The latest book in the Aussie STEM Stars series begins with a wonderful description of bustling Mumbai through the eyes of three-year-old Veena Sahajwalla travelling on her father’s Vespa. Veena’s childhood was full of learning and family time spent with her engineering father, medical doctor mother and younger brother. Veena studied hard and loved school especially subjects like Mathematics and was fascinated by the focus on recycling in her city which would stay with her until the present day.
The early assumption was that Veena would become a doctor like her mother, but squeamish from the sight of blood and not a fan of dissecting animals, Veena decided to follow her heart and take up engineering studies. She won a place at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, one of only ten females to 250 male students in her year. It was often a lonely time for Veena especially after two years of study when she was the only female to specialise in metallurgical engineering. After some hard work and overcoming inequality, Veena topped her year and was offered a scholarship to study a Master of Science in Metals and Materials Engineering at the University of British Columbia.
After marrying and moving to Australia, Veena continued with her research into repurposing materials, particularly green steel, as well as establishing the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT). She has been awarded and received multiple accolades for her work both here in Australia and internationally. Veena was a popular judge on the long-running ABC TV series ‘The New Inventors’, has been on the ABC’s Q & A and the ‘War on Waste’, as well as being named 2022 NSW Australian of the Year.
This amazing woman with such an inner drive for questioning, learning and hard work has provided author Julianne Negri with so much story to share with readers. This highly engaging read in the Aussie STEM Stars series will add another dimension to the STEM curriculum. Sneak peek: Veena Sahajwalla on Play School/Australian Story is well worth watching. Teacher notes are coming soon.
Head of Zeus, 2022. ISBN: 9781803281612. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
The Last Whale written by Chris Vick is a complex and intriguing story spanning three generations. Eco-activitist Abi has been asked to leave her school due to her recent climate change activism and is travelling with her parents and younger sister Tegan to a remote Norwegian island to visit her grandmother.
Abi has “borrowed” an AI device from NewTek where she has had work experience and hopes the remoteness of the island will allow her to develop the capabilities of the AI technology even further. While on the island Abi discovers her great grandfather, thought to have hunted and killed whales, actually recorded whale songs. With her AI device, she is able to interpret the songs and realises that climate change and human activity is killing off the whales. With her AI device, now named Moonlight, they are able to track and record a whale in the present day. The song is haunting and Abi vows to let the world know the danger the world is facing if whales die out.
Fast forward many years, Abi now has a 13-year-old daughter Tonje and together they live on a small island with Moonlight and are completely self-sufficient. Abi is still passionately searching for the last whales and Moonlight has evolved and become more powerful and “human-like”. The final generation brings Tonje, Lars and their daughter Astrid travelling again to go in search of a safer environment as the world’s eco-systems are in a mess. All those years ago, governments did not listen to Abi’s dire warnings and she and her family are seemingly fighting this battle alone.
Author Chris Vick works for a whale and dolphin conservation charity and his previous novel Girl.Boy.Sea was shortlisted for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal. He readily admits not all facts in the story are 100% correct but is adamant the need to protect our whales and the ecosystem is the key to saving our environment for future generations. This book is an important read for all. While the story is fictious it gives vital and chilling facts about how human negligence and climate change is damaging our fragile ecosystems.
This is a dark modern fairy tale with forests, a menacing witch and chilling photo-realistic black and white illustrations by Levi Pinfold. The story takes place over five days and begins from Hex’s point of view. Hex (Hector) goes into the woods with his best friend Tommo. They are followed by a young girl called Sascha and once there take turns on a precarious rope swing. Hex throws a stone and Sascha crashes to the ground and seriously breaks her arm. Later Sascha’s siblings, Maria and Jayce, beat Hex up and he runs off and finds himself in an unfamiliar part of the woods, where an old woman called Missus and her huge dog, Leafy, live in a cottage. Missus gives Hex an acorn and tells him if he crushes it, she will take revenge on Maria for him. Missus has said the same thing to Maria and it is Maria who crushes the acorn first.
What happens next is at first quite baffling. The tale is now told from Tommo’s point of view. Hex has been erased from time but it takes time for Tommo to understand that this has happened. Somehow wafts of Hex's existence are still around and Tommo has deja vu. Sascha breaks her arm in similar circumstances to the first incident. Tommo and Maria are approached by a special agent who tells them what Missus and Leafy are truly up to. This takes the story into the world of meddling with time and the realms of science fiction.
This is very thought-provoking story with much to admire. The device of crushing the acorn and the impact this has on changing what happens in time is effective. A.F. Harrold uses language well and the creepiness is palpable. There are many menacing touches throughout and it successfully invokes Hansel and Gretel. And of course, the wonderful illustrations really complement this. The family situations are nuanced and the characters are believable and flawed. The theme of revenge and its consequences occur throughout the story. There is also a theme of how adults fairly treat children. I was reminded of the streaming series Stranger Things and believe this book will be thoroughly appreciated by young readers with mature tastes.
The fascinating journeys of many of the world’s animals are discussed in this appealing and informative new release. Jennifer Cossins, well known author and illustrator of many books including The Book of Curious Birds shortlisted in the 2022 CBCA Eve Pownall Award, has written another wonderful non-fiction book that will engage readers both young and old.
From the introduction which gives a brilliant overview of animal migration to each double page spread full of interesting facts and stunning illustrations, this book will provide the reader with detailed yet easily accessible information. The migrations of birds including the Australian swift parrot, sea creatures like the Christmas Island red crab, insects such as the Australian bogong moth and mammals including the caribou are all presented in a report-style format that includes an opening paragraph, description, distance covered and general facts. Highlighted on each page is one interesting statement written in larger text. Some of these statements mention that the herd of Burchell’s zebras appear to migrate in an almost straight line, the globe skimmer dragonflies can fly over 3000 kilometres without touching land, Andean flamingos can fly at night and can cover as much as 1000 kilometres in a single night’s journey and longfin eels must navigate waterfalls and climb dams, which they conquer with their unique climbing abilities.
At the end of the book is a glossary and list of resources plus a vital note about conservation and climate change including the need for more human care and intervention. This book is a worthwhile resource for all home, schools and public libraries or a perfect gift for those children who love non-fiction.
Ostensibly a plea for the creation of stories, this thoughtful yet playful picture book will encourage many hours of research and inquiry into the variety of written communication over millennia. Each page highlights differing forms of communication as Winston uses hieroglyphics, Canadian Aboriginal Sullavicx, Tibetan script amongst others to augment his text. The text explores the idea of story, of stories being diffused into one, meaning other stories are forgotten. Many stories were written of beautiful sunsets, of places far down in the sea, some stories were full of dogs, but sadly stories have now been reduced to just one story. This one story gobbled all other stories into its belly, denying them a place of their own. But a question arises from within the belly. A question that points out that the one story contains all stories and so asks what the next story will be. A thought indeed.
So it is with language; as one language dominates it is this language that describes, stores, remembers while others are forgotten. Telling stories in one language subverts the history and culture of another group of people, ensuring their place is undermined. Students will be able to understand using an array of long lost languages. How much richer would Australian culture be if Aboriginal languages were still spoken, their stories still heard, their history understood. What more would we know of the ancient Egyptians if we could read and understand and heard the language of the hieroglyphics left behind?
This majestic plea for the power of language and story will provoke discussion amongst the readers, initiate further research and guarantee close inspection of the detail of the illustrations. These are mesmerising as a closer look reveals a variety of written forms of communication, some of which are outlined at the end of the book.
Winston extols the virtues of story, of written language of diversity and in his plea he makes it clear that this diversity needs to be supported and preserved.
In a word where English has become the one language, it is clear that other languages must be spoken so that they do not die out ensuring the speakers of that language do not lose their identity, their culture and their heritage.
The ideas behind the brief text had me thinking for days, regretting my mono language status, and encouraging those around me to keep alive the language other than English in their family.
Themes Language, Story, Diversity, Writing.
Fran Knight
A spindle splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Tor Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781250871244. (Age:15+) Recommended.
Lovers of fairy tales retold are sure to enjoy this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, which was a Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novella (2022), and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2021).
Zinnia Grey has just turned 21 and because she is suffering from a rare disease, may never see the age of 22. Her best friend Charm is determined to give her a memorable birthday, housed in a tower with a spindle, because she has always been invested in the Sleeping Beauty tale. When Zinnia pricks her finger she finds herself in an alternative world with another Sleeping Beauty, Primrose, who wants to escape her fate.
Harrow turns the tale of Sleeping Beauty on its head as Zinnia and Primrose, with the help of a fairy godmother, manage to break their curses, while calling on countless other Sleeping Beauties to assist. Zinnia learns what it is like to be a heroine and save others and her life begins to have meaning.
Harrow concentrates on the strength of women and female friendship, often with laugh out loud moments in her narrative. The blossoming romance between Charm and Primrose is deftly handled.
This was a quick read and is certain to appeal to readers who like fairy tale tropes upset and who have enjoyed books by Laini Taylor, Neil Gaiman and Shannon Hale.
Themes Fantasy, Fairy tale retelling, Feminism.
Pat Pledger
The Fairies' Night Before Christmas by Sarina Dickson and Sarah Grieg
Hachette NZ, 2021. ISBN: 9781869714468.
What is Christmas Eve without a "night before Christmas" story?
'Tis the day before Christmas And all through the trees The fairies are working As busy as bees...
Christmas for the fairies is just as busy for them as it is for everyone else, and young readers will delight in seeing that so many of the fairies' preparations echo their own. But when a storm blows in and ruins everything, it seems impossible that the little ones will wake to the magic they are expecting until...
With the familiar rhythm of Clement C. Moore's A Night Before Christmas, this is one to charm little ones to sleep to dream of all the magic happening everywhere as they sleep. And if they wake up to discover The Fairies' Night Before Christmas Activity Book in their Santa Sacks, then they will know that the magic is real!
Themes Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
The chaos before Christmas by Sarina Dickson and Lily Elmo
Hachette NZ, 2022. ISBN: 9781869714741.
Tis the run up to Christmas and there is so much to do! At Elf School we are learning how we can help too.
Elroy McChristmas and his friends are about to sit their final test before Santa decides the best job for each elf. But when it's time to show off their skills, Elroy's nerves get the better of him and he casts the wrong spell, sending the classroom into chaos! Can Elroy and his classmates restore calm before Santa arrives?
Although this has the familiar rhyming style of Clement C. Moore's classic A Night Before Christmas, this is a unique story that young children will want to hear over and over as they delight in discovering the detail in the pictures, each reading adding something new. And, at a time when awards are being given for this, that and the other, it offers an opportunity for those not in the limelight to think about their own best attributes and skills and consider what job Santa might give them if they were in Elf School. Because even though Elroy causes such chaos, Santa still finds the perfect place for him!
Themes Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
The Gift Shop Bear by Phyllis Harris
Worthy Kids, 2022. ISBN: 9781546013891. (Age:4+)
From a cosy box in the attic of the Nana's Gift Shop, Bear watches the seasons pass waiting for the last leaf to fall because he knew that's when Annie would come to get him and place him in pride of place at the bottom of the Christmas tree in the shop window. He knew that for the next few weeks he would do all sorts of things with Annie to mark the coming of Christmas but this year was different - the shop was closing for good and Bear was really worried about never seeing Annie again...
This is one of those feel-good, traditional Christmas stories that is timeless and thus likely to be one that endures for generations as a family favourite. It features all the elements that we think about at Christmas, regardless of it being set in the northern hemisphere with snow and carollers and people rugged up in their winter woolly warms. It leaves a feeling as warm as a teddy bear's snuggle.
Barbara Braxton
Strike the zither by Joan He
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781911231417. (Age:15 - Adult) Highly recommended.
This is an epic tale! Based loosely on a traditional story from Chinese literary culture it is re-imagined with a more contemporary gender exploration than the original patriarchal story of power, politics, and destiny. Set in 414 of the Xin Dynasty, Zephyr, the master strategist is working to raise the fortunes of her benevolent lordess Ren, who is the last of the regions’ rulers to maintain a loyalty to the Empress. With conflict from many directions, Zephyr must keep twisting and turning to ensure that the more unscrupulous leaders in different regions do not usurp her lordess. With conflict and warmongering as a given, there is also loyalty, strategy, devotion, potential romance, and allegiance woven through the subterfuge, distrust and deviousness of leaders and their supporters who are trying to wrest power from adjoining regions. Zephyr, is an unusual protagonist who uses her incredible intellectual ‘smarts’ to outwit and outmanoeuvre, despite her physical weakness and her impoverished background. But there is a twist in the tale and Chinese mysticism and fantasy also are interlaced throughout the drama. With the gods watching on and intervening into human destiny, romance and drama there are so many levels of intrigue.
This is first and foremost a fantasy adventure on an epic scale… and this is only book one of a duology. The intimations of Chinese cultural and historical influence are there, but have been envisaged and re-invented for a new YA readership by a Chinese-American author who was raised on the traditional stories of her parents’ homeland. Strike the Zither has threads that have been drawn from the traditional story Three Kingdoms, with creative license exercised to reconfigure characters and mystery into a different tapestry with the same themes. The magical quality of the story is like the music of the zither – atmospheric and expressive, and completely foreign music to that known by contemporary teenagers. And yet, that difference and the charmed nature of the story, with entries into the mythological arenas of the gods, is an amazingly powerful hook to draw in avid fantasy readers. This will strike a chord with fantasy lovers and they will be keen to discover what happens next in the lives of the ‘Zephyr’ character, Ren and her swornsisters, and the other strategists and opponents who are all seeking to master their own destinies and land, while the gods watch on and occasionally intervene in the mortal world. The cross-cultural flavour is delightfully refreshing as an excursion into new fantasy worlds. This is a story to delight and captivate… it is highly recommended for fantasy lovers aged 15 – Adult. (Younger readers, with stamina, might also enjoy this alternate fantasy world.)
Themes Mythology, Fantasy adventure, Identity, Conflict.
Carolyn Hull
Zola and the Christmas lights by Melina Marchetta. Illus. by Deb Hudson
After the wonderful series of Zola’s antics on each day of the week, What Zola did, comes this exuberant image of Christmas in the now famous Boomerang Street where Zola lives with her mother and gran. The series celebrates family and togetherness, community and friendship, and this picture book extends those wonderful strengths for younger readers. And combined with the celebration of Christmas this book will please everyone.
Zola and her best friend, Alessandro want to put up the Christmas lights just like Nonno did for many years, but Nonna has put them somewhere and does not seem to want to remember where. They have not been seen for two years. One day Zola is asked to go into the cellar to bring up some tomato sauce. The family is making lasagna for those in need in their neighbourhood. Zola is warned to remember to close the door but when she is about to do this, notices the box of decorations tucked away in the cellar. When she and her family deliver the food to the community centre, they return to find the dogs have been in the cellar and it has been ransacked. But Nonna and mum are not too displeased with Zola, and after spending some time cleaning up the cellar emerge to find that Alessandro has festooned the backyard with Christmas lights, just like Nonno used to do.
In the classroom they have been told of the different customs and beliefs of their neighbours and all of these people come together to celebrate Christmas and Nonno’s lights. A beautiful story of friendship, of memories at Christmas, of sharing, of community reflecting the diversity of today’s Australia.
The dazzling illustrations reflect all the themes inherent in the text: diversity, family, memory and togetherness alongside the wonderful feelings that Christmas evokes for everyone. Deb Hudson’s work reflect life that we all recognise, as she shows the everyday things which keep us happy. Zola hugs her dog, the community helps put up the lights, the family cooks for for the needy, they all sit down and eat together. We see the street in all of its diversity, while readers will be enthralled picking out the customs of Christmas, and absorb the images of other peoples and their customs. And at its heart, they all celebrate light, hope and being together.
Melina Marchetta is an award-winning author. Her eighteen books range from young adult fiction, fantasy, and works for younger readers.
Ill. by Angela Perrini. New Frontier Publishing, 2018. ISBN
9781925594270
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Santa Claus,
Technology, Verse, Humour. When Santa goes high-tech this year, he
of course, being an older gentleman, has problems with the new
equipment. While delivering the presents from his sleigh, the screen
on his iPad goes blank, so he doesn't know what present to give to
whom. He is distraught, after all, he has spent the whole year
preparing for this night, touching up the marks on his red car, and
making sure he is up to the minute with his high-tech gear. His list
on his iPad keeps him informed about who to give a present to, and
he even uses a rocket-pack to deliver the gifts after parking his
car in places where car parks are in short supply. But in rocketing
up to the next child, he drops his device, causing him to sigh most
loudly, waking a young girl in the building. She is able to restore
his device to its normal function, and sends him off to complete his
work on Christmas Eve, telling him to contact her if he needs help.
Which he does with a funny twist in the tale.
Readers will laugh out loud at the situation Santa finds himself in,
recognising the frustration that comes with technology when it
doesn't do what it is expected to do. Mike Dumbleton's sense of
humour shines through, giving the readers a technically adept Santa,
using devices with ease, until a small problem occurs. Readers will
love Santa's attempts at bringing his work up to date, and think of
other ways he could use technology to improve his lot.
Perrini's delightful illustrations reflect her Italian heritage with
Christmas in the northern hemisphere: snow covered fields and roofs,
a heavy doona on the bed and wood fires in the houses, all
delighting Australian audiences used to the heat and sun of December
in the southern hemisphere.
A wonderful read aloud, the rhyming text lends itself to repetition
and learning sections to read with the adult reader, while
predicting the rhyming word at the end of each line. A whole heap of
good fun is to be had at this time of the year, with a beautifully
presented book such as this offering a very funny tweak on the usual
fare.
Fran Knight
Father Christmas and the Three Bears by Lou Peacock and Margarita Kukhtina
Nosy Crow, 2022. ISBN: 9781839945694. (Age:2+)
It's Christmas Eve and Father Christmas has just the last village of the Back of Beyond to visit but he is really tired. Seeing The Three Bear's cottage far below he stops for a rest and soon falls asleep in front of the fire. But when the bears come home they discover NOTHING will wake him. Not Baby Bear setting off the alarm clocks; not Mummy Bear playing Jingle Bells very loudly on the piano; not even Daddy Bear blowing his alpenhorn! How will the children of Back of Beyond get their presents?
Baby Bear has an idea and very soon the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers are there to deliver the last presents so no one misses out. But how will they cross the Roaring Rushing River, navigate the Deepest Darkest Wood and get past the Most Monstrous Mountain . . . all before the children wake up on Christmas morning?
This is one of those simple-good-fun stories that young children delight in at this time of the year, even more so because they will recognise the members of the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers and be able to use what they know about them to predict how they might overcome the obstacles that confront them, enabling them to become involved in the story rather than just passively listening. They might even like to predict how Baby Bear might be able to help the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers in the future.
An interesting storyline, bright pictures, familiar characters, problems to solve - this has all the elements of an engaging story for young readers.
Themes Christmas, Father Christmas.
Barbara Braxton
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Johnny Marks
Book and CD. Ill. by Louis Shea. Performed by Penny McNamee.
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742993638
(Ages: 3-7) Themes: Christmas. Louis Shea makes a lot of
non-traditional colour choices for children's books, especially with
his use of bright, almost fluorescent colour. His illustrations here
also seem a little dark and too focused on humour rather than
bringing to life the warm Christmas story of someone different
becoming a real hero. The song itself is unchanged; it just has a
short section added to the beginning: 'You know Dasher and Dancer
and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But
do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?'
Older children will appreciate the humour in the illustrations (one
of the reindeer dressed up like a clown and wearing a red nose to
tease Rudolph about his nose) but most of the jokes will go over the
heads of a younger audience. This publication falls rather flat on
both fronts: it is neither a nicely repackaged recitation or an
adapted version with a unique perspective.
Nicole Nelson
When Frank presents his bold new idea to the other penguins, they are taken aback. They have never seen anything like it, and knowing that some of Frank’s ideas do not turn out well, are tepid in their enthusiasm. But not Frank. He is convinced that this is a good idea. After all a hat can keep you warm especially in their cold environment.
They refute his idea, and Frank goes away to knit more. Perhaps, he thinks, it is the red wool that they do not like, so he makes a sequence of hats using different colours. But all to no avail. Dejected, Frank vows to stop making hats when a seal taps him on the shoulder, wanting to have his red hat. The seal sees the possibilities of keeping his head warm, and Frank is surprised when turning he sees the other seals and what they are wearing. His persistence has paid off, his enthusiasm vindicated, he has kept trying despite opposition and followed his great idea.
A wonderfully enthusiastic story of chasing your dreams and not giving up, this story will be a hit in classrooms and the home as it is read to younger folk, eyes boggling at the landscape presented to them in the stunning illustrations using digital collage and paper folding techniques. The freezing environment is drawn with icebergs and mountains, cold icy seas and few animals: penguins and seals with an orca lurking in the background. Readers will love seeking out the features of this part of the world, adding to their knowledge of their wider environment. And they will love Frank and his determination, keeping on with his idea despite opposition, seeing in Frank a role model to emulate. Activities are available in the Story Time kit.
