Always is the seventh and final book in Morris Gleitzman’s stories about Felix Salinger who survived WW2 under the Nazis in Poland. At the age of 87 he is living a quiet life as a respected, retired surgeon in Australia. However, his life is overturned when 10-year-old Wassim turns up on his doorstep all the way from Eastern Europe. Wassim is being raised by his Uncle Otto after the disappearance of his parents. Their lives are being threatened by the Iron Weasels, a fascist bunch of thugs. Wassim is intent on getting help from Felix based on a letter from his Grandpa who told him to seek Felix out if he was ever in trouble. Felix is reenergised by Wassim. They are awfully alike at the same age, brave and hopeful. After they receive what seems to be a peace offering from an old Nazi enemy of Felix’s, they leave Australia to resolve past wrongs. What follows is a race against the Weasels, and the dark forces which back them, to solve a mystery stemming back to the Holocaust.
There are some quite sinister events in Always, such as Felix’s dog being deliberately killed as a menacing threat. Racism is a major theme. I believe Gleitzman saw parallels in the disgraceful real-life treatment of indigenous AFL players in recent years and the scenes he created when Wassim and the football star, Daoude Ndione, are harassed by Weasel sympathisers with monkey noises and taunting “monkey boy”. Other important ethical issues involve using violence for survival and revenge. The improbability of the story’s chains of events can be a bit much. I hope I have Felix’s courage and physical abilities when I am 87! However, I also acknowledge the excitement of the action and the effortless readability of the story. I appreciate Gleitzman’s intent and passion for anti-fascist themes and dedication to his readers. He is able to juxtapose the awfulness of the events with hope, oh so necessary for today’s young.
Themes Racism, Harassment, Bravery, Love.
Jo Marshall
Poppy, the punk turtle by Aleesah Darlison. Illus. by Mel Matthews
Poppy, the Punk Turtle is the second story in the multi-book Endangered Animal Tales series which will focus on many of Australia’s most susceptible creatures. These Mary River turtles have been nicknamed Punk turtles as they have an algae mohawk and spikes under their chin. They live in freshwater near the Mary River in south-eastern Queensland.
The story begins with an introduction to Poppy and her attributes - the most important one being, which children will love, that she is a bum-breathing turtle! Poppy begins a journey to find a safe place to live as her habitat is threatened by humans, animals and pollution. She finally finds a new home on the river and along the way the reader learns all about Poppy’s species. The story is enhanced perfectly by the bright and colourful illustrations as well as a key fact shared on many of the pages. On the final page is a map of Australia with more interesting facts to share as well as a detailed diagram of these very special turtles.
This is a perfect book for sharing with children. Early Years teachers and students could use this book as a resource for writing an information report as it clearly gives simple facts about features, diet, habitat, predators as well as other fascinating facts. A very welcome addition to a school or public library.
Themes Endangered Animals, Australia, Punk Turtles.
The author has written several fiction books with a Paris location. In The Riviera House, two parallel stories, one set during the World War II German occupation of Paris, and the other set in current times and centred about a Riviera house, are linked by a looted art work.
The story focuses on French resistance workers who attempted, at great personal risk, to secretly document looted art works for future restoration to the owners. It is a story of courage, loss, betrayal, romance and Nazi plunder, greed and atrocities. As the author details in a Notes section, the events are based on historical fact. Rose Valland, one of the characters, existed and was highly decorated after the war.
The modern story element details loss and grief of a different kind – loss of family as a result of a car accident. The romantic element is somewhat predictable. The events that tie the two stories together are told in a suspenseful, engaging manner.
A very interesting and readable book suitable for senior students.
Themes Art thefts, Women spies, Nazis, Paris (France).
Ann Griffin
Ada and the galaxies by Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv. Illus. by Susanna Chapman
Mit Kids Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781536215618. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
The striking cover design and the beautiful endpapers will entice the reader, both young and old, to explore this gentle story. Ada loves stars but where she lives in New York is so illuminated by city lights that she cannot see the stars. She and her Mum travel to her grandparent’s home on an island in Maine where the night sky is very dark. Ada waits impatiently for nightfall and it is up to her grandparents, Poobah and Ama, to keep her entertained until it is dark. During the day they visit the beach where they tell Ava all about the sea creatures and local wildlife. When it is finally dark, fog rolls in and Ava still cannot see the stars. Poobah suggests they look at pictures of stars and galaxies to which Ava reluctantly agrees but she listens to Poobah’s explanation of galaxies and has lots of questions. Finally, the fog clears and Ava and her family venture outside to observe the night sky.
The authors have provided interesting facts about galaxies at the end which add to the information shared already throughout the story. The stunning illustrations complement the text perfectly and add to the appeal of this very captivating read. A perfect book for home, school and public libraries.
Themes Family, Diversity, Sea shores, Galaxies, Night Sky.
Kathryn Beilby
The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters
Allen & Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760876210. (Age:Senior secondary/Adult) Recommended.
The sequel to the well received, The Last Hours, set in a small moated manor house in England in 1379, bracing itself against the scourge of the Black Death, is just as engrossing. Published in 2019, I have only just read it and was struck by the parallels to the pandemic raging across the world today. It is all there, misinformation, sometimes by those in authority striving to keep their power intact, people using fear to become wealthy, people not believing the sensible advice, and the manor house locking itself down against those wanting to come across the moat to its safety.
Milady, Lady Ann Develish, now a widow, after refusing to allow her sick husband across the moat, has to fight to retain her authority. She and her promoted serf, Thaddeus, run the place tightly. He has toured the surrounding countryside, gathering information, assessing the damage, developing his ideas about how the plague spread. He and Milady decide that those wanting to find safety must quarantine themselves beside the moat until they have had two weeks symptom free. But she must fight the detractors, those who do not want to see the old order of landowners and serfs upset, those who do not believe that women and low born have a right to education or a voice, those who uphold the strictest interpretations of the church.
Her steward, a nasty self seeking man has designs on her and her husband’s wealth but rebuffed, makes plans to thwart her. He calls her out as a heretic, citing her freedom with her serfs, her relationship with Thaddeus, and the way she deals with the plague going against the church’s teachings. When Thaddeus braves the criticism, taking on the mantle of her cousin, a lord, the tension is tightly held, readers wanting to turn each page to see how they get away with this deception.
And in the background to this fine story we see the ravages of the plague and can compare it with what is going on in our world at the moment. The similarities are in evidence, reminding us of how easy it is to spread lies and deceive populations. The arguments Milady and Thaddeus present to both the lord and the priest repudiate the position held by authorities for centuries, disallowing women and anyone but the wealthy to have a voice.
In this fascinating book, Sally Thorne plunges the reader into an environment with which many of us would not be familiar. Setting her narrative on the beautiful coastline hills of the northern beaches of the East Coast of Australia, green-grassed and overlooking over the sea, Thorne presents a stunning setting for her new novel. Indeed, it is this environment that adds greatly to the sanity and enjoyment of the latter years of the lives of the older residents who have chosen to live in this aged care facility, albeit a rather expensive and flash one.
The luxurious residence is alone on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, a place that has many attributes, but one that is superlative. In a most fascinating aspect, this beautiful place is part of a natural environment, one that has a series of verdant cliffs and rich lovely grasses. The discovery of the alluring factors of this residence we see through the eyes of Teddy, a young man sent to the residence to work for a time. Everyone is stunned, as a young, handsome man is not what is expected by the workers or residents, and he is attracted to the woman at the centre of this narrative, one who is working there. She is aware that he is not her ‘sort of man’, but she is stunned by his glorious ‘long, black hair’, his relaxed attitude and his charm, and is initially puzzled as it is not common for a young man to be employed in this care-giving community. Indeed, as it is revealed that he is working for his father, the owner of the establishment, we are made aware that he has potentially other reasons to be there. However, he takes on the role of a support-person to two wealthy, older female residents. Not unexpectedly, they are similarly captivated by his looks, charm and personality.
As we are plunged more deeply into the environment and the narrative, we begin to see that the young man’s purpose is not quite what it appears to be on the surface, and the changes proposed by his father appear to be challenging to the residents. We gradually become aware that the real purpose of the young man relates to his father’s plans for the future.
Suitable for adolescent readers and adults, this captivating narrative challenges us to consider the natural world, the world of sharing with others, clearly positioning us to see how life changes, particularly for older people who need more help at that stage than in their earlier lives. Endowing us with a sense of the vital need, and the potential, for humans to live a life that is rather one that is about sharing our everyday lives with others. Moreover, in a shared residence, we see the value of offering loving friendship and commitment. Sally Thorne is a captivating writer, deftly eliciting an unexpected, deeper response in persuading us how we can and should consider how to live gently on this earth, both for the sake of the natural environment and that of our well-being. This compelling novel challenges us to think about how we lives our lives, particularly as we age, and suggests that commitment to socialising with others, is important if we are to consider choosing to live a ‘fulfilled good life'.
This would be most suitable for both older adolescent and adult readers.
Themes Retirement villages, Carers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Switch by A.S. King
Text Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922458100. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Stuck in a fold in time and space, the world has stopped. Or more correctly time has stopped. The predictable answer to that is to create apps that tell you what the time should normally be and for life to go on as usual. For Tru, it is not that easy; her world has imploded. Her mother has left, her father is building large wooden safety boxes within their house, boxes that are turning the whole place into a warren, her brother has a guilty secret, and her sister, who has also left, remains a malevolent force that impacts all their lives.
It sounds like some strange kind of future world, trying to solve the problem of time coming to a stop. The response seems to be directed to recreating the time that people are used to. School students are given the challenge to come up with a solution. For Tru, the solution has to be found in psychology. It has to be something to do with ‘giving a shit about people’.
It sounds confusing and chaotic and it is, and gets increasingly more chaotic. The writing style offers sentences full of slashed alternative options, actually alternative interpretations. It is a clever technique that makes us realise that there are more than one way to seeing things, or of understanding things. And while this is disorienting at first, I’d encourage readers to persevere, the threads do start to come together. We begin to understand that Tru’s family situation is highly dysfunctional. Tru is really struggling. Her study of psychology is her attempt to find a solution to the situation she is in. With her project team she explores Robert Plutchik's Wheel of Emotion.
The N3wclock website created by A. S. King presents the Wheel of Emotion to help people to work through their fear, and is aimed at suicide prevention. In Switch when Tru encounters another young girl struggling with suicidal thoughts, it is this strategy she uses to help her. She encourages Jennifer to keep flying, make the switch and overcome fear.
This is an extraordinary book, complex in the psychological issues it explores, tapping into themes of abuse, paranoia, intimidation, guilt, and fear. It is not an easy read, it takes some perseverance, but the puzzle at its heart is engaging and takes us down an interesting path exploring ways to cope with confronting life challenges. The message is to switch, find yourself, free yourself from time demands, do what you really want to do, and become the person you were really meant to be.
Themes Time, Psychology, Emotional disorder, Nervous breakdown, Dysfunction, Fear.
The fifth in the excellent Big Bright Feelings series, supporting well being and positive behaviours in young children, will remind everyone of times they have felt that their world has turned upside down, and this inviting book supports the strategies used to get their world righted again. Tilda is happy; she has her friends and her books and her toys - all is right with the world, but one day it turns upside down.
She becomes morose, does not want to see her friends, or read her books or play with her toys. Things are far more difficult than ever before. Everything is just too hard. She prefers instead to stay in her room, alone. But one day she spies a ladybird struggling to get itself on its feet again. It is on its back, legs in the air, writhing with concentration. Tilda cannot see any way that she can help, so watches anxiously. But the ladybird keeps trying and eventually finds itself the right way up again and flies off.
This is a lightbulb moment for Tilda. If the little ladybird can do it, so can she. And she does..
A wonderfully uplifting story of one child’s struggle to remain positive in the face of something which has overturned her world, the story will have relevance in all classrooms and homes where well being is valued and resilience encouraged. No reason is given for her world being turned upside down, but children will recognise times when their equanimity is sullied, and sympathise with Tilda and her efforts at righting herself.
And Tom’s illustrations showing Tilda in the extremes of her feelings, happiness and contentment when with her friends or with her books, and sorrow at being alone, are realised in the most apt of images.
The titles in this series can be found here and are worth seeking out.
Themes Well being, Mental health, Resilience, Depression.
This story of Adam and Eve, an alternate version, imagines that they have not died but are eternal beings, living different identities, one life after another, through history. It is a quest story: Adam has a crown of thorns, scars of memories that he can’t quite grasp, and at the same time he has been asked by his friend Rook to solve the mystery of a missing brother and missing money. Flickering memories of different lives come back to Adam, as he tries to remember what happened to Eve, and as he gradually discovers his quest is linked to recovering lost treasures from the Garden of Eden.
Adam’s friends are creatures from Eden, animals that still live and shift form between animals and humans, and who help him in his quest. Along the way Adam treasures any seeds he might retain from fruit or plants, which might revive the garden he always loved. But there is no cherishing of his children, his descendants, who have destroyed the original beauty of the planet. No mercy is shown to those he confronts. And here a warning is timely, that there are some gory scenes.
Does that all sound bizarre? It is a thoroughly refreshing and original story combining myth and adventure, and it keeps the reader engaged until the end. It is unlike anything else I have read; original, unpredictable, and thought provoking. It would appeal to YA readers and adults alike. I think it would make a fabulous adventure film.
Themes Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, Quest, Conservation, Human impact on the planet.
Helen Eddy
The last of the apple blossom by Mary-Lou Stephen
HarperCollins, 2021. ISBN: 9781867226437. (Age:Adult) Recommended for lovers of Romance, Adult readers.
This is a romantic story based around the history of the Tasmanian Apple orchard industry following the 1967 disastrous bushfire in the Huon Valley. The story starts with the young schoolteacher, Catherine Turner, in great distress as the bushfire races towards Hobart, and also towards her family home and orchard in the Huon Valley. The distress of loss comes too close to Catherine’s family and creates a permanent rift. Grief and loss change their lives, and yet Catherine is convinced that she can help her family’s orchard business recover if only her father will let her. Living next door to her friends and fellow orchardists Dave and Annie, her life and love is woven with theirs, and then with Dave’s friend – the former music star, Mark and his son. But a secret Annie is hiding could disrupt the direction of their lives. This family drama is laced with friendship, love, loss, passion…. and apples!
Essentially a romantic saga, covering the period and generational change from 1967 to the present day, it will appeal to lovers of romance. It also reveals the social changes that have taken place over the decades, including family dynamics, feminist changes, to dietary preferences, and agricultural and horticultural practices within Tasmania. This is a female-friendly, adult story that would make a good holiday read. It has been based on solid research and anecdotal accounts of the period, and so feels real and insightful. For anyone that has travelled in Tasmania or recognises the difficulties of life on the land or has seen how a woman’s place has changed over time, this enigmatic narrative will appeal. It will make a wonderful journey of armchair escape for adult readers who love Romance stories.
Themes Romance, Family saga, Grief, Apple industry, Tasmanian history, Bushfires.
Carolyn Hull
The river by Sally Morgan & Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr
Excited eyes will be drawn to the image of the river, flowing across the bottom third of each page, filled with reeds and bulrushes, teeming with life on its shores, the nearby landscape and in the water. They will spy many animals: marine, land and air, and see what part each plays in the story of the river.
Morgan’s repetitive words sing with interest and delight, as readers are asked to listen with their ears, and watch with their eyes to all that is going on. And there is plenty to see and hear. A frog croaks amongst the river reeds, an emu calls amongst the tall river trees, a fish splashes in the cool river water, while we see a turtle peeping from the river grass, and a kangaroo jumping amongst the low river bushes. The number of animals that young children can spot with thrill as they turn each page, noting the environment with its dense scrubland, trees and reeds in and by the river.
The illustrations serve to reveal the sights and sounds along the river, giving readers an image of what to see there, but also giving them insight into the style of Aboriginal artists, with their distinctive xray patterns, traditional motifs and earthy colours. Malibirr, a Yolnu man from the Ganalbingu clan does this to perfection, celebrating the river with an artist’s eye, offering insights to younger readers as they pore over all the things that a river offers. The environment of the river is revealed for us all, its richness clearly demonstrated in both word and image.
And younger readers will respond to everything on the pages before them, talk animatedly of the Australian landscape, reiterating what Australian flora and fauna consist of, while marvelling at the wonderful artistry unfolded on each page.
The text’s repetition begs to be emulated and the sounds of the animals will resound in the classroom, as the children read with their teacher. This is a wonderful read aloud and its telling will encourage children to be more aware of their surroundings.
Themes Environment, Australian flora and fauna, Riverbank, Aboriginal art.
Children are surrounded by favourite teachers every day. Some of these teachers are at school and some are part of their home life. My Favourite Teachers is a refreshing new publication which features children mentioning their favourite teachers. Each double page showcases one child who mentions a teacher at school and at home. For example, Poppy loves her Australian History teacher, Ms Gorman, who taught her about Eddie Mabo and what he strove to achieve. Her neighbour Vince is teaching Poppy how to organise a petition so their council can improve their local park. Lior’s favourite teacher is Mr Collins who teaches art. He tells Lior all of his paintings are masterpieces. Lior’s grandmother is an artist who teaches him on weekends and takes him to galleries.
The bright and colourful illustrations complementing the short, segmented text, reflect Australia’s very diverse culture and highlight our growing understanding of differences. This book will provide teachers with an opportunity to encourage students to reflect on how teachers can have a positive influence on their lives. A very thoughtful and welcome addition to any home, school or public library.
J.D. Robb has done it again with her 53rd book in the best-selling In death series, starring Eve Dallas, her husband Roarke and offsider Peabody. This is a compulsive read that fans of the series will love, and those new to Eve Dallas will be able to pick up the threads of the main characters and enjoy a new series. In Forgotten in death, J.D. Robb (who also writes as Nora Roberts) has chosen two topical themes to focus her murders on. The first is the death of a homeless woman, who turns out to have been a victim of domestic violence, while the second murder is of a young pregnant woman who doesn’t fit into New York’s high society. The themes of domestic abuse and class divisions make for a compelling story, as the reader will empathise with both victims and will cheer Eve along as she is determined to seek justice for them.
J.D. Robb always writes a gripping police procedural and Forgotten in death is no exception, with suspense building as the team investigates both murders. Her main characters are well developed and likeable and the interactions between Eve and Roarke add a touch of romance. Some humour is injected to relieve the darkness of the themes of racism, prejudice and evil.
The In death series is entertaining, the setting of the near future adds interest and Robb’s ability to write an absorbing story will ensure that the next in the series is picked up as soon as it is published.
Themes Murder, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
He was tremendously scary and extraordinarily hairy by Christopher Maxwell
Little Steps, 2021. ISBN: 9781925839074. (Age:5+)
This wordless picture book is about confronting fears and worries head on. It emphasises that things that look or seem scary are not always as frightening as we might first think. The little girl in the story is clearly worried about the monster following her through the woods, but chooses to ignore it and push on with her fun-filled day regardless. Australian artist Christopher Maxwell's illustrations are incredibly rich and sumptuous. Taking his inspiration from a winter trip to Europe, Maxwell plonks the reader down in a snow-covered woodland. The little girl is conspicuously alone, bravely venturing out into the wintry world to indulge in some favourite pastimes. The tremendously scary and extraordinarily hairy creature (resemblant of a highland cow) makes an early appearance, a threatening shadow looming large over the terrified young girl. The reader watches as she continues on with her day, building a snow creature, sledding and ice-skating. It is unclear whether she knows the creature is there or just feels its presence, but the reader sees it and its obvious longing to join her play. It attempts to ice-skate alongside her but the ice breaks (the symbolic ice-breaker moment). The conclusion sees the little girl realise that the creature is friendly and they play together.
There is a fairytale quality to the illustrations: quaint cottages glow with light in the middle of the snowy wood, coloured lanterns are hung up in trees and fairy lights line the pathways. The story is easy to follow and lends itself to discussions about feeling frightened and how we deal with those emotions. Do we retreat or do we continue on our way and face our fears? There is also a small red ladybird hidden on each page which we keep children engaged and encourage them to look deeper into the illustrations.
A perfect introduction to young children about water in all of its forms and guises, will intrigue, amuse and enthuse younger readers as they turn the pages seeing what is next. Each page features one word and an illustration of its form, often with the young girl, Zoe, involved. We begin with tap, then move on to sprinkler and shower then move out of the immediate area to stream, river, ocean and lake. Smaller expanses of water follow: pool and puddle, and two smaller forms of water: dewdrop and tear are followed by rain. The illustrations perfectly match the word and image being presented, and will encourage children to think about things they have seen. They will be delighted recalling these, learning new words for the seemingly ordinary word, water.
From rain the text goes to steam, cloud, fog, ice cube, iceberg, rink, snow, snowflakes and snowman.
The funny, inviting illustrations lead the reader to the page that summarises it all and thanks water for being so useful.
This is a most useful introduction to the theme of water and encourages younger readers to look outside themselves, into the environment beyond to view the many forms of water that we rely on. A page of information, Water Forms and Conserving Water is followed by a page outlining the Water Cycle, then two pages of activities for kids to try.
A cheerful and fun filled introduction to the science of the main ingredient of our environment, water, this non fiction text is a delight to read, look at and think about.
