In the prologue Maxine Beneba Clarke quotes Nina Simone that “an artist’s duty . . . is to reflect the times” and that is what this body of poetry does, reflecting themes of climate change, bushfires, Black Lives Matter, Me Too, Covid 19, domestic violence, and other current political and social issues. The opening poem “when the decade broke” refers to many of these issues but provides hope with the concluding lines “suddenly, we were wide awake . . . faces tilted to the sky, watching revolution break”. Similarly the closing poem “fires move faster” recalls the many traumas of the last decade but at the same time finds the hope in the simple things, “zucchini plants flower, sharing a meal with friends”, concluding “we all will fight, to live”. So while there are many fierce and confronting issues that thread through this collection of poems, there is still the hope that we will rise up and take action.
These are powerful compelling poems that address issues that should be front of mind. They wake us up, put into words the issues at stake, and drive us to feel, think and act. The title “How decent folk behave” is a fitting admonition, the line coming from the poem “Something sure” about a mother exhorting her son to not be a bystander, to call things out, be a good man and “lead a bad man home”.
The words are strong and emotive, “the monsters are out”, they recall women's suffering and black people’s suffering; it is “blood-truth” that we need to confront. We feel the grief. The poems are vibrant, and thought provoking; there are many historical references that we need reminding about. It is a volume that has an immediate impact, and will be re-read and discussed and provide inspiration for social action.
Young Joey never tires of saying that Christmas always comes, and this becomes a refrain through this heart warming story of Christmas away from home. The two children discuss what will happen on Christmas Day: they run through the expectation of presents, of Christmas Pudding, a Christmas Tree, but older Ellie is more circumspect in what she says, she doesn’t want Joey to be disappointed, she knows that their life droving cattle on the long paddock is hardly a place where Santa and the trimmings will be in evidence. She reassures him that Santa will find them and Joey hangs the socks out in expectation of the event.
1932 sees the country ravaged by drought and the family has no option but to find scarce water and feed along the road for their cattle. But the children wake early on Christmas Day and do find a Christmas Tree, one laden with ripe apricots, and covered in brightly colourful parrots. They marvel at what they see and an older man comes up behind them to remind them that they are on private property. But he relents seeing clearly two young children in awe of his tree, imagining it to be a Christmas Tree, and he is reminded of his dead wife and her delight in the celebration. He offers the fruit to the children, telling them to ask their mother to come and cook two of his roosters and for their father to make use of the feed that is available on his farm.
And the story wraps up with the family celebrating Christmas in this man’s house, taking in all the things they dreamt of happening. A Christmas shared between strangers, their kindness making sure that the day is honoured.
This beautiful story reveals a multi faceted tale that underpins all the goodness that Christmas evokes; love, sharing, giving, companionship, family. Joey says Christmas always come and it does, in the form of a solitary man on his property alone with his memories of his wife and the things they did together. He is able to share his memories with the family striving to maintain their mob of cattle in the hardest of times.
Whatley’s illustrations are magnificent, recalling a time when droving on the long paddock was the only way some farmers could survive, when times of drought meant families had to make tough decisions. Whatley’s old fashioned nib pen has sketched out detail that rings with the times: the loaded dray pulled along by a tired horse, the old socks hung on Christmas Eve, the sagging fence posts strung together with barbed wire, the sparse memories on the piano, the box of supplies by the fire where a billy boils. Each is reminiscent of times past, and will evoke questions from the younger generation for whom a microwave and fridge, car and new clothes are the norm. The apricot tree is a stalwart in many old gardens, laden with fruit at Christmas, children vying with the parrots for the fruit.
What a Christmas treat.
Themes Christmas, Sharing, Loneliness, Droving.
Fran Knight
Let's go swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson
Rock the Boat, 2021. ISBN: 9781786079121. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Absolutely riveting! This is another gripping thriller by Natalie C. Anderson. If you enjoyed her previous novel City of saints and thieves, let me tell you, this one is even better. It is set in Somalia and is a story of the manipulation and exploitation of child soldiers by a ruthless extremist group. Abdi is a young boy caught in the notorious 'Hole' prison and coerced by American agents into infiltrating the Al Shebaab rebel militia group, in order to save the lives of his family. Despite the remembered warning by his father 'Don’t trust guys with guns', Abdi has no choice but to follow the path of his kidnapped elder brother Dahir, to infiltrate the ranks of Al Shebaab and betray their plans in exchange for his family’s freedom.
The story is told in two interleaving time frames until the past catches up and overtakes the present. It vividly conveys the inner conflict of boy soldiers who know that killing is wrong but who, for a variety of reasons, are drawn to the teachings of the 'Doctor' and the 'General'. Abdi himself is drawn into the daily rigours of military training, developing his physical skills and strategic thinking, working as a team with his troupe of fellow boy soldiers. And while the General is harsh, the Doctor lulls him with talk of holy mission. It seems a very realistic portrayal of the kind of mind manipulation that extremist groups use, and has a parallel in this story with deviant religious cults in America.
Anderson is the first to admit that her novel could be criticised for not being an authentic 'Own Voice', in the vein of books like Prize fighter the story of a Congolese boy soldier, but it is based on her long experience working with NGOs and the UN on refugee relief and development in Africa and draws on the many refugee stories she has heard. It is a believable portrayal of the brutality of fanatical militant groups and the crimes they perpetuate against men, women and children, told from the viewpoint of a teenage boy who has to find his own inner strength and work out what is right.
One of the interesting aspects of Anderson's novel is that there is good and evil on both sides; there are friendship bonds within the child soldier group and some of the values Abdi learns from the Doctor are good, whilst on the other side, many of the actions of the American organisation seem just as callous and ruthless as Al Shebaab. Abdi has to work out for himself what is the right thing to do. That makes for lots to think about and discuss after reading this novel!
Themes Child soldiers, Morals and ethics, Survivor guilt, Cults, Brainwashing.
Have you ever wanted a different future for yourself other than the one laid out for you? Twelve-year-old Tor Luna does. So, on Eve, when his village get a single wish, he wishes that his leadership mark gets replaced with that of a water-breather. He loved swimming, which he still found time to do though he was banned from it, to concentrate on his studies.
The following morning bought Tor unimaginable grief. His wish, or the coin he had touched, he wasn’t sure, had caused his three purple rings of leadership to disappear, but he did not have the water-breather symbol either. He had the curse of the eye which also shortened his lifeline. How could he tell his parents? He hadn’t told them what he had been thinking, and now they will be disappointed in him.
He didn’t have to show his friend, Engle, the sightseer, he saw the mark, and tried to get it off, but couldn’t. Melda thought she could help. Legend says if you touch the mark of the curse, you will also be cursed.
This is the start of their long, arduous journey together. They decided they needed to find the Night Witch, who legend has it is the only one to be able to break the curse. The trio must travel across the whole of Emblem Island and face the creatures they know from the book of Cuentos. They cannot afford to not pay attention to the details if they are to survive. But someone is helping them, who is it? They think it is the storyteller, the author of Cuentos, but is it? He must be long dead.
Their strength and stamina are tested, and their lives are often put at risk. Can they reach the Night Witch before their lifelines end, and get back to their village, where their families must be worrying about each of them?
This is the first book in the adventure series. It is full of action; I found it hard to put down. I can’t wait to read to read the next one.
As the title suggests Kate is a young amateur sleuth. She is on a train journey with her father and her pet mouse Rodney to meet her mother who is studying Arctic seaweed.
Kate takes her detective work very seriously and is inspired by her idol Catherine Rodriguez, and excerpts of Catherine’s advice are included in the novel.
Not long into the train trip it becomes apparent that many odd items are being stolen, gingernut biscuits, gymnastics trophies and ancient scrolls. Kate is very suspicious of cranky Madame Maude who is onboard the train with her cantankerous cat.
Is Madam Maude the culprit and how will Kate discover the truth?
The quirky ending was a surprise for me and I suspect every other reader too.
The novel has a vivid appealing cover and the text is accompanied by the many orange and black illustrations.
This is a fun story with a crime to solve and will be enjoyed by 7- to 10-year-olds.
University of Queensland Press, 2021. ISBN: 9780702263316. (Age:Adult)
After Story is a compelling and deeply moving narrative written by Larissa Behrendt, a First Nation’s writer, lawyer and filmmaker. This is her third novel and begins with a map of a literary tour of England undertaken by Indigenous mother and daughter, Della and Jasmine. This is followed by a prologue from Della reliving the time when she realised her young daughter Brittany was missing.
Twenty-five years on, lawyer Jasmine takes Della on an English literary tour visiting homes and landmarks of well-known writers. It is during this tour that a very young girl disappears from Hampstead Heath which strikes at the heart of both main characters in different ways. The chapters, written in first person, alternate between Della and Jasmine. They give the reader important insights into individual behaviours, thoughts and feelings as well different versions of the same interactions that take place between the two.
Jasmine had hoped that the trip would be a chance for both herself and Della to reconnect and perhaps provide an element of greater understanding on the tragic event in their past which has shaped who they are now. In this multi-layered story, the reader is treated to the wisdom of Della, her connection to her culture and her all-encompassing grief over the loss of both Brittany and her beloved husband Jimmy. Jasmine, who pointedly escaped her small-town life as soon as possible, comes full circle in her gradual understanding of Della’s deeply hidden past trauma and her own loss of connection to family and story. The author has also cleverly interwoven into the story layers, British history and literature, as well as giving an honest account of white Australia’s racist past and present.
After Story is a truly special book and would make an excellent read for sharing in Book Clubs and Book Club notes are available from the publisher. In the final pages of the book are Jasmine’s Tour Reading List and Notes on the Literary Tour which may encourage the reader to take a tour of their own post-COVID or read their way through the extensive book list.
Themes Aboriginal Culture, English Literary Tour, Tragedy, Relationships, Family.
DS Vera Stanhope strides confidently through Ann Cleeves' novels, taking charge, nutting things out, catching the killer, and this one, the ninth in the series is no different, except for the creeping thoughts about her past and the niggle of a small child that she thinks may be related to her, prompting a feeling not usually felt in her bones. But bones are chilled throughout this novel, set in the cold, blustery, snow filled days before Christmas, when Vera, taking a wrong turn during a blizzard, happens upon an abandoned car, a small child still strapped in its seat, the door left open to the wild weather.
She takes the child to the nearest house, Brockburn, a manor house where her father, Hector grew up, leaving under a cloud years before, leaving the family estranged.
Her frosty reception is tempered by the local farmer coming in to report a body out there in the cold, and police procedure moves into top gear. Vera’s cousin, Harriet lives with her daughter Juliet and her husband Mark, an arts director from Newcastle. The house is in disrepair and he is holding a party to encourage local moneyed people to invest in a scheme to revitalise both the house and the arts industry in the region. The guests make an interesting clutch of people for the team to interview and check. But it is the people living nearby that pique Vera’s interest: the tenant farmer and his wife, parents of the dead girl, the housekeeper, former lawyer Dorothy and her husband living in one of the estate cottages, while in the nearby village where Lorna lived with her baby, her mentor, Constance Browne, has disappeared. And over all the question of just who the father of the homeless child night be, brings up all manner of consequences to mull over.
A page turner, the character of Vera is a triumph, a many layered police officer, sure of herself, but with niggles of ‘what ifs’ occupying her few spare minutes, she never ceases to grab our attention. Not one to call for back up she finds herself in several heart stopping situations. This is a wonderful read, the background of Newcastle and the landscape nearby unfolding as the story is read, revealing a dark heart in the lives of this small group of people.
Themes Crime, Newcastle, Vera Stanhope, Succession.
Detective Matthew Venn is called to an arts community in a nearby village in the North Devon precinct of Barnstaple where he works. A number of artists work in studios supplied by local philanthropist, Francis Ley. He lives in the big house, while he rents out the cottages and sheds for private work. The peppercorn rents gives these people a place to work, and one of the cottages is rented by his niece, Sarah and her husband in return for farming the property.
One of the artists, glass blower Eve, stumbles across her father’s body in her studio, murdered with a shard of her glass, setting in motion a procedural crime novel revealing the amount of foot work the detectives do in building a case. Matthew’s two officers, Jen and Ross are filled out more in this story: we find Jen drunk at a party held by a newly arrived resident and her husband, a party where Ley tried to talk to her, but she went home. Ross, an ambitious police officer is learning all the time, taking in details, but a little exasperated by Matthew and his techniques. All is fascinating, the quirks of all involved revealed and dissected, and when another murder occurs, using the same methodology, Venn and his team must take urgent steps. Roger, the CEO of a organisation which seek to protect patients' rights, has links to a suicide at his previous workplace, and here he gains the ire of a family whose son has jumped from the cliff and drowned. Venn and his co workers, interview and reinterview, check out cars, houses and alibis, all intriguing, until the end comes like a battering ram. The truth is heart stopping, and the work done by one man manipulating would be suicides to their graves an appalling concept to take in.
Ann Cleeves' writes so convincingly that the North Devon countryside and its people seem as familiar as does Vera Stanhope and her surrounds in Newcastle.
Themes Crime, North Devon, Artists’ communities, Suicide.
The ironically named Scarlett, used to be beautiful, but is now covered in disfiguring burn scars after surviving a horrific accident. Being a teenager with such obvious features is not easy in a society that is appearance-obsessed, but Scarlett herself is far from ready to be anything except pretty. Her family has already known pain and loss, but Scarlett was too young to remember much of this. The journey to recovery and acceptance after her accident is beyond hard, it is crippling and painful and debilitating, and a constant nightmare. No one can understand the torture of the grief of the loss of her former existence and were it not for her father’s insistence of a step-by-step response to her new life, she would have completely given up. The decision to finally escape her everyday school torture and her scarred life and take a reprieve on top of a mountain in a ramshackle cabin leads her to Eamon and his autistic sister, Cat. Here she finds friendship with no expectations and lots of acceptance, and with an alternative community as neighbours, Scarlett discovers that she is more than what you see at first glance and that her story and the scars that prove it make her strong in ways that she could not have predicted. Choosing courage every day is always going to be hard.
This is beautifully written, with the back story of the accident and the internal thoughts and feelings related to recovery from a traumatic burn injury interspersed throughout the present-day self-discovery. This is not an easy journey and feeling Scarlett’s pain is quite palpable. Hayley Lawrence creates an insight into teenage life for a burns survivor which is personal and insightful and will grow empathy for readers. As the mother of five daughters, Lawrence has also created a story that is a gentle critique of the appearance-obsessed and shallow world that teens occupy, that is valuable reading for girls. This is a book to be recommended to readers aged 13+ who can maturely cope with the horrific nature of Scarlett’s injury and her subsequent struggles.
Eyes stare at the reader from the cover, eyes that almost defy logic as the reader takes in its surrounds, the blocks of colour exciting fervent interest. Is it a cat? Opening the book will reveal the creature within.
A mother cat and her kitten pounce through their world, seeing galaxies, stars and comets in the house and garden. Worlds unfold as they reveal their surroundings: the moon a hammock, the round chair in the lounge a planet, the moon and stars reflected in their eyes. The pair plays in the foliage, pounce at things in the house, see asteroids and comets in the plants of the garden, drink deeply from the Milky Way before allowing gravity to pull them back to earth, ready to dream again.
In this quirky tale, imagination takes hold as the cats play within the confines of the house and garden but all the time viewing what is beyond their orbit. Words fly around, all the words that denote the objects in the sky above, looking into the space above our heads. What a wonderful introduction to the night sky and all it entails, seeing it through a cat’s eyes, but scaling it down to the glory that is all around, impelling younger readers to think and discuss the words in the context of space beyond them, but seeing it in the microcosm of their garden and house.
The wonderfully colour filled illustrations will enthral readers as they turn the pages, waiting to see what is offered overleaf.
Kids and adults will love the use of words common to the night sky encouraging discussion and observation as they peer into it for themselves.
Flying Eye Books (FEB, for short) is the children’s imprint of award-winning visual publishing house Nobrow. Established in early 2013, FEB sought to retain the same attention to detail in design and excellence in illustrated content as its parent publisher, but with a focus on the craft of children’s storytelling and non-fiction.
Their books add a layer of difference, of interest and intrigue to the trove of children’s books, and I look out for their new books, because I know I will be in for a treat, one that makes me stop and think deeply about what I am reading.
Themes Space, Night sky, Cats, Play, Humour.
Fran Knight
Jingle smells by Mark Sperring and Sophie Corrigan
From the author and illustrator of Mince Spies and Santa Jaws comes another hilarious offering for the festive season. Jingle is a little skunk who advises everyone to hold their noses as he passes by and is devastated when the town’s Christmas tree falls ‘with a giant, creaking crash,’ overcome by his smell. He believes that he has ruined Christmas, but when robbers capture Santa Claus, it is his stinky smell that saves the day.
Like his two previous Christmas stories this is a very funny tale that is a great read aloud with its rhythm and rhymes.
Jingle Smells, Jingle Smells Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to be a skunk on Santa's sleigh!
The inclusion of large print to emphasise words and ideas will help the reader, both adult and emergent, and adds to the fun. Children will be introduced to the little skunk and will have the opportunity to learn about this animal and its smell in funny situations. Meanwhile the way the robbers put things right is a subtle lesson that bad deeds can be atoned.
Sophie Corrigan’s illustrations are very appealing. Jingle, with his red cap and scarf is very cute, the robbers with their black masks are slightly scary and Santa of course, has a beautiful grin.
This is another great Christmas book to add to the collection, both family and library and will provide lots of laughs on rereading as more details are discovered.
Themes Christmas, Skunks, Smells, Humour.
Pat Pledger
An Aussie Christmas gum tree by Jackie Hosking. lllus. by Nathaniel Eckstrom
When Possum notices the children decorating a tree near their house, he asks Kookaburra what is happening. Several of the animals take up the idea of decorating a tree, but have no idea of how to go about it, after all, decorations do not just lie around. Magpie has an idea; we will ask Bower Bird, after all he collects lot of sparkling things.
They all set out to find his bower and ask him for help.
In four line rhyming verses, the idea of the Aussie Christmas Tree develops with a possum, kookaburra, wedge tailed eagle, wombat, koala, kangaroo, magpie, and bowerbird making an appearance in their quest to make an Aussie Christmas Tree. They collect lots of things from the bowerbird, taking them back to the gum tree near the farm and begin to decorate the tree. But all the decorations fall off the tree and onto the ground. The bowerbird shows them how to thread the trinkets onto the tree using pegs.
Digital illustrations reflect the landscape of the bushland these animals call home. Children will love recognising the various animals, the iconic Australian touches: the farm house, the flora and fauna, the hills, the clothes line, the ute. Each has a place in the background of the story and will entertain younger readers. The idea of Christmas is one beloved by all children and this story of decorating the tree will sing with references to what is happening in their homes and at school. The rhymes will elicit responses from the children, predicting the rhyming word at the end of each sentence, perhaps adding their own rhymes, or even a refrain or two.
Lovely to read and particularly read aloud, with lots of eager helpers, the tale is one of a bunch available at this time of the year and will be used with gusto.
Themes Christmas, Christmas tree, Decoration, Australian animals, Australian flora and fauna, Humour.
Fran Knight
Scaredy bath by Zoe Foster Blake. Illus. by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Zoe Foster Blake has come up with another hilarious story, following her very successful, No one likes a fart. Complemented by hilarious illustrations by Daniel Gray-Barnett, this is likely to be just as popular with young children.
Scaredy Bath dreads bath time with the two exuberant young children who invade the bathroom, screaming and carrying all sorts of toys and gooey stuff. Scaredy Bath even has to put up with the hairy one as well, but when the family goes on holiday boredom sets in. Then when a very tiny one appears, Scaredy Bath hopes that things will be calmer – but is in for a surprise!
The narrative moves along smoothly and is a joy to read aloud. It is such a funny story and youngsters will appreciate the bath time story being told from the point of view of the bath, a fabulous way for parents to help children overcome their fear of the water. Family life will be easily recognised – the children covered in dirt and spaghetti, sometimes running from Dad, but always caught and sometimes racing up to the bathroom, crashing and shouting on the way.
Set against a blue background, with black outlines, the illustrations are just wonderful. The joy and enthusiasm of the children having a bath are evident. There are splashes everywhere and an occasional comical naughty moment that children will pick up on. The expressions on the faces of the long-suffering Scaredy Bath and the toilet with a moustache and heavy black eyebrows, are priceless as well.
This book is a keeper for me and I can see it becoming a firm favourite with families, helping to make bath time as enjoyable for children as it is shown so energetically by the author and illustrator.
Themes Bath time, Family love, Humour.
Pat Pledger
The book that did not want to be read by David Sundin
The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read, created by Swedish author David Sundin is not your average book, by any stretch of the imagination. Just as the name suggests, this book definitely does not behave like your regular picture book. It is a cleverly created book that will keep everyone constantly in suspense and wondering what could possibly happen next. The audience will be enchanted and entranced, while the adult reader will be kept on their toes to improvise and entertain.
Upon reading the story – and this really should be done out loud for full effect – this misbehaving book has the reader using it as a steering wheel, making up new words, reading large, small and teeny tiny print, even patting a pet rabbit, singing, flapping, book turning and much, much more….. all those things that are highly entertaining for an audience! This ingenious story is an interactive and continually evolving one. It will have the audience enthralled, as the reader improvises and interacts throughout the book.
Showing a brilliance and flair for creativity, Sundin first wrote this book in Sweden in 2020, before it was translated into English in 2021. It will have children captivated and bring great joy as a unique read aloud, especially before bed. This is a book that will have the audience intrigued and begging for it to be read over and over again. Children will love with story, but adults will need to be prepared to think on your feet and expect the unexpected!
The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read is sure to a become a new favourite in every home!
Readers will be lured in with the gorgeous cover of Half my luck, as well as the fact that it won the inaugural Matilda Prize and they will not be disappointed with the story of Layla Karimi, a girl who believes she has been cursed by the evil eye. Half Lebanese and half Australian, she does not fit in with either group and when the Lebanese group calling themselves The Cedar Army and led by her cousin Sufia, is wrongly accused of letting off a firework and injuring a young girl, and she knows the real culprit, she is faced with a real dilemma. Should she go to the police? Who can she trust?
The story is mostly set on a beach on the banks of the river, with Layla and her two friends, lying between the group of rich white kids, leaders of the popular group at school, and the Cedar Army, and her cousin Sufia. The sights and sounds of summer are brought to life as the teens lounge on the beach and buy treats from the kiosk.
The dual narrative is told from the point of view of Layla and Imogen, the sister of the girl who was injured and who once had been Layla’s friend until her parents decided that she was not suitable – daughter of a divorced parent and half Lebanese. The two voices give the reader an in-depth understanding of the two cultures and feelings and problems that both girls face. Layla’s grandmother is a wonderful character that readers will relate to, while Imogen’s mother, aiming for a life in politics, is much less likeable. Layla’s friendship with Jordan Michael, who works in the kiosk, is an outstanding part of the story. He offers Layla useful advice and helps her to realise that she can be her own cheerleader.
Relatable characters, events and themes of cultural diversity, belonging, ethics and friendship make this a worthwhile novel for a class novel or literature circle read. Extensive teacher’s notes are available.
Themes Coming of age, Cultural diversity, Ethics, Friendship.
