Pirate Queens by Leigh Lewis Illus. by Sara Gomez Woolley
NatGeo Kids, 2022. ISBN: 9781426371950.
In 1995, September 19 each year was proclaimed International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Created as a bit of fun by two friends in the US, in Australia, at least, it has become a major fundraiser for Childhood Cancer Support with schools getting involved in a range of ways to support students and friends. According to the Cancer Council, it is estimated that, on average, about 750 children aged 0-14 are diagnosed with cancer each year in Australia with leukaemia accounting for about 33% of cases, and brain cancers, 25% so it is likely that a school will be supporting a student through this - if not yours, then nearby.
Thus, what might have been a frivolous suggestion more than 25 years ago, can now have a significant impact on those we know and this new book from NatGeo Kids can provide an opportunity to investigate the lives of some of the women who were just as fearsome as the more well-known males such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Captain Hook or even Jack Sparrow. As is often the case with history, the past is viewed through a male lens because men were viewed as the gender capable of writing and reading, they became the scholars, and thus wrote the history books which were mostly written to please kings, generals or male politicians and so only portrayed the male perspective.
Thus, even though there have been female pirates since the dawn of piracy, including Ching Shih (aka Zheng Yi Sao) who tormented the South China Sea with her fleet of 70,000 raiders in the early 19th century, our children have grown up with male-dominated images and stereotypes.
Easy to read with lots of detailed illustrations, the author has trolled the few resources that do still exist and this collection of six stories of powerful female pirates who forged their own path is but a small part of the stories of other women whose stories have been lost or forgotten. Spanning the Caribbean, the Irish and North Seas, the Mediterranean and even the Pacific, this is a fascinating look into the lives of these women that had me more intrigued that I imagined and immediately I could see its place in a serious study of these seafarers who not only captivate young readers in folklore and fiction but who also were real and shaped history so that International Talk Like a Pirate Day could have a legitimate place in the curriculum and thus, its associated fund-raising boosted.
Older students might investigate the qualities of leaders and leadership and whether rule by fear is the most successful way, while perhaps the next pirate a younger child draws might even be female!
Themes Pirates.
Barbara Braxton
The brink by Holden Sheppard
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458643. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
Plans go wrong for a group of teenagers set on serious partying for Schoolies week, when they end up isolated on a remote island, only just tolerated by the nearest mainland community. It starts out fun, but tensions build, and then when a dead body is found, it all turns into a teenage nightmare version of ‘Lord of the Flies’.
The story is told by three alternating voices, Leonardo, Kaiya and Mason. And whilst the three of them are on the outside of the popular group and each dealing with personal issues, they turn out to be the most trustworthy individuals amid a bunch of highly volatile personalities.
The brink is about young people on the brink of adulthood, trying to find themselves amid parental expectations and the stresses of old friendship groups, and uncertain about the future. And then, as fear mounts, and hopes of rescue fade, they also find themselves on the brink of anarchy and brutality.
It is then that Leonardo, Kaiya, and Mason, each come to their own understanding of what is important to them. They, more than any of the others, find their inner strength and sense of identity.
Sheppard presents issues of anxiety, teenage sexuality, entrenched bullying, anger, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as issues of self-esteem and personal ethics. It reads like a thriller, and is a thoroughly gripping book.
12-year-old Alice England does not have the lifestyle of most girls her age. She lives in the same building where her father runs his funeral and undertaking business, and she works to assist him in preparing the deceased for their memorial farewells. Her own life has been shadowed by its own sadness. She is the surviving twin, although with a permanent impairment, from a difficult birth. Her mother abandoned the family early in Alice’s life, but Alice is incredibly close to her caring and staid father. And it seems that the dead also are able to hint their needs to her. This very unusual environment and her unusual personality leads others to give her a wide berth, but Alice is not very distressed by this. She has a formal, proper and almost sombre approach to life, and does not realise that she is unusual. Her complete honesty with her father adds a unique perspective to her pre-teen life. When George Devenish is brought to the funeral home it seems that Alice realises that his death on the sea-side quay is not all it seems. His unusual ‘sunshine’ allergy and anaphylaxis is not everything there is to know about his death. The otherworldly communication in the story is subtle, but leads Alice to begin investigating. She is also introduced to a potential, although unwilling, new ‘friend’ and companion in the inquiry in Violet Devenish (similarly allergic as her Uncle George). The investigation twists and turns, but it is Alice’s doggedness (and occasional tactlessness) despite opposition that leads her into unfamiliar territory and to an understanding of George’s death.
My concern for this book is for the readers who have experienced recent grief. The discussions about embalming and preparations for funerals are perhaps on the edge of macabre and may be a little raw for young readers struggling with their own losses. Alice has a personality that is both naive and mature, perhaps even eccentric and comical, but it is her unruffled and almost blase and nonchalant response to death that is the most unusual. The twists and turns in this mystery and the understanding of an unusual allergy are intriguing and keep readers turning the pages. There is also a connection to an environmental issue and to some teens who live a slightly edgy life on quayside. Although this book would introduce the murder mystery genre to a younger audience, and in some ways it has a similar, but more modern, appeal to the Enola Holmes series, I suspect that the environment of bereavement may need to be read by those aged at least 13+. School Libraries should recognise the need to protect some psychologically vulnerable readers.
This charming tale begins with a bang when 11-year-old Lisette bursts into the bookshop Arlo is minding. She manages to hide while a menacing monster of a man called Silas scours the place for her. But once Lisette is safe, she presents a parcel to Arlo. He recognizes that it is from his mother who died a year ago because of a car accident. The parcel contains an extremely old, rare book called a grimoire and mysteriously one of the stories within was written by Arlo’s mother. More mysteriously it seems the story is mirroring events that start to take place in the lives of Arlo and Lisette. Over the past year Arlo has been heartbroken and has chosen to live a very quiet life with his kind uncle, who owns the bookshop. His only companion is a smart brave mouse called Herbert. Silas continues his pursuit of Lisette and when she is kidnapped Arlo needs to control his fearfulness in order to help his new friend. What’s more Lisette believes her grandmother died as a result of being hounded by a property developer, Marcellus, to vacate her bookshop. Marcellus is employing Silas to get hold of the grimoire. This all makes for an exciting page turning story.
A lot of things happen in this novel but it is delightful and easy to follow. This is due in part to a lot of dialogue and just the right balance of suspense and magic. Abela enticingly teases the reader into believing that Arlo might actually be experiencing what is happening in his story. Arlo and Lisette are both smart with wonderful hearts and his Uncle Avery and friend Gertrude are comically eccentric. It reminded me of the Eerie-on-Sea series or Jaclyn Moriarty’s Kingdoms and Empires series. It would be a great read-aloud book for children from 8 to 12 years old. Abela wrote it as “a love letter to books, book sellers, librarians and reading” and it most certainly is that.
Themes Fear, Bullying, Family, Friendship, Love.
Jo Marshall
Ella and the useless day by Meg McKinlay and Karen Blair
Ella and her Dad decide to have a clean up day, after looking at their house, so full of useless things. They search, scramble and sort, poke, pick and pile, hunt, hoist and heave, filling their little car trailer with loads of things that are too old, too big, too small, too holey, or broken and altogether useless. Their next door neighbour takes the old bicycle, to him it is perfect. The lady at the end of the street asks if she can have the holey blankets as they are just what she needs. A jogger notices Dad’s old fashioned suit and jogs happily away with it. At the park two girls spy the leaking fishbowl, it is just what they want, while several other people take things from the trailer until, arriving at the dump Ella and her Dad find they have no useless things left in the trailer to leave behind.
A wonderfully witty tale of recycling and repurposing, children will begin to look around them with more than a cursory eye, seeing the things that are no longer useful to them, but may be useful to someone else.
Meg McKinlay’s sense of the unusual shines through as she uses alliterative words to describe the things they look for, or repeats the word useless at the start contrasting with the word useful in the last pages. Each of the neighbours finds just what they need from the trailer, prompting readers to think what their use might be. How could somebody really want a holed blanket or an 80’s suit or leaking fishbowl. Suggestions will come thick and fast from avid readers, eager to make something useless into something useful.
Blair’s watercolour and pencil illustrations add to the humour of the text, showing the pair as they dive into the useless things found in their home and shed, or fill the trailer, or leave behind stuff other people want to take, arriving empty handed at the dump. I love the front cover with the delicate balancing act by Dad, Ella and the dog, paralleling the fine line between useful and useless. And the last several pages where we see the use to which the useless objects have been put. The detail of the house and shed will titillate the imaginations of the readers, spying things others do not see, seeing out things which they may have at home, tucked away instead of being thrown out or recycled. And the endpapers too show the difference between useless and useful and I love the journey taken by Ella and her Dad, through the house then the neighbourhood and to the dump. A wonderful story promoting recycling and repurposing, but also being creative and encouraging a sense of community as the useless property is shared.
Themes Recycling, Creativity, Community, Rubbish.
Fran Knight
The best liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458452. (Age:10+)
Aubrey and Joel are the best of friends. They have always been friends, and while others might think they are odd, they are perfectly happy enjoying their make believe games, even if they might be getting a bit old for them now. When Aubrey returns from their camping trip having gone a separate way from Joel, and he has now disappeared, this makes Aubrey the last person to see him. The whole town is looking for him, but Aubrey might be the only one who can find him. Setting out to look for him with Aubrey’s older sister, Teagan, and Joel and Aubrey’s friend, Mari, they might find themselves along the way.
This middle grade book, set in America, is narrated by Aubrey, starting straight after the camping trip. The story unfolds naturally, moving forward smoothly, with a few flashbacks sprinkled throughout. There are a variety of characters, facing different issues, which are issues that many readers experience. Chapter length varies, with some chapters being much shorter than others. The novel is essentially a contemporary book with mystery and adventure, and heart. While we are living in modern times, children still experience racism and discrimination for being themselves, which this book looks at through the eyes of a preteen child learning about themselves. Good for fans of ‘Melissa’ (previously titled ‘George’) by Alex Gino.
Themes Lies and Truth, Mystery, Understanding, Relationships, Middle Grade, Racism.
Leilong the brontosaurus is a very good school bus, and the children are all ready and waiting as he goes from building to building to collect them. But being a brontosaurus in a modern city of cars and buses and trucks and people can have its drawbacks and Leilong finds himself banned and confined to the school gymnasium. He is so upset that he cries and cries... and finds himself a new career!!
Young readers first met Leilong when he took them to library storytime and they will be happy that he returns in another adventure. What if Leilong arrived at their school? What uses could he have? Have them write letters to the principal to persuade them that Leilong should stay...
Themes Dinosaurs, Libraries.
Barbara Braxton
The last gladiator by Anh Do
Rise of the Mythix 5. Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761065682. (Age:9-13) Highly recommended.
The Last Gladiator by Anh Do is the fifth book in the surprising Rise of the Mythix series. Minh, Kelly and Stanley are hiding out in an abandoned warehouse with Kelly trying to work out how to rescue Jimmy and also help Stanley remember part of the Mythix Prophecy. After returning from a search for food, Minh fills the others in on a news item about a huge person taking on and defeating the Hornets. This begins to make sense to Stanley, who with help from Kelly’s powers has remembered a passage from the ‘Prophecies and Portents’ book which states there may be more people born with mythical powers. What follows is a search for this mysterious person whom they locate but who does not want anything to do with them. Meanwhile Jimmy is in deep trouble having been brought back to his human form from stone but forced into a painting with the evil Medusa. They are released as an experiment and their first combined task is to burn the painting of Jimmy’s parents. It becomes a battle of wills as to how they will follow commands from The Collector.
The Collector cunningly announces the Gladiator Games where the strongest gladiators in the nation will fight each other, with a prize worth fighting over. The mysterious giant person from the search enters the Games and becomes known as the Kraken, with four massive tentacles. He and the Cyclops eventually face off in the final. But Kelly, Minh and Stanley are also in a fight for their lives. And will they separate Jimmy from the Medusa? An exciting story awaits the fans of this series with Book 6 coming soon.
Themes Fantasy, Myths, Dystopia, Adventure, Power, Good vs Evil, Friendships, Danger.
Kathryn Beilby
Ninni Yabini by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Tyrown Waigana
When Mother and Father swan rebuild their nest, they are so engrossed in their task that they do not see the baby swan is missing. A storm has washed their home away and they must build a new nest. Their beloved offspring, named Ninni Yabini after the evening star, wanders away, following a willy-wagtail, and finds herself alone and scared.
The beginning of the story evokes its setting, a place near the river, amongst reeds which they use to build their nest along with river grasses and sticks. While the story develops we learn of the tasks each of the swans does in daily life and the things they collect to make their nest.
When Yabini wanders off, her dad, Maali calls in vain. Yabini spies the evening star, her namesake and feels comforted, following its lead. As she stumbles over logs and runs through puddles, the little star gets brighter and brighter as she nears home.
A happy reunion follows although not without dad telling his cygnet not to follow the willy-wagtail ever again. But all is peaceful as the little family snuggles together to sleep that night, happy and content.
The story models a strong family relationship with the parents kissing and cuddling their child, strengthening the bonds that tie them together.
The illustrations support this theme admirably, from the spectacular front cover showing the baby being held in the parents’ wings to the back cover with the lost very unhappy cygnet being led by the evening star. The strikingly modern illustrations are different from what is usually expected complementing an Indigenous story and will encourage readers to look more closely at the art wok of a range of books.
Written in Noongar and English, and illustrated with wonderful striking artwork, this book celebrates family and home, while at the end is a list of the six Noongar seasons. The use of Noongar language throughout the book encourages children to try out the language for themselves, and an easy place to start is to learn the names of the six seasons.
Author, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker belongs to three areas of the Noongar people – Wadjuk (Swan River), Balladong (Wheatbelt) and Yued (Moora) and her stories reflect the inspiration of her family’s experiences in the bush. For more information about Cheryl and her books see here.
The illustrator, Tyrown Waigana is a Wardandi Noongar (south-west cape country) and Ait Koedhal (Torres Strait Islander) multi-disciplinary artist and graphic designer. An interview with Tyrown can be found here. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Aboriginal stories, Western Australia, Family, Belonging, Home.
Fran Knight
Flipper and Finnegan by Sophie Cunningham. Illus. by Anil Tortop
Albert Street Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781761180071. (Age:4-8)
Flipper and Finnegan are are Little Penguins enjoying a glorious life on Phillip Island. They love their special place in the world alongside other wildlife such as seals, bandicoots and Cape Barren Geese. Their days are filled with fish hunting in the clear blue ocean and at night they waddle up the beach to their cosy burrow. When an oil spills covers most of their colony in oil the ranges at the Wildlife Centre know that the penguins are in grave danger. Oily feathers mean the penguins can't keep warm and if they try to preen themselves to remove it the oil will make them sick. Inventive thinking and lots of help from knitters all over the world results in the penguins being put in tiny woollen jumpers until they can be properly cleaned.
There is a small paragraph at the end of the story about the true history behind the tale of Flipper and Finnegan and what we can do to help Little Penguins. There are a few penguin facts scattered within the story and the illustrations and text give a wonderful sense of place (both of Australia and Phillip Island itself). Anil Tortop's illustrations use light to great effect and her animals are cute and cuddly. This is a heartwarming story about what can be achieved when we come together for a cause but is also a reminder of the damage human activity is having on the world around us. While great for younger children this presents the view that after the penguins have been cleaned up they are returned back to a perfect world. This may be a bit simplistic and miss out on teaching points for older children (however it could also be a useful springboard for discussing these issues). A second true story title by this same author and illustrator is titled Tippy and Jellybean: The True Story of a Brave Koala Who Saved her Baby from a Bushfire.
With beautifully appropriate soft edged illustrations by Hilary Jean Tapper, the phrases on each page point to words that need to be said to defuse a situation which many children and adults come across. The words point to a kindness, an emotion felt by the speaker, comforting the other person in a situation we can all recognise.
So at home, a child has drawn on the wall, and owns up with ‘I did it’. Many people will see this event, sometimes more often that they wish, but the simple owning up defuses a situation which could cause distress. At home too, a child may feel left out and the simple question, ‘Want to join in?’ makes that person feel part of the group and be thankful that the questioner is so kind. Similarly when at school, one child has wet themselves and the other reassures her that ‘happens to everyone sometimes’, so reaching out to an embarrassed child, offering comfort. In other situations: talking to a person in hospital or an older family member possibly in a nursing home, or needing help in class, all sorts of situations are described by the illustrations and given apt phrases to respond with. Readers will eagerly say what has happened to them in a similar situation and the reader will be able to encourage a response that is appropriate and kind, offering comfort and support.
Very much a book to produce if people in the class are being unkind or showing signs of being unable to resolve a situation, this book has wide educative uses both at home, and in the classroom.
The beautiful illustrations beg to be interpreted and discussed, leading on to revealing emotions and feelings. These emotions will then lead to solutions and the text gives the best solution: kind words, kindly offered as the speaker feels sympathy for the person involved.
Stroud returns with another adventure featuring the audacious and notorious Scarlett and Browne. This time they have evaded their enemies in the wilds of Mercia and Northumbria, while conducting some exciting heists. Using Scarlett’s planning skills and shooting ability and Browne’s ability to read minds, the pair have been successful until they are faced with a dangerous adversary while trying to pull off a near impossible mission.
There is all the excitement, snarky asides, and humour, wrapped up in a fast-paced plot and beautiful writing that one expects from an author of the calibre of Stroud. In The notorious Scarlett and Browne, Stroud takes his adventure story a step further and gives the reader some solid and often heart-breaking background about his two protagonists. Browne is afraid of his powers and often fails to use them when needed, while Scarlett’s path into being an outlaw is explored in depth. The pair grow closer to understanding each other, and the delightful Joe and Ettie from the first book, appear again.
There is a map at the beginning of the book that shows the paths that the outlaws take and is a useful reference for readers who are not British. The descriptions of the Faith Houses and the Brothers of the Hand that have grown up in response to the threat of the Tainted are frightening and easy to imagine happening in a dystopian world. An execution scene is vividly described as a stage-managed event and had me on the edge of my seat in fear. Albert’s observations about the plight of children as slave labour and the poverty and hunger also added a dimension to the story.
A film based on the first book, The outlaws Scarlett and Browne, is being planned. Meanwhile fans are sure to be thrilled to read this sequel. I look forward to any future books in this series and fans might like to read Stroud’s Lockwood and Co. series while they wait.
Living as a servant in the immobile sky castle, Midori, Kurara keeps to herself and only her best friend, Haru, knows that she can manipulate paper to become animals, stars, basically anything. They live a quiet life serving throughout Midori, then a Crafter finds her – Crafters are those that control paper, and Kurara is one of them. Escaping the Midori, she joins an airship whose main purpose is chasing and destroying rouge Shikigami, giant monsters made out of paper. Learning how to become a proper Crafter, Kurara travels with the crew across Mikoshima and faces a whole new world full of adventure and intrigue.
Told from multiple perspectives throughout the story, Rebel Skies is about young Kurara learning more about the world and more about herself. Set in a world full of skyships, flying cities and paper spirits, this book feels like a Japanese anime with action, adventure, humour and cultural aspects including clothing, character names and weaponry. At the start of the book, there is a map showing land cities and sky cities, as well as a few illustrations to assist readers in understanding the world that the author has built. This fantasy novel is the first in a new series of the same name, and readers will find the book is evenly paced with a nice steady flow of story. With a wide variety of characters, those reading the book will find some characters relatable and others annoying, which gives a nice depth to the story. Fans of Studio Ghibli anime will enjoy the book, as would fans of manga.
This enthralling story of a pair of peregrine falcons nesting in Collins Street in Melbourne will touch the hearts of all readers, young and old as they see wild animals surviving in the harsh city environment. New words will be learnt, facts about these birds given while a story of the life cycle of these animals will be eagerly absorbed.
It begins with two falcons nesting on a ledge high above Collins Street. The male falcon, the tiercel lands next to the female and hands over his catch, a pigeon which he caught on the wing using his incredible speed, talons and dexterity to grab the prey. The female eagerly pulls apart the flesh and eats. She later lays four eggs in the gravel scrape. These are rolled around under her making sure each stays warm and the tiercel keeps bringing in food he has caught, while at times he takes over the nest duties while she hunts.
After six weeks they begin to hatch, and three small fluffy balls are in the scrape while the fourth egg is rolled to the back. Called eyases, the chicks grow steadily on the diet the tiercel brings in. During the day the pair take turns hunting and keeping them safe, while at night the male watches while the female sits on the chicks. Hunting is lessened as the chicks grow, their fluffy feathers replaced by darker stronger ones. They practise walking up and down the ledge preparing for the day they will leave. Their parents are watchful but bring in less food, forcing the chicks to take to the air. They leave behind the scrape, the fourth egg and feathers and bones regurgitated after their meals.
The precise text brings the life story of these animals to life, introducing words readers may not know, but encouraging them in their use. The story is intertwined with information, told in such a way that it is absorbed without hesitation. It is simply fascinating, telling of how animals survive in what is considered a hostile environment, encouraging children to look out for the peregrine, the largest and strongest of the falcons. Children will scan the skies over their cities to watch for these birds.
At the end of the book is a page of information which adds to the facts already given, along with an outline history about the falcons in Collins Street.
The illustrations are magnificent, drawing the eye in to look closely at their feathers, talons, beaks and plumage. The background of the ledge with its spill of feathers and dung adds a note of admiration for these animals, making the most of a strange, hostile environment for their nest. The almost photographic images will make students gasp as they turn the pages. The picture of the diving tiercel, the city at night, the pair at the scrape, the chicks hatching … all are simply wonderful, giving the reader a very intimate view of the family of falcons. The claustrophobic ledge, the protection of the parents as they watch over their chicks, the final leap to flight, are all given an extra emotional pull through the detailed, close up illustrations. Jones’ obsession with the way pictures tell a story shines through as he depicts falcons here and penguins (2021).
When they were nine years old, Mina McCreery’s twin sister Evelyn vanished overnight from the bedroom they shared. For Mina that meant an immediate change and “everything about her life was public property” - even now, nineteen years later.
An unsolved crime with a million-dollar reward draws a lot of attention, including from private investigator Lane Holland who needs that money. And as Lane’s cold-case investigation progresses we learn more about the complicated pasts of both Mina’s family and Lane himself.
We also learn about the various ways different people deal with trauma, and we get disturbing insights into the ghoulish delight some take in whipping up suspicion and spreading ‘fake news’ online.
Crime fiction is not my preferred genre but this book drew me in immediately. I loved that the outback setting is almost a character itself – the fictional small town in NSW is described in vivid detail, giving this novel an unmistakable Australian flavour. And along with Mina and Lane a host of other likeable and believable characters are richly drawn, including Mina’s best friend Alanna, and Senior Sargeant Emily Starrett of the local police in the next town over.
The layers in this story are revealed slowly, with unexpected turns throughout. Several times I thought I’d figured out where it was going next, only to find myself gasp aloud at the newest revelation. Readers under 16 may be disturbed by some details in this book, including the mentions of child abduction and harm.
The story wraps up in a satisfying way with the overall message that it’s never too late to speak up or for the truth to be revealed.
