Simon & Schuster, 2021. ISBN: 9781398509023. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
Neil is captivated by Anita, his childhood friend, who seems to have become so self-contained, aloof in a way, and unreachable. The relationship reminded me of Pip and Estella in Dicken’s Great Expectations, but Anita is not quite so unattainable and cold. She has a secret, and when Neil discovers it, he wants it too. Gold. Drinking a special lemonade concoction that includes melted gold, treasured gold embodying the former owner’s wishes and dreams, brings to the drinker the strength and drive to achieve the best; an ambition and determination that Neil is sadly lacking in, according to his aspiring Indian American family.
Gold is a fascinating element. History is full of stories of gold fever, mass migrations to seek out the treasure that might change fortunes. A secondary narrative thread in Gold diggers is Neil’s obsession, as an historian, to research early Indian migration to America, and the story of the Hindu gold digger that continually seems to elude him. The story of the Bombayan becomes a symbol of the unrecognised identity, the sense of belonging he seeks. Neil is not a migrant, he was born in America, and perhaps there are hidden roots to his identity that go back further than his migrant family’s story.
But the main concern is that for Neil, gold becomes a drug, an addiction that leads him to cruelly hurt a gullible young woman. His actions become a shame that he carries with him always. This sets the groundwork for Sathian’s novel, a story that is mysterious and intriguing, but also incredibly comic in some of the situations that are described. At times Neil seems one of those figures like Nick in The Great Gatsby, the observer, the drifter, the person on the outside of the action, never able to be the hero. But he becomes enmeshed in a plot that goes crazily in unexpected directions and he has to finally take action.
Gold diggers is an original adventure, combining history, fantasy and issues of identity and belonging. It is complex, entertaining and rewarding on an intellectual level as well.
Pan Books, 2021. ISBN: 9781529075854. (Age:13+ - Adult) Highly recommended.
This is an awesome story! Although I am usually not attracted to animal stories, this book won me over and I can see why previous books by this author have been made into movies. In this story the central canine character - Bella, and her humans - Lucas and Olivia, are confronted by a traumatic forest fire experience. The tension of escape and survival is communicated so ably by Bella as first they catapult their vehicle into a forest lake and then work with a small team to rescue abandoned animals in a small-town animal shelter which is right in the path of the devastating fire front. Later, Bella is reacquainted with an old friend named Big Kitten, a cougar that Bella had befriended in a previous adventure. In this book Bella and Big Kitten are joined by Big Kitten’s own offspring in escaping multiple threats in the changed environment. There is action aplenty as the post-fire world presents all manner of difficulties and yet Bella always is drawn to her inner call of the love of her humans and the desire to “come home”.
This is not a children’s story, it is powerfully written and with great tension, despite the naive perspective of Bella as the narrative voice. With adult human participants and life-threatening dangers communicated with profound skill, the audience for this book should be at least 13+, but adults will also enjoy the tale. This is a book that you cannot put down, from the prologue that reveals a horrific backstory to the awful wildfire, all the way through the interactions between humans under stress and wild animal attacks. There are many moments of tension in the book, but the voice of Bella also reveals some humorous insights into a dog’s life. Overall, underlying this dramatic tale is a simple story of the love of a dog for his human companions (and his Cougar friends) and the lengths that each will go to in order to be reacquainted.
The words just rattle along in this lovely, nonsensical rhyming tale of Baby Frank and his attempts to go back home. He and his parents are on holiday by the sea. But all he can think about are his animals left back home with only his Grandma to look after them. She may be good at walking and knitting, but he is most concerned that she will not be able to tiger-sit or look after the apes. He decides that there is only one thing to do; he must go back home. He leaves a note on the sand for his parents, and rushes off to the train station. After waiting in the train cab with nothing happening, he moves a lever and the train sets off. This results in panic by one and all; his parents read the note and take flight, the emergency services are all alerted, the TV cameramen, journalists and on-lookers all arrive to point and stare. And what do they see? The train is headed for a ravine, and Frank is too small to reach the brake.
Kids will love the excitement and humour of this tale, as they worry with Frank about his animals, then are concerned that the train will go over the ravine, then breath a sigh of relief as Grandma and the animals save the day, and Frank.
Readers will love predicting the rhyming words, love repeating the lines with the reader, enjoy learning some of the lines to reiterate when the story is read again, and above all love following Frank and his exploits.
The neat ending will appeal, giving readers the opportunity to contribute some of their own resolutions to the problem.
All of this is wrapped around some very intriguing illustrations, showing Frank in his striped suit, having a great time as he heads the train for home. Kids will love spotting all the animals that dot the pages, and thrill with the hapless parents as they try to help Frank in his predicament.
Simon & Schuster, 2021. (Age:Adult) Not recommended.
Before attempting this book readers should have read the previous books in the series, You and Hidden Bodies or at least be familiar with them through Netflix. The protagonist, Joe Goldberg has moved to a small town 35 minutes from Seattle for a quiet life, volunteering at the local library. We soon learn that he has been paid off by the rich family of the mother of his child, Love Quinn, on the understanding he never contacts her or attempts to see the child; he is bitter and angry about the arrangement. Joe has made a donation of $100,000 to the library and to avoid the background check which would have revealed his prison record and in the first person narration we are soon immersed in his inner dialogue. “I moved here because I thought it would be easier to be a good person around other good people, I moved here because the murder rate is low, as in not a single f.... murder in over twenty years” p12, but he has brought something dark into the community. Joe is instantly attracted to Mary Kay DiMarco, the librarian and he fantasises about their developing relationship, carefully cultivating her attention through shared lunches and Instagram posts. He keeps himself under control when he is introduced to her friends whose descriptions would rival some of the most distasteful social media posts by jealous “friends”. He has nasty nicknames for some of the people he meets, people at the library are "mothballs” and his neighbours are “fecal eyes", Mary Kay’s daughter is "Meercat” and they are repeated too many times. I haven’t read the previous books or seen the Netflix adaptations and wasn’t able to complete this book. The plot is tediously thin, filled with unattractive characters I could not care about and the denouement is unconvincing.
Themes Obsession, Psychopath.
Sue Speck
The Warsaw orphan by Kelly Rimmer
Hachette, 2021. ISBN: 9780733645839.
Each of Kelly Rimmer’s novels has performed well on the best seller lists; her subjects are well-researched and characters and settings presented in a readable, engaging form.
She has written about post natal depression, adoption and addiction and the Holocaust.
The Things we Cannot Say tells of family secrets when a Polish family is caught up in the ravages of World War 1. The Warsaw Orphan was inspired by a real life heroine who smuggled many Jewish children to safety, again, set in Poland. The revelations of life in the Warsaw Ghetto are frightening to read but this story goes some way to ensuring that the memories of these times and places are not forgotten. The author tackles a heart wrenching and challenging situation, but by focussing on two teenagers this story is suitable for both YA and adult readers. In 1942, Elzbieta (her real name, Emilia) is living in Warsaw as normally as possible but she soon becomes aware of the injustices of life in the Ghetto, when she makes contact with the Gorka family living there, through a friendship she has made with a nurse who lives in her apartment building. Alternate narratives of Emilia and Roman Gorka carry us through this story of love, courage and inspiration, as they become deeply involved with Sara’s dangerous mission.
Themes Jews in Poland, Survival, World War, 1939-1945.
What a gem of a book! Sila’s family are Turkish migrants to the USA, and an unfortunate work-related conflict causes Sila’s mother to have to return to Turkey to iron out a migration issue. Unfortunately, this proves to be a more complex issue than anyone would want and Sila discovers the grief of separation and the pain of isolation. Her wonderful father takes her with him to a mechanical job on a farming property and there Sila meets a delightful rich older widower named Gio, a man whose grief lingers following the death of his wife (who was coincidentally one of Sila’s former teachers). A journey of friendship begins that includes the generous old man, an elephant, flamingos and a classmate on the Autism spectrum. Everything combines to provide joy where it had not been, reconciliation and the possibility of new things despite obstacles and grief from the past. And all of this revolves around the ex-circus elephant.
This is a heart-warming story by the author of Counting by 7s that deals with a variety of issues in a child-friendly way. Sila’s experience of overcoming her personal heartaches through new friendship possibilities and the acquisition of an elephant are uplifting. The young autistic boy has character and value and his concerns are dealt with in a life-affirming way. This is a delightful story and one that I will be recommending to students aged 9-14. It is certainly a different scenario for Australian students, but it will appeal to animal lovers and those who are prepared to step inside of the shoes of other children who are not exactly like themselves.
Big Sky Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922488237. (Age:8-11) Recommended.
Carly Mills Pioneer Girl: The Lady with the Lamp by Jane Smith is the fourth book in this interesting historical series which looks at famous women who have made a difference in their chosen time. This story begins on a plane to England where Carly and her friend Dora are travelling with their classmate Simone to spend time with Simone’s parents in London. Simone is not Carly’s favourite person as she seems to be unhappy all the time and takes it out on Carly. However, they eventually learn to accept each other as they are. On arrival in London they are met by Simone’s father’s PA and Simone’s response to her parent’s apparent lack of interest in her is to place her piece of magical lace on her body and travel back in time. Carly and Dora have no choice but to follow Simone and wrap themselves in their magical shawls. They time travel to London 1853 and meet Florence Nightingale and her family. Florence is from a wealthy privileged family but dreams of nursing the poor and sick. She and the three girls travel to the Crimea to nurse soldiers who are surviving in shocking conditions. It is through her experiences in the war that Florence Nightingale becomes an advocate of maintaining healthy hospital and street environments to rid places of disease. For the three girls the whole experience in the Crimea is one of hardship and danger but where they each learn something new. Simone eventually reconciles with her parents and the visit to modern-day London becomes the holiday the girls were hoping for. At the end of the book are historical notes, quotes from Florence Nightingale as well as a Q & A section.
This story is suitable for middle-grade readers and offers an opportunity to learn important historical facts about an amazing woman, Florence Nightingale.
Themes Women in History, Australian History, Friendship, Time Travel, Adventure.
Kathryn Beilby
Flourish for mums by Sonia Bestulic
Big Sky Publishing, 2021. ISBN: 9781922387981. (Age:Adult) Recommended.
Sonia Bestulic has three children and runs a speech pathology practice where she has worked with thousands of families. She has also written two pictures books for children, including Kisses in your heart.
This is her first book for adults and is a gentle self-help book for mums, launched in the lead-up to Mother’s Day 2021. There are 21 chapters each covering one way to encourage self-care and cultivate happiness. The chapters cover such areas as accepting others, knowing when to say yes or no, welcoming learning, staying social, detoxing your space, dancing more often and practicing gratitude.
The chapters are short and peppered with real-life anecdotes and advice, each ending with actionable points on how the reader can nurture, grow and flourish in that particular area. In between chapters are bright blue pages with inspirational quotes from famous people such as Oprah, Marie Kondo, Steve Jobs and Paulo Coelho.
This is a heavy little book that is best dipped into a chapter at once over time. Reading it cover to cover is quite overwhelming with so much advice and so many points at which the reader is encouraged to pause and reflect.
I generally find self-help books rather cringeworthy but, being a mother, was open to giving this one a go. Predictably I did not love the entire book however I did appreciate some practical reminders of things I know I should do but sometimes forget in my busy life (e.g. setting boundaries, taking time for reflection, making space for silliness, scheduling-in catch ups with friends). Overall this book achieves its purpose of encouraging and supporting women and mums to live happier, more balanced and fulfilling lives.
An ‘additional resources’ section at the back of the book lists websites, podcasts and social media links for those who want even more inspiration. The book itself also has a website which contains extra resources including a 21-day short video series.
Themes Motherhood, Self-help, Parenting.
Kylie Grant
Cuckoo's flight by Wendy Orr
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760524913. (Age:9+) Recommended.
This title is a companion to Dragonfly Song and Swallow’s Dance, a fascinating set of stories focussed on Bronze Age Crete. How refreshing to have historical middle fiction adventures to read, experiencing the world of 4000 year old Minoan Culture. Wendy Orr, well known for her Nim’s Island stories, has a fine ability to bring her characters alive; this she does through her terrific sense of place. In the case of Crete, the author understands the time period, explores it beautifully and brings it to life, with females playing out strong resilient roles in challenging times.
Clio, who is 14 years old, has suffered a riding accident, which means that she must adjust the way in which she can pursue her love of riding and horses. When she hears her dead grandmother make a prophesy about young riders saving the town from an imminent war, Clio considers her destiny.
The author switches from prose to free verse exploring Clio’s developing maturity, pinpointing what is important for the young girl’s understanding of her role in society. The verse element recalls the story telling techniques of the ancient playwrights and could be used to discover more about ancient civilisations.
This is a great story, providing plenty of avenues for further reading and discussion.
There are excellent Teacher Notes available on the Allen & Unwin website.
This is an ‘illegal history’, not a ‘history of illegal smuggling’ – the placing of the word ‘illegal’ in the subtitle is deliberate. This is a history that is hidden and denied, of the heroic people smugglers who save people’s lives. Rather than the image of the evil exploiter that our government feeds to us, this collection of personal stories describes real encounters with people smugglers, and the debt of gratitude that is the common experience of refugees fleeing from cruel and harsh governments. People smugglers are not human traffickers; the asylum seekers who come to people smugglers want to be smuggled. They pay the smuggler for his knowledge and experience. Like paying a travel agent, they seek his services because in countries where you are denied citizenship papers or freedom to travel, where your family is persecuted, there is no other way to get to safety. The imaginary ‘queue’ for asylum does not exist; refugee camps are ‘full of Afghan, Pakistani, Iranian, Iraqi, and Sri Lankan asylum seekers’ who are ‘willing to embrace the risk of death by taking to the boats, instead of succumbing to a day-to-day purgatory’, that may go on for decades.
The book begins its history with the stories of Jews smuggled out of Germany to avoid the Holocaust. There are many families who owe their lives to the extraordinary courage of people smugglers, who jeopardised their own safety in helping others.
Then there is the story of sports commentator, Les Murray, and the people smuggler who helped his family escape the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956; Murray’s memory is of a decent man who held the children’s hands as he led them in the dark along potholed roads to cross the border.
In rough chronological order, other stories tell of refugees smuggled from Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. One chapter is a photographic essay from an exhibition by visual artist Phuong Ngo titled ‘My father: the people smuggler’. People came to his father because as a ship’s mechanic he had the skills to plan and organise their escape on a boat from Vietnam. They saw him as honest and hardworking so paid him to smuggle them out.
The last chapter is a combined effort by Behrouz Boochani, author of No friend but the mountains, Claudia Tazreiter and Omid Tofighian. They emphasize that ‘for refugees and asylum seekers, persons assisting in facilitating journeys out of danger are regularly understood as travel agents, helpers and, sometimes, friends.’ Often refugees themselves may become people smugglers to facilitate onward journeys to safety for their friends and families. For some it is a business venture, and as in any business, there are varying motivations and behaviours. Australia, in turning back boats, with no regard for the fate of the people on the vessels they turn away, and shrouding the whole business in secrecy, is just as callous and mercenary as any smuggler it decries. Australia is deeply implicated in the deprivations and rights abuses asylum seekers face. Its border protection policies have not stopped refugees fleeing war and persecution, they have only served to make their journeys more deadly.
This book places on record a neglected aspect of Australia’s migration history, the ordeals of ‘illegalised travellers’, with personal accounts of refugee migration since the Second World War. The chapters can be read as separate stories. Taken as whole, they bring together a history we seem too ready to ignore.
Themes People smugglers, Refugees, Asylum seekers, Migration.
After reading Fable in virtually one sitting, I immediately turned to Namesake, desperate to continue reading about the adventures of Fable and her companions from the Marigold. Once again I was swept into a world of intrigue, sailing ships, diving and dangerous men. Namesake continues on immediately after the cliff-hanger that concluded Fable, with Fable a pawn in Zoya’s evil plans. As she desperately tries to get away, she finds herself immersed in a world where secrets about her father Saint and mother are uncovered and the crew of the Marigold are put into danger.
It is difficult to write too much without giving away the plot, but needless to say, there is adventure galore, gems to trade with, exciting underwater caves to explore and family dynamics to contend with. Descriptions of the simmering romance between Fable and West, make Namesake more suitable for an older audience that Fable, but romance lovers will delight in their relationship. The themes of finding a family and loyalty to friends are also explored as Fable has to work out who she can trust and how she can protect the crew of the Marigold.
Young wraps up the duology in a most satisfying conclusion and readers will be eagerly waiting for the next book that she writes. In the meantime, if they haven’t read her earlier book, Sky in the deep, they will want to pick that up, and may want to read books by Leigh Bardugo, especially Six of Crows.
Themes Ships, Sailing, Diving, Political intrigue, Families, Adventure.
Pat Pledger
Nerd Herd: Raging wool by Nathan Luff and Chris Kennett
This is the second in the Nerd Herd series and follows on immediately from the first book. A quick recap in the first two pages explains that a lamb, a llama and a goat have just scared a fox away from their petting zoo. While doing so they removed an electric fence from the bull pen and “completely unrelated, but, somehow the bull escaped”.
Barny the lamb, and his friends Shaama Llama Ding Dong (the llama) and Billy the angora goat are now desperate to return the bull to his pen without any trouble and before the humans wake up. They want to prove they are NOT the meek and mild ‘Nerd Herd’ but are the fierce and ferocious ‘Woolly Bullies’ - a much more respectable name!
They come up with multiple plans. Most of the plans are not good, but one is “less not-good than the others” so they work on executing it with various mishaps and silliness along the way. The friends work together well, demonstrating an understanding and support of their own and each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
There are countless puns and corny word plays that make for groans and laugh out loud enjoyment from kids and adults alike. I finished it in one sitting as the chapters are short, and the story is fun and fast paced.
The book is highly illustrated with plentiful use of bright red and lots of speech bubbles and comic panels. This makes it accessible to a variety of independent reading levels while also being an enjoyable read-alongside book for young readers. This would appeal to those who also enjoy Magda Szubanski’s Timmy the ticked-off pony series or Andrew McDonald’s Real pigeons series.
At the end a surprise event paves the way for book three – get ready for more hilarious adventures from this woolly trio!
Themes Animals, Friendship, Humour, Problem solving.
Kylie Grant
An alien in the jam factory by Chrissie Sains. Illus. by Jenny Taylor
Chrissie Sain's debut novel An alien in the jam is a highly inventive, humorous romp of a first chapter book. It is a very busy book both in the plans and inventions of the central character young Scooter and the pace of the plot. Interesting, detailed illustrations and labelled diagrams complement the text and appear on every page to delight the young reader. The busyness extends to the interior of the jam factory which is the setting of the book. An alien in the jam could be described as a book form of the game of Mousetrap with the addition of goodies, likeable, klutzy baddies and secret patents for inventions.
Scooter's life is entirely about creativity with the intent being to invent and protect the patents on wonderful jams for the family jam factory. Scooter has Cerebral Palsy but he has marvellous adaptive aids, handbot 1 and 2, to help him with the physical side of his condition. Scooter was born with a super-creative brain and being more intelligent than his parents, is responsible for the creation of the marvellous secret jam recipes and the success of the family factory. Ofcourse there is a villain who wants the secret recipes. Her name is Daffy Dodgy. She and Boris, her guineapig sidekick, devise a break-in and find that Scooter and his new friend, an alien called Fizzbee, are more than a match for them.
Scooter was a lonely child but he finds friendship with Fizzbee. The silliness in An alien in the jam is quite natural and unforced. Read aloud with attention to varying the different character's voices would be amusing for young children as the dialogue lends itself to performance. It's a fun book.
Through identifying with the thoroughly likeable Scooter, children might be provoked to delve without restriction into the creative, inventive worlds of their own imaginations.
This volume of the Heartstopper graphic novel contains chapters five and six of the ongoing story of Nick and Charlie’s developing relationship. The boyfriends have come out to their school friends and are moving into their final school years but Charlie’s anxiety is ramping up as he worries about declaring his love for Nick. He is also having problems eating which is worrying Nick who doesn’t know how to help his friend. At the same time Nick’s mostly absent father doesn’t know about his son’s gender preference and a family event is looming.
Navigating this difficult time of life with all its complications is delicately and authentically depicted. Helped by family and a close group of friends, who are not afraid to ask difficult questions when they see the boys struggling, Charlie acknowledges his friend’s mental illness and that he can’t cure him but he and their group are able to help. ‘Love can’t cure mental illness” p. 1073, but the following pages show just how supportive they can be. “Sometimes people need more support than just one person can give” p. 1087, and it is not only Nick and Charlie who need friends but others who don’t fit in to mainstream gender roles including teachers. Eventually Charlie gets the help he needs and his long journey towards recovery begins.
Well-paced with just the right amount of important information inserted at the right moment, Charlie and Nick’s story is full of affection and fun in black and white comic graphics presented in varied frames with handwritten text making it very accessible even without reading the previous volumes. There are mental health resources at the end though these are mainly UK based. According to the author illustrator’s website the series began in 2016 as a serialised ongoing webcomic and there is a wealth of extra content online all of which will be of interest to young adults especially from the LGBTQ community or their friends and family.
Twitch (real name Corvus) is a young lad who has become an expert in birdwatching in his local area. Unfortunately, although birds are fond of him, he is often bullied at school. Being a birder is not always cool amongst his peers. Fortunately, he is rescued from being made to eat a worm at the hand of the bully, Jack, by a newcomer to the district, at the same time that a convicted robber has escaped and everyone is on alert. Twitch’s great observation skills and his attempts to train his homing pigeons lead him to becoming embroiled in solving the mystery of the missing robber and uncovering the truth about a past injustice. Along the way he must learn who to trust and who are his friends.
This is a charming story, with action aplenty and respect for the quiet pursuit of birdwatching. It also reveals the transformation of the young birder, Twitch, from loner to friend; and the change in Jack from bully and then victim, to understanding friend. Written in a charming way we see the ingenious Twitch show environmental care and inventiveness and also great ingenuity in solving a crime, but first he has to work out how to trust. This will be enjoyed by young readers aged 8-12.
Themes Birdwatching, Bullying, Crime, Lies and truth, Friendship.
