This is an astounding story with real heart, ripe for Sci-fi film adaptation and full of issues for consideration for those who like their sci-fi stories to challenge their thinking! After invasion by aliens (who are never seen or described) the world is given only one solution for the survival of humanity – relocate to Antarctica in 30 days or face extinction. For individuals and governments this announcement creates a frantic scramble to find a way to Antarctica for as many people as possible. With some countries and individuals being deliberately forward-thinking, and others just acting randomly in grasping at ways and means of getting to the frozen continent, there are always going to be problems for future survival. The cold is an enemy almost larger than aliens. Once on the frozen wasteland survival strategies must be explored and new ideas for the future involve the ‘creation’ of genetically modified ‘Cold People’. The ordinary born community members also create modified ways of living that are both beautiful and profound. Seen through the stories of a few individuals, we see possibility for hope but also encounter the awfulness of a world gone wrong.
The mastery and the mystery of this story is that we never see the aliens, but their influence has been profound and strangely gracious in allowing some human survival. Bizarrely, humanity seems to be drawn to create their own ‘aliens’ through the genetic manipulation of the human genome and genetic interpolation from other species. How this collides with love, compassion and what we would define as ‘humanity’ is part of the power of this story. The story is told through the perspectives and history of a limited number of individuals – there is a traversing of time and place as their stories are patchworked together in the lead up to the moving and confronting conclusion. Each of these characters have stirring and unique histories and attitudes that readers connect to or puzzle over. This is a book to recommend highly for sci-fi lovers. It is not so much an alien invasion story, but a human survival story in the most awful of circumstances, with the vestiges of science being used to breed a future community with cold adapted features. There are huge leaps required over credibility hurdles, but none of these detract from the intense readability of this story.
Pearly and Pig’s second action packed adventure is into an Asian jungle looking for the lost city of Mu Savan. Before Pearly was born her parents and grandfather spent time in the village of Ban Noa searching for Mu Savan and made friends with King Alung Chu. Now the Woe family are trying again. After a long journey they travel along the Mekong River by longboat, only to find Ban Noa is no more. A huge band of monkeys nearly turn them back but luckily one little monkey takes them to the new site of Ban Noa. However, things are not right in the village. King Alung Chu is missing and his brother King Foom Chu blames the Woe’s for upsetting nature. Pig’s mother The Divine Sow is very ill and strange rumbling noises at night are scaring the villagers.
Luckily Pearly has a gift for languages, including talking to animals. This gives her a lot of useful information and helps the Woe family get to the bottom of what is going on. Despite her self-doubt (and there’s a lot!) she proves once again she is the best Adventurologist in the family.
There’s plenty of action, great characters and a whiff of Indiana Jones in this novel. Pig is an endearing character who any child would want as their friend. Pearly is a worrier but she remembers to refocus in stressful events and recalls the rules for young Adventurologists to guide her decisions. The evil doers are dispatched with in a suitably just fashion. The story’s underlying message is about being resourceful, smart and brave. It is also about adults allowing their children to take risks and trust them. This is a terrific positive story and will make a great read-aloud as a class novel for early primary years students. There is a lot of potential for creative learning spin offs from it. Readers who enjoy Miss Mary Kate’s Guide to Monsters series are certain to like this series about Pearly.
Fans of The Last hours series (Chain of Gold and Chain of iron will be thrilled to see the final in the series. James and Cordelia must save London from Belial who plans to take it over, as well as saving their marriage. Their friends Lucie, Matthew, Thomas and Christopher, all must face their innermost fears about love as well as their destinies as Shadowhunters.
The Collector’s first edition is a massive 677 pages, plus a short story starring Cordelia and Lucie and starts off directly after the cliff ending in Chain of iron, with Cordelia fleeing James and travelling to Paris with Matthew, hoping to find some peace after witnessing James’ relationship with Grace. It is not a stand-alone and readers need to read the three volumes in order. The collector’s edition has internal illustrations by Alexandra Curte, which add interest and understanding to the narrative.
While Chain of iron was very long, the action throughout kept the reader immersed and eager to finish it quickly. However the first two thirds of Chain of thorns moves slowly - although fans of romance will love it. It flicks from one, sometimes steamy, romance to the next, with James realising his love for Cordelia, Matthew struggling with alcohol and his feelings for Cordelia, Lucie and Jesse forming a relationship, Ari and Anna coming to grips with their feelings for each other, Thomas and Alastair starting to become open with each other, while Christopher brings out the best in Grace.
The action becomes more tense in the last third of the book and will be welcomed by fans, when Cordelia and James, ably supported by Matthew and Luce, face the demon Belial. Scenes of London being overtaken are horrific and the heroism of the other Shadowhunters as they battle for their very existence is very exciting. The epilogue brings to a close this series, although there are openings for more Shadowhunter adventures.
Themes Romance, Fantasy, Coming of age, Alcoholism, LGBTQI+.
Alex Evelyn is a Welsh journalist with a background in public relations. This delightful and fantastical adventure story is her first novel and follows Fern, a clever, kind and curious girl whom middle-grade readers will adore.
Fern has spent her first 10 years travelling the world with her botanist parents - living outdoors, climbing trees, studying Latin, collecting seeds and making friends with plants. Suddenly her parents decide she needs to stay put for a while and live a normal life with human friends, so she is sent to live with her endearingly quirky uncle in London.
Luckily Fern has a little plant she can talk to, which makes the transition easier while she tries to make her first friend and starts to explore her new surroundings. But in the background the latest news around London is very odd - there are massive plants appearing overnight and taking over the city. No-one knows what's going on. It's literally a growing mystery!
Then Fern's plant friend gets sick. Fern joins forces with the loner boy next door in a complicated effort to save it. For each of them this means learning to work together, being mindful of their differences and making the most of their individual strengths. They have to be brave, resourceful and rely on each other.
The characters in this story are written with warmth and humour, and the story is fast-paced and packed full of interesting turns. At it's heart, too, is the idea of finding your place in the world as well as finding a balance between humans and nature. And the 'plant' names of people and places woven throughout are a real highlight. From Fern herself to Blossom the taxi driver and more - trying to spot the next one is such fun!
The tale of Peter Rabbit will be familiar to all, and readers will recognise the cheeky little rabbit in his blue coat, not only from the book, but from the TV show and the lovely crockery mugs, plates and toys that are available. This edition of the classic story is in a board book format, just right for young children to turn over the pages and marvel at the gorgeous illustrations. The title page features Mrs Rabbit looking after a baby rabbit, tucked up in bed, a most caring expression on her face and sets the scene for the rest of the story. Then follows the escapades of naughty Peter who creeps into Mr McGregor’s garden looking to steal his vegetables.
The text is the original first written by Beatrix Potter. It reads aloud very well and her lovely illustrations will captivate her young audience.
This board book version is a keeper, perfect as a gift for young children. First printed in 1902, it is a must-have classic that has stood the test of time.
The Amazing Maurice written by Terry Pratchett, the great British author, is highly humorous and entertaining. A republished version of the original title The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, this publication has been reimaged to celebrate the upcoming film.
Maurice is a cunning and clever cat, who is not your usual moggy. Working with a young boy and an army of rats, they set out to trick towns, Pied Piper Style, and become rich. After previously ingesting magical substance from the rubbish pile, the rats now have the ability to talk and show a higher level of intelligence, emotion and thought. Maurice, after unknowingly eating one of these rats, developed the powers too…..But now he has stronger standards and only eats things that don’t use dialogue!
Together they are a strong force! Ingeniously they plan their misdemeanours to rid each town of their supposed rat plague. However, there is some distrust amongst the gang, and the next town they target is not like the previous ones. This one is not going to go to plan at all!
Upon entering the town, they soon meet the mayor’s daughter, a young girl named Malicia. She loves telling tales and doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the town. As they begin to complete their resourceful operation, things don’t feel right. But, when unable to abort the mission, what will Maurice and the raucous rats do as they encounter the worst of the worst?
Highly entertaining and funny… Filled with ingenuity, anarchy and misadventures. This satirical story will instantly conjure a little movie reel in the audience’s head, through the strong visual text, even before you see the actual film!
As a bonus, this printed copy has some sneak peeks with special coloured film stills of scenes from the upcoming movie. Also, at the back it includes exerts from the Director’s screenplay, all adding to the novel’s 'coolness'.
Themes Ingenuity, Problem solving, Friendship, Adventure, Humour, Teamwork, Folktale..
Michelle O'Connell
The Smidgens crash-land by David O'Connell. Illus. by Seb Burnett
Bloomsbury, 2022. ISBN: 9781526640567. (Age:8-12)
This is number two in the Smidgens series, which imagines a world of tiny people living secretly within the human world (reminiscent of The Borrowers). This instalment leads on directly from the first book so it is quite important to read The Smidgens before embarking on The Smidgens Crash Land. Similiarly, this book ends on a cliffhanger, so the whole series seems to be one long saga rather than separate stories. There are definite hints of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings here as well: the Smidgens love food and live in cosy underground burrows; there are magical items that evil beings are on the hunt for; there is someone who is acting out of character as if there are being made to act against their will; and there are several Smidgen clans (The Hive, The Roost and The Burrow) who have complex historical relationships, including war.
In this part of the story, Gafferty Sprout, a keen adventurer and risk-taker, wants to go searching for The Burrow Smidgens and make sure that the rest of the magical Mirror of Trokanis is safe from Claudia, the human who is a thief-for-hire and on the hunt for it. But through watching someone else's errors Gafferty learns the dangers of renegade action rather than working as a team to solve problems. She also discovers that there is always more to a story than is immediately obvious. This is a fast-paced adventure story with some relatable family and friendship issues that will be perfect for those who have read and enjoyed the first couple of Harry Potter or Nevermoor books and are looking for another complex adventure story set within a hidden, magical world. Readers will also love taking the perspective of the small Smidgens and imagining the human world as it looks to a teeny, tiny person. There is some great humour within the bemusement of the Smidgens at the ways of the big people and the things they have and use.
Diary of a wimpy kid: diper overlode by Jeff Kinney
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9780143778417. (Age:7+)
Roderick and his band, Loaded Diper, are going to make it - they are going to be the next big thing - and Greg will be right there to ride their coat tails and enjoy the perks of knowing someone famous. Of course, Loaded Diper have to actually make it first. And this requires money (and talent, but let's not talk about that). So when the band realises to get money they need to play gigs, they get Greg to be their roadie, and so he gets to see everything from the inside - the ideas, the creativity, the fighting... will the band make it big? Will they be the legends they think they are?
The 17th installment in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series brings a story where Greg is not the primary focus, Roderick and his band are - Greg has his part and even seems to be growing up, with more consideration for others in his life than the earlier books in the series. Still his unique point of view is present and the book includes plenty of humour, so fans of the series will be keen to get their hands on the latest Kinney book as soon as they can. Lots of lessons are interwoven in with the quips and silliness, with plenty of illustrations to assist the story, making it a light read for children.
Themes Humour; Comedy; Music; Bands; Siblings; Fame; Fortune; Life Goals.
Melanie Pages
Matt Formston: Surfing in the dark by John Dickson. Illus. by Philip Bunting
The story of Matt and his determination to play sport like anyone else will entice younger readers to pick up this multi-faceted book, presented both in plain text and Braille. I envisage many readers trying the raised print for themselves and marvelling at just how small the dots are, wondering how long it would take people to become adept at its use. And layered over this are the wonderful illustrations by Philip Bunting, his images of Matt staring out at the reader, an honest alert face, big on grit and resilience. Bunting always includes a large does of humour in his work, and this is no exception. Readers will love following Matt’s journey to becoming a successful Paralympian, trying his hand at many sports along the way.
As a boy Matt hid his deteriorating sight well: he could ride a bike, climb a tree and run like the others. By his fifth birthday all he could see was a large black dot in the middle of what he was looking at and blurred around the edges. His parents decided he would continue as he was, playing sport, being involved, and he never looked back. Living near the beach he wanted to surf, and his family taught him to master a boogie board, until one day he was derided for being on an esky lid, so he learnt to surf. He practised until one day he caught glandular fever and this laid him low. At a point in his life where things became simply too hard, he left home, but asserted his old skill of asking questions. He became super fit, and did a 1200 k bike ride for charity which saw him being asked to train as a Paralympian. He has never looked back.
This wonderful story has messages custom made for all children: persevering, developing skills, asking questions, striving to do your best, amongst others. Kids will love reading of Matt’s fortitude in the face of adversity, and follow the story eagerly. That it is also told in Braille will intrigue younger readers who rarely see this form of communication, prompting them to further their interest and empathy for those for whom it replaces the written text.
This sturdy production is the first in a series of books published by Berbay and Vision Australia about Australian heroes who are blind or have low vision. Called Big Visions, the series will include books about Craig Shanahan and Nikki Hind.
The Isabelle Stories is a treasure of a novel with four stories about six-year-old Isabelle and her growing friendship with a new year one student called Isobel (Izzy). Isabelle strives so hard to earn Star of the Week, only to see other class members receive it. It doesn’t seem fair. Isabelle just lives with her Dad and they occasionally need to babysit her baby cousin. On a shopping trip for her seventh birthday party, Izzy’s big sisters kindly come to her rescue. Isabelle wrongly believes Izzy has stolen her prize pen and has to admit she was wrong. Finally, Isabelle’s friends and the community create an outdoor house and have a celebration.
These stories are heart-warming observations of real-life situations. Families with diverse structures, school life and friendship issues are very relatable. Readers will identify with Isabelle’s yearning to get Star of the Week. Godwin creates believable characters and captures Isabelle’s point of view so well – a slight puzzlement and timidity with the world, which subtly changes as Isabelle becomes more confident. Isabelle is a thinker and has a great moral compass. Mr. Riled is the perfect older generation deputy principal, who doesn’t know student names and calls them Sonny or Miss. Once again Jane Godwin proves her mastery of writing for young people of all ages. The Isabelle Stories is ideal for newly independent readers, akin to Billie B Brown books. Illustrations by Robin Cowcher effectively compliment the story and help display Isabelle’s talent for picture writing.
Chris Ferrie, Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney with a love of quantum physics, has become well-known for his Science baby board books and he has now branched out into the early years of schooling. His book Do You Know Rocket Science? is a Level 1 Brainy Science reader for those beginning readers who are starting to become more independent.
The scientific learning behind this book is rocket science – lift and thrust. It is explained with simple vocabulary and diagrams with clearly drawn arrows to explain air movement. The second part of the book explains how a rocket is lifted up into the sky and moves forward by a force called thrust. Once again the diagrams are very important for understanding.
The text in this early reader is short and accessible with brightly coloured pages, perfect for this age group.
Themes Science, Scientific Theory, Qantum Physics, Rockets, Non-fiction, Early Reader.
Kathryn Beilby
The month that makes the year by Inda Ahmad Zahri
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761068423.
This month is different from the others. It starts with the sighting of a new crescent moon. 'Slow down, be kind to yourself and think good thoughts.' This month, we learn to do big things by changing one little thing at a time.
For Deenie, the youngest member of a Muslim family, it is her first time to fast during Ramadan. She wonders how she will survive without food or water until sunset but although she faces some challenges, by the end of the month, she learns that there is a lot more to Ramadan than giving up food and water.
This year, 2023, Ramadan is expected to begin on Wednesday 22 March, following the sighting of the moon over Mecca and last 30 days ending on Friday 21 April, with the celebratory days of Eid al-Fitr starting on Saturday 22 April or Sunday 23 April. While fasting is not compulsory for children, it is seen by many as a rite of passage as they come to learn 'patience, gratitude, self-control, mindfulness and a sense of solidarity with everyone on the planet' as well as 'strengthening [their] faith on [their] bond with Allah' and thus there will be many in our school communities who are going through this period of denial and for whom, as teachers, we must make allowances, not the least of which is ensuring other students have some idea of this important time in the lives of their classmates.
Told in the first person by a Muslim who has practised the tradition since being a child, its narrative format makes this a personal story that connects to both those of the faith, and those outside it. Other Muslim children will enjoy seeing themselves in a book that acknowledges their beliefs while showing that it is a struggle to go without and there will be times that they, too, might falter but that there is much that can be gained by distracting their thoughts from hunger and thirst. Sharing it with all our students will also raise awareness with non-Muslim children helping them to understand not just why their friends might be unable to participate as they normally do, but also the deeper reasons. As well as the enlightening introduction, there is also a glossary to help students understand not only the meaning of some of the terms but also their deeper implications.
From the first year of school, the Australian Curriculum has outcomes explicitly supporting 'students to recognise the emotions, abilities, needs and concerns of others [and to] develop their understanding about how respecting the perspectives, emotional states and needs of others is essential to social interactions' and this is an ideal book to meet that goal. It might even be an opportunity for all to share their own religious beliefs, customs and traditions so that they can provide a foundation for investigation throughout the year as they occur.
The Blinky Bill stories will be familiar to many of the older generation of readers. Dorrie is an ingeniously written and strikingly illustrated picture book by Tania McCartney that will reintroduce Dorothy Wall to a new generation of readers.
The story of Dorothy, or Dorrie as she was known, begins in New Zealand in 1894. Dorrie had an idyllic childhood where she was free to dance, sing, play the piano and create with paint, metal, fabric, paper, and a little bit of stardust. In 1914 Dorrie moved to Australia where she worked as a book cover designer and freelance artist. It was here that she began to write about a mischievous koala she named Blinky Bill.
Tania McCartney has created a beautiful tribute to Dorothy Wall who found her circumstances later in life very challenging. Dorrie is full of gorgeous and engaging illustrations with the text cleverly spread throughout the pages. At the end of the book there is more information about Dorothy Wall which may encourage readers to research further and seek out the Blinky Bill books.
This is a very special book and one to be treasured.
A drowning accident sees eleven-year-old Jake caught in a strange afterlife inhabited by animals waiting to be reunited with their former owners or Givers. He gradually befriends the huge and stoic Ursus, a dog that has been cruelly treated by humans, but who takes on the role of Jake’s guide and guardian.
Jake embarks on a quest, to find out what has happened to the dogs that have gone missing, and to save the animals from the cruel junk men, the Malbinocks or Bad-watchers who torture and kill at night. It is a quest that sees him recognise the roles that humans assume in relation to animals, the Givers, the Riders, the Keepers, and the Makers, and in the process, comes to understand how much humans misuse and ill-treat the creatures that are dependent on them.
Jake has to learn how to overcome his fears, restrain his anger, and give and accept kindness, lessons that he learns from his little group of companions, Ursus, Blue the horse, the little dog Gordon, and Azrak the rat, all admirable characters.
In his journey, Jake moves from one ordeal to another, learning kindness, compassion, trust, courage, and bravery. At the same time he is haunted by a recurring dream of a sad woman, waiting somewhere. Only when he has fulfilled his quest can he break through to find his place in the world again.
A place to run free is a story that would engage young adult readers who enjoy fantasy, but particularly readers who are dog lovers and pet owners as LaReaux’s depiction of each of the animal companions is so lifelike and captivating. They each have their own personality and quirks that just make you smile in recognition.
Themes Quest, Coming of age, Courage, Dogs, Abuse of animals, Fantasy.
Helen Eddy
Growing green: A first book of gardening by Daniela Sosa illus.
The beautiful embossed cover of Growing Green will be a drawcard for young children. The bright colours of all items garden related plus a number of busy, happy children will guarantee a growing audience.
The contents page has sixteen chapters beginning with a ‘Getting Started’ page with tips on what basic items will be needed to start gardening, followed by fifteen different fruit and vegetables to be grown. These include strawberries grown in Wellington boots, tomatoes, Dwarf French beans, new potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, pumpkins, avocado pits, radishes, cress heads, tin can herb garden, salad leaves, nasturtiums and finally sunflowers.
Each fruit or vegetable has a double page spread with an introduction to the plant, a ‘You will need’ segment with illustrations plus a ‘How to Grow’ section with step-by-step instructions and clear images. On each page there is also a season, time and environment table. On some of the pages there is a ‘Did you know?’ bubble with further information about the fruit or vegetable.
The glorious illustrations throughout this book plus the vibrant final endpapers will appeal to children and engage them in the task at hand. With support from a trusted adult this book may provide hours of enjoyment. Teachers may find this a useful text when teaching procedure as it is clearly set out and easy to follow.
