Fans of the eight books set in Deltora, will be thrilled to see all eight books brought together in one handsome hard cover volume, celebrating the 21st anniversary of the Deltora Quest books. Those who don't know the series will be drawn to the beautiful cover and will want to find out about Leif, Barda and Jasmine the three companions starring in the stories and the quest that they are on to find the seven lost gems of the Belt of Deltora.
They face danger from the evil Shadow Lord and their journey to find the missing jewels leads them through the kingdom of magic and monsters to the Shadowlands, a strange and unknown place. It is only when all the gems are placed in the belt that the country will be safe from the Shadow Lord, and they will need all their ingenuity and intelligence to solve the mysteries and puzzles that will give them a complete belt.
This is high quality fantasy and would be an ideal gift for children who love adventure and magical lands, as well as a welcome volume on library shelves.
Ryan Watson is a young girl approaching summer holidays before beginning Year 5. Her family are loving and warm and they are waiting on the arrival of a new sister. Ryan is both delighted and impatient for the changes that will follow the arrival of the new baby. While she waits and her mother rests, she must cope with changed holiday routines and overcoming fears related to the church camp that she is now old enough attend. Ryan is a delight - thoughtful and responsible and keen to make her parents proud. Her family are hardworking, salt-of-the-earth folk and this is just an insight into a moment of time that impacts them all – but seen through the eyes of the young Ryan.
The delight of this book is the gentle understanding of a family that are church-attenders, of a different cultural heritage and whose work circumstances are different (Ryan’s father is a shift-worker). These differences help readers to recognise diversity and realise that not everyone in the world is the same. The fears and friendship concerns for Ryan will connect with young readers. No issue in the book is big, but for a young child these are the things that they encounter – struggles with an older brother, missing time with a parent, wanting to be a ‘best friend’, overcoming fears, and with a touch of humour, Ryan’s desire to be helpful means that she also over-consumes pickles! Young readers (aged 8-11) who desire an uncomplicated story will enjoy this book.
Themes Family, New child, Love, Friendships, Church life.
Ivan Lucic is called out to Finnigans Gap, a small opal mining town deep in the outback, where a crucified man has been found in a mine. Joined by Nell Buchanan a young detective, the pair investigate this bizarre murder, coming up against an array of eccentric characters, including two billionaire mining magnates and a cult of religious fanatics. While trying to find the killer, the pair are faced with an internal investigation which has finished the career of Montefore, Lucic’s mentor in the Police Force and which threatens to end their careers as well.
Treasure & Dirt is a compulsive read. The setting of the opal town, Finnigans Gap, really makes the story. It is fascinating to read about the mines and miners, the ratters who stole from the mines in the dead of night and the dry, harsh country. The power that rich people wield and the game playing about the share market also provides a rich background to the murder.
Clever descriptive writing makes the characters come alive. It is easy to imagine the two billionaires striding to their private planes, and the cult leader is suitably villainous. Lucic has his problems, and Nell emerges as a character that I would like to see featured in another book by Hammer.
As secrets about the past merge with the mystery of the crucified miner, Lucic and Buchanan need all their intelligence and ingenuity to solve the case and avoid the danger that surrounds them.
This is a nail-biting mystery, with in-depth characterisation and a wonderful setting and will please fans of Australian noir.
Themes Mystery and suspense, Opal mining, Detectives, Power, Corruption.
The intriguingly tactile dust cover showing a couple of ghosts peering out from the two letter o’s in the title, invites all readers to look further. Through the opaque cover they will just be able to see an old fashioned three storied house, complete with bell tower and ghost, set amidst a grassy field. Tantalised and excited, they are keen to open the pages, albeit cautiously.
Inside a young girl takes us on a tour of her house, where she is sure a ghost exists.
Readers will scream with laughter as they spot the ghosts lurking in the rooms the girl invites us to see. She cannot find any apparitions, but once the opaque paper is drawn across the page, the readers will see what she cannot. Ghosts in the chandelier, a ghost on the stairs, ghosts under the table, sitting at the library desk, their ghostly forms apparent when the inserted page covers the illustration. I can imagine lots of voices calling out, ’there he is’, wanting the girl to look in the right place for her ghosts. Readers will be highly entertained as the story takes them through the house searching every room for the ghosts.
The illustrations, reminiscent of many ghostly cartoons, shows small creatures with eyes burning thorough a sheet, or is that a dust cover? hovering above the ground all through the book and again in the wonderful endpapers.
The girl asks questions, and readers will offer many explanations and pieces of information from their experiences. She knows there is a ghost in the house, but questions whether they can be easily seen, or if they have chains and haunt the halls. She has checked the chimney and the wardrobes, peered into the attic and under the beds. She understands that they are hard to see. Perhaps they can only be seen at night, she asks, but in the end while walking past a vaguely familiar portrait, readers may jump to their own conclusions about where the ghost is hiding.
A wonderful read which screams out for sharing and reading aloud, the book encourages readers to discuss all they know about ghosts, giving them a platform to talk about things they believe but cannot see, whether they believe in ghosts, and whether to keep on looking for something that does not wish to be found. New York based author/illustrator, Jeffers brings up these intriguing questions in his entertaining YouTube clip and you can also hear Jeffers reading his book here.
The warmth of hugs and kisses, of feeling safe, of family togetherness, tenderness and openness are all extolled in this picture book with its fantastic illustrations filling each page.
The repetition of the line, ‘but it’s not as big as my love for you’ underlines every big thing in the book. We are introduced to a big house, with a big kitchen and bathroom, a house so tall that trees tickle its roof, but its not as big as the love for a child.
Each time a page is turned the same idea is presented: something large is shown with the refrain following, stressing the fact that parents and children’s love is the biggest thing there is. We see the town with winding streets and apartments, a river with ducks and playground. We see a city with skyscrapers, buildings, and construction sites, bridges and streets, busses and an oval. Then we see the world, in its very bigness, lots of different people and animals and iconic structures. All vey big, but not as big as then parent’s love. Then the illustrations take the reader off into space, the biggest thing there is, but of course, not as huge as a parents’ love, and finally we see the universe.
Each time the refrain solidifies the love between a parent and child, ensuring it is the biggest thing there is, extolling the relationship between mother, father, grandparent and child.
I love the illustrations depicting a range of families, showing a range of activities undertaken by a happy, loving family. Children will love learning the refrain, repeating it when appropriate as the pages are turned by the reader. They will enjoy sharing the things they do with their parents, things that reflect the love between them and their parents.
Fran Knight
Seeking asylum: Our stories by Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Black Inc., 2021. ISBN: 9781760643300. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
This beautiful hardback book is a rich collection of the personal stories of refugees and asylum seekers. As Liliana Maria Sanchez Cornejo says in her introductory essay, when people are exposed to only one story about refugees, it makes them into a stereotype that’s easy to not care about. Through this book we can get to know a whole variety of people from different countries and with different stories; we get to know them as individuals that engage our interest and our empathy. They are ordinary people who have escaped extraordinary circumstances, embarking on a risky journey towards freedom. And for many the journey hasn’t ended. People on Temporary Protection Visas are denied the right to work or study, without access to Medicare or support. This is one of the areas where the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre provides a life-saving haven.
At the end of the book, Kon Karapanagiotidis provides a history of the ASRC, from its humble beginnings in 2001 as a TAFE student project, to its present day status as an organisation offering a foodbank, legal advice, psychosocial support, English classes, health clinic, employment program, along with friendship and hope. All this, without any government funding.
Julian Burnside QC also contributes a chronology of the political changes that saw Australia introduce laws of punishment and deterrence rather than the safety and protection that is the right of a refugee under the Refugee Convention, a convention that Australia itself helped draft. Burnside asserts that we can treat people seeking asylum with compassion, humanity and fairness, and have secure borders.
The information is presented in a clear easy-to-read style, but by far the most powerful impact of this book comes from the incredible, often heart-rending stories from people who have had to overcome enormous challenges to try find safety and create new lives for themselves. They share their stories in a spirit of generosity and friendship. Many have now found a home here, but for some the journey is still not over, and there is an ongoing struggle to feel safe, and for their families to feel safe. Their courage is amazing, as is their determination to help others and give back to their new country despite the hardships and racism they might encounter.
The photographs are stunning – faces of people from many different places and different experiences, but all people who want you to know them for who they really are. This book deserves to be in every library, in every home, and would make a Christmas present to treasure. As a pro bono publication by Black Inc Publishers, all proceeds are dedicated to funding refugee-led initiatives.
Themes Refugees, Asylum seekers, Freedom, Personal stories, Human rights.
Helen Eddy
Egg marks the spot by Amy Timberlake. Illus. by Jon Klassen
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781407199405. (Age:8-11)
What a bizarre story! Badger is a rock-collecting whiz-badger, who is determined to collect a rock for each letter of the alphabet. Skunk is a quirky garrulous chef with an unusual friendship with rats and now chickens. The friendship between Badger and Skunk is close but not always warm. Sometimes friendship is like that, but maybe it is because Skunk has the potential to be malodorous. Badger’s cousin has stolen his ‘A’ agate, and this is Badger’s achilles heel and a source of great consternation. When there is the opportunity to find another rock source – amber, which is fossilised resin, it comes with an unusual egg inserted in the prehistoric stone. The two friends, with the addition of a fluffy chicken, are able to rescue the prehistoric hatchling from within the amber.
I cannot say this is a story with the clarity needed for younger readers. Timberlake peppers the narrative with onomatopoeic ‘blurts’ for animal and setting sounds and conversation, and sometimes there is dialogue that just seems confusing. The unusual personalities of Skunk and Badger add some comedic moments, but sometimes their idiosyncrasies are more likely to be understood by an adult rather than a child. I struggled to the end of this tale, and even the ‘scruffy’ naive illustrations by Klassen did not lift the story for me. For those readers aged 8-11 who love eccentric characters, animals personified with human traits far removed from their animal selves, and the oddities of excessive onomatopoeia and a weird plot-line… this may appeal, but don’t expect a child to be delighted by this story.
Kangaroo Beach : Frizzy's Treasure Hunt by Tim Bain
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2021. ISBN: 9781760987817. (Age:3+)
Frizzy is a feisty, independent, imaginative little koala for whom adventure is first priority and safety is, well, much further down the list! In this charming Aussie story by Tim Bain, Frizzy and her cadet friends, genius Gemma the Platypus, nervous Neville the wombat, perky Pounce the Kangaroo, as well as grumpy Grandpa Big Trev, are learning to scuba dive with a couple of lifeguard kangaroo instructors, Sandy and Bondi (very much in situ names!). Frizzy, who imagines herself as "Queen of the Sea” decides to swim off by herself despite warnings from Big Trev that they must “STICK TOGETHER”, and a rescue operation begins… but it isn’t quite the one they imagine! Frizzy learns a valuable lesson about safety (or does she?!?) and all is well in Kangaroo Beach once more.
Any child who is learning to read and loves Kangaroo Beach will enjoy this adventure. The pages are appropriate for little hands still learning to turn pages safely and keywords are highlighted in bold to make it eye-catching and easy to follow along for new readers.
Tim Bain has also written for hit series Bluey and Fireman Sam. Genre: New readers’ adventure.
The illicit love between impoverished Irish immigrant, Henry, and black slave woman, Sarah, in pre-Civil War Virginia, is at the heart of this novel, which, whilst being over 350 pages long, rushes along with short chapters interleaving their stories. It is hard to put down, the writing is so good and the characters so real; in fact they are based on the author’s own great-great grandparents’ experiences plus a great deal of research into the slave era in America.
It is an enthralling and tender story, and in itself would be satisfying enough for most readers, but Huf takes it to another level by also including the voice of Maple, the illegitimate black daughter of a slave owner forced into servitude to her half-sister and torn from the only family she knows. It is her bitterness and her powerlessness that really drives home the reality of the life of the slave, with no say, no power over her own destiny, subject to the whims and desires of her masters, knowing that any wrong step could end in a whipping.
Sarah and Maple’s master prides himself on being a Christian, a kind and just man to his slaves. But it is kindness on his own terms. His brand of Christianity does not tolerate any kind of intimate relationship between the righteous whites and the blacks deemed their inferiors. He makes all the decisions on who the slaves may mix with, who they may marry, where they shall live and the work they are allotted. Sarah declares that ‘slave suffering is a different thing. When somebody owns you, there ain’t nothing they can’t do to you.’
The tension builds as Sarah and Henry take greater and greater risks to be together. It is a thoroughly immersive reading experience. Lovers of historical fiction and romance will certainly enjoy this novel.
Themes Slavery, Romance, Black women, Freedom, Racism.
Helen Eddy
Animal train by Anh Do
Wolf Girl 6. Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760879051. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
Animal Train, the sixth book in the very popular Ahn Do series, Wolf Girl, will not disappoint the middle primary readers who wait in anticipation for each new story. In this very exciting and action-packed read, Gwen is no longer with Rupert and is travelling alone with the pack. They are still following clues to the whereabouts of Gwen’s family and are heading inland to the town of Tunny where Gwen’s mother was last seen. They arrive in the seemingly deserted town of Harrington and settle down for the night. They are woken by a crying baby and discover a starving family living in a cellar. Gwen and the pack discover a bunker full of supplies and the family safely moves there. The family shares their knowledge of how to get closer to the town of Tunny and advise Gwen and her pack to catch a train. Unfortunately, the train is full of soldiers but they carefully manage to climb aboard. There are suspicious empty crates in each of the carriages and further on in the journey the purpose of the crates will be revealed. After many hours the train stops at a loading dock and many crates of captured creatures are loaded onboard. Regrettably, luck has run out for Gwen and the pack, and they are discovered. This leads to an amazing struggle for survival.
Readers will on the edge of their seat wondering if Gwen and her four-footed friends will overcome their predicament. And what about the captured creatures? Will they be freed? Once again Ahn Do has written an entertaining read and the illustrations by Lachlan Creagh add so much to the text.
The bonus sealed section at the end continues the story of Gwen and Amber started in book five, Across the Sea. Book seven will be published soon.
Thomas & Mercer, 2021. ISBN: 9781542019958. (Age:15+)
Ten years after the disappearance of Emily Carlino, her partner, David Thorne, still can't move on from the tragedy. Not knowing if she was in fact a victim of the notorious serial killer, Ronny Lee Jessup, haunts him to this day, and he can't find the inspiration or motivation to keep writing best sellers. Driven to obsession, he even regularly visits Ronny in jail, in the hopes of discovering if Emily was one of the victims they've never located. Then he meets Maddison Sutton, who appears to be Emily from ten years ago, down to the way she kisses him. Is she Emily? Is she an impersonator? A decade later and he just wants Emily, and wants to have this precious second chance.
This intense mystery suspense novel just keeps adding more mysteries. Told from David's point of view, the story becomes more intricate and complicated as he continues to question what happened all those years ago, and who exactly Maddison is. Readers will be reminded of the depravity that human beings are capable of while reading this thriller, as while Ronny Lee Jessup may not be a real life serial killer, the descriptions of his basement of horror and treatment of victims seem real enough, and unfortunately, there are vile and corrupt humans who have risen to power as well as those who are hidden from public view. As such, it is recommended that this book be read by mature teenagers and adults, not younger readers. The book moves at a steady pace, broken into numerous parts. An interesting read!
Themes Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Lost Persons, Guilt.
Melanie Pages
Growing up in Australia
Black Inc., 2021. ISBN: 9781760643188. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
This wonderful collection of short stories brings together a few pieces from previous volumes such as Growing up disabled in Australia, Growing up Aboriginal in Australia, and other 'Growing up' books, but also includes others not encountered before, by much cherished Australian authors. As Alice Pung points out in her introduction, each of the stories shines a light on the infinite variety of childhood experiences so different from the sort of world depicted in Vegemite and Weet-Bix commercials. These authors tell us about their experiences, at times brutal, heartrending, lonely, beautiful, or funny, but always authentic.
The opening story, appropriately, is Stan Grant’s ‘Talking to my country’ which highlights the exclusion of Aboriginal people, the missing history, and the low expectations which impacted so many. And while there are happy memories of family love and the camaraderie of friends, it’s important that any picture of Australia should include this perspective.
Also included is an excerpt from Tim Winton’s coastal memoir Land’s Edge with his descriptions of wild rambling summer explorations along the seashore, and his life-changing discovery of a library.
But for me, the story I absolutely enjoyed, and made me laugh, was the account from Sara El Sayed’s Muddy people. 'Don’t touch alcohol' highlights inter-cultural misunderstandings, the funny stories that were probably embarrassing at the time, but which later have become a mine of humour.
There are other well-known names, including Magda Szubanski, Tara June Winch, Benjamin Law, and many others; I’m sure that any reader will find something to enjoy in this book.
Themes Childhood, Identity, Cultural diversity.
Helen Eddy
Aurora's end by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760295752. (Age:Teens) Highly recommended.
Kaufman and Kristoff bring the Aurora Cycle to a stunning conclusion in Aurora’s End. Fans of the series will not be disappointed, and I can recommend this series to new readers who are sure to enjoy the adventure, excitement and clever dialogue that permeates all the books.
Fortunately for readers there is a quick resume of the cast at the beginning of the book to refresh memories since the last book! Then the action starts immediately after the cliff-hanger ending in Aurora Burning. The book is divided into four sections and told from the point of view of each of the members of Squad 312, all who have grown in skills and abilities during the series. Zila, Fin and Scarlett find themselves in a time warp and their actions bring together many threads of the series. In an unlikely grouping, Tyler, Kal and Auri together with Caersan and Saedii are pitched in a high-octane battle with the Ra’Haan, the hive-like enemy.
The action is relentless and breath taking and the scenarios that Kaufman and Kristoff have created are unique. In particular, the time loop that Zila, Fin and Scarlett face is amazing and the choices they must make while trying to save the galaxy are highly dangerous. The smart and often funny dialogue provides a welcome breathing space for the reader. The authors too, have managed to pull together all the threads and relationships in the story in a most satisfying way in the conclusion.
This is an easy to read but very original series that will keep readers glued to their seats with its clever plots, fast paced action and exciting adventures.
Themes Science fiction, Relationships, Adventure.
Pat Pledger
What it's like to be a bird by Tim Birkhead and Catherine Rayner
What it’s Like to Be a Bird is written by well-known University Professor and ornithologist Tim Birkhead. As the author of numerous books about birds, he has an incredible knowledge and understanding of birds, their habitats and behaviours. This newly published children’s non-fiction book, featuring 20 different bird species from all around the world, will be a wonderful resource for bird lovers both young and old. The book contains a contents page with the first chapter being an introduction to birds and their unique attributes. The individual birds discussed in the following chapters are presented on a double page spread with striking full page water colour illustrations and easy to understand information. Some of the birds included are the albatross of the Southern Subantarctic Oceans, the sungrebe of Central and South America, the bar-tailed godwit that spends summers in Alaska and winters in New Zealand and from Australia, the magpie. It is mentioned that the Australian magpie is different to the Eurasian magpie in appearance and its behaviour is much more aggressive.
The book is filled with fun facts that will engage young readers. For example, the male emperor penguin is left alone for two months incubating the egg losing half his body weight, and that the female penguin returns from feeding when the biological clock in her brain tells her its hatching time. Another interesting fact is that the great grey owl of Northern Europe, North America and Asia can pinpoint its prey with its incredible hearing even though the prey is hidden under a blanket of snow. The beautiful cover design and clever endpapers showcase the talent of illustrator Catherine Rayner.
A worthwhile addition to home, school or public library.
I am a fan of Garry Disher’s crime novels and was thrilled to read The Way it is Now, a stand-alone featuring Charlie Deravin, a police officer living in his family’s holiday house on the coast in Victoria. Charlie’s forced leave has left him with time to think about his life and in particular the disappearance of his mother twenty years earlier, believed murdered. His father, in the middle of a divorce, was a suspect, and his brother Liam believed that his father was guilty. When the skeletal remains of a child and an adult are found, Charlie’s inquiries lead him into danger.
Disher’s novels are always multi-layered, forcing the reader to pay attention not only to the crimes committed but to the personalities and emotions of the main characters. Charlie is burnt out. He has been suspended from his job because of his actions around a rape case when he believed that his superior officer was not doing his job properly. Over the course of his investigation into his mother’s murder, he gradually comes to realise truths about himself, his relationship with his ex-wife and his family and the new woman in his life, Anna. Disher also integrates a case revolving around rape culture in a football club and the effects of COVID on his father into the story.
The setting of a small coastal town where everyone knows everyone provides a great background to Charlie’s life and his attempts to solve the mystery of his mother’s death and that of the young boy who had previously been believed to have drowned . The surfers, the locals walking dogs on the beach and the mix of shacks and high-end houses will all be familiar to Australian readers.
This was a crime novel that I was unable to put down and after finishing found myself revisiting parts of the book as I thought about the suspects, Charlie’s emotional growth and the way the cases were resolved. It is highly recommended for lovers of quality Australian crime novels.
