With a gripping opening sentence, ‘When they made the bargain, they knew they risked death,' readers know that they will be in for another exciting ride with Robb’s latest Eve Dallas thriller. This time she explores the sinister underground of child sex trafficking. Mina Cabot and Dorian Gregg are two teenagers who have been abducted and kept imprisoned in the Pleasure Academy, where they have been trained for a life of exploitation. Together they plan to escape but terribly their plan fails and Eve Dallas is called to the scene of the murder of Mina Cabot. Mina had disappeared on the way home from school and as Eve investigates it becomes apparent that she is just one of many children who have gone missing under strange circumstances.
As always, the well written narrative flows along smoothly, keeping the reader’s attention. The theme of child sex trafficking is disturbing and brings some of Eve’s nightmare memories back, but she is determined to uncover who is organising the trafficking and find where the children are being kept. Other familiar members of the Task Force are featured, with Delia Peabody and Roarke playing important roles, and they follow a trail of blood giving them some clues to what is happening.
This is a compelling read and fans of the series will not be disappointed. Robb always manages to find a new theme to highlight in each of her books and child trafficking makes for a sometimes dark and difficult background for this police procedural. The unexpected twist at the end is memorable as well.
The very best doughnut by Randa Abdel-Fattah and Amani Haydar
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781760988906. (Age:5+) Recommended.
In The very best doughnut we have an early chapter book which is a very warm, engaging and easy read for emergent readers. Published in 2022 by Pan Macmillan Australia, it is typeset in Basic Commercial by Billy Blue Creative (a design studio) in Sydney. The creativity of the varying fonts and page designs create interest for the new reader and the double spaced lines aid reading success. Illustrated by Amani Haydar with simple, buoyant illustrations with some on double page spreads, the young reader is well supported with both easy text and supporting visuals.
The very best doughnut is part of a new series edited by Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah which celebrates Australia's multicultural society. The very best doughnut features Adam, a Muslim child, who has difficulties refusing the challenge of a doughnut with pink icing during the fasting period of Ramadan. This book, with the ironic juxtaposition of an American doughnut with Ramadan as its central dilemma will be a delight for Muslim children as they will see themselves in the story. It will also be a useful book for children who are unfamiliar with Ramadan. Reading books like this demystifies cultural difference. Abdel-Fattah is a prominent Palestinian Egyptian Muslim author and human rights activist. Many teachers and librarians would be familiar with Does my head look big in this? (2005)- one of her best known books aimed at Middle Years/ Young Adult readership.
Other books available in this series are Maku by Meyne Wyatt (Australian First Nations) and When granny came to stay by Alice Pung (China).
Teachers need to be aware of this series of empowering books for emergent readers which are conceptualised so that more children can see themselves reflected in text. Recommended for school libraries.
Themes Ramadan, Multi-cultural classroom life.
Wendy Jeffrey
The secrets of the Stormforest by L.D. Lapinski
The Strangeworld Travel Agency. Orion, 2022. ISBN: 9781510105966. (Age:9+)
The Secrets of the stormforest is the final book in The Strangeworlds travel agency series by UK writer L.D. Lapinski. The central character Flick learns to control and channel her magic as she and Jonathon and friends battle to understand their role as part of the Strangeworlds Society and thereby save the multiverses as they are all threatened with collapse. Secrets are uncovered and many dangers are faced in a cinematic struggle against evil magic. Portals to other worlds open and close, schisms appear and the inbetween world becomes a reality. Problems have to be solved through a mixture of teamwork, attention to clues and making choices that are terrifying.
In the magical vein of stories about portals to other worlds, reminiscent of Blyton's The magic faraway tree but for older children, our heroes struggle to gain entry to visit and survive in other worlds, all of which challenge the team. Questions of identity and of origins and futures make this a coming of age book.
Characters from previous worlds visited in previous books in the series unite to overcome an overarching threat to all of the worlds. This third book completes the series and incorporates adventures and references from the first two books. Of the series, the second book The edge of the oceanmay be the preferred recommendation. The Strangeworlds travel agency series is done.
Themes Fantasy, Multiverses.
Wendy Jeffrey
How to be Prime Minister and survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald
University of Queensland Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780702265587. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald is an amusing and entertaining novel. Enjoy the rollercoaster ride with fifth-grader, Piper and her sister, Lottie as they manoeuvre through life in the spotlight.
Piper is an average grade five student who loved her old school, her old home and her simple life. That was before her Dad’s ‘heroic act’ changed everything! Who would have thought rescuing two kids AND a labradoodle from a shark, while on your boogie board, would lead to becoming Prime Minister of Australia!
Now Piper finds herself in a life that causes her even greater anxieties. Kirribilli House and Oceanview College, with security and cameras following her everywhere, is not the life she enjoys. And to make matters worse, her mum is away, and she has woken to find her Dad is leaving unexpectedly for a ‘conference’ to who knows where.
When she discovers his phone has been left behind, she must deal with the dramas of overbearing politicians and support staff who want to speak to her Dad immediately. What is she to do? Desperate to save her Dad’s already flailing reputation, Piper’s love and loyalty sees her making some rash decisions to cover up his disappearance. Can she, along with Lottie, ingeniously trick the world into believing her Dad is simply at home sick or will everything come untangled and her father be exposed?
Carla Fitzgerald has created a highly engaging, inspiring and thought-provoking novel. This story will appeal to many readers who enjoy humour, fun and a little bit of politics. With an underlying thread throughout the novel of loyalty, resilience, strength and persistence, this story has something for everyone to reflect on. With a resounding message of 'If not me, then who?', audiences will feel motivated to face their own fears and give everything a go. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Resilience, Politics, Family, Friendship, Problem solving, Creativity.
This deceptively simple looking hardback book is a gem, a treasure of personal stories by Wiradjuri elders, recalling experiences of the past, and passing on pieces of wisdom, the joy of family love and simple pleasures. They also bring into perspective the lived history of poverty, loss, marginalisation, and racism, growing up as an Indigenous person in the 1950s and 60s. However the stories remain a testament to the resilience and spirit of the writers. They are ‘deadly’.
Another excellent short story collection edited by Anita Heiss from Magabala Press.
Denis Knight (science fiction and fantasy author and computer programmer) and Cristy Burne (children's author and science communicator) have done it again. Wednesday Weeks and the dungeon of fire is the third Wednesday Weeks book and these stories, rather than running out of steam (as sometimes happens with series) seem to be getting, if it were even possible, better and better.
The stories are told with the immediacy of the first person; the narrator being Wednesday Weeks. The interaction between the characters is delightful. The wit is snap-crackle sharp; the characters' relationships are skilfully drawn. Who would think that readers could relate to a talking skull called Bruce but he's a wise-cracking old thing whose survival we care about as much as Wednesday, Alfie and Grandpa. Our four heroes save the nine realms from the evil Gorgomoth's Third Age of Never-Ending Darkness and bring their regular, normal Science teacher, Mrs Glock, the year sixes and the school inspector Rixon from the Board of Education through world's of heart stopping adventure and danger safely back to class. They travel through realms of unfriendly cats, live volcanoes and more trying to beat Gorgomoth the goblin king to the long lost Stone of Power.
Along the way many obstacles are ingeniously overcome. It is the lessons learnt in school Science/STEM lessons that are applied to saving their lives from hair raising, terrifying situations. At the end of the book are some pages of activities related to the solutions that our heroes had to come up with to save themselves. Concepts of magnetism, energy transformation and gravity and balance and solving of logic puzzles and hidden messages that the children have learnt at school combined with a few magic spells (which Wednesday is controlling a little better) are employed to rescue all from dire danger.
Dialogue between the characters is on pitch, hilarious, informal and smart as a whip. The book could be opened at any page and read to the delight of the year 5, 6 or 7 age group in particular. It's clever, energetic, sassy and very well written. Not only is it about magic and adventure, it is also about true friendship.
Wednesday Weeks and the dungeon of fire is a funny, beautiful book, part of a funny, clever series.
Walker Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781760654788. (Age:16+) Recommended (with some reservations).
Melita has Indonesian heritage and scholarship-worthy Indonesian language skills, so the school trip to Indonesia is high on her ‘Must do’ list. However, her past behaviour during Year 9 at another school still hangs over her and is a secret blight on her new school experience. Unfortunately, her recently ‘controlled’ impulsivity falls apart when she defends a fellow student from a bully’s actions and attending the school trip is at risk because of it. Attending counselling is essential, but a risky choice made in the unattended office gives her access to a diary written entirely in Indonesian, that opens up a world of uncertainty and a mystery that is waiting to be solved. While on the excursion she is able to piece together clues, and she also meets another Melbourne teenager, Michael, who helps her translate and seek answers to the mysterious diary’s sad tale written by Indonesian girl, Devi. But impulsivity again has Melita on the second strike of a ‘three- strikes and you’re out’ punishment. The return to Melbourne does not stop her from pursuing answers, and hiding her search for justice for the mysterious Devi. Unfortunately, Melita and Michael’s search leads them to a deeply disturbing place and their desire to rescue Devi puts their own security at risk. Can they go to the police or will Melita’s own past get in the way? Has she taken too many risks in the pursuit of justice for the vulnerable Devi? Can good come from poor decisions?
This is an intriguing tale, crossing cultures and language and also revealing the awfulness of sex trafficking – not an easy topic for teen fiction. There are also choices made by Melita (and perhaps also Michael) that demonstrate a teen tendency to push boundaries rather than consider consequences. However, they also pursue justice for a vulnerable person that they only know because of a stolen diary. The story of Devi is revealed through the translation of her diary entries. Melita and Michael’s pursuit of truth is only possible because her parents’ priorities (even though they are also social justice focused) have caused them to be distracted from their daughter, a school staff member has also made an unwise choice, and Melita is prepared to ‘fly close to the flame’. The confronting nature of sex-slavery is not described in much detail, but even the veiled references are still awful. There are moments of simple romance developing between Michael and Melita that serve as a contrast to the awful abuse that is hidden in suburban streets.
Themes Mystery, Sex trafficking, Slavery, Indonesia, School life, Choices, Bullying, Romance.
Carolyn Hull
The merciless ones by Namina Forna
Usborne, 2022. ISBN: 9781474959582. (Age:16+)
Namina Forna is back with the second instalment of the African-inspired Deathless trilogy, The Merciless Ones. When we left Deka at the end of The Gilded Ones, she had just discovered that she was the long-awaited daughter of the goddesses that once benevolently ruled the nation of Otera. She is immortal and gifted with the potential to free womankind from an oppressive and patriarchal society. In The Merciless Ones we meet Deka again six months later. She and her warrior friends are exiled from the capital of Hemaira, locked in a protracted conflict with the powerful male priesthood, the Jatu, which controls the land and seeks to subjugate all women. As Deka learns more about the forces and powers in play, she realises that it may not be as easy as expected to defeat her enemies, even with the power of the goddesses on her side. Something is very wrong in Otera and Deka may be the only one with the abilities to stop it.
The Merciless Ones is a typical middle book of a trilogy. It is a solid read without being particularly outstanding. Deka’s story continues in a generally logical manner, although some concepts and character alterations have been inserted into the plot in a rather heavy-handed and at times dissonant manner. Nevertheless, The Merciless Ones functions as a good connection between the first book and the events still to come in the conclusion of the series.
It must be mentioned that Forna is realistic in her portrayals of the abuse and trauma suffered by women living in patriarchal societies. Readers should be aware and keep this in mind when determining whether to read this book.
Extinct: Hainan Gibbon by Ben Garrod. Illus. by Gabriel Ugueto
Head of Zeus, 2022. ISBN: 9781838935474. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
Extinct Hainan Gibbon is the final book in the Extinction series written by TV scientist Ben Garrod. For those who are unfamiliar with the Hainan Gibbon, it is one of the rarest mammals on Earth, one of our closest relatives and is one of the most endangered species with less than 35 remaining in the wild. The habitat for these gibbons is the island of Hainan, which is off the southern coast of China.
The book begins with a detailed introduction surrounded by plenty of white space to make it accessible for younger readers. This is followed by a chapter on ‘What is extinction?’, information from an expert, the first one being Professor Richard Pancost commenting on climate change. A comprehensive chapter on the causes of extinction is next, followed by another Ask the Expert, Professor Gillian Forrester, who answers the question, Is nature good?
Information on the Hainan Gibbon is broken up into the sections labelled: discovery, anatomy, classification, ecology and environment, and behaviour. Expert, Dr Carolyn Thompson shares information on her life as a primatologist who now works with the Hainan Gibbon. Throughout the book the wonderful illustrations by palaeoartist, Gabriel Ugueto, complement the text perfectly and the endpapers and double page spread illustrations are simple stunning.
The strong message in this book that is delivered time and time again, is that humans are responsible for the damage to the environment and have the power to turn things around but must act quickly.
From the first page we know that the worst thing possible has happened - Paragon City’s superhero has died! What will happen now and what will 12-year-old Sonny Nelson do now that his personal hero, Doctor Extraordinary, is no longer able to sweep in and rescue the city from everything evil? Fortunately, Sonny becomes the only one who can see the ghostly apparition of the heroic Doctor when he reappears. The dilemma of being the only one in communication with a ghost is that everyone thinks you are mad! The story is a laugh every moment, and when robotic pandas are released in a dastardly plan to create chaos, Sonny must release his own inner hero (with ghostly Doctor Extraordinary’s help) to rescue the city.
This is a light-hearted romp with some very quirky features. Frequently the authors break into the narrative with amusing asides and this will appeal to young readers. The ‘dead’ Doctor and his arch nemesis Captain Chaos are eccentric and Sonny is the slightly shy and friendless boy whose besotted behaviour towards the heroic Doctor is also left-of-field. Children will enjoy this comic adventure with twists and turns … and pandas. It is just entertaining without being overly challenging, but it also contains the occasional commentary on the adults in the story that kids will appreciate. Recommended for lovers of comedic stories, aged 9+.
Spot appears in a new adventure as he and his dad work on the farm. Each double page has a new chore for Spot to help around the farm. Each shows what the chore is and what Spot must do to be useful and each page has a push and pull insert which adds movement and interest for younger readers.
‘A push and pull adventure’, full of humour will be eagerly sought after by younger readers. The first double age shows Dad collecting eggs from the henhouse while Spot feeds the chickens and hens. The pull out slide shows the grain being thrown from the bucket for the animals to eat. Over the page, lucky Dad is cleaning out the pigsty while Spot collects apples for the animals. The slide shows the piglets eating the apples. Over the page Dad is using the tractor to move the hay bales, with Spot is nowhere to be seen. Eventually Dad finds Spot in the stable with the horses, feeding them apples.
A warm hearted look at the work needed to be done on a farm, this sturdy board book shows a great many details about the work, the animals, clothing and landscape of a farm. Some will be familiar while others will be new to many children, so introducing them to something outside their experience.
Younger readers will love pointing out the animals and what Spot is doing, while helping to pull out the tab which slides across the page.
Having read all of the wonderful Aussie STEM Stars narrative non-fiction series to date, the latest book Skye Blackburn-Lang: Eating bugs for the planet written by Dianne Wolfer, is a fabulous read. What an incredible life Skye Blackburn-Lang has had beginning with her childhood, her schooling, her tertiary studies and finally to her unique and vital business of encouraging people in Australia and overseas to try Entomophagy – the practice of eating insects.
Encouraged as a young child to explore her natural environment, Skye’s love of insects began at an early age. She was fortunate to find teachers who continued to foster her love of nature and guide her to find answers to her never-ending questions. From school, Skye decided to study a double degree in Entomology and Food Science which would set her on her path to where she is today.
Skye’s interest in insects as a food source came about through her travels to Thailand where she spent time at a local market trying various options and then chatting to the store holders. Always thinking, Skye decided to trial the idea of insects as high protein food alternatives on the Australian public at local markets. She is aware that as the world’s population grows, traditional food sources such as beef and fish will no longer be sustainable. Slowly the idea of other sources of protein took off and now Skye has a thriving business called Circle Harvest Edible Bug Shop- Circle Harvest Australian Farmed Insect Protein where you are able to order edible insects.
This book with a glossy presentation and lots of colour photographs is highly recommended for school and public libraries.
Mim and the Anxious Artist is the third book in the wonderful series The Travelling Bookshop written by Katrina Nannestad. For Mim Cohen, her brother Nat and their wise and gentle father, living in a travelling bookshop is full of excitement, adventure, and the possibility to make new friends.
This story begins with a baguette and a view of the Eiffel Tower. The travelling bookshop led by Flossy has arrived in Paris. Wherever it travels to, the bookshop is always there for a reason, in this case to help a struggling artist who cannot part with his striking portraits. Once they are settled the bookshop caravan becomes a whole world of marvellous books which are shared by an eclectic range of characters all in need of that perfect book to make a difference in their life.
The children meet Pierre, a talented artist who upsets his customers when he refuses to part with the portraits he paints of them. He finds sanctuary in the bookshop and through the wisdom of Mim’s father and the friendship of Madame Lachapelle, Pierre eventually finds a solution to his anxiety about sharing his paintings.
This story is one of great love and kindness and would be a wonderful read aloud to Year 2 to Year 5 students. The plot is both humourous and entertaining with an opportunity to escape to Paris through beautiful descriptions of places such as the Louvre, Montmartre, Sacre Coeur and Tuileries Garden combined with appealing illustrations by Cheryl Orsini.
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529094961. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
Lucinda Riley, best-selling author of the Seven Sisters series and the Angelseries wrote The Murders at Fleat House in 2006. It is her only crime novel and her son Harry Whittaker decided to leave it as he found it after her death in 2021. The story has stood the test of time as a compelling and interesting crime novel and introduces Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter and her sidekick DS Alistair Miles.
Fleat House is part of the small private school of St Stephen’s in Norfolk. When Charlie Cavendish is found dead, Jazz is convinced that his death was not accidental, and when investigating, turns up some disturbing incidents in the past as well as the present. Charlie was known to be a bully and there were people around him who could have switched the drugs he took for his epilepsy. When a young pupil, Rory Millar, disappears and the Classics teacher dies, it is up to Jazz to link up the clues and find the killer.
The claustrophobic atmosphere of St Stephen’s provides a background for the murder and the bullying that has not been stopped by the teaching staff. There are themes of divorce, alcoholism and infidelity in the wider school community and some red herrings will lead the reader astray until the final denouement.
The Murders at Fleat House is an easy to read, engaging story with a detective who is likeable and a mystery that is compelling. Readers are likely to be left wishing that there were more novels featuring Jazz and her team.
Midnight Sun Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9780987380975. (Age:Adolescent)
Fourteen year-old Zac, feeling a little neglected by his mother who is preoccupied with researching her PhD thesis, is hoping to re-connect with his dad by spending Christmas with him in Alaska.
Zac’s parents had separated ten years earlier, and on his infrequent visits over the years, Zac’s father had been abusive and emotionally distant. Zac hopes that they will bond by spending time together in the wilderness and managing his dad’s husky teams, but nothing he does is good enough for his now-alcoholic father, who reacts with verbal and physical abuse to Zac’s shortcomings.
After Zac disobeys his father, has an accident while sledding and loses the dog team, his father erupts with a particularly violent outburst. Zac decides to return home to his mother and tries to hitch-hike to the airport in Anchorage.
Against his better judgement, he is picked up by Stanley, a weather-beaten Alaskan native truck driver, but when they are caught in a blizzard, and the truck breaks down, they are forced to continue together on foot. Unsurprisingly, Stanley is all that Zac’s dad is not, and as they battle the elements, Stanley, with his nurturing, encouragement and insights into human nature, enables Zac to begin to understand his father better.
This is a wild adventure story, with a healthy dose of both out-door action and teen-age self-examination. Cooper, who has spent time working in Alaska, includes a Native Alaskan tale as a parallel to Zac’s growth, and vividly describes the harsh conditions of the land.
Some coarse language and violence are depicted, and in parts, Zac’s introspection feels a little laboured, but overall, Something About Alaska is an easy read with universal themes, as both Zac and his father realise and overcome their fears and pride, determined to work on developing a new relationship together.
