Reviews

Allira's gift by Paul Collins and Danny Willis

Five Mile Press, 2007
(Ages 11+) Richly illustrated by Danny Willis, this fantasy hardback novel, sweeps the reader along in a whirl of adventure and danger. Gerald Hart takes his two children, Allira and Stephen, to the castle home of his father, Fergus, who has disappeared. Allira often sees strange things that no one else notices and she keeps the dragon she glimpses near the castle a secret. More surprises are in store for her as she discovers the alternative world of Grymm, where a fierce battle against evil is being waged and she finds hidden depths of strength and courage

The novel has immediate appeal to an Australian audience because of its setting in Victoria's bush, with possums, gum trees, a bunyip and the Calder Highway, blending with the more traditional fantasy elements of a castle, goblins, dragons and trolls.

The strong female main character will appeal to young girls, and there is plenty of action, fights, hideous characters and bloodshed to engage boys. The illustrations stretched my imagination. I especially enjoyed the pictures of Allira and Stephen, and felt that they were people I knew well. They contrasted well with the quirky drawings of the unsung heroes in the Hall of Fame.

The story ends on a frightening cliffhanger which didn't worry me as an adult as I assumed that all would be resolved in the next book in the series. However this may worry younger readers. Fans of this book could move onto Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series and The Foundling by D.M. Cornish.
Pat Pledger

Dusk by Kenneth Oppel

Faber and Faber 2007
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. A thrilling page-turner with prehistoric bats as the main characters, Dusk is a story that will linger in the imagination. Dusk is a little chiropter who belongs to a colony that dwells in a tall tree. He was born with a difference – he can flap his wings and fly while his relatives can only glide. Outsiders are not welcome and it is not until the colony is under threat that he comes into his own.

This is a wonderful survival story told by an award-winning author. It is set in a time when dramatic changes are occurring on earth. The dinosaurs are dying out and meat eaters have emerged. The chiropter colony, once safe and happy on an island, is viciously attacked by tree climbing mammals. The colony is forced to use Dusk’s echovision, which helps him to see at night, and his flying ability to lead them to a new home.

The reader is swept along with the sheer adventure of the story and becomes immersed in Dusk's struggle to find a place for himself and the parallel tale of Carnassial who is the first in his tribe to eat meat. Both fight to survive in a harsh and evolving environment. Oppel subtly get his reader to think about extinction and the fight for survival.

Characters are finely drawn and very appealing. The family relations are vividly described, with Dusk's relationship with his sister Sylph and father, Icarion, the colony's leader, adding depth to the story. The moral dilemmas facing the groups about hunting and killing species are explored with the destruction of the eggs of the terrifying saurian.

This story is a winner. It will be welcomed by fans of Oppel's previous books about bats and new readers will be want to continue on with other books.
Pat Pledger.

Miss McAllister's Ghost by Elizabeth Fensham

UQP, 2008
When Wilf comes home scared out of his wits, talking about a ghost, his siblings decide to investigate. Hardly missed at home, it is an opportunity to go off together. What they find, an elderly woman living by herself in a forgotten part of the neighbourhood, untouched by the twentieth century, is at first, unsettling, but as the children get to know her, they become involved in the routines of Miss McAllister's life.

The children take on the tasks around her house, gardening, chopping wood, cleaning, and cooking, all the while asking questions and learning about life in the past. When Michael spots a face at the window of the stable, then they investigate further and so are  more completely drawn into her world, protective and helpful.

This is a most unusual read, partly because it does not go down the path expected when reading about a ghost story, and because it gives so much detail about how people lived a century ago, it seems like a social history book, and I found myself less interested in the story, although I am sure middle school readers will not be so easily strayed from the path. The religious touches too, make it different, and they underline the dissimilarity between the life Miss McAllister led as a child, and that of the protagonists. I enjoyed the read immensely and it will be a winner in schools, but I found the lack of resolution of the cruelty of the children's father a small niggle.
Fran Knight

The Black Dog Gang by Robert Newton

Penguin 2007
(Age 11-14) When Maggie is taken to the Quarantine Station with plague, Frankie and his gang come to regret their money making scheme, catching and selling rats to the health inspector. The time is early twentieth century and the setting is the Rocks in Sydney, a haven for poverty and rats, culminating in the outbreak of the plague in those early years.

Frankie and his friends attend the Ragged School, set up for the children of the poor workers who live there. Some are well off with loving families, but others suffer brutal treatment at the hand of alcoholic fathers and cruel men. It is a time of death and cruelty, dealt out not only by fathers, but also the principal of the school.

A terrific and at times, harrowing, read about a time hardly heard about, The Black Dog Gang realistically captures the times and the fear with which some children lived. I found it hard to read (tears) and I am sure middle school readers will lap it up.
Fran Knight

Juicy Writing by Brigid Lowry

Allen and Unwin, 2008
Subtitled Inspiration and Techniques for Young Writers, Juicy Writing will be a boon for all aspiring writers, young and old. Often asked by students for help in their creative writing, it is great to see such a well produced and informative guide. In the past, books by Hazel Edwards and Eleanor Nilsson have been indispensable, but this new guide by award winning adolescent writer, Brigid Lowry, is set to be used by a wide variety of aspiring writers. Her light touch makes the book most accessible, and she gives advice with humour and enthusiasm.

The five easily read chapters go through the different needs for an aspiring writer, from journals and the need for an inquisitive mind, to where to look for ideas, to 'funking it up', to lots of ideas to get started  The list of starters intrigued me, and I can see many teachers getting good mileage from these sections. Easy exercises too, litter the pages and kids could as easily use these at home or with a group of friends, as a teacher in the classroom. The book will have wide appeal to students, teacher and librarians. Lowry discusses narrative as well as poetry, offering suggestions for writers of both genres. Several chapters were a surprise, giving advice that I had never heard of making me immediately think of how I could use it. Such a chapter is the one entitle 'Dialogue'. The Glasgow Rules outlined by Lowry make marvelous sense and would appeal to young writers.

It is well worth a look at the book for your library or classroom, as it offers a huge range of suggestions in an easy to read format.

Camp Creepy time by Gina Gershon and Dann Gershon

Random House 2007
(Age 10+) Einstein P. Fleet is at the summer camp from hell. Sent away for 8 weeks by his long suffering parents, Einsten, a 13 year old computer freak and consumer of Twinkies, discovers that the brochure describing its many activities, lake and swimming pool is completely false. The only friends that he makes are a ghost and an alien and he must try and save the campers from conniving camp counsellors.

Readers, especially boys, will enjoy the humour surrounding bodily functions and the scary scenarios. Einstein is an interesting problem child with his penchant for worse case scenarios and his computer empire. The book is an easy read.

Film rights have been commissioned for this wacky story by actress Gina Gershon and her brother Dan and it certainly would lend itself to a funny horror film with its werewolves, vampires and mummies, aliens from outer space and highly exaggerated characters.
Pat Pledger

Best mate by Michael Morpurgo

Ill. by Michael Foreman. HarperCollins 2007
(Age 10+) A winner for all animal lovers, this heart-warming story from an award-winning author relates the story of a greyhound as he goes on an adventurous journey through life. On his way to school, Patrick spies a wriggling sack in the canal and rescues a mass of puppies, one of which he gets to keep. The reader might expect that this would be the start of a wonderful life for Best Mate, the little greyhound puppy, but it is only the beginning of a series of traumatic, sad and ultimately uplifting events as he goes from one owner to another.

This is a compulsive yet easy read as Morpurgo weaves a series of interrelated stories around the adventures of one dog and how they influence the lives of the people around him. The reader will be warmed by the way Patrick responds and grows with a dog as a best mate; thrilled by BrightEyes’ speed as a champion greyhound and saddened by the treatment of greyhounds when they are too old to race. The author’s description of the dog’s loyalty to the runaway Becky and his career as a protestor for the rights of the aged are wonderful.

Michael Foreman’s quirky illustrations add a dimension to the young reader’s understanding of the plot and greatly enhance the reader’s knowledge of greyhounds, their speed and racing skills.

A great story that would be good to read aloud, this book comes highly recommended.
Pat Pledger

Seams of gold by Christopher Cheng

National Museum of Australia Press, 2007 (Making Tracks) ISBN 978 1876944520
(Age 8+) Danny is staying with his uncle while his parents visit relatives in China. Since the mining accident, uncle has sewn for a living, doing all sorts of repairs for the miners, as they slave over their diggings looking for gold. Grudgingly Danny accompanies his uncle, aghast when he tells him that he should sew too. Sewing is women's work, but things turn out that sewing is Danny's work as well, as he realises that sewing has an important place in the community.

A delightful story full of the sight and sounds of the goldfields in the middle of the nineteenth century in New South Wales, when many Chinese people came to work the mines, Cheng recreates the feelings of being a Chinese person at the diggings, where their skills were sought after. He based his story around a small sewing basket at the National Museum, part of a collection of objects gathered from the NSW goldfields.
Fran Knight

Note: Discussion questions and other activities can be found at Making tracks.

Diego's pride by Deborah Ellis

Allen and Unwin, 2008
(Age 11+) Diego has escaped from the cocaine traders in the Bolivian jungle and now must survive. Luckily he is found by a cocalero family, and he helps them harvest their coca crop before taking it to market. But some sell their crop for cocaine, and the USA funds the Bolivian government to destroy the crops, so the police move in and destroy the family crop, pulling up their plants and trashing their farm. Destitute the family joins with others to blockade the bridge on the highway between the major cities, in protest about their loss of income.

Here Diego learns about grass roots activism, helps the families in their plight and narrowly avoids being hurt himself. Through the kindness of a local policeman, he finds his way back to his family in Cochabamba where he is able to help the police track down those who kidnapped him in Diego, run. A wholly satisfying read, Diego's pride will broaden our students' view of the world and how it works, encourage their sympathy for the poor and oppressed, and gain some understanding of the political nature of the cocaine trade.
Fran Knight

True Blue? On being Australian by Peter Goldsworthy

Allen and Unwin
(All ages) What an introduction to the range of peoples that make up Australia today, Goldsworthy has drawn together excerpts from books, speeches, newspaper articles as well as poems and short stories to show us what it means to be an Australian. Ranging from David Malouf to Michael Leunig and John Clarke to High McKay, the pieces included here will engender some debate. Produced by Allen and Unwin with the support of the Curriculum Corporation, Australia Day Committee and the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training, the book has the feel of a text for schools, but is enjoyable reading for a range of interests.

Many of the stories are unforgettable, as people struggle on with their lives, despite all adversity. One of the most endearing is that of Hieu Van Le, now the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia. His first sight of Australia escaping from Vietnam in 1975 is one that will live with the reader for all time, and is in sharp contrast to the 'welcome' dealt out decades later to people in a similar plight escaping from the Middle East. This one is a stand out for me, but all add to the vast range of people that make up Australia, and give it its broadness.

For students in the classroom, that favourite topic, What it means to be Australian, will be well served with a class set of this book. Students will be able to dip in to read authors they have heard of and many they have not seen before, and argue with their class mates about what is an Australian, what should have been included or not included, what best describes us. Some may notice the lack of children's voices or the dearth of women's voices, some may question the Anglo Saxon predominance, some may want a greater representation from expatriate Australians, but all will bring their own views and values to the book, adding space for discussion and debate. Students will be invited by an astute teacher to put together their own list of what could be included in such a book, sending them to a wider reading and selection of Australian writing, and photos and films will be watched to tease out other quotes and mythologies.
Fran Knight

Sunny side up by Marion Roberts

Allen and Unwin, 2008
(Age 11-14) This book has Sunny, the optimistic but introverted daughter of a naturopath, giving the readers a warts and all account of her life. She and her best friend, Claud run a pizza delivery service on Friday nights, Sunny's mum is about to have her boyfriend, Carl move in, along with his two obnoxious kids and a cat, Sunny's dog, Willow is a bum sniffer and on it goes, a litany of stories all set to collide in an amazingly funny way.

In between, Sunny's tangent monitor rings, as she not only describes what is happening but goes off in different directions, many of which have little to do with the plot but all add a different dimension to the girl's character. All in all, a very funny read for upper primary and lower secondary readers, happy to be diverted with a clever and humorous story, written with charm and alacrity.
Fran Knight

Ana's story by Jenna Bush

(Age 12+) The subtitle, A journey of hope, of this colourfully produced book tells it all, then when you read it is by Jenna Bush based on her work with UNICEF, you know that you are in for a sentimental story of the life of one of the girls Jenna Bush met when working in Africa with AIDS affected children. Although it is sentimental and openly aimed at gaining the readers' sympathies, it does give a lot of information about AIDS and AIDS in Africa and the lives of some of the people affected by this disease and the political pulls which affect their progress.

Ana was born with AIDS, passed on by her mother who died within a few years. Her story is one of courage as she develops strategies to live with the disease and its consequences. When students have read novels like Chandra's secrets by Allan Stratton or The heaven shop by Deborah Ellis, then they have been well informed about the disease and the prejudice which meets people so affected. This book will add to their knowledge. Some of it is mawkishly written, and purple prose abounds, but I know lots of girls will find it absolutely charming. And the photos are stunning, showing life worlds apart from our students. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to UNICEF and there is a website that students can access.
Fran Knight

Game as Ned by Tim Pegler

Angus and Robertson, 2007 ISBN978073238576 0
(Age 13+) When Tim tries to speak, his body clams up, his head pounds and he feels sick: so he doesn't. Left in grade 6 for 3 years meant he saw a lot of the inside of the library, sent there because of his failure to respond in the classroom.  And here he learns about Australia's bushrangers, Ned Kelly in particular. With a father killed in Vietnam, and a runaway mum, he lives with his grandfather, a man who refuses to allow his autistic grandson to be experimented on with drugs and therapy.

Working at a sheltered workshop, he meets Erin, employed to be the cook and general dogsbody.  She has problems of her own, but sensing a kindred soul, she teams up with Ned, chattering away to him, while he remains silent. But the town bullies intervene and put pressure on both these young people, and Erin and Ned must stand and fight.

A wholly absorbing read which took me back to the 1970's, with its setting of a small country town, where girls were sluts and boys' behaviour ignored. Passing mentions of the Vietnam War and Skyhooks added to the backdrop. The treatment of both protagonists will evoke a strong reaction from the readers, and they will be gripped by the final few chapters, as Ned tries to relive his hero's and namesake's actions.
Fran Knight

Antarctic close-up by Hazel Edwards

Chelonia Green, champion of turtles by Christobel Mattingly

(Age 8+) This is a breathtaking account of the damage done to the environment by the users of the sea. Chelonia and her family live on an island off the coast of Queensland. Chelonia loves the turtles and sees them as her special friends, but is distraught when one of her favourites, Caretta, turns up dead on the sands. Chelonia and her father unwind the metres of fishing line wound around the turtle's head, and together they begin the arduous job of picking up the rubbish which litters the beaches.

Writing letters to the local yacht club, newspapers and government officials seems to have no response until on one weekend a number of people turn up to help clean up the beaches. A beautifully written story by the admirable Christobel Mattingley, who always writes convincingly about environmental issues, Chelonia Green is a salutary reminder of the damage done to our coastlines and to the animals which live along it. Chelonia Green will be enjoyed by a range of students from beginning readers to upper primary and would work really well, being read aloud.
Fran Knight