Reviews

Wishful Thinking by Ali Sparkes

Oxford University Press, 2010.
(Ages 10+) Imagine having your own god, who grants you a Wii and makes you popular with the most unobtainable girl in the school, and all he requires is a little worship in return. Sounds good? Kevin Rutley certainly thinks so, and when a freak mishap with a bunch of wishes scrawled onto a cafe napkin reach Abandinus, Celtic god of the River Ouse, Kevin and his friends Tim and Gracie, decide they are on to a very good thing indeed.
But it's not just Abandinus who makes an appearance, Arimanius, god of the underworld tries to inveigle Kevin into his clutches and when Kevin resists, his much loved Nana is critically injured in a car crash. Kevin and his friends discover that gods are not just fairy godmothers, granting wishes left right and centre. Like humans, they have their own agenda and the three friends soon find themselves helpless pawns in a clash of monumental dimensions between warring gods.
Wishful Thinking revolves around little known English and Greek gods, although the god of roads, Semitas, is I think Ali Sparkes own creation. Dressed in a day-glo vest and responsible for hold ups and orange cones, Semitas is a brilliant invention that I am sure many adults call upon in times of stress; 'oh god, not another traffic jam.'
I am a huge fan of Ali Sparkes and this just confirms her place as an inventive, exciting author perfect for upper junior and lower secondary children. As always her story is original and fun with equal measures of comedy and action - the perfect recipe to get young people reading.
Claire Larson

This is Shyness by Leanne Hall

Text, 2010. ISBN 97819216556521.
(Age 15+) Highly recommended. Winner of the 2009 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing, Leanne Hall has written a mesmerising tale set in Shyness, a suburb where there is perpetual darkness. When she is out on a mission to forget her life, her mother and her mother's Internet date, Wildgirl meets a strange boy at the Diabetic Hotel. He introduces himself as Wolfboy and together they go out on an adventure exploring Shyness, where the sun doesn't rise and danger prowls the streets. Wolfboy takes Wildgirl to a club, inhabited by people dripping in wealth and glamour as well as a black market shop behind a bowling alley. Walking through a park, they are mugged by a gang called the Kidds, who are sugar-crazed and use tarsiers, monkey like creatures to steal Wildgirl's lighter. Then the adventure hots up as they go on a quest to recover it.
This is a totally original book with a story line that I haven't encountered anywhere before. Telling the story in alternative chapters by Wolfboy and Wildgirl, Hall took me on a roller coaster ride to unexpected and surprising places. Wolfboy and Wildgirl are engaging characters and I was fascinated to learn their stories as the book progressed. Their problems and how they face them are gradually revealed as they get to know each other during one night. Wolfboy is struggling to come to terms with the death of his brother and the child that he left behind and this is revealed early in the book. Wildgirl's problems however take longer to be exposed.
This is not an easy book to write about as the plot, setting and ideas are so unique. It would be a great class text for older students as there are so many ideas to consider in it. Themes of cyberbullying, suicide, grief, greed, and addiction are interwoven in a suspenseful chase through the darkness.
At the end, I was left with many questions and things to think about. Is the Darkness real, or is it darkness of the mind? Does the sun rise or not? Is the book really set in the future?
What more can you ask of a book that it is original, beautifully written, moving and memorable? An amazing debut, This is Shyness is a book that shouldn't be missed and deserves a place on library shelves.
Pat Pledger

Plum Puddings and Paper Moons by Glenda Millard

ABC Books, 2010. ISBN 978 073332864.
Highly recommended. The Silk family prepares for Christmas with the usual swag of things to do, someone in the kitchen making plum puddings, others making paper chains, several getting a tree ready, but all redolent of Christmases past, full of fun and humour, families and safety. But this year, the eldest girl, Scarlett, works at a local cafe to earn money, and talking to the dishwasher, comes to realise that not all families are like her own. Here is a refugee, and in telling his story, Anik draws Scarlett into his world, one of fear and death, of leaving behind those that you love, of making the treacherous trip across the sea to a place of safety.
Perplexed at what to do, Scarlett makes black arm bands from her black tights and asks others to wear one too. Scarlett declares peace in the town of Cameron Creek, and impels everyone to walk for peace on Christmas Eve, to remember the reason that Christmas occurs, for thanking others for the peace we take for granted. A diverse array of people join her march, showcasing the range of people, age groups and backgrounds that make up today's Australia. The Silk family met in four previous Glenda Millard books will be well known to younger readers, and this the fifth in the series, brings a freshness that is most appealing. Older readers will enjoy this story as well as younger, as the theme is universal and timely.
Fran Knight

Foxly's Feast by Owen Davey

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781921690594
Recommended for the Early Years.
'Foxly's tummy is rumbling. He's looking for a fantastic feast and has some big ideas, but could there be more to Foxly that meets the eye?' As Foxly travels through the story looking for things to eat, he passes many small animals on the way. As the story goes on his hunger increases and so does the size of the animals he passes, until in the end it is time to eat - but this is a fox with a difference, and there is more to the story than meets the eye. A wonderful feast for all he passed, this vegetarian fox is happy with a bowl full of apples.
Unusual illustrations make this picture book quite fascinating.  I really like the fact that after the story is read and you look again at the pictures you can pick up a whole other story happening along the text. Students will enjoy pouring over the washed out pages to find the ingredients for his feast as he collects them on each page and his backpack and bags begin to grow.  At first glance I could not see the appeal for the high commendation by the Macmillan Children's Book Prize that was awarded to illustration students, but after reading the text and carefully re-examining the pictures I can definitely see the appeal. This book is different, clever and fun. I recommend it for younger students.
Zana Thiele

Curse of the Wendigo by Scott R. Welvaert

An Agate and Buck adventure. School mysteries. Raintree, ISBN 978 1 406 21604 2.
Recommended for Upper Primary and older students. A gruesome story about the Wendigo, a creature found in the myths and legends of the Algonquin tribes of North America. The name comes from an old Algonquin word meaning 'evil spirit'or 'spirit that devours humans'!  The story is set in the Canadian woods where Agate and Buck set out to find their parents who have disappeared. The children follow the map they found in their father's trunk and it led them to Fiddler, a man who claimed to know their parents well. During a meal in Fiddler's tent Buck tells them of the tracks with 'claws at the toes like a bear, or a wolf' p37. Fiddler becomes very excited at this news leads the children. Along the way they meet the beautiful Calandra who opens the Temple for them and they meet Igam the head of the Majictaw. Evil Coyote, living deep under the burial grounds, has the children's parents prisoners for he wants to use them to catch the children. Steeped in legend and mystery the story unfolds with chilling sadness. Once again the Glossary, Discussion Questions, Writing Prompts and Author Information are interesting and useful. Typeface and font allow for easier reading.
Sue Nosworthy

Interview with Aleesah Darlison

Totally twins: Musical Mayhem by Aleesha Darlison

Ill. by Serena Geddes. New Frontier, 2010. ISBN 9781921042348.
(Age 7-10) Highly recommended for girls. Persephone and Portia Pinchgut are twins and there is total mayhem when Portia drags Perse along to the audition of the school musical. Perse cannot sing, in fact her singing is so bad that her fellow classmates can remember the last time she sang and still tease her about it. She is terrified of appearing in public but her secret diary is a great consolation as she reveals her inner turmoil. Fortunately Perse can think on her feet and she manages to get herself out of hot water!
It's great to see a chapter book for girls where the humour is infectious. Darlison has the happy knack of writing funny dialogue and descriptions that made me laugh out loud at times. The diary format will appeal to young readers especially as Perse has a unique way of expressing herself. There are many instances of vivid imagery, like Perse being afraid that she is going 'to make a total gooper' of herself with her 'horrendous cat-getting-its-tail-pulled-singing' (pg 20), that will enthral the reader and keep up a high level of interest.
However it is not just the humour that entices the reader. I was touched by Perse's descriptions of her rivalry with her sister Portia, who comes across as confident and popular, while Perse is much quieter and more sensible. With her father far away and her mother preoccupied with her yoga and laughter therapy, it is her diary that provides her with the opportunity to work out her thoughts and emotions. Perse is a wonderful character that children will identify with. She is strong enough to acknowledge her shortcomings and work out ways to get round them.
Black and white line drawings by Serena Geddes are interspersed throughout and add to the interest. I especially liked the illustrations of the twins that complement the humour in the book.
Activities and colouring in pages can be found at Darlison's site.
I can see this book being used as a read aloud by librarians and class teachers for its zany humour. I look forward to the next book in what I think will be a very popular series.
Pat Pledger

Sometimes Life Sucks: When someone you love dies by Molly Carlile

Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN: 978 17742371887.
(Ages 12-16) Like adults, a teenager's reaction of grief when someone close to them has died can often be diverse. Sometime's Life Sucks is not a novel but a series of short stories about different situations where a teenager might have experienced the death of someone they love. These stories a supported by tips and advice from the books author who has drawn upon her experience as a palliative care nurse and counsellor. The different experiences of grief and death included in the book include: supporting a friend who is grieving, attending funeral and experiencing the death of a famous idol, just to list a few. The contents page at the beginning of the book would encourage young readers to use the book to reference the type of grief that they themselves are experiencing. Each story has useful websites, quotes from other children and a familiar story for each scenario to comfort readers in knowing that they are not alone in their grief as others have experienced such grief and life goes on. Justifiably the stories in this book are not light and can be graphic, most notably the description of death, but there are many examples of the celebration of life not just grieving death. Sometimes Life Sucks should be recommended to school counsellors and sensitively recommended to teenagers who have experienced grief in their lives.
Adam Fitzgerald

Three by the sea by Mini Grey

Jonathan Cape, 2010. ISBN 978-0224083621.
(Ages 5+) Recommended. Cat, Dog and Mouse live in harmony and contentment, successfully dividing household duties between them. However, one day a stranger arrives, a salesman from a mysterious company called 'The Winds of Change'. The Wolf salesman sets about sowing the seeds of doubt and discontent in the minds of the three friends. After all, why does Dog insist on planting bones in the garden when a few herbs could make everything so much tastier? And must Mouse always cook with cheese as the sole ingredient? As for Cat, well he spends more time sleeping than cleaning house.
All of a sudden the three friends are arguing and complaining. Mouse, in a fit of pique decides to leave home. It is only when his life is in grave danger that his friends forget their quarrel and with a bit of teamwork save the day. However, the winds of change have already blown into this household and some things do indeed change for the better.
Even young children can understand the problems of being stuck in a rut. When I read this with a Year 3 class there was plenty of talk about how change can seem scary but often ends up being a good thing. There was also lots of discussion about the importance of friendship and tolerance.
I'm a big fan of Mini Grey and this is a delightful story, with plenty of visual jokes, perfect for sharing and poring over. It allows children to talk about quite complex and abstract ideas and put a voice and a name to different feelings. Great fun and thought provoking too, what more can we ask for?
Claire Larson

Super DC Heroes: Wonder Woman Readers

Raintree, 2010.
Recommended for Middle Primary.
Review of the set:
Being a child of the 80's I recall watching this character on television, however there are elements to these stories that differ greatly, I think the character has more depth and there is a greater link to mythology than I can recall. I am not however a reader of the traditional comics, so maybe this character is true to the comic version of the superhero.
As a set of readers, they are quite good. The topic is engaging and the character of Wonder Woman is strong, fair and wise. Each book has fact files at the back to fill in the reader a little more about the new characters and Wonder Woman's tools. There are also some very good questions and writing prompts that go beyond comprehension of the story and challenge values and opinions.
Text is at a medium level of understanding, and words that may be of a slightly higher order are included in a glossary at the back. Nicely illustrated by Dan Schoening in a fairly true to form comic style using bold lines and colours.

Trial of the Amazons by Michael Dahl and Dan Schoening
ISBN: 978140621363. 55pp.
The first in the series, this reader gives us the background of how Wonder Woman came to be.
A powerful Amazonian, Wonder Woman is the princess with the ultimate attitude and skills. Blessed by the Gods and given her magic trio of the lasso of truth, silver armbands and golden crown, she embarks upon a series of missions to make the world a better place.

Creature of Chaos by Sarah Hines Stephens and Dan Schoening
ISBN:9781406216349. 55pp.
Devastation has arrived, and it is in the form of a small child. No, I am not talking about your average two year old, but an evil character moulded by Cronas-enemy of the Gods. Deva is the opposite of Wonder Woman, crafted with skills and powers to equal hers, but on the side of evil.
Wonder Woman needs to fight hard and think fast if she is going to beat this ball of destruction, can she remember all of her lessons and save the day?
Monster Magic by Louise Simonson and Dan Shoening
ISBN: 9781406216356. 55pp.
A powerful sorceress Circe has come to Washington D.C. to claim back her special plants taken from her magical island. At the same time a large number of magical and mythical creatures wreak havoc on the city. Wonder Woman uses her lasso on the creatures and discovers a surprising truth. What tools will Wonder Woman use to restore peace to the city and appease the sorceress?

Attack of the Cheetah by Jane Mason and Dan Schoening
ISBN: 9781406216332. 55pp.
Three beautiful new cheetah cubs bring a new lease of life to the National Zoo. When their behaviour becomes strange and they go wild, it is up to Wonder Woman to discover why. Super villain Cheetah-part woman, part cheetah-is behind the chaos. What is it she wants, and can Wonder Woman use her super powers to solve the problem?
Zana Thiele

There's going to be a baby by John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury

Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0744549966.
(Age 2-6) Recommended. A beautifully crafted and illustrated tale, There's going to be a baby, relates the story of a little boy's attitude to the forthcoming new arrival. Uncertain about the baby the young child asks all sorts of questions. When is the baby going to come? What will we call the baby? What will the baby do? The reader follows the mother and child's progress through the seasons while the baby develops. They visit a restaurant, an art gallery, a garden, the zoo, the seaside and the bank. At each location the mother muses that the new baby might work there when it grows up while the little boy imagines his own comical version of what the baby might do.
This is an original and sensitive treatment of a child's wonder and fear about a new sibling. The loving relationships between mother and child is beautifully depicted as the mother ensures that the little boy has a wonderful time while she is pregnant, with trips to the zoo and the seaside.
Helen Oxenbury's delightful illustrations show the extraordinary flights of fancy that the little boy imagines. These are drawn in a two-page spread with four panels to a page, reminiscent of a comic, and coloured in muted watercolours with black outlines. One page illustrations with bold colours show Mum and the little boy both growing bigger until the reader sees Grandad and the boy going to the hospital to see the new baby.
The book layout is also beautiful. The endpapers carry pictures of the baby working in all the occupations and the paper is sturdy enough for young fingers to handle over time. The print varies in colour to distinguish the conversations of the mother and child.
This is a wonderful book to read to children when there is a new baby on the horizon and would fit beautifully into a theme of family.
Pat Pledger

Wavelength by A. J. Betts

Fremantle Press, Perth 2010. ISBN 978 1921696305.
Highly recommended. At first this seemed like just another in a stream of books about kids in year 12 not coping, or coming to grips with themselves, but after a few pages, it is clear that this is an exceptional read, stunningly different form many others. Oliver is not coping with year 12. Mum's business of making muffins, dozens of them, in the early morning, interrupts his much needed sleep, and when she goes off in her van making deliveries, it is up to Oliver to make sure his siblings are ready and off to school. So one morning he explodes. As a result, Mum packs him off to his father, now at Buselton, a swimming instructor at a leisure centre. But all is not what he expects. Needing a space apart to study, his dreams are shattered when his bag is stolen and he loses his books and calculator. The girl who works at the canteen at the pool, mocks his distress, and his father, although trying to be helpful, underwhelms his vision of what his father does for a living.
Oliver thought he had it all mapped out, going to uni next year with his friends, all taking geology together, but the canteen girl upsets his views, questions his reasons and generally turns his ideas on their head. The pool is part of a centre attached to an elderly citizen's village and so Oliver comes in contact with many groups of older people in the course of his day. Through them he learns more tolerance and patience as he copes with the everyday. His father is not doing the work he expected him to be doing and at first, he, like the canteen girl, is seen as a failure, but reassessing his views over the week, he learns to question his own aims with more care. A wonderful read, quite different from the expected turn of story, this book has a range of characters not usually seen in adolescent fiction. The older people are all drawn with care and are never cliched, the father and his companion are presented truthfully and the girl in the canteen is questioning and acute in her dealings with the mess that is Oliver.
Fran Knight

Noah Barleywater runs away by John Boyne

David Fickling Books, 2010.
(Ages 10+) Noah Barleywater leaves home early one morning to embark on an adventure involving a magical toyshop, an elderly puppet maker, a talking dachshund and a permanently hungry donkey.  Readers will find themselves swiftly immersed in Boyne's fanciful imaginative world.
The story unfolds gently as we slowly gather the clues for Noah's hasty departure from his beloved parents. The elderly toyshop owner regales Noah with stories of his own past and through these parables Noah begins to realise that he must return home and face up to the tragedy awaiting him, the death of his terminally ill mother. It is only towards the end of the story that the old man is revealed as that famous wooden puppet who longed to become a boy.
Boyne's plot is cleverly constructed and the imaginative devices are in place to draw readers into the story. However, I feel this is a story that does not entirely work. For a start it's difficult to decide who John Boyne is writing for. Some of the Disney-esque features - clocks that talk and moving floorboards will appeal to younger readers. However other themes are far more grown up, particularly the regret experienced by the elderly Pinocchio for missed opportunities and past mistakes, emotions that youngsters are unlikely to relate to.
The title page describes this as a fairytale and it is certainly original and imaginative. However, I believe it is a fairytale for grown ups, those who want the bittersweet luxury of reflecting on their own sorrows and regrets and those who are trying to come to terms with their own frailties.
Noah Barleywater runs away could become a book that adults will rave about, but I'm not convinced children will.
Claire Larson

Ned Kelly and the green sash by Mark Greenwood

Ill. by Frane Lessac. Walker Books 2010. ISBN 9781921150876.
(All ages) Highly recommended. In this beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book, Greenwood and Lessac bring to life the notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly, his childhood and the duality of his character.
The book commences with words written by Kelly in his Condemned Cell,
'I do not pretend that I have led a blameless life, or that one fault justified another, but the public, judging a case like mine, should remember that the darkest life may have a bright side, and after the worst has been said against a man, he may, if he is heard, tell a story in his own rough way'.
The story then highlights the tale of young Kelly rescuing a drowning boy and being presented with a green sash for his courage, as well as examining the poverty of his life and his later crimes.
Greenwood has produced a really thought provoking book. On one hand the reader finds out about Kelly's bravery and his pride in the green sash that was a symbol of this. On the other hand the reader sees Kelly's violent crimes through the inclusion of newspaper articles of the time, giving the view of the press about bushranger and his gang. Additional biographical information and facts at the back of the book also ensure a lively discussion about right and wrong.
Lessac's wonderful illustrations, painted in bold greens, reds and oranges for the Australian bush, and subdued tones for the goals, greatly added to my understanding of the times. She brought to life for me the poverty of the Irish family, struggling to stay alive through drought, the way that Ned eased into a life of crime and the harassment by the police.
An outstanding picture book for all ages, this is sure to become a classic.
Pat Pledger

The glasshouse by Paul Collins

Illus. by Jo Thompson. Ford St., 2010. ISBN 978 1921665045.
Picture book. Recommended. Clara lives all alone in a stunning glasshouse, where she grows exquisite pumpkins. She tends the seedlings, watching and nursing them as they grow, knowing that they are the best pumpkins around. They have no blemishes, are perfectly formed, have a beautiful colour and are delicious. Buyers come from everywhere to buy her prefect pumpkins. But one day a boy appears at her door and she follows him outside, only to be amazed that so many of the other glasshouses are smashed and broken.
Frightened by what she has seen, she now spends her time checking her glass for cracks, watching for any disturbance to her perfect world. She makes the buyers take off their shoes, watches them as they mover around her area until they start to go elsewhere.  The boy reappears and shows Clara one of his pumpkins, one that is not quite so perfect. It is misshapen, discoloured and spotty, but tastes just as good as hers. She becomes more insular and worried. Less and less people come to buy her pumpkins and she loses interest in them, causing them to become discoloured and not quite perfect.
A beautiful story of accepting things for what they are, of not expecting everything to be perfect, of acceptance and understanding and of love, is made spectacular with the exuberant, colour filled illustrations that glow on every page.
Fran Knight