Hamish Hamilton, 2009. ISBN 978 0241144220. Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak (1963) is an icon in
children's literature with its wonderful display of temper, Max going
off to his room to live out his wildness, and coming home to find his
tea is waiting for him and is still hot. Pieces of that book remain
with many many adults all their lives, and it is amazing to talk to
people and find that is one of the books they most remember from their
childhoods. So to make a film of it was always a fraught undertaking,
and it did not seem to do well in the box office, although DVD sales
may make up for this, but then to write a book of the film of the
picture book, is a little bizarre.
Max in his wolf suit puts everyone off side, hiding in his ice hut in
the garden, so finds his father's boat on the lake and sails off
looking for another world. He lands on an island where the monsters
make him their king, wanting him to solve some of their problems. But
he doesn't; he causes many more. In his wildness he encourages the
others to smash their houses, and run amok. The tension between Carol
and Max causes friction in the group and it splinters ending in a war
in which Douglas loses his arm and Katherine tries to eat Max. So Max
leaves to go home.
A pastiche of the picture book and the film, I'm not sure who this is
aimed at. Its length makes it older primary or lower secondary school
kids, but Max is middle primary. But others love the book, so it will
be up to the audience whether it goes off the library shelves or not.
Initially many will read it because of its link with the original, and
whether they find it intriguing enough to continue is another thing!
Fran Knight
A horse called Darling by Delwynne Stephens
Puffin, 2010.Aussie Chomps. ISBN 978 0143304692.
When her beloved horse Manny, does not survive the waterhole jump which
the girls attempt while out riding, Penny watches with despair as the
vet puts the pony down. Her father, wanting her to get over this loss,
finds another horse for her, one that has been neglected and left to
its own devices for several years, a horse called Darling. With
perseverance and pluck, Penny manages to pull the horse from its
doldrums and get it ready for the events at the stables. Meanwhile
Miranda with her expensive horse, Chanel, is out to win, thinking it is
her turn. She has the added pressure of a father determined to make his
daughter the best, and so she deliberately spooks Darling, knowing he
will react badly to the sound of a whip. This involving story will
appeal to middle school girls who are intrigued with stories of horses,
but it is far more than that. In its pages are the themes of
competition, of doing your best, of perseverance and tenacity, of
competing fairly and forgiveness.
Fran Knight
No and Me by Delphine de Vigan
(Translated by George Miller). Bloomsbury, 2010, ISBN 9780747599838
(14+ years) Highly recommended. No and Me is the powerful story
about the attempts of 'Me', Lou Bertignac, to save No, Nolwen, from
life on the streets of Paris. Lou has her own problems; her mother has
never recovered from the death of Lou's baby sister, and her father is
grieving over the loss of both his child and his wife. Lou herself has
additional burden of being extremely intelligent. Because of the
unhappiness at home she starts visiting a nearby railway station, where
she enjoys watching travellers expressing emotion. There she meets No,
neglected and abused by her mother, uneducated, vulnerable and in
heart-wrenching need. No begins to live with Lou and her parents, and
all goes well initially as No finds some work and begins to trust them.
Lou's mother recovers as she relates to No, and Lou's family does well,
her father happy again, and Lou, more confident, forming friendships at
school. However, No does not do so well; her work changes, her boss is
abusive and she starts drinking again, eventually disappearing with the
contents of the medicine cabinet. Lou refuses to give up, and is able
to rescue No again, but this is only a short term reprieve as No,
drinking heavily, finally vanishes. The novel is written in the first
person, in Lou's voice, which is consistently maintained as deceptively
simple yet sharply perceptive beyond her years, because of her
fascination with order and comparisons. Her desperate hopes for No are
clearly shown without melodrama. The plot development is skilful, the
reader being kept in suspense about key events and the
characterizations are believable. This novel is highly
recommended because it is enthralling to read, it illustrates what life
is like for a highly talented person, and finally because it
demonstrates, without excess, the desperate plight of the homeless.
Jenny Hamilton
Dangerous Diamonds by Barbara Mitchelhill
Random House, 2010. ISBN 978 1842709788
Twins, Harry and Charlie see their father use his mobile phone after
they have been to a concert in Edinburgh, but that is the last time
they see him. Searching through his study once they arrive back home,
they ring his friend, Edina Ross, and she is particularly interested
when they talk of what they have found. Their father, a writer, has
borrowed a reliquary form the museum to put on the front cover of his
next crime novel, and when the twins look at it more closely, diamonds
fall from a compartment in the bottom of the small box. But telling
Edina seals their fate, and Harry is taken to the country, hotly
followed by Charlie, who, after seeing what has happened to him,
smuggles herself into the back of Edina's car and so goes to the same
hideout.
Action packed, smart and up to the minute, this adventure, crime novel
and thriller, all wrapped up into one absorbing tale will have broad
appeal with its boy and girl protagonists and a hat full of nasty evil
doers, pursued by the crooks, the Russian mafia and other assorted
goodies and baddies. With all the thrills of a good TV series, this one
is sure to find a home for a minute or two on the shelves.
Fran Knight
Locked In: Monstrum House by Z. Fraillon
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN: 978 1921564253.
Recommended for ages 10 and above. When Jasper McPhee gets himself into
yet another bout of trouble at school, his thirteenth birthday sees him
en route to The Monstrum House School for Troubled Children. Despite
the cool uniform of 'black trackie dacks and a brown hoodie', the
school does not seem in the least bit welcoming and a sinister feeling
abounds. He and some other students are singled out from the crowd and
informed that they will be based on the school's other campus to which
they travel by plane. Their arrival at the equally creepy, ice-bound
carbon copy of the first school sees the teenagers being introduced to
the thuggish prefects and some unusual teachers. Here, they learn that
the school is teeming with monsters and that their role is to capture
them.
Fraillon has written a fast-paced adventure which leaves the reader
eagerly awaiting the second installment, due out on April 1st. Easy
vocabulary, double-spaced print, twenty full page illustrations and a
number of other small diagrams break the story into manageable chunks.
The author would appear to be writing for the likes of Jasper: the
bored, troublesome, disruptive protagonist in the tale. One cannot help
but draw a parallel between this series and Muchamore's Cherub series.
Both deal with male characters being sent off to receive a very
different type of education in which they can utilise their different
learning styles and skills, a concept likely to appeal to most
children. This should prove to be a most popular series, particularly
for the middle to upper primary boys for whom reading is generally a
chore.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
The Bad Butterfly: Billie B Brown by Sally Rippin
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN: 978 192156492 5
When best friends Billie and Jack begin ballet classes, the girls are
to dance like delicate, fluttering butterflies and the boys as stomping
trolls. When Billie isn't able to fulfill her role to the teacher's
satisfaction, she and Jack begin to practice in earnest at home. They
finally share their new found skills with the teacher.
This title is definitely best suited to the female emergent reader and,
despite being extremely predictable to adults, could well be used in
class to support a junior primary unit on either sex-role stereotyping
or the importance of persistence and open-mindedness. The series is
designed to fill a niche for girls who are just beginning to look for
chapter books and are of a similar reading age to the boys who devour
the Zac Power Test Drives. Print is of a large font and double-spaced
and there are pictures interspersed with the text on approximately half
of the pages. Aki Fukuoka's illustrations of Billie, depicting her as
the cheeky tom-boy who appears to be full of a zest for life, are
appealing and endearing. In the final line of the story, the reader is
introduced to the likely topic for the next title in the series.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
Tatiara by Jo Oliver
New Frontier Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978 1921042225.
The young girl in this story wears a back brace and so cannot swim,
something she wants with all her heart. She often sits by the water's
edge, father owning a cafe in the small bay, and there she spies an
injured dolphin. Sheltering in the bay while she heals, the dolphin and
the girl become friendly as the girl fishes from the jetty to catch
fish for the animal. The girl dreams of a time when the whales in the
area were hunted, and she desperately wants to swim with her dolphin.
When the doctor in the city allows her to remove her brace, the family
all goes for a swim, and the girl swims with her dolphin friend,
Tatiara.
Although a pleasant story, and one which early readers will enjoy, the
illustrations lack substance. In an attempt to give a soft resolution
to each page, the finished product simply looks incomplete and
unconvincing.
Fran Knight
F2M by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy
Ford St, 2010. ISBN 978 1876962901.
(Ages: 13+) Recommended. Skye does not want her breasts or hips, she
repels all her
grandmother's pink, frilly dresses, and is guitar lead for an all
female punk band, where she can wear the male clothes she feels
most comfortable wearing. But she must make a decision, she cannot hide
anymore. Now that she is 18, she must do something. She searches the
internet, finally finding enough courage to ask someone on a blog for a
doctor's name and address for transition, that is, the step to make her
a man not a woman, to change her name irrevocably from Skye to Finn, to
no longer have to wear binders. But telling her friends and family is a
road she must first cross.
Ryan Kennedy, who writes this enlightening and sympathetic story with
Hazel Edwards, has been there, so we know the information we read is
true. We hear about Skye making the initial appointments with a doctor,
counselor and psychiatrist, we are with her as she explains why she
wants to change and what it will mean to her, we are brought into her
world of finding out information through the internet and not having
someone close by to talk to. By drawing us so singularly into the world
of the main character means our empathy is with her all the way. This
well written story will make the reader cry when Skye's best friend
deserts her, want to hold her hand when she visits a seemingly
unsympathetic doctor, and feel the pain of that first injection of
testosterone into her bum.
The he that she becomes, Finn, must now take some tentative steps
towards being a man, and Edwards shows us unerringly the decisions and
crises that he has in his life, before he feels really at home with
himself. For most readers this will all be a revelation, as we trip
along easily with a riveting story, and for those who have feelings of
being different, here is a novel which will speak to them and give them
a peep into the process which must be undertaken. I found this a
riveting read. I wanted to shake Finn's mother and friend, Marla, for
their initial lack of support, and I was surprised when Finn made
judgments about others. But they are all flesh and blood characters
with the foibles and inconsistencies we all share. And that makes for
an engrossing story about the choices some people have to make.
Fran Knight
Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
David Fickling, 2010.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. I shed a few tears on
finishing Solace of the Road, partly because of the sheer power
of
Dowd's writing, but also because this is the last time any of us will
have the privilege of reading a new novel by this talented writer.
Holly Hogan's story is a familiar one. She is a child in care who has
lost contact with her Mam, fallen in with the wrong crowd and is
getting into trouble at school. Her saving grace is Miko, the key
worker who has defended and supported her over many years. However,
Miko gets a new job north of the river and Holly knows that once he
leaves all contact with him will end. Miko encourages Holly to go for a
foster placement with quiet Ray and buttoned up Fiona. Holly does move
in with them, but miserable at losing Miko and longing to return to
Ireland to find her Mam, she decides to run away.
Holly, complete with blonde wig, assumes the persona of Solace and
travels the A40 from London to Fishguard and the Irish ferry. She meets
many people in this road trip novel and one of the Dowd's strengths
lies in her remarkable ability to bring all these people to life. There
are no shadowy minor characters here; even the boy on the motorbike
with his mirror visor, whose name we never learn, is raw and real as we
share Holly's journey to reach her mother.
Holly doesn't really know who she is and therefore chooses to become
someone else. Solace is older and brimming with confidence, but as
Holly allows her memories to return, the misery and isolation of her
chaotic upbringing are brought into sharp focus, causing a collision of
forces that lead to a nail-biting climax. The gritty final chapters had
me on the edge of my seat and the cathartic ending resulted in more
than a few tears. I felt I lived this journey with Holly, who
ultimately decides that returning to herself is better than living as
Solace. This is a novel of pathos, humour and hope. Read it and
savour it. We may mourn the loss of Siobhan Dowd, but what a fabulous
legacy she leaves behind.
Claire Larson
Little paradise by Gabrielle Wang
Penguin, 2010. ISBN 9780143011477.
Recommended for girls aged 13-16. Inspired by the story of the author's
mother, Little Paradise
is set in
Melbourne near the end of World War 2, and then Shanghai in the
post-war years during the defeat of the Kuomintang forces. The main
character, Mirabel, comes from a traditional Chinese business family
and has an oracle bone made for her that predicts a mystifying future.
The oracle provides reassurance and guidance as she becomes involved in
many difficult situations. Clearly talented, she loves drawing and
dress designing, and finds a job in a map drawing office, important war
work. Her father is a Kuomintang supporter, and Mirabel falls in love
with a young officer, Jin Jing, who is liaising with him. When Jin Jing
returns to China, Mirabel is pregnant, and her father furiously
confines her, and the baby when he is born, to the house. Mirabel
eventually decides to travel to Shanghai to find her lover; there she
experiences life in the international sectors, until she finds and
marries Jin Jing who has been working in a remote village. However,
life in China becomes very difficult and they are described attempting
to escape before the city falls to the Communists. The novel covers a
lot of issues, perhaps too many, several being racism directed towards
the Chinese even in China, the strength and weaknesses of traditions,
and the contribution that a young woman can make towards society.
It does capture the poverty and richness of life in China particularly
well, and the dislocation created by war. The feelings of a young girl
falling in love are perhaps over-written in places, and Mirabel does
seem to have a lot of good luck. However, this is an enjoyable and
informative novel.
Jenny Hamilton
The Snake Book: Slip Sliding Away by Damian Goodall
black dog
books, 2010. ISBN 978 1742031408 $16.99 32pp
(Ages: Primary) Recommended. A wonderful, entertaining and informative
non fiction book about snakes
will be read and reread by primary students once it hits the shelves.
The beautiful Shutterstock snake on the front cover will draw attention
to the book, and then the chapters, firstly giving general information
about snakes: where they live, hunting and feeding, snake babies and so
on, followed by chapters on specific snakes, will have readers
engrossed.
A map on page 5 gives some idea to younger readers about where the
snakes are to be found, then from page 12 on, double page spreads are
devoted to individual snakes. Kids will be enthralled at the
photographs. Wonderfully clear colourful shots of the anaconda, the
world's heaviest snake or the bright milk snake, the scary cobra, the
noisy rattlesnake and the camouflaged emerald tree snake, all entice
the
reader to look closely at the text and the accompanying pictures.
A side panel for each snake gives more detail about the habitat in
which that particular snake is to be found, a measuring guide, animals
that live in its proximity and where it lives. The panels are full of
information able to be retrieved quickly and easily, and the text then
rounds out that information. Small fact boxes with odd snippets of
information can be found on some pages, enlivening the text. A list of
further reading, with a glossary and small but adequate index make up
the last page. All in all a wonderful resource for classrooms, or for
kids to pick up and read, in the Wild Planet series from black dog
books.
Damian Goodall is a reptile keeper at the Melbourne Zoo, and many kids
who read this book will envy him.
Fran Knight
Easy library displays to promote reading Book 2 by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger
Pledger
Consulting, 2010. ISBN: 9781876678234.
Highly recommended. This is a brilliant resource and must have for all
librarians as it is 'designed to help the busy librarian make the
library a vibrant place of learning'. With a well laid out table of
contents, one can skim the list to find national and international
events which can be celebrated each month across the school year, as
well as certain themes or concepts which could be utilised at any time.
The calendar dates in this particular edition are not necessarily those
generally celebrated in schools. This fact alone makes it a worthwhile
title to own!
Presented with each of the featured celebrations or promotional days is
a substantial list of display ideas, many of which are simple and
inexpensive yet effective, a section containing associated activities
which could be organized for the event and also a bibliography of
related websites. For most topics, there is a full page list of print
resources as well. Possibly my only criticism would be that I would
have appreciated having a code to show the age level appropriateness of
all texts or an indication of which are items on the lists are
non-fiction titles. (JP or PB for Junior Primary Picture Book, UP to
show Upper Primary, Sec identifying Secondary text and NF)
With regularly changing displays keeping our Library fresh and
inviting, this will give us some ready-made ideas without us needing
to go and re-invent the wheel! Ideas could easily be adapted and
resource lists added to, depending on the collections held in different
schools.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
The Great Death by John Smelcer
Anderson Press, 2009. ISBN 978 1842709191.
(10-14) Highly recommended. When Millie and Maura find both their
parents have died of the plague brought in by the white settler from
down river, they know that they must leave their now deserted village.
All of its inhabitants have died, so, gathering their belongings and
those of their parents that will prove of some use, they board their
canoe and begin to head down the river. But it is winter, bears are
prowling for their last meal before hibernation, other cabins they find
in the wilderness are deserted, the occupants falling to the same
disease as their village, or, inhabited by men who view lone women,
even girls of pre pubescent age, as fair game.
A heart stopping story, the cold seeps into every pore as their story
of survival against all the odds, unfolds. The Alaskan wilderness is
brought amazingly to life in this story of courage and endurance, and
the background of The People, their stories and survival techniques in
this most inhospitable of landscapes will stay with the reader long
after the book is finished. For those schools which have used Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen as a crowd pleaser for middle school students, then
this is a marvelous
alternative or companion piece.
Fran Knight
The enchanted horse by Magdalen Nabb
HarperCollins Childrens, 2009. ISBN 9780007317332. 92p.
A little girl called Irina went shopping with her mum and saw a pretend
horse in the junk shop window. The mum said you don't want that filthy
old thing. She goes in the shop and doesn't see anyone.
Then she hears a voice that said come closer. Then she takes Bella the
horse home with her and puts her in the barn. She left her there for a
few days. On Christmas day she went and brushed and cleaned her up. She
found a box and in it was a blanket and things to clean a horse. She
thought if her granddad had a horse he would have used it. Her Mum and
Dad were yelling at her but she didn't hear them. That night she went
to bed and then she woke up and looked out at the apple tree and saw
Bella standing there waiting for her to get on her back. Irina rode
Bella every night. Then one night she went out to ride Bella and she
took her to old Black Jack's farm. And then Bella threw her off her
back and ran away. Next winter Bella came back and left her foal for
Irina to take care of.
I liked the book and I would recommend other people read
it.
Charlie Casanova
(Year 3 student, Open Access College, School of the Air)
Blacky Blasts Back! by Barry Jonsberg
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN: 9781742372235.
(Ages: Middle primary to the early secondary) When Marcus is visited by
Blacky the smelly dog, his learns
of his new challenge - to head to Tasmania and find the last Tasmanian
tiger in existence. He again enlists the help of his friend, Dylan, and
together with Blacky, they endeavour to save the last Thylacine from
extinction. In order to achieve their aims, they go on a camp with a
group of students from 'the special boys unit'. Once in Tasmania, they
learn the art of bush survival skills and meet up with some weird and
wonderful characters such as the Thylacine hunters.
This rollicking read contains a great deal of toilet humour and many
laugh aloud descriptions. There are, however, a great number of
worthwhile messages in the story which would make it a great class read
aloud or a useful title for literature circles. Jonsberg describes the
stereotypical group of boys in the special unit, yet balances this with
a summary of certain important traits the boys also have such as
'kindness, compassion and mateship'. Differences in learner styles and
acceptance of these, and the concept that parents often do know best
are themes interspersed amongst the more obvious conservation theme. I
found this to be a hugely entertaining read, probably best suited to
disinclined male readers from middle primary to the early secondary
years.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
