Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526924. (Age:12+) Highly recommended.
For those familiar with Darwin based, award winning author Barry Jonsberg's books including My life as an alphabet and A song only I can hear, there will be no disappointment on reading A little spark Don't let it go out. The title captures the main idea. There is a spark in all of us and certainly in people like 13 year-old Caitlyn Carson (CC) the central character of this story. A little spark is told in the first person giving the reader direct access to Caitlyn's funny, thoughtful and sometimes quirky outlook on life.
Caitlyn is busy trying to hold life together as she lives between the homes of her divorced parents. All the adults in this book are very likeable people; their marriages have just not worked out. Caitlyn has been living happily with her mother and nice boyfriend Sam during the week and going to her father on the weekends. She compartmentalises these parts of her life and keeps both parts privately not sharing either life with her parents. When she stays with her Dad amazing adventures, orchestrated by him, unfold. At school, Caitlyn has a close friend Elise whose parents are going through an acrimonious divorce. Caitlyn is a gifted writer, recognised by the school. She wins $2000 as part of a prestigious writer's award.
This calm flow of life is interrupted when Caitlyn is forced to make an unbearable choice. Very sad and confronting things happen as A little spark moves into the territory that Barry Jonsberg handles with such warmth and skill: love, pain, the mysteries of people and 'a bit of madness and why we need it.'
Difficult subjects are handled well in Jonsberg's hands. I suspect A little spark will be a helpful read for young people who have to witness or experience the detailed stages of divorce as the third party or death or shifting friendships or attempted suicide. Told through Caitlyn's matter of fact and sometimes hilarious voice we see new parental partners presented well, mixed feelings described, difficult dilemmas, pain and sorrow dealt with and the relationships that students have with their teachers and friends powerfully depicted. It will come as no surprise that Jonsberg was a lecturer and head of an English faculty in the UK and is a High School English teacher when the reader sees what insight he has into the lives and thinking of young adults.
A little spark is a captivating read. Be warned- there are heartbreaks, there are joys and there are surprising twists. It is about nurturing that precious spark that is you no matter what life has in store. That is the important message. Teacher's resources are available.
Themes Divorce, Family dynamics, Friendship, Belonging, Identity.
Wendy Jeffrey
A family of strangers by Fiona Lowe
HarperCollins, 2022. ISBN: 9781489298690. (Age:Adult - Young adult) Recommended.
In the wake of a spectacular betrayal, three women are forced to face the uncompromising truths about the choices that have shaped their relationships with those they love most. The consequences will shatter their lives and all they hold dear. After such a disaster is rebuilding even possible? Publisher.
The story is set in Tasmania, and covers the stories of three women and their families. The writing is very engaging, and descriptive. The places and people are all easy to imagine in your mind, and as you read the book you feel as though you know them personally.
The mother / daughter relationships and how each of the characters navigate these relationships give a realistic perspective on everyday human relationships. The central connection between the three main characters through the choir and how their lives and issues spill into each other makes this an engaging read, but still lighthearted despite some of the complex issues covered.
Hot Dog longs to be like all the other dogs he sees on the beach. He would love to have legs, a head, and be able to run and fetch a stick or a ball. Without warning the Mustard Fairy happens along. She has heard him and with a squirt or two of mustard, grants his wish. He has legs and a head, and fetches that stick and goes after that ball and chases his wagging tail. He is thrilled.
But the other dogs can smell something rather tasty. Some can smell a sausage, the others a nice warm bun and their tummies begin to rumble.
Hot Dog runs to the stand where Flo sells ice creams, and asks for help. Without hesitation Flo looks behind the counter and throws ice lollies at the pack of dogs and blasts them with strawberry sauce.
The dogs run off covered in sticky goo. She picks Hot Dog up from the sand and falls in love asking him to be her pet.
A charming warm hearted story of fitting in, Hot Dog finds that being a dog like all the others has its drawbacks. But in the end he finds a place where all his dreams are realised.
In rhyming stanzas, younger readers will thrill to the story of Hot Dog wanting to be like all the rest. They will love predicting the rhyming word, and learn some of the stanzas to read out aloud for themselves. And laugh at poor Hot Dog wanting to be different, but finding himself on the menu.
The illustrations will draw many laughs as the hot dog is illustrated lying amongst other hot dogs on the hot dog stand, but dreaming of a better life. They will love checking out all the delights of being at the beach, and spotting the many animals that also live there. I love the mustard and Flo‘s hair and her solution to finding a friend for Hot Dog. This is a laugh out loud read which adults will be ask to read and read again.
Themes Dogs, Wishes, Dreams, Humour, Beach.
Fran Knight
The house on Pleasant Street by Sofie Laguna and Marc McBride
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526450. (Age:4+) Recommended.
Looking at the splendid endpapers, intrigued readers will wonder what has happened in the exciting tree house to make such holes in the carpet, as the family moves into Pleasant Street just before Halloween. And a most unusual family at that. Their house sits on top of a tree, their pet is a dragon in training and all Alby wants to do is meet the kids and make friends. But with an embarrassing father this may prove difficult.
On Halloween the neighbourhood kids all don their outfits and go door to door. Alby’s parents do not need to dress up and instead of offering a treat all other parents do, Dad pushes Alby to plays a trick. Dalai, normally a bit behind in her dragon fire efforts, conjures a Halloween flash that startles all comers. Abby is mortified, but the neighbours cheer loudly. Alby and his family sit down for their dinner but hearing nosies from the back garden, peer out and Dad is elated when he spies the neighbourhood children playing a trick.
Delightfully illustrated, McBride painting by hand and airbrushing details along with digital technologies, the energetic drawings full of colour and verve, will mesmerise all readers, intent on vacuuming up all the details, looking for Halloween clues in the backgrounds while marvelling at Alby’s family. I loved the endpapers, and loved checking out the details in the house, and their clothing, matching them against other things which make Halloween recognisable. Readers will be able to spot many of the customs associated with Halloween, and join in the fun themselves when their neighbourhood street becomes involved.
In this beautifully illustrated older reader picture book, a father tells of his sadness that his adult daughter is not able to celebrate Chinese New Year in her own birth country. She has her own life in Paris with her husband and while the father is accepting of this, he feels it is important she returns home if she is able.
Throughout the story the father reminisces about his daughter’s childhood and her likes and dislikes. There are wonderful words and images of how Chinese New Year is celebrated but the overlying theme is that father is lonely and misses his daughter terribly.
This picture book is not one to be shared with younger children. There is a deep sadness and melancholy around it and those readers, who during the global pandemic were separated from family members over many months, will be able to relate to the story.
Themes Celebrations, Chinese New Year, Separation, Family, Nostalgia.
Kathryn Beilby
Noongar Boodja Waangkan Noongar first words by Jayden Boundry and Tyrown Waigana
The importance of learning and recognising First Nations language is beautifully represented in this new release, Noongar Boodja Waangkan - Talking on Noongar Country. This brightly illustrated non-fiction picture book is written in Noongar and English and is a collection of first Noongar words. The striking and colourful cover draws the reader to the book and the front endpapers show the area of the south-west corner of Western Australia where the 14 different groups of the Noongar nation live.
For the learner new to the Noongar language, the collections begin with moort (family) and names for ngany (body parts) and moolymari (face). This is followed by names for boodja (country), boorn wer djet (trees and flowers), boodja (land), kep (water) and worl (sky) barna (creatures) as well as bonar (seasons). The seasons are represented by six bold circles called kambarang, birak, boonaroo, djiran, mookaroo and djilba. Throughout the book is the opportunity to learn Noongar words for greetings, feelings, numbers, colours and movements. The final double page spread focuses on Noongar-midi (things) including kitj (spear), wana (women’s digging stick) and woonda (shield).
This is a wonderful book to share with children and to foster an appreciation and understanding of First Nations languages throughout Australia. A Pronunciation Guide introduction is available.
Themes Noongar Language, First Nations people, Western Australia.
Kathryn Beilby
Rise of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
HarperCollins, 2022. ISBN: 9780008508029. (Age:Older Children, Young Adult) Recommended.
Soman Chainani will no doubt delight fans with this surprise prequel to his bestselling The School for Good and Evil series. Rise of the School for Good and Evil is an unexpected but very welcome story for the canon. Set many years before the adventures of Sophie and Agatha, the novel is concerned with twin brothers Rafal and Rhian, one good and one evil, who are the founders of the magical School for Good and Evil. As in the rest of the series, we are introduced to the school through a new batch of recruits; ‘good’ and ‘evil’ fairy tale characters who are plucked from their lives and quite literally dropped into opposing cohorts in the school.
Rise of the School for Good and Evil focuses on Aladdin, a much harder and grittier character than the Disney version. Somehow, this cunning street thief ends up being placed in the good side of the school, setting into motion a series of events that will pit student against student, brother against brother, and have far-reaching consequences for the realm.
It is not necessary to have read the prior books to enjoy Rise of the School for Good and Evil. New readers may in fact prefer to begin chronologically. The novel is as well-written and engaging as Chainani’s other books and fans can be assured of a story true to the spirit of the original series. There is also an intriguing twist in the final pages, which bodes well for those hoping for a future release.
Themes Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Good vs Evil, Schools, Brothers, Identity.
There are two narratives running side by side here that intersect throughout the story. The first character we meet is Rex; he's a dinosaur who has been frozen in ice for millenia but now finds himself defrosted and living in the big city. He is quickly spotted as an outsider by Mr Foot, a Yeti who is doing all he can to pass himself off as a human. Mr Foot convinces Rex that he'll never be accepted the way he is and that he must also pretend to be human. This sets off a humorous journey as Rex learns all the things he needs to be a human and does all the wrong things (he gets fired from three jobs, goes on a shopping spree with Mr Foot's credit card and becomes addicted to cheesy snacks).
The other narrative thread is that of Sandra, a nine-year-old wanna-be detective with triplet baby brothers and friendship troubles. She is feeling a bit neglected by her parents, and her best friend has up and left her for two other friends and they are all being downright mean to her. She does, however, have a problem to solve (that of the mysterious Mr Rex...is he an alien?) and maybe she can make a good friend along the way.
There are definite messages threaded within both narratives about belonging, social isolation and discrimination. In the end, Rex and his animal friends decide to stop hiding and come clean about who they really are and the parents and children who are forward thinking band together to protect each other and their new animal friends. Even Sandra realises that she is important to her parents even through they are very busy with the babies. While quite a long book it does have colour illustrations on nearly every page which will help with engagement. There are many funny moments, although some of the humour may be a bit inaccessible for the lower end of the target age group.
Children of all ages will enjoy this wonderful new book with stunning illustrations by Tania McCartney. It follows on from the first in the series, Plume: world explorer. In this book, Plume: global nibbler, Plume is determined to introduce his penguin friends to foods with different flavours from across the globe. He and Ava the albatross travel on the Albatross Express to a myriad of countries, different from those he visited in his first book, to experience the tastes and flavours of wondrous new dishes.
First stop is Japan where Plume visits Kyo in a sushi bar. Here he learns how to make sushi with a fiery dash of wasabi and gari. From there they travel to Thailand where they taste pad thai. On they travel to Iran where they have roasted corn cobs and kebabs garnished with torshi. In Ethiopia they try injera flatbread and wat curry. In Italy, pizza, and in Sweden kanelbulle. In Morocco Plume is served a fragrant orange cake called meskouta and in Mexico he makes flautas with Valeria. In Hawaii they are shown the art of the poke bowl and finally in Argentina they dip fruit and churros into dulce de leche. A sweet treat to end their gastronomic exploration!
When Plume returns to Antarctica, he and Ava set up a gourmet tasting table from all over the world for his penguin friends to share. They are not so convinced by the tastes on offer until Plume has a clever idea. He adds a secret ingredient to all the dishes and it’s a winning combination.
This wonderful book is a great addition to a classroom and school library. A gorgeous introduction for younger students to the diversity of countries from around the world: the food, the people, the language and the culture.
"New York Times bestselling author Jane Green reimagines the glamorous and tragic life of fashion icon and socialite Talitha Getty...When Claire arrives in Marrakesh, she’s swept up in a heady world of music, drugs and communal living. But one magnetic young woman seems to hold sway over the entire scene. Talitha Getty, socialite wife of a famous oil heir, has pulled everyone from Yves Saint Laurent to Marianne Faithfull into her orbit. Yet when she meets Claire, the pair instantly connect. As they grow closer, and the inner circle tightens, the realities of Talitha’s precarious life set off a chain of dangerous events that could alter Claire’s life forever." Publisher.
The story covers the life of Talitha, set in the 60's, married to an oil heir. The story covers sex, drugs and rock and roll and it is slow to get through and the story is nothing special.
The first part of the book is very readable but nothing special. The second half for me just glorified the 60's excessive lifestyle of drugs, sex and eating disorders.
Well know author Sue Whiting has written an absorbing historical novel for older middle grade readers based loosely on a family connection. Set in the early 1900’s and using the city of Adelaide, surrounding suburbs and the Adelaide Hills as the setting, Tilda is a story that will both disturb and delight the reader.
Tilda’s Papa is forced to leave his soon-to-be eleven-year-old daughter in the care of the Sisters at Brushwood Convent and Orphanage and join the South Australian Citizen Bushmen Contingent fighting in South Africa against the Boers. Before separating, Papa gives Tilda a notebook, a twin to his own, so they can both write about their life apart. The notebook entries are crucial to the story as the reader gains great insights into Tilda’s feelings and her vicious treatment at the hands of the Sister in charge.
Sadly for Tilda, her life at the orphanage is one of continual bullying and punishment meted out by Sister Agatha. For unbeknown reasons, Sister Agatha is determined to break Tilda and make her admit that her father is not coming back for her and she is an orphan. Tilda refuses to acknowledge this and is cruelly punished time and time again. Fortunately for Tilda, her best friend Annie is the one bright light in her life with whom she shares everything. Through a series of distressing events, Tilda and Annie are separated and Tilda is sent out to service. What follows for Tilda is a time of devastating news but also a time of hope.
The powerful descriptive language used to describe places such as the Orphanage, the Boot Room, Norwood Parade, the East End and the horse and cart trip to Ashton in the Adelaide Hills transports the reader back to the past. The historical facts presented throughout this engaging novel will be of great interest to readers both young and old. A must-have for all libraries and those readers who enjoy historical fiction.
The author of Whose bones? takes the young reader on another interactive journey of discovery as they look at dinosaur bones, footprints, and favourite food to try and work out what dinosaur it is.
The front cover will immediately intrigue lovers of dinosaurs with its skeleton of a Triceratops facing a paper cut out of the dinosaur, and then looking at the back cover the reader is confronted with the skeleton and picture of an Ankylosaurus. The books follows this format: the question 'Whose dinosaur bones?' is asked on a page with footprints and food, and the opposite page shows the dinosaur bones jumbled up. Then on the next double page is a picture of the skeleton of the dinosaur and its name and illustration. For example, on the first page the reader is asked 'Whose dinosaur bones?' and confronted with footprints, food, and mixed-up skeleton bones, making them use their knowledge of dinosaurs to put together the puzzle. Turning the page, the reader sees the skeleton of Triceratops and facing it is a picture of the Triceratops. Children must guess an Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, Mosasaurus, and Tyrannosaurus. Then at the end are the skeletons of a Spinosaurus, Allosaurus, Brachiosaurus and a Parasaurus. The Fun facts double page spread will provide readers with some interesting and unusual facts.
The design of Whose dinosaur bones? is wonderful. It is a sturdy book with fabulous illustrations. The endpapers are intriguing with tiny dinosaurs popping out of their eggs and will provide a discussion point about how dinosaurs are hatched. The illustrations bring the dinosaurs to life. Bright coloured backgrounds make the cut outs of the skeletons, and the pictures of the dinosaurs stand out.
Even very young children who are obsessed with dinosaurs can name many of them and they certainly will enjoy guessing which bones belong to what dinosaur. The straightforward text, bright colours and interactive nature of this book make it an excellent vehicle to encourage curiosity, problem solving and an interest in nature.
Themes Dinosaurs, Skeletons, Problem solving.
Pat Pledger
Moonlight riders: Storm stallion by Linda Chapman
Hachette, 2022. ISBN: 9781408366790. (Age:8+)
Linda Chapman is an English author; a prolific writer with books published internationally. Her series including the well-known My secret unicorn books and the Stardust series can be found in most school libraries. Chapman loves to write animal stories that appeal to younger primary age students. Storm Stallion is part of the Moonlight Riders series.
Books about horses have always attracted readership especially pre-teenage girls. The power and the muscularity of the horse, the one horse who can not be tamed by any other than the one special gir,l is a common trope that works time and again. There is something elemental about it. In Storm Stallion, the team of children at Moonlight Stables, all being matched to magical elemental horses, solve the problem of magical storms that have been damaging their stables.
The viccissitudes of friendship at the pre-teen stage of life, the keeping of secrets, the intense falling-outs and reunions are all reflected in the Storm Stallion. The main character, Amara, has to keep secret the fact that she is a True Rider chosen by an elemental horse called Ember, from Kalini, a girl whose friendship she really desires. Keeping this magical secret creates misunderstandings when Kalini suspects that the Moonlight Stable riders are keeping things from her.
All is resolved when the Storm Stallion appears "... he became stronger and more muscular. his mane and tail turned to white wisps and his eyes were an ebony black. He reared up, shaking his mane proudly.' p. 123. Images of the beauty and power of these horses and the ability of one young person to master and communicate with them are central to the enthralling attraction of these books.
The dialogue between the young people is simple but authentic and reflects preteen concerns. Each character is 10 or 11 years old with riding and competing in mounted games competitions in common. The magic is in the connection to the elemental horses: earth, fire, water etc. Simple black and white illustrations are interspersed throughout the text.
Storm Stallion, part of the Moonlight Riders series is a readable text for those interested in the horse book genre.
It's summer, it's hot and Clarice Bean has NOTHING to do. Even Robert Grainger has a borrowed rabbit to care for. And why does she keep seeing this dog everywhere? Is it meant to be?
Subtitled The story of how we got our dog, this is an addition to the Clarice Bean series that can sit anywhere within the order. It tells the story of how the family dog Cement, who appears in many of the other books, joined their household. Interestingly, Lauren Child meant to name the dog Clement but missed the 'l' in typing. A similar fate befalls the dog within the story. Written and released at various intervals since 1999 the series is just as appealing and accessible to young children today. Child's signature voice shines through as Clarice Bean shares her chaotic but loving family life with us. Her life is full of the independence and sneaky schemes of childhood: she chats to her neighbour across the fence, she walks to the corner shop by herself and she secretly smuggles a dog into the house. Sibling relationships are depicted as messy but ultimately loving. There are arguments, there are indiscretions, there is anger but it is always amusing rather than serious, and towards the end the four children work together to keep the dog a secret from Grandpa. This is all wrapped up within a humorous narrative with superb characterisation. Getting that child voice to sound authentic and writing witty dialogue that is a joy to read and listen to is what Child does so brilliantly. The flow is also fantastic, events organically follow on from one another and there is a great sense of suspense and anticipation even though nothing outlandish really happens. This, along with her usual font variation, means that although it is a rather long text it is easy to get through. Fans of Lauren Child and particularly of Clarice Bean, young and old, will be delighted with this new story.
The Dominion is cursed. Years ago, the Emperor and his Necromancer stole all the colour from the world. Now they keep it for themselves, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in shades of grey, until a miracle baby is born, in colour. But her life is at risk from the start - the Emperor's ripper dogs and black coats come hunting - colour has a telling scent and the ripper dogs can always find it. Her parents die protecting her, assisted by a wandering mage. Left with the baby full of colour in his care, Sandy Burns raises her, continuing to protect and hide her colour as she grows. Named Hope, she learns that life is lived colourless for all but the Emperor, and as the only one with colour, she embarks on a journey to bring change to the world.
This adventurous fantasy has so many twists and turns, readers will lose themselves quite quickly in the thrill of the escape and the thrill of colour as a hunted commodity. With well developed characters, the novel switches between view points throughout the book seamlessly, all the while building a story of inspiration and courage. Readers may find it difficult to imagine the world as it is depicted in the book, as colour is automatic in most imaginations of stories, so switching to a 'black and white' narrative is intriguing. MacKenzie has created a lovely novel for readers in upper primary through to high school, with plenty of action, humour and heart.
