Rascal and the hot air balloon by Paul Jennings and Bob Lea
Puffin,
2009. ISBN 9780143502425.
(Age 5-7) Any book by Paul Jennings is sure to delight his young
readers and Rascal and the hot air balloon is no exception.
Rascal is a
little dragon who loves to chase things especially things that fly like
aeroplanes, helicopters and hot air balloons. Ben thinks it's too
dangerous for Rascal to be chasing planes so Dad tells him to tie him
up. When a hot air balloon gets into trouble Rascal knows that he has
go to its rescue.
Ben Lea's big, bold illustrations are a combination of fantastic
dragons and real life cars and planes and amusing details engage the
reader. There are such amusing expressions on the faces of Rascals and
his companions. The pictures match the text and will give clues to the
beginning reader, who will want to go on and pursue other Rascal books.
With its easy, large text and entertaining illustrations this book is a
pleasure to read. The humourous twist at the end is an added bonus.
Pat Pledger
Creature of the night by Kate Thompson
Bodley Head, 2008.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. In this Bistro Award Honour book, Kate
Thompson takes the reader on a journey through a desolate picture of
reality for 14 year old Bobby in 21st century Ireland while adding a
mystical touch of danger from the Little People. Bobby's mother takes
him away from Dublin, where he has gotten into a gang of boys who
delight in drinking, taking drugs, stealing cars and racing them in the
suburbs. She hopes for a new start for him as well as for herself and
her endless debts.
Bobby hates the country. He loathes the run down cottage that the
family is living in and he doesn't want to reform at all. Offered some
work from the Dooley family next door, he discovers that he can cope
with that and learns that he has a flair for fixing mechanical. However
the lure of the city life still entices him and he keeps trying to get
back.
Meanwhile Dennis, his little brother, is convinced that he has made a
new friend of a tiny woman who comes through the dog flap at night and
talks to him. Bobby himself thinks that he has seen her turn into a
badger and disappear down a hole. There is also the mystery of what
happened to Lars, the former tenant of the cottage. His belongings are
stuffed into a cupboard under the stairs and his Skoda is parked
outside.Was there also a murder of a child in the cottage years ago?
Written in the first person, Bobby's voice is utterly convincing.
Thompson pulls the reader into his life, describing how he loves the
gang in Dublin and hates the way his young ineffectual mother is
treating him. She juggles this reality with the parallel stories of
Celtic superstition and Lars' disappearance in a very believable way.
The character development is quite striking as Bobby gradually learns
things about himself and family that he hadn't understood before. A
very touching moment is his realisation that his mother had him when
she was 14. The Dooley family provides a warm contrast to his feckless
family and the boys in Dublin.
Beautifully crafted and spilling over with emotion, this is a wonderful
read that dragged me in from the first chapter.
Pat Pledger
One dragon's dream by Peter Pavey
Walker Books, 2009 (c1978) ISBN 9781921150746
(All ages) Highly recommended. It is wonderful that this fabulous
Picture Book of the Year has been reprinted. It is such a treat: a
counting book with intricate pictures that just beg to be examined
again and again. It revolves around the dreams of a dragon who sleeps
in a beautifully carved bed and has a tabby cat in attendance. His
bedroom is full of wonderful objects: a suit of armour holding a broom
for a lance, a bird's cage with a clock in it and a rocking horse with
a mouse sitting on it; plus many other amazing details. As the counting
progresses, the reader must find the correct number of objects that the
story refers to. For example it is a lot of fun to find the 4th elusive
frog in the picture for 4, or the six stern storks for 6. The counting
story and the pictures that illustrate it are complex and really
stimulate the imagination.
This would be wonderful present for grandchildren, a fascinating book
for primary schools and an outstanding example of a picture book for
secondary schools.
Pat Pledger
Ten mile river by Paul Griffin
Text, 2009
(Age 14+) Recommended. 14 year old Ray and Jose are best friends. Jose
is good looking with a talent for wise cracking; Ray is large, strong
and very intelligent. Finding the juvenile detention centre not to
their taste, they go on the run from the authorities. They decide to
hole up in an abandoned shack near Ten Mile River. They furnish it with
a stolen TV, Cable TV and other stolen goods and keep body and soul
together by stealing cars. When they meet Trini, they both fall in love
with her and she tries to get them to join the mainstream society.
The powerful narration pulled me into this gritty urban tale as soon as
I started it. I became totally involved in the story of the boys' lives
and was horrified with how they lived. Clever dialogue brought alive
the boys' beliefs and Jose's mispronunciations often had me laughing at
the same time that I wanted to cry because of his lack of schooling.
I emphasised with Ray's dilemma about staying on the run. He is smarter
than Jose and can see the hopelessness of their plight, but cannot seem
to break away from his bonds of loyalty to the other boy. Often going
along with Jose and making idiotic decisions, it seems as if he will
never be able to use his formidable intelligence and will always give
way to the other boy.
Griffin gives the reader an alternative view to the many books that are
written about teens with angst, but who usually have comfortable home
lives, with at least one parent caring for them. It is a searing novel
about street kids staying alive in New York.
I can imagine that this book would have strong appeal to reluctant boy
readers or those who are disenchanted with school. It could possibly be
a useful novel to use in class. Because of the strong language, though,
it would need to be read thoroughly by the teacher before
using it as a class set.
Pat Pledger
Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House, 2009. ISBN 9761741663044
(Age 13+) In this sequel to Tattoo, Bailey Morgan looks and acts
like a normal teenager during the day, but at night she is the third Fate, weaving
what happens to life. Every evening she travels to Nexus where she works
with two Sidhe ancestors on making the fabric of life. Then she meets
the rest of the Sidhe and her whole life changes as she becomes
entangled in a complex and dangerous web that the Otherworld is
spinning. Meanwhile in her normal life, she is facing her graduation
and wondering how she will cope without her friends and where she will
be travelling in the future.
The book is written in the first person and I loved Bailey's voice as
she recounts what is happening to her and what she is feeling. She is a
strong girl who is faced with many choices, and Barnes vividly brings
to life her dilemmas and her fear that she will lose her human friends.
The beautiful Sidhe and Greek gods and goddesses that make up the
Otherworld are fascinating in their quest for power. The subtle hints
of humour throughout the book add an extra dimension and there are
enough crushes on interesting boys to keep romance alive.
This book can be read as a stand alone as I did but I'm sure that
having read the first book would give more insight into Bailey's world.
It is well written and entertaining and is sure to gain a following by
girls who like books with strong heroines with mystical powers.
Pat Pledger
Skulduggery Pleasant: The faceless ones by Derek Landy
HarperCollins, 2009.
(Ages 10+) The Faceless Ones, the third title in the series of
Skulduggery
Pleasant books, is best read sequentially as the story line and myriad
of characters could otherwise prove confusing. In book one, until she
meets an extremely well dressed skeleton named Skulduggery, Stephanie
(aka Valkyrie) is a relatively ordinary teenager. Life soon changes
from the mundane, once she and Skulduggery pair up to fight the many
magical and evil forces revealed throughout the course of the books.
Landy has created an assortment of fascinating characters from the
strong, manipulative females such as China Sorrows and the Sea Hag to
Fletcher Renn, the last Teleporter in existence. He also adds a liberal
sprinkling of evil characters such as the Faceless Ones. By the third
book, Valkyrie is able to lead a double life thanks to her 'Reflection'
emerging from the mirror to carry out her daily human existence and she
has become a confident, independent young woman, capable of making her
own decisions and better able to protect herself.
This series has become immensely popular, particularly amongst
competent male readers eager to read novels containing humour, fantasy,
violence and gore. With the opening line, 'The dead man was in the
living room, face down on the floor beside the coffee table,' Landy
creates the hook for the reader to go on and devour the novel. With the
amount of trailers and internet advertising for the film, the audience
for these books will only increase, especially with Landy having
already
set the scene for a thrilling sequel.
Jo Schenkel
The good daughter by Amra Pajalic
Text, 2009 ISBN 9781921520334
(Age 14-16) Sabiha has become conscious of having Bosnian background
since her
grandfather's arrival in Australia. Before that, she and her mother
were somewhat alienated from the community, due to her mother's single
status and unconventional lifestyle.
Sammie, as she prefers to be called, rebels against the newly imposed
constraints of her community while her mother strives for acceptance
and a husband. Sammie has her own problems as she tries to maintain her
friendship with her best friend from a previous school, as well as
gaining acceptance in her new one.
Throughout the novel, Sammy grows in sensitivity in her insight into
herself and others; we too gain insight into her mother's struggles
with personal relationships, exacerbated by her bi-polar condition, as
well as the struggle to be accepted by a community of Bosnian refugees,
themselves in search of a new identity.
While the explicit explanations of Bosnian customs and history tend to
pall in the initial chapters, the story engages your attention when it
deals with relationship and friendship issues. The clash of cultures is
central to these relationships but at times we feel as if we are being
given a lecture instead of discovering these insights implicitly.
Especially interesting, however, is the way we see these migrants
adopting more traditional religious and cultural beliefs than they held
when in Bosnia.
One concern with the novel is the treatment of homosexuality. It is a
little disappointing that Brian, who is initially sniggered at and
called 'gay' because he is well groomed and well dressed, is, in fact,
homosexual, reinforcing stereotypes.
Overall, however, it is an engaging read that young people of 14-16
should enjoy.
Gwenda Steiner
City of glass by Cassandra Clare
Walker Books, 2009
(Ages 14+) Clare has come up with a very satisfying and gripping
conclusion to her magical The Mortal Instruments series. Clary, still
on a quest to find a cure for her mother who is in a coma, enters the
City of Glass to find chaos and war. She confronts the evil Valentine
who has to be overcome or the world will be devastated. Can the
Shadowhunters put aside their mistrust of the Downworlders and combine
with the werewolves, vampires and faeries in a fight to the end? In the
meantime, Clary has to make decisions about her forbidden love for Jace
and the love that Simon bears for her. And who is the mysterious
Sebastian?
This final book in the series is a great read. There is plenty of
action for those who love adventure and the romance thread is very well
written. Clary is no wimp - she is a strong leader, with special
powers, who does what she has to make the world safe for everyone. The
other characters in the book are equally compelling and make the story
well worth reading. City of glass had enough surprises, twists and turns to keep me
guessing about what would happen next and the ending was very
rewarding. This is a series that I suspect I will return to reread -
certainly it is one that I will keep on my shelves. I look forward to
reading the next book that Clare writes.
Pat Pledger
Ruby and Leonard and the great big surprise by Judith Rossell
Little Hare Books, 2009 ISBN 9781921272967 (Ages 5-9) Ruby and Leonard, two mice who live with their brothers and sisters in a tin at the back of the cupboard in the kitchen, plan to make a batch of cupcakes for someone's birthday. The pages that follow outline the tasks they must do to make the cakes, each illustration showing the procedure in detail. The detail not only includes what each mouse must do, but the ingredients and the tools needed to make the cakes. Consequently, any reader, young or old, will be able to watch the cakes being made and see exactly how they are made. For a class making something for lunch, this book would make an excellent manual, for a class doing a procedural text, and wanting an example of on, this book is an excellent model, for a child reading the book alone, it would be fun for them to follow the details of what the mice do, and for a family to read at home, the book will encourage the family to cook together. For me the surprise at the end is that they were all made, after so many slips and spills through the text, which will delight the younger reader. The last page gives the recipe which is one I'm sure many classes, children and families will want to try for themselves after reading this engaging picture book.
Fran Knight
Jolt by Bernard Beckett
Text, 2009. ISBN 9761921520211
(Age 14+) Recommended. An exciting thriller from an award winning New
Zealand author, the action and excitement in Jolt keeps the
reader on
edge. 16 year old Marko wakes up in a psychiatric ward. Convinced that
the doctor is trying to kill him, he decides to get his own revenge.
When he stops taking the pills that he prescribed, he begins to
remember the horror of the preceding days. He had been on an outdoor
education trip, trying to go from coast to coast in less than six days
when his teacher was threatened by a group of men in the bush. Unable
to help her, he flees the scene. Then an earthquake struck and he and
his companions had to fight for their lives. In the hospital, he is
uncertain about who he can trust and doesn't know whether the others
from the excursion are alive.
The story is told in alternative chapters. Beckett builds up the horror
of the happenings in the bush in one chapter and then with the use of
Italics in the following chapter, relates the mental trauma that Marko
is going through in the form of a journal. The tension of the story
kept me reading and I was never sure just what Marko would do and
whether he would survive.
Although Jolt was first released in 2001, it still really holds
its own
as a gripping suspense story that has appeal for boys. Teacher's
notes
are available.
Pat Pledger
The Scarecrow by Sean Williams
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780732284763
(Age 11+) Recommended The Scarecrow is the satisfying conclusion to
Williams' Broken Lands trilogy, which began with The changeling,
followed by The dust devils which were both finalists for the best
children's novel in the Aurealis Award. Ros is on a quest to get rid of
the crystal containing the Golem of Omus. Travelling with Adi and the
camel Know-it-All, he arrives at the coast, hoping to drop the crystal
into the depths of the ocean. However they encounter the treacherous
Quirk who disappears with Varis, Adi's relative and guard. In their
search for Varis, they come up against the Scarecrow, a terrifying
amalgamation of material and human who desperately wants the crystal
for himself.
Williams has created an exciting and tense finale to his series. The
Scarecrow is a unique creation and quite frightening. The action
sequences on the island where Ros confronts him are very tense and I
could picture them in a gripping science fiction film.
The Australian setting with its harsh dry land and the huge cliffs
overlooking the ocean provide a wonderful background to the struggles
of the characters. It is truly a coming of age for Ros as he decides
whether he will accept Pukje's offer to gain the knowledge about the
magical Change that he thirsts for, or stay with Adi and her tribe.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. The Scarecrow is a demanding story with an
awesome setting and readers will be tempted to read other books by this
author.
Pat Pledger
The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN 9780007283590
Highly recommended. The house is like an ant colony, everyone living in
their own compartment, together but separate, until one incident brings
them altogether and they find friendship and hope for the future. When
Sam runs away from home and comes to London, he wants to be alone,
leaving what has happened behind him. He wants to disappear - be in a
place where no one knows him or cares about him. The house is full of
other alone people, some because of addiction, some who can no longer
face the world, and unwittingly, Sam becomes part of their worlds, and
begins to care what happens to them.
The little girl, Bo, leans on him for strength and companionship when
her mother leaves her for the day. She plays with him, as she has no
one else; she talks to him and makes him interact. He sometimes takes
her to the park, along with the little dog of the old woman downstairs.
But when he speaks crossly to Bo one day, after her incessant
questions, she runs off, like he did, and everyone in the house feels
responsible and looks for her, the group brought together by their fear
of what may have happened.
Told in alternate chapters, one written by Bo, and the other by Sam,
Valentine gradually reveals their lives as they learn to navigate
around each other. Bo has the nous of someone much older than 10,
learned from being left by herself so often, and having to deal with
things few 10 year olds would know about, while Sam has made an awful
mistake in his life, and must learn again to trust and be trusted.
I simply love this story, everything about it rings true. The accident
which makes Sam run away is one we often read of in the paper, and many
students will know of someone who is in a similar situation.
Fran Knight
The remarkable secret of Aurelie Bonhoffen by Deborah Abela
Random House, Australia, 2009
(Age 8-10) Having been brought up at the Seaside Pier funfair, Aurelie
Bonhoffen has had the kind of life of which many children would dream,
filled with fun, freedom, and fabulously eccentric extended family. On
the evening of her twelfth birthday, Aurelie discovers her family has a
remarkable secret which, to date, had been hidden from her. It is this
secret which enables the family to protect the pier from the clutches
of the evil characters who wish to see it demolished.
By including characters that embody many of the typical stereotypes of
good and evil, Abela injects the story with a great deal of humour.
Uncles Rolo and Rindolf are truly zany and likeable, whilst the
'baddies' including the principal, the mayor and Crook are the exact
opposite. At the same time as trying to solve the mystery, the reader
is encouraged to cheer on the team that is working to save the Pier and
restore it to its original glory. To the adult the clues appear to be
obvious, yet children enjoy the twists and turns without feeling the
outcome to be entirely predictable.
Abela has created an entertaining and engaging read for younger to
middle primary students with mystery, adventure and magic all rolled in
to one novel. As a stand alone title, this works extremely well.
Jo Schenkel
Worldshaker by Richard Harland
Allen and Unwin, 2009. ISBN
9781741757095
(Ages 12+) Recommended. Colbert Porpentine is a teenager living on
board Worldshaker, a huge steam driven Juggernaut that flies around the
world. It is a highly structured society of 10,000 people, ruled by
Queen Victoria and run by her commander in chief, Mormus Porpentine,
with the elite families at the top of the pecking order, followed by
officers and Menials who are mute servants. Last of all, there are
another 2,000 Filthies, who are not considered human at all. When Col
discovers Riff, a young Filthies girl, hiding under his bed, he can't
imagine how his world is going to change.
Harland has created a very believable world, in which class
distinctions are all important. The highly stratified aristocratic
society that Col has been born into is vividly described. As the author
skilfully unfolds details about the ship and how its society operates,
the reader becomes very involved in Col's gradual awakening to what is
really happening around him.
It is the characters that drew me into this book. Right from the first
page I became engrossed in Col's naivety about the people around him
and I loved the courage and leadership that Riff displayed. Mormus is
satisfactorily drunk on power and Col's grandmother is deliciously evil.
There is plenty of action and suspense to suit those who love
adventure, with some daring escapes through dangerous machinery and
some exciting fight sequences and I look forward to the next
instalment.
Readers who enjoyed other titles from the steampunk genre (books set in
alternative Victorian times), like Philip Reeve's Larklight and
The
laws of magic series by Michael Pryor, will find this one
enjoyable. It
is darker and more complex and a great read, with lots of sly humour to
alleviate the seriousness.
Pat Pledger
Prom nights from hell by Meg Cabot et al
HarperCollins, 2009. ISBN
9780007319893
(Ages 14+) A collection of five entertaining short stories by authors
who enjoy a following by those who like the vampire, paranormal and
horror
genre, Prom nights from hell will engage readers who have
enjoyed
the Twilight series. Just having Meg Cabot and Stephenie Meyer's name
on the front
cover is enough to bring the readers in. The exterminator's daughter by Meg Cabot centres around Mary, a
vampire
killer's daughter, who is out for revenge because vampires have taken
her mother. She spots that Sebastian is a vampire and has lured her
best friend Lila to the prom. Determined to kill him, she comes armed
with a crossbow but events get in the way. A fun take on trying to kill
a vampire.
The most scary story for me is The corsage by Lauren Myracle
which
stars Frankie who desperately wants Will to take her to the prom. After
visiting a clairvoyant who gives her a corsage capable of granting
wishes, Frankie makes the mistake of not thinking through what she
really wants with disastrous results.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kiss and tell by Michelle Jaffe for its
Supergirl
like main character, Miranda Kiss, and the humour in the dialogue,
although there were some slightly risque comments. Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer has an interesting take on
demons and
angels with a gorgeous hero who is the child of an angel. Madison
and
the dim reaper by Kim Harrison is a fascinating glimpse into a case
of
the living dead, but was too complex to fit well into the short story
genre.
Girls will enjoy the idea of a prom night gone bad and will enjoy the
angst of the main characters as they worry about having a partner for
the night and finding true love amidst horror and mayhem.
Pat Pledger
