The Mountain by Rebecca Gugger Simon Rothlisberger
Walker Books, 2021. ISBN: 9780735844575. (Age:4+)
The bear knows exactly what the mountain looks like - a forest. The sheep, octopus, and ant also know the mountain. It’s a meadow! It’s surrounded by water! It’s a maze of tunnels! The chamois and snow hare have their opinions too. It seems the mountain looks different to every animal. How can that be? And whose point of view is right, particularly when bird challenges them by asking if any of them have actually been to the top of it to investigate...
Reminiscent of the parable of The Blind Men and the Elephant, this is a great story to demonstrate how we each see things through the lens of our own experience and form opinions based on our relationship to an object or situation. It's why witnesses to an incident can each have a different account because different things have different priorities for them or their personal experience throws something into sharper relief. It's why this Kiwi who grew up with the rugged, jagged Southern Alps as her stage setting now sees the current backdrop of the Snowy Mountains more as rolling hills, even though she knows and understands the geological differences.
Thus, it is a wonderful way to explore the concept of perception with even young students - read them The King's Breakfast by A. A. Milne and have them draw the king then compare and contrast the drawings so they begin to understand how their preconceived ideas influenced their drawing. Continue with either the description of the BFG (Dahl) or The hobbit (Tolkien) and discuss how, even when they were working with identical words, each drawing is different. Have them retell Little Miss Muffet from the spider's perspective and venture into the world of stereotypes and even "judging a book by its cover."
A simply told story of a boy for whom life has gone awry, getting back on his feet with the help of friends will appeal to younger readers, who sometimes become aware that unexpected things can happen in life upsetting its equilibrium.
Told by David’s best friend, the story focusses on the flowers in his hair. David is the best of friends and the two are inseparable, running, jumping in puddles, fleeing form the bees, washing David’s hair. But one day some petals fall out, and that afternoon, he is quiet and does not want to play. The next day David wears a hat and when he takes it off his hair is spiky and the petals have all gone. The other children hold back, careful of the spiky branches and even his best friend finds that the branches have scratched him. But he does not mind, it is not David’s fault. Then he has an idea. He begins to make paper flowers to replace the ones fallen from David’s hair. The other children join in, cutting them out and attaching them until David’s head is covered in paper flowers. After a while a new flower grows and eventually all the flowers on his head are renewed. He is back to his old self and the best friends are doing what they have always done together.
This beguiling story reflects the changes that occur in children’s lives when something happens outside their control. David may be ill, there may be changes in his home circumstances, a friend may have died, or he may be feeling depressed. Whatever the reason for his flowers falling from his head, change occurs in all of our lives, and this charming story allows children to see that change does happen but things can be set right again. The help of friends is paramount in setting him back to his old self.
A tale reflecting the kindness of friends, the support given by them all, facilitates David’s renewal, his overcoming the hardship that has caused his distress. Children will welcome his improvement noting that we can all recover from the changes that upsets us all.
Jarvis is an author illustrator living in Manchester, UK and a little more can be read about him on his website.
The illustrations are amazing: seemingly simple, but with a complexity that stares out at the reader, as the flowers wilt and die, then are regenerated by his friends’ compassion. Each page bears a closer look: I loved the make up of the class, the broken train line, the energy of the class making the flowers and finally the storage of the spares just in case. David is safe and secure with his friends watching out for his welfare.
A wonderful impression of the effect of war on a small community, seemingly thousands of miles from the fighting is told in this wonderful true tale of one boy’s bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.
Charlie lived in Roebuck Bay, Broome, and loved to fossick along the shore with his brothers, fishing, opening shells to hopefully find a pearl, and smelling the ocean. The spare words give a wonderful impression of the carefree life lived by Charlie near the sea. And the stunning illustrations fill the pages with colour, a fitting backdrop to the story, reflecting images of Aboriginal culture and detail for young readers to share.
Charlie’s job during World War Two was to clean and refuel the sea planes that landed in Broome, bringing Dutch women and children to safety from Indonesia.
But one day the air was filled with the smell of fuel as Japanese war planes bombed the town and the seaplanes. People jumped into the water from the burning planes and without hesitation Charlie jumped in too. Spying a woman and her child in difficulty, he swam towards them. He was able to let them know to climb onto his back and his strong arms swam towards the shore between bullets, burning craft and the cries of others.
The beach was chaotic. Charlie, exhausted could only watch the burning seas and the small boats attempting to help others. Charlie a humble man received a Certificate of Merit from the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, and medals recognising his bravery from the Dutch Government.
Eighty eight people died that day in Broome, a salutary reminder of how war can be closer than we imagine. Charlie’s bravery serves as a reminder to us all that ordinary people are capable of feats of heroic effort: his extraordinary effort that day in rescuing two people despite the obvious dangers to himself stands as a beacon of light in a dark time.
The image that stayed with me is that of the shadows overhead as Charlie’s idyllic existence is darkened by the Japanese war planes. Others are just as luminous, offering a different perspective to the readers, grabbing their attention by cleverly making them part of the action.
Information at the end of the book gives the historic details of the bombing and a potted biography of Charlie, the author’s uncle. And the last page gives details of the author and illustrator, both renowned in their own fields.
Children will learn about one man’s courage while absorbing the tale of Broome and what happened during World War Two, a little known event in Australia’s war history.
Themes War, Broome, Aboriginal history, Australia history, Bravery, Bombing.
Perhaps your school and home library are low on or lacking martial arts books. Perhaps the teachers/ librarians/parents responsible for developing the collection are unfamiliar with martial arts and virtual reality gaming let alone with virtual fight clubs. Perhaps the young people at your school are only mildly acquainted with fantasy and science fiction...
Enter Paul Collins - award winning writer. He has a blackbelt in both taekwondo and ju jitsu, has trained with the Los Angeles Hell Drivers and served in the army with 2 Commando Coy. This gives him the credentials to write a book like James Gong: The Chinese Dragon. One of Collin's most recent awards was the 2021 Leila St John award which is presented for services to children's literature in Victoria. Teacher notes and units of work are available for some of his books and Collins himself tours schools captivating audiences wherever he goes. His writing style is likewise - captivating. Having written over 140 books for children and young people he is a worthy recipient of an award that recognises service to children's literature.
James Gong:The Chinese Dragon presents a vocabulary challenge to the reader who is a novice in the world of martial arts and virtso fighting but the sheer pace and enthusiasm of the protagonist soon crashes through this barrier. Basically the virtso player sits behind a console and lets a hologram do the fighting for them. This holographic replica - or virtual somatic construct - virtso for short - does martial arts stunts in combat. Games can be for solo, duel or multiple players. Players become obsessed. Such is the growth of this form of entertainment/sport around the world that the software development industry behind it has grown exponentially. VR has become so convincing that players can buy suits which really feel the impact of the virtual punches and kicks through sensors and the pain can render a player unconscious. Mobsters now gamble on the outcome of games and the dens in which they are played attract violence and lowlife characters.
The story is told through the first person narration of likeable James Gong, our 12 year old hero. From the start, 'My name is James Gong, but I reckon you know that...' James invites the reader in to the action and into his thoughts. This is an engaging narrative style for young people. James is like a friend talking to the reader, bouncing off the reader throughout the whole story. After some solo fight disasters, James teams up with Ming Lee, the undisputed virtual martial arts best player and their fight, the preparation for it and the machinations around it are brilliant and courageous. Extortion, blackmail, robbery, cheating, lying, bargaining - it's all there. This novel is very, very contemporary - complete with QR codes, Covid and the latest cutting edge technology. The action is rapid and punchy. There is a sense of immediacy and snappy decision making. The protagonists are clever, high achieving and competitive young people.
Collins addresses many other themes in this clever little book. Jame's problems with family, school life, money, divided loyalties and bullies are ongoing and require all of his attention even as he prepares for a dangerous game against threatening opposition. His growing relationship with Ming is gently handled by Collins. It's a coming of age story in a hi-tech modern world.
The gaming world is an interesting new world for young people to learn about. The story is quite beguiling and provides insight into the world of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in a very exciting and entertaining way. James Gong:The Chinese Dragon and other Paul Collins books may be just the hook for previously reluctant readers.
Like the real life gaming world itself, the fantasy worlds created by Paul Collins in his books may become quite addictive. Important morality and life lessons underlie the storylines.
The Voyage of Whale and Calf is a beautifully written story by Vanessa Pirotta of the birth, the growth and migration of Whale and Calf. Born in warm Australian waters, Calf’s journey to adulthood is gently told in simple language that shares many facts about the characteristics and life cycle of Humpback Whales.
Through the story telling young readers will learn many interesting facts such as the whales eat krill, how their baleen plates push out the water once they have swallowed the krill, that they poo and feed in different areas and that poo feeds marine creatures that are eaten by the krill. The story tells of the dangers to Whale and Calf of nets, boats, and party balloons as well as the threat of Killer Whales further south. As Calf grows and the season changes, he is ready to begin his own journey back to warmer waters to begin a new cycle of life.
The full page soft, pastel illustrations by Samantha Metcalf are simply stunning and complement the text perfectly. Unfamiliar words are highlighted and their meaning accessed from the glossary in the final pages. Also provided after the story are Humpback Whale facts including a map of their migration.
This highly engaging book will provide children with easily accessible information about this magnificent marine animal. A wonderful resource for classroom teachers when looking at collecting information for report writing.
The title of this new release, Poo, Spew and other Gross Things Animals do! will immediately appeal to so many children who are fascinated by all things gross. The contents page contains eight chapters with headings that include: Animal Grossness, Poo Detectives and World’s Grossest Animals Revealed. The two authors are introduced at the beginning of the book and while both come from different career backgrounds share a passion for conservation. Scientific names of species are highlighted in italics and words in bold are further explained in the Grossary (Glossary).
Each chapter has captioned photographs and humorous illustrations by Rachel Tribout. The comprehensive information is clearly set out and easy to follow. Here are a couple of examples that the reader may be fascinated by in the Love is Gross chapter. Male Capuchin monkeys when attracting a mate take a wee-wash for the females to inhale their extra strong scent and female lobsters wee on the face of their love interest! In the Grossness as Self-defence chapter, we are informed that sperm whales poo to confuse predators and that adult turkey vultures use vomit to defend themselves when threatened while nesting. On a very prestigious note, Australia can claim to have the animal with the world’s thickest wee – spinifex hopping mouse. Apparently the wee is almost solid!
Throughout the book are Scientist Profiles of several very clever people who talk about their careers. At the end of the book is a page of how to say ‘poo’ in different languages as well as acknowledgments, an index, and picture credits.
There are just so many new and incredibly enthralling facts to learn throughout this book and children will love sharing them with their friends and grossing out the adults in their lives.
Themes Animal Biology, Life Cycles, Ecosystems, Scientists, Facts.
Kathryn Beilby
Fish out of water by Kate Hendrick
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458346. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Finn is a highly driven swimming champion, constantly running, challenging himself to the extreme. It’s not long before the reader realises that maybe there is something he is running from, a reason why he is constantly pushing himself, never slowing very long to stop, think, and recollect things from the past. The face that he sees in the crowd and leads to him losing a swimming competition, is not just a chance mistake. There is something seriously wrong that Finn just does not want to face.
There are three people who care about Finn and challenge him to delve into his motivations: his older sister Connie who remains loyal and committed to supporting him, the confronting feminist student Aaliyah with her probing questions, and his new friend Loki who seems like the perfect mate until he reveals that he is gay.
Hendrick’s novel is fast-paced and keeps the reader engaged. Gradually the pieces come together and we realise that there are serious issues being depicted here: domestic violence and coercive control, and the child’s problem of trying to reconcile two opposing images of the loved father and the violent abuser. And then there is the horror of realising that Finn himself is at risk of perpetuating the same abuse that his father enacted towards his mother.
All of this is explored within the framework of a mystery novel, with a revelation that is not quite unexpected at the end. It is a well crafted story that keeps the reader engaged, though some might seek a better resolution of some of the issues raised.
This combined effort by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny is a political thriller based around the experience of a U.S. Secretary of State trying to defuse global terror attacks. It is a taut and tense fight against time to discover the whereabouts of nuclear bombs, and track down the mastermind behind them.
Secretary of State Ellen Adams and her counsellor, best friend Betsy, work together in an environment where it is impossible to know who is trustworthy and who is suspect, as it becomes apparent there is a high level leak in the government.
Followers of world politics will enjoy the references to former President Dunn (or Dumb) whose foolhardy policies have jeopardised U.S. security, and the British Prime Minister Bellington with hair askew. There are probably many more inside jokes for those in the know. What the novel does reveal is the high level of clever diplomatic strategy required working in foreign relations. Ellen Male is incredibly astute, calm and calculating in her exchanges with world leaders. She and Betsy are two strong women of intelligence, working together to outmanoeuvre their enemies.
Penny’s writing keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, as the clock ticks down, and Ellen and her offsiders desperately try to put the clues together, following twists and turns of subterfuge. And while the major villain seems to be an international terrorist, there is possibly an even greater evil within America itself, radical right wing groups who see themselves as true patriots, neo-Nazis, willing to destroy the country in order to perpetuate their vision.
State of terror will be of interest to readers who enjoy a good thriller, and also to those interested in world politics. The issues are very relevant to current times.
Themes World politics, U.S. politics, Terror, Secret intelligence, Extremism, Revenge.
What a book! Beautifully bound in a red, hard back cover featuring a golden key and a scattering of gold stardust, with illustrations by Kristina Kister, the presentation of The book of stolen dreams is a credit to its publishers- Usborne Publishing Ltd. The care taken with the publication of this book is surely a measure of its literary worth; The book of stolen dreams is a treasure.
This is the debut book for young people for writer, director, producer David Farr who has always wanted to write for children.The power of his storytelling and the tightness of the plot and structure suggests that the idea of The book of stolen dreams has been with Farr for awhile. Such is the action and the atmosphere, one can see that this book could be well adapted to the screen and theatre. It is set variously in a kind of dystopian world complete with strange airships, like something from a Shaun Tan painting, in olde worlde English bookshops and crumbling orphanages and in a city that has had the life crushed out of it by a totalitarian military regime.
Eleven year old Rachel Klein and her brother, thirteen year old Robert are orphaned. Their once beautiful land of Krasnia is in the hands of an evil dictator, Charles Malstain, whose regime smacks of certain regimes of the past and of our time. The contemporary nature of this can only add to the interest of the middle years readership. Rachel and Robert, receive the book of stolen dreams into their care from their father who was captured and taken away. The book of dreams, which gives the power of immortality, is missing one page and the two children must track it down whilst keeping the book out of the hands of Malstain and his henchmen. They have to call on deep reserves of bravery and trust as they face terrible dangers,grief and dilemma... and a family of ghosts.
The theme of censorship, fear, the crushing of freedom and the courage of those who fight against evil regimes envelops this story. This is all heavy stuff but dear reader we have our character narrator to help us cope with the horror. Is it David Farr? It doesn't matter. The story is fearful. We need a storyteller who speaks straight to us; tells us to look up, tells us what we see, calls us "my dear friend and reader...dearest and most fond reader..." stays with us until the end and finishes the story beautifully. Such a narrator is a comfort.
Interlaced between the chapters, most of which are dedicated to our main protagonist Rachel and some to Robert, are the fifty exquisitely illustrated poems that are found in the magical book of dreams. On completion of the mission, Rachel is faced with a very, very difficult dilemma where her moral compass and belief in service to the other over herself is tested to the max.
As readers will be wanting more of the adventures of Rachel Klein, the news at the end of the book that there is more to come from the world of David Farr, is very welcome indeed.
The book of stolen dreams is highly recommended not only to the individual reader but also as a read aloud in the classroom or school library.
Themes Immortality, Dictatorships, Grief, Courage, The moral compass.
Wendy Jeffrey
The secret of Splint Hall by Katie Cotton
Anderson Press, 2022. ISBN: 9781839131967. (Age:10+) Recommended.
Eleven year old Isobel and her family, older sister Flora, and mother Julia, are moving to the country to live in the family home, Splint Hall, after their home was destroyed by bombs during the War - WWII. While the war has ended, the impacts are still being felt with rationing, rebuilding and adjusting to life without their father. Moving in with their aunt and her husband, the dreadful Mr. Godfrey, they find the hall to be miserable and mysterious. The girls begin to explore and start to uncover secrets and a family legacy - leading them on a adventure to discover the truth of the legacy.
Starting out with the family moving to the country, the scene is set for mystery and hardship straight away. While accurately depicting the hardships of post war life, this lovely historical fantasy adds intrigue and interest through having a variety of characters, some loveable, some detestable. The first part of the book details the new life the girls find themselves in, and sets up multiple mysteries. The second part of the book reads quickly, as answers are found and the most adventure occurs in this part of the book. The chapters aren't too long, perfect for middle grade readers. The tone throughout the book is pleasant even with some unlikeable characters. Would suit fans of The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea series by Thomas Taylor and the Land of Roar series by Jenny McLachlan.
Themes Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Great Britain, Post WWII, Mystery, Adventure, Relationships.
Melanie Pages
Grow! A children's guide to plants and how to grow them by Riz Reyes and Sara Boccaccini Meadows
Grow: A Children’s Guide to Plants and How to Grow Them has a striking cover that will immediately catch the eye of the reader. With the cover showcasing vibrant and colourful plants and insects, as well as embossed floral vertical letters spelling out the word ‘grow’, this book will appeal to all budding horticulturalists and gardeners. It is written by Riz Reyes, a horticulturalist, speaker and educator who grew up in the Philippines on a fruit plantation and eventually moved to the United States with his family. He studied horticulture at the University of Washington and is passionate about sharing his love of growing plants with others.
The book begins with a heartfelt introduction from the author which is followed by the contents page which has fifteen four-page chapters beginning with the mint and ending with orchids. Other plants studied are lettuce, mushrooms, daffodils, tomatoes, apples, kale, carrots, aloe vera, tea plants, maple, bamboo and pumpkins. Each plant has their hero status explained as an introduction. For example, mint is the hero of aroma and remedy, and apples are the heroes of heritage and history. Following on from this is general information about the plant set out clearly, surrounded by white space, and beautifully detailed labelled illustrations painted in watercolour. Important facts are contained in separate text boxes. Each chapter also contains information about family members, how to grow your own, as well as a potted history. On the final page is a glossary and plant classification table.
This book has a place in all libraries and would make a perfect gift for a young gardening enthusiast.
When your students are introduced to those who opened up this country to others, do their investigations focus on those of the 18th and 19th centuries who trekked into areas they thought were unknown, in search of whatever they could find to make them (or their sponsors) more money?
Or do they go beyond the usual familiar names and discover the indigenous people who first trod the 'native roads' and guided those following? Do they meet the women and the teenagers who also forged paths? Do they consider how those people whose names we know found their way, collected food and water, found shelter, coped with the weather, measured distance and all the other issues and problems that needed to be addressed as they made their way into unknown and inhospitable territory?
Originally published by the National Library of Australia in 2009, Australian Backyard Explorer won the 2010 CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, this work combines history with science and technology to give readers an insight into who the 'explorers' of Australia were, what they did and how they did it. This is the 2021 updated version that takes the reader further as the author has delved deeper into the stories behind the stories, but like the original still has Peter's gift for winkling out long-lost information and uncovering deep dark secrets that bring the people and the text to life. Chapters are arranged according to issues rather than specific people, beginning with 'Who were the explorers?' and there are all sorts of devices to engage the reader including projects that they can undertake to test a theory or see how something works for themselves. (A list of these is provided for easier navigation.) There are also all the illustrations of the original from the vast collection of the National Library of Australia.
For example, Chapter 9 is devoted to staying alive and although Ernest Giles believed that this involved being able 'to take, and make, an observation now and again, mend a watch, kill or cure a horse as the times may require, make a pack saddle, and understand something of astronomy, geology and mineralogy' we learn about how repairs were made; the disasters which befell expeditions and the need to stay calm and collected in their face; how to get help in a time long before personal safety beacons and mobile phones were invented; and how accidents and illnesses were treated without the aid of a helicopter and medivac team.
This unique approach means that students will really engage with this country's past, will understand the courage and determination it took to travel beyond city limits and perhaps put themselves in the shoes of those who have gone before as they try to solve the problems for themselves. They will be active investigators rather than passive consumers of facts, figures, dates and distances. The imaginative teacher could devise an inquiry unit using any of the chapter headings as the exploratory question and then let the students have at it...
This is a must-have book to ensure that what can so often become ho-hum become engaging and exciting.
Themes Explorers.
Barbara Braxton
Camp Canberra by Krys Saclier. Illus. by Cathy Wilcox
Wild Dog Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781742036120. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
A school trip to Canberra for older primary students is almost a rite of passage in Australia. It is the trip the children talk about in their preceding years and the one they most look forward to. This new release by the author and illustrator of Vote 4 Me, which explained Australia’s preferential voting system, is a fun, fact-filled adventure for a class from a fictional school.
From the cleverly presented endpapers to the day-by-day account of the trip, readers will be engaged by the information accompanying the photographs that are overlayed with detailed graphic images of the students. This is book full of humour, interesting facts and visits to an array of well know Canberra tourist destinations including the Australian War Memorial, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Questacon, Aboriginal Tent Embassy, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Australian Mint, High Court and Parliament House.
The three-day itinerary is clearly set out at the beginning of the book and the children are divided into three groups named after famous Prime Ministers: Menzies, Holt and Gillard. Throughout the trip, the students have the opportunity to role play, engage, interact and learn about important people and significant events in Australia’s history. There are anecdotal asides on the pages that will appeal to the age of the readers.
My 12-year-old granddaughter snaffled up this book as soon as I brought it home, bemoaning the fact that her school trip to Canberra had been cancelled due to Covid. She loved reading through it and showing me the places she would have visited! An excellent resource for school and public libraries.
Themes Australia, Canberra, Schools, Camp, Friends, Tourism, Places of Interest.
Fans of Rainer Telgemeier will devour this this new book in the Click series. Camp is an honest portrayal of a typical young friendship. The characters are artfully and honestly drawn as are their changing emotions, the highs and lows of their relationship and the intricate dynamics of being best friends but having such different personalities. Olive is outgoing, confident and sporty. She has no trouble making new friends at summer camp, but Willow is reserved and dependent on her friendship with Olive. She doesn't want to try new things or make new friends. Their journey throughout the two weeks of camp is a rollercoaster story, intricately told through both illustrations and dialogue. At times the drawings are doing most of the heavy lifting, showing the emotions of the two friends in a way that is extraordinarly evident. The story ends sweetly, with Willow managing to overcome her low self-esteem, try something new and make new friends. Both of the main characters are highly believable and relatable.
There is so much to love about this story, from the positive and encouraging support of the camp counsellors to the honest portrayal of human behaviour and the inner life of a young person in turmoil. These things are hard enough to put into words but Miller manages to nail it with just pictures and dialogue. Regardless of its American summer camp setting the themes here are just as relevant for an Australian audience. In addition, the characters depicted are physically and culturally diverse.
Themes Summer camp, Friendship, Graphic novels.
Nicole Nelson
Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire. Illus. by David Litchfield
Set within a country locality, this is the story of a rabbit family mourning the loss of the father of the growing rabbit, Cress Watercress, and her younger brother Kip. The father’s loss is never explained with any detail, but it causes the family to relocate to a strangely inhospitable and meagre accommodation in the basement unit of the ‘Broken Arms’… an old tree overseen by the owl landlord. Their new fellow apartment dwellers and the other animals nearby slowly become more than neighbours. Cress is the storyteller of this animal fantasy tale, and is learning to find her place in her family, in their new locality and with the waxing and waning grief of living without her father. There is a sweet innocence in the story, and it is easy to grow fond of the maturing Cress as she learns about life, love and family, and tries to be the best rabbit that she can be.
Written by the writer of Wicked, which inspired the musical of the same name, this is a simple fantasy tale and reminiscent of Watership Down, but perhaps without the allegorical overtones. It is naive and will be enjoyed by young readers. The dangers of the local fox, bear and snake, and the friendship with the playful squirrels are just part of the ebb and flow of life in the animal world. Children aged 7+ will recognise the struggles of growing up when things do not go smoothly or when fear enters one’s life. This is worth reading for its simplicity and heart. Illustrations are simple but reveal details that will appeal to young readers.
