara who is also a demon. It becomes even more
dangerous when Theia realises that she has feelings for Haden and he
has feelings for her. If Theia finds out Haden's secret the cost of her
knowing this is her soul, and lots of people will get hurt. If Theia
finds out his secret how is he going to protect her?
The novel is mainly told from Theia's point of view but in some places
it is told from Haden's point of view. There are some great themes in
this novel including: friendship, mystery, love and family. These
themes are present all the way through the book.
This is set in two different places: London and a place named Under.
Under is located in Hell and is also where the demons can be found.
Throughout the novel we meet many new characters including: Mara who is
Haden's mother. We also meet Donny (short for Donnatella) and Ame
(short for Amelia). These are Theia's closest friends.
Overall this is a spellbinding book and I would recommend it to teenage
girls who like reading love/horror novels.
Emily Madden (Student)
Beautiful Monster by Kate McCaffrey
Fremantle Press, 2010. ISBN 9781921361982.
It's a very ordinary day in Tess's life. She's learning to fit
into high school, making new friends and enjoying the usual up-down
relationship
with her ten-year-old brother, Brodie. Today is his birthday so she's
trying hard to be especially nice, and is as thrilled as he is that he
has an
award for excellence to show mum, because she knows how much mum values
that
sort of thing. 'Yeah, you're just a genius for a brain-dead dead
head', she says, not knowing that within seconds, that's exactly what
Brodie will
be, the victim of a hit-and-run driver.
It takes just a few short seconds of distraction for Tess's life to be
irrevocably changed, and that of all those around her. But how do
you deal with the loss of your brother, especially when your mum goes
to a deep,
dark place that demands all your dad's attention and your friends won't
even mention his name in case it causes you pain and hurt? And
whenever you think of him, all you can think of are the nasty things
you said and
did? How do you make your life whole again, when everyone else has
gone? You try to be perfect - the perfect daughter, the perfect student
and
have the perfect body. You control those things that you can. You set
goals that you can achieve through strict discipline and willpower, and
you
have a boyfriend like Ned who encourages you to keep going, scoffing at
your efforts if you deviate. Knowing that if you didn't have Ned, you
would really be all alone and so you strive even harder to meet his
expectations. Rowing, running, studying, starving, rowing, running,
studying,
starving. And still your mum stays in her dark place. And still you're
on your
own, except for Ned. A's remain elusive, the rowing team gets a
dead-heat
not a win, and 47kg is not enough when 45kg beckons.
Is this Tess's life forever, until she, too, becomes a brain-dead
dead-head? Or is there a breakthrough? Is there a happily-ever-after
ending? This is McCaffrey's third novel and it is just as intriguing as
Destroying Avalon and In Ecstasy. She writes with a
knowledge of the
issues that
gives insight rather than just information, as anyone who has had a Ned
in
their life would know. Written in three parts, each distinct phases of
Tess's life, Beautiful Monster explores the issues of grief,
self-perception
and self-worth, anorexia and bulimia. In keeping with the
characteristics of contemporary realistic fiction, it focuses on the
people, their
problems, and their challenges allowing the reader to combine their
social
development with a greater knowledge and understanding of the world -
the epilogue
is very powerful to those who read between and beyond the lines, not
just
along them - but its situation and circumstance is sadly common enough
that
this novel could also be used in a therapeutic setting.
There are teaching notes available
but,
in
my opinion, as with many
contemporary realistic fiction titles, teachers need to really know
their students
before they set this as a one-size-fits-all study. A student may well
be in a Tess-Mum or Tess-Ned relationship already that requires
professional intervention. Beautiful Monster was one of 11 Australian books selected by the
International Youth Library in Munich for the White Ravens 2011. This
is their annual recommendation list of outstanding international books
for children and young adults, presented at their stand at the Bologna
Children's Book Fair. The books for this year's exhibition, 250 titles
from more than 40 countries, were selected from the thousands of books
that
the library received as review copies from publishers, authors,
illustrators, and organisations from all over the world within the last
year.
It deserves it place.
Barbara Braxton
