Voyages of the Flying Dragon Book 1. Random House, 2010.
(Age 11+) Lenis and Missy Clemens are twins, slaves aboard the airship
Hiryu. They have unique powers as Bestia Keepers, being able to
communicate telepathically with the strange creatures that power the
ship. When the Captain steals the ship from the WarLord and takes it
over the Wastelands, they both face enormous danger in their quest to
save the daughter of the blue dragon, Apsilla, and keep the land from
being taken over by Demons.
An adventure story with a lot of excitement, thrills and fights, this
tale is a rewarding read. The idea of the Bestia powering an airship
was the feature that made it stand out for me. I really liked the
thought of small animals, rather reminiscent of cats, having the
magical ability and enough energy to run engines and set things alight.
The action is not too fierce for younger readers, although one scene
with one of my favourite crewmembers was rather
distressing, especially as it was totally unexpected.
Chandler combines steampunk with an oriental setting to make for an
intriguing story. For people, like me, who are unfamiliar with Japanese
names, the glossary at the end was helpful with identifying the Demons
and Lilim. There is quite a large cast of characters, also with
Japanese names, which took a while to sort through. However the twins
Lenis and Missy are very well developed characters, as is Namei, the
cabin girl. Their powers develop as they are chased across the
Wastelands, and Chandler left enough intriguing hints about their
origin and importance for the reader to look forward to discovering
more about them in future books. Quillblade is Chandler's debut book. It will have appeal for lovers of
high fantasy or authors like Naomi Novak and her Temeraire series and I
look forward to seeing how the series develops.
Pat Pledger
The lost treasure by Jan Stradling
Ill. by Cassandra Allen. Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529085.
(Age 5-9) One day a bad pirate, named Hamish spies a bottle with a
message in it. It is from Pirate Jack who is stuck on an island, where
he has buried his treasure. Ruby, a good pirate reads the message when
Pirate Hamish tosses it back into sea and is determined to rescue Jack.
Meanwhile Hamish is determined to get the treasure.
Written in a humorous voice, this is an entertaining tale of doing the
same things for very different reasons. Ruby really wants to help Jack,
but Hamish is only interested in treasure. 'Arrrrrr! Treasure' he
roared. 'I love treasure!'
Black and white illustrations complement the text and greatly add to
the enjoyment of the story with their whimsical details and the
delightful expressions on the faces of the pirates.
This is one of the Walker stories series designed to bridge the gap for
children between picture and chapter books and is ideal for Talk Like a
Pirate Day. An activity sheet and wallpaper downloads are available
from the site.
Pat Pledger
The life of a teenage body snatcher by Doug MacLeod
Penguin, 2010. ISBN 9780143203919.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. I have enjoyed other books by Doug
MacLeod, especially delighting in his fabulous sense of humour and I
was not disappointed in this engrossing tale of Thomas Timewell. Set in
England in 1828, our young hero is determined to carry out his
grandfather's wish to have his body donated to science. However Thomas'
mother thwarts him, and insists that his grandfather be buried. Thomas
decides to dig up the body so that it can be sent to London to advance
medicine. While at the grave, in the dead of night, he meets a body
snatcher named Plentitude, and from then on his life takes a dramatic
turn.
MacLeod's
descriptions of his characters and their behaviours bring the
historical period to life. There are some truly memorable people in
this book. Thomas Timewell is a young gentleman. He
looks after his mother, who is addicted to laudanum. His observations
about the trials of his family
made me laugh aloud. Plenitude, a tattooed gypsy with a meat cleaver,
and young Miss Victoria and his friend Charlie are all fleshed out
really well and each person's role comes together in a most satisfying
conclusion.
The book is saturated with details about life in the 1800's. Not only
does the reader learn about grave robbing and the use of laudanum, but
also discovers facts about schools and literature. A sub- theme
throughout the book examining the power of the written word is
fascinating. Thomas is forced to listen to the worst prose he has ever
heard at a book reading organised by his mother and the reader is
introduced to the fact that women in Victorian times were forced to
write under a man's name if they wanted to get their books published.
His teacher Mr Atkins, a sadistic bully, writes a book about how he
keeps his pupils in line, and Thomas fights to stop it going into
print. This description of a teacher torturing his pupils in a
systematic way is horrifying and I won't forget it in a hurry.
This is a great historical novel that gives an insight into the life of
a resurrectionist, but the darkness of the occupation never takes over
because of the adventure, the people you meet and the witty
descriptions.
Pat Pledger
Demon strike by Andrew Newbound
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978 1 906427 17 7
(Age 10+) Warmly recommended. A wonderful fantasy thriller, Demon
strike will garner fans of all ages
who want to read a fantasy but mixed with humour and fun. Wortley Flint
and his ghost busting partner, Alannah Malarra go to a house where some
strange ghoulish behaviour has been detected. Their ghost busting
business is doing well, so they a re appalled when another level of
ghost busters, people from ANGEL arrive, ready to take them on.
Fhli, the ANGEL, realises that she has been sent to dispose of these
two young hunters, and sees that they are not the problem, despite them
showing up on Evan City's radar. So they join forces to find out just
what malevolence there is in the old house. But Fhli is not supposed to
join forces with humans or 'fleshies' and is called back to explain
herself to the mayor.
This laugh out loud fantasy has cleverly worked the angel motif into a
scrum of fantastic creatures. ANGEL stands for Attack-ready Network of
Global Evanescent Law-enforcers, the elite army of Evan City, the
Higher Dimension that provides protectors for all. Flhi has been given
her wings and is sent to earth on what she sees as a do or die mission,
but she survives. Newbound uses a bunch of wonderful phrases, straight
from American war movies ('get your skinny butt out of there', 'an angel
is down' and so on), while the names of the characters
laughingly portray some of their characteristics. Kids will laugh out
loud as I did along with Alannah and Wortley, Flhi and her troopers and
with Alannah finding out where her parents are must mean another story
in the pipeline.
Fran Knight
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Penguin, 2010. ISBN 978 0 14320404 6.
(14+)
Basis of the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of
Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this tale of the friendship between Tristen
Jekel
and Jill Hyde, two people in their senior year at school, parallels the
original story in their search for the elixir which will make them
enough money to solve all their problems. Both students are obsessed by
the story which involves both of their ancestors, and for Tristen in
particular, the stories from his grandfather scare him when thinking
about what his family has done, and about his own future.
Winning a chemistry competition will ensure Jill's continuing uni fees
and so she persuades Tristen to enter with her, exploiting the
chemistry information left by her dead father, who she knows was
working on the original experiments. But Jill's mother collapses, and
this puts her in the hands of Tristen's father, a psychologist with his
own agenda.
This is a most intriguing horror story, full of twists and turns as the
friendship between the two teenagers develops and then fades while they
go about their experiments. The discovery of the doctor's journals
reveals the lengths he is going to uncovering the experiments and where
they will lead, and so the tale comes to a thrilling climax.
An engrossing tale, well told, with enough turns for the ardent horror
addict, but with a tweak that may take the reader back to the original
novel for comparison.
Fran Knight
The Prodigal Ute by Paul Clark
Wombat Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921633102.
This is an interesting take on the parable of the prodigal son but it
is being told to cars in a church car park. The prodigal here is a
utility truck that makes sure it is stolen in order to get to the city
where it believes life will be more exciting. Unfortunately the truck
ends up rusting on the street forgotten and alone wishing it were back
on the farm. This is a small soft cover with a lot of text for its size
and it is hard to find a suitable reading age or audience for it.
Vicki Nunn
By midnight by Mia James
Orion Books, 2010. ISBN 9780575095533.
(Age 14+) Recommended for those who love the vampire genre. April Dunne
is unhappy. Her father has moved her family from Edinburgh to Highgate
and she has had to leave all her friends behind. Life as a student at
her new, elite school, Ravenwood, isn't easy and she doesn't feel she
fits in. She is not really rich, doesn't own designer clothes and isn't
even really smart like the other students. However she is attracted to
one boy, Gabriel, and after he rescues her from a strange being in
Highgate Cemetery one night, she finds him even more intriguing. Then
she discovers that a young woman has been murdered nearby and strange
things are happening at Ravenwood.
I found this to be an entertaining read, which I devoured very quickly.
The plot was very fast paced, and there were some quite unexpected
twists and turns that kept my interest alive. The tension was built up
really well, and I was kept guessing who was a vampire in the school
and what was really going on. The research that April and her father
conducted was fascinating as well and the gradual dropping of clues
about what was happening was well done.
April was an interesting, strong girl, with a well-developed character.
Gabriel was not as well developed as a character, but was good as the
dark, attractive, mysterious love interest.
The romance between April and Gabriel, the mystery about her mother's
background and the fabulous setting of Highgate Cemetery are intriguing
enough for me to want to read the next in the series. By midnight
is
sure to be popular with those who love a Gothic horror tale with
vampires!
Pat Pledger
Bindi Wildlife Adventures: A Whale of a Time by Chris Kunz
Random House, 2010. ISBN 9781864718508.
(Age 8-10) Highly recommended. This exciting new episode in the
Wildlife Adventure series is full of environmental and boating
information and includes the usual animal fact file at the back, this
time on whales. 12 year old twins visiting from England are excited to
join Bindi Irwin on a whale watching trip in a catamaran. The kids get
involved in a boating accident, an environmental disaster threatening
marine life along the coast and one experience of sea sickness while
they
encounter beautiful humpback whale pods. Highly recommended for eight
to ten year olds but especially suited for children with concern for
the environment.
Vicki Nunn
Mythical creatures series
Raintree, 2010.
The series of books in the Mythical Creatures series introduce the
reader to mythical creatures from cultures around the world. They
include books about vampires, dragons, fairies, mermaids, unicorns,
vampires and werewolves. Each book has a clear well constructed Table
of Contents. The individual book then outlines what a mythical
creature is, gives a definition of the individual mythical creature and
then examines where the stories about them have come from, looks at
reality versus myth and contains a glossary, links to sites and books
and a good index.
The print is big and clear to read, and the writing engages the reader
by asking questions and giving interesting facts. Pronunciations of
difficult words are given. Illustrations are bright and bold, and
include photographs of real places and things as well as pictures of
what the artist's imagination comes up with.
This is a series that should appeal to young readers. The books about
vampires and werewolves give factual information about the origins of
these myths and are not too gory for middle to upper primary age group
that the series appears to be aimed at.
Titles include:
Read Me!: Dragons By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 643 1
Read Me!: Fairies By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 644 8
Read Me!: Mermaids By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 645 5
Read Me!: Unicorns By Abby Colich ISBN: 978 1 40621 648 6
Read Me!: Vampires By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 646 2
Read Me!: Werewolves by Rebecca Rissman ISBN: 978 1
40621 647 9
Pat Pledger
The hunger games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 9781407109374.
Katniss is forced to take on the role of leader of the rebels fighting
against the Capitol, and the hated President Swan, when the Mockingjay
becomes a symbol of revolution. Still unsure whether Peeta is alive,
and with Gale always by her side, she delves into the murky political
world behind the organisation. Point and counter point sees her pitting
her wits against the wise Plutarch and in a morass of political
maneuvering she finds that she has promised to lead the group only if
Peeta, now seen as a traitor, is kept alive. But in return she must
obey all directives, something she has never done in the past, so is
trapped.
The Capitol screens out to all districts live interviews with Peeta,
showing off their captive for all to see, and seriously undermining
Katniss. But on the last occasion it is clear that he is being tortured
and he warns them of an impending air strike. Gale and the others then
decide they must get into the Capitol and rescue Peeta and the
others trapped there. Katniss is overjoyed, but when Peeta returns he
is seriously damaged.
A brilliant and absorbing third part of this story, Mockingjay
will
have the readers hold their breath as the game unfolds, drawing many
people in to its sphere. Katniss is in District 13, long believed to be
abandoned and is appalled when she sees that the people have gone
underground, building up a regimented and sparse life. Each person has
a daily routine painted on their arms, telling them exactly where they
must be for all the hours of the day. The description of the
underground city is breathtaking in its completeness, the compliance of
its people even more so, but all the while, we know that Katniss will
deliver some blow to the dictatorship which has evolved, as well as
take on the Capitol. The trilogy had me hooked from page one to the end.
Fran Knight
Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree by Andy Stanton
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978 1 405252188.
This is a nonsensical story about a town called Lamonic Bibber where a
cast of unusual characters dwell. Language is made up, song lines are
intergrated in the text and some characters aren't what they seem. Mr
Gum is the protagonist in these stories and his attempts to divert the
lives of the town dwellers is the basis for the stories. In this book
he pretends to be an ancient tree dweller and convinces the town folk
to give him their most precious item as a token of their devotion.
Polly (the happiest nine-year-old you could ever meet) is determined to
uncover the true identity of the tree dweller and convince the
townsfolk of the deception. It is a fun easy to read book.
Tracy Glover
Tussock by Elizabeth Pulford
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529450.
(Age 10-13) Recommended. When Katie's father goes missing on a routine
flight, her life is thrown into chaos. Close neighbours and friends try
to hold the family together while emergency services search for the
fallen plane. Katie believes that if she lights a lamp in the
little tin shed on a hill on their property, its light will guide her
father home. Her sister Madeleine believes that the fabled Stone Man
will find her father, and she builds one out of stones near the tin
shed. There they meet Troy, a troubled teen from a nearby camp for
disadvantaged youth, and the mystery surrounding him brings danger to
the girls. The search for the girls' father loses momentum as the
police use their resources to search for a dangerous criminal at loose
in the area.
Author Elizabeth Pulford has written an intriguing story that kept me
interested to the end. On one hand I was engrossed with the sisters'
use of superstition, which holds them together emotionally as they wait
for their father to be saved. I held my breath as Katie crept out at
night to light the lantern to guide her father home and empathised with
Madeleine she built up a Stone Man that would save her father from
drowning. Troy's appearance brought a sense of menace to the story. I
was never quite sure if Troy was dangerous or not, but the tension that
was built up as he interacted with the girls was quite riveting.
All the characters are described in-depth. Kate is a fully realised
young teenager, who feels constrained by her parents and Pulford's
description of her feelings, her grief, worry and regrets made me feel
as if I knew her. Troy's air of being lost, without a home, is very
well done. The growing friendship between the two is beautifully
constructed and Troy's sacrifice to save Kate will really appeal to
young readers. Secondary characters are also well rounded, in
particular Old Jonesy, the farmhand who helps the girls in their grief,
and the criminal is frightening.
Set in New Zealand tussock country, this a story that will appeal to
young girls, with its touch of romance, mystery and family dilemma.
Pat Pledger
Paladin by Dave Luckett
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978 1 862918672.
(Ages Middle school) Recommended. Fantasy. Sam and Finny were at the
same school. Sam knows that Finny has dropped
out and is aware that she is different, even strange, compared to
others at school. But when she is attacked in the park, her attacker is
replaced by an old man who tells them both to follow him. Sam finds
himself in a different place, a medieval land where time has a
different meaning from his own world, and here he is welcomed as a
paladin, a good knight with powers that will help those around him.
Perplexed, Sam must follow the lead of Finny who he has discovered is a
mage with magical powers, and together they are to be trained to rid
the world of the dark forces which are threatening to take over. But
when Finnny disappears, Sam must act, or the others will keep on
believing that she has crossed to the dark side and is now an enemy to
be sought out and killed.
A high fantasy adventure story, Sam's quest, to rescue Finny takes him
through lands where he is at times treated as a friend sent to help,
and other times as an enemy to be fought. The adventures come thick and
fast as he must pit not only his wits, but also his strength against an
unknown enemy. Several plot twists will retain the heightened interest
of the readers, leading to a most satisfying conclusion.
Fran Knight
Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper
Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9780747599135.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. Grace Parkes has given birth to an
illegitimate child. Distraught, she travels to Brookwood Cemetery where
she hides her little wrapped package in a rich lady's coffin, knowing
that her baby will have a proper burial. There she meets Mr James
Solent, the brother of Susannah Solvent, whose coffin she has used and
this meeting as well as one with Mrs Emmeline Unwin, will have untold
effects on her future. When Grace goes back to London, she faces a dire
time trying to make a living selling watercress and anything else she
can get her hands on, to try and keep her sister Lily and herself
alive. The Unwins, too, are trying to defraud the sisters of an
inheritance that is rightfully theirs.
Grace and Lily are gently brought up girls, who when their mother dies,
are faced with destitution. Their father has never returned from India,
where he went to gain a fortune, and they are left with only a few
possessions to sell to buy food and pay their rent. Grace is forced to
leave the orphanage when its benefactor abuses her and the sisters'
life and is lucky to find a room with Mrs Macready. The themes of rape
and abuse are low key and not described in any detail so younger
readers would be able to cope with this content.
All of Hooper's characters are finely developed. Grace is a strong
heroine and Lily is her likeable disabled sister.bvJames Solvent
the young solicitor, is compassionate and caring, and minor characters
are so well developed that all come to life in the mind of the reader.
Hooper brings the plight of the poor in Victorian England vividly alive
with her accurate historical depiction of life at that time. I loved
this historical novel and its Victorian setting and funeral customs,
were fascinating. I felt as if I was living with the girls as they
struggled to stay off the streets. There were tears in my eyes as I
thought about Grace having to bury her poor little baby in a stranger's
coffin and I was appalled at the cunning malice of the Unwins who were
trying to get the girls' inheritance.
The clever combination of the contrast of the appalling conditions for
poor women and those of the rich, and a gripping plot of an inheritance
lost, makes for a wonderful and memorable story. I loved reading this
type of rags to riches story when I was young and throoughly enjoyed this one. Fallen Grace is a
captivating story, and the addition of the historical detail makes it
even more rich and compelling. I will always read a book written by
Mary Hooper, who doesn't fail to write fabulous fiction.
Pat Pledger
Marrying Ameera by Rosanne Hawke
Angus and Robertson, 2010. ISBN 978 0732291440.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. A sense of foreboding pervades the atmosphere
of Ameera's house in Adelaide, where she is mildly testing her father's
restrictions upon her movements. A good Muslim daughter, she spends
time in his rug shop, is dutiful at home, and always gets her brother
to accompany her or at least bring her home from times spent with her
girlfriends. But she is beginning to balk at the heavy handedness of
her father, and turns to her Australian mother for help. But she too is
confined by her husband's wishes, and although sympathetic, has
promised her husband that their children will be raised Muslim. Ameera
sees her brother going out with friends, having a license and a car,
having a girlfriend, and more importantly she sees her friend's
brother, Tariq.
Rosanne Hawke has again written a story redolent with understanding of
Muslim attitudes and culture, one that will inform as well as intrigue
while secondary readers follow the path Ameera is sent on by her
constrained father.
Flying to Pakistan ostensibly for her cousin's wedding, Ameera comes to
realise that it is her wedding she is attending and so breaking free of
this situation takes up the remainder of the story.
Rosanne Hawke first came across the germ of this tale when on study
leave in Pakistan, meeting a couple who helped recover girls sent to
Pakistan to marry against their wishes. The repugnance of forced
marriage is given full reign as Hawke follows Ameera's trail. Girls in
secondary school will cry out as I did at the impossible situation her
father has put her in, but with western sensibilities will find her
continued meek obedience hard to accept. Readers will cheer when she
escapes and returns to Australia, but will see that she has exchanged
one sort of captivity for another, having now to watch lest someone try
to take justice into their own hands. I found this section of the story
hard to read as Ameera wanted to forgive her dictatorial and
hypocritical father.
For the vast majority of the world's women, arranged marriages are a
norm, and for some, forced marriage can be the result, but for many
Australian women, both of these are abhorrent. This book looks forced
marriage in the eye, while readers are encouraged to assess the ideas
behind freedom of choice and arranged marriages with more understanding
and compassion, and, as with all of her books, extend their
appreciation of the mix of cultures and ideas that make up today's
Australia. Marrying Ameera not only tells us a good story but
along the
way many readers will question the ideas of forced marriages, arranged
marriages and freedom of choice.
Fran Knight
