Book 1: Rhiannon of the spring. London: Hodder Children's Books, 2009.
ISBN 9780340999387.
Book 2 Destiny's path. London: Hodder Children's Books, 2010. ISBN
9780340999394.
(Age 13+ ) In Rhiannon of the spring Branwen has been happy in her
home, the Centref of Cyffin
Tir, learning defensive battle moves and hunting with her brother
Geraint. For the first fourteen years of her life there has been peace
in her land, but lately the Saxons have been raiding, killing people in
outlying villages and stealing cattle. A mysterious woman in white
appears to her and prophesies that she will defend her people as a
warrior princess. In Destiny's path, the saga continues after
Branwen
has defended her home and fought back the invaders. She sees a terrible
vision of what might befall her land if she doesn't follow the path
that the Shining Ones have ordained for her. Racing to Gwylan Canu with
Rhodri and Blodwedd, an owl girl, she tries to warn Iwan's father of an
impending invasion by the Saxons, and arrives to find betrayal and to
fight a fierce battle.
Despite the misleading covers, showing a beautiful young woman with
bee-stung lips and make-up, wearing a rather modern chiffon dress that
is totally unsuited to a sword wielding warrior, Branwen is a strong
and engaging heroine, a natural leader who gathers followers on her way
to fulfil the ancient prophesy. In Destiny's path, she engages
a group
of young women who long to fight for their homeland and who battle
beside her in their struggle against the Saxons. Rhodri, Blodwedd and
Iwan fall under her sway and this little group is set to have more
adventures in subsequent books in the series.
Both book 1 and 2 are full of action and adventure, with some blood
thirsty fighting and threats of terrible torture and will appeal to
teenage girls.
Pat Pledger
Shadows by Amy Meredith
Dark Touch, Book 1. Red Fox, 2010. ISBN 9781849410519.
(Age 13+) Eve Evergold is a popular teenager who enjoys shopping with
her BFF (Best friend forever) Jess, checking out the new boys, Luke the
minister's son and the mysterious Mal, and generally having a great
social life. When people she knows begin to go crazy and are put into
an institution she discovers that they are victims of a demon - but who
is it?
The story is told in the first person by Eve, who is the typical rich
girl. Humorous dialogue about shoe shopping and lipstick colour, and
sarcastic comments from Luke, make for an entertaining read. The girls'
rating scale for boys, with Jimmy Choo shoes being at the top of the
scale, is a hoot.
There isn't much depth to any of the characters. Eve and Jess are
portrayed as very shallow, only interested in shopping and being lucky
enough to have large allowances to get the latest fashions. There is
the inevitable romantic triangle, although very low key, with Luke, Mal
and Eve. It is the action and the dialogue that keep the story going.
Demons on the prowl, sparks pouring out of Eve's fingertips and a
mystery to solve kept me reading to the end.
This is a light, paranormal romp that will be welcomed by teenage girls
who enjoy the vampire genre and don't feel like stretching their
imaginations.
Pat Pledger
Oscar and the bird: a book about electricity by Geoff Waring
Walker Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406318685.
(Age 5+) Electricity is invisible so when a curious cat asks why a
windscreen
wiper is moving, he is lucky that a bird is at hand to answer his
questions.
Oscar the cat is persistent, responding to Bird's brief explanations
with more questions until he has learned a little about energy,
batteries, circuits, lightning and the need to be safe near power
lines. Wind power is the only alternative energy source mentioned.
The question and answer format is an effective way to encourage young
children to think about science because it mirrors their own thought
processes. They can engage in the story and the questioning, continuing
with their own enquiry after the story has ended. More conventional
explanations of the uses and sources of electricity are offered at the
end of the book along with a brief index.
The illustrations are muted in colour and suggestive of books published
50 years ago when line drawings enclosing blocks of colour were common
in books for young children. The result is free of clutter so that the
reader can focus on the concept being explained. Oscar and the bird could be a comfortable read for a Junior Primary
Child or a bed-time story for a pre-schooler. It is one of a series of
picture books featuring the same characters and aiming to prompt the
question 'Why is it so?'
Elizabeth Bor
Remembering green by Lesley Beake
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2009. ISBN 9781845079628.
Middle Primary. Well recommended. With global warming covering most of
the earth and sea this novel, set in 2200 in South Africa sees the
Tekkies desperately needing to find a new source of fresh water and so
Rain and her beautiful lion Saa are kidnapped. It's about a
nation's desire to control all around, but realising that even with all
the modern technological knowledge change is coming and Rain and Saa
are part of that. Help is needed. Rain is befriended by Sharon whose
grandfather helped build 'The Island'. She is bent on seeing Saa
and offers Rain a way to freedom. Tension builds before Rain,
with her 'old knowledge' and the help of Ghau, and the The Writer who
knew Rain's Grandmother, are able to escape the island just before she
was to be the sacrifice to bring rain! Simply written, this is an
interesting novel to discuss with middle primary students who are part
of the global warming debate. Well worth reading.
Sue Nosworthy
Little Darlings by Jacqueline Wilson
Doubleday 2010.
(Ages 11+)Recommended. I always judge a book according to
my willingness to put it down, and I devoured the last third of Little
Darlings without moving from the sofa. She maybe the author of
nearly
forty books, but Jacqueline Wilson is still flying high with engaging
characters and gripping storylines. Little Darlings spans the
council
estates of Manchester and the mansions of Cheshire, as Wilson reveals
the ridiculous overindulgence of celebrity parents with pots of money
and no common sense.
Ageing rock star Danny Kilman hasn't made a record in years, but still
flirts with fame as 'Hi!' Magazine regularly features him and his
delightful family. His younger children, Sweetie and Ace lap up the
attention, but Sunset aged ten is the ugly duckling. Longing for love
and normality, she feels like the odd one out in a family that values
appearance and possessions above everything else. During a film
premier, Sunset stumbles across Manchester school girl Destiny Williams
and her Mum, who have travelled to London for a glimpse of Danny
Kilman. Sunset discovers that Destiny is Danny's unacknowledged child
and therefore her own half sister.
Destiny and Sunset become friends but discover that their lives are
poles apart. You could describe Little Darlings as a searing
indictment
of celebrity culture, but in the end it's about Sunset, trying to
protect her younger siblings as family life crumbles around them, and
Destiny, living on a sink estate with mould on the ceiling and a Mum
who's holding down three jobs to make ends meet. Wilson writes about
extremes and the dramatic fallout when such extremes collide. Thank
goodness things resolve with a fairytale finish for Destiny and a
glimmer of hope for poor Sunset. As usual Wilson does not pull any
punches. There are references to domestic abuse and inner city knife
and gang culture, and a close scrutiny of family breakdown that will be
all too familiar for some young readers. This will delight Jacqueline's
fans and I would recommend it for mature top junior and secondary
students.
Claire Larson
The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Corgi Books, 2010. ISBN 9780552561358.
(Ages 14+) Sylvie's career in ballet is shattered when her leg is
broken. Ballet had been all consuming for her, keeping her centred
through her father's death. When her mother decides to remarry, Sylvie
is sent to Alabamba to stay with relatives. When she arrives she
discovers that the family home was once a mansion, and the surrounding
area is rich with the history of her ancestors. She is attracted to the
town's golden boy Shawn, who leads a mysterious Teen Town Council, and
to Rhys, the enigmatic young man from Wales. When strange things start
to happen, she begins to wonder if she is losing her mind, seeing
strange apparitions in the house and nearby woods.
A combination of gothic mystery and romance, The splendour falls
kept
me reading until the end. I like ghost stories and this aspect of the
book was very captivating. The addition of standing stones, ley lines,
Welsh legends and a magic Circle of teens all led to an interesting
story that was entertaining and escapist although a few less threads
may have lead to a tighter conclusion.
Sylvie's character was well fleshed out and she developed into an
enterprising young woman by the end of the story, although she is
confronted
with ghosts, hears a baby crying in the woods and smells lavender in
the bedroom she has been given . Told in the first person, her
sarcastic side comments added a note of humour and give insights into
the characters of the other players in the mystery. The usual love
triangle is engaging, although I would have liked to have learnt more
about Rhys' experiences in Wales. Gigi, Sylvie's little handbag dog,
has an awesome character
all of her own and will really appeal to dog lovers. The splendour falls is an engaging paranormal romp that should
appeal
to girls who like ghosts and things that go bump in the night.
Pat Pledger
Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson
Doubleday,
2009.
(Ages 9+ ) Recommended. Loyal fans will enjoy this vintage
style Wilson
story which is aimed at younger readers. The exciting adventures of
Hetty
Feather are related by Hetty herself, who starts life at a hospital for
foundlings, is fostered into a large country family and then, at the
age of
six, is forced to return to the Foundling Hospital until she can go
into
service at fourteen. Like the majority
of Wilson's heroines Hetty is spirited, fierce and imaginative and
spends much
of her life overcoming adversity.
Hetty
Feather sometimes reads as a Victorian melodrama
with much wailing and beating of chests at the mishap and misery that
befall
Hetty. Her adored brother Jem proves to have clay feet, another brother
Saul (with
gammy leg, crutch and a severe case of influenza) is not long for this
world,
and there is some preoccupation with children heading for heaven in
white
dresses and angel wings. But of course this is quite realistic in view
of the
disease and death that blighted the Victorian era. Historical accuracy
is
occasionally questionable. Would a foundling hospital in 1876 really
have a
stationery cupboard stocked with exercise books?
Colourful characters are plentiful. Madame
Adeline the circus performer offers Hetty a glimpse of a rather more
exotic
life. Gideon, Hetty's sickly and delicate foster brother is stoutly
championed
and protected by Hetty, while her special friend Polly is almost as
good at
'picturing' as Hetty herself. All the characters are fairly
predictable, but
Wilson injects them with sufficient verve to make them lively and
appealing.
There is a wonderful history in children's literature of youngsters
defeating
ghastly adults, especially in schools; Miss Slighcarp, Miss Trunchbull
and Miss
Minchin are despised by many a reader. Now Matron Pigface Peters and
Miss
Morley can be added to this evil roll-call!
Nick Sharratt's illustrations are my only
grumble. The front cover is a delightful montage of typical Sharratt
pictures,
but the illustrations within are totally different; Sharratt uses
silhouettes,
which may reflect the Victorian story, but somehow lack the immediacy,
power and
humour of his usual style. Apart from this I predict total reader
immersion in the
rollicking plot, oodles of action and satisfying ending. Jacqueline
Wilson does
so much to make reading relevant, fun and addictive, and without doubt
she's
done it again.
Claire Larson
Little Croc's purse by Lizzie Finlay
Red Fox, 2010. ISBN 9781862309067.
(Ages 3-7) Highly recommended. If you are in any doubt that
crocodiles are
actually delightfully appealing creatures then read Little
Croc's Purse. This is another triumph from Lizzie Finlay,
whose first book Danylion was one of
my top books of 2009.
Little Croc discovers a purse
full of coins
during a game of hide and seek. His friends try to persuade him to keep
it as
'no one returns things nowadays'. But Little Croc has plenty of moral
fibre and
as the story unfolds he manages to resist the temptation to shop,
requests from
a good cause and sly old Murdock, the bully. He delivers the purse to
the
police station and Mrs Doolally, the owner reveals the secret of the
purse and
rewards Little Croc for his honesty. Little Croc is delighted with his
reward
and decides to spend some, share some and save some, a message which in
our
debt ridden society it is probably good to start teaching at an early
age.
With Finlay's now
characteristic
combination of artistic styles Little
Croc's purse has a fresh and engaging feel. My three year old
goddaughter
loved the collage roses on Mrs Doolally's hat and we both spent ages
poring
over the pictures. Each page layout is a perfect balance of text and
illustration and there is plenty in this story to delight adults and
children
alike. I can't help feeling that anyone who can succeed in making a
crocodile
look vulnerable must be a genius!
Claire Larson
The summer that changed everything by Ann Brashares
Corgi Books, 2009.
(Age: 11+) Set in America, this is the story of three girls and an
eventful summer that sees their close friendship weakened in the face
of changing circumstances. This is a real mixed bag. Ann Brashares
concentrates on the anxieties and preoccupations facing teenage girls,
but the trio of plots are variable in quality. Polly's story is the
most successful and Brashares explores the fear of growing up and the
need to cling to old habits and to retain control, in Polly's case by
verging on anorexia. Jo's and Ama's stories are less striking. Jo is
the typical all American girl, fixated on hair, clothes and boys, and
her rather flat and predictable storyline reflects this. However, it is
Ama's story that really rankles: here is a straight 'A' student who
has never failed anything, but now fears she will fail her dreaded
outdoor adventure camp. Deprived of her favourite hair products, she is
trekking through the wilds of Wyoming, carrying a forty pound pack and
enduring blistered and bleeding feet, with no apparent medical
intervention. This is unlikely enough, but to cap it all the rest of
the team pack up camp one morning and leave without even noticing Ama's
absence, a totally unbelievable storyline which would simply never
happen. Of course it is vital to the plot and Brashares makes it work
on one level, but suspension of disbelief is essential if you're
planning to read this!
There are very few 'issues' that Brashares doesn't touch on and I can't
help thinking that she wrote with a tick list beside her. Dealing with
grief? Check. Unrequited love? Check. Facing up to your fears? Check.
An alcoholic mother? Check. The dangers of dieting? Check. However, in
spite of the uneven writing and shaky storylines, the construction of
the book does work. Each character takes turns to tell their story and
this brings a sense of immediacy and helps the reader to sympathise
with the girls. Brashares also pulls things together in a stirring
finish as all three girls face a crisis that makes them realise the
importance of their friendship. It's not going to win any prizes,
but this is a safe read for teenage girls who appreciate a bit of angst
and a happy ending.
Claire Larson
Editor's comment: This was also published as Three Willows.
Molly's Memory Jar by Norma Spaulding
Ill. By Jacqui Grantford. New Frontier, 2010. ISBN 9780921042355.
(Ages 4-8) Recommended. Molly's best friend, Lucy, a golden
retriever, has died and she is very sad and lonely. Her father suggests
that they make a memory jar for Lucy and asks her to remember a good
thing about Lucy. Each time she remembers something, they put a
coloured ball in a jar to make a memory. When it is full her father
tells her it is 'a magic way of keeping special friends' and to hold it
up to the light, to see all the beautiful colours and hold the memories
close to her.
Readers will identify with the emotions of grief and loneliness. Many
children may have lost a pet and know what it is like to be grieving
for their companion. This book will be a great help for children who
are feeling sad about the loss of a friend.
Jacqui Grantford's illustrations complement the story beautifully. In
the beginning of the story when Molly is very sad, the drawings are in
black and white. As she puts a memory ball into the jar, a colour is
added until at the end the page is brimming with vibrant colours.
This is a moving story about the love that a little girl has for her
dog. The memory jar is a very special way of remembering someone close
and a wonderful idea for helping a child to cope with grief.
Pat Pledger
Esty's gold by Mary Arrigan
Frances Lincoln Children's books. ISBN 9781845079659.
Middle Primary. Well recommended. Detailed, accurate and with a strong
sense of story, the reader lives with Esty as the famine in Ireland
takes its toll on so many families. Esty fares better than many and
becomes a maid in a big house. As the family's fortunes
fluctuate, she as a very astute young girl, convinces His Lordship that
the family should travel to Australia not America. Esty has befriended
May, a lady's maid and John Joe who cared for the horses but was a
'Whiteboy' (those who were trying to fight the crippling rents and
evictions from the landlords) and so there was Mama, Grandpa, Esty,
May and John Joe who boarded the ship to Australia. They travel
to the goldfields of Ballarat where they find a tough environment, but
Esty has her dreams and the hazardous occurrences of the goldfields
strengthen her motivation to make a proper and successful life for them
all. This she does.
This would be a wonderful novel for middle primary students who are
studying the famine in Ireland and the struggles people made to get to
the goldfields and the subsequent difficulties with miner's licences,
appalling living conditions, and lack of fresh vegetables and
meat. Yet it is a story full of positive and very human
reactions.
Well worth a place in primary schools.
Sue Nosworthy
The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner
Orion Children's Books. ISBN 978184255 5972.
Highly recommended for ages 12 years and up. The book and cover design
are striking features and immediately the reader is drawn
into this exciting historical narrative, with a mix of
magic and reality. Set at the time of the French Revolution the action
takes place in Paris and London. The cities and surrounding
countryside are grim, dirty and fully of seedy characters. Sally
Gardner brings together all the best ingredients for a wonderful
historical novel, dusted with a touch of fantasy which adds to the
enjoyment of this story. Yann Margoza is the young hero, attached
to a band of persecuted gypsies, who helps desperate people to escape
the guillotine and run away to England. Villainous deeds planned by the
evil Parisian, Kalliovski, ensure he has his quota of victims for the
gruesome blade. He thwarts Yan's every move; even using the girl Yan
loves, to entrap him. Plenty of excitement and just the right amount of
tension bring this story to a satisfying conclusion. Gardner is a
storyteller not a historian, but she has created fine characters
playing out a great story at the time of the French Revolution showing
the reader what life may have been like for many.
The narrative is enhanced by the use of a coloured and larger font for
a few sentences at the beginning of each chapter. This technique sets
the scene clearly. Language throughout the novel has an authentic
touch, but is easily accessible. This title follows The Red
Necklace written in 2007. A different story published in 2005, I,
Coriander, is equally enjoyable to read.
Julie Wells
Bright angel by Isabelle Merlin
Random House, 2010. ISBN 9781864719635.
Early Secondary. Well recommended. A racy adventure with many exciting
twists and turns. Cleverly crafted so the reader is constantly
wondering and guessing the outcome this is similar in plot construction
to Cupid's Arrow also set in Australia and France where all the
action takes place. Sylvie and her older sister Claire witness a
murder and are sent to the south of France to stay with their
aunt. Sylvie meets a charming little boy, Gabriel who thinks he
can see angels, but it is his very protective brother Daniel who at
first is cold towards Sylvie and who becomes increasingly intriguing to
her. Her meeting with Mick becomes a pivotal part of the
plot.The mystery takes many unexpected turns, involving large
scale fraud over the internet, extortion, murder and
conspiracy! It's an exciting and fascinating read, well
constructed and gripping right till the end. The finale is a
little lame but by then the mystery has been solved. The final
poem captures the essence of the book.
Sue Nosworthy
Shades (series) by various authors
London, Evans Brothers Ltd, 2009.
(Ages 11-14) Shades is a series of books produced by Evans
Brothers
Ltd
in London
for the teen who wants short (about 7,000 words) fast paced, exciting
and clever plots with good characterisation and writing. For lower
secondary kids who do not want the length and complexity of many modern
novels, then these can offer an alternative. They do not have the look
and feel of a reader or a book for special kids, but rather have good
covers, strong binding, with snappy titles and enticing blurbs. Coming in to land by Dennis Hamley tells the story of Jack at a
cadet's
camp during 1943. Here the group of boys is given instruction in flying
a glider and one boy, Cecil, takes a dislike to Jack and so treats him
cruelly. A neat resolution has Jack saving both their lives, and along
the way the reader will learn a great deal about flying and gliding. Rising tide by Anne Rooney shows us the desperation of refugees,
rolling it into a futuristic story of climrefs, escaping climate change.
There is also a series called Shades Shorts. An example is Ghost
stories by 4
Shades authors, Dennis Hamley, Anne Rooney,
Alex
Stewart and Gillian Philip all bring a different taste of excitement to
the page. Each story is quite dissimilar. The first story is a
different take on meeting death, as Thea picks up a hitchhiker along
the freeway.
Fran Knight
Editor's comment: Available from Heinemann
in Australia.
Battlefield, one boy's war by Alan Tucker
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978 1741695519.
Barry lives in a farming family near Cowra, NSW. When World War 2 broke
out, his brother Jack enlisted and fighting in the Pacific War was
captured and is now a POW in a Japanese camp somewhere. The family
lives in hope of his release. Meanwhile Barry's sister, Gwen has become
engaged to John, who is working at the local POW camp near Cowra, and
Barry is agog with excitement at all the stories he hears. This man is
the catalyst for his father's reminiscences about World War 1, and
Barry hears stories he has never heard before. Wanting to grow up
quickly to enlist and search for his brother Jack, Barry gleans all he
can from John, injured in a grenade explosion.
Barry takes all the stories to heart, training himself for the day he
can enlist. He carries out raids on the POW camp at night, missions to
check things out, hikes to test his growing skills and stamina. He
hangs on his father's and John's every story, adding them to his
knowledge of what to do when the time comes.
But in August 1944, most of the Japanese prisoners at Cowra staged a
mass break out. Many were killed or died from exposure. Some evaded
capture for some time, hiding in the bush, and one is found by Barry
and his sister, Margaret. His time has come to put into practice all he
has heard, read about and learnt.
A fascinating read of the times in Australia, Battlefield,
gives a
sweeping picture of how the people at home fared while Australia was
engaged in war many thousands of miles away. We hear of the anguish of
the family at their son's capture, the lifestyle they live, the state
of the POW camp, and of how younger people view the war. Slow perhaps,
but a cornucopia of fascinating and well researched detail, coming
inexorably to the climax of the story, Barry's finding the POW. A most
useful addition to the growing number of Australian historical novels
which could be read for enjoyment but also will find a place in the
classroom, along with others in the series, My Australian Story.
Fran Knight
