Hodder and Stoughton, 2011. ISBN 9781444722635.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Karou keeps two lives in balance. On
one hand she is an art student in Prague, on the other she travels
around the world collecting teeth from endangered animals and
criminals for Brimstone, a monster who is family to her. She was
raised half in Elsewhere and half in the normal world. When the
doors to Elsewhere begin to close, Karou is forced to choose between
the human world and the strange and dangerous place behind the
doors.
Taylor has created a fabulous world for this highly original
fantasy. The beautiful city of Prague is brought to life, with its
intimate coffee shops and narrow alleyways. Then there is Elsewhere,
a frightening but compelling world, where Brimstone concocts strange
beings and the land is being torn apart by war.
Karou's normal life as an art student is vividly described. She has
blue hair and is immersed in the art scene in Prague, drawing
unusual fantasy creatures that no one guesses are her family. She is
strong and independent, careful of her friends, but hiding secrets.
When Brimstone sends a message via the almost crow, she drops
everything to do his bidding. The reason that Karou collects teeth
is a wonderful device used by Taylor and kept me guessing until all
was revealed. Other twists and turns were introduced as well that
kept the suspense of the story quite enthralling.
For those who like romance with their paranormal fantasy, Akiva, an
angel who loves Karou, will be a satisfying partner as the tragic
events that surround him provide Karou with clues to her real
identity.
Taylor has created a rich world world that will ensure that readers
eagerly await the next book in the series. The ending, which is a
cliff-hanger, is also sure to both frustrate readers who longed for
a satisfying conclusion and entice people into reading the sequel.
Pat Pledger
Going Underground by Susan Vaught
Bloomsbury, 2011.
(Ages: 15+) Highly recommended. This novel opens with the main
character, 17 year old Del, digging a grave and pondering his life
in
the 'deadzone' a place 'without life, without feeling, without air'.
He
has no prospects, despite still being at school and a good student,
is
not permitted to apply to college and the only job he can get is
working for an alcoholic cemetery caretaker.
What could this boy, who was bright, funny and friendly, a child
that
any parent would be proud to call their own, have done that was so
dreadful as to ruin his whole life? His story is told in a series of
flashbacks to the time three years ago, when his world was turned
upside down. The account is cleverly accompanied by Del's own
musical
soundtrack, that reflects his thoughts and feelings. When the
circumstances are slowly and painfully revealed it comes as a
surprise
and a shock, but not for the reasons you think.
Del falls for the beautiful Livia, seeing her when she visits her
sister's grave. She is sweet and lovely with her own tragic
background,
and he faces the dilemma of having to tell her his secret without
losing her. The matter is further complicated by the Goth girl
Cherie
who has taken a shine to Del, despite knowing his past, and cannot
take
the increasingly strident hints that he is not interested.
The characters are appealing, quirky and well rounded, even Fred the
foul mouthed and cheeky African gray parrot who is Del's
constant
companion. It is especially pleasant to see that the majority of
adults
are thoughtful, compassionate and kind, not the cliched villains
or clueless stereotypes that feature in so much YA fiction. There
are
of course exceptions to the rule in the cynical and hypocritical DA
who
appallingly uses the situation to further his own career.
This is an engaging and rather lovely novel, that deals with the
topical themes of teenage sexuality and sexting as well as
friendship,
love and loss with sympathy and understanding.
Alicia Papp
Assault by Brian Falkner
Recon Team Angel, Book 1. Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720543.
(Ages 14 +) Recommended. When the story begins it is 2030 and most
of the world has been taken over by an alien race called
Bzadians. We are introduced to a highly trained multinational
group of teenagers who are part of an elite fighting squad, Recon
Team Angel. They have learned the Bzadian language, how to operate
their weapons and have been disguised through surgery and skin dying
to resemble the enemy. This team of six is dropped into the centre
of Australia to break into the Bzadian top secret facility under
Uluru and destroy it.
One of the six teenage soldiers is a traitor and solving this
mystery is an important element of the story. The main character of
Ryan Chisnall is well developed and the bravery and inventiveness of
his team leads to some exciting battle scenes. The teenage fighters
are forced to make some thought provoking ethical decisions and
these would be interesting to explore with readers in a class or
individual discussion. For example, how many lives can be classed as
just collateral damage?
This book is the first of a planned sci fi series documenting the
war to defeat the Bzadians. It is recommended for boys who love
adventure and war novels.
Chris Lloyd
Stink and the ultimate thumb-wrestling smackdown by Megan McDonald
Ill. By Peter H. Reynolds. Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781406334586.
(Ages 6-11) Recommended. In the 6th title of the Stink Moody books,
Stink is excited about receiving his school report, and looks
forward
to seeing a long list of O's for Oustanding Achievement. He is
horrified though, to see a U for Unsatisfactory beside Physical
Education. Stink has never enjoyed sports, as he thinks he is so
small
he'd get hurt too easily, but now it looks like he'll have to find a
sport to play if he wants to regain his status as the perfect
student.
After ruling out bike-riding, skateboarding, golf and badminton,
Stink
discovers the best sport of them all - Thumb Wrestling! He makes a
costume for his thumb and dubs it Shark Hammersmash, but even such
an
awe-inspiring name cannot help him win. Deciding that perhaps he's
not
cut out for the world of thumb wars after all, Stink finally decides
to
try Karate, and finds he is very good at it. The confidence he gains
from achieving his yellow belt might even give him the boost he
needs
to defeat T.Rex Wasabi, the school's thumb-wrestling champion.
There's a lovely message in this book, that while nobody is good at
everything, everyone is good at something. Students already familiar
with the characters of Stink and his sister Judy will enjoy seeing
Judy
feel quite proud of her brother for a change, and those new to the
series will find themselves wanting to read more.
Donella Reed
Wild Rescue Series by J Burchett and S Volger
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011.
1. Poacher Peril ISBN 978-192169025-9
2. Earthquake Escape ISBN 978-192169026-6
3. Forest Fire ISBN 978-192169027-3
4. Polar Meltdown ISBN 978-192169028-0
This series has it all for 7 to 9 year old readers. Adventure,
intrigue, a top secret organisation (Wild) and twins Ben and Zoe who
solve mysteries and save animals.
In Book 1 Poacher Peril, Ben and Zoe receive a mysterious
message from their famous zoologist uncle who wants them to join Wild,
saving endangered species around the world. They are equipped with
high tech gadgets and sent undercover to the Sumatran rainforest to
ensure a tiger and her cubs are safe from poachers.
The story is exciting and fast paced. There are ample black and
white illustrations to support the text.
Throughout the book the reader is given lots of information about
the focus animal, in this case tigers and the problems they face. At
the end of the novel is a 2 page fact sheet.
Each book in the series gives the twins a new mission, a new animal
and problem to solve.
In book 2 Earthquake Rescue, Ben and Zoe must save a baby
panda in China, Book 3 Forest Fire involves a young
orang-utan in Borneo and in Book 4 orphan polar bear cubs need to be
rescued in the Arctic.
Read the first chapters of these books to children and you will have
them hooked.
Jane Moore
Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz
Atom, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-905654-76-5.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. They are young, fabulous and fanged. They
are the Blue Blues, the secret vampire elite. Now the young Blue
Bloods are being murdered by the most powerful and strongest
vampires of all . . . the Silver Bloods. With the coven of Manhattan
in disarray, three young Blue Bloods find themselves on a journey to
Egypt, which seems to hold the key to protecting the Blue Bloods.
Schuyler Van Alen has just won the love of her life, another Blue
Blood who was meant to be bonded to another, but things are not
completely happy for the new couple. Schuyler must continue on with
the Van Alen legacy to protect the remaining Blue Bloods, while
Jack, her beloved, must face his twin, his bond mate, to end the
bond and destroy her, so that he and Schuyler can be together
forever.
Mimi has been made leader of the coven of Manhattan and she feels
that she can't fulfill the role completely without help of her new
love. However, Kingsley has been taken to the underworld to live the
rest of eternity there. So Mimi must travel to the underworld to
rescue him before it's too late for him and the rest of the coven. Lost in Time is the sixth novel in the Blue Blood series
which follows the characters Schuyler, Mimi and Jack as they try to
restore the covens to peace as the Silver bloods try to take over
the world. At times during the story, your heart will race faster
and not only due to the action but also for other reasons. Melissa
de la Cruz has finish this book with the readers wanting more as I
know that I can't wait until the next book to come out.
Lauren Pfeiffer (Year 12 student)
Ships in the field by Suzanne Gervay
Ill. by Anna Pignataro. Ford St
Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978192665233.
(Ages: 6+) Picture book. Migration.
The girl hugs her toy dog, Brownie, as her father twirls them around
after coming home from work. Mum watches on rather sadly, but
significantly and unusually kisses the little girl on the top of her
head. Both parents have come from another country, one destroyed by
war, a memory which still haunts the mother. Each parent works at a
manual job even though they had better professions in their old
country. The little girl longs for a dog. Quietly, the author ties
in
subtle clues showing what this family has lost in coming to
Australia,
and when going on a picnic, reveals some of the small slights they
endure in settling into a new place, exemplified by the title, the
meaning of which becomes clear in the last few pages. A subtle
story,
overlaid with beautiful water colour images of Australia after World
War 2, the small girl and her family stand for the many hundreds of
thousands of refugees, displaced people, migrants and asylum seekers
who came to our shores at that terrible time in world history. The
gentleness of the water colour images belie the nature of war which
displaced this family, but closer inspection of these pages reveals
the
horror and destruction which occurred.
A reminder from the author and illustrator of the nature of
Australia's
population, Gervay and Pignataro are both children of people who
found
a safe haven in Australia. This book is a complimentary addition to
the
library and classroom where books such as The littlest refugee
(Ahn Do) and Ziba came on a boat (Liz Lofthouse) are
available.
With Ships in the field talking about post World War 2, The
littlest
refugee evoking memories of the boat people after the end
of the Vietnam War and Ziba came on a boat revealing what it
is
like now for people searching for asylum in Australia, any reader
will
gain further understanding and sympathy for the refugee's flight.
Fran Knight
Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780763653347.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Bluefish is primarily the
story
of Travis, a troubled and illiterate teenager, but
readers
will also be charmed by the character of Velveeta who befriends him.
It
is set in a small town in the U.S. and includes some thought
provoking
and vivid descriptions of Trailer Park life. The point of view
switches
between Travis and Velveeta with each chapter. Travis's perspective
is
revealed in the third person and Velveeta's in journal form.
There are many secrets in the lives of these two characters and the
compulsion to keep reading until the story is finished is strong.
There
are strong messages of hope and resilience as Travis learns to trust
others, including his inspiring reading teacher, and we witness his
anger and bitterness begin to fade.
I found the story highly emotional, especially the descriptions of
the
huge challenges Travis has in learning to read. The author cleverly
weaves in references to one of my favourite books The Book Thief
by Marcus Zusak. Lovers of Doctor Seuss will also enjoy the
explanation of the book's title.
This book could be a useful Year 11 English Communications text but
also a great paired text with other stories of hope, forgiveness and
struggle.
Chris Lloyd
Clara Button and the magical hat by Amy De La Haye and Emily Sutton
V and A Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-1851776580.
(Ages: 4-8 ) Clara Button loves buttons, making clothes for her
dolls and hats, especially Granny Elsie's hat. When her brother
Ollie breaks her special hat, her mother decides to cheer Clara up
by taking her and Ollie to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,
to have a 'magical hat day'. Both Clara and her brother find
interesting items at the museum (although Ollie is reluctant to
admit it) and Clara is lucky to meet some of the curators of the
hats and costumes.
If only everyone can visit the wonderful V&A Museum (I
especially remember the glorious cafe featured in the book) but if
you can't get there, then this book is a great introduction.
The writer was herself a curator at the V and A and the
illustrations are wonderfully intricate and remind me of children's
book illustrations from 50 years ago. This is the first book
published by the museum.
This picture book will have special appeal to creative children
(ages 4-8 ) who love sewing, clothes and costumes.
Jane Moore
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN: 9780857072283.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. 'The noise between Patch and Nora is gone.
They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past, bridged
two irreconcilable worlds and faced heart wrenching tests of
betrayal, loyalty and trust - all for a love that will transcend the
boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their
absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate
fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything
they've worked for - and their love - forever.' Back cover.
As this is the third book I was a bit lost, but it was easy to find
and follow the story. Fitzpatrick is a wonderful writer, within just
a few pages I was sucked into another world. It seemed like just
when I thought one thing was going to happen, another completely
unexpected thing happened instead. I cannot wait to get down to the
book store and buy the earlier books. The perfect book for those
really long summer holidays.
Taylor Oxenham (student)
Dinosaurs aren't dead by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Pan, 2010. ISBN 978 0 330 42579 7.
(Ages 10+) Warmly recommended. Non Fiction. Humour. Subtitled, The
shocking
story of dinosaur evolution, the well
known scientist, Dr Karl, who takes great pains to put complex
issues
into the hands of children via his natty books, is at it again. In
this
one sets out to show what the dinosaurs were, when they lived and
why
they were wiped out, (or so everyone thinks).
Enough facts are given to warm the cockles of any dinosaur
aficionado.
With the book divided into 12 easily accessible chapters, having
chapter headings such as The discovery of dinosaurs, Why did
dinosaurs
win? and What killed most of the dinosaurs, the chapters bristle
with
tempting facts and information. Different fonts, bold headings and
lists are used effectively to gain the reader's attention and one
drawing has a giraffe drawn alongside the dinosaur for comparison
which will help the reader recognise the size of some of these
creatures.
His enormously popular website outlines much of the science he talks
about and a list of his other books, a blog and information about Dr
Karl are given at this website.
Fran Knight
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9780545224918. (Age 13+) Recommended. Every year the Scorpio Races are run on the beach of Skamouth, but the horses are not ordinary thoroughbreds, instead they are capaill usice, wild water horses that are desperate to return to the ocean and are likely to attack and eat their riders. Sean Kendrick knows and loves the water horses, especially Corr, the blood red stallion that he has won on four times previously. Puck Connolly is a newcomer to the races. Desperate to save her family home, she is determined to try and win on her little mare, Dove, even though she faces opposition from the men who ride in the races. When Sean sees Puck on the beach, he is drawn to her and together they prepare for the race of their lives. After a slow start, the book builds up momentum and I became immersed in the story of the water horses. Stiefvater built up her small island world, with its mythical capaill usice, in such a matter of fact way that I found myself believing that there could be a place off Ireland or Scotland perhaps, where there really are cannibalistic water horses and people crazy enough to risk their lives riding them in races. The lives of the people living there are also described in depth. The longing of some of young, like Gabe, Puck's brother, to get to the mainland and the strength of the pull of island roots for Puck and Sean who know they could never leave adds interest to the story. Puck (or Kate as she was christened) is a brave girl. She is prepared to take on the men and refuses to let them intimidate her. However she is open to advice and actively seeks it out in her quest to save her family home. Sean is a strong silent character and the low key, simmering romance will satisfy those who enjoy a love story. However it is the excitement of the race, the suspense and fear that someone will be killed by the water horses and the sheer thrill of the gallops along the cliffs that truly captivated me. People who love horses will enjoy this change of pace from the author who wrote the Shiver series about werewolves. Pat Pledger
Little Mates Series by Susannah McFarlane and Lachlan Creagh
Scholastic, 2011. Messy Mia ISBN 978-1-74283-047-6. Nervous Nina ISBN 978-1-74283-048-3.
If you love alliteration then this series is for you. Each book
takes a letter from the alphabet and an Aussie animal and joins them
together to make a story based on the focus letter, for example 'm'
in Messy Mia ( a magpie),
'She melts mini meringues in the microwave and mixes melon and
marshmallow milkshakes.'
These books are only small, about 14 centimetres square. The colour
illustrations comically highlight the actions.
Although the author has tried to make a small story using this
alliteration technique, they are more a series of events based on a
beginning letter. These books would be more for preschool / JP
children but there are some challenging words to discuss i.e. in Nervous
Nina are 'nauseous' and 'nonplussed'.
Scholastic describes the series as 26 books based on friendship, for
ages 3-8 years.
Jane Moore
The Adventures of the New Cut Gang by Philip Pullman
Random House, 2011. (David Fickling Books). ISBN 9780857560223.
Whenever I think of Philip Pullman it is impossible not to remember
His Dark Materials series, especially the most well known, Northern
Lights, so I had completely the wrong idea about The
Adventures of the New Cut Gang. These are light hearted funny
tales about a gang of six children in late Victorian England, who
spend a lot of their time on the streets of London's east end,
thinking up adventures and solving mysteries.
Philip Pullman commented on his website that he was going to write
six stories about the gang but only two have developed at this stage
and he considers them the most favourite of all his work. Thunderbolt's Waxwork describes how the children first play
detective, trying to track down the culprit behind a spate of
counterfeit coins being spread in their community. Gang member
Thunderbolt is upset because his Dad has been arrested, so the
children want to find the person behind the crime and get his Dad
released from prison. The scene in the store when the children
convince an adult friend to be a store dummy is laugh out loud
humour. The Gas-Fitter's Ball has the gang tracking down the burglar
who has stolen the Gas-Fitters' silver trophies. The gang want to
beat the police in solving the crime. Benny's use of disguise is
another hilarious scene.
It's hard not to love the very different mixture of gang members.
Benny is the leader and we get to hear his outlandish plans and
dreams. Thunderbolt the thinker, has a great relationship with his
Dad, hot headed Bridie, whose heart is in the right place and her
little brother Sharky Bob, with horrifying eating habits. The
Peretti twins may look angelic but no one ever wants to get on their
bad side.
There is use of English slang and idioms that may take a while for
Australian readers to get used to but it is well worth the effort.
This would be a great read for 10 to 13 year olds.
Jane Moore
The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson
Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780763647124.
Recommended for ages 8-12. Some five thousand years ago, a young
warrior named Phutt desired to have a harder heart, so he visited
Fum, the maker of charms to seek an amulet which would make him
stronger. Despite the warnings from Fum that such a charm would
simultaneously lose him the affections of the people and lead to
war, Phutt was determined to go ahead. In order to make Phutt less
eager, Fum tried to make the cost prohibitive. Nonetheless, the
charm was created and continued to cause problems to both its owner
and his community until such time as it was buried along with Phutt
on his death. There it stayed for the next five thousand years. Its
later discovery again brought a host of problems to each of the
characters who found it. Amongst those whose lives it touched were
Billy Jago, the person who eventually unearthed the amulet, Charles
and Unity, two of his children, and later an imp and a badger. It is
only with the help of a walking, talking hot-water bottle from
Germany and the King of Fairyland that all is put to rights.
With the original fantasy written by Eden Philpott in 1910, this
title has been skillfully updated by the Patersons and illustrated
by John Rocco. The large, double-spaced font makes reading quick and
easy, even for younger primary school readers. Glossy paper,
illustrated chapter banners and full page colour illustrations make
this an even more appealing fairy tale, one I devoured in a single
brief sitting.
Jo Schenkel
