The Flaxfield Quartet, Volume 1. Walker Books, 2011. ISBN
9781406320435.
Recommended for upper primary lower secondary. 'Sam is only halfway
through his wizard's apprenticeship when his master, Flaxfield, dies
unexpectedly. Soon powerful wizards arrive at Flaxfield's
cottage
and Sam, in fear and confusion, runs away from the only home he has
ever known. But there is no running from destiny; there is
evil
magic abroad. An old danger is growing in strength and power
and
Sam and his beloved dragon Starback will have a crucial part to play
in
events to come.'
Not being a fantasy fan, I approached this book with interest for
the
students I thought would like it. I found myself halfway
through
drawn into the plot and wanting to know more. For the first half of
the
book, I had a hard time coming to grips with the more unusual
characters and creatures and how they affected the environment and
the
main characters. I feel that part of this may have been due to
my
lack of previous fantasy exposure.
Being part of a quartet, this book is really just the beginning of
Sam's new life and adventures to come. The characters are
interesting and at the end of this book you know that there is still
more to discover and you want to know more about them. Sam
discovers a lot about himself and his powers in many accidental
circumstances. The other wizards trained by Flaxfield also
learn
about Sam and themselves along the way. There is a dark force,
that still remains somewhat a mystery; however the reader is aware
of
the power and evil intentions if she gets her way and that Sam hold
the
key.
There are different worlds, new imaginary creatures and beloved
dragons. Starback, Sam's dragon, is a fabulously playful and loyal
character, and even though he does not feature as much as I may have
first thought in this book, I know he is a crucial part of the story
and I imagine he will be a large part of the next books in the
series.
Overall for those who like a fantasy style story, I think this has
plenty of elements to keep the reader interested.
Zana Thiele
Bookaboo: Puppies in the pound by Lucy Goodman
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781406327021.
Bookaboo receives an e-mail to tell him that his old home (The
Little Puppy Pound) is about to close. Not content to see his old
home go, the drum playing rocker dog and his friends head to the
pound to hold a concert. When a guard at the pound does not
know who they are and locks them away, is all lost?
This is a very simple story that would appeal to fans of Bookaboo.
Lovely bright illustrations and bold text appeal to younger readers.
The little book inside was a lovely surprise and appealed to me, as
well as my 5 year old. I enjoyed the few corny lines and the
modern approaches, such as e-mail being included in the storyline.
Zana Thiele
Editor's note: Fun activity books and gift Bookaboo books are also
available: Bookaboo: Colour and Do by Lucy Goodman, Walker Books, ISBN
9781406327038, is a 'fantastic colouring and puzzle fun from the
world-famous rock drumming puppy, Bookaboo'.
Bookaboo: Pop-Up Pup Idol by Lucy Goodman, Walker Books,
ISBN 9781406327236, is 'an exciting pop-up giftbook for all Bookaboo
fans featuring the Bookaboo theme song.' Bookaboo: Stickers, Drums and Rock and Roll by Lucy
Goodman,Walker Books, ISBN 9781406327045. 'Join the world-famous
rockstar drumming puppy in this fantastic book packed with brilliant
stickers and rocktastic activities.'
Pat Pledger
Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
Retold by Davis Worth Miller and Katherine McLean Brevard. Ill. by
Greg Rebis. Raintree, 2011. ISBN 978 1406225006. Series: Graphic
Revolve
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain retold by M.C. Hall. Ill.
by Daniel Strickland. Raintree, 2011. ISBN 978 1406224993.
This series of graphic novels revisit classic stories in a 72 page
colourful graphic style using a variety of authors to retell the
stories and a range of different artists for the images. This will
inevitably lead to differences in style but the similarities in
presentation might encourage readers to explore the works of a range
of authors and become familiar with the essence of some well known
stories. Journey to the Centre of the Earth is well told,
the small number of characters and dramatic settings making it ideal
for the graphic format. Tom Sawyer is less successful, the
story seems quite disjointed and the characters rather strange.
However there is some background information at the end of the story
which mentions Mark Twain's character of Injun Joe being a negative
stereotype. As well as background to the story and authors, the
books also feature a short glossary, discussion questions and
writing prompts. Journey to the Centre of the Earth includes
two pages of information about the formation of the Earth's centre.
There are another 16 titles in the series so most tastes are catered
for. They would find a place in any upper primary or middle school
library and some could be useful readers for ESL students.
Sue Speck
Beyond Evie by Rebecca Burton
HarperCollins, 2011. ISBN 978 0732291525.
(Ages 14+) Highly recommended. In a reminiscence, Charlotte tells us of
her first love, Evie, and in so doing reveals her own background,
fears, contradictions and failings. The deliberately slow pace of the
story builds on small episodes and events in their lives, the
cumulative effect allowing the reader to know these two girls
intimately. From the start the reader knows that something has
happened, and the suspense builds as the story progresses, some
chapters ending with an enigmatic statement which belies what has been
said before. We know we are in for a treat, and settle down to enjoy it.
Evie comes to work at the bakery where Charlotte works. She is
startlingly different, her clothes, the way she works, her attitudes,
all confront Charlotte and her narrow world of home and school. But
when she brazenly asks about Charlotte's father, the girl is taken
aback. People do not go that far. They stop asking questions when told
he is dead. But not Evie. She wants the details, and probes Charlotte
until she has revealed all, telling her more than she has told anyone,
even her mum or sister, Amy, or mum's boyfriend, Brian.
Dad's depression, resulting in his death is a constant worry to
Charlotte as she looks for signs of it in her own life. She questions
decisions she makes, words she utters, thoughts and motives, especially
after her mother comments how like her father she is. She is desperate
not to take after him.
One day, Charlotte meets Evie and her friend, Seb at the lighthouse
point, a remote place on the southern coast. Here, surprisingly, Evie
kisses Charlotte, and their friendship begins to change. The budding
relationship, like all new loves, is tentative, thrilling and full of
longing. Evie and Charlotte spend a wonderful week during the school
holidays, culminating in one night together, but then it is over,
Charlotte betrayed in a most cruel way.
The setting along the coast that Burton knows well, is stunningly
brought to life as we meander around the scrub with the characters she
has created. The beach side, the bakery, the lighthouse point, the
suburbs that cling to the protected native scrub area with its birds
and wildlife, the houses and shacks where Charlotte and her friends and
family live, infuse the story. The reader knows well the littleness of
the beach side suburb where nothing happens and people must travel
outside for work and pleasure. The lives played out against such a
backdrop are all the more real. The betrayal of Evie could have pushed
Charlotte to despair, but she uses her love of the area to keep her
mind focussed on life beyond Evie.
A beautifully told story of first love, of betrayal and ultimately,
survival, Beyond Evie will have wide appeal to thoughtful
secondary
girls. An absorbing second novel by the author of the well received,
Leaving Jetty Road.
Fran Knight
Camp Croc by Trudie Trewin
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1921720031. Camp Croc is a short novel with quick moving, short chapters. It is
aimed at 8-11 year old boys but I am sure girls will enjoy it too. I
know it made me giggle!
Our main character is Nick (nickname Daks) and in the first few pages
he is already up to mischievous antics. They are for a good cause
though as he doesn't want his best friend to miss the bus to camp. Daks
and his classmates are off to Camp Trib - the camp everyone at his
school looks forward to.
The novel is peppered with comical (and serious) 'Daks Facts' and Camp
Croc will appeal to most kids as Daks and his friends end up in all
kinds of funny moments even before the end of chapter 2. The
adventure really begins when Daks and his mates stumble across wildlife
smugglers. Can kids outsmart adults? What about the crocodiles? Camp Croc will have you giggling in sections, cheering on the
boys and
booing the bad guys. It is an entertaining story that can teach kids
about some of the problems facing our animals and how they can make a
difference too.
Kylie Kempster
The Fiend and the Forge by Henry H. Neff
Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 978-1-74166-268-9. The Fiend and the Forge is the third book in The Tapestry
series, which
follows teenager Max McDaniels on his travels through the new world.
Here the world is now ruled by demons and Max has to confront them all,
without and within. Sometimes when all is quiet, Max blames himself for
this change in the world, some others do as well, seeing as it was Max
who handed the Book of Thoth, a mystical book that can create and
destroy anything in this world, over to the Demon Lord Astaroth.
With his home of Rowan Academy restored to its former glory after
Astaroth's Army invaded, Max decided to take a stand and do something
right against the darkness around him. Sailing head-first into the
enemy's territory Max must go it alone, with one of his friends shipped
off to the Demon's Land and David Menlo, Rowan's resident Sorcerer,
Max's best friend and his oath's objective, recovering from their
adventures in the Sidh. Before he can face the demons, Max must fight
the monsters within and without
To enjoy The Fiend and the Forge to its fullest, you must first
read
Henry H. Neff's first two books, The Hound of Rowan and The
Second
Siege. It is a book that will make you laugh and cry, smirk and be
frustrated, but that is what makes a good book, is it not? People who
would enjoy The Fiend and the Forge to the maximum would be
middle
aged teen boys, but girls who don't mind a bit of blood and gore would
also enjoy it. I sing high phrases to that group of people and to get
reading fast.
Zoe Pfeiffer (Student, aged 14)
Enormouse by Rebecca Gerlings
Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781405248327.
Cue the circus music. 'Roll up for the world's most extraordinary
animal circus! Featuring leaping
lions, gymnastic giraffes, sensational squirrels and a teeny tiny
kitten with an
enormouse idea! '
Long, long ago and very high up, there lived a kitten, who, despite
being tiny,
had very big ideas. One day he finds himself falling out of that
high-up window
and down, down, down, into a circus caravan. And so begins his
life in the
circus. But he didn't quite fit into the squirrels' act and that
made him sad.
But then, he had an idea which grew and grew and grew until it was
enormouse - and filled the circus seats every night.
But to find out what that idea was, you'll need to read the book!
Barbara Braxton
The Maximus Black Files : Mole Hunt by Paul Collins
Ford Street Publishing. ISBN: 978-1921665264.
Out in a galaxy far from the Milky Way, Maximum Black is hard at work
in the
'Regis Imperium Mentatis (RIM),' the galactic law enforcement. Maximus
is
good at his job, really good, but some people are going to get between
Maximum
and his work. Maximum must find three sets of lost coordinates to
rediscover
the powerful squadron that had long ago been banished from the universe
but
it seems that someone is always one step ahead of him and ready to stop
him.
Anneke Longshadow, another RIM agent, knows there's a mole in the
organisation and will do anything to protect the RIM, even if that
means
putting her life on the line. Anneke must prepare herself to travel
great
distances to stop the mole from acting out his ultimate goal to replace
the
galaxy's gate keepers and take control of the whole galaxy. Mole Hunt is a science fiction novel set in a fictitious galaxy
outside
of
the Milky Way. Collins has created a novel in which the hero of the
story
is the villain and the villain is really the hero. I enjoyed reading a
novel
that is told from two different points of views but I felt like I
wasn't as
connected to the storyline as some other books I have read. This could
be
because Mole Hunt is the start of a new series and it took
awhile
establishing the plot. After being introduced to Maximus first, I found
myself liking Maximus more than Anneke even though I knew Maximus was
the
bad character and normally the hero is the likeable character.
I would recommend this novel to older readers due to the scientific
words
Collins has included. This would be a novel that I would reread and
still
enjoy reading and I can't wait for the next one in the series to be
released.
Lauren Pfeiffer (Student, year 12)
No more kisses! Margaret Wild and Nina Rycroft
Little Hare, 2011. ISBN 978 1 921714283.
(Ages: 5+) Picture book. The family is in the garden, happily
kissing the baby until he exclaims no more kisses and runs off behind
the hedge. There follows a game of kiss chasey as the animals run
around the garden in search of the baby. Up the steps, down a slide,
through a tunnel go all the animals, then each page offers an
additional place the animals go in search of the baby. The repetition
is infectious and would encourage participation and prediction by the
listeners and readers. Each activity is marked with a different noise
to make, encouraging the listeners to join in and predict which noise
to make as the story is read aloud. Enormous fun to read and perform,
this book will have wide appeal to those at home or in the classroom or
library. Kids will want to read it over and over again, to join in with
the noises and act out the places the little pig runs to avoid being
kissed. At the end the tables are turned, making a neat resolution,
which will appeal to younger readers.
Fran Knight
Surf's up by Chrissie Perry
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. Surf's Up is part of the Go Girls series and is recommended for
girls
aged 8-10 years. Readers won't need to have read other books in the
series to understand the characters or the story as it stands alone.
Girls will relate to the ups and downs of friendship and maybe even
learn how to solve the problems that can come with every friendship.
The main character is Lucy who is joining her best friend, Bonnie, for
a holiday to the beach. Lucy has finally received the surfboard she has
always wanted and can't wait to start surfing lessons while on holiday.
Lucy worries about feeling homesick so her big sister gives her a diary
where she can write about her feelings and holiday adventures. The
surfing lessons are everything Lucy thought they would be but she
struggles to stand on her board. On the other hand, Bonnie is a
natural. Lucy has feelings of jealousy and turns to her diary as an
outlet to talk about her feelings. What will happen when Bonnie steals
the diary?
Kylie Kempster
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-74237.
Highly recommended. Lying can be magical: it's a chance to tell
stories, to use your imagination and fit it in with your life. Some
lies are for the better and some lies are definitely for the worse as
Micah discovers throughout her life. Seventeen years old Micah Wilkins
is a liar and she is ready to repent for her deceptions. From the time
she started in freshman year it has just been lie after lie after lie,
the lies are growing too numerous for her to manage and now the school
is there to witness when the lies unravel.
Micah has just found out her boyfriend is dead. But is he really her
boyfriend? Was she just some after hour's plaything he strung along?
Rumors fly about Zach being murdered and Micah, his after hours
girlfriend is the main suspect. Having been torn to pieces in Central
Park Micah wonders if it really was the savage dogs the media proclaim
it to be. How could a simple run turn out so horrible? Either way she
is determined to find out.
I found that Liar is such an irresistible book that I truly
could not
put it down for long. Justine Larbalestier has writing something that I
believe is incredibly powerful and thought provoking. This is one of
those rare stories which almost anyone would love, packed with all the
necessities such as romance, mystery, crime and fantasy. I would highly
recommend this book to almost everyone with a hunger for original tales
that make you think.
Kayla Gaskell, 15
Bobo, my superdog by Michael Salmon
Ford Street Publishing, 2011. ISBN 9781921665394.
(Ages 6+) Picture book, Humour. Seeing a dog peering from the pet shop
in anticipation of an owner, has the family falling to their son's
expectations of taking the little dog home. Once home, he worms his way
into their hearts, sitting at the table for meals, fighting with the
cats next door, sitting in dad's chair to watch his favourite movies.
But he has another life. Bobo becomes Super-Bo, donning his cape and
mask to avoid detection, he flies off into the sky to watch over the
township. He rescues maidens from dragons, saves the town from a
disastrous flood, saves a plane full of passengers, saves a family from
a group of snakes in the jungle, recuses treasure from a pirate ship
and so on. But when he appears worn out and listless the family takes
him to their vet who prescribes vitamins and lots of rest. So what is a
superdog expected to do? There are still people to save. And then when
the mayor of the city wants to present the dog with a medal, a further
dilemma occurs.
With funny illustrations giving a wider story than the words portray,
kids will delight in finding Bobo and his exploits in the drawings
accompanying the text. Michael Salmon is a well known author
illustrator with many books to his credit. Readers will recognise his
bold illustrations readily and search out for this book.
Fran Knight
The fly by Petr Horacek
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781 406330731.
Picture book. When the fly lands inside he is horrified when a fly swat
lands near him with a great thwack. Someone is trying to kill him! Told
from the fly's point of view, this funny take on the life of a fly and
what drives him to do what he must do, will absorb readers and those
read to, alike.
In a few well chosen words Horacek tells his tale, following the fly as
it tries to keep away from the fly swat, eat some food (he doesn't mind
sharing), avoid the cow's tail, the frog an the bird both of whom see
him as their dinner, and then finally returning home for tea.
Each page is covered with wonderfully bold illustrations, some in
pastel, some watercolour, and some in pencil, but all detail the
exploits of the poor fly, simply trying to survive.
Children will have sympathy with the fly's attempts, and perhaps take a
closer look at this insect in our midst.
The humorous take at the end and the cut pages between will further
endear the readers to this book.
Fran Knight
One boy's war by Lynne Huggins Cooper
Ill. by Ian Benfold-Hayward, Frances Lincoln Children's Books,
2010. ISBN 9781847801265
(Ages 10+ ) Picture book. The evil of war is revealed through this
diary like tale of a young man, a 16 year old, who enlisted despite his
mother's protestations, to go to France in 1914. He expects, as many
did, to be home for Christmas, and cheerily tells his mother not to
worry. As the story progresses the tone of his tale becomes less and
less optimistic, more laden with words describing a hellish scene,
tales of men being sent back to England with wounds that will see them
never work again, or praying to get out, or possible doing themselves
harm. And the stunning illustrations parallel the words. All around the
images becomes more barbaric, with bodies lying across the page, barbed
wire litter each page with rats making their appearance.
A moving tribute to those who died, like the boy in the story, Sydney
Dobson, the tale is a harsh reminder that war does not solve anything,
that young men fight and die, while others stay at home waiting for
their return. This will make a terrific book to study when looking at
war as a theme. It would be particularly useful as one of the books
used in a literature circle.
Fran Knight
The Little Lie by Sally Rippin
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781921848001.
Billie B. Brown has two colourful slings, three pink bandaids and a
bandage
around her head, a consequence of being trampled by a dinosaur while
out hunting
with her friend Jack. Unfortunately, Billie suffers a real injury and
before
long her arms is encased in a real plaster cast and a real sling. Like
most
kids, Billie sees this more as about getting attention at school than a
lesson
about climbing on the fence, but it is what happens when she tells a
little lie
that kind of grows about her accident that the story centres on.
Sometimes the
attention we seek is not the kind we want, and sometimes the harder we
try the
less we get.
This book is part of a new series about Billie B. Brown, and is
probably best
described by teachers as a 'beginning chapter book'. With its short
chapters,
large font and monochrome illustrations, it is a perfect bridge between
the
structure of the instructional reader and a novel, enabling independent
reading. The storylines are engaging and at the right level for the 6-8
year-old girl. They could imagine being in Billie's circle of friends
and empathise with her. In each book, the B. stands for something
different
and the story is built around this.
Aki Fukuoka has hit just the right note with her illustrations, with
that
big-eyed look that is so popular right now with this age group, and
clothing
that is of this time. There are many similarities between Billie and
Miss
Nearly 7.
Reading Matters (Ross, McKechnie and Rothbauer) demonstrates that
there are very
sound reasons why emerging readers need to read series and this one is
on the
money. It's almost an Australian answer to the very American Junie B.
Jones
widely regarded as the stepping stone to independence in the US.
There's a
website with
lots of activities and the
first chapters of the other titles in the series online to taste, tempt
and
tease.
A must-have series on your library shelves to cater appropriately for
those 6-8
year-old girls who are still little girls.
Barbara Braxton
