Cellnight is not so much a novel written in verse, but rather it is a poetic expression of the struggle against, the protest for and the people who don’t fit or don’t accept the status quo flow, which is not really a status quo at all. This story starts with an arrest at a protest and paints the picture of the struggle internally and externally for the arrested one, and the words he wants to be expressed; for the truth to come out and for the world to know what should be changed or not accepted – socially or environmentally. Set in Western Australia, and weaving events that made headlines (and some that did not), Kinsella has continued a protest that demands some response before it is too late.
This verse novel is more about poetry than it is about story. The poetry is elegant and sophisticated, mature and thoughtful, and yet simply presented. It demands attention. The narrative aspect of the novel is less easy to connect to, but it is the poetry that is the winner. As poetry is wont to do, it can express a multitude of ideas and complexities in very few words, and Kinsella has certainly done this. Readers of this verse novel will feel the ambiguities and the internal struggles of a protester who might, must, should, could make people think about their choices and actions, while personally having to make his own choices about his own directions for the future. The complexity and direction of his thoughts and emotions are powerful. This is a book that would make for interesting reflection for students of poetry, there are many poetic devices in play; it would also stir those who are keen to consider our environment and the way we live, our past and our future, and how they all collide.
Behaving like a dog is a wonderful idea: not only does it promote the use of the five senses, being more aware of your surroundings and what is happening within you, the tone of the story is very funny, capturing the target audience with funny scenarios, underscoring those behaviours which shrug off worries and concerns in our lives. The author promotes mindfulness and awareness of what makes you feel confident and happy in this laugh out loud book about being a dog. From the start she compares the child with the dog and so directs activities which promote well-being.
After waking up, stretch, wag your body, lap your drink, and then go outside and sniff. Following the dog’s lead, sniff around the backyard; sniff everything there is to sniff, take in the smells of your neighbourhood. Greet other dogs, play each day no matter what the weather is like. Be curious, let the wind ruffle your hair, take naps in the sun or shade, play in the sand, or snow, then tired, sleep like a dog: feel the tiredness, walk around in circles then drop into a ball and sleep.
In this tale all five senses are covered: hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting as the boy follows the lad of his dog in using all of his senses during the day. Concentrating on your senses leads to mindfulness, a state of being aware of what is going on around you and in you, a state where observation is the key.
Once the story is complete, over the page are two double pages of hints of what you can do to achieve mindfulness during the four seasons of the year. The book tells you to ‘Take a mindful nature walk with a friend’, and the pages outline what can be done in smelling, tasting, hearing, seeing and feeling like a dog. The last page gives instructions for a mindful breathing exercise, directions which can be followed several times a day to get more oxygen to the brain and make you feel calm.
This is a wonderful introduction to mindfulness, a kind, friendly look at the five senses and their importance to us, a reminder that using them all requires practise. Just like a dog! The wonderful illustrations are a treat adding another layer of humour and involvement. The images direct us to be in the moment: each is active, collaborative and give an awareness of the senses. Children will instantly recognise the dog’s behaviours, following its lead as it meanders around the playground, sniffing as it wanders. The interaction between the boy and his dog is stunningly displayed, and I love the detail on the last few pages, reiterating the role of the five senses in making us feel at peace.
Themes Mindfulness, Five senses, Meditation, Dogs.
Fran Knight
Cats in chaos by Peter Bently. Illus. by John Bond
When Catsby’s Great Circus comes to town, all the cats wait for dark before skipping along to the local school where the circus is to perform that night. Marmaduke Catsby welcomes one and all to watch Whiskers O’Farrell being shot from the barrel, and see Kitty Kadabra taking sausages from her hat, or Daisy Dog Tamer putting her head in the mouth of an enormous dog. Each act that comes to the stage will evoke lots of fun and laughter as the cats do the most amazing things in their circus. Lots of humour is to be gained from the names of the acts and readers will enjoy predicting the rhyming word for each verse.
Readers will see the antics of their cats reflected in the mayhem of the cats as they try different acts in the circus. Bond has created a wonderful kaleidoscope of cat behaviours for readers to look at, all done in bright vivid colours. The different placement of text on each page adds another layer of interest and intrigue, and the detail on each page will keep eager eyes glued to the pages.
I loved Evel Katnevel and her motorbike going through the flaming hoop, and the Siamese trio of cats of course, doing the trapeze, catching the mackerel pie thrown up by the juggling clown. Readers will laugh out loud at the antics shown by each cat in the circus and when Evel’s motorbike crashes into the fish truck, chaos follows as fish are scattered far and wide and all cats, the circus acts and the audience purr with delight at their free meal.
Chaos follows and not before long, all cats are sleeping soundly with full bellies.
There’s no way to sugar-coat it... this is a book about youth suicide; the grief, anger and confusion that follows for those left behind.
Lizzie Beck, lead singer of the girl band The Jinks, is dead at 21 from suicide and Where the Light Goes is her younger sister Emmy’s processing of this, through the compilation of diary entries, interviews, tweets, newspaper articles, emails, texts and WhatsApp messages.
Written for the YA reader, this book is beautifully designed and creatively typeset, using the appropriate formats for the different types of entries.
In over 40 ‘chapters’ Emmy wrangles the often contradictory memories and images she has of the public persona of celebrity Lizzie and the protective older sister, Beth. She records the first three months following Lizzie/Beth’s death, in which she deals with tensions at home, various responses from the public, and attempts by her friends to support her. She documents her roller-coaster of emotions and behaviours, many of which she later acknowledges were poor choices, made in the grip of unrelenting grief.
Importantly, Barnard’s book also explores the pressures that the media and social media exert on those in the entertainment industry and tackles head-on, the potential mental health issues inherent in celebrity life.
Over the course of the book Emmy comes to better understand the pressures her parents are under, appreciates true friendships, and learns to toughen herself against other’s opinions. She recognises that Beth was not always deserving of her uncritical adoration, and begins to grow into her own version of herself, rather than continuing to play the role that her sister had created for her.
Where the Light Goes addresses the many issues that stem from the topics of depression and suicide, and a resource list of support services is included, but unfortunately these are all UK based. It is cleverly constructed and its extremely engaging format will appeal to YA readers and hopefully encourage more conversation and reflection on these topics.
This book addresses some pertinent aspects of the world in which we live today. Blake Crouch raises issues about this invented and altered world in which we live today, such as popular “symbio” products, "designer ultra pets”, “spider silk clothes”, and other such unexpected things. However, the most amazing and disconcerting aspect of Crouch’s ideas is the new life form, a “tiny pink gorilla” that the Russian oligarchs particularly like. Sex dolls are suggested as popular, wrapped as they are in human muscle and skin. This narrative is set in a time in which many countries have been suffering from food shortages and other aspects of life that have been difficult.
In a fascinating and intensely modern novel, Crouch plunges us into a world in which things are changing, and we are learning about what is not specifically good for humans, especially in terms of certain changes. Some of these are not particularly good in terms of making the world better. Crouch raises further unsettling issues, such as Africa’s dealing with "food insecure” problems, while he writes of America as having “rolling food shortages" and “supply chain dystopia”. Crouch writes of a world in which meat is so highly priced that many people cannot afford to buy it anymore. This text set in an imaginary time when America is depicted as undergoing such unsettling aspects as “jobs lost to automation”, and the time of “the great starvation”, such that the USA is depicted as having been in a parlous state. Many people had been suffering, and there had been unusual developments in Glacier National Park - where there were no glaciers anymore because of the weather conditions.
Logan Ramsey works for the Gene Protection Agency, and he looks for evidence of Soren’s DNA on the pages of his book, as plasmids on a page can hold, we are told, a “near infinitesmal amount of genetic information", which can be accessed. He realises that his genome has been hacked, as he grasps the fact that he has been chosen for an “upgrade”. Pertinently, Ramsey’s mother has been working in the area of gene “editing”, and he is questioned about this too. He is told to cooperate or he will be punished. His own fear is that his influenza has the potential to infect his body cells and cause his DNA to be rewritten or at last re-edited. As the effects of the gene intervention occur, we read about the horrendous nature of "eyes rolling, arms curled and unable to uncurl, bubbles coming out of the mouth”, body cells feeling like they are “screaming”, and pain felt all over the body. His first upgrade leaves him insecure and uncertain about the world, particularly finding other humans “a mystery.” Ultimately, Logan is depicted in this novel as the one person in the world who has the potential to outwit the issues faced by the world.
At one point, we read that a human can divide consciousness, such that a human being could type on four keyboards simultaneously, by dividing consciousness into four states. This riveting narrative raises ideas that are absolutely extraordinary, and only a brilliant brain could create such a world, and such a narrative. Crouch has constructed a novel that is richly descriptive, gripping, and absolutely challenging the intellect, describing human responses to all of the issues that the world faces, particularly illness, anger and poverty. It is most appropriate for adolescent and adult reading.
I had high hopes for this book as I loved the first book - The House at the edge of magic, and I wasn’t disappointed. The book opens where the first book ended with Nine and her fellow house mates on their way to the wizarding hopscotch championships. Everything seems to be okay, although there are some issues still with the house and the magical curse that it had. The tea cupboard still causes problems and the skeleton is still upset but even with these small issues the journey is progressing as it should until the house develops hiccups. Now we all know that hiccups are irritating but imagine if your house, which is magic and travelling through magic time, developed a really bad case of hiccups. Unfortunately for Nine and the other residents they don’t have to imagine as they are living it, with the house bouncing through time portals and jumping across magically time periods.
They do make it to the championships but the need to save the house and themselves moves the focus away from the games and towards the Tower from the title.
I absolutely love Amy Sparkes imagination and quirky sense of absurd. This is a series that will engage readers of all ages and keep them entertained until the very end.
I can’t wait for the next book which truly is the sign of a great read.
I would recommend this book to any age but definitely from ages 9 and up, independent readers will love reading this and although it would be fabulous as a class novel I can see students so desperate to find out what happens at the Hopscotch championship and whether they can stop the hiccups in time that they will read ahead.
This is a book that will be shared around a group of students and one that will become a very popular read as it is pure fun with just the right amount of tension.
Themes Magic, Friendship, Fantasy.
Mhairi Alcorn
Shadow catchers by Kirsty Murray and Karen Blair
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781760526955. (Age:3+) Recommended.
This is a charming story of two children and their father, amusing themselves with the shadows they cast. Seemingly a simple activity, it reinforces the fun that can be had from the everyday, bringing in concepts of large and small, day and night, by moonlight and lamplight, each shadow is different and evokes different responses.
Children will love reading about this activity, and rush to see their own and the things they can do with their shadows.
The emphasis on the father’s involvement is wonderful, as he takes them down the street, to a cafe, the playground, then back home, the shadows getting longer as evening comes around.
Themes Family, Shadows, Day & night.
Fran Knight
Happy Easter from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Fans of the Crayons series of books will eagerly grab this from the display shelf in the library, entreating others to be as keen as they to read this latest outing, and tempt those unused to the hilarity of these books, to seek them out.
From the cover to the last page, kids will titter with suppressed laughter, giggle happily and scream out loud at the sight of these crayons and their antics.
There are several readings of the book on YouTube to check out.
Each of the crayons, red, yellow, orange, white and blue makes something for Easter, but the purple crayon tells each of them that what they have made is not an egg. Purple crayon’s rudeness continues even as each of the crayons reports to it what they are working on. Their paper decorations reflect each of the crayons, as do their responses.
The shapes the group are decorating come together at the end into the shape of an egg, satisfying the questioning purple crayon. Yellow and orange crayons decorations look like the colour of the sun, blue has decorated paper that looks like a rhombus but needs a nap after the purple crayon’s questioning, and the white crayon in decorating a star is sad that no one can see what it has made.
An absolute delight of quirkiness, offering a different look at Easter, encouraging creativity, teaching a little along the way about mathematical shapes, and presenting a look at how not to treat your fellow travellers.
Each of the paper shapes is put together to make an egg for Easter, and each page highlights Jeffer’s distinctive illustrative technique, one all children will love to emulate.
I just love the box of crayons on the cover welcoming readers to their space.
Hachette, 2023. ISBN: 9781472296955. (Age:Adult, Young Adult) Recommended.
The Fraud Squad is a fun and light-hearted debut from Singaporean-American author, Kyla Zhao. A book that does not take itself too seriously, the story is set in the glamourous but cutthroat world of Singaporean high fashion and high society.
Samantha Song works an unfulfilling and unexciting role in public relations but she has always dreamed of working at one of the most elite publications in Singapore. However, Samantha is from an impoverished background and works to support her chronically ill mother. Without the family background, connections or wealth to support her in Singapore’s highly stratified society, Samantha’s ambitions must remain unfulfilled. That is, until one fateful night when she agrees to join her wealthy colleague Anya for dinner. At the dinner she meets Timothy, the scion of one Singapore’s most wealthy and established families. And, between the three of them, they come up with an audacious plan to turn this working-class girl into the city’s newest and coolest socialite. There is just one catch. For the plan to work, no one can know of Samantha’s real background. If she is to infiltrate high society and land the life of her dreams, she will have to decide what, and who, is most important to her.
Clearly drawing on her background as a former fashion and lifestyle writer at Vogue Singapore, Zhao has created a vibrant world for readers. Zhao’s Singapore is colourful and entertaining though likely skewed to pander to Western audiences desperate for more content after the success of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. While the motivations of the characters do not always make sense and this causes them to come across as a little one dimensional, The Fraud Squad will satisfy anyone looking for an amusing and uncomplicated read.
Themes Romance, Friendship, Family, Singapore, Asian literature, Fashion, LGBTQ+.
Rose Tabeni
Willa and Woof: Wedding rescue by Jacqueline Harvey
Wedding Rescue is the fourth book in a very popular new series, Willa and Woof. Created by talented Australian author, Jacqueline Harvey, this story is filled with beautiful friendships, across the generations, a little suspense and some problem solving too.
Willa is an eight and three quarter year old girl, who has a beloved albino Irish wolf hound named Woof. They do almost everything together and both enjoy visiting their friend, Frank, who lives next door in his retirement villa. Willa also has a best friend, Tae, who is eight and a half years old.
On a hot Summer’s day, Willa is excited for Aunty Jane’s upcoming wedding, but she is not happy about the meringue style dress that has been chosen for her to wear. Frank is trying to console her, but to no avail. When a fire breaks out not far away from their home, Willa quickly forgets about the silly dress fiasco and becomes very worried about ‘the dragon on the mountain’.
Everyone tells her thing are going to be fine, but Willa has a bad feeling. When people in the neighbourhood realise the fire is coming towards them, Willa is really scared. Thankfully, rain comes and puts the raging fire out, but unfortunately, the fire has destroyed Aunty Jane’s wedding venue and it looks as if the wedding will have to be cancelled. Can Willa and her friends work together to give Aunty Jane’s the special day she was hoping for?
Jacqueline Harvey has created a storyline with real situations and relatable people. Moving smoothly from one venture to the next, with illustrations and an easy to read text, this would make a suitable read for children who are past the emerging novel stage and looking for a slightly longer text.
For young readers who enjoy a main character with a ‘friend next door’ feel, Willa and Woof is a great read.
Themes Friendship, Emotions, Problem solving, Family.
Michelle O'Connell
A good thing happened today by Michelle Figueroa, Ill. Ramona Kaulitzki
Harper, 2022. ISBN: 9780063142312. (Age:4+)
Creator of the Good News Movement means that author and journalist, Michelle Figueroa has an issue to pursue and this she does without apology in this timely book. Designed to promote good news, the book underscores the good things happening in a child’s life, making a concerted effort to be inclusive as it jumps to different countries and their good news stories.
Figueroa bases her pages on stories she has heard or reported on in her years as a journalist. Each story from a different country, Colombia, Kenya, Netherlands has an accompanying paragraph at the end of the book explaining how the story came to be told.
In Kenya people bring water to animals in need. In Colombia a library is made from discarded books. Good things can happen in a moment or a melody. Songs can be played on the cobblestones in Colombia. We can do good deeds; in New York someone receives their diploma, while in the Netherlands a man receives a letter, people lend a helping hand, helping a bird take flight, or opening a door, or knitting a blanket out of old jumpers for someone in need. When disaster strikes a splash of colour helps lift the spirits. Goodness comes from inside, the need to be kind is in us all.
An earnest look at our inherent kindness, this book displays a range of kind moments where someone is helping another. It impels children to think about kindness and good news stories, about being helpful and doing good deeds, about other people and their needs.
Children will want to join in with the idea of the book, talking about the good news stories that are in their lives.
Themes Kindness.
Fran Knight
Tumbleglass by Kate Constable
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781760526962. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
It is a little sobering to discover that times and events that you remember experiencing in 1999 and 1972 are the destinations in a timeslip novel, and are described as equally exotic and unfamiliar as a trip back to 1900 or 1940s. However, it is amusing to recognise clothing, music and events as seen through the eyes of a Gen Z character.
Set initially in contemporary Melbourne, Tumble Glass is a timeslip novel set firmly in Australia, with 13-year-old Rowen and her older sister Ash visiting a number of periods of history where significant social upheaval was happening. They experience the parties of the 1990s, Aboriginal activism of 1972, young soldiers being farewelled to WW2, and domestic life in 1900, all based in their family home as it was in the various time periods.
As they interact with younger versions of their parents, Ash and Rowen risk drastically changing the future, and Rowan discovers she has a special affinity with the house. Ash becomes stuck in 1990 and before her family forget her, Rowen is tasked with retrieving glass items from various eras, that their neighbour Verity can fashion into a magical object to enable Ash’s return.
Constable’s research into the customs and language of each period is woven seamlessly into the story, and Rowen’s faux pas as she refers to items or customs from 2020s, and her mother's malapropisms add amusement and contrast.
This is a well-paced story with lots of low-key action, likeable characters and enough mystery and intrigue to keep you hooked. It layers personal stories of loss and resilience onto tumultuous historical events, making history come alive with characters who are easy to relate to, whatever their place in history.
Themes Family, Timeslip, Australian history.
Margaret Crohn
Agents of S.U.I.T by John Patrick Green
Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035015467. (Age:7-12)
The agents of S.U.I.T, Special Undercover Investigation Teams, have taken on a new agent, a chameleon named Cilantro whose secret weapon is a natural camouflage ability to blend into the background. Cilantro’s only problem is that the very exciting spy technology V.E.S.T stays visible, spoiling the effect. Agent Cilantro’s first mission is to catch a cat burgler, who turns out to be a dog, who is stealing the tiny packets of condiments you get with takeaway and stash in the back of the utensil drawer. The burglar nearly escapes but gets caught up by the icecream van driven by The Investigators, alligators, Brash and Mango who feature in previous books in the series. As Cilantro explains “the dog is the source of the stolen sauce”. The puns and wordplay continue throughout as Cilantro and offsider Monocle are sent by Inspector Vague on an unspecified mission that involves crop circles, militant sheep and alien Throng. The colourful, clear graphics and straightforward layout propel the story forward, allowing the fun wordplay and absurd plot to stand out. At 200 pages the book would lend itself to being read aloud in episodes but I am sure that readers of the previous Investigators series will love this one. There are pages at the end on how to draw Cilantro using simple shapes and some fun information about the creators. The Investigators website has links, activities and videos.
A male bowerbird builds his structure hoping to attract a mate with his skills at construction and the things he places in front. Today he has a lovely purple flower, but the passing female bird says that it is not enough.
Bert flies away to find something else to please the demanding Nanette. Each time he brings something back to place by his bower she tells him the same thing. And so off he flies again, the list growing:
‘A rose hip, a rusty zip A pencil, and a paperclip ‘
Rather like the Twelve Days of Christmas, the list gets longer as Bert tries his best to attract Nanette.
Eventually another male bird, Claude, inspects his bower suggesting that the something he needs is nearby and sends Bert off to collect it. When he returns the bird has destroyed his nest taking all his pretty things with him, and Nanette is by his side. Bert has been tricked, but on repairing his bower, with his purple flower still in place, a female bird stops by, admires his purple flower and is happy to stay.
A lovely verse story, children will appreciate the repetition of the lines each bird says and the growing list of things Bert collects for his bower. Predicting the rhyming word will enthuse many readers as they come to grips with rhyming words, while the repeated growing list of things Bert collects will be enthusiastically read together.
Reading this tale out loud is a treat, and younger readers and more skilled readers will appreciate the rhythm and sounds as it is read to them.
Illustrations by Catherine Rayner will delight young readers. Using pencil and dip pen and ink, she experiments with a range of implements to achieve her goal, and on her web site can be found instructions for developing some of the animals she draws: https://www.catherinerayner.co.uk/pages/step-by-step-drawing-guides
I love the dejected look on Bert’s face, trying so hard to attract Nanette, but in the end being duped by her and the heartless Claude. Jean is the most attractive bird he has ever seen and her illustration is wonderful, a sharp contrast to the demanding and snooty Nanette. Information about Donaldson and Rayner can be found on the publication page, and a paragraph about bower birds is also included.
A charming story about striving for a mate, the happiness in achieving that goal and the duplicity of some met along the way will gladden the hearts of younger readers, soaking up the repetition, prediction, humour and all the while sympathising with Bert.
Subtitled, ‘the small bird with the large heart’, children will instantly warm to this little bird, betrayed by some but in the end finding true love.
Louisa doesn't ever get to visit her teenage aunt in England, instead, Aunt Neela visits her in America. With only a year or so separating them in age, they are so close, just like Lou's mother, Laura, is with her sister, May. But one day, Lou misses a call from Neela, a call where Neela says she's at the market. This doesn't mean much to Louisa, but it means everything to her mum and aunt - the market is full of goblins, and her family is full of witches. Laura and May were banished from York over 18 years ago for their actions involving the market, and now that Neela is stuck in the market, Louisa is determined to save Neela, no matter the cost.
This dark horror/fantasy moves between present and past, the story being told from Louisa's perspective (present) as well as May's (in the past). Even with the switching between past and present, the story moves well. A bit of a bildungsroman, both Louisa and May go through great change through the story, resulting in growth and maturing for both characters. Something to note is that repetition is frequent throughout the book - examples include: the market, the market, the market; closer, closer, closer; come buy, come buy. Can be tedious for readers - unsure of what the author was aiming for by constantly repeating. Goblins and magic are the centre of this novel, where goblins glamour themselves to have human appearance, and some humans have magic to protect themselves and heal others who have been injured by goblins. An interesting novel with dark corners and a few twists.
