Simon & Schuster, 2021. ISBN: 9781760850449. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
The opening chapters of this novel are based on true events; the foolhardy white settlement of the Marrambidya flood plains and the devastating Gundagai floods of 1852. Two heroic Aboriginal men, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, paddled their canoes through the night to save people stranded on roofs and clinging to trees.
Anita Heiss gives us the fictional story of Wagadhaany, Yarri’s teenage daughter, rescued on that night along with the two Bradley brothers she works for – James and David. As the Bradley’s domestic servant, her life is tied to them, and when James and his new wife Louisa set out to create their future at Wagga Wagga she has no choice but to go with them leaving behind all the family and country she loves so dearly.
As a young black woman, Wagadhaany could be easy prey for the lecherous advances of David, the other brother, but this situation, though an only too common experience for young Aboriginal women, is thankfully not the focus of Heiss’s story, so much as the tenuous relationship between Wagadhaany and Louisa. Louisa is a lonely person, a Quaker, with humanitarian ideals, who aspires to befriend and save Aboriginal people. Of course there is a patronising element to her attitude, naive and good intentioned as she may be. Heiss explores the idea of whether it is really possible to have a friendship between two people from such different backgrounds and unequal situations; recalling for me the theme of Wilkinson’s When the apricots bloom about friendship between a foreigner and women trapped in Iraq. Wagadhaany is just as trapped. Her life is bound by the white man’s laws. She has no freedom.
Heiss’s novel beautifully describes the country, family and stories that mean so much to Wagadhaany, weaving in Wiradyuri language and beliefs. There is a lot of sadness in Wagadhaany’s life; and though there is a gentle love story, we are left with a very strong sense of the suffering and loss.
The chance discovery of a tender note in one of her mother’s books leads Izzy and her friends to connect the dots, and amazingly Izzy discovers her unknown father is actually the Crown Prince of Japan, which of course makes Izzy herself a princess! It sounds cliche, and the opening pages with their descriptions of Izzy’s Asian Girl Gang are particularly brash and upbeat, but the story develops well and the reader is drawn in, especially as Izzy is such a warm and likeable character, a person who 'leads with her heart'.
Izzy goes from being the out-of-place Japanese American teenager growing up with her single mum in California, to being the out-of-place American Princess Izumi trying to adjust to royal life in Japan, when she travels to Tokyo to meet her father. Emiko Jean provides descriptions of Japanese life, food and culture that enrich the story and add another level to what would otherwise be a light read.
It’s a lot of fun; there’s a bad boy cousin who befriends her, horrible enemy Shining Twins, and a scowling but enormously attractive body-guard who has romantic potential. And maybe, her father, the Crown Prince of Japan, still holds a candle in his heart for her mother.
Readers who enjoy this book will be pleased to know that there is the promise of a sequel in 2022.
Themes Japan, Identity, Conflict of cultures, Romance.
Helen Eddy
Ribbit Rabbit by Candice Ryan. Illus. by Mike Lowery
Board book. Frog and Bunny are best friends. They do everything together. They go swimming, eat peanut butter sandwiches and even fight monsters. But sometimes they don't get along and they have to work out how to stay friends.
In an original and unusual picture book, Ryan has written a rhyming story that will appeal to children who like mechanical toys and robots. The repetition of the words 'Ribbit, rabbit' with variations following it like 'Zip it, zap it' and 'Trip it, trap it' make it a fun book to read aloud. It is a story that will make the young listener and reader become aware of the intricate patterns of words and want to try out new rhymes for themselves.
The ups and downs of friendship are effortlessly included in the story as they fight over little and big things but realise what they have to do to make up. Ryan manages to convey in very few words how lonely it can be when you have had a fight with your best friend and also how difficult it is to make up.
The quirky drawings by Mike Lowery are cartoon like, and Frog and Bunny are endearing characters, their facial expressions bringing the meaning of the text to life. The young reader is challenged to follow the illustrations as they show what is happening to the two main characters and are an integral part of the story.
This is an intriguing picture book that I will keep for my young grandson.
An alien has landed in this big boy's house and he isn't terribly happy about it. He has no manners, controls the household and yet all of the adults are completely besotted with him! Can't everyone see how strange he is? The alien's special powers might work on mum and dad and the grandparents, but definitely not on him. But then he realises: 'To have someone to talk to. Someone with whom to play. To make me laugh when I feel blue. I might just let him stay.' Children expecting a new sibling will identify with some of the emotions the boy experiences: loneliness, confusion and uncertainty. It gives a humourous take on what it might be like to have a baby in the household, touching on a lack of attention from mum and dad, the constant crying and eating and the undecipherable mode of communication.
Digital illustrations give a movie-feel that will appeal to the target audience, but they do lack a little in depth and aesthetic appeal. In addition, the flow of the rhyming text is clunky at times ('No one is safe I say, Not Grandma, nor Grandpa. You won't get to me, no way! Can't they see he's just bizarre?'), making it hard to find the appropriate rhythm when reading aloud.
Themes New sibling, Families, Rhyming story.
Nicole Nelson
Ginger Meggs by Tristan Bancks and Jason Chatfield
What a step back into my childhood. I remember always looking forward in reading the next Ginger Meggs comic strip in dad’s newspaper. Cutting out the comic strip and pasting it into a scrap book to read again and again. Yeap, we had newspapers delivered home those days not digitally on line like today.
Puffin Books has managed to put together four brand-new stories of the ironic Aussie legend, Ginger Meggs in an awesome hardcover edition to celebrate 100 years of this lovable character and his friends created by Jimmy Bancks back in 1921. Yeap, Ginger Meggs is 100 years old and he hasn’t aged a bit. Did you know that this comic is one of the longest running comic strips in the world and it's Aussie?
The brand new stories are written by Tristan Bancks, the great-great nephew of Jimmy Bancks and illustrated by the current Ginger Meggs cartoonist, Jason Chatfield. They both have managed to put together a wonderful book. Anyone young or old would love to read the newest adventures of the red-haired mischief maker Ginger Meggs.
All stories are written in a way that you can actually think it’s something you can do in real life. From making a lamington business, to running for prime minster and going camping with dad. The best story was ‘Dead Man’s Hill’; who wouldn’t want to build a billycart to race the other kids in town and what a race it was. All stories had me giggling away.
Also included is a timeline history of Ginger Meggs and how the comic was created and became a world-wide success.
This hard cover edition is a great commemoration to one of Australia’s great icons. So happy to have it on my shelf at school to share with everyone.
Maria Komninos
Goal!!! by Lydia Williams. Illus. by Lucinda Gifford
Allen & Unwin, 2021. ISBN: 9781760526146. (Age:4-8)
Lydia Williams, goalkeeper for the Australian Matildas, has written a follow up to Saved! This is a sporty, motivational story about how sport can bring people together and about appreciating the different skills that each team member brings. An introduction at the start of the book explains how her inspiration for the book came from her own experience of moving from outback Australia to a big city.
The story opens with a young Lydia, the same character from Saved!, soccer ball beside her, surveying the big city that doesn't really feel like home. She misses her friends, and playing and practising soccer by herself is not the same. She worries about how she will learn new goalkeeping skills and get good enough to play in the Olympics. To cheer herself up she visits the zoo. All of the animal friends she meets are so different to her old bush animal friends. They are loud, fierce, intimidating and fast and when they play she can't keep up. They are too good! Eventually she realises that by watching each of the animals and by getting to know them she can learn new and important skills. Day after day she gets better and better and they each support Lydia in their own unique way.
This is a gentle, inspirational story that will hit home with sports lovers, especially those dealing with the conflicting and varied character traits of their teammates and friends. Hopefully this will help them realise that everyone brings something to the team; sometimes we just have to be willing to listen, watch and learn.
A new book in the stunning series called Nature Stoybooks, (‘where every wonderful word is true’) has two fonts, the text in one font is a fictional story of a wombat, while the other gives information using a non fiction tone. Each story is true, so children will extract a great deal of information about wombats from the book. Like the others in the series, the storyline is inviting and generous, creating an intimate portrait of a female wombat going about her daily sleep routine and night time forage. The factual text fills in the details of a wombat’s life, enhancing the words already absorbed by the reader.
We see and read of the female wombat digging a burrow, sharing with another wombat, foraging through the grasses for food, avoiding the clutches of the predatory dingo out hunting for a meal.
The wombat, ‘the bulldozer of the bush’, will engage younger readers with the facts about its claws and fur, its short leg and backwards facing pouch, its little ears and poor eyesight. All of the facts given will intrigue younger readers and these are enhanced by the stunning illustrations by Duthie. They will see the words described in the accompanying illustrations, be able to work out why the animal is as she is, look at her environment and feel the cool dark burrow she digs out for her living quarters. The illustrations give a stunning vista of the wombat's life, and the book’s endpapers will give the reader an idea of what it is like to burrow beneath the earth. A page of extra information is given along with a short index, rounding off a most satisfactory introduction to this wonderful Australian marsupial.
Readers will learn an array of new words: nocturnal, marsupial, mammal, predator, burrow and so on, adding to their knowledge of Australian wildlife. Teacher's notes are available.
Fans of The Crown? Then you will definitely be a fan of Pamela Hart’s new book The Charleston Scandal. I love historical fiction especially when the author makes you think you're actually there in the era they write about. Being a fan of Pamela Hart and a massive fan of jazz in the roaring 20s, I was looking forward to reading this and it did not disappoint.
The Great World War has ended and we are taken into the Roaring 20s Jazz era.
The Charleston Scandal is a story about a girl from Australia, Kit Scott and a lad from Canada, Zeke Gardiner, who travel to London to follow their dreams of being actors and dancers on stage in the West End. They both get cast in a show alongside each other as partners. We follow their stories of their past and present and the adventures they have and survive in an era so different from ours. Kit and Zeke have a great chemistry between each other but they both have said they will remain as friends because they working together.
Kit Scott whose real name is Katherine Scot, has left her family and home in Sydney to follow her dream to be on stage. She is the daughter of Agatha Scott (from a well-known prominent family) who left England to marry and The Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney. Her parents did not want her to become an actress, it is something high society does not do.
Zeke Gardiner moved to London from Canadian province of British Columbia. He was leaving behind his mother who was in hiding from her abusive husband. Zeke travelled to another land to find work and support his mother by sending her money to pay her rent with the vision that she will follow him to London as soon as he could afford it.
Once in London, Kit and Zeke are thrust into a world of poverty while also trying to find steady work. We read about them mixing with high society and the world of the stage while at the same time mixing with the greats of that time. They meet and befriend Noel Coward, Fred Astaire and his famous sister Adele, as well as Royalty.
The Charleston Scandal is a great easy read which any historical fiction lover will enjoy learning more about the Jazz Era and the way different people lived in the past. We learn about the diverse group of people and the way the world looks upon them.
Now I feel like dancing, where are my jazz albums . . .
Legend of the lost Lilies is the fifth and final book in the Miss Lily series of novels. The story of things that ordinary women did in times of war to help their country are way beyond what most people would believe. The sacrifices they made and for some it meant their life. Sophie receives a telegram from Miss Lily asking for help and without thinking she answers it and goes to help Miss Lily leaving her quiet life behind her. She has no idea what to expect when she arrived at Shillings. Sophie finds that she needs to reunite with old friends to try and help to end the war; it will not be easy but she is determined to do what she can to help. She has no idea how these old friends will react to her turning up and if they will help her or not, but she chooses to take a chance and go for it. She finds out who she can trust and who she can’t the hard way. Although faced with many confronting challenges during the story she manages to show an inner strength that keeps her going. She and Lily both have some difficult decisions that they have to make that will affect their lives into the future.
This is a beautifully written story. As with all Jackie French books you are drawn in from the very beginning and can’t put the book down until you reach the end. The fact that this book is based on real events makes the story even more powerful.
I highly recommend this book and series.
Themes World War, 1914-1918, Women.
Karen Colliver
The Great Barrier Reef by Helen Scales. Illus. by Lisk Feng
The Great Barrier Reef is a magnificent information book written about this stunning World Heritage Site right on Australia’s doorstep. As a Natural Wonder of the World, the Great Barrier Reef is closely monitored by scientists, ecologists and concerned individuals for changes and damage to its environment. This book provides the reader with detailed facts about its discovery, history, size, wide variety of sea creatures and their place in reef life, complex ecosystems as well as threats and possible solutions. The contents page clearly sets out the topics discussed and a glossary at the end helps with unfamiliar words and explanations.
There is an important section sharing information about the human inhabitants beginning with the Aboriginal peoples who lived harmoniously with the reef and respected what it provided for them. This then leads into white settlement and the lack of care initially taken by these new inhabitants. Fortunately this misuse is slowly changing through the knowledge and passion of people concerned about protecting the Great Barrier Reef. The author also provides valuable ideas on how we can begin to protect the reef in everyday life. The colourful illustrations are muted in tones but are both detailed and striking. The information is easy to digest and well explained.
A wonderful addition to a home, class, school or public library.
Themes Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Ecosystems, Sea Creatures, Natural Wonder of the World, Aboriginal Culture & Story, Conservation.
Kathryn Beilby
Earth's aquarium by Alexander Kaufman. Illus. by Mariana Rodrigues
Earth’s Aquarium is a stunning over-sized reference book which gives an amazing insight to fifteen natural aquatic aquariums from around the world. The foreword by Will Millard gives a passionate plea for understanding our water environments and the pressing need to change how we look after them. The contents page clearly labels each section and the opening chapter, Variables in Aquatic Habitats, explains the components of water life such as waves, currents, tides, acidity as well light penetration. Included in the fifteen natural aquariums are the following: mudflats, mangrove forests, estuaries, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, coral reefs, oyster reefs, open water, sea ice, salt marshes, slow and fast-moving fresh water, wetlands, vents and seeps and deep water. Each water habitat focuses on one particular place and importantly the coral reef chapter discusses Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Delving deeper into each environment is quite a remarkable journey for the reader.
The first of two double pages within each chapter are devoted to a visually impressive pictorial display of creatures found in that habitat. Underneath is information about the area as well as the dangers presented by humans and climate change. The following double page clearly identifies each creature inhabitant from the previous page and gives other important information about this particular environment. At the end of the book is a very detailed index as well as a sources page. The illustrations in this book are really quite striking and will engage the reader time and time again. The cover is a delight with foil inserts which will add to the appeal of the book for readers of all ages.
Themes Water environments, Global habitats, Natural aquariums, Ecosystems, Aquatic life, Climate change.
Kathryn Beilby
Coco, the fish with hands by Aleesah Darlison. Illus. by Mel Matthews
Coco, the Fish with Hands is the first story in the multi-book Endangered Animal Tales series which will focus on a number of Australia’s most susceptible creatures. The story begins by introducing Coco and her amazing attribute - hands. Spotted Handfish are only found in Tasmania and are becoming extinct. The story continues with Coco evading predators, searching for a mate and finding a safe place to lay her eggs. Once the eggs are laid the parents spend time protecting them until they hatch and disperse into the Derwent River Estuary, the only place Spotted Handfish are found. The story is further enhanced by the bright and colourful illustrations as well as a key fact written on each page. On the final page is a map of Australia with more important facts to share.
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 information. A very welcome addition to a school or public library. The other books in the series will be well worth reading.
With the front cover depicting butterflies, ladybirds, bees and dragonflies, the wild things of the title refers clearly to those living things found in one’s garden. Poppy just loves bugs and insects and this is her story about what she can see, encouraging readers to stop and take a look themselves. She often sits amongst the wildflowers in her garden, talking to the many insects and bugs around her, quietly camouflaged by the colours of the flowers. She does not feel comfortable indoors with people and when she is inside becomes like the wallpaper, blending into the background of the event. So she becomes a tree, a curtain, a wall, blending her clothing with what is behind her, being as inconspicuous as she can, camouflaging herself to avoid contact with other people.
But one day at her grandmother’s birthday party a dragonfly lands on her cake. Poppy claps her hands with excitement giving away her position. The dragonfly, startled by the noise lands on Poppy’s hand and all are amazed, telling each other that Poppy has a way with wild things and closing in for a look at the insect. Poppy tells them what it is called, and they listen, no longer the recluse, but a real wild thing.
The images presented will draw the reader’s attention to the many bugs and insects that live in their garden. They will be encouraged to look more closely at what is around them, comparing the camouflage of the insects with that used by Poppy to avoid being seen. The bright colours will intrigue and delight younger readers and the issue of shyness will appeal to many who would prefer not to be noticed.
This is a debut novel – an emotional thriller which has been compared to works by writers such as Meg Rosoff and Patrick Ness. Cory Anderson was born in Idaho and writes about her home in the Rocky Mountains.
High school student, Jack, makes a shocking discovery in the early pages of this startling, clever book. We learn that he and his younger brother, Matty, face homelessness after their father is imprisoned serving time for robbery. The boys decide to go after the unrecovered money, which leads to a ruthless and dangerous hunt for treasure.
What emerges from this picture of a rather troubled young man is one of a caring and loving brother who will do anything to ensure that Matty is out of harm’s way. They are joined by Ava, a friend of Jack’s, who also plays her part as a narrator for the story with her words opening each chapter and leading the reader onwards, really quite beautifully. Ava is there to help them survive: she comes from her own troubled space – a father who is damaged and has taught his daughter to love no one. His role is pivotal to the story as he knows where the stolen money is; this game is dangerous.
Along with a fast paced storyline, the gripping characters and striking language make for a terrific read. I add a cautionary note as the subject matter is challenging with considerable violence and a suicide.
Later is Stephen King’s latest novel, aimed at young and older adults alike. More gory than horror, Later tells the story of Jamie Conklin, a teenager living with his mother in New York City who just happens to be able to see dead people. Ever since he can remember, Jamie has been able to see and talk to people who have recently died. Does this concept sound a bit familiar? Well, a rip off of The Sixth Sense this book is not. Part horror, part crime, Later is the story of a well-adjusted, happy teenager who becomes embroiled in the hunt for a serial killer.
The police have finally figured out who is behind a series of bombs that have terrorised NYC for years. However Thumper, as he calls himself, is still one step ahead; he has committed suicide but left one bomb remaining, his most dangerous yet. Swept up into the investigation by a corrupt cop, Jamie realises that Thumper’s reign of terror will have much more devastating and long-lasting consequences for him than he ever could have imagined.
Later is one of Stephen King’s shortest and most direct novels. At just under 250 pages, it is a fast-paced and high energy book. Ostensibly a horror, at its heart Later is a classic bildungsroman, as we watch Jamie growing up and trying to solve problems just a little out of the ordinary. While the novel is not particularly frightening, there are many graphic descriptions of deceased and dying people, so Later is most appropriate for older teenagers and adult audiences. Overall, Later is an exciting, rounded and quick read and bodes well for future King releases.
