Random
House,
1999 (Reprinted 2010). ISBN:
9781741664171.
(Ages
5 to 95) Highly recommended. With
the new Millennium fast
approaching, the King has ordered Spinifex, his nineteenth alchemist,
to find
the secret to producing gold. Although Arthur, the alchemist's
assistant,
endeavours to watch and assist with the project he perceives values in
life
differently to the King and the alchemist. When sent into the
countryside to
collect gold, he returns with sunshine, canaries, marigolds and egg
yolks,
causing the alchemist to become angry. Spinifex takes his turn at going
to
collect gold but achieves very little. By the time the Millennium
arrives, the
alchemist has gone mad through his efforts and disaster strikes.
Colin
Thompson's zany, intensely
colourful, meticulously detailed illustrations provide a perfect
backdrop to
this cleverly written tale. The reader can either consider just the
somewhat
ordinary text without glancing at the pictures or alternatively ponder
for
hours over the intricate details included therein. A bilby like
creature is
hidden on many pages, along with multiple references to 'Max' the dog.
Escher
like staircases cause one to lose one's sense of perspective and clever
references to gold are used as book titles, for example Gold Comfort
Farm and
How Gold was my Valley. Thompson's books are suited not only to junior
primary
students but to multiple age groups. A wonderful title for any class
discussing
values and endeavouring to discover what is most important in life!
Jo
Schenkel, Pilgrim School
When you reach me by Rebecca Stead
Text, 2009. ISBN 9781921656064.
(Age 10+) Highly recommended. Winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal,
When you reach me is a complex, challenging and ultimately
very rewarding book. Set in the 1970's, it tells the story of Miranda,
as she weaves her way through complications at school, having to walk
past a crazy man on her way home and losing her best friend Sal, who
after being hit by another boy, withdraws from her. Miranda
writes to some unknown person, who has asked her to write down the
events that have occurred. She tells of how her apartment key
disappears and how anonymous notes appear telling her to do strange
things.
Set in New York City, the book gives an intimate look into urban life.
The reader gets to know Miranda's apartment, her school and the deli
where she has a lunch time job with some friends. Characters in the
book are finely drawn. Her mother is determined to win the $20,000
Pyramid game show and I became engrossed in the preparation and
practice that Miranda and her mother's boyfriend, Richard, give her
mother.
She makes new friends and is appalled when she discovers that one of
them, Marcus, fascinated by the idea of time travel, is the boy who hit
Sal.
Miranda is obsessed with the book, A wrinkle in time by
Madeline
L'Engle and themes like time travel, friendship and mystery
thread through
the book. It is a complicated puzzle: why is she receiving these notes,
who has written them, and what is going to happen? Astute readers will
ponder the clues on the way, others like me will rush ahead to see what
happens. All in all a very satisfying book.
Pat Pledger
Iggy and me by Jenny Valentine
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780007283620.
(Ages: 6-10) Award winning author of The Ant Colony and Finding Violet
Park, Jenny
Valentine has created a couple of very funny characters in Iggy and her
older, long suffering sister, Flo. The scrapes they get into will have
instant appeal to middle primary students, who will instantly recognize
all the sorts of things they get up to at home. Iggy's world is
totally self centred, as she marches through the day, expecting
everyone to fall in line with what she wants to do. From cutting her
own hair with disastrous results, finding out what a mirage is, to
demanding that everyone call her Iggy instead of her real name, both
girls in this book will endear themselves to the reader.
Fran
Knight
How to heal a broken wing by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2008. ISBN 9781406325492
(Ages Junior Primary) Highly Recommended. This award winning picture
book is one that warms the heart and
soul of all readers, and the story it portrays will cause many to
simply go 'ahhh' at its completion. As with many of Bob Graham's
picture books, the premise is seemingly simple. A small boy finds a
wounded bird on the street near the underground. No one else has seen
it or if they have, they have hurried past, or moved around it and not
bothered. The boy retrieves the bird, takes it home and cares for it.
With time and care, the bird recovers from its injury until the family
takes the bird back to where they found it and release it. The
background story of a loving, caring family permeates the story, as the
pictures show the family creating a place for it in their home,
bringing home a bird cage for it, watching it take its first steps and
then flying around their sitting room. The whole is redolent of looking
after what is in your own backyard, of taking time to see what it in
front of you, of being prepared to put yourself out for someone or
something else, of reaching out to help. The implicit storyline
portrays a selfless individual caring about his environment. But more
than this, the whole is based firmly, as are all of Bob Graham's books,
in the family. The heart of his tales show a loving, caring family. The
children are never alone, they have parents there to help and guide
them, to back them up. A beautiful picture book, I love the way Graham
shows the family, the parents concerned not only for the bird but their
child, the looks on their faces showing their apprehension about their
baby. The yellow glow on several pages spotlights the family in
the midst of the moving, uncaring crowd, intent on their own purpose of
rescuing the bird. Children reading the book will love looking at the
crowd of people, the plethora of animal images in the family's home,
the sights of London and finally a bird's eye view of the city.
Fran Knight
One smart fish by Chris Wormell
Jonathan Cape, 2010.
(Ages 3-6) In spite of an entertaining story and vibrant illustrations I felt short changed by this book. Wormell's smart fish can sing, dance, paint and perform, wowing all his friends. However when this fish visits the 'landside' for his holiday he gazes up the beach and longs to explore. Everyone knows fish can't walk, so Smart Fish makes himself some feet and walks up the beach. He is the first fish, indeed creature to walk on the land and although he returns to his friends in the ocean, change has begun.
Wormell concludes his story by describing how millions of years later other fish began crawling on their fins and in another few hundred million years they grew feet instead, until eventually people emerged. This brief text is accompanied by a fabulous double page illustration of reptiles, dinosaurs, mammals and humans.
On one level this is an entertaining fantasy, but on the other Wormell is introducing the concept of evolution. Modification of species, dominant genes, natural selection and the work of Darwin and Mendel are obviously inappropriate in a story for young children. However, somewhere, perhaps as an epilogue, I would have appreciated a mention of Darwin, and even the word 'evolution' to show children that this is not just a fantasy but the story of our very existence. I think Wormell (or perhaps his publisher) misses a trick here, offering a beautifully illustrated story that could have gone one step further to begin to explain to young children the concept of evolution.
Claire Larson
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Text, 2009. ISBN 9781921656149.
(Ages 14+)Recommended. Chosen by the American Library Association as one of their
2010
Best books for young adults, Wintergirls is an unflinching
and
very frightening look at eating disorders. Lia is haunted by the death
from bulimia of her best friend Cassie who had sent her 33 messages
before she died. She is consumed with guilt because she didn't answer
the phone and relives some of the moments that she has shared with
Cassie as well as the struggle that she has with anorexia nervosa.
Anderson has written about a difficult subject in a confronting and
honest way. She describes Lia's descent into the depths of her
disorder, her lies and her feelings about her parents, stepmother and
stepsister . Everyone who has ever dieted will be familiar with the
counting of calories : a muffin (410), an orange (75); and the hard
grind of a treadmill to wear off even more calories. Lia takes dieting
to a new high, always striving to lose more weight and even cutting
herself to forget the shadows that surround her. It is a frightening
portrayal of an intelligent young woman who has been unable to cope
since the death of her grandmother and her parents' divorce.
Lia is offered all sorts of help: she is hospitalised; she visits a
psychiatrist; her mother is prepared to sell her stocks and her father
to get a second mortgage to pay for her medical expenses. However,
Cassie's ghost seems to sit on her shoulder, encouraging her to lose
weight. It is not until she reaches the depths that she confronts
the idea of staying alive.
This is a compulsive, honest and disturbing book.
Pat Pledger
Zac Power: Extreme mission 1: Sand storm by H.I. Larry
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2009. ISBN 9781921564055.
(Ages 6-10) For children who enjoyed the Zac Power books there is a new
series which has four titles, Sand storm, Dark Tower, Ice patrol and
Water blaster. The first in the series, Sand storm, is an adventure
filled story, with Zac Power being dragged off by his grandfather in
the middle of the night on the hunt for a fabulous gadget called IRIS.
Zac is thrilled to go on the mission, but he knows that his grandfather
hasn't been entirely honest with him about the origins of IRIS, which
has been broken up into four parts. Why has that happened? Will he be
able to survive the desert and the tricks of Blackwood and Caz, who are
also after IRIS?
Newly independent readers, especially boys, will be thrilled with this
series. It has plenty of action to keep a young reader going, the
gadgets are fascinating and Zac is an engaging hero.
Pat Pledger
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
Puffin, 2004 (50th anniversary edition.
ISBN 9780140308907.
Highly recommended. With the release of the film of this book in
September 2010, there will
be enough hype for kids to want to reread this classic tale. New
editions have been released; in the last ten years, along with
the 50th anniversary edition in 2004, and I expect another will be
released as the film opens. Already some citizens of the USA are seeing
the film as criticism of their exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan, and
the publicity is being stepped up. So I retrieved my husband's year 8
copy from the back of the bookcase and began to read. And I was
overwhelmed with glee as I reread one of my favourite authors from my
teens, Rosemary Sutcliff. Her work is undergoing a revival and
no wonder, her novels are exciting, involving, with characters that are
believable, and issues that remain with us to this day. The Eagle of the Ninth is the story of a young centurion, Marcus
Aquila, proudly leading his cohort. It is his first tour of Britain,
and his first command, and he is very aware of the might of the Roman
army and all it does in bringing civilized society to the savages. He
suffers a major injury in an heroic battle against the Painted People,
having then to find another occupation. While recuperating at his
uncle's house, he attends a gladiatorial fight and seeing something
defiant and brave in the young Briton pitched against the gladiator
with a net and trident, asks to buy him as his personal slave.
But Marcus cannot forget that his father was the First Cohort of the
Ninth, the famed legion that was lost and never heard of again, losing
their eagle, the pride of the corps. So he takes on the role of an
oculist, and he and Esca, head north, the place of the painted savages,
to search for the lost 4,000 and their eagle. Adventures come thick and
fast as they roams the villages and settlements of the north, curing
them of eye disease and gathering information. They finally meet a
soldier of the Ninth, who escaped the carnage and settled with a
northern village, he is able to tell Marcus what happened to the legion
and more importantly, his father. Along the way, Marcus learns more
about the people he has been sent to conquer and about himself and
where his future lies.
Fran Knight
Half-minute horrors ed. by Susan Rich
HarperCollins, 2009. (Ages 10+) Recommended. Subtitled Very small stories, very big
scares, this is a collection of terrifying short stories that can
be
read silently or out loud in half a minute. It is a quality collection
of dozens of chilling stories written by outstanding international
authors like Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, Jerry Spinelli, Kenneth Opel,
James Patterson, Jenny Nimmo, Margaret Atwood, Melissa Marr and Libba
Bray.
Ideal for teachers to use on school camps or as a fun end of the day
activity, this collection could also be used as a starter for
encouraging creative writing of a horror story. The stories will also
have immediate appeal to reluctant readers as most take up only a page
or two. There are also illustrated stories that are equally haunting
and quite challenging.
Pat Pledger
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight by Jenny Nimmo
Random
House, 2009. ISBN 9781741664386.
(Ages
8 and up) Recommended. In this eighth and final book of the Charlie
Bone
series, we find Charlie still missing his parents, the Pets' Cafe
closed, and
Billy trapped in Badlock. To make matters worse, it seems that the
Bloors are
becoming more of a threat, as they recruit stronger and more dangerous
allies
in their race to find the box which holds the secret to the Bloors'
power. Charlie's parents
are in danger, and he no longer knows who he can trust. Then a
mysterious Red
Knight appears, and Charlie must discover if he is really there to help
him.
With a huge cast of characters, readers may find themselves needing to
refer
back to the family tree at the start of the book, but all the
characters are
intriguing and have their own role to play. A very satisfying end to
the series.
Donella
Reed
Scream Street: Skull of the Skeleton by Tommy Donbavand
Walker
Books, 2009. ISBN 9781406314281.
(Ages
8 and up) Recommended. The fifth book in the Scream Street
series finds
werewolf Luke Watson searching for another of the relics which will
help his
family escape back to their old lives. It's Halloween, and the arrival
of a new
celebrity resident is causing a stir. Eddie aka the Headless Horseman,
makes a
grand entrance, causing mummies and skeletons alike to swoon. That is,
until
his head disappears. Meanwhile Luke, Cleo and Resus must fight a demon
created
by Sir Otto before his parents, and indeed the whole of Scream Street
are
destroyed.
This book, while part of a series, is also successful as a
stand-alone read, as the characters are reintroduced and motives
explained
clearly. With witty writing, an abundance of bad taste, and a
fast-moving plot,
this is sure to entertain.
Donella
Reed
The Watchmaker who saved Christmas by Bruce Whatley
Random House, 2006 (reprinted 2009)ISBN: 9781864719567.
Ages 5 and up. Highly recommended. Three days
before Christmas, the Watchmaker, an old style craftsman, is visited by
a
bearded
gentleman with silvery-white hair and beard. On the back of the watch
he leaves
to be repaired are the initials S.C. Instead of the usual internal
workings,
the Watchmaker finds a myriad of unusual and delicate parts which he
sets about
straightening and cleaning. When he is unable to find a suitable piece
to
replace a broken wheel, his young friend Peter supplies him with a part
from
his hearing aid. This enables the Watchmaker to complete his repair in
readiness for the elderly gentleman's return. The Old Man's arrival and
the retrieval
of his special time piece lead to the journey of a lifetime for the
craftsman.
Whatley has the
happy knack of combining his simply written texts with detailed,
realistic and appealing
illustrations. His depiction of the shop and the old clocks brings back
memories of a bygone era. This story of friendship, persistence,
kindness and
generosity is told without appearing to be sickly sweet.
Peter, despite his hearing impairment, is happy
and positive, willing to help the cause by giving and sharing and
expecting
nothing in return. A delightful story, this could be enjoyed by
children and
adults alike.
Jo
Schenkel, Pilgrim School
Poles apart: Life at the ends of the Earth by Dr Mark Norman
black
dog books, 2010. ISBN 9781742031354.
(Ages: Primary) Highly recommended. What a wonderful, idea! And
beautifully executed. One of my pet
ggrrrs
is that people mix up the animals, habitat and bird life of each of our
polar regions, and here is a book which sets out plainly and seemingly
simply, exactly what lives where.With succinct and precise
words, Dr
Mark Norman elucidates what each polar region is like. The North Pole
is ice on sea, with the sea floor four kilometres below, whereas the
Antarctica is land with three kilometres of solid ice above it. On the
next page we are told what sort of flora exists in each region, then to
the animals, the pages that will interest most kids.
Each double page spread has the North Pole information and pictures at
the top, with the South Pole information and pictures at the bottom.
Between each is small globe reiterating where the Polar Regions lie in
relation to each other. No one reading this book will have any excuse
to mix up the two! A clever device which works well is the simple
turning of the book around to fit all this information together.
I was amazed at the differences between the two regions, the tundra of
the north and the moss of the south, the flowers and insects in the
north and the 'walks' in the south! Each double page spread held me
captivated, learning new information and recalling things learnt years
ago but long forgotten. The last double page tells the reader of the
affects of global warming, and exhorts them to play their part in
helping reduce the impact by planting trees, recycling and so on. A
number of web sites is given for more information, and the book is
wells served with a succinct glossary and useful index.
This like Dr Mark Norman's other books (The octopuses' garden: The
Secret World under the Sea; The Penguin Book: Birds in suits;
The
Antarctica Book: Living in the freezer; The Shark Book: Fish
with
attitude and The Great Barrier Reef Book: Solar Powered)
will attract
attention from those who give out awards, and more importantly from its
target audience, the kids. Dr Norman is senior curator at Museum
Victoria.
Fran Knight
I'm Taggarty Toad by Peter Pavey
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529481.
Picture book, ages 3-6. One of my children's favourite stories, when
first published in 1980, this one will be revisited with mirth and
gusto by another generation of families and classes. The drawings have
lost none of their freshness, the intricate cross hatching testament to
the time it took Peter Pavey to do the illustrations, and probably why
he didn't stay in that profession! The clever and bold Taggarty has an
array of adventures, taking on fearful pirates, loathsome dragons and
even the sun in his quest to show that he is braver than most. Children
will delight in the intricate drawings, running their fingers over each
page in search of the variety of animals and objects almost hidden from
view. The last few pages invite the reader to add their own
swashbuckling adventure, and come home at last with the little worse
for wear toad. Themes of taking risks and being adventurous are at the
base of this picture book and so could be used with some success with
smaller children.
The last two pages of the book give an interesting essay from editor,
Myra Lee, outlining the reason this book was chosen to republish and
then an enlightening piece by Peter Pavey about writing and
illustrating this book. Both add an extra layer to the reading and
enjoyment of this book.
Fran Knight
The Phoenix Files: Contact by Chris Morphew
Book 2, Hardie, Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781921502408
(Age 11+) Those who have read the first in this series, Arrival, know
the trio
of teenager Luke Hunter and his friends Jordan and Peter are the only
that can stop the destruction of the human race. There are only 100
days until all civilization beyond the remote Australian town of
Phoenix is destroyed by something called Tabitha. Contact takes up the story where Arrival left off, with
88 days to
go at the beginning and 70 at the end. The trio's fearless
investigation and a few lucky coincidences enable them to learn what
Tabitha is and where the secret operational centre of the sinister
Shackleton Corporation is.
Tension arises between the two boys over who will win the brave
Jordan's affections. Parents behave strangely and the school principal
is revealed as a malevolent character. The sleuthing leads to a nail
biting climax where the heros narrowly escape death in order to appear,
one presumes, in the next four books in the series. They succeed and
survive, of course, despite incredible odds against them.
As in Arrival, Contact is written in an easy to read,
mostly dialogue
style with the teenagers being smart and funny. The evil Shackleton
emerges as a traditional ruthless comic book, sci fi baddie bent on
world power for an as yet undefined reason. Whilst there are tense
moments and grisly events in this page turner some may find the pace
too slow as the teenagers figure what to do next.
However, once hooked, both genders of middle school age will no doubt
eagerly await book 3.
Kevyna Gardner
