PanMacmillan, 2008.
(Age 15+) Recommended. What a thrill to find a new book, which can be
read as a stand alone, from the Sevenwaters series. It comes after the
books, Daughter of the forest, Son of the shadows and Child
of the
prophesy. If this is the first book that a reader tries from
Marillier,
its strong storyline, courageous heroine and wonderful setting of
medieval Ireland and the Otherworld will be sure to entice the reader
to sample more from this author.
This is the story of Clodagh, the third daughter of the lord of
Sevenwaters. She a practical, domesticated young woman who supervises
the household when her ageing mother is pregnant. At her sister's
wedding celebrations, she meets taciturn Cathal, who guards many
secrets. When her infant brother is replaced with a changeling creature
and Cathal disappears, she must gather together all her courage and
determination to rescue her brother from the Fair Folk.
Clodagh's talents appear to be ordinary but when she has to act, her
selfless love gives her the ability to be brave and to find a way into
the Otherworld, the kingdom of the amoral king, Mac Dara. She is
willing to find a way to help the lonely Cathal, and to see beyond his
curt manner and difficult childhood. In an interview
Marillier talks
about the big themes of love, loyalty, courage, faith, honour, which
all abound in this book.
I couldn't put Heir to Sevenwaters down: I was so engrossed in
the
emerging characters of the book, its forest setting and the sheer
adventure and peril that faced Coldagh and Cathal. I loved the story of
the changeling, Becan, the love that Clodagh had for him, and the
developing romance between Coldagh and Cathal with all its difficulties
and misunderstandings. Marillier's flowing language brought her world
to life for me, and I hope that there will be more books in this series.
Pat Pledger
The wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
Frances Lincoln
Children's Books, 2008.
ISBN 978 1 84507 828 7
(Ages 10+) This reprint of Rosemary Sutcliff's retelling of The Odyssey
will have new followers as the readers dip into the stories they may
have heard or tales of names that are vaguely familiar. The Odyssey
tells the story of Odysseus as he and his men returned to Ithaca after
the Trojan Wars. The men have not seen their families for ten long
years, years which have taken their toll on their friends and allies.
The 15 stories presented here include many that are familiar, Cyclops,
the Enchantress, and the Isle of the Dead, for example, but many are
not so familiar and will thrill readers anew.
Sutcliff, who died in 1992, was an award winning writer of historical
fiction, and this book underlines why she was held in such high esteem.
The writing is flawless, uncomplicated and flowing. Even when the
reader knows some of the story, it is like reading it anew. Sutcliff
adds gravity and a world view in her retelling which gives the reader a
wider perspective of the tale at hand.
Fran Knight
Nyuntu Ninti (What you should know) by Bob Randall and Melanie Hogan
ABC Books. (Age: Primary school) A stunning book of photographs for younger children, Randall shows how the Anangu people of Uluru related to their land as he was growing up. The book was produced in conjunction with a documentary film, Kanyim, an Aboriginal word which ties love and responsibility. These twins of life in the desert ensured that the land was cared for and now Randall is hoping that the negative attitudes of today can be erased with Aboriginal and non Aboriginal people working together showing love and responsibility for their environment. Each double page spread shows an old photograph, taken a generation or two ago, paralleling the culture today. So we have a wonderful photo of an arid landscape coming alive with everlasting daisies, small shrubs and trees after some rain has fallen, while on the next page is a group of children taken several generations ago, showing how they use part of the land. Further on, an older picture of an Aboriginal family digging under a tree for food, is contrasted with a photo of Bob Randall holding some grubs and wild peach that he has collected. Today and yesterday are again contrasted. Each page shows the reader in some way about the struggle for existence then and now, and makes the dedicated reader look more closely at the land on which these people lived. The book, with Randall's simply wise words on each page underlines the ancient culture that is at the heart of Australia, and impels those who spend time reading and thinking about the book, to seek a better future for all. Fran Knight
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
David Fickling Books, 2008.
(Ages: 12+) Fergus is 17, in the middle of A-Levels and with his heart
set on a place at Aberdeen University to study medicine. The only
problem is that real life keeps getting in the way - namely his brother
Joey's prison sentence at The Maze for his involvement with the IRA.
Joey's decision to embark on a hunger strike in support of Bobby Sands
and other 'prisoners of conscience' has a huge impact on Fergus and his
family. Set in the Irish border town of Drumleash, Bog Child is
the
story of Fergus' incredible discovery, his first love affair and his
desperate attempt to save his brother from starvation.
At first I was unsure how the discovery of a 2000 year old body,
protected by the peat marsh, would link with an account of IRA activity
and the troubles, but Dowd effortlessly weaves Fergus's incredible find
with his anguish and fear for his brother. In an attempt to persuade
the IRA to call off the hunger strike Fergus agrees to work for them,
transferring small, anonymous packages across the border. As a keen
mountain runner he can do this easily. During his fell runs Fergus
meets Owain, the young Welsh soldier manning one of the border
crossings, and the two form an uneasy friendship. Indeed both Owain and
Fergus are called in to help move the Celtic body discovered in the
peat.
Fergus christens the young girl he finds Mel and the gradual uncovering
of her tragic story connects the reader to Joey's situation. I felt a
little uneasy that Dowd was drawing parallels with Mel's plight to that
of Bobby Sands and other hunger strikers. Memories of the Enniskillen,
Omagh and Warrington bombings will still be raw for many people, but
that is perhaps the greatest strength of Dowd's novel. She reminds us
of the human cost of intense belief - people willing to die of
starvation for a cause, and their mothers, fathers and brothers who
have to suffer the anguish and bitterness that this involves.
There are flashes of humour. Fergus's discovery of the content of the
packages he has been transporting for the IRA must be one of the most
unexpected and funniest I've read in a long time.
As we have come to expect from Dowd this is a brilliant story,
emotional but sparing, humorous yet brimming with anguish. However, I
do wonder how today's teenagers will view a novel set during a period
of history they will probably know little about. Will they truly
understand the strength of feeling the Maze prisoners experienced?
Perhaps thanks to the energy and power of Dowd's writing they will.
This is a fascinating story with characters that leap off the page. Try
it with your keen, sensitive readers. They are certainly in for a treat.
Claire Larson
High crime in Milk Bay by Moya Simons
Walker Books, 2008 ISBN 978 1
921150 60 1
(Ages 10+) The second in the series, The Walk Right In Detective
Agency,
has David and Bernice intrigued by the new family which has moved in
across the road form David's house. It seems a little bizarre that
David saw a child when the family moved in, but on enquiring at the
house, was told no child existed. His antenna works overtime.
In the meantime, Bernice and David have been asked to find Mr
Butterworth's missing goats, find out who has been pinching the flowers
in the municipal gardens, and try and work out who gave Cherry a note
asking her to the dance. All makes very funny reading, and when most
crimes seem to dissolve into each other, the detectives easily solve
the case.
Upper primary readers will enjoy the thrill of the chase, and see the
clues left by the author for the reader to arrive at the conclusion
along with David and Bernice, although sometimes, they will beat David
and Bernice to the end. A solid, funny and well written series,
the distinctive covers will make the set easily recognizable. Fran
Knight
Tamburlaine's elephants by Geraldine McCaughrean
Usborne, 2008.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. This reissue of the wonderful
Tamburlaine's elephants in a paperback edition will encourage
many more
students to read this highly accessible historical story about two boys
meeting in the heightened tension of Tamburlain's sweep across Asia.
The warrior, Rusti, is determined to be the best warrior in the army,
facing the enemy with determination and grit, until he meets an
elephant, and the elephant's keeper, Kavi. Both boys learn new
things about themselves as their lives intertwine, and their need for
survival is paramount.
An incredibly exciting story, based on impeccable historic research,
Tamburlaine's elephants will give the reader an insight into the
armies
of the Mongol invaders, and the use of elephants, and their training.
And in the background; Kavi's marriage to his sister in law, the way
armies moving across the landscape, the unbelievable organisation of
these armies, the descriptions of the cities of the past,
contrive to make the story seem absolutely real.
Fran Knight
Themes India - History, Friendship, War, Elephants.
Fred the croc by Matt Zurbo and Sarah Dunk
Hachette, 2008. ISBN 976-734410856
(Ages 5 -7) Fred, the show-off crocodile, decides that the attention
from his adoring tourist audience who throw him peanuts and dead chooks
isn't enough, so he snaps up two of them, leaving only a camera and a
cap. The picture in the camera is developed and Fred is an instant
success, with a TV spot, sports nights and ads. Eventually he becomes
old news. What can he do to get back into the limelight?
The story flows along with plenty of zip to captivate a young audience
who will delight in the evil antics of Fred and his many ways of
getting attention. They will also appreciate the underlying theme of
fame, how fickle it can be and what some people will do to achieve it.
Children will delight in the bright and colourful illustrations in this
book, particularly the pictures of Fred's open mouth as he goes to
chomp on his victims.
This is a great read aloud book. It is a lot of fun to listen to and
look at, and has the added advantage of a theme to make young minds
think.
Pat Pledger
A brief history of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
Random House Australia, 2008.
(Ages 13+) Sophie Fitzgerald lives on the tiny island of Montmaray in a
dilapidated castle. Hers is a small tight knit community. Her parents
are dead, her uncle, King John is mad. Together with her 17 year old
cousin, Veronica, who has been forced to take on the responsibility for
the kingdom, and her sister Henry, who is a tomboy, she has to contend
with a strange life. Contact with the outside world is restricted to
letters from her aunt and brother in England, and occasional visits
from Simon, the housekeeper's son. When Sophie receives a journal for
her 16th birthday, she decides to keep a record of what is happening in
her life. It is 1936 and things are changing in the world. When two
strangers appear on the island, Sophie is forced to recognise that life
is changing around her.
This is definitely a book that girls will enjoy. The romantic setting
of a crumbling castle and decaying ideals of royalty will appeal as
will the picture of an isolated family life, where the young girls have
had to grow up with no real parental supervision. The characters are
memorable, and the reader will become engrossed in the life that Sophie
describes as well as the hints of danger and adventure.
The device of using the entertaining and descriptive journal entries of
the fanciful Sophie gives the reader an easy and enjoyable entry into
her eccentric family life. A picture of the decay of the castle, and
the difficulties of receiving anything from the outside world because
of the dangerous sea entry are all vividly brought to life. The book
also contains literary references and quotes from such classics as
Pride and Prejudice and The Tempest. These add an depth to the story
and will appeal to those who love to read.
The historical background of the Nazi regime, Hitler and Mussolini also
raise interesting issues. Reading group discussion questions at the end
of the book look at truth and wisdom, the Spanish Civil War and the
options for women.
The unusual blend of history and the romantic setting, combined with
the coming of age of Sophie, will be sure to appeal to appeal to girls
who want an imaginative and thoughtful read.
Pat Pledger
Somebody's crying by Maureen McCarthy
Allen and Unwin, 2008.
ISBN 978174175519 0
(Ages: 14+) When Alice returns to her grandmother's house in
Warrnambool and takes a job in Mullaney's law office during her break
from university, she finds that her cousin, Jonty, the one originally
charged with her mother's murder, is also back in town, working at the
local restaurant, Thistles. She is keen to avoid him and the memories
his presence evokes, but one Saturday night while returning from a
concert, Jonty and Tom Mullaney are both at her grandmother's house,
asking for help.
Without realising it, the reader is drawn into the cosseted world of
this small rural city in Victoria, relishing the coming clash between
the three protagonists. Each has kept back information from the police
during the murder investigation, each is suspicious of the other, and
cousins, Jonty and Alice, are resentful and wary because of their
grandmother's will which leaves the insecure and lonely girl, the whole
estate.
Stringently, details about the relationship between the murdered woman,
and the two boys, school mates from a long way back are revealed. Jonty
and Tom were in year 12 with Lillian, a mature aged student, when their
paths crossed and the older woman invited the two boys back to her
home. Her murder created a great deal of gossip and innuendo about the
relationship between the three, and Jonty's arrest came as no surprise
to the town. His time spent in remand for the crime, curtailed
his friendship with Tom, and now, Tom's guilt at not supporting his
friend has resurfaced.
Because the protagonists are much younger than those usually found in a
crime story, the whole feel of this novel is very different from those
thick tomes encountered in Dymocks, and middle secondary students will
be enthralled with the story and its characters as it moves towards the
conclusion. Family life is revealed in its many guises, and as a class
set, this book will engender much discussion.
Fran Knight
Open for business by Moya Simons
Walker Books, 2008. ISBN 9781921150302
(Age: 10+) The first in a series called The Walk Right In Detective
Agency sees Bernice and David setting up a detective agency which sorts
out loads of local problems. David is addicted to lsit making and so
his lists dot the pages as he takes notes about peoples' activities,
lists what he needs to buy at the shop, and makes notes about their
investigations. Armed with a spiral notebook, he and Bernice question
and look, using their wits to find answers to the crimes committed.
A funny series, this will appeal to upper primary school readers, who
want something based firmly in the reality of their lives, with being
told to clean up their rooms, being told off about table manners,
having to go and visit grandma, and so on. The crimes being solved are
not major things, but incidental crimes happening in their
neighbourhood.
Simons has hit upon a winning series of stories, and kids will delight
in finding answers along with David and Bernice.
Fran Knight
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Chicken House, 2008.
Ages: 9+ Recommended. Fans of Lemony Snicket are bound to enjoy
this
light hearted, rip roaring adventure based on the dastardly Mr
Curtain's wicked plan to brain wash the entire population and take over
the world. The story starts with an advert placed in the
newspaper requesting gifted children with special talents to perform a
series of tests. Reynie Muldoon, resident of Stonewall Orphanage is
encouraged by his beloved mentor to take part. Along the way he meets
three other children, also parentless. All four pass a series of
bizarre exams and are chosen by the mysterious Mr Benedict to
infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (LIVE) to
defeat the evil Mr Curtain.
This is a cinematic story, reminiscent of Roald Dahl, with plenty of
breathtaking action and larger than life characters. Neatly placed in
all the action are some thought provoking messages such as: 'the only
way to get rid of fears is to confront them', and 'to be a leader means
being lonely and having enemies who despise you'!
One of the reasons this story works so well is that our heroes and
heroines are flawed and human. Although highly intelligent Sticky
Worthington has more neuroses than a medical text book, Kate is brave,
indomitable - and knows it. Reynie lacks self belief and worries
endlessly, and Constance Contraire lives up to her name by being
awkward and irritable. The children bicker and fall out, but ultimately
they use their individual strengths (very appropriate in our climate of
multiple intelligences) to defeat the wicked Mr Curtain.
Just how Kate stumbles on her father, how Reynie finds the happiness of
a family of his own and how we discover Constance Contraire's perfect
excuse for being so lazy and irritable are pulled together in a superb
and satisfying ending that ties up all the knots.
At nearly five hundred pages this is a novel for able readers, ready
for a challenge. They will be richly rewarded with an action packed
story which neatly balances slap stick humour with moments of high
octane excitement. There are heroes they can relate to and a villainous
megalomaniac who deserves every boo and hiss yelled at him!
Claire Larson
Murderer's thumb by Beth Montgomery
Text Publishing, 2008 ISBN
978192136148 8
(Ages: 12+) Hiding from a violent father, Adam and his mother rent a
small house on a farming property. Whole working with the farm hand,
Loody, Adam discovers a body in the silage pit. Buoyed up by his
grandfather's reputation as a consummate detective, Adam takes up this
role with enthusiasm, unearthing clues around the farm as he follows
the trail left by one of the missing girls, a Goth heavily involved
with palmistry called Lina. The local policeman is not to be trusted,
and Adam's school friends are suspicious of him. His eye trauma makes
him stand out and he is ever distrustful when meeting new people.
An absorbing thriller, Montgomery gives us plenty of clues and red
herrings in this isolated farming community, as Adam delves into the
circumstances of the disappearance of the girls, six years before.
Behind the investigation we see families at their worst. Adam and his
mother snipe at each other, mum taking refuge in terrible pottery,
while the farm where the daughter, Emma, disappeared has a mother in a
cloud of anti-depressants and grief, her husband's gruff demeanor
hiding his own sorrow.
Beautifully developed, the community is very real, hiding behind its
inability to respond to the disappearance of the two girls and looking
for easy answers. Each of the minor characters has a background which
is tangible and extensive, adding to the readers' absorption in the
tale. It seems to resolve itself a little too quickly, but the story is
fascinating and holds the reader to the end.
Fran Knight
Aunt Nancy and the bothersome visitors by Phyllis Root
Walker Books, 2008.
(Ages 7+) Highly Recommended. Aunt Nancy is an intelligent, quick
thinking, resourceful lady who uses
all her cunning to defeat a series of unwelcome visitors. Each story
sees the arrival of one of these bothersome creatures - Old Man
Trouble, Cousin Lazybones, Old Woeful and Mister Death. These stories
are near to perfection, narrated with accomplished simplicity in a
lyrical language that makes you feel the rhythm right down to the tips
of your toes.
Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors is one of Walker Books
'Racing
Reads' for confident readers, but in my opinion the stories are best
read aloud, preferably with a Deep South American accent! Knowing my
own limitations I passed them on to one of our drama specialists who
read a couple of the stories to Year 3. The children were mesmerised.
Some of the language is quite difficult with the idiom and expression
of a different place and era - probably South America during slavery
times, but you soak up the atmosphere and message even if some of the
expressions are unfamiliar. The stories certainly have the air of
parables and the richness of the language and rhythm is reminiscent of
the Afican American Spirituals. You can imagine these stories being
accompanied
by plenty of hand clapping and foot tapping. As an introduction to the
traditional stories of other cultures they are just perfect.
David Parkins' illustrations also deserve a mention. The simple black
and white line drawings complement the style of the story telling and
the year 3 children were captivated - poring over the illustrations and
re-reading the stories for themselves.
Claire Larson
The story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Fourth Estate, 2008.
ISBN 9780007265022
(Age Senior to adult). This most unusual thriller, nearly 600 pages
long, has psychic elements combined with murder, arson and dog
breeding. With touches of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the story resolves
itself in much the same way, bodies littering the pages at the end of
the novel.
Edgar Sawtelle is the third generation of a Wisconsin family which
breeds a dog now called Sawtelles. Born mute but able to hear, Edgar
was their last chance to have a child. This self contained family;
Trudy, the mother who does much of the training, and her husband Gar,
who keeps the records, and sells the dogs retaining contact with the
buyers, work with his brother Claude. Edgar learns to train with signs,
dogs having to watch him all the time, which people recognise as a
feature of these animals. The dogs are trained and kept until they are
12-18 months old before they are sold. Grandfather and father have kept
meticulous records of breeding lines, along with photographs and
information about where the dogs have gone. One dog called Almondine,
is Edgar's constant companion.
The vet is the only regular contact they have. Their lives change when
Gar dies. Edgar finds him and alone on the farm, cannot summon help.
When Edgar and Trudy try and run the place on their own, Trudy gets
pneumonia, so Claude comes to help, Edgar 's world comes to an end when
Claude and Trudy begin a relationship and Claude moves in. Edgar
decides several times that he will kill Claude and one day when he
thinks Claude is coming up the stairs in the barn he makes a move and
the vet falls to his death. Edgar runs away taking 3 of the dogs with
him.
Surviving by raiding cabins on the lakes, he comes to a farm run by
Henry; a loner who takes Edgar and the dogs in after one of the dogs is
injured. Edgar comes to believe that his father's death was not
natural, and decides he must go home. No one is there, so he leaves a
note, setting in train an amazing climax with all the characters
involved in a life and death struggle.
This story about making decisions is not your usual tale. Defying any
attempt to categorise it, the novel involves a mystery, yet tinged with
psychic moments where the future is foretold makes reading about this
family tense and unsettling. Based firmly on the relationships between
family members, the decisions people make in their lives is shown to
have far reaching ramifications. The well trained dogs seem to parallel
the decisions made by members of the family, and in the end, the
animals make the decision to leave and take charge of their own lives.
Mark Knight
The dust devils by Sean Williams
Angus and Robertson, 2008.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. The second in the Broken Land series, The
dust
devils continues the story of Ros, a young desert traveller, in his
quest to release Adi, whose spirit has become detached from her body.
Following her disembodied voice and trying to catch up with her
people's caravan, Ros crosses the dry desolate landscape, where dangers
lurk from sand bandits and the wicked Bee Witch.
Williams is a wonderful story teller. He has created a harsh, wild
setting that is a perfect background for his story of survival against
the odds. The reader can clearly picture the desolate countryside and
vicariously experience the difficulty of staying alive in a desert. The
Weird, a strange and awful place from which travellers rarely return,
is a wonderful invention.
This novel is peopled with believable characters, both good and bad.
Ros
grows in power and self belief. The sand bandit chief is terrifying and
Adi's forlorn voice is haunting.
A short section at the beginning of the novel giving a basic background
to the first novel is a useful device to remind the reader of what
happened in the first of the series, The changeling. However it
would
be beneficial to both enjoyment and understanding to read the books in
the correct order.
This is quality fantasy that left me waiting for the final in the
series.
Pat Pledger
