Naomi and Ely's no kiss list by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Allen
and Unwin, 2008
(Age 15+) Ely and Naomi are soul mates. They both live in the same
apartment block in Manhattan and have been best friends forever,
sharing their clothes and music and living through Naomi's father
having a brief affair with Ely's lesbian mother. They have even
compiled a no kiss list of boys that neither will kiss, to ensure that
their friendship lasts. But what happens when Ely, gorgeous and gay,
kisses Bruce the Second, Naomi's boyfriend?
Although this book is written from several viewpoints, both Naomi and
Ely as well as several friends, Cohn and Levithan juggle the different
voices adroitly, compelling the reader on to see if Naomi and Ely's
friendship will survive. Naomi is devastated when Ely kisses Bruce the
Second and she has to come to grips with the fact that Ely is gay and
that their friendship will never develop into anything more. She needs
to decide what is really important to her. At the same time promiscuous
Ely takes a look at his lifestyle and also asks himself what he really
wants.
Teens will love this witty story, with its sophisticated but vulnerable
characters and will identify with the search for love and exploration
of their sexuality. The New York setting, music and pop icons will
attract and the writing style is fun to read.
Strong language and sexual themes make this a book for older teens.
Pat Pledger
Little ballet star by Adele Geras and Shelagh McNicholas
Orchard
Books, 2007.
(Age 5+) What little girl wouldn't want to go backstage to meet the
ballet dancers performing in The Sleeping Beauty? Tilly's aunt
is a
ballerina and is giving her a wonderful birthday treat, showing her
what happens before a ballet performance. Tilly sees the dancers put on
their makeup and tries on a costume in the wardrobe department;
explores the wings and the stage and watches the orchestra tuning their
instruments. Then she excitedly sits through the show and gets a
wonderful surprise at the end.
This is a sparking story, full of warm, loving people who are willing
to share the joy of dancing. The delightful illustrations bring to life
the rapture and wonder that Tilly feels about dancing. Happiness beams
from every face in the book.
A keeper - this book is sure to delight the reader who will find
out about the intricacies of a ballet performance and will identify
with a little girl who loves ballet. It is the sequel to The ballet
class, but can be read alone.
Pat Pledger
The sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore
Hodder Children's Books, 2008
(12 +) I am a huge fan of Muchamore's The Recruit, but haven't
read
others from the series until now. I was looking forward to The
Sleepwalker, and in many ways it didn't disappoint. Gritty,
exciting,
realistic and fast moving, it ticked all the boxes you would expect for
an appealing teenage read. However it is most definitely a teenage read
and that's where I came in for a bit of a shock. I recommended The
Recruit to my nephew when he was nine and he loved it. I'd be in deep
trouble with his Mum if I encouraged him to read The Sleepwalker!
Muchamore has moved on and so have his characters. James Adams, aged
ten in The Recruit is now fifteen and like many fifteen year old boys
is preoccupied with sex, swearing, alcohol and his looks.
To be fair Muchamore's books all include the warning 'Not suitable for
younger readers' on the cover and they are located in the teenage
section of most book shops and libraries, but I was still caught out,
and I know of at least one Year 6 teacher who has been recommending The
Cherub series to the boys in her class based on how much her 11 year
old son enjoyed The Recruit. You read one book in a series and
you
assume the rest will be similar. I won't be doing that again!
Robert Muchamore is fulfilling a need for realistic, action packed
reads for the 'fight club' generation who enjoy military style action
and violence, but are not quite ready for James Patterson and Andy
McNab's adult books. The Sleepwalker is violent, opening with a
stomach
churning description of a fatal air crash. Tragedy and pain are dealt
with 'manfully' - you laugh about it and you get on with it. However,
the idea that an agent, having just lost his entire family in said air
crash, becoming one of the main investigators is somewhat irritating in
a book that purports to be 'realistic'.
The story turns on Fahim, an English boy with Arab background who
believes his father may be responsible for the air crash. Cherub agents
Jake and Lauren are sent in to investigate and find themselves up
against Fahim's chillingly violent father and uncle.
The Sleepwalker's downside is the sub-plot covering Cherub
agents
James' and Kerry's two week work experience in a fast food outlet.
Through the entire book I was waiting for this to somehow link to the
main storyline, but it never did. In the end it petered out like a damp
squib and seems to have no other purpose than padding and offering a
tension building break from the main plot. None of Muchamore's readers
appear to mind this rather lazy writing technique and The Sleepwalker
has been awarded a universal five start rating by Amazon reviewers. He
is obviously hitting all the right buttons with teenage readers, so who
am I to quibble?
Claire Larson
Murderer's thumb by Beth Montgomery
Text Publishing, 2008.
(Age 13+) How would you feel if you uncovered the body of a girl
in a
silage pit? Adam Statkus is a newcomer to the small dairy community of
Falcon Ridge. Fleeing from his abusive father, Adam and his mother
settle into a house on a dairy farm and it is while he is helping out
with farm chores that he makes the gruesome discovery. He is intrigued
by the mystery and decides to uncover the identity of the murdered
girl. Is she one of the teenage girls who went missing six years in the
past? The discovery of a cryptic clue to a lost diary sets him a quest
to find the diary, which he hopes will reveal the identity of the
murderer.
This is a perfect murder mystery to introduce the genre to teenagers.
Montgomery has created a story that has all the elements of a
compelling who-dunnit. There is an interesting young detective who is
tenacious and loves to decipher puzzles, a couple of villainous older
footballers, a strong young girl who won't let anyone put her down, and
a fascinating trail of clues and red herrings.
The rural setting where everyone knows everyone else and where
outsiders are viewed with suspicion gives an added dimension to the
story. Adam gets accepted into the local footy club, but wonders
whether he can trust the other players. He is afraid to give out his
telephone number because his father might trace him, and worries about
the safety of going shooting with two of the older players. He is also
perplexed by the behaviour of the Thackeray family, and their attitude
to the missing girl Emma.
The tension mounts as Adam cleverly works out a succession of clues
leading to the diary, and the reader is forced to continue with the
story to find out whether he will be safe and to discover who committed
such a dire murder.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery, loved its pace and allusions to
cryptic crosswords and was kept guessing the murderer's identity to the
end.
Pat Pledger
Perry Angel's suitcase by Glenda Millard
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. ABC Books, 2008.
ISBN 9780733322556
(Age 9-12) This is the third instalment in the Kingdom of Silk series which began
with The Naming of Tishkin Silk, then Layla Queen of Hearts
and now
this wonderful new story involving the Silk family. This touching story
is about finding one's place in life and the journey involved in
reaching that place. Perry (short for Peregrine) Angel, an orphan,
arrives one day to stay with the Silk family carrying only a small
shabby suitcase with the initials PMGDA embossed on the front. For
Perry this case holds all the treasures of his life so far. Perry is
very quiet and is enthralled by the daily rituals of the Silk family,
taking in their quirky traditions and day-to-day routines. As with the
other titles in this series life is not always as straight forward as
we hoped and many secrets often remain untold. Perry slowly begins to
trust the Silks and develops a special relationship with Ben. However a
misunderstanding makes for a climatic ending until calm is restored and
new life stories unfold.
Tracy Glover
The red leather diary by Lily Koppel
Harper Collins, 2008. ISBN 9780061256776
(Age 15-Adult) Lily Koppel, the author of this book and also writer
for the New York Times, discovered a red leather diary among other
treasures during a clean up in the cellar of her New York apartment
building. The author of the diary - Florence Wolfson - had not missed a
single day's entry from 1929 (when she received it as a birthday gift)
until the end of 1934 (the lifespan of the diary). What unfolds is a
fantastic insight into the Bohemian life of America during the 1930's
and the life experiences, through intimate thoughts and emotions, of
Florence during those five years. Intrigued, Lily set out to try and
find information about Florence and in discovery her still alive
proceeded to meet with her to discuss the diaries entries. Florence
added insight to the entries and what transpires is a reflective look
back on those times and the unfolding of a true story of a woman who
dared to follow her dreams.
Tracy Glover
George's secret key to the universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawkin
Corgi Books, 2008. ISBN 9780552559584
(Age 7+) Highly Recommended. George Greenby's parents are eco-warriors,
preoccupied with global warming, recycling and baking broccoli muffins.
George is more concerned with trying to persuade his parents to buy him
a computer, but as their electricity comes from an ancient generator,
he would struggle to plug it in.
During an escape bid by the family's pet pig, George meets his new
neighbours, ten year old ballet fanatic, Annie and her scientist Dad,
Eric. George is also introduced to Eric's computer, Cosmos, the most
intelligent computer in the universe, who is rather snooty (Think Orac
in Blake's Seven) but clever enough to conjure up a portal into outer
space. Add into the mix George's teacher, the sinister Mr Reeper, who
is determined to kidnap Cosmos for his own dastardly plans, and you
have all the makings of a thrilling adventure story.
What makes this book stand out is the skilful way that Hawking slips
fascinating facts into an exciting storyline. During Annie and George's
adventures through the portal into outer space we learn some amazing
facts about our galaxy. Fact-boxes intersperse the story, providing
information about subjects such as matter, exoplanets, neutron stars
and black holes. There is also a selection of high quality colour
photographs dubbed 'Cosmos's Picture Files'. Garry Parsons deserves a
special mention for his delightful illustrations which appear on every
page and add to the book's appeal.
George's Secret Key To The Universe has been short listed for
the
Stockport School's Book Award and has proved extremely popular in my
school, and not just among the boys either. A minority of readers found
the fact boxes irritating - and they do just appear - sometimes in the
middle of a sentence (presumably because of paging constraints) which
can be a little off-putting. However, George's Secret Key To The
Universe hits just the right balance with a lively adventure story
anchored firmly in the fascinating world of science and space. Here is
a story that explains the nature of Black Holes so that primary school
children can understand it - an impressive achievement!
Claire Larson
Ratwhiskers and me by Lorraine Marwood
Walker, 2008. ISBN 9781921150395
(Age 10+) Highly recommended. Fleeing from a fire on the goldfields,
desperately afraid, the 'Boy' follows his dog, Ratwhiskers, and
stumbles into a tent town, where he is grabbed by two miners, Baldhead
and Gingerbeard, and forced to work for them. A kind and helpful young
Chinese boy shows where to find wood and water, and how to manage to
survive the brutality of the miners. Then Ellery, a cold-hearted
villain, threatens both the Chinese and the 'Boy', and it is a struggle
to stay alive.
A touching verse novel, Ratwhiskers and me takes the reader
into the
goldfields of the 1850's, making that time come alive with vivid
descriptions of the hardships, the violence and greed of some of the
miners and the prejudice and fear that the Chinese people faced.
Marwood's poetry is wonderful. With very few words she is able to
conjure up the emotions of Lin, who tells the story of her loss of
family, flight from danger and the frightening people she meets on the
way. It is a story about being alone and learning whom to trust in a
time of danger. Marwood has created a cast of distinctive characters
including Sassy, who died in the fire, the bullying miners, Sun Song
and the Chinese, each brought alive through colourful descriptions. As
well as describing the difficult life of the miners and the cruelty
faced by the Chinese during the goldrush, the first person narrative
sweeps the reader along on a thrilling adventure of treachery and
survival.
This wonderfully descriptive story begs to be read aloud and will leave
the listener and reader satisfied with a tale beautifully told while
pondering the role of the Chinese on the goldfields.
Pat Pledger
Crash by J.A Henderson
OUP Oxford, 2008.
What do a missing oil rig, a Romany, fishing boats, memory loss and the
Tay Bridge have in common? Well, nothing, until the day that Bobby's
dad, Gordon, passes out when they're stuck on a train and see a worker
fall to his death from the bridge. Gordon wakes up believing he is
someone called Dodd Pollen, 15, and hunted by the police.
At first, Bobby thinks it's great. He can do what he wants, when he
wants. However, his dad's confusion becomes paranoia, and Bobby turns
to his friend Mary and her grandma for help.
When a stranger comes looking for Gordon, informing him that his
Lazarus Project, a disaster prediction that he can't remember anything
about has become a reality, he decided to leave his son in case his
presence could cause him any harm. Bobby and Mary go to find him, and
Mary's grandma follows. Meanwhile, all hell breaks loose and a tsunami
floods part of Scotland.
This is a great book, and was not what I expected at all. If you enjoy
Artemis Fowl and any Alex Rider style books, you will love this!
Nikki Heath
Cat on the island by Gary Crew and Gillian Warden
Angus and Robertson, 2008.
Gary Crew demonstrates just how powerful a picture book can be in
getting across an environmental message to all ages in this new book,
beautifully illustrated by Gillian Warden. When the boy asks his
grandfather to tell him a story, he hears about his forebears, sent to
an island to take up the position of lighthouse keeper. Moving, the
family takes their cat, and when she gives birth, the kittens
eventually travel all over the island, feasting on the small wrens
which live there.
When one of the cats brings in a dead bird in its mouth, the lighthouse
keeper wraps it up and sends it to the museum. This attracts the
interest of the naturalist but when he arrives at the island to trap
some of the birds, the only flightless wrens in the world, he cannot
find any. They have all been hunted to extinction.
The island is real. Stephens Island off the coast of New Zealand hosted
the family and its cat in 1894. Within two years, no wrens were left.
The seemingly simply told story is explosive in its message. Any person
reading or hearing it cannot help but be dismayed along with the little
boy who asked for the story to be told. The illustrations serve the
story well. At first calm and liquid, getting increasingly menacing as
the story progresses, the eyes of the cat become larger, until the
double page spread of a heavily clawed and nastily toothed cat looms up
in red, ready to attack the reader.
Fran Knight
Evening is the whole day by Preeta Samarasan
Estate, 2008.
Preeta Samarasan's Rajasekharan's family story is told through Aasha's
eyes, and is set against the newly emerged state of Malaysia. Woven
through the disintegration of this Indian-Malaysian family is the birth
and struggle of a new country fresh from the colonial rule of Great
Britain.
The Rajasekharans are a wealthy family; Appa is a successful criminal
barrister and his wife, Amma has come from humble beginnings and is
very aware of her social standing and works hard to make the coffee
morning set. Poati is the mother in law who indulges all but Amma and
her unfortunate servant, Chellan. The children of this loveless and
soulless marriage are Unna, a precocious child and now an intelligent
young woman about to go to study in an Ivey league university in the
USA, Suresh and indulged younger brother and the youngest, Aasha, whose
only support, Unna, is about to abandon her.
Ghosts are the only friends for Aasha after Unna suddenly and
inexplicably no longer includes her in her world. She observes her
family almost as an outsider, from her refuge point on or behind the
green PVC couch. Through her we see the family moving further apart.
Appa has his mistress and he spends most of this time with this family.
Paati, who seeks favour from all, sets all against her daughter in law,
who she considers an unworthy match for her son.
All the stories, the secrets and lies come spiraling together at the
point of Unna's departure. And these are all symptomatic of the
complexity that is Malaysia.
Mark Knight
Saltwater moons by Julie Gittus
Lothian 2008. ISBN 9780734410290
(Age 15+) Invited to spend the weekend at a shack owned by his parents,
Sun agrees without hesitation, as she can see that Tycho is as
interested in her as she is in him. But despite the sentimental cover,
making this appear to be a schmaltzy romance, this book concerns the
growing realization of Sun's betrayal by Tycho's friend, Mark. At the
party Tycho is diverted by his former girlfriend, and the drunken Sun
goes down to the beach with Mark. Here they have fumbling sex, Sun for
the first time.
Sun is in year 12, and so feels she is in control of her life and where
she is headed, but her decision to be with Mark, changes her view of
life. Her relationship with Mark causes incredible friction between Sun
and her best friend, and when Sun stays away from school through
illness, on her return the spite towards her has consumed most of the
year group. She turns more and more to Mark, despite the interest from
Tycho still being there, and so she must resolve what is happening in
her life. Most realistic, the behaviour and language of senior students
is most real. Senior students will relish this story.
Fran Knight
The twisted citadel by Sara Douglas
Voyager, 2008.
(Age 15+) This is a quest fantasy in which the central protagonists
Maximillian and Ishbel have to organise the people of their world to
defeat the immediate threat of the Screalings (a swarm of monsters from
the cold north) and an ancient evil from the south. To do this, our
heroes have to regain their heritage of power in the twisted citadel.
Unbeknown to them Ishbel and Maximillian have been groomed through
painful childhood experiences by the devious snake and frog gods.
Further complicating events is the fact that they love each other but
events have parted them, leading to mistrust and misunderstandings on
their reunion.
The Twisted Citadel is
a great read for Sara Douglas fans as she brings back characters from
the Axis books who escaped the destruction of Tencedor. The previously
stand alone books that Douglas has tied in are Threshold which occurred 2000 years
in the past and Under
the Hanging Wall, which is in the recent past for the hero Maxim.
The story refers to previous action but understanding is not dependant
on having read earlier books. However to make sense of The twisted citadel reading The serpent bride is essential as most of the
characters' actions are dependent on events in The serpent bride.
Whilst this is not as strong a book as The Serpent Bride, it carries the story
along and I look forward to a rip roaring finale with our heroes saving
the world. The size of the book and themes make this an adult read or
an older teen read. I would recommend it for this audience.
Leanne Marjanovic
Bunker 10 by J A Henderson
(Age 10 +) Highly Recommended. Seven teenagers have been sent to live on a military base, apparently because of their superior intelligence, although none of them seem to know quite why they are there. All are about to be annihilated in a huge explosion on Christmas Eve - and this story is the countdown to their destruction.
Cheerful stuff! The uncompromising bleakness and violence in Bunker 10 is shocking enough, but hovering above it is the stark suggestion that these are not actually real children, but extremely sophisticated computer programmes.
Simulations are a specialty of this military base and it appears that a team of intelligence experts have been sent into the base to test the ultimate in simulation - computer programmes that can think and act independently and who believe themselves to be real human beings.
There is so much double crossing and ducking and diving that you have to really concentrate while reading Bunker 10, but this outstanding book more than repays the effort. On one level there is enough tactical action to satisfy the most ardent paint-ball fanatic. The speed of action is breathtaking with plenty of shooting and gore. On another level I found the whole story quite unsettling. We know simulations are an important element of the plot and I spent the entire book wondering whether the children were real or not and whether the massive explosion (we are told at the start there are no survivors) would really happen.
J A Henderson is a master. His use of the 'countdown' (each section starts with the time, adding to the sense of urgency) builds the tension until you are racing through, desperate to find out what happens. There are some great touches of humour - I loved the reference to Star Trek. Characterisation of all seven children is engaging - their idiosyncrasies add to both the realism and the humour and while the plot is wildly beyond the realms of reality (I hope!) who cares? This is a fantastic story which should impress the boys. Quick J A Henderson, write another one! Claire Larson
Give me truth by Bill Condon
Woolshed Press, 2008. ISBN 9781741663310
(Age 13+) Two stories overlap in this new novel by Bill Condon. I loved
No
worries (2005) and felt that the voice of the adolescent boy in
that
story, trying valiantly to help his mentally ill mother was just
prefect. I'm not so sure here, but kids will love the story about the
breakdown of marriage and family.
Caitlin's mother has just found out that her husband has been having an
affair. Caitlin tries to comfort her and is willing to keep quiet for
the sake of her younger brother. But she has trouble talking to her
father, and feels the whole family is about to erupt. David's family
has had a major argument ending with David being hit by his father. His
mother and the two children leave the house and move in with their
grandmother. David feels he wants to talk to his father but his mother
is adamant that he does not see him.
The two stories of Caitlin and David intersect when both teens and
their friends audition for a school play. Both the protagonists are
angry with their parents but have to hold some sort of secret within
themselves while outwardly behaving normally. It puts an incredible
strain on their friendships and time spent at school. Condon cleverly
contrasts the two situations; Caitlin's where her parents are
reasonably controlled and civil, David's where his parents are
antagonistic and the father is out of control. The reader can see for
themselves the choices being made by each family in a situation not
conducive to making informed and reasonable decisions. It is at times a
scary read, but adolescent readers will see themselves and/or many of
their friends in this story.
Fran Knight
