Reviews

Friendship on fire by Danielle Weiler

Sid Harta, 2010. ISBN 1921829699.
(Age 13+) Year 12 starts off with a bang, when Daisy has to give a speech to the whole school, with her hair, dyed disastrously red, covered in a turban. Things look up when she spots a gorgeous boy, Nate, who goes to her rival school Addison Grammar. But she has been best friends forever with Roman and what will a romance with Nate do to that relationship?
This story looks at the trials of Year 12, and finding your place in the world. The characters are skilfully developed and seem real Daisy is a likeable girl who gradually finds out who her real friends are and where her future path lies. She makes the sort of mistakes on the way that teen readers, especially girls, will identify with. The problems of working out meaningful connections and trying to find love are ones that will strike a cord with teens. The familiar setting of school, parties, and the beach, also make it an easy book to access.
What I most liked about the free flowing prose was the humour that was an integral part of the book. Daisy has some very amusing lines that kept me chuckling as I read. The inclusion of diary entries was a good device that also kept me informed of Daisy's thoughts and feelings.
Friendship on fire is a debut book by Weiler, who is a teacher and obviously understands the angst and pitfalls of being a teenager well. She has certainly captured an authentic voice in Daisy that girls will enjoy.
Pat Pledger

Diva series by Sue Lawson

It's a girl thing (ISBN 978 1742031675), Rising star (ISBN 978 1 74203 1682), Going solo (ISBN 978 1 74203 169 9), Finale (ISBN 978 1 742031705). Black dog books, 2011.
(Ages 8-12) Realistic fiction. First published in 2006, BDB has republished this successful series of four books with shining new covers and small, harder covers making the books easy to handle. The stories will be readily snapped up by the pre teen group, eager to read of girls their age and a little older winning a singing competition and then competing interstate with a whole lot of others. Reminding me of several TV shows in which amateurs try out their skills, the stories are full of the background to these shows, being selected, practice, rehearsals, make up, cloth buying and above all publicity.
Mickey fills out an entry form in her girlie magazine in the first book in the series, It's a girl thing, and then has to front up at the first audition with what seems to be every girl her age in Australia. The usual mix of characters is interestingly portrayed as several take nasty tactics too far. Rising star follows her journey through the audition stage, while Going solo shows her at the national competition where she meets some even more undesirable competitors and a few other girls like her. Finale satisfyingly rounds the story off.
The issues are straightforward and easy to follow, the humour lightly played out, the characters neatly drawn, with some older people making their mark. The stories will be eagerly picked up by that group of kids for whom little is written, and showcases some of the background and glamour of the competition world that they see on TV.
Fran Knight

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781408813935.
(Age 5-7) On the night of the full moon, Vlad picks up a young boy and together they go to his father's barbershop. He gets out his scissors, rotting tonic, horn polish, and stink wax and gets ready for his customers. He has some regulars, all of whom are monsters, but even monsters need haircuts. Then a normal customer comes in. What is he to do?
McElligott has a wonderful sense of humour. The use of words like 'shamp-ewww' ensures that young children will giggle all the way through the book. Children will also have fun identifying the monsters that come to have their hair cut.
The accompanying illustrations are equally as humorous as the text. The little boy wears green monster slippers, and each one of the monsters is drawn with a deft touch. Pictures of monsters getting haircuts that really suit them, like Frankenstein with a flat top and Medusa with snake plaits, are very funny. Vlad, who changes from a bat that accompanies the boy to the shop, to a vampire with a swirling cape, is a great companion for the boy to have. Little touches like changing the pictures in the shop from famous people to monsters are also fascinating. The idea of cutting the hair of monsters takes away any scary aspect of them as does the bright colours and cartoon like characters.
This is a hilarious, original story that will delight children, especially boys and reluctant readers and is ideal for a Halloween theme.
Pat Pledger

The betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

The perfect present by Sally Rippin

Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978 1921859277.
Series: Billie B Brown
(Ages: Junior primary) Recommended. A seemingly simple tale, charmingly told, puts this series in the forefront of the groups of books being offered for newly confident readers. Exuberant Billie (the B stands for Bursting) is making gingerbread biscuits for Christmas. She and her friend from next door, Jack, have a problem leaving some on the plate for others to eat. Billie and Jack talk about presents and Billie shows Jack what she thinks is her Christmas present - a bicycle hidden in the shed. Jack is saddened because that is what he has asked for and the pair quarrels, which Billie later regrets. Her bubble is burst when her parents tell her to leave the shed door closed because that is where the people next door have hidden Jack's present. So the stage is set for a surprising Christmas Day.
Full of the warmth of family and friends around Christmas time, the story is delightful in resolving the quarrel between the two children. And the bubbly Billie B is a lovely character for children to read about. They will have fun answering the questions that Sally Rippin poses through the text, flagging what may be about to happen and asking children to make predictions. All wrapped up in a neat easy to hold, stiff covered book the illustrations by Aki Fukuoka add to the humour of the text.
Fran Knight

Last tree in the city by Peter Carnavas

New Frontier Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978 1921042218.
(Age 4-8.) Picture book, Recommended. The power of one is stunningly illustrated in this story of a young boy re-treeing the city. Dismayed when his one tree is cut down, he finds a discarded piece of it, and plants it in some soil in the carriage of his tricycle. He has always had fun on that tree, climbing it, playing in it and appreciating its greenness in the grayness of the surrounding city. But to find it cut down is devastating. His solution is carried around on his tricycle for all to see, and so many other people in the city, follow his example, making the city greener than it has been before.
The illustrations meld with the words as the reader views the colourless outlines of the city in the first few pages, contrasted with the vibrant green tree which fills the following pages, overshadowing the pale buildings. The middles pages of the book when the tree is cut down are stunning, showing mainly white pages with a short sentence in small print in the centre of the page and a despairing boy. The sad face and pages of white space change when he works out what to do, and the face gets happier and the pages fuller until the last double page is full of colour, people and life. The designer and illustrator have worked hard to use the white space with great effect.
This is a wonderful book with which to start talking to students about their environment.
Fran Knight

Odd and the frost giants by Neil Gaiman

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9780747598114.
(Ages 10+) Myth. With his father dead and a new man and his children taking his place, Viking boy, Odd, feels rejected, and has no choice but to leave his once happy home. He meets a bear, an eagle and a fox, who tell him of their home now beset by the frost giants, who have stolen spring and summer, making everything cold, snowbound and frozen. They implore Odd to help them rid their place of the frost giants, but Odd, crippled when a tree he was felling crushed his leg, finds it hard to believe that he can. But try he will, always carrying his father'[s unfinished piece of wood sculpture with him.
Through cunning and bravery Odd carries out their wishes and returns in summer to the people of Asgard, finding that his three companions are more than they seem.
This is a wonderful tale of courage in the face of overwhelming failure, tenacity in the face of fear, and home in all its variations. Kids will love to read of Odd, and feel close to him as he uses his crutch to climb massive mountains and slippery ravines in his quest. The illustration on the front cover will surely encourage the readers to delve into the trials of the unflappable Odd.
Fran Knight

Mortlock by Jon Mayhew

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 978 14088 0392 9
Suggested reading age 13. Whilst much of this tale is set in Victorian England, the narrative commences in Abyssinia in 1820 with an exploring party led by Sebastian Mortlock searching for a magical plant called the Amarant. His companions on this expedition are Thurlough Corvis and Edwin Chrimes and after locating the plant but finding that it has evil powers, the trio swear a blood pact to never return or reveal its location.
Little more is explained and the story proper opens with teenaged Josie Chrimes performing as a knife thrower alongside her guardian 'The Great Cardomom'. Josie is happy living amongst the entertainment community yet this is all destroyed when her guardian and benefactor is visited and killed by sinister women acting for the Lord Corvis.
It is revealed that Cardomom is actually Edwin Chrimes and Mortlock has mysteriously disappeared with the Amarant which Corvis is prepared to recover at any cost. The Amarant gives the power to revive the dead and control or destroy people. The holder of this plant may rule the world.
Josie is forced to flee, pursued by the women who morph into horrific giant crows which skewer people and dismember them with their beaks. In making her escape, Josie meets a twin brother of whom she was unaware and the two seek to survive and destroy the Amarant whilst untangling the mystery of their family origin.
Pitched at young teenagers, the story will appeal to those who enjoy Gothic horror and the chapters of this sparse narrative are extremely short which will appeal to those who find extended description challenging. The theme of death permeates every aspect of this story, from the desire to achieve immortality to the involvement of undertakers, grisly murders, frequent appearances by zombies or walking dead and the use of graveyards as settings.
Younger readers will not be overly critical of implausible events or the simplistic narrative style and are likely be intrigued to discover the truth of the twins' parentage and the unpleasant motives behind the quest to hold the Amarant.
Rob Welsh, Xavier College

Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

Text, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-921656-59-0
Recommended. Jewel has spent the past 10 years living with her grandparents, now she has come home. Sasha had leukaemia as a kid, now it's back and it's terminal this time. When Sasha receives this news he tries to end it, Jewel finds him and she saves him. Has Sasha found a new reason to fight the cancer? Read on, the answer awaits you...
The plot of this story, although not straight forward, a good book never is, is complex and well written. It is the sort of book you just simply cannot put down. The book leaves you thinking about it long after you have finished reading it and is told from two different people's perspectives. The story and its characters are quite believable, however most people would not encounter anything like the story in their lifetime, only a select few. Most of the characters you would expect to bump into in the street, but they are unlikely to be like Jewel and even less likely to be like Sasha. It is set in the suburbs a slight distance from a city, there is no evidence to conclude where this area is though.
The author, who is 16 year old, uses a fairly high level writing style for that age. She uses a fair amount of sensual imagery to depict the story and uses it well.
This novel deals with some more serious themes; they are depression, suicide, fighting to live, cancer, terminal illness and death, as well as love and a minor theme of starting year 12. Because of the serious nature of the themes, this book is not recommended for the faint-hearted and under 14's. I would recommend it for ages 17 and up, male or female. However, although it can be read by 14 to 16 year olds, I would recommend only those of this age group with a higher degree of maturity should read it for it to be best understood. I would rate this book 9.5/10 stars.
Amelia Kelly (17 years old)

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Penguin Books, 2010. ISBN 9780143204961.
Meet Sam, just your average guy rocking the fast-food career. Meet Douglas, not just your average guy, but a powerful and violent necromancer, who immediately recognises the threat Sam poses.
When one Sam's friends dies and comes back as a head, Sam's life will never be the same. Jumping into the-world-of-the-dead, Sam finds a hidden family blood-trait that will change the way he looks at them forever. With the help of his new-found talent, Sam will have to battle it out to a world shaking end.
Aimed at teenage readers, this supernatural fantasy book is likely to set the imagination into overdrive. Set in a first person text it will leave you wanting more. Lish McBride has left the window open for a sequel, fingers and toes crossed, because Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is spilling over the edge with action and deserves a follow-up.
Zoe Pfeiffer (aged 14)

Persistence of memory and Token of darkness by Amelia-Atwater Rhodes

2 books in one. Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN: 9781742750774.
The book Persistence of Memory is a strange story of how a girl with schizophrenia has, what the hospital and her dad like to call 'Episodes'. When Erin has one of these episodes a vampire named Shevaun ends up in Erin's body. The hospital calls it multiple personality but Erin's supernatural boyfriend thinks there could be more to this than just schizophrenia. One night during a dream Erin wakes to find she is in a completely different room and finds herself for once the opposite way round and in Shevaun's home and body. Shevaun's lover happens to come into the room sensing Shevaun is not herself. Adjila, the Triste witch finally sees what's wrong here and fixes the problem.
This book had tons of great characters in it and I found it so easy understand, for age recommendation I would think probably young adults.
This truly was a good book and I wish it could go on but sadly it can't.

Token of Darkness by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN: 9781742750774.
Token of Darkness is a book about a teenage boy who was a lucky survivor in a horror smash on a highway and is haunted by a ghost girl called Samantha.
Samantha doesn't have a past and doesn't know why Cooper is the only one who can see her. Things get a little strange when Cooper meets a guy, Brent, who knows quite a lot about ghosts. Things get even stranger when Brent tells him to go to a sorcerer named Ryan to figure out who or what Samantha is.
I felt I could relate to most of the characters in this book and feel what they felt. Sometimes when I read it and stopped reading, it felt like I was in the story. This was a very good book.
Sarah Filkin (Student)

The Project by Brian Falkner

Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529795.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Falkner, award winning author of The tomorrow code and Brainjack, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, has written another fast paced adventure story that is sure to appeal to boys in particular. Tommy and Luke think that the book they are studying at school is the most boring book in the world, but then they discover an old book that is the most boring book in the world, a perfect place to hide a terrible secret. When a flood enters the basement of the library where old and valuable books are stored, Luke and his friend Tommy help to move them to safety. Luke, with his amazing memory, thinks that he sees the treasure that could change the course of history forever. When he goes back to check the boys run into danger and the race is on to save the future.
This is a fast paced adventure that manages to combine gadgets, bike rides, time travel and evil Germans all in one thrilling story. At the same time readers will gain some insight into Leonardo da Vinci, Nazism and spying as they follow Luke and Tommy in an exciting race to rescue the secret in the most boring book in the world.
Falkner has the happy knack of writing engaging characters that you immediately like. Both Luke and Tommy grabbed my interest from the start. Their pranks were very amusing but they were also willing to help out in the community when there was a need. Tommy's obsession with gadgets is also fascinating. Their vibrant personalities carry the plot along.
The Project is definitely not a boring book and is sure to be grabbed up by anyone who likes a thrilling combination of mystery, history, action and science fiction.
Pat Pledger

The tall man and the twelve babies by Tom Niland and Kilmeny Niland

Ill. by Deborah Niland. Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742371153.
(Age 2-6) Recommended. A zany picture book that will get children asking questions, The tall man and the twelve babies tells the story of six baby boys all called Alistair, and six baby girls all called Charlene. They all live with a very tall man in a tiny apartment in a big city. When they are happy they laugh at the same time and when they are angry they all yell at the same time. One day when the tall man stepped outside with the Charlenes the door slams shut. How will he get back to the Alistairs?
This is a hilarious tale of being a parent, but in this case, the tall man is the sole carer for the twelve babies and what antics they get up to. It is told in simple prose and short sentences with the use of bold print, large letters and capitals to emphasise words.
Beautifully illustrated by Deborah Niland, the little round faces of the twelve babies are a joy to look at. The drawings of the tall man, with his long skinny legs and expressive face, wonderful multicoloured curls, spotted scarf and striped shirt give him a very distinct character. The humour of the story really comes to life with the drawings of the tall man when he tries to get back into the apartment through a tiny flap. Looking at the Charlenes pulling on his legs and the Alistairs pulling the other way made me laugh out loud.
The delightful illustrations and the unique story make this a very memorable book to read aloud and talk about.
Pat Pledger

Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Puffin, 2011. ISBN 9780141333397
(Ages 12+) Wereworld is about 16 year old Drew. When a beast invades his home and kills his mother who he loved very much his father blames him and he is forced to leave his home. Drew seeks refuge in the Dyrewood one of the most dangerous places in all of Lyssia. When he is captured by Lord Bergan's men he has to prove he is not the enemy. Through many events he meets new friends, makes many enemies and learns about the animal within. But will he be able to stop the werecreatures out to destroy him and master the animal within before its too late?
At first this book isn't very interesting; it's good but not very interesting. But when I got to part VI (6) it became extremely interesting and went from good to great. I would recommend this book to people that like fantasy, adventure and don't mind waiting awhile to get to the best part of the book.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)

Editor's note: There is a website for the series.

Row Row Row Your Boat by Angie Lionetto-Civa

Ill. by Serena Geddes. New Frontier, 2010. ISBN 9781921042539.
(Age 3-5) Two children are having fun rowing down the river. One rows while the other uses a telescope to spy out what he can see. They see a frog that leaps on board and sails with them. Next they come to a chimpanzee that joins them, then a parrot eating a carrot and so on.  The boys and their boatload of animals finally see a snapping crocodile that they mange to evade. They land safely and have lots of fun dancing and playing on the riverbank.
The story is based on the familiar Row, row, row your boat song and its rhythm makes it an ideal book to read aloud or for children to sing along with. The repetition of the Row, row, row your boat chorus is sure to have young children chiming in with the reading and anticipating what's coming next.
The soft water colour cartoon like illustrations by Serena Geddes will appeal to children. The emotions on the faces of both the children and animals are delightful and add to the humour of the story.
This is a simple lift the flap book with the flaps disguised to blend in with the background of the illustrations on the second hand of each double spread. They fit in so well with the colours that young children will have fun trying to find them as well as guessing what animal is behind the flap. They could even trying their hand at making a rhyme.
Pat Pledger