Headline, 2023. ISBN: 9781472299352. (Age:Adult young adult) Recommended.
The new, sumptuous mansion in Park Lane London is the height of 1905 modernity, packed with every luxury imaginable, the home of the de Vries family, built with money from their diamond business and it is stuffed with artworks and objets d’art. The house comes with a well-trained staff to keep it running smoothly including Mrs King, the housekeeper, Mr Shepherd the butler, and there are maids, manservants, housemaids, the cook, chauffeur and groomsman. But all is not well, the master has died, his daughter is planning a ball and the housekeeper has been dismissed after being found in the men's quarters. Now in charge of the mansion, Miss de Vries (mama died when she was young) is in search of a marriage alliance and tasks her lawyer with finding a suitably blue-blooded husband for her as she plans her ball, a sumptuous affair to catch the world’s attention albeit while she is dressed in mourning black. Meanwhile Dinah, aka Mrs King is doing a lot of planning herself. It seems Mr de Vries, real name Danny O’Flynn, was not only Dinah’s father but he also has a sister, Mrs Bone whose pawn shop is the centre of her own underworld empire. Mrs Bone too has a score to settle, having lent Danny the money to set up his diamond business, and is open to Dinah’s audacious plan to settle the score. They plan a magnificent heist, stripping the mansion entirely during the ball and pre-selling the contents on the black market. As the days are counted down, intricate arrangements are made to infiltrate the house servants and guest list. They carefully plan the operation, bringing in specialist help like the twin trapeze artists called Jane, the flamboyant actress, Hepzibah and the talented and ambitious seamstress Alice, also a relative, keen for her share to pay off unscrupulous loan sharks. There is great dialogue, often with an undercurrent of private understanding, and wonderfully described characters such as Mr Shepherd the butler, who smelled of grease and gentleman’s musk, “was like an eel, heavy and vicious, and he moved fast when he wanted to” p3 or Mr Lockwood “the lawyer seemed smooth, but he only seemed it. Really he was serrated all over, knicked and ridged from top to toe and you could prick yourself if you got too close” p13. But there are so many characters and sub-plots the story falters and loses pace. The much-anticipated ball eventually arrives but by then it seems less like a well-oiled plot than a farce and winding up the multiple sub plots means the ending fizzles out. First time author Alex Hay draws on his extensive knowledge of the era with its undercurrent of shifting social change and brash new architecture so there is much to like if you are prepared to be entertained and suspend disbelief.
A gently humorous look at relationships and friendships is explored in this fishing story. Fodor Dodo and Noodle go fishing. They are dressed for fishing and have their lines ready, so readers will be amused when the page is turned to reveal them sitting in the bath. Fodor Dodo throws out his line and very soon he catches a fish. Noodle asks what sort of fish it is. He replies that it is an underguppie and goes into the kitchen to cook it. While Food Dodo stirs the pot, Noodle sets the table.
When all is ready, Noodle calls in Dimple to eat the fish with them. All their imaginative play is overturned when Dimple calls out that the fish is his and demands his underpants back. Fodo Dodo placates Noodle, taking her back to the bath to watch a movie, Return of the Underguppies.
Gecko Press publishes curiously good books, and this is one that exemplifies their promise.
Readers will love working out what is going on: they will engage with Fodor Dodo and Noodle as they use their imaginations to create a space in the bathroom emulating a boat and catching a fish. They extend their story to the kitchen where they cook the fish, readying to sit down and eat it. But Dimple deflates their story by pointing out the fish is not a fish but his underpants. He undermines the friendly imagining but they have the last laugh, returning to the bathroom to watch the dryer as the underpants go around.
Children will relate to the imaginative playing of the first pair of friends and be dismayed when Dimple deflates their story. They will see that the two can shrug off their disappointment and return to the game they are playing. In this way readers will learn that they can be strong despite disappointment even from their friends.
Themes Role playing, Games, Imaginative play, Undermining, Humour, Friendship.
Harriet Hound is pretty much like other girls her age - she is eight years old; she has short curly hair; her favourite letter is H; she lives in a town called Labrador; and she loves dogs. She lives with her grandparents, her mum, and her older brother Hugo in a huge home especially built to be dog-friendly and now it is a dog rescue shelter. BUT - she is also autistic and has a superpower that allows her to summon the dogs from her family's rescue shelter every time there's trouble afoot... Whether it's a carnival catastrophe, a sudden storm, or vanishing vegetables, Harriet and her best dog friends use their super special talents and problem-solving skills to save the day!
Told in a series of short stories, this is a delightful book from the author of one of my favourite recent releases, The Bravest Word and again, she makes Harriet's autism such a natural part of her life, something Harriet and her family are comfortable with, and it is this authenticity that not only allows those on the spectrum to read a book about themselves but for those around them to understand the condition better. As Harriet says, "I stimmed. I flapped my hands out to the side and clicked my fingers out in front of me over and over again. It's okay. There's no need to be worried. Stimming is something I do ALL THE TIME. I do it when I'm worried and when I'm angry. Sometimes I can't stop my hands from doing it, but I also do it when I'm excited or when I'm happy. I stim to calm myself down." Can there be a better, more straightforward explanation By showing that being autistic is just a different way of being human, that there is nothing wrong that needs to be "fixed", and certainly nothing to be ashamed or frightened of, Foster advances the cause of acceptance immeasurably. Indeed, she continues this focus on kids with special needs in her book, The Unlikely Heroes Club.
Autistic or not, this is a wonderful set of stories for young, independent readers who love dogs and who would desperately like to live where Harriet does, and have her superpower.
What are people for? This is the question that Leeva Thornblossom wants to find the answer to.
Her mother is obsessed with fame and her father is equally obsessed with making a fortune. They are the Mayor and Treasurer of the small town they live in and are very unpopular as they charge more and more taxes and don't look after the citizens of the town.
Leeva is their servant, only born as her mother heard babies helped you become famous, which didn't work so now Leeva has to work to ensure that she isn't costing the family money. Leeva is eight or nine but isn't sure as no one has ever celebrated her birthday. Her employee manual prohibits her from leaving the property and although she has found small things that bring her joy, including the word of the week she wants to know what people are for.
The only people she knows are the people on her parents' TV shows and the ones she observes from her windows, crossing the road to avoid walking past her home. And then the newspaper mentions school, Leeva hopes that she will be able to attend but her father forbids her but in the process phrases his statement in such a way that Leeva finds a loophole that she uses to visit the library. This sets off a chain of events that helps Leeva to find answers to her question.
This book was a great read with a lot of parallels to Matilda and Pollyanna in that Leeva keeps a positive attitude, uses her brain to create workarounds and is helped by the people around her who know who her family is but recognise her as a person in her own right who is not a reflection of her parents.
This is a brilliant book that would work as a class novel, read aloud or read alone. It will appeal to a wide range of readers and become a firm favourite.
Themes Family, friendship, community, animals.
Mhairi Alcorn
Downtown Sewertown by Tull Suwannakit
Ford Street Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922696250. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The front cover is spectacular, full of detail and questions, enticements and wonders as a group of suitcased animals look up hearing feet walking over their heads. What is going on, readers will ask. The first page sees the animals being turfed out of their homes as construction comes closer. The welcomes signs to the new city do not apply to them: the pavements hurt their feet, the people are unfriendly, there are too many cars and a lot of smoke, and having no place to stay, they find refuge in the Downtown Sewer. They are all disappointed with their new home but Mouse prompts them into cleaning it up, certain that all will be right. So the four friends, Fox, Hare, Badger and Mouse set to work mopping, sweeping, scrubbing and polishing until in no time at all a city is built underground and they call it Sewertown. Others join them as the city grows.
But one day those above ground find the city below and tell the animals that they must leave.
A young girl stands up for the animals and encourages all to live together finding instead, kindness, friendship and heart.
And they do.
The watercolour and pencil illustrations are lovely, evoking a time in the near past, reflected by the old suitcases and clothing and the building styles. I love the touches of well known paintings such as Nighthawks (Hopper) and the detail included in each image, encouraging a feeling of involvement in the animals’ plight.
Younger readers will easily understand the theme of being pushed out of your home, as so many examples are seen on the news. Whether it be climate change causing islands being inundated, or war causing people to leave their homes, or civil unrest moving people from their villages or developers moving people from their homes to build apartments for the wealthy, each is an impetus behind people being on the move and in this century it seems to have escalated.
This is a rhyming picture book with a multi layered story which readers can see as a simple story of the animals finding a new hope or a more complex story of displacement and refugees.
More information about the author can be found here. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Development, War, Refugees, Displacement, Home.
Fran Knight
A curious daughter by Jules Van Mil
Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781761263767. (Age:16+)
Readers who enjoyed the story of Avril Montdidier in A remarkable woman, will eagerly pick up this sequel about her daughter Joy, another independent female. Joy is eighteen, wanting to assert herself against a mother she finds distant and confining in the way she plans and organises everything. Joy fails to realise that it is these skills that have made Avril the successful fashion designer that she is, and it is Avril’s business acumen that has supported their life on the Queensland cattle station. Joy is at an age where she rebels against her mother's control.
The author’s style is to carry the story along with conversations that tell us what the characters think and do. It makes for easy reading, and the chatter is pleasant. Readers who enjoy romance may enjoy Joy’s gradual discovery of different loves. However, it seems rather shallow. Independence seems to be about Joy choosing what she wants and doesn’t want. The fault is always in the man, and there is little analysis of her own role in relationships.
Nevertheless this is a light and entertaining read, a family saga set in the 1970s, with travels from Australia to England and France. It includes scenes from the music scene, the fashion world, and horse-riding at the homestead, so probably plenty to appeal to the right reader.
Themes Romance, Rock band, Independence, Travel.
Helen Eddy
The sacrifice by Rin Chupeco
Fire Reads, 2022. ISBN: 9781728255910. (Age:Young Adult) Recommended.
When a gung-ho Hollywood film crew storm the reputedly haunted Philippine island of Kisapmata and come across the enigmatically aloof local youth Alon and his dog Askal, they quickly realise they need his help to evade the island’s ghosts.
A history of unexplained deaths and disappearances plagues the island but this does not deter the film crew. They have to decode a sacrifice-related riddle and avoid a multigenerational curse, to avoid following the fate of a gold-plundering adventurer and a cult-leader, and becoming the next victims. It becomes evident that the curse has been laid on those who are not kind-hearted and fair, and the Hollywood crew, which includes amongst others, an alcoholic, an accused abuser and a selfie-obsessed influencer, must ask themselves whether they fit this bill.
The characters must try to evade a vengeful sleeping god, dangerous sinkholes, murderous trees and enigmatic ghosts and spectres from their own pasts. All these plot devices seem to require blow-by-blow descriptions of supernatural confrontations and fight scenes and so The Sacrifice never lets up the fast-paced action as various crew-members are condemned to their gory deaths.
Add in a faltering gay teen romance and some inter-cultural and inter-generational exchanges and misunderstandings, and you have a sure-fire page-turner with a final twist that in retrospect, seems inevitable, if sad.
This is not high-brow literature; there are a number of inconsistencies in the plot, some issues with the unauthentic use of Philippine and teen language, and most disappointingly, no strong female characters. However if you don't take it too seriously, The Sacrifice is overall an engaging read from an author of five series that all draw heavily on Asian folk tales of vampires, witches and ghosts.
Themes Mystery, Paranormal, Asian legends.
Margaret Crohn
An A to Z of dreaming differently by Tracey Dembo and Lucia Masciullo
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9780143778905. (Age:5+)
A beautifully illustrated alphabet book which will empower, support and intrigue the readers, has instant appeal as they rush to add positive words to those offered. Each letter comes along with a sentence containing words that start with the letter, offering grounded advice about its place in people’s lives. I love O, as it tells of two words, Oh no! and Oops! leading on to the P as things do not go to Plan. O could have many other words attached, OMG being a very often used phrase although the word that starts with G seems to be changing as more people are saying Gosh or Goodness. Readers will love how the letter O goes across the page to P, showing that all Plans are not always successful but you can Pick yourself up and try again.
Each of the 26 letters has words attached that are positive and bold, entreating the reader to be themselves, and proud of it. Y is for Yourself and Z tells that some day will be Zig, and other days will be Zag, while many others will Zip along.
The book reminds children to be themselves, that its okay to act differently and to question. Positivity exudes on every page, encouraging the readers to take charge of their lives and be happy.
The soft, engaging illustrations reveal four friends and we follow their lives through the alphabet, supporting each other as they try to achieve their dreams. Teacher's notes and an activity are available.
This is a book that gives the reader a mysteriously warm feeling and yet an intensely sad memorial of a past that is too raw to revisit; it is redolent of passion and the scent of oranges served with baguettes and the buttery saltiness of French cuisine. The fragrance of this book will linger long after the last page is turned!
Saskia is an Australian wife and mother in her 40s, lightly struggling with anxiety and her relationships, and exercising her artistic tendencies with her paper cut-out art sculptures. Into her medicated normality arrives the interruption of the announcement of an inheritance that forces her to confront her past. She has inherited half of a villa from a wealthy woman she met in the year she worked as an au pair on an idyllic French island. The villa must be visited to sign legal papers, but that also means she must confront her past and the man she thought may have loved her before the moment of awfulness of that year in her youth. Time has passed and Saskia has kept secrets from everyone in her present, and the things she had tried to forget are now confronting her stability, her sense of self as a mother and the things that she struggles with in her marriage. Can she revisit the past with her family in tow and stay on an even keel, or will everything in her life be repaired by re-examining that part of her life from a different perspective?
This is an incredibly rich and layered story, switching between the past and the present, and with both French and English language and culture woven through the story. Relationship struggles across generations rear their head in different ways, and truth and lies are told for complex reasons. The story is told both in the present, but also through the resonance of the account from Saskia’s past told from her friend and benefactor’s perspective and from her own long suppressed memory. The scent of the past hangs mysteriously over the secrecy of Saskia’s present. There are whiffs of the power of ambition, charm, great wealth and their influence to subvert life. But there is also just a story of love and betrayal that could so easily have changed the paths of all the characters in the story. I loved the story and the complexity, and even the challenge of not having French language skills did not impede my enjoyment of this adult story. Vanessa McCausland knows how to weave a story that is both romantic (occasionally sensual and almost erotic) and profoundly moving. Adult relationships are revealed with many layers of complexity and problems that younger readers may not yet be world-wise enough to understand.
Themes France, Romance, Mystery, Relationship dysfunction and abuse, Mood disorders, Eating disorders, Same-sex attraction.
Carolyn Hull
Poster girl by Veronica Roth
Hachette, 2022. ISBN: 9781529331035. (Age:17+)
Sonya Kantor has spent the last decade locked in the Aperture, a prison on the outskirts of the city after the Delegation fell - the Delegation that she was the Poster Girl for, her face with the slogan 'What's right is right', all over the city. The Delegation and its constant surveillance through the Insight, an ocular implant that tracks every word and every action, rewarding or punishing by a rigid moral code set forth by the Delegation. Then the revolution - the Delegation fell, and its most valuable members were locked in the Aperture. Everyone else, now free from the Insight's monitoring, went on with their lives. Ten years of being imprisoned and a new law is passed, releasing those who were children under the Delegation. Sonya falls just outside of the age limit having been 17 when imprisoned, however the new government, Triumvirate, offers her a deal - find a missing child stolen from her parents by the old regime and earn her freedom. Going out into the world she has been shut out off for a decade, that has changed drastically, she will have to dig deep into the past to find the missing child.
Roth, author of the popular dystopian Divergent series, has created another dystopian world in which readers can easily see themselves. Technology has merged with humans and everyone is heavily reliant on it, and the government observes every move you make. Well written and evenly paced, this stand alone novel is a great dystopian mystery, perfect for fans of both genres. Given the character's age, 27 years old, and the content of the story, this novel is more suited to an adult audience. There are flashbacks to when the character is 16 and 17 years old, but the majority of the story occurs when Sonya is 27.
The Wish sisters: The pet wish by Allison Rushby. Illus. by Karen Blair
University of Queensland Press, 2023. ISBN: 9780702265952. (Age:6+) Highly recommended.
A little Imp….a bit of magic….and lots of chaos!
The Pet Wish is the fourth book, and another delightful addition to the popular new series, The Wish Sisters. Cleverly written by talented Australian author Allison Rushby and beautifully illustrated by Karen Blair, this delightful tale follows the enchanting escapades of the Wish family, whose lives have taken an exciting turn since Granny Aggie gifted her granddaughters, Flick and Birdie, with a magical Imp.
But, there’s a few hitches and glitches! The Imp only listens to Birdie, the youngest, because Granny Aggie said her Grandbabies, not Grandchildren. Birdie is only a baby, who can’t even talk properly. So, nobody even knows what she is going to wish for, until it appears! On top of that, the mischievous little Imp always adds a delightful adaptation to each wish cast and the biggest problem is that the family must keep their Imp a secret.
So, when Flick is super excited, as it is the Pet Play Date event, what could possibly go wrong. The community are trying to raise money for animals and home unwanted pets. Her only troubles is if Birdie decides to make a wish things could be a disaster.
Throughout the novel, the Imp's antics are humorous and entertaining. Allison Rushby's writing style is engaging and an easy read for those younger readers; entering into the chapter book world. Karen Blair's illustrations bring the characters and their magical world to life and complement the storyline beautifully.
Full of magical twists and turns that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. The Pet Wish is a success and a series to add to the list of must reads for the younger audience!
Themes Magic, Animals, Family, Problem solving.
Michelle O'Connell
Traced by Catherine Jinks
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790125. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
I am a fan of both Jinks’ adult thrillers (Shelter, The attack, and her children’s stories (A very unusual pursuit,The reformed vampire support group), and am always keen to pick up another book written by her. Traced is set in the time of COVID, with Jane MacDonald working as a contact tracer who knows that there are people who don’t want to be contacted, because of varying reasons, one of them being domestic abuse. When Jane realises that one of the contacts is the man, Griffin Clynch, that she and her daughter Tara have been hiding from for years, things begin to become very difficult for her. She knows that she must warn Clynch’s partner to leave him but is also appalled when she realises that he lives very close to her. She must protect her daughter and herself.
Jinks takes the reader back and forwards from 2014 to 2020, relating the events that have led Jane and her daughter to change their names, occupations and location. The author is an expert a describing domestic abuse and coercive control, describing the stages that Clynch goes through with Tara, Jane’s daughter. He is initially charming, but gradually he manages to isolate his victim from friends and family, getting her to change jobs, lose confidence and eventually live in fear for her life. The feelings of the helplessness of Tara and his latest victim, Nicole, are described vividly, and it is easy to see how they could become ensnared by him, too afraid to ask for help. However, Jane is a strong person who battles to save her daughter and Jinks brings to life the feelings of a mother pushed to her limits.
The build up of suspense kept me reading to finish the book in a couple of sittings, as I feared that the abuser would find Jane and Tara and dreadful things would happen. And the terrifying climax could well keep readers up at night!
People who enjoy novels by Jane Harper may like to add Jinks’ repertoire of psychological thrillers to their reading list.
EK Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781922539380. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
A magical pen can fix anything…. right???
Ruby and the Pen, written by David Lawrence weaves a heart-warming story of courage, friendship, and the power of creativity. This middle-grade novel captures the essence of a twelve-year-old girl's journey through loss, self-discovery, and the unexpected consequences of her newfound magical ability.
Ruby is relatable, endearing, funny, clever, and a budding young artist who loves to draw. Tragically she lost her father four years ago and now lives with her mother and her mother's boyfriend, “Dodgy Dave”. Ruby finds great comfort in drawing, but when she stumbles upon a seemingly ordinary fountain pen, could its magical properties change her life forever or could this pen’s magic go too far?
With Dodgy Dave sending Ruby to boarding school, Ruby faces bullies, cruel teachers, and her inability to play soccer doesn’t help her cause. But Ruby’s sense of humour and loving memories of her Dad help her make the best of each situation as they arise. Even school bullies, Sasha and Miranda, can’t knock her resilience and courage, and finding a friend in Fav is just what she needs.
When discovering some secretive activities by Dodgy Dave, the local council person and her new headmaster, Mr Lemon, Ruby needs to take action. But is it a magical pen that Ruby needs to solve her problems, or will there be other methods that are more effective?
Filled with enchanting black and white illustrations by Cherie Dignam, this novel is a visual treat that captivates readers of all ages. Lawrence delivers a touching story that celebrates the strength of young minds, the importance of resilience, and the value of true friendship and teamwork. With twists and turns to keep everyone on their toes, this narrative is beautifully paced and will keep every reader engaged from beginning to end. The author's ability to build suspense and create genuine emotional connections with the characters is commendable.
Magical, motivating and amusing ‘til the very end. Definitely worth a read!
The wonderful Julia Donaldson and talented Rebecca Cobb have paired again to produce this wholly inviting lift the flap book. This funny rhyming story will have all kids sleuthing to try and find the correct house. Readers will love lifting the flap and opening up the pages as the boy explores each house.
Dan invites a boy in his class to come and visit him in South Street, but neglects to tell him the number of the house. The boy peers at the array of houses in the street and must select which one is Dan’s house. Each house looks different from its neighbour, and each has a particular resident.
House Number One has wonderful smells coming from inside and the boy looks through the window and spies a cook. Not this one.
House Number Two has a horse in the front yard. Could this be Dan’s house, not when the boy peers through the window and sees a knight. House Number Three has round windows and from the inside the boy can hear the words ‘yo ho ho’. And a wooden leg hitting the floor. Not this house, he says as he presses on to number four. House Number Four does not look as inviting as the others did. Here he hears a chain, and loud wails inside the dismal place. And he peers through the window to spy something he did not wish to see. Definitely not this one. At House Number Five he stands by the door and feels rain on his head, looking up he spies Dan with a watering can. At last he has found the right house. Here they play together at being a knight, a cook and a pirate.
The gentle rhyming encourages younger children to predict the rhyming word, offering perhaps their own words to the lines. The cute illustrations invite the readers to look more closely at the detail given on each page. I loved checking out the windows, doors and front yards of each house, implying the sort of resident who might be inside.
Top Speed is the second novel in the Furball series created by Adrian Beck. With more Dad jokes than you could ever imagine, this novel will have your eyes rolling, and then desperately wanting more. Be entertained by the silliness, as our famous spy team are at it again.
Furball and his friends, Jade and Kit, are part of Meow-6. Each mission they encounter is dangerous, nerve-wracking and risky; but with evil villains out there, there is no time to waste!
After briefly conquering Grandma Grassy Pants, from the evil organisation, Klawz, Meow-6 are now hot on the tail of some gold stealing thieves. Sent on their mission to Egypt and entered into a death defying bike race, can the team from Meow-6 capture these bandits before it is too late, or will evil finally win?
Filled with loads of cool black and white cartoon pictures, speech text and action; this book is sure to be a hit. In a style mixed between graphic and standard novel, this will certainly target a wide audience and appeal to many as they read along and follow each escapade that unfolds.
With wit, humour and ingenuity, this story will keep its audience captivated until the very end. Fun and light-hearted, this is an enjoyable read that will tantalise every readers’ tastebuds; even those reluctant ones. If you like a little adventure and enjoy a huge laugh, Furball and the Miow-6 crew will keep you thoroughly entertained. Containing short chapters, large easy to read print and a really fun layout, this is a great story for all ages. This novel is similar in format to Adam Wallace’s series, FARTBOY and Tim Harris’ series Ratbags. So, if you enjoyed those, then this one will be right up your alley too.
If you love a laugh, and loads of corny jokes, then this book will be PAWSitively PURRfect!
