Allen and Unwin, Germany 2007 ISBN 978 1 74175 280 9
(Age 14+) Mara is in serious trouble at school: not passing in work,
truanting, leaving school on the slightest whim, and when questioned,
flying into an instant rage. One teacher however, believes there is
more to Mara than everyone thinks, and puts some trust in her. She
finds her a work experience placement at a day care centre. Here Mara
relaxes with the children, builds some non threatening relationships
with both the children and other staff, and forgets her home life.
But her parents' inability to cope is ever present, influencing what
she does and how she behaves. She lives in some squalour with her
unemployed resentful father, turning constantly to alcohol for solace
and a mother who has become increasingly agoraphobic and at a loss to
understand what is going on around her. In the middle of the violence
and stupor is Mara and her red rage, now becoming increasingly
frequent.
Becoming interested in a boy she sees him with another girl, and her
uncontrollable rage takes over with disastrous results. She and the
others must endure the consequences of what she has done. How Mara
accepts responsibility for her actions forms the crux of the story,
ending with a neat moral lesson for all readers. Translated from the
German edition, Red rage
exposes the story of a troubled youth, circumscribed by the indolence
of her parents, given no moral boundaries growing up, causing untold
and long term harm with her actions. The teacher's efforts to curb her
rage came to nothing, although there is some redemption at the end for
readers to hold on to.
Fran Knight
The last muster by Leonie Norrington
Liminal Books, 2020. (Age:12+)
Shane and Red are two teenagers living on a remote cattle station in the Kimberley region. Shane is captivated by the thought of taming a wild stallion they saw in the hills. The station has been taken over by a large corporation, and greedy for profit, it threatens their positions on the land and Shane and Red find themselves fighting for the right to stay.
On the surface, this could be read as an action packed adventure story. The reader becomes engrossed in the story of Shane's attempts to tame a wild stallion and the danger when the pair become lost in desolate bush. The story of Jandamarra, an aboriginal man who had hidden from the law in the stone country a hundred years before is exciting. At the same time the narration gains the reader's sympathy about the complex themes of ownership of the land and land rights. When Red and Shane work on a project to try and get land rights for Lofty, Shane's father is very resistant. Gradually he has to come to grips with the fact that the Aboriginal people owned the land before his great grandfather took it over and that Lofty and Red have rights to it now.
This will be enjoyed for the exciting story. At the same time, it will give its readers the opportunity to reflect on ownership and care of the land.
Pat Pledger
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Age 14+ When Lakshmi is told that she is to go to the city and work as a maid, she is excited and grateful. She will now be able to send money back to her family in the foothills of Nepal, where, dogged by poverty, they can barely afford to put food in their children's mouths. As she travels further away from her mother, however, the trip becomes increasingly strange, until, finally in the city, she is locked in a room until she accepts that she is there to service the men who knock at the door.
In spare prose, set up in diary form, Lakshma details the life she leads with the other girls. Occasionally raided by police, she comes to realize that they are only there for the extra money from the brothel keeper. Sometimes some American men come in and speak to her of escape, but the stories she has been told about these men, keep her wary and afraid. Her attempts to save money are met with derision from one girl, who confides that she will never be allowed to leave, only being tossed out when she is no longer of any use.
The sweep of the novel is extraordinary, showing the reader just how these girls are sold into slavery, what their lives consist of and the collusion needed with authorities to keep them in the trade. Each of the girls' lives is told in much detail, so that the reader is in no doubt about what happens to them. Statistics at the end of the book, detail the extent of slavery around the world, and in particular the sexual slavery that goes on.
Read it and weep. Fran Knight
Larklight by Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt
London : Bloomsbury, 2006 Available from Allen
& Unwin
Age 10+ Larklight is a rip-roaring adventure science fiction book with
a wonderful whimsical story and terrific characters. It is set in
familiar Victorian times with the added dimension of the British Empire
ruling some of the planets.
Larklight is a large dilapidated house that flies around in space in an
orbit near the Moon. Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live there with
their scholarly father. One day Mr Webster, supposedly from the Royal
Xenological Institute, visits and they discover to their consternation
that he is an enormous white spider like creature, one of the First
Ones, who captures their father and takes over Larklight. Art and
Myrtle manage to escape in a lifeboat and are rescued by the pirate
Jack Havock, who takes them aboard his ship the Sophronia. Many
hair-raising adventures follow in their efforts to foil the First Ones
and save the British Empire.
Wyatt's wonderful, funny and detailed drawings are a joy to look at and
add to the enjoyment of the incredible creatures and objects that
pervade the story. The book is one that booklovers will want to keep
for its beautiful hardcover production with end papers featuring
Victorian ads, long involved chapter headings and footnotes.
Apart from the breath taking adventures, readers will love the zany
humour and references to Victorian customs and the weird beings that
live in this world. Hoverhogs whiz around and clean up, winged ships,
powered by an device called an Alchemical Wedding, flap their way
through the aether and the Crystal Palace attacks London.
Readers can look forward to further adventures and lots of fun as it
appears that there will a sequel.
Age 12+ The film tie-in of the story originally titled Pobby and Dingan tells the story of
Ashmol, an 11 year old boy and his sister Kellyanne who inhabits a
fantasy world with her two imaginary friends, Pobby and Dingan. After
her father fails to bring her invisible friends back from the opal
mine, Kellyanne insists that he goes to search for them. He strays onto
another miner's claim, and is accused of 'ratting'. Kellyanne, grieving
for her lost friends, becomes seriously ill and Ashmol, in a desperate
bid to help her get well, organises the whole town to search for Pobby
and Dingan.
Rice captures the atmosphere of the Australian outback in this quirky
and moving story. The story is told by Ashmol, who loves his sister but
considers her a 'fruit-loop'. All the characters are vivid and real.
This story would perhaps respond to being read out loud and could
promote much discussion about imagination, dreams and the power of
love.
Contained in the same volume is another novella, Specks in the Sky, set
in a camel safari centre in America. A mother and her two daughters see
specks in the sky which turn out to be a team of crack parachutists who
have bailed out during a top- secret mission. Questions are raised
about identity and family relations in this unusual story.
Terrier, (Beka Cooper, book one. A Tortall Legend) by Tamora Pierce
Born into the Lower City, Beka's mother is a friend of some with
influence and money and when she dies, Beka and her siblings are taken
into the lord's household, where Beka decides she will train to be a
Guard. Teamed with two Dogs, Goodwin and Turnstall, they are put on the
night shift in the Lower City, a den of thieves, pickpockets and rats,
and one of their first assignments is to discover why Crookshank's
grandson has been killed.
The Shadow Snake, a story told to quieten children, has come to life
and is stealing young ones from the streets, blackmailing their parents
into their safe return. Some, like Crookshank, do not believe in
the Shadow Snake and refuse to pay, never seeing their children again.
Shy Beka, a Puppy, a trainee, has to follow her Dog's orders, but with
her special powers she is able to pass on information. The city's
pigeons speak to her, passing on the cries of the newly dead, wanting
release, and she hears the cries of those children killed by the Snake.
But some of the pigeons' cries are definitely not children, so the Dogs
begin to investigate adult murders as well. The two investigations run
parallel to the other until they become intricately involved, Beka
finding that memories from her past help solve the kidnappings and
murders.
The scope of Tamora Pierce's new novel is breathtaking. She tells a
powerful story of a young woman coming of age, finding her place in the
world. Enmeshed with magic, trials and mysteries, Beka Cooper will
enthrall all of Pierce's fans and more. Pierce's mesmerizing world is
endless as she peoples it with a huge cast of characters, all with a
part to play within the magnificent medieval setting. A glossary at the
end will help with the new words, and the list of characters with their
parts is helpful for those gasping at the sheer size of the story. I
loved it and was thrilled to find that this book is simply Book One.
Fran Knight
Everyman's rules for scientific living by Carrie Tiffany
16+ Set in the Mallee during the 1930's, this haunting novel brings vividly alive the trials of farm life during the Depression and the lead up to World War 2. Robert Pettergree and Jean Finnegan meet on the government 'Better Farming Train' which brings city advice to farmers. They settle on a small farm, and Robert is determined to live by scientific rules and change wheat farming by using scientific methods. However natural disasters cannot be ruled by science and neither can love. The author gives an authentic voice to the characters, highlighting their humour, struggles and disappointment, making this an engrossing historical book to read.
Pat Pledger
One whole and perfect day by Judith Clarke
Allen & Unwin Age 13+ Sensible 16 year old Lily has what she considers a 'freakish' family. Her father left home before she was born and her mother takes in stray people. Her grandfather has chased her brother Lonnie out of his home with an axe and her grandmother talks to an invisible friend Sef. When Nan decides to hold an 80th birthday for Pop and wants all the family there, Lily the sensible one, is left to try and get everyone together for one whole and perfect day. Judith Clarke has collected together a group of engaging characters who face a series of engrossing and often humourous dilemmas to flesh out her themes of love and family. This is a beautifully written and complex story that is difficult to put down.
Pat Pledger
Voices by Ursula Le Guin
Ursula Le Guin has written another outstanding fantasy book tackling thought provoking issues like religious fervour, revenge, cruelty, women's rights, leadershipand peaceful negotiation. Voices is the second book in the Annals of the Western Shore trilogy and follows the book Gifts where protagonists, Orrec, a storyteller and Gry who can call to animals, were first introduced as teenagers. It can, however, be read as a stand-alone. It is a compelling coming-of-age story.
Ansul, once a beautiful trading city with a famous library, has been conquered by the Alds, a desert people who fear the demons in writing and destroy any books that they find. One last small library is concealed in the Oracle House and it is here that fugitives bring books for safe keeping. 17 year old Memer and the Waylord are scholars and guardians of the library and the Oracle that lies hidden in it. When Orrec and Gry arrive with their half lion they are the catalyst for the uprising of a conquered people.
Pat Pledger
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
13+ This is the story of the summer when D.J Schwenk, a small town girl, learns to speak up for herself. As Brian Nelson, an aspiring football star says, "When you don't talk there is a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said". In this riveting first novel Catherine Gilbert Murdock portrays an unforgettable heroine, who is courageous and funny and who finally goes after what she wants. When her father is injured, D.J. takes over the manual work of their dairy farm. She agrees to train Brian, and this relationship pushes her to understanding herself and her family.
A wonderful book that was difficult to put down.
Pat Pledger
Lost Property by James Moloney
14+ James Moloney explores the rites of passage from adolescence into young adulthood in this story. 17 year old Josh Tambling appears to have everything: he is popular, smart and plays in a grunge band. When Josh takes a holiday job in the Lost Property Office at Sydney's Central Station, he realises that he has lost some important things in his life. His brother Michael refuses to let anyone know where he is living, and Josh is no longer certain of his religious faith. This is an outstanding novel.
Pat Pledger
xxxHolic by Clamp
Translated and adapted by Anthony Gerard, Tanoshimi,
Great Britain, 2006
(Lower secondary) Clamp, a group of 4 women who are Manga artists, is producing three
Manga series of books in Japan, Tsubasa, xxxHolic and Gohou Drug. These
comic books are widely popular in Japan, and are appearing in the
western world to great acclaim.
xxxHolic, volume 1 introduces the hero, Watanuki Kimihira, who
unwittingly falls under the spell of a witch, Yoku. She grants people
wishes and in return they give her their soul.
Working in her shop he sees the array of people willing to use her
services and following one such young woman, finds that she becomes
more and more like a statue, as her body seizes up, until she stops in
front of a truck, unable to move.
The book sized comics are entertaining and richly illustrated. I was
intrigued with the perspective of the drawings and the story line. The
comics introduce a tradition new to the west and will be lapped up by
the target audience, the lower secondary students.
Fran Knight
Cold skin by Steven Herrick
Allen & Unwin, 2007. ISBN: 9781741751291. (Age:15+)
Herrick's finely tuned verse novels are deceptively simple, as they describe a setting, elucidate a set of characters, unfold a plot, while you are lulled by the rhythmic nature of the writing. Before you know it you are engrossed, surprising yourself as you see links and plot developments, character foibles and hints of what may be ahead.
Larry and Eddie Holding are at school, a one teacher place, but they'd rather be working at the mine like everyone else in this one job town. Their father, a returned serviceman, is dejected; feeling cowardly because he didn't see overseas action during the war, and despite their poverty, will not allow his sons to go down the mine.
The small town is delineated by its inhabitants, a mayor who runs the local store, rich and proud, a policeman who wants to do well for his town, a teacher disenchanted with rural life and the lack of women, a publisher who sees all, and goes about his job quietly. When one night a young girl is found murdered, the town looks inward, closing ranks. Malice and suspicion ferments as Eddie watches, noting movement, the other watchers, the drunks and then his father, hiding something and unable to be at peace.
The climax of the story will shock and extend your students' discussions of right and wrong, of consequences and morality.
Fran Knight
The Great Gatsby by Nicki Greenberg
Allen & Unwin, 2007. ISBN: 9781741751338.
I came to this book with some trepidation, not knowing how someone could even give thought to changing a stalwart of literature to a graphic novel, and with strange creatures representing the characters. But I was engrossed, not quite from the start, but it certainly took me in the more I read. Drawn as a powder puff on a twig with a female body at the end of a long neck the wonderful character of Daisy, evokes our sympathy as she is revealed with all her insecurities and regrets, the epitome of a vacuous existence, the woman we all have seen splashed across the pages of women's magazines.
Her husband the brutish Tom, is drawn as a great lump of a man, hair sprouting from his chest and arms, elephant ears, beady eyes, and pig like teeth. Gatsby is an ephemeral sea dragon, with small eyes that peer lovingly at Daisy, always worried lest he do the wrong thing in her eyes. He lives only for her, his house and lifestyle built around the possibility of seeing her.
Each page has between 4 and 6 cartoons, drawn in sepia tones on a black background, with stamp like edging, like photos in an old album. Moth-like the characters play out their lives against the backdrop of 1920's New York, the Jazz Age, where new money is viewed suspiciously, but everyone comes to Gatsby's to be seen and exploit his generosity. For those who read only the graphic novel, the retelling is short but explicit, for those who go on to the novel, then the experience will be enhanced through reading both versions. For the astute teacher, reading the novel would be enhanced with this graphic version, giving as it does an updated view of the characters, a more modern perspective. The discussions emanating from such a comparison would be enthralling.
Fran Knight
Stride's summer by Jenni Overend
Allen and Unwin, 2007 (Age 11-14) The summer he loses his father to the sea, Stride is unable to cope with the extra demands placed upon him by his mother. She too is grieving the loss of her husband and must take responsibility for the whole family on her own. Seeing Stride in his father's clothes and with the cockatoo, Ferd, unsettles her and his persistent lack of cooperation drives a wedge between them.
But this is also the summer he meets Jess, and her interest in him begins with Ferd. She has had experience with birds, and unsettles Stride, suggesting that he allow the cockatoo his freedom. Stride is not able to do this, seeing the bird as a link to his dead father. The two waltz around each other, Stride at first not wanting her to be anywhere near him, but gradually she insinuates herself closer and closer, until Stride looks for her on the beach.
The decision by his mother to sell their cottage is a catalyst for Stride to take off to his grandfather's place, but it is the height of summer, and the threat of fire is ever present. A coming of age story about a boy learning to accept change in his life, this book will appeal to upper primary and lower secondary students, particularly boys. Fran Knight
