Puffin, 2011. ISBN: 978 0143305644.
Mum's promise to Eppie and Zeke is that, if they can manage to stay out
of trouble for a day and politely take care of their new neighbours,
she will buy them a puppy. When it turns out that the children, Tig and
Pop, are aliens, Eppie and Zeke find it hard to do as they have
promised. As a result, they dress themselves in somewhat bizarre
armour, which includes donning inflatable life jackets.
With three more adventures to come, this series will probably hold most
appeal to the disinclined male reader looking for a short and funny
book. Although, as an adult reader, I didn't find the story to be
wildly humorous, I have no doubt that children will love the 'gross and
grotty' elements of the book and enjoy Mum being referred to by her
children as Bum. Given the variations in font and print size and the
inclusion of small cartoon style sketches, children are bound to find
this series both engaging and easy to read.
Jo Schenkel
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
Violence 101 by Denis Wright
Black Dog Books, 2011. ISBN 9781742031781 Violence 101 is a difficult book to categorise. The main
character is Hamish Graham, fourteen, highly intelligent and extremely
violent. It would be easy to dismiss him as another troubled teen
and given his history it would be easy to dislike him. However as
the book progresses it becomes possible to understand him even when you
strongly disapprove of what he does. The book raises interesting
ideas about good and evil and redemption. Not all of these are
neatly resolved which is a reflection of real life. I like the
style that the author uses with writings from Hamish interspersed with
the action of the story. Some parts of the book are disturbing,
the incident with the neighbour's dog being one example.
As I was reading the book I began to wonder how it would be
resolved. As you have more understanding of Hamish through his
writing and the events in the book you begin to have some empathy for
him and his situation. I think the author handled the issues
involved well and created a realistic and believable resolution. There
is no conventional happy ending, rather there is some hope for
the future if Hamish can learn to control his anger or channel it into
constructive purpose.
I would recommend this book for older teenagers and it could be
suitable for class discussion.
David Rayner
Circle of Fire by S. M. Hall
Maya Brown Missions. Francis Lincoln Children's Books, 2011.
(Age 11+) Fifteen year old Maya Brown is living with her
grandmother because a threat has been made by a terrorist group to
kidnap her. Pam, her mother, is a British security chief and is
obviously too close to the truth about planned attacks. However,
in a bizarre twist, it is Pam who is kidnapped and Maya decides to
rescue her.
This quick moving story delivers 'mystery, intrigue and danger', as
promised on the cover. Along the way it briefly introduces other
themes.Maya, we find, has been adopted after terrorists had
killed her entire family in Kosovo, for being Muslim. Ironically
now she is chasing a Muslim extremist group and we learn some of their
traditions and views along the way. Jamila, a teenage girl whom
Maya befriends wants to be a doctor but her father declares: 'she
doesn't need a career to get married. Her husband will provide.' The
causes of terrorism and race conflict are touched upon.
Having a female role model in an adventure or crime story should appeal
to both boys and girls alike. This book is a fast, easy read
aimed at young adults from 11+. It is the fifth novel from Sylvia
Hall, who uses her teaching background to good effect in using
appropriate language and content. It lacks a little realism and depth
but meets its target audience. Circle of Fire will appeal to
readers who like Robert Muchamore and Anthony Horowitz books.
The book also includes the first chapter of the sequel, Breaking
the
circle, which will be released in early 2012.
Kay Haarsma (Salisbury East HS)
Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 9781921690624.
Highly recommended for ages 12+. Every morning, when London wakes, she
peruses the notes she has written the previous day. These give her
information relevant to the new day ahead and brief her on events from
her past. Although she can 'remember' things yet to happen in her
future, her memories of previous days are erased from her memory at
4:33 every morning. When she meets Luke, a new boy at her school, she
is concerned that she cannot see him in her future. As her love for him
grows, she tries desperately not to forget him and find a way to slot
him into her memories. She ponders whether or not to include him from
her notes at night. At the same time, she tries to uncover the truth
behind some of the memories with which she is plagued on a daily basis
and continue to unsettle her.
This truly is a book which one wishes to devour in a single sitting.
London, as the main protagonist, appears fragile, troubled and sincere,
filled with love for Luke but confused as to whether or not they can
possibly share a future. Luke is reliable, strong, consistent and
determined in his concern and love for London. As a reader, one can
hardly help but want to become involved in trying to find a way to see
the relationship flourish and help explain the mystery which is
unearthed by London's memories. This is a truly engaging novel, one to
re-visit and read more slowly the second time.
Jo Schenkel
Excalibur, the legend of King Arthur a graphic novel by Tony Lee and Sam Hart
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 406321593.
(Ages 9+) Warmly recommended. Each book about King Arthur is so
different! In this one, Arthur the boy is taken by Merlin to Avalon
where over two nights in real time but 2 years in Avalon time, he
develops the skills needed to defeat his father's killer, Ulric, and
take his rightful place as King of England, Albion. Here he falls in
love with Vivianne but his memory of her is erased so that he will
marry Guinevere and so set in place the events which are foretold.
Lancelot, a cousin of Vivianne, vows his life to Arthur, but seeing
Guinevere falls for her and the two cause an enormous rift in the
relationships at court. In the meantime, Arthur's half sister, Morgana
is plotting and things come to a head towards the end of the book when
Arthur must meet his enemies head on.
An exciting take on the Arthurian legends, the plot dives and twists,
keeping the reader alert and involved. The illustrations are
breathtaking. Huge men dominate the pages, striding across the
landscape, holding weaponry which is sure to make the reader's blood
run cold. Excalibur is a huge golden sword, often held aloft, noisily
making its presence felt in the bloody battle scenes. The movement,
intricate design and boldness of the illustrations will entertain and
excite the readers as they follow Arthur's fight for Albion.
Fran Knight
Don't wake the beastie by Dawn Casey
Ill. by Kirsteen Harris-Jones, Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 978 14088
00027.
The animals spy a hive at the top of the tree, full of lovely dripping
honey. But it is too high for any of them to climb up and get, and
there is a beastie asleep beneath the tree that none of them wishes to
wake. What to do? Each tries in turn, the one climbing up on the
shoulders of the one before. The donkey, pig, the lamb, the dog and the
chook all climb onto each other's backs in an attempt to get the honey
but inevitably their tower collapses, waking the beastie.
A wonderful tale of co-operation, endeavour and achievement, this book
will be well used in classes in the junior primary school as a lead in
to discussions about those values. The repetition of the sentences will
encourage children to predict what is going to happen next as well as
multiply their involvement and interest in the story and the words. I
loved the way the words are not prescriptive, the author using an array
of words, some of which will be unfamiliar but will help create an
atmosphere where new words can be discussed. She also uses words about
the animals which will be used by the astute teacher in talking about
animals in the classroom. The illustrations are infectious, funny and
fluid, with the words spaced across the page underlining the movement
of the animals and the story.
Fran Knight
Ransom by David Malouf
Ages: Senior students and adults. Fiction. Highly recommended. The story of the Greeks besieging the city of Troy is an age old legend, part of the group of stories which make up The Illiad and The Odyssey. Many versions of the tales have been published but none like this. Malouf's retelling of the story of the ransom paid for Hector's body is captivating, the frailties and inconsistencies of those involved revealed for the reader, their back stories told with understanding and sympathy. When Achilles takes umbrage at Agamemnon claiming his prize, the enslaved girl, Briseis, he retreats to his tent, refusing to fight alongside his leader. As a result, his best friend and companion, Patroclus dons Achilles' armour to lead the field, losing his life as a consequence. Achilles' grief is overwhelming and his resultant fight with Hector, sees Hector being killed. Instead of allowing the Trojans to retrieve the body of their king's son, their hero, for a proper burial, Achilles ties the body to his chariot and every day for eleven days, drives it around the walls of Troy. Each day the gods renew Hector's body, making it seem recently killed. King Priam, desperate to bury his son, has a humble cart loaded with treasure and rides out to meet Achilles and beg for his son's body. The carter, a day labourer from the market place, is unsure of how to treat his king, but his natural instincts take over as he realises that the king is an innocent, used to such a different life that he must take some leadership and direct his moves with sympathy and thoughtfulness. The story of the reason for the ransom being paid, the debate within his household for Priam to do such an unheard of thing, the journey to the Greek encampment and the bargaining between Priam and Achilles is given a fresh retelling in this book. As Malouf says in his afterword, some of the stories he uses in this book take only a few lines in The Illiad, but he fleshes out the story to give us a narrative rich with the thoughts and actions behind the deeds. The reader falls into the windy plains of Troy to listen to the motives behind some of the events which although thousands of years old, have resonance in today's world as the events of September 11, 2001 provided the impetus for this writing. Fran Knight
Judy Moody, Girl detective by Megan McDonald
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4002 27435.
(Ages 9+) Humour. Warmly recommended. Judy Moody passionately following
the stories of Nancy Drew, finds herself developing the skills needed
to be a detective, through finding things lost at home. But when the
local policeman, Officer Kopp and his police dog arrive at school for a
show and tell, Judy's imagination takes over. She is invited onto the
stage to hide something for the dog, Mr Chipps to find and gives him a
sound workout trying vainly to trick him.
And the very next day, when Mr Chipps goes missing, Judy sees it as a
personal mission to find the dog and return it to Officer Kopp. She and
the members of her club, Rodney, Frank and Stick decide on action. They
go to Officer Kopp's house and offer their services and are asked to
put up posters around the district. Judy and her crew investigate the
scene of the crime and from there much mayhem and fun ensues and the
quartet go about their business. All good fun, a light read with easily
identifiable characters, this will be a popular choice amongst middle
primary readers, especially those already entranced with Judy Moody.
Fran Knight
I am Thomas by Libby Gleeson and Amin Greder
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 978 1742373331.
(Ages 8+) Highly recommended. Thomas is different. He is very aware of
his difference. He tells us in the first few pages that he is nor like
his brother nor the other students in his school. He retreats to his
headphones as all around him tells him that he will be a failure and
not amount to anything. He is told that people are ashamed of him and
this is in the same page as the order to clean his room, brush his
teeth and show respect. All the instructions given to kids are listed
as he watches the array of grey people around him who offer him a place
to go. The army offers serving his country, religion offers forgiveness
of sins, a politician offers being part of a democracy, but they are
all the same, grey and the same, expecting him to be the same as they
are. The bleak view of the world is an amalgam of all that is nasty,
the cloying religious zealot, the braying army personnel, the priest
offering him the seat next to him, the leering politician, the
overwhelming teachers, the dictatorial father and yet the crying,
impassive mother. A fascinating mix of a world which is absolutely
nasty. Rejecting all the pressures to conform, he boards a bus, taking
his life in his own hands.
The illustrations of Thomas' journey to retain his individuality are
amazing. The grey suited men who surround Thomas with promises and
exhortations create a claustrophobic atmosphere on many of the pages.
The men and the few women are remote, removed, emotionless, and often
portray a dictatorial approach when trying to deal with Thomas, the
outsider. The first few pages show us what Thomas likes, the model of a
plane, a globe, an atlas, but as the pages progress the colours become
more grey, the things depicted more redolent of authority and rules,
just as the last few pages revert from rules to freedom on the bus, as
colour becomes more obvious. As Thomas rejects the sterile paths
offered to him, colour returns once again. And watch out for the
contrasting items on the pages. On one page is depicted Thomas'
sandshoes, lying almost together, open with laces askew, but further up
the page in black and white is a pair of shoes, neatly laced, side by
side with the boot polish and brush neatly next to the shoes. On
another page, a man is rejecting the musical instruments in the corner,
the chess set is left awry and so on. Little gems are there to be
explored and savoured.
A most interesting book, readers will have much to discuss with their
teacher or parents as they sit together and read both the words and the
illustrations, discussing authority, rules, institutions, free will,
fitting in - the list is endless, and the bleak world portrayed too
will be the cause of discussion about what there is to be thankful for.
Fran Knight
A bit lost by Chris Haughton
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1406333831.
Picture book. When the baby owl falls from the top of the tree where he
is perusing the forest with his mum, he becomes lost. Not just a little
lost, but lost. He must ask the other animals for help, and in
describing his mother through a few words, augmented by actions, is
taken to a variety of other animals in his search. Because he says she
is big, he is taken to a bear, when he describes his mother's pointy
ears, he is taken to a rabbit, and so on, until finally he is taken to
the right mother, who is searching for him.
A warm book about family and the relationship between mother and child,
this story will be told and retold in the early childhood units. Read
aloud, the story will serve the purpose of reinforcing the
relationship, of introducing animals and their offspring or of simply
telling a tale, inviting the students to share their knowledge. The
warmth of the mother and her baby both looking for each other, the
positive tale of the animals helping each other with the owl inviting
the animals to her perch as a thank you resulting in a twist in the
tale, is charming. The bald, block colour illustrations hide things
which children can search for, while the bold colour is refreshing in
its simplicity.
Fran Knight
Twelfth grade kills by Heather Brewer
Dutton Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 9780525422242.
This is the fifth and final book in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
series. Vlad is about to face his final year of high school, but only
if he lives long enough. There are so many people trying to kill
him that it is by no means certain he will even make it to his last
year at high school or survive it if he does.
In this last book, the author draws together all the strands and
unanswered questions from the previous books. The prime one as to
whether Vlad's father is still alive is finally answered.
As usual Vlad is having a hard time deciding just who to trust although
he can always rely on his friend and drudge Henry and Nelly his
guardian. There is also the question of whether Vlad is as the
prophecy suggest, the Pravus and if so will he really enslave the human
race.
I have enjoyed the series and this book is no exception. Vlad has
grown in each of the stories as have the other characters. Here
everything that he has been hoping for appears to be happening but not
everyone is what they seem and Vlad finds himself doubting even those
he trusts the most. To the author's credit all of these issues are
resolved and at the end Vlad finds himself sadder but wiser. I
think that readers will want more and perhaps there is room for more
Chronicles as Vlad moves on from high school.
David Rayner
The girl with death breath and other naughty stories for good boys and girls by Christopher Milne
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 978 19211690563.
Highly recommended for children aged 8 and above. When Doris is teased
about her bad breath, she decides to make it even worse to pay back
those who have been cruel to her. Penny and Michelle Dyer want to help
their family make millions by collecting the kerb-side recycling and
aim to re-sell the goods they find. The kids in the Underground Cubby
Club are sick of Bulldog Brown being such a bully so they team up but
what will they do to stop him? Steven Everett has been told he is
useless so he decides to run away from home. Is there anything that
would make him go home or feel better about himself?
All seven of the short stories in this book tell of kids who aren't
quite perfect. Milne's sense of humour and memories of being a child
are evident in this collection as he shows children in everyday
situations. Each story has elements of the 'good boys and girls' as
well as showing their faults. No matter what the scenario, one can draw
a moral or lesson from the story. This series originated some time
back, with Milne self-publishing. The very formal looking covers of the
original books hid the true contents but, once introduced to the
series, children devoured them. With the new look covers and
illustrations, these will continue to be on loan instead of on library
shelves. Readers visiting Milne's website are greeted with rude noises
and illustrations from the books, a great marketing tool for attracting
the disinclined reader!
Jo Schenkel
Dead Certain by Sally Gould
Lightning Strikes series. Walker, 2011. ISBN: 9781921529900.
Max's uncle Jack has died and, during the funeral service, Max
discovers that the body is about to be cremated. This goes directly
against Jack's wishes to be buried alongside his father. The problem,
now, is that Max is the only person who seems to have heard Jack's
final request. How is he going to stop the cremation to help his much
loved uncle, when no one will listen to him? Thus follows a series of
events in which Max tries to tell Dad the truth and, when Dad won't
listen, he enlists his brother Charlie to help set things to rights.
Max shows determination, persistence and loyalty to his uncle as he
endeavours to fulfill his uncle's wishes but not everything goes
exactly to plan. This adds a touch of humour to what could otherwise be
a rather more serious story. Containing less than 80 pages of print and
with a clear double spaced font, this title provides an easily
accessible and relatively entertaining tale, within the reach of even
the most reluctant reader.
Jo Schenkel
Entice by Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011. ISBN: 9781408810446.
Nick and Zara are soul mates. They are meant to be together, forever.
However Nick is gone, he has been taken to a place for warriors,
Valhalla. There is a chance that Zara can get him back, but will he
want to? Zara has been turned Pixie, worse she's a Pixie queen. Will
Nick still love her?
This novel falls into the fantasy genre and carries the theme of
getting back someone you have lost, as well as doing almost anything to
get them back. The style of writing uses a fair amount of imagery and
symbolism. Incorporated are complex sentences that give you a complex
story which isn't always easy to process, but it all comes together at
the end and makes sense. The plot is not straightforward, it is complex
like the story. Some things you will see coming, then it will change or
something will unexpectedly happen.
The book is mostly set in the vicinity of the town of Bedford, UK and
in Iceland, as well as in Valhalla. The story appears to take place
over about three weeks and you don't always know straight away what
time of day it is. The characters themselves are not the kind of people
that you would actually meet in reality, but they are very believable
and in some ways they act like regular people.
I would recommend this novel more for girls than boys and for the 15 -
25 age group. It is a great book and I think it deserves 10/10 stars.
Amelia Kelly (Student)
