Random House, 2009. ISBN 9781741664058. Moonshadow
2.
(Age 11-14) Highly recommended.This is the second in the fantasy series
set in Old
Japan. It is not reliant on the
first. This is a fast moving, exciting
novel steeped in the ancient five hundred year old art of Iaido (a
style of swordmanship
which prizes traditional techniques and medieval samurai etiquette and
courtesy
p322) and combined with the shinobi culture.
The author himself, a proud student of this art, embroils the
reader in
the culture while following Moonshadow and Snowhawk as they try to
outwit the
power hungry warlord, Silver Wolf who wants to return Japan to chaos
under his
control. Young Ninja Moonshadow belongs
to the secretive Grey Light Order and with the guidance of the seer
called
White Nun and her beautiful bear hunting dog, Motto San are determined
to
prevent this. He and Snowhawk embark on
a dangerous and life threatening quest.
Book three will be eagerly
awaited.The Glossary is particularly formative and useful.
Sue Nosworthy
Santa's little helper by Angela McAllister and Daniel Howarth
Gullane
Children's Books, 2009. ISBN 9781862337602.
(Ages 3-7) Rufus is a fidgety little white Arctic hare who can't stay
still.
When playing hide and seek, he goes a long way away so that his
brothers and
sisters won't find him and finally falls asleep. What
a big surprise he has when he wakes up in
Santa's sleigh!
This is a heart warming story which appeal to all those children who
find it
almost impossible to stop fidgeting. Rufus finally finds a way to use
up his surplus
energy by helping Santa deliver presents. Santa certainly appreciates
his
liveliness because it means that they finish early. Repetition
and alliteration in the language
will make it a good read aloud or a book for the emerging reader.
Howarth's illustrations bring to life the exuberant
nature of the little hare and the warmth and kindness of Santa
Claus. There is a lovely contrast between the icy blue of the Arctic
and the
gorgeous vivid colours of the sleigh filled with presents.
A
delightful addition to the library's Christmas collection or as a gift.
Pat
Pledger
Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Puffin, 2009. ISBN 9780141325873.
(Ages 12+) Billi has been sent to kill the 6 year old
boy in the playground. She balks at the task, but she is a vampire
slayer, one
of a select group of people descended from the Knights Templars of the
Crusades. Immediately the reader is hooked, wondering what she is going
to do,
appalled that she is being made to kill a child. The setting is London
of
today, so the reader is taken through the sights and sounds of a modern
city,
the setting against which this band of impoverished slayers exists.
They must fulfill their destinies, but Billi
balks at hers, wanting desperately to be like anyone else. The task of
keeping
London safe from the evil which has existed for more than a millennium
eats at
her, and she constantly spars with her distant father about their
mission. When her friend Kay returns form
training in
Jerusalem, they visit the most sacred of places where the Seal of
Jerusalem is
kept, and inadvertently, Kay releases the evil, and they know that
people will
die.
A horrific take on the vampire genre, Devil's
Kiss will keep the students reading, as they take the ride through
the
city
along with Billi, Kay and her father, as well as a gaggle of other
recruits, in
search of Michael, the archangel, one of their kind who has fallen into
evil
and must be destroyed. Children die in the hospital nearby as they
close in on
their prey. A highly entertaining read, great characters and an
involving
setting, the second in the series, The Dark Goddess, is due
shortly and there is a website
which
will add to the mood evoked by the book.
Fran Knight
Blue noise by Debra Oswald
Random House, 2009.ISBN 9787741663754.
(Ages 12+) Drooling over the guitars in the local music
shop one morning, Ash is accosted by a geeky looking boy about his age,
who
cajoles him into taking the guitar from the stand and trying it out. In
the
ensuing few minutes, the boy, Charlie, who is about to join Ash's
school in
year 10, tells Ash about his idea to form a band and invites Ash to
join him.
From then on, Charlie uses humour and his own brand of determination to
take a
group of disparate people and form them into a playing entity.
But each of the three has problems to
overcome. Ash's brother is a gambling addict, making his family's life
chaotic,
as he steals and lies his way through life; Erin loves the blues band
but finds
it impossible to tell her parents about why she wants to remain at this
school
and continue with the band while Charlie lives with parents who come
and go at
the drop of a hat, his photographer father must pack and leave with his
family,
wherever the work turns out to be.
During the rehearsals, and performances, the
festival they attend and the up and downs of life as a band, each of
the three
works out what is important in their lives and come together, Ash and
Erin
romantically, while Charlie realises that leaving does not mean
severing ties
with friends.
A
warm, funny novel, infused with the sounds of music, this story will
have broad
appeal to middles school readers, and make an excellent choice as a
text for
early secondary students to study in detail.
Fran Knight
Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton
HarperCollins,
2009. ISBN
9780007326259
(Ages
4-6) Splat
the wide eyed, long limbed black cat is all agog over the closeness of
Christmas. He cannot wait to see what he will get and writes to Father
Christmas, asking for a big present. He explains that he has been a
good cat
and so, in his eyes, deserves a handsome gift as a reward. But his
friend,
Seymour, causes some disquiet, reminding Splat that he may not have
been good
enough. As a consequence, Splat offers assistance where ever he can,
doing
mum's dishes, dressing the Christmas Tree, shoveling the snow from the
door.
The reader will be able to see the difference between Splat's idea of
helping
and the reality of what he is doing.
Eventually Christmas Eve comes along and Splat waits all night
with his
torch hoping to see Father Christmas deliver his gift. The last page
when he
opens his gift gives a whole range of options for the reader.
This
is a funny look at Christmas and what children expect of the day.
Astute
teachers and parents will be able to lead the discussion to all sorts
of questions
about Christmas and what it means, with the idea of gift giving a major
thrust.
The illustrations are delightful, with the very funny Splat making a
comeback
after three other books in which he is the star. Children will delight
at the
mischievous fun of the illustrations and the humour shown in what Splat
and his
friend Seymour are doing.
Fran Knight
Hate that cat by Sharon Creech
Bloomsbury,
2009. ISBN
9780747599807.
(Age
9+) Recommended. What a delight to read
this reprint
of the companion volume to Love that dog. Jack is once again in
Miss
Stretchberry's class, writing a poetry journal, while learning about
the
elements of poetry from poems by Edgar Allan Poe, T. S. Eliot, William
Carlos
Williams, Valerie Worth, and Walter Dean and Chris Myers.
While
Jack struggles with his Uncle
Bill's caustic comments about free verse and learns about alliteration
and onomatopoeia, the
reader is drawn into his world through his wonderful descriptive poems
about
his dislike of cats, in particular the big black neighbourhood cat that
is 'meaner
than mean' and sneers at him. He is still recovering from the loss of
his dog
and knows no cat would ever compete. However, a Christmas present of a
small
black kitten which he names Skitter McKitter, makes him change his
mind.
I
particularly liked the way that I made
connections with Jack's life and feelings through his poetry. Learning
about
his deaf mother as Jack wrote about sound and silence was particularly
poignant.
The
book contains all the poems that
Miss Stretchberry used as well as a long list of Books on the Class
Poetry
Shelf.
This is a joy to read as an individual and as a read aloud and
would
make a wonderful class introduction to poetry.
Pat
Pledger
Snowy's Christmas by Sally Murphy and David Murphy
Random House Australia, 2009. ISBN 9781741664409.
(Age 4-6) Snowy has a soft white coat, which is very
different to all the other roos who are brown and rugged. He bounces
high, his
ears skimming the trees while the other roos leap long and low. He
feels left
out, but his mother assures him that he is special. When Ash, a huge
white
kangaroo, finds him and tells him he is perfect for a job, he follows
him on
the adventure of his life.
In her captivating story with an Australian setting, Sally Murphy
has managed to capture the spirit and fun of Christmas, while exploring
the theme
of fitting in and finding your own niche in life.
David Murphy's illustrations are bold with the vivid browns
and oranges and bright blue sky of the Australian landscape. I
particularly
liked the roos and reindeer who have such cute faces, each different
and
unique. Santa in his bush hat is a delight and the Christmas
decorations
scattered around in unlikely places are fun to find.
The theme of an Australian Christmas is sure to appeal to
young children who will love to see the white roos pulling Santa's
sled. A good
read aloud book, and one that the newly emerging reader will enjoy,
this will
enhance the library's collection of Christmas books.
Pat Pledger
Barack Obama: The making of a president by Dawne Allette
Tamarind 2009.
(Ages 9 +) Highly Recommended. This is a gem
of a book which tells the
fascinating, thought-provoking story of Barack Obama from his early
childhood
to his first hundred days in office. Barack's African routes and
Indonesian
childhood are covered in detail along with his complex family and his
political
ambitions. Reading about his upbringing, his nickname of Curly
Eyelashes and his beloved basketball,
young readers will identify with this very ordinary boy.
I found this a hugely uplifting and
informative read. Allette writes powerfully, describing Barack's
upbringing,
his ambition and how hard he worked to fulfil it. Today when many
children are
obsessed with celebrity and claim the rather empty ambition of 'wanting
to be famous' it is heartening to
read the story of an ordinary boy who set out to make a difference in
his
community before realising that to really succeed he would need to
change laws
- and to do that only the top job would suffice. This is a story of
real
ambition, of hard work, of love and support. However, it is no fairy
tale and
Allette covers the challenges and problems that faced Obama as well as
his
achievements.
Fact boxes offer helpful background
information and set Obama's story in the context of its time.
Unsurprisingly
prejudice is a recurring theme, from the era of slavery, right up to
the modern
day. During a visit to America in the 1960s, my sister remembers
only too well the signs on cafe
windows that read 'No Blacks'. Forty years on a black man occupies the
most
powerful position on earth. That is something worth celebrating and
Allette
does this in a hugely readable, dynamic and fascinating way. Buy it for
your
library, read it to your class, talk about it and use it to reinforce
the message
that Barack himself wants to convey: 'No dream is beyond our grasp if
we reach
for it, and fight for it and work for it'.
Claire Larson
Halloween in Christmas Hills by Karen Tayleur
Ill. By Heath McKenzie. Black Dog books, 2009.
ISBN 9781742030302.
(Ages 5-8) Recommended. What will happen when Miles goes
trick or treating to Stingy Jack's house? Miles Cameron is number 5
child in the
Johnson family, and the whole family loves to dress up and celebrate
festivals.
Dad loves Australia Day, Easter is Mrs Johnson's favourite, and
everyone dresses up as leprechauns on St
Patrick's Day. When Halloween comes around Miles is determined to be
part of
the fun and even though he is warned not to go to Stingy Jack's house,
he rings
the doorbell and gets a big surprise.
This is a fun book that marks the different festivals that
are celebrated in Australia and explains that Halloween didn't
originate in
America. As Miles tells everyone it 'began as a Celtic fire festival.'
It will
find many fans for its humour and sly illustrations.
Heath McKenzie's drawings of the wide eyed Johnson family
are a delight and every page brought a chuckle as I followed their
exploits as
they put up Christmas lights, handed out Easter eggs and trouped around
the
neighbourhood on Halloween in their zany costumes. Working out just
what the tricky ending meant was fun too!
Halloween in Christmas Hills is just sheer fun to read - and
it could be a useful and very entertaining picture book to
supplement a
unit of work on festivals.
Pat Pledger
Who wants to be a poodle - I don't by Lauren Child
Puffin, 2009. ISBN 978014138490.
(Ages 4-8) Recommended. Trixie Twinkle
Toes lives in the lap of luxury
with a maid, a cook and a butler to cater to her every need but she is
unhappy.
Although she is adored by her owner, Verity Brulee, she would really
love to leave
all the pampering behind and just step in puddles.
Lauren Child has written a gentle satire about the fashion
of dressing dogs up in clothes, and taking them to beauty parlours,
when really
all they want to do is to act like a real dog. Information on the back
cover
tells the reader that 'poodles were originally trained to hunt
waterbirds' and Trixie
Twinkle Toes certainly proves that she is a 'dazzlingly dangerous
daring dog'
when she rescues little Gripper from certain death in a puddle.
Appealing collages tickle the funny bone as the exploits of
Verity Brulee and Trixie Twinkle Toes are brought to life by Child's
expert mix
of illustrations and cut-outs. The vibrant colours of Verity's elegant
clothes
and shoes will appeal to those interested in fashion, while dog lovers
will
rejoice to see that Trixie Twinkle Toes finally manages to act like a
dog.
Pat Pledger
Bear and Chook by the sea by Lisa Shanahan and Emma Quay
Lothian Children's Books, 2009. ISBN 9780734411112.
(Ages: 5-7) Recommended. Bear decides it
is time to go to the sea. The
air is balmy and there is a holiday sky. Chook is very uncertain about
this big
adventure - they don't know the way and even when Bear assures her that
he can
find the sea, Chook is convinced that it is too far for her. Chook has
a very
frightening journey, but Bear reassures her that all is well. Once they
get to
the sea, they have lots of fun until a big wave dumps Bear and it is
Chook's
turn to bolster Bear's confidence about returning home safely.
Shanahan's text is a delight and her use of many sound words
like 'honky-tonk-tonk-tonk' for a frog and
'rickety-clickety-rickety-clickety-chooo-oooo'
for a train as they 'flomp, flomp, scratch, scratch' along to the sea
make for
a lively read aloud session. Short descriptive sentences and repetition
will
aid the beginning reader.
Emma Quay's illustrations are gorgeous. Beautiful blues,
yellows and greens bring alive the countryside and the ocean. The
personalities
of Bear and Chook are quite distinct and the changing expressions of
fear and
joy on their faces is captivating. I was left with a lovely
warm feeling about the power of friendship as I looked at the
illustrations of
Chook lolling against Bear as they watch the moon.
Themes of friendship, adventure and a seaside trip as well
as the memorable illustrations will ensure that this becomes a
favourite with
classes and individuals alike.
Pat Pledger
Children of War : Iraqi Children Speak by Deborah Ellis
Allen and Unwin, 2009. ISBN 9781742371146.
(Ages :
12+) In
the wake of her extraordinary Off to
War: Soldiers' Children Speak, Deborah Ellis gives us this
selection of
stories from Iraqi children, whose lives have been disturbed by war.
The 20
stories range from Haythem, aged 8, a boy with hydrocephalus caused by
the
enriched uranium used in bombs, to 15 year old Musim, who fled with her
family
to Amman after seeing the plight of women spiraling downwards in
Baghdad, and
19 year old B.W. along with others who can only be known by initials.
Each story
tells a different tale of that child's life, interrupted cruelly by the
conflict not of their doing, going on around them. Each story tells of
how they
have coped and are coping, in a land not of their birth, a place where
they are
refugees and outsiders, exploited, alone and living in poverty.
In
a classroom where issues are discussed, this book will form a basis for
conversation and thought. Students cannot help but be disturbed by the
stories
of children their age and the horrors they have seen and are involved
in. This
book will give faces to the horror scenes broadcast each night on TV.
Several
stories, amongst the many, stood out. 15 year old Musim had hoped along
with
her family that things would improve after the first Iraqi war. But
this did
not happen. Women's lives were even more strictly regulated. Many were
kidnapped, raped and beaten. When her father died, her mother
remarried, but
her stepfather grew more and more violent and threatening, when the
bombs
started. She vividly describes what it is like for people to live
during a
bombing raid, and so Musim and her family fled to Amman. Here at least
she and
her siblings can go to school, but the uncertainty is overwhelming.
A
telling quote form Dwight D. Eisenhower completes the stories, and this
is
followed by an excellent glossary of terms, and two pages of websites
where
further information can be found. Of all of these, the most chilling is
a site which keeps an up to
the minute count
of all Iraqi people killed. And we know that this count includes an
excessive
number of women and children.
Fran Knight
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
Allen and Unwin, 2009.
(Age
range: 14+) Recommended. Pink is a colour so often associated with
femininity
and girls and so aptly used as the title for this novel which deals
with peer
group and personal identity.
Ava
is trying to discover who she really is and where she truly fits in. As
she
begins a new school year having transferred to Billy Hughes private
school she
finds herself in with the ultra cool Alexis and her friends and also by
default
in with the misfit stage crew which is preparing props for the school
production. As Ava experiences the huge diversity of the two groups she
also
finds her friendship with Chloe, her best friend from her previous
school,
challenged by the new surroundings and her continual uneasiness with
who she is
and what she is becoming. Through her actions Ava alienates the people
who
really matter most to her and it is only through another's actions she
sees the
bigger picture more clearly.
Lili
Wilkinson is a talented author who seems to have an innate ability of
tapping
into the teenage mind and writing to suit their needs and likes.
Tracy
Glover
The wrong grave by Kelly Link
Text Publishing, 2009. ISBN 9781921520730.
(Age 14+) Recommended for those who like their stories strange and
scary, author
Kelly Link has written a unique collection of horror/fantasy stories to
keep the
reader awake at night. Reminiscent of Neil Gaiman's work, these short
stories are
compelling and unusual reading. In The Wrong Grave, Miles
decides that
he wants
to retrieve the poems that he put in his girlfriend's coffin, but has
an
unpleasant surprise when he opens the grave and digs up what seems to
be the
wrong girl. The wizards of Perfil live in high towers in a marsh, but
the
reader isn't sure if they exist or what they can do. Magic
for Beginners is a strange tale of
Jeremy whose friendships revolve around watching a weird TV show that
doesn't
appear regularly. In The Faery Handbag, a grandmother carries
around a
handbag, which may have a man-eating dog in it, or is it a whole
village? The
Specialist's Hat is the most frightening of all the stories, with
twin
girls
encountering a scary babysitter who joins them in a game to show
what it
is like to be dead.
Link's stories are unpredictable and creative, leaving the reader
gasping at
the sheer strangeness of her imagination and the deviousness of her
plots. I
won't easily forget the dead girl whose hair writhed like snakes or the
character Fox in the TV show The Library.
Making the stories even more appealing to teenagers are the insightful
comments
about girlfriends, kissing, parents and friendship that quietly appear
in each
story. Subtle humour is threaded throughout the tales and takes the
edge off
the horror. Shaun Tan's sketches at the beginning of each story are
also a
delight.
This is certainly a collection that I found so original that I will be
seeking
out Link's other works.
Pat Pledger
The Boat by Nam Le
(Age: Senior) This is an offering of invigorating and sometimes harrowing short stories by Vietnamese born Nam Le, whose family fled Vietnam in 1979, ahead of the northern Communist forces. Growing up in Melbourne, Nam Le knows the divided loyalties of someone living where they are not born. He gives us stories of homecoming and being a tourist in New York, of seeing his father after an absence of three years, of truthfulness, of braving the South China Seas, of Tehran and Melbourne, bringing a whiff of the exotic wherever they are set. The first story tells of a father's visit when the writer is living in Iowa. The disunity between the two men after an absence of three years, is compared with his writer's block, an anxious time, made more impossible by the forth coming deadline. Suffering writer's block, people give him ideas about writing. Ethnic writing seems to be the rage, so cash in on your boat people stories, some say. The unflattering suggestions of his friends, undermines what he has already written and published, but he is again taken back to his childhood in Melbourne, where his harsh father exerted a discipline born of anger. But deadline approaching, he resorts to the stories of his youth, of the Vietnamese men meeting at this house, of telling stories of their youth, of the problems in his own family home, where he and his father bristled against each other. When the father reads his words, he offers to tell him the real story and does so, but the story written is burnt, further breaking the threads between the two men. This first story is a captivating look at father son relationships and the disparity between generations. In Cartagena, the setting of the story is in the appalling corruption of drug soaked Colombia, where two men are discussing their contract to kill their target. The youth of the men is underlined by their innocent questions as they hustle the victim to the ground, in preparation for his murder. Each story is most unusual in its perspective, and the glowing imagery makes the reader want to stop and go back to read the line again. Senior students will find these an accessible group of stories to read and discuss. Fran Knight
