Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781408800133.
(Age 14+) I found that The Dead of Winter was a good book as it
kept me
on the edge of my seat at all times, wondering what was going to happen
next.
Michael's father didn't come home from the Afghanistan war, because he
gave his life for Sir Stephen. Soon after, Michael's mum passes away as
well and he is left with nowhere to go but to his strange and
mysterious guardian, Sir Stephen. On the way there, Michael is woken up
by the cry of a girl, but when they stop to see if he can find her, she
is gone.
Over the next few days, everything begins to get weirder and weirder,
there are noises and shadows and things broken. There are cries during
the night, footsteps of someone running around and things just keep on
getting more frightening for Michael. As things begin to fall into
place, the mystery becomes more and more clear to Michael as to what's
going on and what has happened in the past. As the book goes on, death
is near for Michael, but all else fails and death is gone again. People
die, lives are saved and all goes back to normal again, and Michael
lives a normal life again.
I found it hard to understand some parts of this book, as it was a wee
bit complicated for me, so I would recommend this book for roughly 14
and above as it is a mature read. (Anyone under 14 probably wouldn't
understand a lot of it.) The Dead of Winter was set in and near London in a
palace/mansion.
It was a good read, with mystery, murder and horror in
it, and a bit of action.
I found it an interesting book to read, as it taught me that it's not
what the cover looks like, it's what the story is about, that's
important. (It looks like
a book mainly boys would like, but it is for boys and girls.)
Tayla Pollard, 13
Lily Alone by Jacqueline Wilson
Doubleday, 2011.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. The kids may love her, but I've heard the odd
rumble of dissatisfaction among the adults about former laureate
Jacqueline Wilson. Formulaic is a word sometimes bandied about and many
of the adults I work with are downright derogatory, citing predictable
storylines, a style that is too cosy and chatty and which never
challenges readers out of their comfortable expectations. However, I
admire Wilson and in a world of video games, Facebook, texting and
television, the instant familiarity of the Jacqueline Wilson brand is
the very reason children love her.
Without doubt Wilson has her finger on the 'tweenager' pulse. Here she
is churning out terrifying realism with a touch of reassuring warmth
that coaxes readers into believing everything really will be all right.
Having said that Lily Alone is a nerve wracking, gut wrenching
read
about a feckless mother who leaves her four children alone while she
swans off to Spain for a week with her new boyfriend. Of course she
tells the father of two of the younger children to stay with them, but
somehow it doesn't work out and it's down to eleven year old Lily to
keep her family together and to feed and care for them until Mum
decides to come home.
One of my Year 6 readers devoured this in a weekend and although she
enjoyed it she was discomfited by the total absence of adult
supervision. It's fine to be on your own on Kirrin Island or trying to
defeat Lord Voldermort, but this is a grimy flat on a sink estate, with
Lily having to wash the clothes in the bathtub and dry them by the gas
fire. It's sorting out little sister, Pixie when she wets her knickers
and trying to stop younger brother Baxter from annoying the big boys
that skulk in the stairwell smoking and drinking. The whole novel has a
nightmarish quality that I never experienced when reading The
Illustrated Mum or The Bed and Breakfast Star because here
at least
adults were present, even if they were inadequate.
It is a credit to Wilson that she handles a harrowing subject in a
kindly, comforting but realistic manner that reveals the
resourcefulness of the four children and glosses over the criminally
irresponsible mother. Let's hope the vast majority of children will
experience Lily's fear and anguish vicariously and thankfully without
the knowledge that an adult reader would bring to such a tale.
Nevertheless, we worry about children growing up too soon and acquiring
knowledge and awareness beyond their years and Jacqueline Wilson seems
to be contributing to this trend. Right or wrong? It's a thorny debate
and I'm sure everyone has an opinion!
Claire Larson.
Z by Michael Thomas Ford
Random House, ISBN: 9781864718225
(Age: 13+) Josh is the best Zombie torcher around, but only in a
holographic game. The last zombie was killed by the real torchers, a
band of people who torched zombies with flame throwers. That zombie was
killed fifteen years ago. Since then, the only zombies existed in the
'hologame', where anybody can play as either a zombie or a torcher.
Josh's parents do not want him to play the game, because they lost
loved ones during the zombie epidemic. However, Josh cannot help
himself, so he plays the game in secret. But when he receives a message
from one of the best players in the hologame asking if they could meet
up, Josh has no way of knowing that his whole world will soon be turned
upside down.
This book had me hooked from the very first page. It is extremely well
written, and it was not a difficult read, but young children might find
it a bit scary. I highly recommend this book even if you aren't really
into zombie stories.
Gareth Peer (Year 9)
Lies by Michael Grant
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978-1405254304.
(Age 13+) Recommended. The third in the Gone series, Lies is just as
compulsive to read as the first two books, Gone and Hunger. In this
volume Grant ramps up the action at Perdido Beach, where all the people
aged 15 and over have disappeared, and the remaining children are
struggling to stay alive. There is drama galore as Zil and the Human
Crew continue to fight against the Freaks. Sam sees the figure of
Drake, with his horrific whiphand, and another figure, Brittney, rises
from the dead. Orsay, acting as a prophetess, believes that there is
redemption through death, and Mother Mary is forced into action,
believing that she can rescue the babies of the town. Meanwhile Caine
takes his crew on a mission to reach an island where he believes there
will be food and some new characters, a group of children, adopted by
two famous film stars, are introduced into the mix.
Grant continues his story, with the children battling to come to grips
with running a town. Astrid is determined that there should be rules
and procedures and questions Sam's ability to get things done. But how
can a group committed to do things the correct way cope with Zil, who
is evil and dangerous? Not to mention the appearance of the
undead, Drake, Brittney and her brother!
The contrast between the good and evil characters in the book adds to
its appeal. I sympathised with Astrid as she realised that being super
intelligent is not all that is needed to run a town. Sam has a lesser
role in this book, as he grapples with memories of the whipping that
Drake has given him, but his character grows. Caine's total disregard
for anyone who didn't add to his power and the evil actions of Zil and
his crew are appalling.
An in-depth exploration of good and evil, what is murder and survival
of the fittest is wrapped up in a gripping plot with action and danger
galore. (The back cover warns of scenes of cruelty and some violence.)
Both boys and girls are sure to enjoy this engrossing series.
Pat Pledger
Bindi wildlife adventures by Chris Kunz and Jess Black
Monkey Mayhem
ISBN 978 1 86471855 3), Lost (ISBN 978 1864718546),
Mission: Climate change (ISBN 9781 864718577), A giant rescue
(ISBN 978 864718560), Random House, 2011.
The first 8 books of the series: Bindi, Wildlife adventures
were published in 2010, and now four more have followed. Each book is a
short story complete in itself, with Bindi as a wild life conservation
sleuth, protecting animals that are in some danger. These four latest
stories (each a refreshingly modest $9.95) take us to Kakadu where she
rescues a lost tourist, Madagascar where she helps run an ecolodge,
then off to Cambodia to work with a conservation group helping save the
elephants and finally to Finland where she works with several people
including a climate change expert, a professor, who disappears.
Each of the stories is presented in large print with repetitive
illustrations denoting a chapter change, and is introduced with a
letter from environmentally aware Bindi, closing off each book with 4
pages of information and activities. As a group of books to have in the
library or classroom, they promote environmental awareness and
conservation; give information about endangered animals and what people
are doing about them, as well as providing activities with which to
follow up each story. At times didactic, they are not overpoweringly so
and neither do they hit the reader over the head with a viewpoint and
information, but lead the reader through a story which has an
environmental consciousness.
Fran Knight
Tell me a dragon by Jackie Morris
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 9781845075347.
Jackie Morris writes on her website , '
One day someone asked me, if I had a dragon, what would it be like. I
realized that almost every day it would be different. Some days I would
like a big dragon to fight battles for me, sometimes a small dragon to
curl around my ear and tell me stories'.
With few words and lyrical illustrations, Morris has built up a gallery
of the most wonderful dragons in every size and shape. They range from
tiny little dragons, resembling dragonflies that can be found in a
garden, to a fierce brown urban dragon, ready to take on the dangers of
the city. Each dragon has its own mystical, unique character. Often
ridden by equally fabulous people, and drawn in beautiful watercolours,
the dragons soar across the sky, race dolphins in the sea and stride
across land. One even guards the door while a young child sleeps.
The artwork is superb and an examination of each picture stimulates the
imagination and leads the reader off to wondrous worlds of the mind.
The concluding double page spread gathers all the dragons together and
asks readers to tell about their dragons. This challenge is sure to be
taken up by readers and could lead to some stimulating discussion,
writing and drawing of their own.
This exquisite book is on the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
longlist, 2011.
Pat Pledger
Bloody Valentine, a Blue Bloods novella by Melissa de la Cruz
Atom Books, 2010. ISBN 978 1907410208.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. As Schuyler tries to arrange her bonding to her
true love Jack, she runs into some trouble with her enemies, Venators,
who tell or rather show her that one of her best friends is being held
captive by them. But with her beau in Italy and no way to contact him,
she has no one to help her save her friend.
This book was intriguing, and for me was an easy read. I managed to
read
it in only a few short hours and was captivated by the amount of love
the author could put into such a short book. I love how Melissa writes;
I've already read a few of her books and have loved them as I have this
one. I would really recommend this book if you were going on a long
drive on taking a trip on a plane for a few hours, as the book is
small, light and a wonderful read. I think that almost everyone will
love this book as it has romance, fantasy and fighting in it. Overall,
it's a great fiction novel that you can take anywhere, for anyone.
Taylor Oxenham (14, student)
Out for blood by Alyxandra Harvey
Drake Chronicles. Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781408807064.
(Age 14+) Recommended. The third in the Drake Chronicles, Out for blood
relates the story of Hunter Wild and Quinn Drake. Hunter is a highly
trained vampire hunter attending the prestigious Helios-Ra Academy. She
is a friend of Kieran, who first appeared in My love lies bleeding, and
through her association with him gets to learn about the vampires in
the Drake family and becomes more tolerant of them. When Hunter meets
Quinn she develops a crush him even though she knows he is a vampire
and a boy who plays the field. Also she is going to make some hard
choices regarding her loyalty to the vampire hunters and her
grandfather as strange things begin to happen at the Academy. Vampires
are attacking in increasing numbers and students are falling ill. With
the aid of her friends she has to uncover the mystery surrounding the
Academy.
Harvey has written an engrossing story. Her series is very clever as
she concentrates on the story of one Drake brother in each book and
this makes for a series that is not just more of the same. Each has a
distinct and quite different personality and the girls that they
attracted to are very strong in their own right. Although it would be
better to start at the beginning of the series, all the books could be
read as stand-alones. There is enough background and character
development to remind the reader of what went before and the detailed
Drake family tree at the beginning of the book is very helpful in
tracing relationships.
Hunter is a strong heroine who uses all her fighting ability
skillfully, but who is prepared to be open minded in her dealings with
the Drake family. Quinn is a charmer and the romance between the two is
handled with a deft hand. Hunter's intelligence shines through as she tries
to work through the maze of clues about who is jeopardizing the
Academy. I enjoyed the witty dialogue and sarcasm in the book and look
forward to the next installment in the series.
Pat Pledger
Samantha Seagull's sandals by Gordon Winch
Ill. by Tony Oliver. 25th anniversary edition. New Frontier,
2010. ISBN 9781921042591.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Samantha Seagull longed to be different. Even
though wise old Hector the Hermit Crab assured her that she would be
different one day, she decided she couldn't wait. She thought that
wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes would make her different, but she
sank into the sand and got stuck. Her friend Simon had to help her out.
When all the other gulls laughed at her she started to blush and 'her
bill went red, the rings around her eyes went red, her legs and feet
went red.' Each pair of shoes that she tried turned out to be a problem
and finally she had to accept herself as she was.
This wonderful story about silver gulls has been in print for 25 years
and rightly so. Both the story and the illustrations are
excellent. Children will relate to the humour in the problems of
Samantha and her many pairs of shoes, but also will identify with
Samantha's need to be different.
Tony Oliver's beautiful illustrations, using watercolour with black
outlines, add depth to the humour and interest of the book. The
detailed drawings of the seaside, shells, sand and sea are beautiful.
Information about silver gulls and the fact that their beaks, legs and
eye rings turn from green to red when they reach puberty is contained
at the back of the book. It is sure to have children, who live near the
sea, watching seagulls to see if they can spot one with red legs.
Pat Pledger
Savannah dreams by Lolla Stewart and Elaine Russell
Little Hare books, 2011. ISBN 978 1921714030.
(Ages 3-9 ) Recommended. Aboriginal themes, Savannah and her
family go out from Sunday to Saturday collecting bush tucker. Each day
they go to a different place, the river, the sea, the bush, the
mangroves, the billabong, the hills behind the community and the
community store. Each time every member of the family finds something
to take back to eat, except for Savannah. Dad finds 5 things, mum finds
four things, her sister finds three, and her brother finds two. Each
brings back something for the family to share, but Savannah always
finds one thing discarded and inedible.
Elaine Russell's striking illustrations show the reader the bush tucker
the family gathers, and also the pieces of junk that Savannah finds.
Savannah tells her family that each piece of junk she finds is part of
a monstrous barramundi, and at the end when the family comes together
to feast on what they have found, Savannah shows all her pieces of junk
drawn together to represent the spirit of the barramundi and sure
enough the next day, when the family goes collecting bush tucker, they
find nothing but Savannah lands an enormous barramundi.
The spare prose, brimming with rhythm and repetition, will gather the
listeners and readers in to predict what is happening and repeat the
phrases as the pages are turned. Not only does the reader see an
Aboriginal family working together to collect bush tucker, but they
learn about the foods available in the bush, the numbers one to five,
the days of the week and a little of the spiritual beliefs of the
group. A beautifully subtle book that will find a place on many library
shelves, this book will encourage readers to look at things a little
differently.
Fran Knight
Zombies vs unicorns ed. by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742375502.
(Age 14+) Short stories. Recommended for lovers of the paranormal and
fantasy genres. This collection of 12 short stories written by
favourite authors in these genres is highly entertaining. With authors
of the calibre of Cassanda Clare, Libba Bray, Carrie Ryan, Margo
Lanagan, Scott Westerfeld, Garth Nix, and Naomi Novik and edited by
Larbalestier and Black, I expected some thrilling stories and I was not
disappointed. I have also gained some new to me authors, Alaya Dawn
Johnson, Kathleen Duey and Diana Peterfreund, whose works I now want to
sample.
The stories are linked with witty banter by Larbalestier and Black
about the respective merits of Team Zombie and Team Unicorn and the
humorous debate continues to the final story by Libba Bray, Prom Night.
They range from a very scary fairytale-like story of a young princess'
love for a unicorn and the havoc that it causes in A thousand
flowers
by Margo Lanagan to the hilarious Princess Prettypants by Meg
Cabot,
where the unicorn farts rainbows and unfaithful boys get their
come-uppance. One of my favourites was The care and feeding of your
baby killer unicorn by Diana Peterfreund, where Wen, a teenager is
called to rescue a newly born unicorn and has to learn how to look
after it. The cliff-hanger ending is a shocker as is the ending in Love
will
tear
us apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson, which does contain some
sexuality and strong language.
All the stories were excellent, some thought-provoking and others
scary. Readers will have fun deciding if they vote for Team Unicorn or
Team Zombie.
Pat Pledger
The great big enormous book of Tashi by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Ill. by Kim Gamble, Allen and Unwin, 2010.
(Ages, 8-12) Highly recommended. Fantasy. This is an absolute
treat.
For all those fans of the wonderful Tashi, and for those who do not
know Tashi, then this compilation of all the stories will stand them in
good stead. I can imagine mums and dads who knew and loved Tashi when
the stories first began appearing on 1995, reading them to their kids
in years to come from this amazing volume, grandparents reading them to
their children's offspring, and teachers reading them to a new bunch of
kids. Each chapter is a single adventure, originally published as a
small book, told by Tashi of events in his amazing life. Jack takes it
all in, the slating of a dragon, the story of the genie, the tale of
the giants and so on, all imaginative and just great fun.
Jack tells his parents that he has a new friend, Tashi, but the story
behind his becoming a friend does not faze them, even though he was
brought by a swan from the warlord who owned him after his parents sold
him to get enough money to escape! Jack's parents get on with their
tasks although some of their questions do annoy Jack, and this
interplay between parent and child forms a familiar and humerous
dialogue the whole book through. In later stories the adventure
involves Jack and Tashi rather than Tashi relating the tale, and these
include stories about the phoenix, a stolen bus and an unexpected
letter, amongst many others (32 in all) Jack and his parents along with
Tashi are an endearing set of characters, subtly drawn and evocative of
family relationships.
I particularly love the family intimacy surrounding the telling of
stories, of the family sitting around listening to the tales told by
Tashi or Jack, even when Dad is ill in bed with a cold, the family
members stop all they are doing to listen to another story.
Fran Knight
Bookaboo: Dogs in disguise
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 978406326543. (Age 3-6) Bookaboo, the world famous rock and roll drummer puppy is in Paris with his band. Besieged by fans and photographers it seems that he can't get out of the Bookabus for the story that he really needs to hear. But then he has a great idea. Donning a pink wig and girl's clothing Bookaboo sets out for storytime at the Bow Wow Bookshop. When a huge sneeze dislodges his wig, Bookaboo's disguise comes unstuck but he still gets his daily story. This funny story starring BAFTA-award winning Bookaboo is sure to appeal to young children. Bookaboo is a most appealing character and his addiction to a daily story will be welcomed by both children and parents who can't do without a story themselves. The illustrations are bold and bright and add to the humour of the story. The delightful addition of, The hare and the tortoise, a mini book, gives the young reader or listener the opportunity to share a second story with Bookaboo. Pat Pledger
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Vampire Academy. Penguin, 2010. ISBN 978-1921518904.
Rose Hathaway is in trouble, BIG trouble for a crime she didn't commit.
Being held in prison for the highest offence imaginable: the
assassination of a monarch, Rose's time is running out. But the only
thing on her mind is getting Lissa acknowledged to the Moroi elite with
the note left by the late queen. Meanwhile, Lissa, Christian and Adrian
are trying to find out who really killed the queen and save Rose. Can
they save Rose and put the real murderer behind bars?
All the favourite characters are back in Last Sacrifice, the
last
Vampire Academy novel. This novel and the rest of the series was
wonderful to read. They were so easy to get into the story line, that I
had problems putting them down. Last Sacrifice holds twist and
turns
readers won't think were coming and other turns that readers want to
find. I got to a stage when I wanted to continue reading to find out
what happens but didn't want to finish novel because I was enjoying the
book so much.
I would recommend this book to teenagers and highly recommend not just
this novel but the whole series to anyone wanting to read a brilliant
book.
Lauren Pfeiffer (16 years old)
The wish pony by Catherine Bateson
Woolshed Press, 2008. ISBN 978 741663242. Available as e-book: ISBN: 9781742741161.
(Ages 10-13) When the older neighbour comes in to look after Ruby when her mother has to go to hospital, Ruby is defensive and put out. Things have not gone well. Her best friend, Sarah, has abandoned her for the new girl in the class, Mum is always ill with her pregnancy, Dad is wrapped up with his wife and Ruby feels left out. Magda from across the road smells and asks strange questions, but soon the two become firm friends, Ruby finding in Magda the friendship which has deserted her at school. Magda gives Ruby her wish pony, and the little figurine takes on a life of its own on Ruby's dressing table, where it hears Ruby crying and hears her wishes. Gradually Ruby's life turns around, her baby brother is born, somewhat premature, her parents begin to listen to her, she takes on more responsibility, and she makes new friends. All simple, but each in itself is a huge stepping stone for Ruby as she works out what is important in her life. And as she develops, so the importance of Magda declines.
A stunning story about loss, growing up and friendship, The wish pony had me on the verge of tears, wishing along with the figurine, that Ruby would find her feet in her muddled world. All of the children in the story are subject to change, change in their circumstances, change in their school friends, change in their homes, and each has to cope with those changes, and luckily for some, Magda is there to help them along. Bateson's writing is always impeccable, finding the right series of words to describe what is happening and the characters' feelings. In this book, she gives a voice to children whose lives are not going along smoothly, and helps them see that things will right themselves. I wrote this review in 2008 when this wonderful book was first published, and on reading it again, my review holds. This new edition, published alongside Magenta McPhee, with similar covers making them a pair, will entice new readers to Bateson's amazing writing.
Fran Knight
