Penguin Books, 2010. ISBN 9780143205135.
(Ages 13 +) I am Number Four is an entertaining book about an
alien teenager from the planet Lorien, unoriginally given the ordinary
name of John Smith. He has been living on earth since fleeing his home
planet when he was four years old with nine other children. Three of
the other children have already been hunted down and murdered by the
Mogadorians, aliens from the planet that invaded and conquered
Lorian. John and his guardian (or Cepan) Henri have
continued to flee the detection and suspicion of people on earth and
the Mogadorians by continuously moving from town to town, changing
identities each time. However, when John and Henry arrive in the small
town of Paradise, Ohio, John meets a girl and becomes more
determined to stay, even if this means a head on encounter with
Mogadorians who he knows want to kill him next. John's arrival in the
new town also coincides with the arrival of his Legacies, these are
special powers inherited from his Lorien parents. In this respect, I
am
Number
Four is a 'coming of age' story where the central teenage
character develops into adulthood taking control of his destiny with
his new powers and freedoms and as a result the themes of this book
parallel the lives of many teenage readers. There are also comparisons
that could be made to the classic Romeo and Juliet love
tragedy,
although they are not strong. Whilst there is some minor depictions of
violence and occasional course words this is fairly low level. A
renewed interest in this book is likely to be generated with this quick
release of the film version in early 2011 (refer to the film's official
website at http://findnumberfour.com/).
I
suspect that this was the
book's original intent given the speed in which the film version has
been released.
Adam Fitzgerald
Careless by Deborah Robertson
Read by Jane Nolan. First published by Pan Macmillan Australia, 2006.
Unabridged audio edition, Louis Braille Audio 2006. 8CDs.
ISBN 978 0 7320 32418. Careless is not an easy book to deal with, it canvasses the whole
spectrum of grief and at times the characters' despair is contagious.
Children are murdered, a life partner dies and those left behind must
learn to live in the world bereft of their loved ones. Eight year old
Pearl's is the most tragic story; with a depressive and needy mother,
Pearl has had to assume responsibility for her younger brother Riley.
She is the sole survivor when a car is driven through their playgroup
and her journey back to being able to contemplate a future where bad
things don't happen is a long one. Her story and those of others
experiencing loss come together through a proposed memorial. Ultimately
the hurt characters start to slowly heal and the scars of their
experience are more enduring memorials to the dead than any sculpture.
The structure of the novel, shifting between multiple narratives, means
the listener can 'lose the thread' and the precise, short sentences
mean the reading has a staccato feel to it. However the
Australian voice and observations of the minutiae of interactions work
together to create an authentic view of how we all care, or are
careless of one another in difficult times. Anyone who has experienced
loss will find this story quite moving.
Sue Speck
Elliot Allagash by Simon Rich
Serpent's Tail. ISBN 978 1846687549.
(Ages: 14+) When Elliot comes into his life, things change totally.
Seymour is inept, a butt of jokes and taunts by the others, derided for
his lack of interest in sport, he is bullied and left out. Elliot is a
strange, geeky boy, expelled from every school he has ever been to, and
so his very wealthy father has placed him in this school on the lower
north side of New York, the bottom rung in private education. Seymour's
parents despair of him ever fitting in until Elliot comes into their
son's life. Elliot's interest is in manipulation, he goes to great
lengths to change people's opinions of Seymour, employing his
bodyguard, James to do the most devious things to ensure Seymour fits
in, preparing him for class president.
Stories told to Seymour by Elliot and his father, Terry, underline the
immoral activity that both involve themselves in, having no thought to
whoever they tread on in their schemes to gain power. To Elliot,
raising Seymour's status in school is a game, Seymour is a pawn to be
moved around, the others beneath his contempt. Seymour becomes seduced
by Elliot's wealth and ability to manipulate until, in his final year
at school, he meets Ashley, the girl Elliot manipulated out of becoming
class president many years before. It is only now that Seymour can see
what Elliot has done.
A laugh out loud story, the two main characters reflect different sides
of the coin. Elliot, all powerful and needing power to survive,
manipulates Seymour mercilessly, making him the most popular boy in
school, successful and confident, but alone with only Elliot as a
friend. Seymour's days are ruled by Elliot until he meets Ashley, a
broken and wounded young woman. He now sees the results of Elliot's
game and decides he wants no more of it. A rather unsettling read of
power and friendship, the moral vacuum in which Elliot lives will
initiate much thought and discussion.
Fran Knight
Skoz the dog: Ready steady. Kaboom! by Andrew Daddo
ABC Books, 2010. ISBN 978 0733327810.
Junior fiction. Skoz the dog has a problem, he sleepwalks, and this
time he finds himself at a circus where all sorts of mayhem erupts as
he is mistaken for the trained circus dog. Starting with being shot
from a cannon, then finding himself leaping through hoops of fire,
before being dressed in a tutu and placed on a horse, Skoz goes from
one action thrill to the next. He is absolutely befuddled by it all,
and wants a nice snooze. But when the snakes come out and there is talk
of him being placed in the tiger's cage, he runs in fear of his life,
and is suddenly scooped up by the trapeze artist, who loudly declares
to the audience that this trick will be done without the net. The
hapless Skoz is limp in his arms, but does the trick with aplomb,
causing the audience to cheer so loudly that the trapeze artist
announces that the trick will be repeated, but his time, blindfolded.
Skoz runs for his life, and is luckily found by his owner, Fergus, on
his way home from the circus.
A funny look at all the things kids will see at the circus, but through
the eyes of a dog who is involved with many of the tricks, this little
book will delight its readers. The illustrations by Judith Russell
underline what Skoz is feeling as he is scooped up by one and all, and
the looks upon his face are delightful. A very funny blend of words and
pictures will endear this book to its readers. This is the third in the
series about Skoz.
Fran Knight
Three Favourites by Odo Hirsch
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 978 1 74237 472 7
Odo Hirsch writes stories for children and this book has three in one -
Antonio S and The Mystery of Theodore Guzman, Hazel Green
and Amelia
Dee and the Peacock Lamp. It is highly recommended for independent
readers, with easy to read text and descriptive language that helps a
child picture the amazing adventures the children get up to in each
story.
While it will be easily read by older students, younger children would
also enjoy it when read to them by parents, teachers or carers. This
book is a great way to get older children to reader larger books, which
can overwhelm a lot of children. With this book, they can read a story
(in any order) and put it down to be continued later.
The themes of these stories are all centred around children and involve
magic, imagination, mystery and being yourself - great ways to capture
a child's attention as well as send messages to be yourself.
Kylie Kempster
Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy
Read by Paul English. First published by Angus and Robinson, 1989.
Unabridged. Louis Braille Audio edition 2003. ISBN 07320 27551. 5 hours, 5
CDs.
15 year old Paul Crabbe arrives in Darwin from the south in 1967. His
parents find him an old Viennese piano teacher to train their talented
son in the hope he will become a concert pianist. Paul loves Darwin,
its lushness mirrors his growing physical and emotional maturity but
his relationship with his strict and demanding teacher, Eduard Keller,
is complex. Determined to prove his ability yet angry that nothing he
does is ever good enough, Paul, with the callous confidence of youth,
sets out to find out what terrible secrets are hidden in Keller's past.
Looking back on that time the adult Paul realises the significance of
those years and the key role his teacher played in his life.
Paul English reads with a light touch, sensitive to the wry humour
Goldsworthy slips into the text. There is a tense moment where the
author declares he will not try and capture the Viennese accent of the
piano teacher but the accent ascribed to him is both necessary and
consistently applied.
This much studied text takes on a freshness and immediacy as an audio
book and would make an excellent introduction or revision for senior
students or adults.
Sue Speck
Hamlet by Nicki Greenberg
Allen and Unwin 2010. ISBN 978 1 74175 8425.
Graphic Novel. Any reimagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet is sure
to
create opinions that are poles apart, and this one certainly will,
having Hamlet portrayed as an ink blot, weaving his way through the
morass of pressures that he has on his young life. Sometimes the plot
is outlined as a graphic novel, in comic strip style, sometimes a full
page takes up the story, but all is easily read and followed. Having a
copy in the classroom where Hamlet is being studied will give
inveterate students a different perspective on this most known of
plays, while copies in the library will serve others well as they
peruse the pages for images not usually seen on the black and white
texts we are used to.
Imagined as a theatre on which these ephemeral actors 'strut upon the
stage', the inkblots score a visual joke from the artist, all in black,
of course, dropping like a blot upon the page but now adorned with
faces, and in the end, return once more as blots to be removed with
blotting paper. Sometimes the ink blot of Hamlet removes his face, a
mask, not wanting to see what is happening around him, sometimes his
face is happy, belying what is going on underneath. Other characters
are imagined in different ways, Ophelia is a monkey faced creature with
a voluptuous Mae West figure, dancing to the tune of her father;
Polonius, a walking dead man, with a skeletal face and whiskers
about his jaw line, using a cane to walk; the king and queen are
seahorses; Hamlet's friends, Rosencratz and Gilderstern are a single
being with two heads and so on, all making the reader think about why
Greenberg has used such tantalizing images to portray the known
characters.
Hamlet's sword, a fountain pen, sways around the place, emphasizing his
impatience with his lot: 'oh cursed spite that ever I was born to make
it right'. The pages all are heavily black, underscoring the deep
tragedy of Hamlet's role as the agent for revenge for his dead father,
while the stage actors who play a pivotal role in exposing the king's
guilt, are in red. I love the clock innards used often on the pages,
underscoring the time element in the play, 'the time is out of joint'
but could as easily represent Hamlet's inner thoughts as he meets his
fate. There is a myriad of images, of subtle puns, of visual jokes to
be gained from this reimagining, and discussions with classes will
further endear the play to the next generation of students who are
endowed with a greater visual awareness.
Fran Knight
Raven's gate. The Power of Five: Book One. The Graphic Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Adapted by Tony Lee. Ill. by Dom Reardon and Lee O'Connor. Walker
Books, ISBN 978 1 406306477.
A gripping novel both in the fast moving plot and the stylised graphic
llustrations. Horowitz is a master of strong believable
characters from the protagonist Matt, to the evil Mrs Deverill and the
unusual variety of characters in between. Curiosity leads Matt to try
to unravel the confusing signals he observes: from the flowers put in
the house for him and which Mrs Deverill says have beautiful colours
but are all poisonous, to the black sinister cat Asmodeus and the farm
helper Noah, who delights in hearing pigs squeal as they die! The
plot builds rapidly and when Matt is befriended by the newspaper
reporter Richard, they meet the Nexus group who exist to help Matt do
what he must do. Raven's Gate is about to open and Matt is told that
the Old Ones who existed before need three things for this to occur:
ritual, which Matt heard in the woods near Mrs Deverill's home, fire
which he saw and blood. The best sacrifice is that of a child! So Matt
is inextricably involved. As this is book one the reader is left
knowing that Matt is one of the five children who will save the world!
Boys especially will enjoy the storyline and the black and white
illustrations.
Well recommended for Upper Primary and Early Secondary students.
Sue Nosworthy
Snuff by Quentin Blake
Red Fox, 2010. (Re-issue, originally published 1973). ISBN
9781849410489.
(Ages 3+) Sir Thomas Magpie is a gallant knight, who spends his days
dancing, sword fighting - and trying to prevent his boots from being
eaten by mice. Snuff is his loyal page, whose job it is to mend Sir
Thomas's boots after they have been chewed.
Snuff longs to become a real knight, but tends to be dreamy and
accident prone. However, when the local boot-maker is threatened with
robbery it is Snuff's ingenuity that saves the day, and his reward
helps him on the road to successful knighthood.
The combination of deadpan text and whimsical illustration has timeless
appeal and it's hard to believe this classic story was first published
37 years ago. Blake's spiky, distinctive illustrations are so full of
life and deserve to be shared with a new generation of young readers
who will relish the story of the small boy who saves the day.
Claire Larson
The little drummer boy by Bruce Whately
Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 978 186471992 5.
Picture book. A beautiful addition to the Christmas list, The
little
drummer boy is an enticing look at growing old, as the figurine on
the
Christmas Tree is placed on the tree each year by its owner. We see the
young girl, Annie, making sure that the figurine has pried of place
near the top of the tree each year throughout her childhood. Even when
the family goes travelling, the figurine is taken with them. Then when
she marries the little figure is still placed near the top of the tree,
When her children come along, the drummer boy is as always placed on
the tree. In time however, the tree becomes more and more crowded, and
the figurine becomes less bright. Annie's grandchildren then see the
drummer boy in his rightful place, but one day Annie moves to a smaller
home, and still the tree, although much smaller than in the past, is
there with him near the top. As the figurine has aged, so has Annie,
but both are loved.
A realistically illustrated, wistfully told story, this will have wide
appeal, stressing that Christmas time is a time of families and love,
and underlining the passage of time. A wonderful antidote to the morass
of sentimental offerings in Christmas books.
Fran Knight
Many coloured realm by Anne Hamilton
Wombat Books, ISBN 978 1921633065.
Wombat Books, ISBN 978 1921633065.
This fantasy has a very complicated plot and needs close scrutiny. The
reference to numbers is fascinating for they have a symmetry all of
their own and when teaching mathematics joy comes when a student picks
the connection. In this book, other than the paragraph about the
author, the mathematical illusion is difficult to pick, but the concept
of the way numbers form patterns is beautiful and magical. The story
revolves around Robbie, Chris and the missing Stephen. The young people
enter other worlds through the chimney and here begins the roller
coaster ride. There are many wonderful modern day comparisons, for
example, when the swans bicker and honk their disagreement and want a
stop work meeting to discuss the situation. All this amidst a storm
about to destroy the boat they are pulling! It's a very humorous
situation and often replicated in real life! Younger readers may
struggle with the rapidly changing scenes. The delightful play on
words reminds the reader of Philip Pullman's 'The Scarecrow and his
Servant'. Time change has a huge effect on the plot. This is a
book for students who love other worlds, extravagant and exaggerated
characters, humour and the many ways of interpreting our
language. It's quite a sophisticated novel but readers of
adolescent years may enjoy a challenge after Harry Potter and this
could be an intriguing follow on. It would be a wonderful
classroom read for the discussion that would ensue would entail
freedom, love, particularly self belief for Robbie but overall, a
delightful foray into another world with challenges just like ours! A
book for students and teachers.
Well recommended for good Upper Primary and Early Secondary students
and their teachers
Sue Nosworthy
The Cabinet of Curiosities by Paul Dowswell
Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 978 1 4088 0046 1. The Cabinet of Curiosities is perfect for readers who like
history. Set
in 1598, around the time of the Spanish Inquisition, we meet teenager
Lukas. He is on his way to Prague to become an apprentice to his uncle,
Anselmus, the apothecary to the Emperor. The Cabinet of Curiosities is a dark story, starting out with
attempted
murder and robbery, with Lukas having to steal and trick his way to
Prague. He makes friends with Etienne, a quick-talking, confident
con-artist.
Life in the castle is very different for Lukas and he is put to work,
learning the ways of an apothecary. His uncle shows Lukas the
Cabinet of Curiosities, a room full of wonders and treasures from
around the world.
The dark themes continue as Spanish diplomats vie for the attention of
the Emperor (in hopes of him following their ways). Lukas has made
friends but they make plans to con and steal. The question is - from
who?
Is The Cabinet of Curiosities on their agenda?
What will Lukas's uncle say when he finds out?
Kylie Kempster
Slog's dad by David Almond
Ill. by Dave McKean. Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 978-1406322903.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. From the blurb: 'Do you believe there's life
after death? Slog does. He reckons that the scruffy bloke sitting
outside the pork shop is his dad come back to visit him for one last
time. But Slog's mate Davie isn't convinced.' The bloke seems to
know things about Slog's dad that are impossible for Davie to
understand.
The collaboration of Almond and McKean had a winning book in The
Savage, and Slog's dad is equally as compelling. The exploration of
the
possibility of life after death is a thought provoking one that is
handled very well. Almond's sparse prose, interspersed with McKean's
fabulous pictures, graphically tells the story of how Slog's dad, a bin
man, gradually becomes more and more ill, until he loses his legs and
dies. Slog's belief that his father has come back is so compelling that
I rushed to the end to see what the outcome of Slog's encounter with
the tramp would be. After reading the story, I then went back and read
more slowly, examining the pictures and thinking about all the ideas
that are presented in this tender tale of love. I was fascinated by the
supernatural hints that McKean drew in his illustrations of the man
sitting on the park bench and the sepia toned newspaper articles that
alluded to other things happening.
This is a very touching tale that will appeal both to those who believe
in life after death and the possibility of someone returning for one
last farewell, and to those who are sceptical. Almond's story combined
with the illustrations, allow for both beliefs to exist side by side. Slog's dad is a wonderful story that should give rise to much
discussion in a classroom.
Pat Pledger
Haunted by Barbara Haworth-Attard
Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 9781742750491.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Winner of the 2010 Arthur Ellis Crime
Award, Haworth-Attard has created a scary, engrossing story that kept
me reading to the end. Dee is frightened when bones are discovered on
the mountain. To make it worse, a ring belonging to her friend Mary Ann
Simpson was found with the bones, and other girls have disappeared from
the area as well. Dee, like her grandmother, has the 'sight', and she
catches glimpses of people who have died, but whose spirits are
unwilling to move onto the afterlife. This ability, as well as the fact
that her mother disappeared when she was a baby, makes her an outsider
in the small town where she lives.
The suspense that Haworth-Attard builds up is totally gripping, as she
describes the small town gossip and stifling attitudes that Dee and her
grandmother have to tolerate. I virtually read this book in one sitting
as I followed the progress of the police investigation as they
attempted to find what turned out to be a serial killer. The plot
twists are excellent, with few clues given to the identity of the
murderer until the very end and the addition of the ghosts that Dee
sees make it an enthralling read.
The book is rich with well-developed characters. Dee is a pragmatic
child, intelligent and forthright and I loved the way that she was
determined to have an education and do something with it. Descriptions
of the health care that her grandmother gave the poorer people show
what a strong and helpful character she was. Clarence, the soldier who
has returned from the war in France, appears often to talk to Dee and
the reader learns much about the First World War and what it was like
afterwards for the families whose men had been killed.
I enjoy mystery stories and feel that Haunted is an excellent
example
of the genre.
Pat Pledger
Up and down by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 978-0007263844.
Recommended. Picture book. The penguin and the boy are the best of
friends. They always do things together. Because he does have wings,
the penguin decides that he wants to fly and that is something that he
tries although his wings didn't work very well. Ignoring the
boy's advice, he continues on his quest to fly alone, leaving his
friend behind.
This is a beautiful warm story about the power of friendship. Although
the penguin is determined to fly by himself, the boy doesn't give up on
him and is there to help him make a happy landing after his adventures.
Beautiful colours and amusing images of the boy and the penguin make
this a visually appealing book to look at. Jeffers uses sombre colours
and wistful expressions on the faces of the two companions to show how
they were missing each other, and more vibrant happy shades to denote
cheerfulness. My favourite picture comes at the end of the book and has
a gorgeous pink background, with the penguin scooting along and the boy
walking on stilts, making 'a break for home.'
Although Up and down is the fourth book about the boy and the
penguin,
it reads as a stand-alone and would be a valuable addition to a
collection.
Pat Pledger
