Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742751276
(Ages 13+) Will lives in Walfang, a small town near the ocean, and
every summer his best friend and neighbour Gretchen comes and stays
in Walfang. Last summer Will's older brother Tim went missing on
just another ordinary sailing trip, presumed drowned, but the worst
thing is even though Will was there he doesn't remember a thing. Now
Will and Gretchen are starting a new summer but Gretchen is troubled
by her sleep walking since it has started getting worse and she
keeps waking up closer to the water, and Will is still haunted by
Tim's death. When Will meets the new girl in town, Asia, he is drawn
to her. She is beautiful and mysterious but there is something weird
about her, her voice and beauty have a powerful effect on
people and stranger yet nobody knows where she came from. Then
when there is another mysterious drowning Will and Gretchen begin to
wonder; who is Asia, is she just another wealthy summer resident? Or
is she something completely different . . . . something
much worse altogether?
This book is hard to get in to at first but it is definitely a great
book. Once the mysteries started to unravel I didn't want to put it
down. I would recommend this book to people who like books with a
bit of mystery in them.
Tahlia Kennewell (Student)
Paws, claws and frilly drawers by Sarah Horne
Scholastic Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781741698817.
Molly lives next door to and goes to school with Saffron - a spoilt
snobby child who must always get her own way. While Saffron
has been away, Molly has been minding her cat Mimi and discovered it
has a fantastic secret . . . she talks.
Mimi is a touch like her owner - intent on getting her own way and
doing as she pleases. When Saffron's mum offers Mimi for Molly
to take to 'bring your pet to school day', Molly is worried about
what may happen.
Full of catty comments, but not so much from the feline
character; I found myself expecting more from the Mimi the cat
and her talking abilities. She is mischievous, and loves
fashion - thus the title name, but I would have liked to have more
dialogue from the character.
Overall an easy read - perhaps a little predictable on the
storyline, but for younger readers this can be reassuring and help
to ensure success. A good read for younger girls.
Zana Thiele
The Crowfield demon by Pat Walsh
Chicken House, 2011. ISBN 9781906427634.
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy/medieval. Sent to the next
town to ask the Lord to send his stone mason to the Abbey to have a
look a the water damage in the church, Will is accompanied on his
return through the woods by a young man he met in the town. But
things are not what they seem, however, and the bread given to Will
turns into a steaming mess of maggots the next day, so alerting
Will, the hob, Shadlock and Brother Snail to the truth of who the
boy was. Evil is about, the church is crumbling, and seems forever
water logged, the hob sees things in the woods, Shadlock is uneasy
and even Will is aware that something is wrong.
This is an exciting sequel to The Crowfield Curse, where
Will worked with Shadlock to free his lord, Master Bone, from his
terrible curse, and then dug up the angel buried centuries before in
the woods, freeing it but engaging the wrath of the Dark King. But
this is not a story of the Dark King's vengeance, rather the deeper,
older world the Abbey was built upon, a malevolent force now
invading them all.
Once the church within the abbey crumbles and falls, Will is given
the job of clearing away the rubble with the stonemason and his
crew. He feels the presence of something evil and the fallen angel
seems very close. The cellarer, always Will's enemy, begins to have
dreams in which Will is set to kill him, so Will is ever vigilant
lest the other members of the Abbey view him with suspicion. But one
night the demon vents his anger on the huddled monks within the
church, killing one and injuring most of the others. The prior, who
until now had thought that prayer was the answer, accepts that the
alchemy of Lord Robert may hold the key and so William, Shadlock,
Brother Snail and the hob go to see him.
The Medieval background is seamless in its depiction, readers learn
quickly the day to day life of the Abbey, without ever feeling that
the information is being imposed upon them. Every fact given is part
of the story, a necessary piece of information given to show how
these people live. I loved every word, and will watch eagerly for
the third installment of this amazing trilogy by archaeologist, Pat
Walsh.
Fran Knight
Some dads by Nick Bland
Scholastic Press, 2011. ISBN 9781741697933.
(Age 2-6) Recommended. Picture book. Humour.
'There are some dads who worry
And some dads who hurry
And some dads who get lost on the way. '
And so the book continues with a huge variety of dads who do
different things, some good, some bad but all ones that young
children will be able to recognise in their own fathers and the
fathers of their friends. They will also have fun identifying traits
in the fathers that they know.
The rhythm and rhymes of this lovely story will make it a favourite
read aloud and I feel sure that it will be one that is regularly
asked for when it is time for Dad to read a story. What is
particularly engaging is that the dads aren't perfect. They worry,
they go too fast, they play silly jokes, but the child is reminded
that dads are proud of their children and that children don't forget
their fathers.
The illustrations are vivid and compelling. With the use of humour
and cartoon like animal characters, Bland creates some stunning
images. I particularly love the ones of the sporty dad, a green
spotted frog, complete with sweatband, playing tennis with his child
on the Wii.
A good book to use in a classroom unit on the family, or for
Father's Day, it is also a perfect present for families.
Pat Pledger
Chrissie Michaels guest blogger
Chrissie Michaels reflects on her year of writing since the
publication in 2010 of her historical YA crossover novel, In
Lonnie's Shadow.
The publication of In Lonnie's Shadow by Ford Street in 2010
was a very exciting time for me. I had spent quite a few years
researching and writing this particular novel, which is set in 1891
Melbourne and was inspired by the archaeological digs that took
place in Little Lonsdale Street and its surroundings, most
specifically in Casselden Place. I am so pleased it is on the YA
list for the Sisters in Crime 2011 Davitt Awards.
Always when a book comes into being, it is exciting and a little
nerve-wracking. I must say that I am thrilled every time I read a
good review (fortunately, they have been fairly numerous for Lonnie)
and even more so, when contacted by a reader who has enjoyed the
story. I think the most satisfying response for me was when I got a
phone call from a woman whose elderly mother had lived in Cumberland
Place, a laneway that features in the novel. She thanked me for
writing about Little Lon. Her mother's remembrances had contributed
as source material for Museum Victoria's 'Melbourne Story'
exhibition. Apparently her mother had related strongly to the
storyline in the novel because it fit in with the life experiences
of some of the local residents that she knew during her own
childhood.
Since Lonnie's publication, I have mainly devoted my time to writing
commissioned educational texts. Two are now published and two
manuscripts are in the post, a few weeks earlier than their
contracted date of delivery.
I must admit I am finding it more and more difficult these days
trying to fit in the 'time' part of my life as a part-time author
and part-time teacher. The signs of early spring are here and as I
strive to fit in some - indeed, any - time to add a new layer of
soil, manure and mulch to the garden, I wonder why I still have this
calling to go inside and sit at my computer and write . . . and
write . . . and rewrite. Where is the time I once had to walk,
garden or take a holiday? My free time, of late, seems to have
diminished to the point of non existence.
Of course, it's all about the deadlines. Deadlines for manuscripts,
for rewrites, for gathering illustration ideas, for checking proofs.
Then there are the deadlines for lesson plans, for report writing,
for meetings. My life has turned into one long mapping of time as I
strive to adjust and readjust schedules.
I guess it explains why I have been so preoccupied of late with
reading time travel novels. I have just finished The Map of Time
and The Time-traveller's Wife and thoroughly enjoyed reading
them both.
Deciding to write commissioned pieces rather than whatever is
boiling on the pot calls for a different mindset. I have a fairly
organic approach to writing, which doesn't always fit in well with
the planned approach required by educational publishers. However, my
commissioning editor has been extremely supportive, all the while
gently steering me into plotting out a scope and sequence and
numerous lists of headings for each chapter. Somehow we have come to
an understanding and four manuscripts came into existence without
too much angst.
With the final manuscript posted and on its way, I can breathe a
little easier. Next week I will have no time constraints. I may do a
bit of digging in the garden, or I may work on my next novel, and
there's a poem that I have been mulling over . . . Life is sweet!
Chrissie Michaels
Bubble trouble by Margaret Mahy
Ill. by Polly Dunbar. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2008. ISBN
9781847801869.
(Age 3-7) Recommended. Picture book. The fabulous Margaret Mahy can
be trusted to come up with a unique story and this reprint of Bubble
trouble is certainly that! Mabel is having great fun blowing
bubbles until one gets away from her and encases her baby brother.
He soars out of the house and all over the town, with a swathe of
peoples chasing after him, trying to get him down.
What an adventure Mahy leads the reader on as she tells the story
with rhyme and rhythm that hurries the reader on a worrisome journey
to see if the young baby can be rescued. Vivid alliteration is
interspersed to make the story even more interesting. This is not a
simple rhyme for very young children to learn to say with the
reader. Instead it requires concentration to get the words out
correctly. Challenging but very satisfying to read out loud, it is
one that will stand the test of time. It would also be perfect for
beginning readers who are looking for something more ambitious than
short picture books.
The quirky illustrations by Polly Dunbar perfectly complement the
story. There is an urgency about the expressions on the people's
faces and the movement of their bodies that adds to the excitement
of the chase. There is also humour in the drawings that I found very
satisfying as I followed this wild trip across town.
Pat Pledger
The tiger-skin rug by Gerald Rose
Bloomsbury, 2011, ISBN 978 1408813034.
(Ages 4+) Recommended. Picture book. A reissue of an old favourite,
The tiger-skin rug, will enthrall a new generation of readers
and listeners. First published in 1979, it has always been one of
those books that librarians patched and repaired, keeping it going
for many years after its pages had fallen out. The story is one now
familiar to most, of a tiger, skinny and emaciated, because his
habitat has been reduced and he is getting old, who when looking
through the window sees the rajah and his family living well. He
also sees the servant carry out the floor rugs to beat. These
include a number of animal skin rugs. He has an idea. He shimmies up
onto the clothesline, lying across the line with the other animal
rugs, waiting his turn. The best thing happens and he is taken
inside and laid out on the floor with the other animal skin rugs. No
one notices as he is so thin, he is just like any other rug. He has
an idyllic existence, company and food, the scraps left on the floor
by the family. But he must put up with the occasional beating and
scrubbing. And he is getting a little more rotund. When one night,
burglars come into the palace, he is able to scare them away so
saving his new family, and securing a pleasant life for himself.
A lovely story with luminous illustrations that will cause much
laughter amongst its readers, both young and old.
Fran Knight
Literature to support the Australian curriculum: annotated lists of fiction and poetry by Fran Knight
Pledger Consulting, 2011. ISBN 978-1876678258.
Fran Knight is a South Australian children's literature specialist,
renowned for her knowledge and experience in book selection and
reader
guidance. She has been assisting teachers and
teacher-librarians
for many years. This set of annotated lists will prove
invaluable
for school and public libraries, and for classrooms across
Australia.
ReadPlus (Pledger Consulting), an online database of fiction
organised
under themes, has supported this publishing venture, and for more
information you are invited to visit
http://www.readplus.com.au/trial.php
With access to an abundance of quality Australian children's
literature, it is often a daunting task to select the best book for
an
individual or group of readers. Teachers and librarians rely on the
wisdom of others as well as the knowledge they have gained from
their
own reading. Annotated lists are valuable tools; many of us will
recall
the reliable and interesting First Choice by Maurice Saxby.
Literature to support the Australian curriculum provides a reliable
list of up to date titles pertaining to relevant topics studied in
today's classrooms. Fran Knight's annotations are concise pieces of
three to four lines, providing insight to the storyline of each
entry,
with an occasional informed comment about the text in terms of its
purpose and achievement. Mention is made of series and sequels when
necessary.
The contents of this great package include book lists relating to
Asian
themes, indigenous themes, and sustainability. Poetry titles are
given,
as well as suggestions for class texts and 'read alouds'. Each
section lists titles for three age levels - Entry to Year 3, Year 4
to
6 and Year 7 to 10, and an index enhances the value of this
collection
of over 600 entries. Fran Knight has produced a very helpful,
well-informed handbook for those working in the field of education
and
reader guidance which addresses the current curriculum in Australian
schools.
Julie Wells
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Atom, 2011. ISBN 9781907411106.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. When a novel wins the
Michael L. Printz Award 2011, Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
(2011) and is on the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011), you
know you are in for a treat. I was thrilled when I received this
book and found it so enthralling that I finished it in virtually one
sitting. I am a fan of science fiction and dystopian novels and
found that this was original, exciting and disturbing.
The novel is set in a near future, where oil has run out, the
climate has changed and wind power is important. Nailer is a teen
working in a small poverty-stricken community on America's Gulf
Coast, breaking down discarded oil tankers for their parts. It is
dangerous and onerous work stripping the ship of copper wiring
particularly as one mistake can mean death. It is also dangerous to
have an erratic and abusive father. After a devastating storm,
Nailer and his friend Pima come across a beautiful clipper ship that
has been beached and finds that there is one survivor, a wealthy
girl, Nita. He is faced with an ethical dilemma. Should he kill her
as Pima suggests and claim the ship as a lucky strike, thus ending
their abject poverty, or should he rescue her in the hope that she
will reward him with a better life?
What I liked most about this book was its description of what it was
like to live with nothing but still cling to a hope of a better
future. Nailer has barely learnt to read, his mother is dead, and
his father physically abuses him but he still clings to a belief of
what is right and wrong and hopes to get away from his terrible
life. He also confronts the nature of loyalty and has to decide
where his allegiances lie. Nita, the daughter of a wealthy
corporation boss, is forced to come to terms with what it is like to
have no food, money or shelter. This contrast of the haves and have
nots will resonate with teens who can see the terrible differences
between the poor and wealthy in the world today.
Another strength of the book was the depth of characterisation that
Bacigalupi achieved. I became quite deeply involved with both Nailer
and Nita and the secondary characters. I couldn't help cheering for
Nailer as he attempted to learn how to read and to work on a
wonderful clipper boat that used wind power to let it soar over the
oceans.
A book not to be missed, this would make an ideal class set or
literature circle novel as well as being an essential addition to
the library shelves. I can't wait for the sequel and have purchased
the author's adult novel, The wind-up girl, on the strength
of his masterful writing and unique plot.
Pat Pledger
The great race by Kevin O'Malley
Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 978 0 8027 2357 4.
(Ages 4+) Picture book. Humour. The race between the tortoise and
the hare is given a new treatment in this funny parody of the
original fable. The hare in this tale is a strutting sports star,
beloved by the multitudes, receiving adulation wherever he goes.
Sporting sunglasses, he wears the latest clothing, and tells
everyone that he is the greatest. The tortoise can only try his
best, doing exercises to increase his abilities and fitness, but
practicing running by trotting to the pastry shop. When the big day
comes, humour abounds as the snail beats the tortoise in his run
along the road, and they both watch the hare in the foreground. But
near the end, something happens which will cause gales of laughter
from the young audience.
Humour is reflected in the charming illustrations. The hare is
always surrounded by his loving fans, and each page showing Hare is
full of animals, looking adoringly at their beloved, while each page
showing the tortoise is quite bare, the tortoise is the central
image, with few friends, a snail being his only companion. But the
tortoise wins, and the readers will laugh out loud at the way he
wins, and find humour in the situation the two animals find
themselves in. A gentle story of doing your best, of the vacuousness
of fandom, the story will engender much discussion about the
readers' favourite sports star and the hollowness of fame. And of
course, an astute teacher will use this story to compare it with the
original fable, The tortoise and the hare.
Fran Knight
Wood angel by Erin Bow
Chicken House, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-906427-60-3
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Alone in the world with only her cat
Taggle for company, Kate makes 'lucky' wooden charms to sell. But
her unusual gift marks her out in a place where witches are still
burned.
When Kate's village falls on a bad time known as the 'Skara Rok' she
is accused of practising dark magic. Scared for her life Kate turns
to a stranger. But he has a plan more dangerous than Kate could have
ever have dreamed of. It's up to Kate to carve good out of evil.The
main character plain Kate is a teenage girl who faces a lot of
problems during the novel. Kate's two main problems are dealing with
the death of her father and everyone around her and losing her
shadow to a stranger. She goes and joins a group of people known as
the Roamers. She stays with them throughout the story and makes many
new friends. During the novel Kate faces many added dangers and
problems while trying to get her Shadow back from the stranger. Will
Kate get her shadow back from the stranger before he harms everyone?
I like this book because it is told from Kate's perspective and the
way that the Erin Bow brought it all together. It makes me feel as
if I am in the story with all the characters. I also like the book
because of the adventure, poetry and family themes in the novel.
Wood Angel is a highly engaging novel and Erin has written a
beautifully crafted novel. I would love to find other novel written
by Erin Bow as she is a stunning author. I would highly recommend
this novel to others who are in to the fantasy genre.
Emily Madden (Student, Yr 9)
Pirate X by Sherryl Clark
UQP, 2011. ISBN 978 0 7022 3889 5.
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. Adventure. Jumping onto the foredeck
of a sailing ship Blackbeard appears, cutlass and guns ready, black
hair wildly alive with red ribbons, and in his flowing majestic
black bear, live fuses are fizzing. Will is astounded. Only a few
days before he was on the run from a shop owner in London, from whom
he had stolen some rolls, and when he fell, hitting his head, he
woke up three centuries before, and taken on board a pirate ship.
Here he learns to keep his head down and his thoughts private. He is
befriended by Major Steele Bonnet, the captain of the ship, but
something is obviously wrong. Blackbeard runs the ship, Revenge,
while the Major often remains in his cabin, alternately being a man
of iron, and then a drunk.
Life on board a ship in 1717 is harsh and cruel, with the crew
working long hours to keep the vessel afloat and seaworthy, given
rotten meat and weevily food to survive on. Will craves for broccoli
and butter, and when the ship stops at a Caribbean island, he gorges
on fresh pineapple. Not only must Will learn to use the cutlass and
pistol, the ropes of the ship,but he must also watch his back as he
has earnt the enmity of one of the ship's bullies who has vowed to
kill him.
Pirate life is brutal and bloody and we sees the full scope of what
life must have been like aboard these ships. Clark's research is
monumental, the setting so realistic its impossible to separate fact
from fiction. The background to the story, meticulously researched
is mind boggling as we descend into the bowels of the ship, haul
water or or gunpowder, throw bodies and badly wounded over board, or
bombard Charle Town. Clark was entranced with the story of Major
Steele bonnet, and in researching him, a failure as a pirate, wrote
this book. It is sure to capture a wide and appreciative audience,
adding reality to the fantasy of the Pirates of the Caribbean series
of films.
Fran Knight
Where there's smoke by John Heffernan
Omnibus, 2010. ISBN978 1 86291 866 5.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Fire. Stunned by the sound of a motorbike,
during one hot afternoon at school, recalling his father's abuse and
the reason he ad his mother have left home, Luke is surprised into
answering his teacher in less than respectful way and so is sent to
the principal. But he runs off to the one person who he knows will
understand the anger that is inside him, his family's friend and
saviour, Tiny. He offers to stay at their place until the threat of
the man's return is over, much to their relief. But Luke must still
contend with the bully at school, and placate his friend, Sarah, who
has told him in every way she can, not to fight. But fighting seems
to him the only way he can throw off bullies and it is to this that
he resorts every time he is threatened.
Meanwhile, small fires are building up in the summer's heat, and
people look to the hills around Edenville, shading their eyes from
the glare of the sun, to check where the fires are. Nina and Luke
too, look out, not for the fire, but for Nina's ex-husband, a man
she knows has found them yet again, carrying through this threat
never to leave them alone.
Two strong themes are presented in this easy to read, fast paced
story of fire, with the threat of fire ever present just as the
lingering threat of Nina's ex-husband is always there. Both threats
come to a climax and readers will avidly read to the end, learning
about the reality of bushfires in rural Australia and much about
fire safety. Without being didactic, Heffernan creates a situation
where readers will learn about the recent Victorian bushfires
through the impact of such a fire on a small hills community.
Fran Knight
Enormouse! by Rebecca Gerlings
Egmont, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4052 4832 7.
(Ages 5+) Picture book. When a kitten with big ideas falls
from
his window and falls into the caravan, a part of a circus driving
through the town, the animals work hard to include him in their act.
But he doesn't quite make the grade. One evening, he has a big idea,
and so sets up a tent with cheese as the attraction and lures
hundreds
of mice into his domain.
The next day his act is a sellout, as he puts all the mice together,
making one big animal which he trains like a lion tamer. Doing
tricks
and like no other act, he is very successful, and has sell out shows
all over the world, showing that just one big idea can be most
fruitful
in someone's life.
The illustrations which accompany the text are wonderful, ranging
from
the pastel colours when the kitten is falling from the building, up
to
bold bright colours when he has achieved success. Readers will love
the
little jokes hidden on each page of pictures, and seek them out as
they
read.
Fran Knight
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780143204497 (Age: 12+) Vanessa Sands is on a holiday with her family in Winter
Harbour when her sister tragically leaps to her death off some local
cliffs. Everyone claims it is either suicide or a horrible accident,
but Vanessa thinks otherwise, and begins searching for the real
reason to her beloved sister's passing. But she also has another
problem. Since her sister's death in the ocean, more bodies have
been washing up on the shore, all of them men, grinning from ear to
ear . . .
Can Vanessa face who she truly is?
This book appears interesting, original, and exciting at a first
glance, but once the first-chapter threshold is passed, the true
nature is revealed.
This book does manage to be original in some ways, mainly because
the idea of a modern day 'siren' is not really that common in
novels, yet. It's an interesting concept, and this book could have
been really interesting, but unfortunately the engaging storyline is
let down by poor character structure and development, frustrating
dialogue, and bland description, each of which I will now talk about
in turn.
The characters are two-dimensional, and they're hard to imagine as
real people, because they don't talk like it seems they should. This
is also a part of the dialogue problem. Overall, it's not half-bad,
but there is very little sustained conflict throughout the novel,
and every twist or problem is explained (conveniently) by a
character. The description is a fair problem also, as not much time
is taken to describe scenes and characters, and this lets down the
plot a little. Overall, this makes the book quite boring to read.
This is a very mild romance/mystery novel. Resist the siren's call
for this one, and spend your money on something better.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
