Hedgehog the wonder dog by Dannika Patterson and Ross Morgan
Ford Street Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922696212. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The child in bed cannot wait until Friday. He counts the sleeps until Friday comes around. On Friday Hedgehog visits. Through the week Hedgehog the wonder dog does what dogs do. She visits the cafe with Jo who must tell people what sort of dog she is when questioned because she looks unlike the other dogs and she puts up her paw to shake hands when commanded to sit, she rolls over when commanded to fetch.
On alternate pages we see the child in bed, a drinking cup with a straw, the occasional nurse, the beanie, and readers will gradually realise that this child is in hospital, seemingly as a long term patient. We see through the evocative illustrations the routine of simply staying in bed, a warmer day meaning the child can sit outside. His life is bookended by the appearance of Hedgehog on Fridays a welcome respite to the routine within the hospital room that is his home. Children will empathise with the child, restrained by an unknown illness, away from home, not seeing his family or his dog when he wishes to. Friday brings a welcome sight as Hedgehog arrives: just sitting with him if that is what he wants, bringing love into his world, sleeping with him if he is not able to do anything else, sometimes playing with her, telling her to fetch or roll over. Hedgehog is a wonder dog, able to sense what the child wants and work her magic accordingly.
The image of Hedgehog throughout the book will bring tears of laughter and recognition as readers see what the dog means to the child in hospital.
Each page showing the child in hospital gives another level of life as a patient, leading up to the last image of the child in a recliner, a drip in his arm.
Many readers will have some knowledge of hospitals but this book shows a ward mostly unknown, one with long term patients of their own age. The gentle illustrations are perfectly placed to contrast the restraints of life as a patient with the freedom of life at home where Hedgehog can do as he pleases. The illustrations are richly detailed and layered with the images of separation, while contrasting life at hospital with that of being at home.
This warm and touching story of children with cancer, of therapy dogs, of the contrast between home and hospital, is an invaluable book to have at any time, but particularly when a child in the class has to spend time away from home. The story evokes the special needs of children for whom a hospital room is their home for a while and will give the readers some insight into their world. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Cancer, Hospital, Therapy dogs, Separation, Medical practice.
Fran Knight
The sideways orbit of Evie Hart by Samera Kamaleddine
Evie’s Mum writes the Astrological advice column in a women’s magazine. Evie’s stepdad is a stable, caring male figure in Evie’s life … and he is about to leave to work on a bridge-building project some distance from home. Is their family ever going to be the same again? At school Evie has one firm friend, and a teacher who is embarking on her favourite topic – anything and everything to do with stars, planets, space, the moon – Astronomy in general. Evie also is often targeted by one particular girl, Nicole, who has her own internal struggles. Whenever Evie’s eyes start their random twitch and flick patterns, Nicole seems to be right there ready to highlight the anomaly. What will Evie's future look like now her stepdad will not be around as much? Can looking at the stars or the moon help? And how can she stop her insides from rolling and squirming every time she thinks about it all?
This is an end-of-Primary school story that has an anxious lead character. Set within a school and family context there are small dramas that are potentially devastating for Evie, but at the same time there is much support and opportunity for her to grow despite the struggles. Friendship even becomes possible with the mean girl. The family circumstances for Evie are a little unusual, and her mother seems distant, even though it is her stepdad who is moving away. The topic of Space and Astronomy is almost a starring character in its own light, as the book weaves through many facts and interesting revelations from the class teacher as she shares her favourite subject. The contrast between Astronomy and astrology is only briefly touched on. With little hints that the author has reflected on her own personal story to tell this work of fiction, this story has a charming and believable heart as Evie orbits the universe trying to make sense of change and her place in it. Recommended for readers aged 9-12.
In each of the short stories in this collection, Volk takes the bones of a Biblical story (from both the Old and New Testament) and breathes life into it by retelling it from the perspective of a minor character or bystander. In so doing she explores the relationships and the emotions that must surely underlie the basic plotlines she selects, and in the process the people become inherently human. We can identify and relate to their predicaments in a way that may not have occurred during a simple reading from the Bible, where the moral lesson often seems to be the most important element. And so we can empathise with Noah’s daughter-in-law’s fear of water; the jealousy between two sisters married to the same man; the soldier commanded by his king to slay him; the father yearning for his prodigal son. They all make for interesting thought-provoking stories.
The stories can be read simply as a collection of intriguing human situations; but for the more dedicated reader of the Bible, there is also an end section with discussion starters, which relate back to the original scriptures, and provoke more thoughtful examination of the issues raised, and which often also provide a tie-in to modern dilemmas, about euthanasia and suicide, for example. Volk is clearly an accomplished scholar of Bible studies, and with her skills as a writer she provokes fresh examinations of the complexities of deceptively simple stories, familiar to many readers. And thus they gain a new life, and a new readership.
Themes Short stories, Bible stories, Relationships, Moral dilemmas, Human weaknesses.
Annie’s shark, Seymour lives in the family pool. Usually he is quite happy and cheeky and flashing his imperious teeth but one day he announces that he is bored by the pool and wants to go to school with Annie. Annie tries to camouflage the beast, taking him along to school in her trundle wagon, and her classmates try to guess what she has brought along. Suddenly Seymour is uncovered, and everyone is pleased, except Miss Bright who retreats to standing on her chair. But Seymour is hungry and the smell of food takes him to the canteen where the staff shake like jelly while he fills his belly.
In rhyming pairs of lines, the story swings along, noting the mayhem being caused by the shark. But he is endearing and readers will love the images of Seymour doing very unshark like things. When Annie goes to get her wagon, he finds the sandpit and builds a lovely sandcastle, but filling the moat sees water filling the classroom instead. Children splash everywhere with Miss Bright trying to take control of the situation. In steps Principal Mac, and things go back to normal, with Seymour and Annie once more in the pool sipping their drinks, concluding that this is the best place to be and school was not such a good idea.
A wonderful read aloud, the rhyming story will win gales of laughter, while kids will enjoy predicting the rhyming words, offering some of their own suggestions. And along the way learn a little of where sharks really belong. But what fun to have one in the pool!
Fans of the New York Times bestselling Fable series will be thrilled to read the prequel Saint, which tells the story of Saint and Isolde, Fable’s parents. As a young boy Elias made a mistake in not trusting in old legends which resulted in the death of his father. Now he has grown into a young man who is devoted to the myths of the sea, giving him the reputation of a helmsman who can navigate the worst of the storms in the Narrows and earning him the name Saint. When he meets Isolde, a young dredger and gem sage who is trying to escape her powerful mother, his faith is tested as the pair grow closer together and sail the treacherous seas.
Alternating between the perspectives of Saint and Isolde, it is easy to become immersed in the world of the Narrows, in the danger of storms and the lure of gems, as well as the growing love between Saint and Isolde, and their joy in their young daughter Fable. Young brings thrilling action and adventure to the story, but also awareness of the strengths and flaws of Saint and Isolde and the crew that they sail with.
Saint can be read as a stand-alone, and readers are sure to find themselves going on the other books, Fable,Namesake and The last legacy, all set in the wonderful world that Young has imagined. Those who have already devoured the Fable series could find themselves rereading the books as I did and enjoying the insights into Fable’s life that Saint provides.
A new venture for Angie Thomas, her latest novel is an exciting fantasy adventure, the first in a new series aimed at a middle-grade audience. It is an amazing world of magic-wielding 'Remarkables' living among normal ‘Unremarkable’ human beings, but they are challenged to battle with all kinds of demons, ‘haints’ and monsters. Nic has been protected as much as possible by her ‘Remarkable’ father, but on her twelfth birthday, the day she expects to learn more about her special ‘Gift’, everything starts to fall apart, and she finds herself launched into a strange chaotic world, in a race to find the magical Msaidizi, the weapon they cannot allow to fall into the hands of the Destroyer.
In her ‘Author’s Note’ Thomas says she wanted to create a magical world for kids like her, children who escaped into books to ignore the gunshots in the neighbourhood. Nic is a black American girl, she knows racism, she knows not to wear a backpack in a grocery store (she’ll be suspected of shoplifting), she knows to stay calm and move slowly when accosted by police. But she is also a young girl who has to find her inner power, and stand strong to defend the people she loves.
Thomas’s characters speak the language of the Black ghettos, but as with her other novels, the dialogue is easy to follow and flows naturally, no matter who the reader is. Along the way, there are references to black American history: slavery and the underground railroad, and Emmett Till and the civil rights movement. The alternative world of the Remarkables, however, is a world free of racism, a world where black people are not dehumanised, a fantasy world, a world to dream about and to strive for.
Young readers will enjoy the adventures of Nic and her friends, and at the same time they may gain a better understanding of the world from the viewpoint of a black person, and a better appreciation of how to be a good friend to peers from minority groups. Fantasy is an excellent way to step into another’s shoes, and see the world from another perspective. And Thomas’s use of humour makes it all an easy fun read, that will have readers eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
Themes Fantasy, Adventure, Magic, Black Americans, Racism, Empowerment.
Helen Eddy
How to be a kid boss by Larry Hayes
Walker Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781529506631. (Age:6+)
Larry Hayes, the author of How to Survive Time Travel, How to Survive the Future and How to Survive Without Grownups has written another fun and interesting fact book for younger readers. How to be a Kid Boss has a total of 101 secrets and tips for children to outsmart the adults in their lives.
The contents page clearly lists all of the ‘How To…’ statements and the reader can either begin at the beginning or browse through to topics that are of interest. One of the chapters that children will love is ‘How to train your parents (like a performing seal)’ where there are clearly labelled step by step instructions: 1 Choose your goal 2 Choose your reward 3 Ignore them 4 Big Praise. Other chapters sure to be big hits are ‘How to make ice cream so healthy you can eat it for breakfast’, ‘How to scare a grown-up (cheat method)', ‘How to get out of school’, ‘How to stop a grown-up looking at their phone all the time’ and the final chapter 101 ‘How to be a kid millionaire.’
Each chapter is clearly labelled and begins with an ‘Everybody Knows’ segment, then the secret is divulged, this is either followed by further information, with all chapters ending with ‘Put it to the test’. There are fun facts, cheat codes and warnings highlighted throughout the book. The factual content shared is full of humour and the graphic style images cleverly separate and complement the text.
Themes Children, Secrets, Tricks, Facts, Science, General Knowledge.
Empathy is at the heart of this endearing picture book as a bear that is laughed at becomes the focus of people’s sympathy and support. George the big brown bear, lives in a summerhouse belonging to Clementine and her mother. His days are happy. Clementine has taught him to read and he fills in each day with chores around the house and reading books Clementine has borrowed form the library.
One day when he finishes a book, he decides to return it to the library and borrow another. Strolling down the suddenly empty street he notices the library is closed so tries to enquire at several nearby shops about the library’s opening hours. But they have suddenly closed as well. He strolls down to the market but people are no longer serving on their stalls. He inadvertently knocks some stalls over and gets himself caught up in the display racks. He hurtles through the air landing in a fountain and hears the people around him laughing. George realises they are laughing at him and tears fall from is face. Embarrassed and alone he is delighted to hear Emma’s voice as he climbs from the fountain, shedding even more tears. She admonishes the villagers standing and watching George and they try to rectify their actions, bringing him a towel and hanky to wipe himself dry while others come by to apologise for their rudeness. The book he wanted to return to the library also fell in the fountain and he apologetically returns it to the librarian, who gives him another in its place. He opens the book to read and the villagers all stand quietly listening until the finishes the book.
This charming tale of teasing and its consequences even for a big brown bear like George, will encourage readers to treat everyone around them with dignity, standing up for their friends and being loyal to those you hold dear. George is picked on needlessly and in crying shows that he has feelings like everyone else and these feelings should be respected.
This is a gentle story about people’s feelings and how easily these feelings can be upset, so encouraging readers to view everyone with respect.
Beautiful illustrations cover each page, the big eyes of the bear a focal point, especially when full of tears. I loved his eyes peering out from his embarrassed position in the fountain and the disappearing people in the village, while eagle eyes will take in the detail of the garden where he lives and the village square where he ventures.
Poppy McGowan, a researcher for ABC Kids, is renovating her historic cottage when her builder finds bones under the floor. She knows that she must find out if the bones are human or animal. Dr Julieanne Weaver, an archaeologist, believes that the bones are from a rare breed of fat-tailed sheep from colonial times, and puts a heritage order on the cottage, delaying all renovations. When Julieanne’s body is found in Poppy’s house, Poppy and Julieanne’s attractive boyfriend, archaeologist, Tol, are under the spotlight as suspects and Poppy must use all her investigative powers to find the killer.
Fans of cosy mysteries will be thrilled to find an easy-to-read mystery set in Sydney and with a main character who works in the ABC. Poppy is an intelligent young woman and uses all her media contacts to research Julienne’s background, finding links to the conservative Australian Family Party and the Radiant Joy Church, as well as to the New South Wales Museum where she was employed. And did she have a secret lover?
With many suspects, some red herrings thrown in to divert attention and some subtle social commentary, readers are sure to enjoy Digging up dirt and go on to read the next in the series, An A-List for Death or historical fiction by Hart like The Charleston scandal or A letter from Italy. They may also enjoy books by Kerry Greenwood.
Themes Mystery, Archaeology, Murder, House renovations, Sydney.
Pat Pledger
Ratbags: Naughty for good by Tim Harris and Shiloh Gordon
Ratbags – Naughty for good, written by one of Australia’s highly entertaining authors, Tim Harris and illustrators Shiloh Gordon, is a new series that will be undoubtedly be another success. Extremely engaging and fast paced, it has a unique storyline to keep the audience in suspense. This style of novel will be appealing to many, including those less motivated readers, as they follow the life of the most law-abiding young rat, Jigsaw.
Jigsaw loves rules and adores humans! He is very unlike all the other rats; they are all RATBAGS! Jigsaw’s life is all about doing the right thing, that is until he meets Onion and Ripple and he is reluctantly led astray. The smells of delicious, tempting aromas of pizza proves too much for him. Could this be his downfall to all that he has worked so hard to achieve?
Filled with fun, suspense and originality, this story will keep its audience captivated until the very end. Fun and light-hearted, this is an enjoyable read that will tantalise the reading tastebuds of even those reluctant readers. If you like a little adventure and enjoy a good laugh, you won’t be disappointed.
This fabulous short fiction novel has a high energy level, with an engaging storyline. Filled with loads of fun black and white cartoon pictures, speech text and action, and in a style mixed between a graphic novel and standard novel, this targets a wider audience and will appeal to many. Containing short chapters, large print and a really cool layout, this is a great story for all ages.
If you love a little bit of fun and adventure in a fast-past speed, then this novel will undoubtedly meet your entertainment level. Tim Harris is a master at his craft, and always knows how to keep his stories moving and engage his readers to the very end.
Themes Rights and Responsibilities, Problem solving, Teamwork, Humour.
This most astounding of stories takes place in the Indian Ocean as a loggerhead turtle finds her way back home. The loggerhead is considered vulnerable so when a Japanese fishing crew found a young, injured turtle in 1997 in the Indian Ocean, they named it Yoshi and took it to an aquarium in South Africa where they knew it would be helped to recover. Here she stayed (as an adult, her sex could be determined) for twenty years, but the staff knew she wanted to get home. They trained her to swim long distances and forage for herself in preparation for the day of release. With a tracking tag attached to her shell, she was released. Each time she came up for air, her tracker sent a message so the people in South Africa could track her movements. They cheered with her as she avoided the fishing grounds of the Indian Ocean, and wondered where she was going as she circled parts of the Atlantic Ocean, then trailed across the Indian Ocean, finally coming to the beach in Shark Bay off the west coast of Western Australia.
Her breathtaking journey is full of dangers as she avoids fishing lines, larger sea creatures, and heavy seas. The illustrations in this powerful book of one animal’s journey will stay with the reader, as her isolation in the vastness of the oceans is shown in glorious detail. We see other marine animals she encounters along the way, the crashing waves, the height and depth of the ocean she travels through, the night sky and the occasional presence of man.
I loved the artwork, the sand dunes and beaches on the end papers, the heavy seas, images of night, the closeups of Yoshi and her determined swim towards her goal.
At the end of the book are details about her trip, statistics that will astound any reader, and lots of information about loggerhead turtles. Another double page gives more information about sea turtles, and links to sites which will give more rescues.
A bibliography, and information about tracking rounds off a most informative and engrossing book.
Dusty is young sporty tween boy living with his Mum, his sister Mary and Mum’s partner Marcus. When Marcus leaves unexpectedly, Dusty is bereft. He has lost the person he played sport and had fun with, and even more telling, the person who owned the Xbox. Dusty pesters his Mum about buying a new one and she suggests Dusty earns some pocket money to save up for it. With his mum’s help he meets Diego, a former soccer player, who offers him paid odd jobs around the house. After the relationship break up, Mum’s brother Uncle Rick stays for a weekend and introduces Dusty to surfing. Dusty takes to it straight away, and it begins to overtake his need for an Xbox.
Throughout this enjoyable and refreshing read, Dusty is dealing with his ever-changing complex emotions. Jubilant at times when good things happen, like being in the surf and kicking goals at soccer, but angry and saddened when changes occur such as both Uncle Richard and Marcus leaving. He also deals with racism and bullying but is able to rise above it with support from his friend Wal and wisdom from his uncle who also shares stories about culture and Country.
This book, written in twelve short chapters, is about a family struggling with poverty and a young boy trying to find his place. With a strong, smart, and likeable character in Dusty and an entertaining storyline set in South Australia, this book will appeal to upper middle grade readers. Teacher's notes are available.
Wildlife compendium of the world by Tania McCartney
Hardie Grant Explore, 2023. ISBN: 9781741177473. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Author and illustrator Tania McCartney has produced another fascinating and beautifully illustrated publication. With the title Wildlife Compendium of the World, this book will take the reader on a journey across all continents and provide a snapshot of many of the wonderful habitats, biomes, ecosystems and environments that sustain the diverse wildlife that exists on Earth.
The striking cover with embossed letters set into a rich coppery-coloured circle surrounded by a variety of creatures, is followed by gorgeous end papers showcasing the star formations seen in the night sky. The contents page is clearly set out beginning with A Global Tour and ending with Animal Rights. This is followed by a concise double page glossary.
The information is divided into continents and the animals profiled range from the more familiar to those less well-known. Each animal is given its Latin name, type, diet, size, weight, conservation status, facts plus the collective noun or baby name. For example, a group of wildebeests is called a confusion and a baby ptarmigan is a cheeper. Did you know a Fire salamander is an acid squirter champ and the world’s most dangerous bird is the Southern Cassowary?
The text is easily accessible for middle primary students but will also appeal to older students and adults. The superb images are clearly labelled, and each has a curious fact highlighted beside it. This book is packed full of interesting information and will entertain young readers for hours. A very worthy addition to a home, school or public library.
Head of Zeus, 2023. ISBN: 9781804544600. (Age:16+) Recommended.
This is an amazing journey! I loved it and yet was baffled by its intensity. It is both a literary masterpiece and a tale of discovery. At heart it is a coming-of-age story set in the world of a Eurasian young girl, Sora, who has returned to live in Japan from Canada, and also an other-world story with ethereal qualities. Meshing science and investigation of time that has been disrupted by the violence of seismic activity, with the mysticism and mythology of ancient Japanese understanding, this story has a unique quality that cannot be compared to other contemporary YA literature. The cultural influence of life in Japan, lived with the repeated turmoil and uncertainty of a ‘rolling earth’ caused by the ‘Catfish’ that lives underneath their feet, are central ingredients in this charming but complex story of a teenager finding her feet when the world around her has been rocked to the core. Losing her mother and her certainty means that the shifts in time that she experiences have confusing qualities that are difficult to navigate. Where will she go, what is her future, and who is she now that her whole world has changed?
For students of Japanese and those who have more than a passing acquaintance with Japanese culture, this will be a book that resonates. For those of us that don’t, it is a wonderful entry into this non-Western culture with its own history, foods, myths, and stories. The investigation of time, memory and grief is also woven poetically through the story of the teen central character who is negotiating her understanding of loss as she faces her own decisions for her future and working out how she must connect with her father as he manages his own path of grief and the slip of time that they live in. The scientific scrutiny of time alterations is a steep contrast to the almost-magical experience for Sora. Because of this dystrophy and discomfort, this book may cause some confusion for some teen readers, but it will also inspire others because of the different ways we can experience the world, our own emotional responses to difficulty and loss, and also our view of time as an absolute. This is a book to get into the hands of mature readers aged 16+. It will stretch their understanding of the world and literary expectations in a powerful way. It is not for those who want a straightforward narrative.
Themes Japan, Time, Memories, Forgetting, Mythology, Earthquakes, Same-sex attraction.
Positioned over the road from a doggy day care centre, Lou is an important stop for all the dogs in the neighbourhood. They sniff and twirl, twist and lift, spraying their urine all over this little piece of street furniture. He is a toilet.
But he has always had the feeling deep inside himself that he is destined for better things, that he is full of greatness. In the meantime keen eyes will see another leg of the story being played out in the flat above the doggy day care centre and sure enough smoke billows from the building, and a fire appliance turns up. The fireman looks around for a place where his fire hose will fit and plugs it into Lou. He realises that the pipe underneath is a water pipe and the attached hose will spray water all over the fire, putting it out. The words for the connection of the hose are the same used for the dogs earlier in the day, and kids will laugh at the change of meaning.
A great read aloud, the story will evoke chortles of laughter from the readers and audience as Lou comes to see just how important he is. He is now a superhero, feted by all the dogs, the community and the fire officers.
A wonderful story, I loved the echoes of words and phrases, and the realisation that perhaps he is useful after all. Kids will love the little fire hydrant, and perhaps notice them in the street, but more importantly see that we all have something great to achieve.
