Nura and the Immortal Palace, written by M.T. Khan is a thought-provoking story, set in a fictional Pakistani town of Meerabagh. With a sense of truth and desolation of child labour, dangerous mining and families struggling to survive, this novel is layered with many confronting quandaries that will challenge most reader. Creatively woven with Muslim culture and traditions, along with the mysterious mythical world of jinn, this story is sure to keep you captivated until the very end.
Imagine being a twelve-year-old girl; dirty, starving and having to work each day clambering underground and then being paid pittance for your hard effort. This is the life that Nura faces each day, together with her lifelong friend Faisal.
Nura mines every day, hoping to find significant amounts of mica, to provide for her family. Her father died while working in the mines when she was seven, her mother works daily in a sweatshop and her three younger siblings stay home, hopeful to go to school when they are older. Yet, Nura has never been to school. She works tirelessly, looking to provide hope and happiness for her family and constantly dreaming of finding the Demon’s Tongue - a legendary treasure buried deep in the mines, and one she believes will give her enough riches to finally break her family’s cycle of poverty.
But when a tragic mining accident occurs, and Faisal is lost in the rubble, Nura seeks to find him. However, when she digs too deep and enters into the magical world of jinn, what will be the outcome? Will the legendary jinn’s trickery be too dangerous to overcome, and what other truths will Nura discover along the way?
Khan has written a story layered with life inequalities and society’s imbalances, while cleverly entwined within the magical world of fantasy. Join Nura on an intriguing adventure, and appreciate how she encapsulates strength and determination, while discovering some of life's truths.
Themes Muslim culture and traditions, Child labour, Fantasy, Friendship, Family, Responsibilities, Mining mica.
After her moms move from California to a small town in Alabama Chloe Green is trying to navigate her way though her last year at Willowgrove Christian Academy, determined to be the valedictorian. Her biggest opponent is Shara Wheeler, the school’s golden girl and daughter of the principal. Then Shara disappears a month before graduation, after she kisses Chloe. Desperate to find Shara, Chloe hunts down clues to her disappearance, discovering on the way that Shara has also kissed her boyfriend, football jock Smith, and the bad boy next door, Rory. She leaves behind little pink notes for all three to find in unlikely places with clues to where she is hiding. As the trio start to follow the cryptic leads, Chloe begins to discover that she does not know everyone as well as she thought.
The book begins with a note to the reader that to include ‘the good parts and the bad, the funny and painful’ of being a teen from the South or from a Southern Baptist or Evangelical Christian background, there are ‘elements of religious trauma and homophobia.’ However, the mystery of Shara’s disappearance will intrigue the reader and Chloe’s snarky point of view is a joy to read. It is fun to follow the trio trying to work out what Shara means, getting to know her better on the way. There are break-ins, crawls through air vents and teen parties, all keeping the reader glued to the page.
But the strength of this story lies not just in the humour of the dialogue and the mystery but in the strong characterisation of Chloe, Smith, and Rory, as well as a supporting cast of teens, all fleshed out and believable. The friendship that grows between the unlikely trio, the understanding that Chloe’s best friend Georgia shows and the relationships that grow around the theatre group feature strongly and feel real.
This romantic/comedy/mystery is a coming-of-age story that teens are sure to enjoy. Mystery lovers of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murderby Holly Jackson and Inheritance games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes could enjoy this as well, while older readers might enjoy House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune.
Themes Coming of age, LGBTQI people, Romance, Friendship, Missing persons.
Another welcome addition to the excellent Nature Storybooks by Walker Books, this non fiction text is complimented by a fictional story, all alongside stunning illustrations. While a story of a Tasmanian Devil develops as the mother goes off to search of food to enable her body to produce milk for her young, we see the pair exploring their environment, becoming more acquainted with what is there, becoming more adventurous and comfortable with their surroundings. So we see them looking out of the burrow in which they live, a former wombat burrow, borrowed by the Devil’s mother to have her pups, seeing other animals around, but running back inside. Mum comes back and the pair drinks their fill, then she is off again to forage.
At each page the story line is added to by a non fiction text lower on the page and in a different font. Within this text we find facts: Devils can eat up to 40% of their body weight in one day! Or that pups can be left behind at four months while their mother forages. We find out how big they are, what they eat, where they live. Did you know they once roamed Australia?
At the end of the book is a short outline of the Tasmanian devil, a concise index to the facts in the book, alongside information about the author and illustrator.
Readers of fiction and non fiction will love this book, full of facts but also laying down a story, one which helps readers understand the Devil and its habitat.
The illustrations show us the wide expanse of Tasmanian bushland where the Devil lives; Hamilton includes other animals in that vegetation, and allows readers to see the different vegetation in a Devil’s environment.
Liz, Thelma and Pat are three retired teachers who meet for coffee at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. One day an ex-colleague, Topsy, is there with her daughter, and they catch up with her. The following week they are appalled to hear that she has died. They are all convinced that there is something wrong about her death and decide to investigate.
Fans of the cosy mystery genre are likely to really enjoy A spoonful of murder. The author cleverly reveals the lives and abilities of the three sleuths as the novel progresses and the main characters and minor characters are all really well described. There are many humorous asides that relieve the tension surrounding the murder. Red herrings abound and there are multiple suspects, but the conclusion is very satisfying.
The author also explores the effects of dementia and how crooks can prey on the elderly, adding an extra dimension to the story.
This was an entertaining read and I will be sure to pick up any future books by J.M. Hall.
Themes Murder.
Pat Pledger
Jimmy and Pat meet the Queen by Pat Lowe. Illus. by Jimmy Pike
This small picture book is a factual fiction story about Native Title and is cleverly written using humour to explain a complex topic. When a non-Indigenous lawyer explains Native Title to the mob in the Great Sandy Desert, he confuses the community by explaining to them that they must prove to the Queen, as the figurehead of Commonwealth Australia, that the Walmajarri own the land. This confounds Jimmy and Pat so they decide to write to the Queen inviting her to visit and prove the land is hers by finding the waterholes. Surprisingly she accepts the invitation and arrives in the desert by helicopter with her vast array of luggage and two corgis in tow. What follows is quite a humourous tale of camping, hunting and searching for the elusive waterholes. The use of Walmajarri and Kriol language throughout is an important addition and the illustrations by Jimmy Pike are bold and bright. In the final pages is a valuable glossary and pronunciation guide. An entertaining read. Teacher's notes are available from the publisher.
Themes First Nations People, Walmajarri Language, Native Title, Great Sandy Desert, Her Majesty, Camping, Hunting.
Kathryn Beilby
All the little tricky things by Karys McEwen
Text Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9781922458377. (Age:10-13 years) Highly recommended.
Alberta, regularly known as Bertie, is due to start High School in the new year, and this book is set after her Primary School graduation and in the twilight before the dawning of new experiences at her new school. Transitions can sometimes be hard, but Bertie is enrolled in a private school at least an hour away from her old school in her small-town community, and Bertie is fearful of many of the ‘little tricky things’ she will face. Bertie will be separated from all her current classmates, but most of all from her long-term friend, Claire, and this brings with it a plethora of insecurities and uncertainties. Bertie has for many years been Claire’s shadow and has seldom needed to be assertive in any way. Claire though has confidence in abundance, and prepares a list of ‘challenges’ that will prepare Bertie for change and prepare her for the new life ahead when she is on her own in the big, wide world.Some of the listed challenges are easier than others and a hint of a wedge becomes apparent in the friendship between the two girls. Bertie must decide how to proceed and to grow with or without Claire’s guidance or driving influence.
This is a gentle but insightful story of the dilemmas of life and friendship for a young girl in transition. Puberty and relationship issues, family change, independence, growing into adulthood when you are not quite ready to leave childhood are all a part of this journey. Bertie is a likeable character, an only child in a loving family, with real struggles that are simple and understandable. Karys McEwen has been able to enter the psyche of an ‘ordinary girl’ who is about to step out of the comfort zone of small-town childhood without over-dramatising the struggles she faces. Young 10-13 year-old students will connect with the uncertainties and feel the friendship struggles and enjoy the journey as Bertie discovers that she is stronger than she thinks. There are moments of angst, but also opportunities for friendship recovery and growth. McEwen has demonstrated that a commonplace story can connect with readers and that characters do not need to be badly behaved to create drama. This is a book that touches emotional strings and makes a tuneful note rather than a discordant twang. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes High school, Friendship, Transitions/Change, Fear.
Winner of the 2020 Edgar Award for Best Novel, The Stranger Diaries is a departure for Elly Griffiths author of the Ruth Galloway series. Clare Cassidy is an English teacher specialising in Gothic fiction. She is particularly interested in the writer R.M. Holland and when a colleague is found murdered with a quote from The stranger, Holland’s book, she finds herself embroiled in the mystery surrounding the murder. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur is investigating the case and Clare’s teenage daughter Georgie is also involved.
Griffiths cleverly combines the trope of having a book central to the mystery and the everyday lives of the main characters. Clare is divorced and writes in a diary and when she finds the words "Hallo, Clare. You don’t know me" written in it, begins to realise that she might be a target of the murderer. Harbinder Kaur is a fascinating character, and it will be interesting to see if Griffiths continues with her in future books.
The setting of a high school, a locked study at the top of an old mansion, and the workings of a school combine to make a fascinating read. The plot draws the reader in and the addition of mysteries surrounding the book The stranger add an extra dimension to the story.
I am a fan of the Ruth Galloway series, and I am sure to read future books by the author. Readers who enjoyed The magpie murders by Anthony Horowitz may enjoy this.
This has got a real Dr Seuss and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats feel about it. It is really just a long poem about an assortment of eccentric family members. There are, among others, Uncle Marvello and Auntie Shazam who put on daring magic shows, Baby Cedric who crawls up trees, Aunt Lorna's five daughters who are gymnastically skilled and Uncle Ignatius and Auntie Diane who love to dress up. Quentin Blake's illustrations are, as usual, nuanced and humourous. Author and illustrator have worked together many times (The Hermit and the Bear, Up With Birds) and this shows in the wonderful synergy between the two mediums on the page. The rhyme is impeccable and oodles of fun ('Belinda and Hattie, our elderly aunts, Have crammed their whole house with extravagant plants. They polish the leaves and they chat to each bloom And they water the flowerpots that fill every room'). This is a wonderful read aloud full of humour, sure to be enjoyed by children of all ages.
Marra is the third born princess and has been sent to live in a convent, away from the machinations of the court. Her eldest sister has died at the hands of a Prince, and her second sister is now married to him and is being abused. Desperate to do something about this, she determined to kill the prince and rescue her sister. But she cannot do this alone, so she enlists the help of a grave witch, who gives her 3 impossible tasks to do before she has the tools to assassinate the prince.
The book opens with a dark scene of Marra completing the first task of building a dog out of bones, which cannibals have left behind. Her second task is equally as difficult, she must make a cloak of nettles and when she completes this, she has a third impossible task. However, she manages to do this, and the grave witch finds her the help of a hedge witch, a demon chicken and Fenris, a disgraced knight. The group set out on their quest, with many adventures on the way.
Kingfisher’s writing is humorous and snarky, with funny dialogue to lighten the dark moments. Each of the characters stand out vividly and the slow burning romance between Marra and Fenris is a delight. It was easy to empathise with Marra’s wish to kill the Prince as the abuse the two princesses have suffered becomes apparent. The political sacrifices that the Queen and princesses make to keep it safe are thought provoking and these ethical decisions enrich the story.
The world building is strong and easy to imagine but it is the group of five, each with unique skills and personalities, which linger in the memory.
Australian author and illustrator Katie Stewart (Where Do Stars Go?) is an animal and nature lover, which shows in the glorious attention to detail within her illustrations. She set out to write this book because of her dislike of how children are told they can do anything if they just work harder or concentrate more. She wants children to realise that what they can do is enough and to be confident even about their own limitations. 'Always be yourself', says the dedication, 'If you can't be yourself, be a wombat'. The story itself is short and sweet with a procession of bush animals trying to teach Wombat to sing. 'Wombats can't sing', he says. All the animals (bird, frog, cricket, kookaburra, butterfly) have their unique ways of making sound and of course, when Wombat tries to copy what they do it never works out. He has the wrong neck, the wrong throat, no wings and is the wrong colour. At the end of the story Wombat realises that he can't sing, but he is special just the way he is. Many other stories like this end with the protagonist working out their own unique way to join in the activity, so it is refreshing that this doesn't happen here. It's an important message for children that it's good to give things a try but we won't always be able to work it out and if we don't enjoy doing something it doesn't matter; we might prefer to watch or listen to others who do. Teaching notes and a teaching activity are available from the publisher.
In her latest novel Kawakami picks up on some of the themes of the earlier Heaven, that of misfits, alone, and bullied by the people around them. But this time, it is not teenagers. Fuyuko is in her thirties, a proofreader, living alone in Tokyo, without friends, her hours spent searching for errors in the texts sent by a publisher. But half way through the book, we learn about the traumatic experience that impacted her life as a school girl, leading her to start anew in Tokyo far from her hometown of Nagoya, and with no interest in friends or relationships.
Different examples of female roles are presented: the ambitious business manager, Kyoko, the free-loving independent woman, Hijiri, and the dissatisfied wife and mother, Noriko. Fuyuko has chosen a different life from any of them, but suddenly becoming aware of her reflection in a window as a ‘miserable woman’, she descends into alcoholism and the loneliness is overwhelming.
Into this world steps a kind stranger, a physicist, Mitsutsuka, a person who is willing to spend time with her, talking about the wonders of light and explaining complex scientific concepts. For the first time she is encouraged to actually engage with a book, and to listen to music. It is a tentative offer of friendship, reliability and safety, with him only ever reacting in response to her initiatives.
This is such an intriguing story, written from the viewpoint of a woman who is struggling, very alone, and not sure of what she thinks or how to act. But in the end, it is the values of friendship and acceptance that make a difference. Kawakami’s writing is beautiful and really takes you into the world of Fuyuko, her sensations and experiences. More than anything it evokes a need for kindness and compassion.
This is a novel for mature readers and would be relevant to discussions of consent.
Another push, pull and slide book from Lego City will bring lots of enjoyment to fans of Lego. This time the young reader goes on a safari to help the rangers look after all the animals. Right from the cover with its enticing yellow pull that moves the safari vehicle through the park, readers will be drawn in to see what is happening on the reserve. First of all the monkeys are fed bananas and a slide tab has them swinging around, while the reader is asked to count how many bananas they can find. Next the elephants are found a home and readers are asked what they are eating, while also being able to slide an elephant back and forth. Daddy Lion guards the cubs while prowling around and finally the ranger’s vehicle leaves the park before giving the reader a chance to find many different animals.
The narrative is short and easy to read aloud, giving listeners the chance to look carefully at the double page spreads for all the details that are illustrated. Not only will hand-eye coordination be helped, but young children will also learn all about a safari and the animals that live in a game park.
There are eight very thick pages that will stand handling from toddlers and ensure that the tabs will stay intact. This joins others in the Lego City series, Police Patrol, Fire Station and Building Site. It is sure to provide lots of fun for young children, giving them a chance to try and build some of the Lego themselves and use their imaginations.
Themes Safaris, Rescue work.
Pat Pledger
Mars awakens by H.M. Waugh
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760526979. (Age:11-16) Highly recommended.
This is a joy to read – a sci-fi drama for young teens with daring acts and thrilling adventure, all set on colonised Mars.
Dee and Aram are young ‘farmers’ on Mars - girls trying desperately to overcome the natural difficulties of their harsh environment and uncertain future to provide food and create a healthy place for their colony. Waiting for an Earthen support mission for too long has left them feeling that the whole community has been forgotten and that their personal future is fraught and tenuous. When a craft crashes near Dee’s far-flung field, her search finds others from a rival but unknown colony. Are the strangers, Holt (a rare ‘Y’ – male colonist) and Chayse, friend or foe? The complex environment then seems to press in on them all and adds an almost lethal threat to their progress. Will there be a future for all the colonists and can the opposing communities connect in a meaningful way?
This is a wonderful dramatic tale with scientific threads and potentially ‘alien’ threats, but also some lighter moments. The central characters are feisty, fun and adventurous teens and so the book will connect to ‘Earth-based’ readers with a preference for coming-of-age stories. It is also going to hit the mark for those who enjoy contemplating a future that might involve space travel and extra-terrestrial colonisation, as well as the environmental considerations for the future. Many leaps over reality concerns must be made, but the author has not burdened the reader with too many scientific explanations or details, so the book is almost a fantasy scenario as a consequence. The action and adventure required in the Martian environs is compelling and as this is the first book in a planned duology I will be keen to continue the series. Teacher's tips are available.
Shadowghast is a non-stop action mystery thriller and is the third in the Eerie-On-Sea mysteries. It pays to have read the previous stories, Malamander and Gargantis, to understand this tale about Herbie Lemon. Herbie is an orphan who works in The Grand Nautilus Hotel in the Lost and Found Department. His best friend Violet becomes very worried when Jenny, the proprietor of the Eerie Book Dispensary, goes missing. Violet is also very suspicious of a celebrity magician called Caliastra who arrives in town claiming to be Herbie’s aunt. This causes some friction between them because Herbie is desperate to discover what happened to his parents and is overlooking her flaws. Caliastra is taking over an important town event called the Ghastly Night which tells the legend of a terrible spirit called Shadowghast. The spirit will steal people’s shadows for evil ends. Who is the mastermind behind all the calamitous things which happen? Fortunately, Erwin, a talking cat, and Clermit, a clockwork gadget, help them out. Herbie and Violet are in the thick of it when friends turn foe and they are stuck in a labyrinth of pitch-black tunnels under the town. Has Sebastian Eels reappeared?
The plot is thick with events and there are many colourful characters to keep track of. It is more sinister than the previous two books in the series. Herbie and Violet are ideal heroes who seem to be the only children in town. They are curious, brave, and intelligent. The mime artists who work with Caliastra add a lot of humour. The tone is of a bygone world and full of tongue-in-cheek puns and nautical language. Thomas Taylor does a great job creating the seaside town of Eerie. His illustrations and map really enhance the quirky atmosphere. With 328 pages it is ideal for middle grade fans of fantasy who like a challenge. Shadowghast is followed by another in the series called Festergrimm. Watch the trailer, download an Activity Kit and the Discussion Guide.
Themes Mystery, Magic, Fantasy.
Jo Marshall
The little book of hopes by Elyse Shellie and Evie Barrow
New Frontier, 2022. ISBN: 9781922326478. (Age:2-5) Highly recommended.
The Little Book of Hopes is another glorious addition to that list of book gifts for new or expectant parents (with a similar feel to Alison Lester's Kissed By the Moon). It is a joyous celebration of what every parent hopes for their child, consisting of charming rhyming text surrounded by exquisite illustrations. This is primary school teacher Elyse Shellie's debut picture book and it is a beautiful love letter to little people all over the world. It focusses on kindness, resilience and empathy and Evie Barrow's (Horatio Squeak) illustrations showcase everyday moments in the lives of a culturally and physically diverse group of children. It begins 'I hope that you are caring, and I hope that you are kind. I hope you'll do great things both with your heart and mind.' And so it continues, wishing for honesty, inclusivity, curiosity, empathy, resilience, persistence and standing up for others. It ends 'I hope with all my heart you're happy being you'. The illustrations are beautifully detailed and illustrate these qualities in ways that are relatable and simple (sharing out strawberries, walking across a wobbly bridge, attempting to hula hoop, fixing something when it breaks) and will surely resonate with parents and young readers alike. This is an absolutely timeless and beautiful book that is deserving of a place on every young child's bookshelf. Teacher's notes are available.
