Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9780747592525.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Set in 13th century France, it is a time of
great peril for Bertran, a troubadour who witnesses the murder of the
Pope's legate. Realising that this means persecution for the True
Believers (Cathars), he moves from castle to castle warning people of
the probability of war. Elinor, a young noblewoman, believes she is in
love with Bertran, and when faced with having to marry a man many years
her senior, leaves her home with a group of troubadours, disguised as a
boy. Danger encircles both as their homeland becomes a battlefield and
thousands of Cathars are burnt alive.
I love historical novels and reading Troubadour brought alive a period
in history that I knew little about. Rich in detail, Hoffman paints a
horrifying picture of religious persecution and the greed that often
lay behind it. During the period from 1209 and 1229, battles raged and
castles were besieged. Both Christians and Cathars were killed. In one
particularly horrific incident at Beziers, 20,000 citizens were put to
the sword regardless of their faith.
Hoffman uses the journeys of both Bertran and Elinor to show the horror
of the Crusade. The story is told in alternative chapters from the
point of view of these two main characters and along the way the reader
becomes very familiar with historical figures from the time and the
feudal system. Notes and a glossary at the back also provide extra
information that I consulted from time to time and read carefully when
I had finished the book.
The historical events overshadow any romance in the book. Indeed I kept
reading to see if Bertran and Elinor would ever manage to catch up with
each other but in a time when refugees are streaming from warfare, that
was not very probable. However both are so well described that I felt I
knew them very well. Bertran's religious beliefs underpinned his
character, and Elinor comes of age as she learns the poetry of the
travelling troubadour group and then uses it as a noblewoman.
This book will appeal to the thoughtful reader who likes to learn about
history, and will challenge those readers who enjoyed the Stravaganza
series by the same author.
Pat Pledger
Totally Twins - Model Mania by Aleesha Darlison
New Frontier Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978 1 321042409.
(Age: 8-11) Highly recommended. Meet Portia and Persephone, 10
year old
twins, who are as different as chalk and cheese. Portia is self-centred
and wants to model. Persephone is
thoughtful, observant and very tolerant. Totally Twins, Model Mania
is
the
story of the twin girls and the events in their life.
This is the second book in the series and it is written, like a diary,
from
the perspective of Persephone as she observes her sister's first
experiences
as a model. Persephone introduces herself and her family so there is no
need
to have read the first 'diary' to understand the characters.
At first I wasn't sure what the plot was but as I kept reading I
realised
it was a story with a moral and how our dreams can get in the way of
things
that just may be a little bit more important - like friends. Portia
becomes
so engrossed in her modelling jobs and the possibility of being famous
that
she forgets about her true friends and doesn't see those so-called
friends
who are really using her.
Highly recommended for 8 to 11 year old girls who would be able to
relate
to the things the girls go through as well as see the funny moments the
twins go through.
Kylie Kempster
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 978-1408801529.
Highly recommended. Andi lives in present day New York and is dealing
with the aftermath of her brother's death that happened two years ago.
Her only escape from the unbearable pain she feels every day is music.
When her dad comes and takes her to Paris she stumbles upon
Alexandrine's diary in a false bottom of a 200 year old guitar case.
Alex lives in 18th century Paris and is desperately trying to save the
life of the young prince Louis-Charles from the ravages of the French
revolution. Although the two girls are separated by over 200 years they
are connected by a bond formed by their emotions; the sadness that Alex
feels for Louis-Charles and Andi's feelings about the loss of her
brother.
This book is the one of the saddest books I've ever read. There
were parts that made me want to cry but it can be really happy at other
times. I would highly recommend this book to teenagers and young adults
as it is such a good book.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
Puffin, 2010. ISBN: 9780143304999.
Greg Heffley, ex-best friend of Rowley, is nearing puberty and having
to face boy-girl parties, school sleep-overs, the forthcoming wedding
of his Uncle Gary, 'the Talk' from Gammie and the changes his body is
undergoing. With Rowley by his side, things may not have seemed so
difficult and confusing but the two have chosen to go their separate
ways, thereby causing other complications to arise.
Kinney has created another book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
which is a total winner with both young males generally and
particularly those who are classified as reluctant readers. The cartoon
style illustrations which take up most of each page are interspersed
with small amounts of text, written in large format font to give the
impression of a hand written diary. In the same way the Penny Pollard
series appealed to girls, this holds a great deal of appeal to boys who
like humour, light hearted stories and perhaps have a tendency to
behave like Greg, with a lack of respect for the opinions and ideas of
adults.
These books could never be classified as great literature but the
stories are engaging and funny and they are rarely on the library
shelf. Not having previously read one of these titles, I shall now take
the time to read the others in the series. This was amusing and will
provide me with common ground when speaking to the boys who don't wish
to read anything but Kinney's books.
Jo Schenkel
The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford
Bloomsbury Publishing 2010. ISBN 978 1 321042409.
(Age 10-13)The Wombles is the first book in the reissued series,
The Wombles. Those
who
can may remember the TV series The Wombles. I know I can still
hear
the
theme song in my head and remember the cute little characters recycling
the
human's rubbish.
The Wombles live on Wimbledon Common in London, England. They stay out
of
the sight of humans and love cleaning up the park around them. They
live
harmoniously together in their maze of burrows and are led by Great
Uncle
Bulgaria, the patriarch of the group.
In the book we meet many characters such as Tobermory who is in charge
of
the recycling room, Tomsk who looks after the front door and Orinoco
who has
just started collecting rubbish.
The Wombles is a novel and is full of different adventures for the
characters - from growling dogs to flooding burrows. I like its
environmental theme, encouraging us to recycle and the description of
characters and what they get up to - did you know Wombles get to choose
their own names when they come of age by looking in their atlas? I
would
like to have seen more black and white drawings of the characters, a
great
way to see what Wombles look like if you've never seen the show.
I would recommend it for independent readers in the 10 to 13 years old
age
group. Older children (or adults going down memory lane) would also
enjoy it
but it doesn't follow the popular theme of vampires and werewolves
which a
lot of teen novels are at the moment.
Kylie Kempster
Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood
Walker, 2009. ISBN: 9781921150722.
Highly recommended for ages 6 and up. Ruby, the narrator, her sister
Keely and brother, Connor, live on a farm with their parents, Anteater,
the collie dog and Stinky the cat. They head into the fields of
marshmallow weeds, past the cattle, where they build houses and tunnels
and plan to do their star jumps to welcome Saturday. Dad and Mum are
stressed as the drought takes its toll, calving does not go smoothly
and some of the cattle needs to be sold to allow for the survival of
the rest. The children try to make things easier for their parents by
creating their own food for the cattle on the farm.
This is a moving and beautifully written novel which won the Prime
Minister's literary award in 2010. Written in verse, the sparse text
tells the tale of Ruby's persistence and resilience as she tries to
make a difference and continues to hope that the situation will be
turned around. Her loyalty to her family and home, the cattle and her
pets makes her a special character as she fights to make things better.
With its familiar Australian setting and characters, this story is
accessible to younger children. It could also be used as a paired text
for older children with Michael Morpurgo's Out of the Ashes,
the tale
of a girl in the country side of Devon during a foot and mouth
epidemic. Star Jumps comes with accompanying
teacher's notes on the
Walker website.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School
The night bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger
Jonathan Cape, 2010. ISBN 9780224089524.
(Age 14+) Recommended. Graphic novel. I loved The time traveller's wife
and Her fearful symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and so I looked forward to
reading this graphic novel. It was not a disappointment; it is thought
provoking and intense.
Late one night, after a fight with her boyfriend, Alexandra goes out
for a walk and comes across a bookmobile. When she enters it she
discovers that the shelves contain all the books that she has ever
read. Her life progresses and she searches for the book mobile and
Robert, the librarian who runs its, but doesn't come across them again
until years later, after she herself has become a librarian. She
finally decides that she wants to work in the bookmobile, but there is
a high price to pay.
Niffenegger's passion for books and her appreciation of libraries come
across in this colourful book with its stylised pictures and childlike
print. It is a haunting story about the loneliness that a young woman
faces and the place that books can have in a life.
It is a such a memorable story that often I find myself thinking what
my bookmobile would contain - shelves of children's and young adult
books that I have reviewed, treasures that I have found through book
groups and lots of escapist books that have helped me through stressful
times. On examination of my reading patterns, I am determined to find
some more adult treasures to add!
Thoughtful teens, especially those who love books, will find much to
think about in this subtle and somewhat scary tale about the power of
the written word.
Pat Pledger
The heroes of the Kokoda Track by Nicolas Brasch
Black dog books, 2011. ISBN 978 1742031347.
Recommended. Non fiction. Middle primary. With the heightened interest
in the Kokoda Track, this book is fortuitous in dealing succinctly with
what has become an Australian icon. Brasch, a well known writer of non
fiction books for the younger reader, has written a highly readable
account of the battle for supremacy in Papua. In 1942, the Japanese
advance through the Pacific was like a tsunami. Landing an army on the
northern coast of Papua, it was obvious to all but the leader of the
Pacific forces, General Douglas MacArthur, and his staff, that the
Japanese had every intention of going over the Owen Stanley Ranges, an
impenetrable central line of mountains in Papua, taking Port Moresby
and so cut supply lines from Australia to the troops in the Pacific.
Brasch explains the plight of the Australian forces in Papua. The men
of the 39th and 53rd battalions were untrained and ill equipped. Many
had been told they would not leave Australian soil, some were
shanghaied, and some even took their tennis racquets expecting a
tropical paradise. They were known as the 'chocolate
soldiers' by others, because it was feared they would melt when coming
into battle. But this proved not to be the case. They held the Japanese
forces back for 4 months, resulting in the Japanese Army withdrawing.
During that time, the bravery of the Papuans in supporting the
Australians, keeping up supply lines and caring for the sick and
wounded, became legendary.
Telling statistics at the end, demonstrate the tenacity of the
Australian soldiers, and a double page spread is devoted to the
Japanese point of view. Each double page pursues a different theme, and
each page has letters, quotations, photos, maps and information set out
in small bites, allowing the younger (and older) reader to grasp
concepts a little at a time. And the whole is rounded off with a
glossary and index, with further references on the publication page.
A whole lot of valuable and fascinating information is packed into its
32 pages, and is another in the excellent, Our Stories series
of books,
published by black dog books.
Fran Knight
Matched by Ally Condie
Penguin, ISBN: 9780141333052.
Cassia Reyes is seventeen. At the age of seventeen, The Society calls
upon you to attend a Match Banquet where they tell you who your match
is. Tonight is Cassia's turn. The Society dictates how to behave, your
occupation, who you marry, when you die. Can Cassia be freed by
love?
The plot is not completely believable but doesn't leave you hanging,
each scene leads into the next. It is not complex however, so everyone
can understand what is going on. Most characters feel fake,
occasionally a character feels real for awhile but quickly reverts
back. This is due to the setting. It is set in the distant future,
where there are flying cars and even cancer has almost been completely
wiped out. The whole story takes place within The Society. The main
theme of the book is that of controlling society. Everything is
dictated
to you and if you do anything wrong, step one toe out of line, you are
penalised in some way. Some small things receive large unjustifiable
punishments.
The style of writing is straight forward and un-complex,
no imagery and little symbolism is used. The target audience of this
book would be 13-17 year olds, however some 17 year olds may find it a
little simple if they are used to more complex novels. I would rate
this book 8/10 stars.
Amelia Kelly (17 years old)
The school of night : Demon storm by Justin Richards
Faber, 2010. ISBN 978 0571245086.
Suggested reading age 13. Samantha and Ben Foundling are orphaned
siblings who reside at a children's home following a series of
unsuccessful placements with foster families. Samantha has a paranormal
gift, being able to observe spirits of dead people and despite her
reticence to speak of the matter, Ben is aware that she is conscious of
troubling presences which he cannot see.
A mysterious Mr. Knight conducts a specific test on those children
noticed by his agents working in the community and it is in this
fashion that Samantha comes to his attention. Suddenly Samantha
disappears and cannot be located, except on the occasion of Ben's
birthday when she honours a pact made previously with him when they
promised to observe this special event. Sadly for Ben, their time
together is fleeting and Samantha reveals nothing, causing him to
commence a determined search which leads him to stumble across the
'School of night'.
In this institution, children possessing powers to detect evil and
threatening spirits are trained to control and overpower them for the
benefit of the wider community. Accordingly, Knight and his teachers
are provided with discrete assistance by government, the military and
religious figures, however this help is insufficient to repel a
determined attack by hundreds of demons summoned by the evil Carstairs
Endeavour.
Resident pupils at the school of night have certain skills, senses and
capacities which are developed by their tutors. Unfortunately, as Ben
has no special powers, having gained access by deception in the search
for his sister, it transpires that he must utilise intelligence and
technology to support his fellows in their battle.
Justin Richards has compiled a horror story which will appeal to
younger readers, founded upon a reasonable plot involving a range of
solid characters.
Magical elements within the story are limited beyond the presence of
supernatural spirits and readers may be reassured that this is no
shoddy imitation of the Harry Potter concept.
Teenagers will enjoy this story and I was gratified that this author
demonstrated a capacity to work within the horror genre whilst
refraining from presenting repugnant terror, violence or the extremely
grotesque as a substitute for an imaginative story line. Readers will
eagerly follow Ben in his quest to be reunited with his sister and are
likely to seek the next title in the series Creeping terror.
Rob Welsh
Saltwater Vampires by Kirsty Eagar
Penguin books, 2010. ISBN 978-0-14-301146-0. (Age: 14+) For Jamie Mackie, summer holidays in the coastal town of
Rocky Head means surfing, day or night. Surfing in the early hours of
the morning is asking for trouble for anyone but Jamie gets more than
what he has asked for when he goes for a surf. With one bite to
his neck things are going to change for Jamie and his friends. Vampires
from the wreck of the Batavia are in Rocky Head and they have plans on
crashing the annual New Year's music festival. If their plans succeed,
nobody in Rocky Head will survive to see the New Year. Saltwater Vampires is based on the coastline of Western
Australia and
is a real Aussie novel. It is a really enjoyable novel
to read. Eagar has created a wonderful narrative that has the vampires
as the unlikeable characters in the storyline unlike the other vampire
novels that are out on the shelves. I bet this novel could end up on
the top ten list to read for teenagers.
Lauren Pfeiffer - 17 years old
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley
Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781408800133.
(Age 14+) I found that The Dead of Winter was a good book as it
kept me
on the edge of my seat at all times, wondering what was going to happen
next.
Michael's father didn't come home from the Afghanistan war, because he
gave his life for Sir Stephen. Soon after, Michael's mum passes away as
well and he is left with nowhere to go but to his strange and
mysterious guardian, Sir Stephen. On the way there, Michael is woken up
by the cry of a girl, but when they stop to see if he can find her, she
is gone.
Over the next few days, everything begins to get weirder and weirder,
there are noises and shadows and things broken. There are cries during
the night, footsteps of someone running around and things just keep on
getting more frightening for Michael. As things begin to fall into
place, the mystery becomes more and more clear to Michael as to what's
going on and what has happened in the past. As the book goes on, death
is near for Michael, but all else fails and death is gone again. People
die, lives are saved and all goes back to normal again, and Michael
lives a normal life again.
I found it hard to understand some parts of this book, as it was a wee
bit complicated for me, so I would recommend this book for roughly 14
and above as it is a mature read. (Anyone under 14 probably wouldn't
understand a lot of it.) The Dead of Winter was set in and near London in a
palace/mansion.
It was a good read, with mystery, murder and horror in
it, and a bit of action.
I found it an interesting book to read, as it taught me that it's not
what the cover looks like, it's what the story is about, that's
important. (It looks like
a book mainly boys would like, but it is for boys and girls.)
Tayla Pollard, 13
Lily Alone by Jacqueline Wilson
Doubleday, 2011.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. The kids may love her, but I've heard the odd
rumble of dissatisfaction among the adults about former laureate
Jacqueline Wilson. Formulaic is a word sometimes bandied about and many
of the adults I work with are downright derogatory, citing predictable
storylines, a style that is too cosy and chatty and which never
challenges readers out of their comfortable expectations. However, I
admire Wilson and in a world of video games, Facebook, texting and
television, the instant familiarity of the Jacqueline Wilson brand is
the very reason children love her.
Without doubt Wilson has her finger on the 'tweenager' pulse. Here she
is churning out terrifying realism with a touch of reassuring warmth
that coaxes readers into believing everything really will be all right.
Having said that Lily Alone is a nerve wracking, gut wrenching
read
about a feckless mother who leaves her four children alone while she
swans off to Spain for a week with her new boyfriend. Of course she
tells the father of two of the younger children to stay with them, but
somehow it doesn't work out and it's down to eleven year old Lily to
keep her family together and to feed and care for them until Mum
decides to come home.
One of my Year 6 readers devoured this in a weekend and although she
enjoyed it she was discomfited by the total absence of adult
supervision. It's fine to be on your own on Kirrin Island or trying to
defeat Lord Voldermort, but this is a grimy flat on a sink estate, with
Lily having to wash the clothes in the bathtub and dry them by the gas
fire. It's sorting out little sister, Pixie when she wets her knickers
and trying to stop younger brother Baxter from annoying the big boys
that skulk in the stairwell smoking and drinking. The whole novel has a
nightmarish quality that I never experienced when reading The
Illustrated Mum or The Bed and Breakfast Star because here
at least
adults were present, even if they were inadequate.
It is a credit to Wilson that she handles a harrowing subject in a
kindly, comforting but realistic manner that reveals the
resourcefulness of the four children and glosses over the criminally
irresponsible mother. Let's hope the vast majority of children will
experience Lily's fear and anguish vicariously and thankfully without
the knowledge that an adult reader would bring to such a tale.
Nevertheless, we worry about children growing up too soon and acquiring
knowledge and awareness beyond their years and Jacqueline Wilson seems
to be contributing to this trend. Right or wrong? It's a thorny debate
and I'm sure everyone has an opinion!
Claire Larson.
Z by Michael Thomas Ford
Random House, ISBN: 9781864718225
(Age: 13+) Josh is the best Zombie torcher around, but only in a
holographic game. The last zombie was killed by the real torchers, a
band of people who torched zombies with flame throwers. That zombie was
killed fifteen years ago. Since then, the only zombies existed in the
'hologame', where anybody can play as either a zombie or a torcher.
Josh's parents do not want him to play the game, because they lost
loved ones during the zombie epidemic. However, Josh cannot help
himself, so he plays the game in secret. But when he receives a message
from one of the best players in the hologame asking if they could meet
up, Josh has no way of knowing that his whole world will soon be turned
upside down.
This book had me hooked from the very first page. It is extremely well
written, and it was not a difficult read, but young children might find
it a bit scary. I highly recommend this book even if you aren't really
into zombie stories.
Gareth Peer (Year 9)
Lies by Michael Grant
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978-1405254304.
(Age 13+) Recommended. The third in the Gone series, Lies is just as
compulsive to read as the first two books, Gone and Hunger. In this
volume Grant ramps up the action at Perdido Beach, where all the people
aged 15 and over have disappeared, and the remaining children are
struggling to stay alive. There is drama galore as Zil and the Human
Crew continue to fight against the Freaks. Sam sees the figure of
Drake, with his horrific whiphand, and another figure, Brittney, rises
from the dead. Orsay, acting as a prophetess, believes that there is
redemption through death, and Mother Mary is forced into action,
believing that she can rescue the babies of the town. Meanwhile Caine
takes his crew on a mission to reach an island where he believes there
will be food and some new characters, a group of children, adopted by
two famous film stars, are introduced into the mix.
Grant continues his story, with the children battling to come to grips
with running a town. Astrid is determined that there should be rules
and procedures and questions Sam's ability to get things done. But how
can a group committed to do things the correct way cope with Zil, who
is evil and dangerous? Not to mention the appearance of the
undead, Drake, Brittney and her brother!
The contrast between the good and evil characters in the book adds to
its appeal. I sympathised with Astrid as she realised that being super
intelligent is not all that is needed to run a town. Sam has a lesser
role in this book, as he grapples with memories of the whipping that
Drake has given him, but his character grows. Caine's total disregard
for anyone who didn't add to his power and the evil actions of Zil and
his crew are appalling.
An in-depth exploration of good and evil, what is murder and survival
of the fittest is wrapped up in a gripping plot with action and danger
galore. (The back cover warns of scenes of cruelty and some violence.)
Both boys and girls are sure to enjoy this engrossing series.
Pat Pledger
