Engineer Mike Lucas presents an engrossing rhyming text all about the ins and outs of building a house. From buying the block of land, to bringing in the digger to prepare the site, to laying the cement, the tradies are all hard at work. And supported by Daron Parton’s humorous illustrations, readers will easily follow the tasks undertaken by each member of the host of people needed to build a house. When the wooden frame is built, thumbs are hit inadvertently by the hammer. The frame up, brick laying starts, then the roof fixed and just in time as they look up at the incoming weather.
When the windows are put in the key can be handed over. But then another team of tradies appears; this time to do the inside work: plumbing, wiring and painting. Finally the building is over and dad and his daughter can sit down and rest.
Children will learn a great deal from this infectious predictive text covering the features of building a house. They will ask questions about the equipment used and what use it is put to, they will be able to see some of the construction and engineering from the illustrations but will also ask questions about the work the people are doing. Each page is almost like a Kim’s Game of detail. I kept looking at each page the trying to recall all the things involved with building that I could remember after each page was turned. The illustrations also lend themselves to creating lists and model making.
Astonishingly Good Stories, written by Australian author R.A Spratt, is a novel filled with stories that will have its audience laughing out loud. Spratt has written another collection of tales to thoroughly entertain. Building on from her original Shockingly Good Stories, this new novel is crammed full, with a plethora of fun filled twists of parody on fables, myths, classics and more. This latest book was designed to bring back a little bit of frivolity and happiness, and that, it sure does!
Featuring 20 independent short chapters, each myth, fable and legend are not quite like those you have heard before. Oh no… these have unique and special twists, expertly told by Nanny Piggins herself (the world’s most famous flying pig). There are also a few other short stories throughout to add a little variety, and each one will keep the audience amused. Filled with humour and fun, the reader and/or listener will find themselves captivated and wanting more. From ‘Swine Lake’ to ‘Robin Hood’, ‘The legend of the Trojan Horse’ to ‘The little Merpig’ Nanny Piggins always manages to put a hilarious spin on everything. Making each story completely memorable; you may never look at these classics the same way again!
Filled with imagination and laughter, this novel will appeal to those who appreciate a good laugh. If you enjoy reading books with vivid creativity and humour, such as David Walliams, Tim Harris and Roald Dahl you will enjoy these stories too. Spratt is without a doubt a great storyteller, whose creativity and fun are destined to entertain you. If you love a good laugh, enjoy a little amusement and mischief, then this novel is not to be missed!
Astonishingly Good Stories would make a wonderful read aloud for parents and teachers alike. If you are unfamiliar with Nanny Piggins and the Friday Barnes series, then you may like to also check them out.
Richard Osman has done it again with the third in his series, being just as entertaining and quirky as the Thursday Murder Club and The man who died twice. The four pensioners are faced with a 10 year old murder case. Where is the body of the young television presenter who was chasing down a story about money laundering? Then there is a new mystery to unravel and Elizabeth is faced with a dilemma from her past – will she kill or be killed?
As always the plot rattles along with many funny and sometime poignant moments as the four retirees bring all their intelligence and special abilities to solve the mysteries. There is danger, action and excitement, all making the reader eager to turn the page to find out what is going to happen next.
This is a cosy mystery that is very enjoyable and will leave readers hoping for more in the series.
Themes Mystery, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
Colours, colours everywhere by Julia Donaldson and Sharon King-Chai
Wow! What a beautiful book and a wonderful way for children to use their imaginations while learning about colours. This is a must for a family or school library. Donaldson and King-Chai, creators of Animalphabet and Counting creatures have collaborated in another stunning lift-the-flap book that combines rhyming text with gorgeous illustrations. Any young child will be enticed to open the book, with the hard cover showing a young girl in a red air balloon and there is a cut-out just right for small fingers to turn to the next page. It opens to a vivid scene of birds flying against a red air balloon, white clouds and blue sea, with a flap that lifts up to display a child’s hand holding a paint brush with dabs of many different colours. The child is then asked to imagine what they could paint or what the artist in the book would paint:
My paints are waiting in their tray. I wonder what to paint today.
A flap is lifted and blue is the colour decided upon, with a finger sized hole to lift the next page revealing a bright blue tree frog, who will continue on throughout the story. The text is perfect to read aloud, flowing smoothly in rhyming couplets following the little girl’s adventures and featuring the colours blue, green yellow, red, white, pink, black, purple, brown and grey. The illustrations are bright and happy, the frogs and birds delightful and all will lend themselves to children using their creativity.
Colours, colours everywhere is a keeper and would make a perfect present for a child, particularly if it was paired with a set of paints that would allow them to make their own colour story.
Themes Colours, Painting, Imagination.
Pat Pledger
Little Ash: Friendship fix-it! by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Tennis superstar Ash Barty has worked with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin to create a laugh out loud series of books set around family, friendship, school and sport. Every Wednesday Ash in year two is allowed to play tennis with the older kids. She can’t wait, Wednesday seems to take ages to come around. Today is also the day to present their projects in class, and Ash has brought in hers all about Evonne Goolagong Cawley. James is late and in his rush to get to class trips and breaks his project. Their teacher tells him that he will have time at lunch to repair it so James looks to Ask for help. But lunch is tennis! What a dilemma.
In this seemingly simple way a conflict occurs which Ask must resolve. Should she support her friend in his problem, or play tennis. It is a choice that she has to make, and all children will be aware that choices such as this must be dealt with quite often.
It may appear to be a simple choice but many other things impact upon the problem, and Ash must make up her mind.
Complemented by numerous illustrations, the story will be well received by its target audience, in a setting they all understand, the children lovingly supposed by family and friends. I love this series. It reminded me of the Little lunch series (Danny Katz and Mitch Vane). It is great to have a set of books which parallel children’s activities, set in a place they know and giving both sides of a moral dilemma. It is also wonderful to see a set of books aimed at junior primary, well written, thought provoking and accessible, giving readers something other than the bland offerings seen lately, purporting to be issues based and educative.
This is a great set of stories for kids to mull over, there are four in the series so far. (Perfect match, Tennis rush, Goal getter and Friendship fix-it) and looking at the HarperCollins website, there are now two more.
Themes Tennis, Determination, Problem solving, Friendship, School, Humour, Little Ash (series).
Fran Knight
Digging up dad and other hopeful (and funny) stories by Morris Gleitzman
Gleitzman has an amazing knack of telling a serious story in an eccentric way. In this collection of short stories there are some with an underlying, subtle message, but often this is hidden to all but the astute reader. There are stories that poke fun at the way adults operate, and particularly in the 'Burger Buns Behaving Badly' story and the 'Does my Mum Look Big in this?' tale, there are children reminding their politician parents of the need to behave in more responsible ways. A somewhat sadder tale tells of the child who must relocate from the home where her father’s ‘ashes’ have been scattered and desperately wants to collect as much of the backyard as possible to take with her to her new home. Fortunately, in all the stories, even though there are some sombre or thought-provoking issues, there are also quirky moments that are peculiarly funny.
Although this is not always a laugh-out-loud book, there are enough Gleitzman humour gems to entertain young readers. The first story introduced a few moments of confusion for me, there were too many generations involving spiders, but eventually the main point of the story became evident. Most of the stories though just demonstrated children attempting to solve adult-sized problems in unique ways. There is one exception – the story that tells of an unimpressive driver being given a lesson by a speed hump and some small discarded toys, remarkably told in the voice of the speed hump. Readers aged 10 and up will enjoy the journey, and hopefully recognise the light-hearted messages being communicated in Gleitzman’s wise and witty words.
Themes Short stories, Humour, Parents, Politicians, Babysitting, Environmental issues.
Carolyn Hull
Little Ash: Perfect match by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
The first in this highly entertaining series about sport and family, school and friendship, introduces Little Ash and her family as they prepare for Ashleigh’s first day in year two. She has her best friend, James with her and confides to him that her biggest problem is having to choose a sport that she likes and wants to do. They try out several games, but none gives Ash that tingly feeling that means it is her sport. Then James encourages her to try imagination-ball. All goes well until the paint incident, and they must clean up the paint for their teacher, Mr Howard.
Back home, Ash despairs of ever finding her sport and goes outside with her squash racket and tennis ball, hitting it against the brick wall in the backyard. James is amazed and calls the rest of the family out to see Ash’s skill. Dad gives her a tennis racket and Ash has found her sport, one she absolutely loves.
Each of the stories promotes open discussion between friends and family, they model supportive friends and family and promote determination and resilience. The stories are easy to absorb, do not preach and are attractive with informant about Ash Barty, and the writer, Jasmin and illustrator, Jade inside the back cover.
Themes Tennis, Sport, School, Family, Determination, Little Ash (series).
Fran Knight
The Watchmaker's Daughter by C. J. Archer
Glass and Steele bk. 1. C. J. Archer, 2016. ISBN: 9780648214694. (Age:15+) Recommended.
London in the 1890’s is the setting for this easy to read historical fantasy. India Steele is frantic. Her father has left his watchmaker’s shop and business to her fiancé, who has cast her off and none of the other watchmakers will give her a job, almost appearing to be afraid of her. Then a mysterious man, Matthew Glass, from America comes looking for a watchmaker who had given him a strange watch that keeps him alive. India is employed by him to help in his search, but rumours of the Dark Rider, swirl around London and she is uncertain if Glass is that outlaw.
During their efforts to find the watchmaker, Glass and Steele face danger and deception while trying to ignore the chemistry that flows between them. The Glass household is an interesting one and each of the characters there are well developed.
This is the first in a long series and will appeal to readers who enjoy their fantasy set in the late 19th century.
Themes Historical fantasy, Watchmaking, Romance.
Pat Pledger
Haven by Emma Donoghue
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529091144. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Scholar, priest, hermit, sage, soldier for Christ – these are all words used to describe Artt, the stranger who comes to a monastery in seventh century Ireland, seeking two followers to accompany him on a pilgrimage to found a monastic retreat on an island far from all the temptations of the world. It is a vision that came to him in a dream, and his two companions are to be the old hardworking monk Cormac, and the gangly young Trian. Cormac has skills in building, gardening and repairs; Trian is earnest and self-sacrificing, perhaps more clever than he appears; but Artt is most definitely the leader, the holy guide whose authority is never to be questioned.
Emma Donoghue is renowned for the book and film, Room (2010), the story of a boy and his mother held captive since a teenager by a child abductor. In Haven, Cormac and Trian are equally captive, beholden to the laws of their religion, and prisoners to the interpretation of those laws as provided by Artt, with his creed of abstinence, suffering and penances. The three are trapped together in a harsh unforgiving environment on a rocky almost uninhabitable island that sears upwards towards the sky.
The reader is privy to the unexpressed thoughts and questions that come to the minds of the two monks, trying to marry their observations and ideas with the pronouncements by Artt. It is once again a battle of science and religion, of questioning and wondering versus unwavering belief and fanatical faith; similar to the battle undertaken by Lib in Donoghue’s 19th century story of The wonder (2016) about a nurse trying to unravel the truth of the miraculous ‘fasting girl’.
In Haven, we explore the complexities of science and religion through the central characters, all brilliantly depicted and unforgettable. Trian has an inventive intelligence, and a natural infinity with nature, the world that God created; Cormac is honest, hardworking, a man of commonsense and compassion; while Artt is a driven visionary, unflinching in his righteousness. The novel raises questions about virtue, true values, and the fellowship of men. The conclusion is uplifting and a joy to the heart, yet still remains true to its depiction of each of the men. This is an unusual story that will remain in the mind long after the last pages.
Cathy Freeman runs towards us on the front cover, exciting readers as they put the name to the face, making them recall the footage they have seen: Cathy in her white suit winning at the Sydney Olympic Games.
Running is what she does within the covers of this book, running across the land of her ancestors, listening to its heartbeat. But the land is in dire straits. The mountains wail, the skies groan, the rocks cry out, each demanding her attention with their tears. They point out the dying trees, the dry riverbeds, the warming seas. The land is sick they tell her. So she collects seeds and runs from north to south and east to west spreading the seeds everywhere she can. She encourages others to do this as well. First they ignore her, then walk by distracted by other things, but eventually join in her scheme, spreading seeds as well. Soon the land is regenerated and the mountains, seas and rocks beam with delight, booming out their familiar heartbeat which helps Cathy run.
Within the text are words from the Kuku Yalanji language, that of the Aboriginal community from Far North Queensland where Cathy was born. Children will love predicting what the words mean using clues on each page, and their deliberations will be supported by the glossary at the end of the book.
The seeds of change are replicated in the wonderful endpapers, the opening pair showing a range of seeds which will intrigue the readers, and the last endpapers showing a diverse range of Australian flora just waiting to be identified. Between the covers, the illustrations by Harricks describe many parts of Australia, from mountains and rives, to wide open skies, coastal regions, and towns and cuties. Astute eyes will spot the degradation that is happening to the land and some of the causes. The overwhelming optimism of the book is reflected in the pictures at the end where Cathy’s work is bearing fruit. More about the illustrator Tanya Harricks can be found here.
Larrikin House promotes the love of reading and to this end is publishing a range of books and hosts book fairs. More can be found about this business here.
Themes Aboriginal content, Environment, Cathy Freeman, Flora and fauna of Australia.
Fran Knight
The golden enclaves by Naomi Novik
Random House, 2022. ISBN: 9781529100921. (Age:16+) Recommended.
The final book in the trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate sees Galadriel 'El' Higgins determined to re-enter into the hell which is the Scholomance to find Orion who she suspects has been eaten by a maw-mouth. She and the other People in the Scholomance had managed to escape but Orion stayed behind and El is heart-broken, knowing the never-ending suffering that he will face inside the maw-mouth. Her mother is unable to console her, but she is shaken out of her depression by her friends who want her to help save the London enclave and the other enclaves that are disintegrating. El knows she needs much mana before she can face the maw-mouth in the Scholomance, so she sets off with her friends to solve the mystery of the destruction of the enclaves and gain mana on the way.
The golden enclaves is full of action as El and her allies face the real world. Her life with her mother who is such a calm person, is described, and could not be more different to life in the Scholomance. The readers sees what it is like to live in an enclave and experiences the difficulties of the people who work for the wizards but are excluded from their lifestyle. It is easy to understand why El wants to build golden enclaves that will include these outsiders. Meanwhile the prophecy that her grandmother had made about El’s dark magic destroying enclaves seems to be wrong as she works out what happens to ensure the security of the enclave and makes some difficult moral decisions on the way. There are many surprises for the reader especially about the New York enclave and the magic of Orion’s mother, and El must face some hard truths in her quest to rescue Orion and her desire to build golden enclaves.
I look forward to reading any future novels by Novik, the author of The Temeraire series, Uprooted and Spinning silver.
Themes Fantasy, Good and evil.
Pat Pledger
Growing up in flames by Zach Jones
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458360. (Age:14+)
Having recently lost her mother to a bushfire, Kenna has moved from her home to her uncle's in the small town where her mother grew up - somewhere she's never been, and isn't sure she'll fit in. Her uncle's young family has welcomed her in, but Kenna feels like an intruder - in the home, in the town, everywhere. One night, Kenna spots a fire in the distance, and goes to see what's happening. She stumbles across the general store, on fire, and a boy watching it burn. Realising he has a petrol can, she intercepts him when he tries to leave, and ends up with his bag. The bag, belonging to Noah, is full of items desperately needed. As their paths cross again and again, while Kenna learns that there was more to her mother than she knew, Noah and Kenna might be able to help each other - or something might end up in flames instead.
This hard hitting, honest contemporary novel full of complicated relationships and mystery covers a number of different topics and emotions, ranging from loss, mental health, control and trauma to anger, guilt and longing. Swapping from present day to the past, from Kenna's perspective to Noah's, along with characters from the past, the story moves seamlessly despite these constant shifts. As the story unfolds, readers will be able to lose themselves in the well written depiction of a small Aussie country town. Where everyone knows each other and history runs deep. Jones has done a great job of writing about family relationships. With some topics having the potential to cause some readers to be triggered by traumatic events, it might be advisable to make this available only to older readers. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Contemporary, Family & Relationships,Trust, Loss, Tragedy, Country Town, Family History, Mental Health, Control, Trauma.
Alice Sun attends a highly prestigious academic school in Beijing. She’s the only scholarship student among her rich, elite peers and she often feels invisible. Then, to her surprise, one day she actually turns invisible! She can’t control it and it usually only lasts a few hours. She decides to benefit from this strange circumstance and creates an app, with the help of her academic rival, classmate Henry, in which students pay her to uncover secrets, or keep information hidden, completely anonymously. Alice is hopeful she can earn enough money to pay her upcoming school fees. However, her ambition and desire to rise out of poverty means her morals start to slip and she is soon accepting unethical jobs that have real world consequences. Meanwhile her rivalry with Henry soon develops into something more romantic.
This book grapples with self-identity, morals, class division and what it means to be successful. Alice is a sympathetic character, who grapples with knowing right from wrong. The backdrop of China provides a beautiful insight into Chinese culture and the slow romance building between her and Henry, while predictable is very endearing. This book is great for ages 13+.
Themes Magical realism, Romance, Coming of age, Multiculturalism.
Jade Goudie-Hall
Moon sailors by Naomi Woodward and Rachel Gregg
Ford Street Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922696182. (Age:3+) Recommended.
Inspired by her experiences of marvelling at rock pools on the Mornington Peninsula as a child, Naomi Woodward has created a charming tale of rock pools on the moon.
Using the bed sheets and straw broom as mast and sails, the children set sail for the moon. They find moonshells and press them to their ears, listening to the sounds of the planets. They follow the snail trails and find oysters and pearls, cockles buried in the sand, clamber over the rocks, to find clams. The tide is out so they seek out the smaller creatures hidden in the rocks: octopus, necklaces of seaweed, abalone and urchins.
The dreamy illustrations are enticing, making any reader feel that they are there, on the moon, searching through rock pools. Children’s eyes will dart amongst the seaweed looking for a variety of creatures, excited at their find. They will be transported into this fantasy world, along with the two children, until they return to earth before the sun rises, and fall in bed asleep. Rachel Gregg’s pencil and water colour illustrations shimmer, reflecting the moon’s glow as the children speed towards it in their craft. The understated colours are magical, redolent of the fantasy world the children occupy. I love the touches of sea creatures in their bedroom, and readers will love checking out the array of sea creatures seen in the night sky. More can be found about Rachel Gregg here.
Go to Ford St Publishing for a drop down menu of their authors and illustrators for further information about the writing and illustrating of this book. This is a lovely story, enticing and beguiling as the children go on a magical tour before they sleep. Activities are available.
Smarty Pup: Friends Fur-ever by Anh Do and Anton Emdin
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526399. Recommended.
Life is a little ordinary for Lily right now, particularly as she has lost her mum, but things change when her Dad decides they could be a family of three again by getting a dog - something both Lily and her mum had wanted for ages.
At the animal shelter, Lily chooses JJ, who is kind of clumsy, but something about his smiley face makes her really happy inside. They change even more when Lily discovers that JJ can talk and is actually super smart. He can speak a number of languages, and knows the answers to maths and geography questions. This could be the answer to her constant dilemma about having something interesting for show-and-tell, but then things get complicated. It's one thing to be the centre of attention for a few minutes, another to be accused of something you didn't do.
Anh Do is one of Australia's most popular and prolific authors, and this new series is somewhat of a cross between a picture book and a novel. Told by Lily herself, highly illustrated in colour with conversations in speech bubbles and different fonts, it is an ideal stepping stone between basal, instructional readers and the novels newly independent readers are aspiring to. The story is grounded in the familiar situation of what to share for Show and Tell, and the characters are relatable, although of course there is the usual Anh Do twist. Reading a popular author loved by older peers and siblings is an added bonus!
A new series that will have a lot of fans and followers.
