Candlewick Press, 2010. ISBN 9780763636746.
(Age: Primary) Well recommended. This is a charming story in every way:
from the story line to the delicate paintings, the dust jacket, the end
papers and the smooth pages. This is a quality fairy story.
The author says 'As a child I adored fairies and fairy tales'. She was
motivated by the girls who came looking for books about fairies. '
They adore the prettiness of fairies, the miniature-ness, but they are
also nature lovers and lovers of adventure' p119.
These comments by the author sum up the book well! Flory a
night fairy, no bigger than an acorn, loses her wings and finds living
very precarious. She meets many creatures who become part of her
journey to survive and to understand life. Skuggle, a squirrel
becomes her first friend along with the gentle human, 'giantess'.
Flory's greatest challenge comes when the humming bird, which Florey
wants to serve her all the time, is caught in the spider's nest. Then
she learns about nature, love and being a good friend. The
illustrations are soft, dainty and beautiful.
Sue Nosworthy
Library of Doom series by Michael Dahl
Raintree, 2010. The book that dripped blood. ISBN: 978 1406212822.
When a young man sells an exotic, fur covered book bearing exotic
golden hinges and titled 'Claws' to an old shopkeeper, a chain of
events is set in motion. The book is quickly passed from one person to
the next with pain and suffering ensuing. The Librarian magically
emerges from the pages of a paperback novel just as The Collector
arrives. Will he manage to find a solution to the problem before the
book is able to wreak any further havoc?
Containing only five chapters, few sentences on each page, a liberal
sprinkling of illustrations and with only 32 pages of text in the body
of the story, this would appear to be aimed at the older reluctant
reader. It is gruesome enough to hold a certain amount of appeal for
even secondary students to whom reading does not come easily. With the
simple vocabulary and various words highlighted by underlining or
almost having become part of a rebus or pictogram, the story is
relatively accessible. With a glossary, discussion questions and
writing prompts, this could be well utilised by classroom teachers
working with special needs students, as part of their literacy program.
In certain primary schools, the place of this series in the collection
may well be deemed as contentious by some parents! Although sharing
some similarities with the Harry Potter books, this would probably fit
best in a section designated for older readers in primary schools.
Jo Schenkel
Other titles include: The beast beneath the stairs. ISBN 9781406212815.
After much travelling the Librarian returns to his library to find that
his collection of deadly books is missing. Poison pages. ISBN 9781406212846.
After reading a few pages of a strange book, a young woman finds
herself trapped in a book. The eye in the graveyard. ISBN 9781406212839.
The Librarian risks being buried in a weird tower, if he cannot work
out a legendary secret. Cave of the bookworms. ISBN 9781406212877.
A young boy rescues the Librarian from a terrible bookworm that has
captured him. The creeping bookends. ISBN 97814062128.
A young boy is accidentally locked inside the library. Ravenous
lizard-like bookends start to devour the books.
Escape from the pop-up prison. ISBN 978140212617.
Can the Librarian stop the evil criminals being freed from a pop-up
book?
The smashing scroll. ISBN 978140621853.
The Spellbinder has a scroll contained in a silo. Will it smash the
earth?
Pat Pledger
The Crowfield curse by Pat Walsh
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 9781906427153.
10+ Fantasy. Highly recommended. Gathering wood in the forest is part
of William's work living at Crowfield Abbey as a servant after his
family's death in a fire. But he hears a voice full of pain and looking
around finds a small animal, a hob, about the size of a cat, but it can
talk. His leg is caught in an illegal trap, and William frees him,
taking him back to the Abbey to Brother Snail, the healer. Both keep
knowledge of the hob to themselves, but things in the Abbey are on edge
as the Abbot is dying and two guests, an unusual event, are about to
come and stay. Seeing to the guests William realises that one, Master
Bone, is a leper, and his carer Shadlok, a cold man with piercing
eyes, asks him detailed questions, bordering on things William knows
but does not wish to tell. Sent to the woods to let the pigs forage,
William is startled by the appearance of Shadlok who claims to have
saved him from the fay in the forest, and asks him more questions.
Many years before an angel had been killed protecting a hob, and now
Master Bone and Shadlok want to find the grave to dig up and use the
bones to cure the leprosy. William is torn. There are forces in the
forest which seem to know all about him and what he is about to do but
Shadlok has placed a spell on Brother Snail, placing him in a coma
forcing William to do his bidding. Retrieving the angel from its grave
does not have the results William expects.
A masterful story, The Crowfield Curse had me putting the book
aside,
partly because of its tension, but also because I did not want the
story to end. The cold, isolated abbey, with its handful of thin,
wasted men, keeping close the reasons for the curse, is an apt place
for a dead angel to lie buried. The curse winds its way into the
reader's consciousness, giving reason for the angel being there,
showing why the monks are so bitter, and why they keep a feather in the
sacristy cupboard. But William is warned that he is in danger, so
leaving the way for a sequel. I can't wait.
Fran Knight
I'm the best by Lucy Cousins
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781406323689.
(Age 3-6) Recommended. Lucy Cousins, an award-winning author, has
produced another of her brightly coloured books this time with a
thought provoking theme. Dog is certain that he is best at everything.
He boasts that he can run faster than Mole, and dig holes better than
Goose. He is bigger than Ladybird and can swim better than Donkey. All
his friends feel sad and inadequate but then they realise that they can
do some things better than Dog, who is suitably chastened. However
being the good friends that they are the reassure Dog that he is the
best at being a best friend and having beautiful fluffy ears.
The illustrations are lively, vivid and almost like those a child would
draw. Dog is gorgeously attired in checkered pants, and his animal
friends each have a beautiful piece of clothing on. The expressions on
the faces of the animals are exquisite and really fit the personalities
of the animals. Dog is just so proud of himself! Background details are
wonderful splashes of bright watercolours, each quite fascinating to
examine. With bold black print, the text is very short and easy to read
for new readers.
At the back of the book Lucy Cousins outlines how she had the idea for
the book after winning a tennis competition and telling her family and
friends about it. She perfectly describes the impact that boasting has
on friends, but doesn't pull any punches with the last proud word that
Dog has.
An ideal book for young reader that will give them an insight into the
power of friendship and how careless boasting can affect the emotional
well-being of friends.
Pat Pledger
The Robot King by H. Badger
Space Scout series. Hardie Grant Egmont. ISBN 978 1921564840.
Well recommended. For reluctant readers, boys and early middle primary
students. Obviously not the first in this series, this science fiction
based
story opens with twelve year old Kip Kirby participating in the
Particle Ball Grand Final. This game, reminiscent of soccer but with an
ever changing sized ball sets the scene for an action packed and fast
moving plot! Kip and his second in command, part arctic
wolf and part human companion Finbar, set off on their mission to try
to discover the next earth. The detailed illustrations give a
very visual picture of the futuristic story which no doubt contains
known scientific facts mixed with the author's vivid imagination.
Kip and Finbar find their fast moving star ship MoNa ready to fly them
on their mission to Arboria where they meet Pappy who has developed the
art of Digitisation. What with acid rain, pollution and armoured
robots, the story has many unusual twists. Clear, well spaced
text
and short chapters make this an ideal novel for struggling readers,
particularly boys.
Sue Nosworthy
The boy and the toy by Sonya Hartnett
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Penguin Viking, 2010. ISBN 978 0670073627.
Picture book. Highly recommended. While his father goes away on
business, the boy is left with one of father's inventions, a small
robotic toy to keep him company. But father tells the boy that if he is
needed then to send a message with the seagull. The boy and his toy do
all sorts of things together, swimming, diving, running, playing hide
and seek and playing puzzles. Impressed with the toy's cleverness he
spends the day making an even better puzzle for the toy. But the toy,
cross at losing the boy's attention, pushes the pieces out of the
window. Over the next few days the toy tries to maintain the boy's
interest, but fails as he brings out other toys to play with.
Perplexed with the toy, the boy builds a replica of himself for the toy
to play with while he summons his father.
A delightful story about friendship and companionship, Hartnett uses a
wide range of words to tell the tale. Children will delight in the toy
and what it can do, and respond eagerly to the implied questions of
what makes a good friend or companion and how a friend should
behave. Stories about the best toy in the world will be
forthcoming from the absorbed audience.
The quirky illustrations by Lucia Masciullo are just wonderful.
Colourful and mischievous, they draw in the reader to look at the array
of inventions, toys and gizmos in the background of each page. The
speech bubbles above the toy would be well used by an astute teacher or
parent in asking what words could be in the bubble, so developing
further the idea of what makes a good friend. There are a number of
pages that particularly drew my attention. The endpapers are just
wonderful with the boy on the sand with the seagull at the start, then
playing with the dog at the end; the double page of dad and the boy in
father's inventing room is fabulous with its array of things to look
at, as is the double page spread with the boy making up his replica,
while pages near the end with the boy and his father running down the
spiral staircase is full of movement and warmth and resolution.
Fran Knight
The Limping Man by Maurice Gee
(Age 13+) Recommended. Fantasy/Horror. In this stunning conclusion to
the Salt trilogy, Hana watches in horror as her mother swallows deadly
frogweed poison rather than be captured by the Limping Man. She tells
Hana to run for her life, but Hana, gripped by a sick fear, watches as
the women of the Burrows are burnt as witches and her mother's body is
flung into the flames on the orders of the Limping Man. With the aid of
Hawk, Hana goes on a dangerous journey away from the city and meets
Ben, son of Lo. Together they travel back to the burrows intent on
ridding their country of the evil Limping Man who has the power to take
over people's minds.
Maurice Gee is an award winning New Zealand author who has come up with
an original dystopian tale with a fabulous setting. I was on the edge
of my seat as I followed Hana's dangerous trip away from the city and
finished the story in a couple of sessions waiting to see what would
happen. Would she and Ben be able to find the source of the Limping
Man's hypnotic power? I was also fascinated with the relationship
Hana had with Hawk, and Gee brought the world seen through the eyes of
a bird alive for me.
Hana is a determined, courageous girl who uses her intellect to work
out problems. She is loyal to Ben and Lo and will not desert them even
though she is in desperate danger. The story of Lo, who limps like the
Limping Man but doesn't 'want to be king and conquer worlds' (pg. 167),
is also fleshed out in this book by Gee.
The series is brought to a satisfying conclusion with a small opening
left for other books that could explain the forest people and their
powers. Teaching
resources are available.
Pat Pledger
Striker boy by Jonny Zucker
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 9781847800237.
(Ages: Upper Primary and early Secondary).Well recommended. With the
World Cup about to start in South Africa, this thriller strikes a
winner for soccer enthusiasts who like an exciting plot! Set in
England, the hero Nat Dixon is thirteen and has set his sights on
becoming a member of the Hatton Rangers team. They are about to
be relegated so Nat's opportunity is before him. He and his Dad
have travelled the world since his Mother died in a car crash seven
years before. Dad (Dave), thinks it's time to come home and they
start afresh in a very run down cottage. Nat is big and strong
for his age and he has had a year playing soccer in Brazil, so although
the likelihood of such an opportunity happening in real life is
unlikely, it's one many young players dream about. Many elements
of adult novels appear here, not the least cheating, bullying and tough
talk. But Nat's relationship with his father grows from strength to
strength and the book exudes the good qualities of human relationships.
Sue Nosworthy
With a sword in my hand by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem and Pat van Beirs
Translated by John Nieuwenhuizen. Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781741758658.
Middle school. Historical. Highly recommended. Marguerite pours out her
hatred for her father, the man who sent away her mother, who was
brought to
near madness and despair after a series of shocking births, stillborn
children and the early death of her only son, leading her to drink
poison. The presence of his only living child, Marguerite, daily mocks
his absolute despair for a son, a boy to inherit his castle, a boy to
carry his name, the next Count of Flanders. But when he hisses at her,
throwing a chair at her while leaving the room, she goes to the one
place where all women go who hate the men in their lives, the little
chapel on the marshlands, containing the disheveled statue of Mary,
known locally as 'Our Lady of Hate'. It is fourteenth century Flanders,
and the count is in constant battle with his daughter, Marguerite.
What an amazing tale. Marguerite is a marvellous character, full of
fire
and life, denying her father's dismissal of her, undermining his
authority by riding her horse like a man, learning to fence and finding
a kissing partner. He often taunts that he will marry her off, and when
he announces that he has chosen as his son in law, the son of the English
king, Edmond, Marguerite is shocked to her very core. Here is the son
of the king who murdered her grandfather, who is part of the English
monarchy fighting France through the Hundred Years' War, but supplying
Flanders with the fine English wool which keeps the people of Bruges
spinning their fine cloth. The political tension is well realised, as
the Count must weigh up the influence of the French court which
includes his mother, and the English court which supports his
country's economic base.
This exceptionally well written book, redolent of medieval times, moves
along effortlessly, with no hint of it being a translation. Each
sentence is a joy to read, each page memorable in its detail and flow,
each chapter urging to be reread. Several pages at the end give an
account of the real Marguerite, adding to the story read in the novel.
The religious basis, the everyday life in court as well as the
kitchens, bath houses, training places and the castle, all add a finely
detailed background to this novel which tells of one person's life, a
life restricted by circumstance, birth and religion. Although the
freedoms Marguerite enjoys are more consistent with a girl from the
twentieth century, the story, background and the characters carry the
novel along, completely immersing any reader.
Fran Knight
Me and You by Anthony Browne
Doubleday 2010. ISBN 9780385614894.
(All Ages from 7+) Highly recommended. Anthony Browne is an
expert at creating multilayered picture books which offer an apparently
superficial storyline, but with a much deeper message once readers dive
below the surface. He's done it again with this retelling of Goldilocks
and
The Three Bears.
The real power lies in the contrast between the blandly colourful
illustrations of the smug bears and their large, modern detached house,
and the brooding, monochrome pictures of Goldilocks's tough inner city
existence.
Mummy and Daddy Bear are preoccupied with careers and possessions and
sadly Baby Bear is well on his way to following in their footsteps.
Goldilocks on the other hand, trudges past derelict buildings,
graffiti, barred windows and barbed wire before stumbling across the
pretty yellow house belonging to the bears. The story that follows
plays out in the traditional way, but the ending is subtly different
as, with hair flying, a terrified Goldilocks returns to the all
encompassing loving arms of her Mum.
Pat Hutchins did it with Rosie's Walk in about fifty words and
Anthony
Browne has penned another classic in under 250 words, although of
course the power and impact comes from the delicate balance between
illustrations and text. This is a well timed story that comments on our
obsession with money and the growing disparity between rich and the
poor.
Lower juniors at my school follow a unit of work on fairy tales and
they love the 'alternative' stories in this genre. There are plenty out
there, humorous ones that focus on cunning little pigs duping an
innocent wolf or Cinderella as a feisty princess who shuns the boring
prince. Me and You is a more serious interpretation of the
traditional
fairy tale and I can't wait to share it with the children.
Claire Larson
Grug and the Circus by Ted Prior
Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN: 978 0731814343 Grug learns to read by Ted Prior
Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN: 978 0731814473
Ted Prior's new offerings in the Grug series are simple stories
reflecting the day to day existence of the young reader. In the first
title, Grug spies a circus tent which inspires him to immerse himself
in a game of make believe and he develops acts for his own circus. Very
few children have not, at some stage, 'put on a show' for their parents
and this story simply serves to illustrate the idea. The second title
outlines the way in which Grug first visits his local library to
borrow books and then teaches himself to read by copying the children
from the nearby school. Again, Prior uses as his focus experiences
shared by all.
I had to check the Internet to see when the other titles in this series
were first published and was surprised to see they were released
between 1979 and 1992. They seem to have been part of library
collections for as long as I can remember. I now suspect, however, that
I first saw them whilst studying Children's Literature at Teacher's
College and they must have been quite new. The simplistic shape of the
character Grug seems so familiar and distinctly reminiscent of the
Australian bush and May Gibbs' Gum nut babies. Despite the simplicity
of the stories, these books continue to be a favourite of many children
and I cannot help but love having had the opportunity to re-visit the
series.
Jo Schenkel
Slice : juicy moments from my impossible life by Steven Herrick
Woolshed
Press, 2010. ISBN:
978186471964 2.
(Year 14-16) The central character in this amusing and light-hearted
book is Darcy
Walker, a cheeky but good-natured boy who I am sure students and
teachers will all recognise as a realistic character in class. Darcy
suffers from 'premature enunciation' - he speaks before he thinks,
incurring counselling from his successful, professional parents,
admonishments from teachers and the occasional beating from bullies.
Darcy is growing up and meanders through his difficult teenage years
with humour, kindness and maturity when it counts. This is not the dark
and bleak exploration of teen angst, suffering or abuse so prevalent in
many stories aimed at young adults. Instead Herrick portrays the
realistic but balanced experience of contemporary school aged children
as the central character observes and deals with influences such as
bullying, drugs and alcohol, sexuality and the importance of meaningful
relationships with individuals of different ages.
Youths will not cringe or snort with derision at the language of
conversation, characters' thoughts or situations portrayed as Herrick
leads them through what could conceivably be a description of their own
school and family life. Similarly, parents and teachers will
acknowledge the authenticity of the characters and their behaviours
whilst nodding with approval at how Herrick deals with difficult issues
in a responsible and plausible manner.
This is a happy and wholesome story. I liked that Darcy loves his
parents and they love him. I enjoyed that he interacts with teachers in
a comical way without stepping too far into disrespect or
confrontation. Darcy empathizes with people, including teachers and he
treats girls with respect whilst wrestling with his own sexual urges.
Most of all, I want to cheer for Darcy, who is an average student but
who has literary interests. He knows what he does not like
(Shakespeare), yet quotes him often. It is refreshing to read about a
generally happy kid who does not subscribe to the 'dumb is cool' and
not
being interested in anything.
Rob Welsh
Thai-Riffic! by Oliver Phommavanh
Penguin, 2010. ISBN: 9780143304852.
(Recommended for ages 10+) Having spent his primary school years being
taunted about his heritage and the fact that his parents own the
Thai-Riffic! Restaurant, Albert Lengviriyakul begins high school. After
being late on his first day, and meeting his new teacher, Mr. Winfree,
who has a menagerie of stuffed toys, Albert has to re-asses his
opinions after he is given the nickname, Lengy. For the first time
ever, he thinks that maybe he could achieve his dreams of blending in
and becoming more Aussie. It seems, however, that this will never
happen. The whole class suddenly seems to develop a liking for his
parents' cooking and their restaurant, while all Lengy wants is to
escape this and go out for a pizza. Things seem to go from bad to worse
as his best friend decides that they should study Thai culture for
their major assignment of the term.
Phommavanh displays his understanding of children, and uses a great
deal of humour in telling Lengy's story. I continued to wonder just how
much of the novel was based on the author's own experiences at school
both as a student and a teacher. I was amused to find a picture on his
blog which showed him in his teaching days, drowning in a sea of toys.
This is an entertaining read which should appeal to students from
middle primary and up and could also be utilised as a shared class
novel to discuss such issues as friendship, family, Australian
identity, belonging and also the importance of accepting one's own
history. (A quick search proved that there is such a beast as
Thai-Riffic in Newtown and that it served as the venue for one of the
book's launches. I'd love the chance to eat there and compare!)
Jo Schenkel
Wolven by Di Toft
Chicken House, 2009.
(Ages 9 +) Wolven has just been shortlisted for the Stockport Schools
Book Award 2009, and is proving popular among upper juniors at my
school.
Our hero, Nat Carver longs for a dog, but ends up with a scrawny
looking mutt his Grandfather buys for a song. There is something
distinctly odd about Woody, but Nat finds himself strangely drawn to
his pet's soulful amber eyes and soon discovers the reason - Woody is
actually a Wolven, a special breed of werewolf once owned by Richard
the Lionheart.
Unfortunately Woody is being pursued by the evil werewolf Lucas Scale,
whose boss Professor Gruber has almost wiped out Woody's clan in a
series of dastardly experiments. It is up to Nat and Woody to try and
defeat Gruber and discover whether any other Wolven still exist.
This is a fun read with touches of humour and a pacy plot with plenty
of bloodcurdling werewolf action. Di Toft is an accomplished
writer and her action scenes, set in the secret government lair, are a
cinematic mix of raw excitement and great humour - I can just picture
Nat's prim and proper elderly neighbour storming the top secret
government location and firing rounds of silver bullets at snarling
werewolves. Perhaps Wolven will get a DreamWorks makeover just like
Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon! In the meantime this is a
timely book for younger readers which will surely satisfy their current
obsession with werewolves, vampires and all things ghoulish.
Claire Larson
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Text Publishing, 2010. ISBN 9781921656231.
(Age 15+) Recommended. A YALSA Best Fiction Nominee for Young Adults
(2010), Will Grayson, Will Grayson is the story of two teens
with the
same name, who meet in a porn shop where neither of them want to be.
Their meeting sets off a series of events surrounding the very large
and very gay Tiny Cooper, who is writing a musical about his friend the
first Will Grayson.
The collaboration by John Green and David Levithan works very well,
both authors giving their characters an authentic and often humorous
teen voice. John Green's Will Grayson is not into taking risks. He
regrets that he has taken a stand defending Tiny Cooper's sexuality and
hasn't kept to his rules: 1, don't care. 2, shut up. He dreads how Tiny
will portray him in the musical that he has obtained funding for. The
other Will Grayson is depressed and for much of the book, I found
myself disliking him as a character. On reflection I decided that it
was Levithan's excellent portrayal of the downs of depression that made
me feel that way. It was interesting, too, to get two viewpoints of
Tiny Cooper who is the central character. John Green portrays him as a
rather unfeeling friend to his Will Grayson, while David Levithan's
Will Grayson see him as a shining star, too bright for him. Other
characters in the mix are well fleshed out: Jane the patient friend and
Maura the Goth girl feel like real people and depressed Will's mother
is a loving parent. However it is the three boys, with their
relationships,
friendship and loves, who are the ones who stand out.
The themes of finding yourself and your sexuality, of true friendship
and of depression are powerful and both authors bring many moments of
revelation about teenage life. I particularly liked Tiny Cooper's
insight that his musical was about love, not Will Grayson or Tiny
Cooper.
Fans of John Green's books (Looking
for Alaska, An abundance of
Katherines, Paper
towns) and David Levithan's books (Nick
and Norah's
infinite playlist, Naomi and
Ely's no kiss list, Boy meets boy) won't
be disappointed. Green's writing as always, is brilliant, brimful of
humour and memorable observations and Levithan's description of a gay
teen fighting depression is poignant. Recommended for older teens, as
it contains some strong language and sexual themes. You can read an interview with John
Green and David Levithan from Out .
Pat Pledger
