Roman diary: journal of a young slave by Richard Platt
Ill. by David Parkins, Bloomsbury Books, 2011. ISBN 9781 4063 25478.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Picture book. On their way to Egypt to see
their
holdings there, the Greek ship is attacked by pirates, and Iliona and
her brother, Oliver are sold as slaves to the Roman market. The time is
AD 107, with the Roman Empire at its height and the diary of Iliona's
life in Rome reveals a huge bustling city, easily comparable with
modern cities today. Sold to a family where she must look after a baby,
Iliona soon learns that her owners are kinder than others she could
have been sold to. Through her eyes we see the Roman city, its streets
and houses, baths and market places, clothing, hairstyles, water
system, and arenas. We see a triumph where the prisoners of a battle
are brought in to be slaughtered, a fight to the death with lions,
gladiators fighting, and a banquet. All flavours of the life of a Roman
citizen are shown through the slave's eyes. When her master
dies and she is unexpectedly freed, she opts to stay on with her
former mistress.
As with Pirate diary, pages at the end of the book reveal other
information, maps and a sound usable index.
Fran Knight
Against the odds by Marjolijn Hof
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 978 1742375083.
(Ages 9+) Recommended. When her dedicated father goes missing in
Africa, en route to a hospital that is in desperate need of a doctor,
Kiki plays out something she has heard. The odds are that he will
survive but in her child's eye she decides that other things dying will
increase the odds of him staying alive. So she asks the local pet shop
for a dying mouse to look after, and when it does die, she buries it
with much ceremony in her garden. She cannot ask her mother about her
father as she is too distraught to give her the time. When her
grandmother rings every day, often more than not wanting news, her
mother becomes even more fraught whenever the phone rings.
Asking the pet shop for an old dog to look after, the attendant becomes
suspicious and sends her away. So she takes their pet dog, the old dog
she does not like, to the freeway intending to throw it over the edge.
She is interrupted in her mission by a man who talks to her about what
she is doing and persuades her that this is not the way to go. Her
father's rescue and return home brings her to another quandary to sort
out, the loss of a limb.
A seemingly simple story, Against the odds underscores the
loneliness
of the child, caught up in an adult event over which she has no
control, and by merit of being young, is left out of the discussions
and decisions. It is a cry for a child to be involved to be told the
truth about what is happening, as her understanding becomes skewed with
the little knowledge that she has.
Fran Knight
The Folk keeper by Franny Billingsley
Bloomsbury, 2011, (c1999). ISBN 9781408813195.
(Age 11+) Recommended for those who love a retelling of a fairy tale,
The Folk keeper has happily been reissued after the success of
Chime
earlier this year. Corinna Stonewall is a Folk Keeper. She sits
in a cold, dark cellar feeding the Folk, drawing off their anger and
keeping ordinary people safe from having their crops damaged and
animals harmed. They are vicious, vengeful lot but Corinna is a
determined, powerful girl who keeps them under control. One day she is
summoned by Lord Merton to come to his vast holdings by the sea as Folk
Keeper and unanswered questions rise to the surface. Who were her
parents? Why does the sea call to her? How can she live in her own skin?
Billingsley writes fabulous, original prose with unforgettable
characters and an understated romance.
Written as a diary, the reader is transported into the world of
Corinna, as she struggles with who she is and her amazing powers. The
idea of keeping evil, in the form of the Folk, at bay is intriguing but
Corinna is undaunted. She is strong willed and determined, brave in the
face of unknown danger but fair in her dealings with others. Finian,
determined to build boats and not interested in estate management, is
an excellent foil for Corinna, and gradually helps her to ease into a
world of light.
I loved the challenging ideas, beautiful descriptions and memorable
story in The Folk Keeper and know readers will experience
delicious
shudders at the scary moments while delighting in the plight of Corinna.
Pat Pledger
I love my baby sister by Anna Walker
Scholastic Press, 2011. ISBN 9781741698947
Ollie, like Miss Nearly 5, has a new baby sister. After all the
waiting and anticipation, she is finally here. But is having a baby
sister worth all the fuss? It's hard to be patient, especially when
everyone keeps telling you you are going to be a big sister and then,
when the big day comes, it's all about her and not a lot about
you. And where's this playmate you were promised? 'She
always sleeps and her ears are small. I say 'hello' but she says
nothing at all.' But, quickly Baby Sister, like Miss 10 weeks,
grows, and when Ollie, like Miss Nearly 5, pulls a face she starts to
giggle, and sing, and play in the bath and play peek-a-boo. And, at
last, having a little sister is fun.
This is a simple rhyming book just right for the preschooler who is
awaiting this momentous event and the perfect conversation starter to
prepare Big Sister to expect a tiny, helpless bundle rather than a
ready-made, just-like-you girlfriend.
Barbara Braxton
Cloud tea monkeys by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham
Illus. by Juan Wijngard, Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1406300925.
(Ages 9+) Folk tale. Highly recommended. Tashi and her mother live in
the village by the plantation. Each morning Tashi wakes to familiar
noises, and goes with her mother to the tea plantation where she and
many of the village women work. The overseer, a bossy man, tells them
the same instruction each morning, to gather only the most tender of
shoots. One morning the familiar noises are replaced by mother's harsh
cough, and too poor to afford a doctor, Tashi resolves to take her
mother's basket and gather the leaves herself. Being small her efforts
are derided by the overseer, and she cries in the nearby woods. Here
her friends the monkeys try to placate her, and the males and older
monkeys take her basket and rush away up the mountain side. An official
tea taster comes to the plantation, and of all the teas gathered,
Tashi's tea is the best. It is called Cloud Tea and for her basket of
tea, she is given a purse of gold coins, enough to fetch a doctor and
for her mother to retire. Each year the tea taster returns with another
gold purse in return for Tashi's basket of Cloud Tea.
A beautiful retelling of an old Indian folk tale, sumptuously
illustrated with paintings of the women and the tea plantations, along
with Tashi and the monkeys, students will revel in this story of a
child wanting to help her mother and then the animals helping her.
What, for most of us is an ordinary cup of tea, is given extra
background with this story showing how it is collected and the
importance of this work to the village women. Near to the end of the
book is an illustration which stood out for me. It is of Tashi and her
mother, with an umbrella, walking along the road to the plantation.
There is so much to talk about with just this one illustration, and the
whole of the book will entertain and inform students, encouraging them
to think about their cup of tea and where the tea came from and who
picked it.
Fran Knight
Noosa River holiday inspires Hazard River series
by J.E. Fison
I admire authors who grow up with a burning desire to write - penning
novellas in primary school and signing their first book contracts in
their twenties. I'm not one of them. I took the long way round, but I
had a lot of fun on the way and don't regret a moment of it.
As a girl, I was more likely to be found at the local creek, catching
guppies, than writing or even reading a book. On holidays, I led my
brother and cousins on boating expeditions around Moreton Bay, in
Queensland - exploring mangroves and investigating the wildlife. When I
did read, it was wildlife magazines and the Atlas of the World that
kept me interested. I was into facts. I wanted to be an explorer when I
grew up. I wasn't quite sure what that meant and was disappointed to
discover that most of the world had already been explored. I had missed
my calling by a few hundred years. So, I settled on journalism.
I spent my twenties working as a television reporter in Australia, Asia
and Europe - covering the student uprising in China and the fall of
communism in Eastern Europe. I also had the chance to travel
extensively - camping with elephants in Kenya, encountering lions in
South Africa and making friends with an orang-utan at the Sepilok
Sanctuary in Borneo. Eventually I returned to my hometown of Brisbane
and settled down to family life with a job in marketing and an interest
in travel writing.
The children's fiction idea crept up on me while I was on holiday in
Noosa with my husband and two sons. Most people know Noosa's Main
Beach, Hastings Street and the Noosa National Park, but just across the
Noosa River is an unspoiled paradise that is accessible only by car
ferry - the Noosa North Shore. We spent a month there. My two sons
hooked up with friends and spent the holiday exploring sands banks,
building bush camps, making rafts, riding along dirt tracks to the
beach, dodging snakes, avoiding sting rays and generally having a Boy
Versus Wild adventure. I had to write about it. Hazard River chronicles the holiday adventures of four children,
Jack
Wilde, the narrator, his brother, Ben, the Stink Collector, their
neighbor, Lachlan Master, the Master of Disaster and Professor
Bigbrains, Mimi Fairweather, who lives on a yacht in Hazard River. The
stories are fast-paced and fun, but each one was inspired by a serious
fact.
In the first story, Shark
Frenzy, the children find a dead
shark washed
up on the sand. It has no fins. They decide to investigate. Their
mission takes them to a marine park, where they find fishermen killing
sharks for their fins. It's up to the children to stop them.
Although the story is fiction, the issues are very real. Some experts
estimate that 100 million sharks are killed each year, mostly for their
fins. The practice of shark finning, where the sharks' fins are cut off
and the body is dumped into the sea is widely condemned as barbaric and
is decimating shark populations. It continues, however, to fill the
demand for shark fin soup, which is considered a delicacy in Asia.
In the other books in the series, Bat Attack,
Tiger
Terror
and Snake
Surprise, the Hazard River gang comes up against rogue miners,
smugglers and developers as they fight to protect ghost bats, koalas
and even a couple circus tigers. In between tracking down the baddies,
the kids fall into quicksand, get stranded on boats, find messages,
discover super-cool secret bases and abandoned boats. They play
pranks on each other, get lost, get found and get into a whole lot of
trouble.
Editor's note: All three reviewers who read books in this series
recommended them.
Pat Pledger
A sick day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Ill. by Erin E Stead. Allen and Unwin, 2011.
(Ages 5+) Recommended. Picture book. Each day Amos McGee gets up early,
doffs his pajamas and dons his suit ready for work. He takes the bus
and gets to his workplace, the City Zoo. Here he communes with many
animals, but notably the elephant, tortoise,
rhinocerus, penguin and owl. With each animal he spends time doing
something that they cannot do, and the line for each gives a hint as to
another story about each animal.
But one day Amos McGee is sick in bed and cannot come to work. The
animals are bereft without their friend and together they make up their
minds that they will visit him, leaving the zoo, boarding a bus and
cramming into his small home.
An endearing story of friendship, the illustrations are a treat,
offering another layer of story within the text. Images are given to
reinforce what Amos McGee does for the animals, and little jokes can be
found by the diligent reader. A warm inviting story, this book is a
Caldecott Medal Winner, amongst its many other awards and prizes.
Fran Knight
Rescue by Anita Shreve
Little, Brown; 2010. ISBN: 9781408700747.
(Age 13+) Peter Webster grows up in a small town in Vermont, USA. He
becomes an EMT (paramedic) and dreams of building a house on a nearby
ridge with panoramic views. However at 21 years of age he finds
himself married to Shelia Arsenault and living in a one bedroom
apartment above an ice cream shop after an unplanned pregnancy and the
resultant birth of his daughter Rowan.
Initially married life is rosy for Webster but then Sheila starts
drinking heavily, saying that 'I feel like a trapped lunatic.' Then a
drunken Sheila is involved in a road accident in which infant Rowan is
thrown through the car window in the baby seat and another car driver
is badly injured. Sheila faces a jail term but flees
interstate leaving Webster to bring up Rowan alone.
The book fast forwards eighteen years. Webster is worried
by Rowan's change of behavior as she suddenly experiments with drinking
and lets her grades slip. He searches for Sheila on the internet
and tracks her down in Massachusetts and visits to ask her to come and
meet her daughter, hoping that may help the situation.
Shelia, who has been sober for years, refuses saying: 'I severed the
mother-daughter tie the minute I got in the car drunk with Rowan in the
back.'
At home the alienation between father and daughter gets worse when
Rowan sees Webster reading her diary that he has accidentally
found. The night of the graduation prom Rowan and a friend jump
off a quarry ledge and hit their heads on rocks underneath the
water. Rowan survives but in a coma.
This book asks the question 'is love worth saving - no matter the
cost?'It examines the forces that stretch human relationships
and of forgiveness. It also supports the notion that friends look
after each other. I found it a good read after a slow start.
Would be suitable for readers 13 years plus.
Kay Haarsma
Long Reach by Peter Cocks
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978141632474.
Longreach's publishers recommend this ultra violent, fast paced
thriller for readers 14+. As a parent and library staffer, I would add
two more years because the violence is graphic.
Opening implausibly, the story recovers well and the experience of
Eddie Savage, working undercover for an obscure justice authority is
related in style and language which will meet with the approval of
young adults.
A familiar plot is employed with Eddie seeking to avenge his murdered
brother and he is cast well as a physically tough, resilient and street
smart young man. Curiously he is written as a seventeen year old, a
factor which caused me some discomfort since the plot involves him and
his under aged girlfriend drinking remarkably frequently. Disturbingly,
Eddie as an individual and the couple are depicted as being independent
and sophisticated partially due to their attendance at restaurants,
private functions and relaxing in their own homes, all activities where
drinking appears to underline their maturity.
Eddie infiltrates an established and feared London criminal family and
working undercover becomes embroiled in their drug trafficking, art
fraud and stand over crimes. Susceptible to discovery at any time Eddie
must collect evidence and report back to his controllers and the author
cleverly conveys the sense of constant fear, pressure and mixed loyalty
which the central character faces.
The story is fast paced and captivating, yet the author is so clearly
focused on preparing sequel titles that he does not create an adequate
conclusion for this one. Coming to a desultory halt, Peter Cocks pretty
much shouts that we will have to await the next title to find out what
happens, a marketing tactic which is disappointing to the reader.
Whilst the author could not be accused of glamorising crime, he does
fail to demonstrate legal consequences or emphasise moral outcomes for
the teenaged readers his publisher states he writes for. Certain
characters appear to have been preserved for subsequent plots and do
not receive justice.
It could be argued that teenaged readers are capable of developing
their own moral conclusions and that the harsh realities that crime
sometimes does pay and that villains do go free are concepts worthy of
literary depiction.
Whilst the author pitched sexuality (implying experiences rather than
describing them) and language (limited swearing only when necessary for
authenticity) in an age appropriate fashion, it bothered me that gross
violence was treated as acceptable, if not a selling point for the
book.
Rob Welsh
Violet Mackerel's remarkable recovery by Anna Branford
Ill. by Sarah Davis. Walker, 2011. ISBN 9781921529184
(Age 6-9) Highly recommended. Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot
is on
the shortlist for the CBCA Younger Readers Award, and this companion
volume is
equally as good as the first. Violet has had many sore throats and Dr
Singh decides it is time for her to have her tonsils out. Violet is not
too happy about this but decides that she will make a remarkable
recovery and that her voice will improve so much that she will be able
to sing opera on the radio.
Violet is such a wonderful character. Her warm and positive nature is
quite inspiring without being didactic. Violet mentions the small
things that she has observed having an impact, like the little flower
that Mum's boyfriend brings her and the hug that she is sure is in the
scarf that Mum has knitted and she thinks about 'The Theory of Giving
Small Things'. This moving idea is one that could engender lots of
discussion if the story is read aloud and shared. Children (and adults)
could come up with ideas of small things that they could give to make
people happy. Thinking outside the square helps Violet find the elderly
lady she met at the hospital, and this too is a fabulous concept to
introduce to young children.
I love the special feeling of family love that shines through the whole
book. Mum, her boyfriend Vincent and siblings Nathan and Nicola are
warm and loving. Sarah Davis' illustrations bring these characters to
life for the reader. Violet's exuberance and thoughtfulness are
highlighted, and Mum is drawn as a wonderful loving person that
everyone would like to know.
This is an outstanding book that deserves to be in every library.
Although the cover may be more appealing to young girls, I believe that
this book would be welcomed by boys especially if read aloud. The
humour and thoughtful ideas will be enjoyed by all. A website with activities
and downloads, as well as a competition, supports the series.
Pat Pledger
Surface Tension by Meg McKinlay
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720284.
(Age 9+) Recommended. 'The day that I was born, they drowned my town'
and so begins Cassie's story of life in her town and the mystery that
she uncovers in the lake. Cassie has to swim six laps every day because
she was born prematurely and has to build up her lung function. One day
after finding another disgusting band-aid in the town's pool she goes
to the lake to swim instead. There she meets up with Liam, a boy who
has a tragic past, and as the water recedes in the lake because of the
drought, they discover that it hides a sinister secret.
I was fascinated by this story and in particular, its setting of a
drowned lake during a drought. I once taught near a reservoir whose
waters had covered a valley similar to the one in Cassie's story and
found the idea of preserving old headstones and the history of the
place excited students. It is intriguing to imagine just what tragedies
and mysteries have been submerged in the murky depths. What is the
secret that Cass and Liam uncover? Has someone been murdered? How will
they prove what has happened if the lake is flooded once more?
McKinlay has written a wonderful mystery that kept me guessing to the
end. She has scattered clues throughout the book for the more astute
reader, but I was still unsure of what exactly had happened right to
the stunning conclusion - a wonderful thing for a mystery writer to
achieve.
In addition to the suspense, McKinlay has grouped together a range of
characters and family situations that also give depth to the story.
Readers will identify with Cass, who has to work so hard physically to
have a normal life, and with Liam, where a family tragedy has left his
father mentally ill and difficult to deal with. The author's writing is
a winning combination of vivid descriptions of life in a country town
during a drought, the thrill of swimming in dangerous water and the
excitement of uncovering a puzzle.
This is an engrossing story that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls
in upper primary school and also has enough substance for young teens.
After reading this excellent introduction to the mystery genre, I can
imagine readers going on to seek out other books by this author and to
devour other mysteries.
Pat Pledger
Ondine: The Autumn Palace by Ebony McKenna
Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 9781405256384.
Recommended age: 12+. Ondine has found the perfect man in Hamish. But
Hamish has a secret - he can turn into a ferret! And now, in his ferret
form, he has a mission - to spy for the duke, who fears someone wants
to kill him. Suddenly Hamish has no time for Ondine. Can she get back
her dream of romance?
Follow Ondine and Hamish along with their witch of an aunt through
carefully taste testing the duke's food, doing the dirty laundry,
pondering about raining fish and drunken duchesses. All to find out who
is out to kill the duke for his fortune.
Love it!!! I have read the first book in the series and found it a bit
disappointing in the way that it was a bit hard to read, but she has
surprised me with this book. It has held my interest so much more with
gripping turns in the storyline and surprises on every page. I would
recommend this book to people who love a good mystery, but you will
need to read the first book first otherwise only parts will make sense.
But then again Ebony is very clever in how she has marked certain words
and sentences with little hints and explanations to help you along.
Definitely a good read.
Taylor Oxenham (student)
Moonstone Promise by Karen Wood
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742373164. Recommended age: 14+. After a harsh childhood spent in foster care,
Luke finally feels at home on Harry's farm, working with horses. When
Harry dies and Luke has a bitter falling-out with the people around
him, he does a runner, leaving everything behind. He takes off to the
Gulf Country in search of brumbies and finds himself camped by a river
with three aboriginal elders.
Can a mob of wild brumbies and three wise men help Luke discover who he
is and where he belongs?
Very interesting book, it captures a young man struggling to make ends
meet. I really enjoyed this book and probably cried through half of it
but also laughed through the other half. With death, love and hate a
good read for anyone who loves horses and/or a good long read with a
heartfelt storyline. I would definitely love to read more of this
series and I hope that you all will feel the same. I should also say
that this book is not aimed at any gender and would be a great read for
either boys and girls or woman and men.
Taylor Oxenham (student)
Vinnie's war by David McRobbie
Allen and Unwin 2011. ISBN 978 1742375762.
I highly recommend Vinnie's war as it is an excellent
historical
fiction novel for readers from about 11 onwards. Dealing with the
evacuation of children to English country towns before the Second World
War Blitz, the story has a similar feel to Magorian's Goodnight Mr.
Tom, without the harsher theme.
Vinnie, an orphan who has struggled to live a happy existence in
London, finds himself sent to the village of Netterfold and on the
train finds new friends of a similar age in Dob and Kathleen and the
latter's younger brother Joey.
Resilience is a theme which continues throughout the tale and I warmed
to the characters who display courage and stoicism dealing with
bereavement, homesickness, bullying and starting afresh in a strange
environment. The various escapades and plots are realistic and
wholesome, with the result being a well crafted narrative which rings
true. Indeed I imagine that elderly folk who lived in these times would
approve of and enjoy McRobbie's work.
The characters discover that hardships may be overcome and conflict can
be resolved, with friends being found in former opponents. I
particularly appreciated that Vinnie discovers that despite having a
miserable childhood as an orphan, he could move on, to experience a
fulfilling life. Assisted by kind people who take interest in his
welfare, the child finds happiness and I feel that this is theme which
is applicable to (and may resonate with) young people in modern times.
McRobbie includes an insightful afterward in which he explains many of
the historical events and factors such as rationing, billeting and bomb
shelters. This is based upon the author's own experiences as a 'Vaccie'
or evacuated child. I could not help thinking that this useful
inclusion would have been better placed as a prologue, to assist modern
children who may have little or no knowledge of the historical context.
Rob Welsh
Fast Grandma by Margaret Clark
Ill. by Craig Smith. Aussie Nibbles. Puffin, 2011. ISBN 9780143305705.
(Age 6-9) Recommended. Another of the great Aussie Nibbles
series, Fast
Grandma presents a wonderful non-stereotypical grandmother for
young
children to think about.
When mum and dad go away to look after Aunt Faye, who is ill, Grandma
comes to stay to mind Evie and Matthew. She is the fast grandma, who
comes by a fast plane bringing gifts, and when she finds the fridge
bare, she speeds around the supermarket buying her version of fast
food. She goes so fast that Evie and Matthew have a difficult time
keeping up with her. She rock climbs, goes skateboarding and even rides
the Tunnel of Terror while all the other grandmothers sit and sip tea.
The children are a bit embarrassed because she tells everyone that she
gets her energy from eating red and green vegetables, but when she
rescues a little boy they are really proud of her.
I raced through this story, delighting in the way that Clark depicted
Fast Grandma as someone who loves to do all sorts of physical things.
Children will enjoy the humour of being told how red and green
vegetables will make you fast and I was fascinated by the energy of the
grandmother.
Illustrated with detailed and amusing black line drawings by the
talented Mr Smith, children will love to pour over the pictures showing
the antics that grandma gets up to. They will get a laugh a minute from
Smith's exquisitely funny expressions on the faces of the children and
bystanders and enjoy looking at this unique family.
This is a delightful and entertaining book that is ideal for young
children making the transition from picture books to independent
reading. Best of all, it is a lot of fun to read.
Pat Pledger
