Reviews

Song of the Dove by Errol Broome

Ill. by Sonia Kretschmar. Walker, 2011. ISBN: 978 1921529245.
Bellini, the young music student, takes as his pupil the beautiful Maddalena Fumaroli. As their lessons together continue, they develop a deep bond and fall in love. Walking the cobbled streets of Naples, the couple spy two doves which they agree are always together and remain so for life. When Bellini asks for Maddalena's hand in marriage, her horrified parents refuse and send the young man away. Meeting secretly, Bellini promises that, when he has completed his tenth opera, he shall return and they shall be together, 'dead or alive'. After being sent to Milan, the couple continues to write regularly. Finally, Maddalena's parents have a change of heart and agree to the marriage. Will they be together in life?
A simply and concisely written story with perfectly matched illustrations which add to the historic perspective of the tale, this book is a biography, telling of love, persistence and, despite the ending, resilience. If the book were to be used with a class, one could discuss determination and the problem of labeling or pre-judging people based on first appearances. Not a book which I believe will be eagerly devoured by young children; it nonetheless has its place in a classroom program.
Jo Schenkel

Prohibited Zone: a thriller in the desert by Alastair Sarre

Wakefield Press, Kent Town, South Australia, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-862545-943-2.
Highly recommended for 13 years plus. Alastair Sarre has penned an outstanding debut novel with Prohibited Zone. Sarre draws on his outback childhood in the outback town of Leigh Creek and later living in the Adelaide Hills to describe scenery, places and towns in detail based on reality.
The story is based around an actual happening, a break-out by many refugees from the Woomera Detention centre in the Australian desert, in 2002. Amid the hysteria associated with the war on terror and newspaper beat-up there are not only cops and secret police out on the search but also redneck vigilantes with the additional incentive of a $10,000 reward. The two main Afghanis sought are Amir Ali Khan, who is deemed to know bin Laden, and his friend Saira Abdiani.
Ex AFL Crows star Steve West, now an outback mining engineer is the narrator. Whilst heading to Adelaide for a week's holiday he comes across several police roadblocks. Subsequently, while having a beer at the Pimba roadhouse soft hearted Steve gets conned by activist and Sydney-sider Kara Peake-Jones into helping transport Saira to town. Kara is aiming to get Saira interviewed by 60 Minutes about the atrocities of rape and other abuses that have been happening in the detention centre. Steve's unwitting involvement has many ugly consequences for him.
Alastair Sarre uses rich dialogue such as describing someone as 'a lanky, stringy bit of gristle about 6 feet 3.' Country characters are named Spud, Chook, and Baz. His opening line of: 'Dusk was falling soft on a land as hard as old bones and I had the road and the world and the whole damned universe to myself,' paints the outback perfectly.
The author also uses his topic to educate the reader about different cultures. When Steve questions why one would kill for religious reasons, Kara states, 'When you're locked inside a religious paradigm, the easiest thing in the world is to find a reason to hate everyone outside the paradigm. Particularly when they own land and wealth you think is yours and claim God for themselves.' '
Prohibited Zone is a fast moving political thriller that could be a senior text. Highly recommended for 13 year plus. Book club questions are available .
Kay Haarsma

The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Doubleday, 2011, ISBN: 978 0 857530264.
Highly recommended for ages 11 and up. For the first time in their lives, the twins of legend, Sophie and Josh Newman, have been separated. Each has joined characters from different sides and with different allegiances and continues to hone their magical powers. Whilst Josh has gone to work with Dee and Virginia Dare, it seems he has been transformed to accept their evil and selfish motivation. Meanwhile, Sophie has continued to support the Flamels who have fought against the Dark Elders to save the planet. Absolutes in terms of right and wrong, good and evil seem difficult to grasp. Each of the children has occasion to question not only the motives of those with whom they have chosen to side, but also those of their missing sibling. Links between the twins allow them, at times, to have insight into what is happening in the life of the other. At the back of their minds are the words of the prophecy which refers to twins 'with the auras of silver and gold, a brother and sister with the power to either save the world ... or destroy it.' The end is fast approaching!
Scott has written a series which has the capacity to keep the reader on the edge of one's seat. Each chapter has a different character or setting as its focus and the action is fast moving and engrossing. Allegiances change throughout the series and friendships and loyalties continue to evolve. Little in this series seems predictable or anticipated, the characters based on those from myth and legend, blending in such a way as to seem almost natural, despite their differences. This is a wonderful fantasy series for the more capable readers of fantasy. Undoubtedly, I now join a horde of others who eagerly await the final instalment due out in mid-2012!
Jo Schenkel

Chick 'n' Pug by Jennifer Sattler

Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN: 978 1 4088 1373 7
Recommended for ages 4 and above. Chick, the adventure-reading member of the coop, is desperate to break away from the humdrum existence of the farm and experience adventure first hand. On his journey, he meets a 'real-life Wonder Pug'. Pug reveals early on that, he is 'A Pug', but one who shares few similarities with the hero of Chick's book. Whilst he waits for the pug's adventurous nature to shine through, Chick figures maybe he could help out when a cat enters their territory. Thus is a hero born!
As stated in the blurb, 'This is a funny, heartwarming story of misplaced hero worship - and the beginning of a wonderful friendship'. Accompanied by painted illustrations which depict two totally endearing characters, the text is sparse but implies far more. In a style similar to that of Lynley Dodd, the illustrator has shown only the legs of the human, thereby maintaining the focus on the animal characters, and injecting humour as the uncomplaining, compliant pug is dressed by its owner. This would not only make a delightful story to read to very young children, but could be used with older children to discuss friendship, respecting the differences of others and such personal attributes as risk taking, curiosity, and the desire to try new things.
Jo Schenkel

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

HarperCollins, 2011. ISBN 9780732289706.
(Age 15+) Afterlife, the fabulous conclusion to the Evernight series, which included Evernight, Stargazer and Hourglass,  finds Bianca facing life as a wraith, and her beloved Lucas changed into a vampire, the last thing that he had ever wanted. They decide to go back to Evernight Academy where they believe that Lucas may learn to overcome his dreadful desire for blood from any living person that he encounters. There they face Mrs Bethany, the headmistress of the Academy, who is setting traps for unsuspecting wraiths and imprisoning them for her own evil needs. Bianca and Lucas are faced with a new challenge. Not only do they have to learn about living in the Afterlife, they must stop Mrs Bethany's evil actions.
There are some exciting scenes as Bianca learns how wraiths operate and the team of Balthazar, Ranulf, Patrice, Vic and Maxie plot to find the wraith traps and uncover Mrs Bethany's wicked plot. Some heartrending moments unfold for Lucas as he confronts the aggressive Black Cross and the prejudice of his mother, while Bianca has to face her parents once again. The threads of Balthazar and Charity's story are also gathered together with some frightening moments as well.
I couldn't imagine how Claudia Gray could come up with a solution to the dilemma that faces Bianca and Lucas. How could their love survive one of them being a wraith and another a vampire, who is seriously considering taking his own life because he can't face what he is? However she manages to do just that in an exciting, unexpected and very satisfying conclusion to what has been a very good series.
Pat Pledger

Little Sister by Aimee Said

Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood

Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781847801906.
Ministry of Pandemonium is similar to the film The Sixth Sense (2000), as the main protagonist, Ben Harvester, begins to discover that he can 'see dead people.' Set in London, Ben and mother have just moved into a new area and both struggling on the meager waitressing wages and tips that her mother receives. The story begins in the summer before Ben is due to start at a new school, when he develops an interest of visiting cemeteries to draw headstones whilst pondering the lives and deaths of the people that they represent. Soon after Ben meets a homeless person, Mr October, on the street who later turns out to many guises and is constantly his appearance. Mr October is part of a group of spirit people who work to ensure the all dead people are successfully guided on to their next life. Ben has been especially recruited to help them with this task, which includes recording on a type-writer every death that occurs. Meanwhile, Ben has is overcoming common teenage difficulties of being labeled 'weird' at his new school and has found new friends through his talent in art. To complicate Ben's life further, his mum's sister has just died of cancer, his mother is now ill and he has begun to find out information the reason for his father's disappearance when he was younger.
The Ministry of Pandemonium has many story lines occurring at once, both in the worlds of the living and the dead, and in some ways reflects the types of scenarios faced by some young adolescents. The concepts of the death Register registered other supernatural themes are mostly original and clever. This book would be recommended for 12 to 14 year old students interested in fantasy books with paranormal themes.
Adam Fitzgerald

Unlocked by Ryan G. Van Cleave

Walker, 2011. ISBN 9780802723550.
I admit that I am not fond of novels written in verse. However Unlocked has helped me overcome this dislike. The book deals with a number of important issues, such as friendship and should all secrets be kept regardless of the consequences.
Andy is a loner with problems of his own, not the least being that he is the son of the school's cleaner and caretaker. He meets another boy who is a loner like himself and they begin to be friends. The friendship starts when Andy volunteers to find out if the rumour that Blake has a gun in his locker is true. He does this as he hopes to impress Becky Ann and become friends with her.
Usually the problem I have with novels written in verse is that the characters are not developed and it is hard to have any empathy with them. In Unlocked the author avoids this and as the story progresses you begin to have an insight into Andy and why he is like he is and why Blake has the gun in his locker. Even while not approving of his actions you can have some sympathy with what has caused him to get to the point he does. At the end I realized that I had enjoyed the book. It was easy to read, provided insight into the characters and their problems and ended convincingly.
It could easily be used as a basis for discussion in middle school.
David Rayner

When the World was Waiting for You by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey

Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 9781408806302.
'When the world was waiting for you, the air was bright, the sun seemed new ...' begins this gentle rhyming book about the preparation and anticipation that precedes a new baby. With its little rabbit characters, it is designed to show the newcomer that they were loved and wanted right from the very beginning, and their arrival caused great excitement and anticipation. The nursery is made ready, gifts are bought and everyone is delighted when the moment finally arrives. It also gives older brother/sister the opportunity to reflect on how exciting their own birth was for everyone.
Everything about this book is designed to convey the special-ness of birth - its padded cover, the soft, watercolour illustrations and the whole, positive message all contribute to a very special picture book. A simple concept beautifully executed.
I first shared this book with Miss 5 as she awaited the arrival of her new sister so she could understand how we were just as excited about her arrival as that of her new sister. It really helped her feel included in the event and we talked about the things we were doing for Stacey that we also did for her. She seemed to really relate to it, and now, when Stacey is 12 weeks old, she often makes comparisons between what we do for Stacey and whether it was the same for her. 'Did Grandad hold his nose like that when I was little?' (Yes.) 'Will we take Stacey to the snow and make a snowman?' (Maybe not this year.) She really seems to be getting an idea of the passage of time and how she has grown and changed already.
The press release says, 'The traditional story and illustrations reminiscent of the work of E.H. Shepard and Beatrix Potter, give this the feel of a classic picture book. The padded jacket and gold foiling make it an ideal gift'. I agree.
Barbara Braxton

The dead I know by Scot Gardner

Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742373843.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. 'Aaron Rowe walks in his sleep. He has dreams he can't explain, and memories he can't recover. Death doesn't scare him - his new job with a funeral director may even be his salvation. But if he doesn't discover the truth about his hidden past soon, he may fall asleep one night and never wake up.'(Publisher)
In Aaron Rowe, Scot Gardner has created a memorable and complex character, one I will not forget. I found myself sympathising with this young boy who is a dropout from school. He is looked down by the local townspeople because he lives in a caravan park with his Mam an eccentric woman who forgets things. She is becoming increasingly difficult, often injuring herself and becoming dangerous to leave alone. Not yet an adult, Aaron finds himself in the role of a carer, uncertain of what to do. Life is becoming very difficult for him and to make matters worse, he has begun to have strange dreams and to sleep walk.
Fortunately for Aaron, John Barton, the funeral director, sees potential in him, and is willing to employ him in his funeral parlour. Barton is a kind man, who encourages Aaron to speak and who supports him when his Mam is taken to hospital with a broken arm.
As I followed Aaron in his journey to learn about the funeral industry, which was quite fascinating, other intriguing mysteries emerged from Gardner's skilful writing. What was going on with the druggie family in the caravan next door and who killed one of them? Why is Aaron dreaming of blood and sleep walking?
This is an engrossing and well told story that will appeal to teenagers. The themes of death, responsibility, murder and friendship are challenging but very positive and life affirming. The funeral industry and the deaths that Aaron encounters are handled sensitively, but it is Aaron's coming of age and dealing with the mysteries that surround him that will enthral readers. I think this would make a great class text or literature circle novel. Teacher's notes by Fran Knight are available at the publisher's site.
Certainly it is a book not to be missed.
Pat Pledger

Where she went by Gayle Forman

Random Books, 2011. ISBN
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. The sequel to the highly recommended If I stay, Where she went continues the story three years after Mia walked out of Adam's life without any explanation. Adam, now a popular world-weary rock star has always wondered why she left him without a proper farewell. When he is in New York and discovers that Mia is about to perform in a concert, he can't resist the urge to attend. He finally gets the chance to see her again and together they revisit the past.
I was lucky enough to have both books on hand and read them one after another. I loved the fact that If I stay was written in the voice of Mia and Where she went in the voice of Adam. If I stay concentrates on the devastating accident that leaves Mia in a coma, and the way that Adam is determined to bring her back to consciousness. Their relationship is heart rending and I used up quite a few hankies on this book so I had to rush to read the second immediately to find out just how their story ended.
Forman uses her writing craft brilliantly to depict two people who have to make their way in the world but who could have a second chance at love. But these two books are not just a simple love story. They explore the complex issues of death, the difficulty of being left alone, love and its responsibilities.
The books are not too long, about 250 pages each, and are not difficult to access, so they are sure to be picked up. However it is the depth of emotions, the exploration of love and death, that will ensure that they are passed from one teen to another. I am very keen to read more from this talented author.
Pat Pledger

Digger Field: World Champion (maybe) by Damian Davis

Cardboard robot by Felix Hayes and Hannah Broadway

Bloomsbury Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1408806555.
(Ages 4+) Picture book, Humour. A seemingly simple story of the disagreement between two friends, Robot and Monkey, becomes a tale of reconciliation and co-existence, when Monkey is unhappy and refusing to play the usual games with Robot. The two friends share a large house with lots of things to play with, read and do, but one day when Robot suggests a range of things to occupy their time, Monkey says no to them all.
Robot proceeds to make a cardboard robot to play with, but the robot cannot respond to his games. The Cardboard Robot cannot throw back the ball, or play at being a pirate or run a race. Monkey's interest is piqued when Robot asks him for help to make his Cardboard Robot more adventurous, and so he too builds a cardboard monkey, named Super Monkey. Together the two friends and their cut out playthings work together to have fun.
A charming story of working together, of finding common ground and what it means to be a friend, parents and teachers will make good use of this story in the home and classroom to mentor co-operation and working together. With good humour the story also reflects things the children can do at home, especially making things to play with. The fold in page at the end of the book has cut out pieces for children to make their own Monkey and Robot and dress them up to play with when the story has finished.
Fran Knight

Co-Designing e-books Literacy Mystery Quest

Read about a project from Hazel Edwards, author and Jane Connory, graphic designer to set up a store for ebooks and merchandise to match.
A Guest Blog for Read Plus by Hazel Edwards and Jane Connory
Hazel's Viewpoint:
Our e-quest began in a local park. School holidays. My 10 year old grandson and his mate were to cook 'hippo footprint pancakes' on camera at Channel 31's 'Kids in the Kitchen' while I read my picture book to screen.
Serendipitously, I met graphic designer Jane Connory and her children, playing in the park. Innovative Jane lectures in e-skills amongst other graphic subjects, and wanted to illustrate children's books and followed up with her portfolio.
I'm a formatting tragic, but have a backlist of intellectual property rights. My author website was undergoing a major overhaul as my daughter Kim became my e-business manager and I learnt how to upload my own material. I was aware I needed help in re-formatting selected past titles so they would be accessible on all e-readers, not just Kindle, plus they would need new covers and ISBN and updating of some content.
Initially I wasn't aiming to become an e-publisher, just to rescue some 'orphaned' titles which have been good stories, but take-overs, mergers or poor distribution had lost opportunities to get them to appropriate readers. As an educator I had always supplied teacher resources with my books, and wanted to consolidate these on my own web-site. Often readers of my picture books had no idea that I wrote adult non-fiction or mysteries.
1. My long term goal was to sell my own e-books internationally to save time and learn the new electronic medium.
2. The choice of junior literacy mysteries in two proven print series for the test was deliberate. Literacy is an area I am passionate about. Hero Art, the sleuth in Project Spy Kids is an ace problem-solver but is challenged by reading. The Frequent Flyer Twins are international Asian-Australian ten year old sleuths.
3. Creating a series name and using the same cover but with a different colour, linked the titles. Thus 'Project Spy Kids' was created. The Frequent Flyer Twins had always been a sub title on the second series, but this was reversed on the e-book listings.
4. Aware that the cover, title and one line descriptor were the only clues, the covers had to be enticing for the age group.
5. Jane would create the e-formatted books and new covers and would merchandise the illustrations on Red Balloon or elsewhere in t-shirts, mugs and logos.
6. Jane also formatted my rough 'How to Design Your Own Mystery' resources. This has become the MOST valuable download for teachers and librarians giving a follow-up activity involving writing and problem-solving skills..
7. We added valid curriculum dot points to reassure teachers of our reading relevance.
8. The shopping cart took considerable planning to put into place and make simple for a potential customer to buy. The variables were that I have some print titles where publishers sell those books, some where I hold the e-rights, others where I hold both print copies or others where I will be offering only the e-version like in Project Spy Kids and The Frequent Flyer Twins. Later we may offer POD (print on demand) but at the moment, we are testing with electronic versions, only, from my site.
9. Jane experimented with a FaceBook page for the titles and explained:
'The world is still trying to find ways of utilising social networking.
Asking your existing database to 'Like' your Facebook page, allows them to see all the updates, photos and links you post to the page.
The pages are free to create, Google add them to searches .'
While aware some schools do not permit use of Facebook, we're still experimenting with ways of encouraging reading.
Own Face Book Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Spy-Kids-Series/181162638598927?sk=wall
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frequent-Flyer-Series/162505443811158
10. Security of e-book versions to prevent piracy also meant complex structuring on my website. Unfamiliar with e-books, the web designer thought we were talking Visa and credit card security at first. This has been a significant and almost a year-long process for all of us.
11. I had to buy a collection of ISBNs to add new ones to any e-book versions of older print titles. You can buy these singly or in groups from DW Thorpe.
12. Publisher name. We haven't got one. Using the author as brand.
13. American bank accounts and tax file numbers. The paperwork involved in publishing on Amazon is very American centric, and so I decided to stay very local, and just from my own website at present.
14. Had to get a PayPal business account in order for clients to have safe payments On Kim's advice we priced the individual mysteries at $2.95, rather than Amazon's 99 cents. Already getting bulk orders of sets.
Winning a Giraffe Called Geoffrey ISBN 978-0-9871078-6-2.
Mindspaces ISBN 978-0-9871078-7-9
Birds on the Brain ISBN 978-0-9871078-8-6.
Zoo Poo Clues ISBN 978-0-9871078-9-3
15. In future, the dilemma for me is to sub-contract e-book formatting, learn how to do it myself (which detracts from my core business of actually writing the books) or just put up pdfs for creations like classroom playscripts.
I've always offered some free resources, but the decision is which ones?
16. Choice of e-text titles is vital e.g. I think the junior literacy mysteries are viable for the next year. After that, students will expect more hypertext links and games style whizz bang options.
17. My 'Writing a Non Boring Family History' title is a viable e-book because there are linked workshops and talks and a niche market of international genealogists. The Mormon lady author in the USA, who is a fan of my book, tells me the family history market is eternal for her but I'm an atheist. She sells her book at 99 cents on Amazon.
18. Picture books are more complex, and on hold especially since I'm not the illustrator. Currently my website has links to the e-books for sale by my publishers and also to their print books.
19. I'm featuring a monthly print book from my site. Longterm I'd prefer to offer only e-books, and to link with future web chats or mentoring. 'Authorpreneurship' is my planned 'original' e-book only, to be created in the next year and linked to workshops.
20. 'read the t-shirt' for Project Spy Kid may be a future literacy project.
That park meeting with Jane has been a year-long apprenticeship to put up our trial e-books, but long term, these titles will have to be self-sufficient financially. Now, some literacy skills will be shared via the website.
And we hope, new readers (of the human variety) will be created.

Jane's Viewpoint:
Being able to learn new technology as it appears has become part of my job as a graphic designer, and collaborating with Hazel on this project was no different.
Hazel is a strong ideas woman and envisaged these two series of books as eBooks without either of us really fully comprehending what this would entail. It was a great opportunity for me to illustrated the covers in Adobe illustrator and format the documents into books in InDesign. I then had to teach myself how to produce these files as ePub documents and navigate the process of marketing the books.
A steep learning curve but the idea that we are forging our own path is exciting.
I have two young kids who are as much at home on the iPad as they are at home. They are always grabbing for my mobile devices and I am happier when they sit and read the eBooks I have created rather than watch the movies I have downloaded.
Combining reading with new technology makes it interesting and fun for all the young digital natives out there!
I now also have the opportunity to teach this new concept of publishing to my graphic design students at Holmesglen Institute. Maybe they'll be teaching their employers a thing or two in the years to come.
Hazel has an online store and these e-books are available.
Illustrated and merchandise designed by Jane Connory

Faerie winter by Janni Lee Simner

Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742750682.
(Age 13+) Recommended. In this sequel to the thrilling dystopian novel, Bones of faerie, comes a dark tale of survival as Simner relates the story of how Liza and Matthew must survive in a land that is dying. Liza is a summoner who can both draw life to herself and drive life away. When winter crops won't grow and with starvation imminent, Liza must fight the evil deep in the forest to save her community.
Set against a background of a winter that doesn't seem to end and dying crops, Simner has created a frightening look at a land that has been devastated by people. Add to this the aftermath of a war with the faeries and children, the Afters, who have emerging magic and you have a fascinating world that drew me in again as I followed the plight of Liza as she grew into her power.
This is a survival story, where Liza is required to learn to use her magic to overcome the plants and animals that attack people. Not only is nature turning against her, but she draws the attention of a strong magical faerie, Elin who is stealing young children. Elin is related to The Lady, who attacks Liza when she tries to stop the children being stolen. However Liza has developed into a strong and determined young woman who is not afraid to use her magic and wield her powers to keep her friends alive. The Lady is a terrifying entity and her battles with Liza are frightening. I had to continue reading as it was never certain who would win the hearts of the young boys, Johnny and Kyle, and whether Liza herself would be skilful enough to stay alive. Even Matthew in his wolf form is threatened by the vast strength of the faerie.
Often a harrowing story, with death, disaster and children, changed by magic, performing violent acts, Faerie winter is ultimately very satisfying with a conclusion that brings hope. It is one of the better books in the dystopian/faerie genre.
Pat Pledger