Reviews

The killing chronicle by Alan Leek

Big Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265487.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Subtitled Police service and shattered lives. 'Alan Leek, an awarded police veteran, recounts incredible true stories from this period through the lens of a man who has personally experienced and witnessed the life-changing impacts of service. . . . This compilation of stories includes the callous Anzac Day anniversary shooting of a constable, the murder of a decorated country constable that ended with the posthumous award of the George Cross, the cowardly stabbing death of a constable who had survived Africa, Greece, Ceylon and New Guinea, accounts of front line country police mercilessly cut down and other stories of goal break-outs, gun flights and carnage. Some of the crimes dealt with here are horrific and tragic.' (Publisher)
I found this easy to follow and the illustrations throughout make it a faster, clear novel to understand. It was not my cup of tea but it can be recommended for older readers who are interested in true crime and Australian history.
Vincent Hermann

The Christmasaurus and the winter witch (You're on the naughty list) by Tom Fletcher

Illus. by Shane Devries. Penguin Random House Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780241338537.
(Ages 8-12). Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Dinosaurs, Children with Physical disabilities, Magic. William (who is in a wheelchair), his dad, his new girlfriend Pamela and her daughter Brenda are taken on a tour of the North Pole by Santa in the week before Christmas. While on this tour they meet the Winter witch who shows William a time in the future when Christmas is banned. To a boy and his family who embrace all that Christmas has to offer with true enthusiasm, this is a disaster. William must work with his good friend the Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch to try to save Christmas.
The story involves a great variety of Christmas characters in the North Pole such as the elves who sing a delightful song of welcome to William on their arrival. The other Christmassy magic, such as the little wishes in the Forest of wishes and the Brain freeze potion, to allow the Winter witch to freeze time for Santa on his journey around the world, will interest young readers and work well to explain the way Santa works at Christmas. The fact that Santa doesn't trust Brenda with a special magic bean he gives to William creates a way for Brenda's nasty toy store owner father to create the chaos that may destroy Christmas.
The story also explores the idea of the blended family and many children who move between two parents and two houses, especially at Christmas, will empathize with the way Brenda and William's adventures allow them to develop into true siblings by the end of the story.
This will be a popular story for families to read at Christmas time to get into the festive spirit. The way the author uses his voice to intrude into the story and increases the magic and humour for the reader is like having your own personal conversation with the writer while you read. Although this is the second book in this series it stands alone and is a delightful, adventurous story that will appeal to many Middle primary children especially at Christmas.
Gabrielle Anderson

I'm ready for Christmas illus. by Jedda Robaard

Hadamar: The House of Shudders by Jason K. Foster

Big Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781925675863.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. This story is based on real events. The author has used primary sources to create a compelling and horrifying story that explains in vivid detail the phrase: Lebenunswerte Leben (life unworthy of life). The story portrays the ways physicians (authorised by Hitler) selected patients deemed incurably sick and administered to them a "mercy death" or implemented sterilisation procedures. Hadamar was, and is, a hospital in Germany where the euthanasia programme was implemented during World War II.
So, while the language level is well suited to the young adult reader, this is not easy to read. The scale of the mass murder is difficult to comprehend. Told through the eyes of a child, Ingrid, we see the actions of the Gestapo in segregating children of mixed race, those with disabilities and those that were ill. On arrival at Hadamar Ingrid experiences the cruelty and evil that are enacted each day, such as invitations to picnics that end in death. While the story is related without hyperbole - the events are no less harrowing.
Justice and revenge are themes that recur throughout the book. Ingrid provides assistance to the Americans, anxious to have the staff answer for their crimes. The trials provide the reader an opportunity to hear the staff outline their defence for their actions, and to further understand Ingrid's reflections on her time in Hadamar (including her actions).
This novel would be a powerful text in Year 10. It humanises the history of the atrocities instigated by Hitler and allows the student to consider the broader view. It is an opportunity for the reader to remember the past and inspires the reader to question.
Teacher notes are available.
Linda Guthrie

Messy, wonderful us by Catherine Isaac

Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471178054.
(Age: 17+) Recommended. Catherine Isaac provides a heart-warming read that reminds us that life is short.
Allie, the narrator, is a scientist working on a cure for cystic fibrosis and her life is ordered. When Allie unexpectedly comes upon information that calls into question the family ties she relies on to keep her life in order, Allie takes a trip to Italy to find answers. She is accompanied by her best friend Ed who has secrets of his own. He has recently separated from his wife Julia, and she phones Allie each day searching for answers for the sudden separation.
The reader is encapsulated in the world that is Northern Italy as Allie peals away the layers that surround Ed and unpacks her untold family history. We gradually discover two stories that are often left untold - domestic violence and unplanned pregnancies. The characters are well drawn so the reader can see the characters clearly, and empathise, as they wrestle with their dilemmas. The reader is drawn in to the life histories that have delivered Ed and Allie to their current circumstance and is left feeling invested in the developing outcome.
This is a story about love. Catherine Isaac deftly describes the love that can bind and the love that can destroy. The author skilfully leads the reader to see that life and love are messy. This messiness can be wonderful.
Linda Guthrie

Final Storm by Deborah Abela

Grimsdon, book 3. Penguin Random House Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9780143794462.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Wow what a stunning conclusion to a wonderful series. Isabella, Griffin and their friends have finally settled into New City after surviving their time in a flooded city in Grimsdon, the first novel in the series, and discovering secrets in New City, the second novel. In Final Storm, they still face wild weather, ice storms, robots and evil. Isabelle reconnects with someone from her past and her friendship with Griffin is tested. Can the group overcome the hidden dangers of New City?
Abela has called this her 'cranky' trilogy because Government were disregarding climate change and her readers has responded enthusiastically to this series, with Grimsdon and New City on YABBA shortlists since the first was published in 2010.
Final Storm is exciting and will be loved by the series many fans. There are many resources to support the series. Teacher's notes are available,  there is a Q and A with Deborah Abela and a book trailer link.
Pat Pledger

I'm bigger than you by Bianca Richardson

Illus. by Michaela Snowden. Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839333.
(Age: 3-6 years). Recommended. This delightful picture book will encourage much discussion on the complexities of relationships, friendship and bullying, Bruce wants it all and he wants it all his way, but he finds that his bullying behaviour does not really meet his need for friendships and fun. I was intrigued by Bianca Richardson's successful ploy to present Bruce to his friends with a new demeanour. Michaela Snowden's illustrations are engaging and they beautifully demonstrate the emotions of the various characters.
Written for younger children, this book could be a useful tool for older children as they examine the elements of relationships.
Jan Barwick

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781509896899. 356p. bkp.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. What happens to the heroes when they've won the war? They should be on top of the world, right? In Rowell's sequel to Carry On, living happily ever after hasn't quite happened. If Hogwarts was in an alternative, slightly edgy, world it might be the school that Simon, Baz and Penny graduated from but time has moved on and things have changed. The Mage has been destroyed and the friends are living a 'normal' university student life. Simon has no power (but a nifty pair of dragon wings and a tail) and Baz is despairing about their relationship. Penny wants to shake things up with a road trip across the American West with a visit to her boyfriend on the way. However, best-laid plans go awry and then the friends are faced with having to save the world yet again, while coming to terms with who they are and where they're heading.
In this engaging story we might be immersed in a world of magic and vampires but Rowell's characters face the same intensely personal challenges of friendship, love, direction and change that we mere humans deal with. Themes include self-esteem, self-evaluation, gay and straight relationships, diversity, and of course, what life looks like when the major goal has been achieved. A great follow-up for fans of Carry On and Fangirl.
Gaye Howe

Brain-fizzing facts by Dr Emily Grossman

Illus. by Alice Bowsher. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408899175.
(Age: 5-12 years) Highly recommended. On her website Emily Grossman says 'My aim is to show people just how exciting science is, and to make it more accessible by explaining complex concepts in a fun and engaging way.' Her book, Brian-fizzing facts, meets this aim extremely well, answering those questions many children ask but that adults do not know how to answer, e.g., could thinking make you stronger; which animal has the strongest bite; why does dog urine glow under UV light; and everything you probably never wanted to know about farting but that most kids would love to discover. Her question and answer format is written in very accessible language and is interesting to read and easy to understand. Every page of this book has interesting and fun facts complemented by the amusing illustrations of Alice Bowsher. The format of cartoon-type drawings in greyscale invites the reader to browse the questions and multiple-choice answers that pepper the book. One example I enjoyed gives possible answers to the question Where would you find the strongest muscle in your body? a. Your heart, b. your jaw, c. your calf or d. your bottom. Complete answers to each of these possibilities fill the following five pages with a multitude of facts in a way that draws the reader into the text.
This book would be a great addition to personal as well as classroom libraries. It is a useful reference tool and a good book to pick up and browse at any time.
Jan Barwick

Top Koala by Jackie French

Illus. by Matt Shanks. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9781460754818.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Koalas, Australian animals, Australian landmarks, Rhyming stories, Geography/Mapping. Top Koala is written by celebrated Australian author Jackie French. In this enjoyable early years/junior primary read, Koala proves that he is the only animal that can climb higher than a number of other animals. His journey to prove his ability to always be at the top takes him to places like Uluru, Coober Pedy, MCG, Big Pineapple, Tasmania, Sydney and Canberra. The animals he out climbs are both uniquely Australian and familiar to children i.e. the quokka, wombat, Tasmanian Devil and kangaroo to name a few.
The illustrations by Matt Shanks are beautifully drawn in water colour and are both detailed and entertaining. They complement the simple yet clever rhyming text where emphasis is placed on a significant word or two on each page. Jackie French and Matt Shanks have combined to create another picture book in the Koala series which will entertain younger readers. The story also provides junior to middle primary students with some information about the landmarks of Australia and lends itself to a mapping activity where they could plot Koala's journey on a map of Australia.
Kathryn Beilby

Fantail's quilt by Gay Hay and Margaret Tolland

Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760360719.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Birds, Fantails, New Zealand, Survival. When a pair of Fantails, a common New Zealand bird, build a nest and deposit three eggs in there ready to hatch into new chicks, the forest is alive with danger. The pair must protect their eggs at all cost, but a marauding rat spies the eggs and eats them. Undeterred, the pair tries again, building a nest of grass and leaves, soft moss and spiders' webs.
The three new eggs are burrowed into the soft feathers of the nest, and the Fantails are watchful.
A rat can be spied coming towards the nest again, but this time an owl has spotted the rat, so the nest is left unsullied. Readers will breathe a sigh of relief that this time, the Fantails are able to raise their chicks without losing them.
This neat story, well rounded and telling of danger and survival in the forest, will intrigue younger readers as they spy the various things within the forest, alluded to on the endpapers. The strong environmental message is reiterated in the glorious illustrations. Eager eyes will watch out for the ferns that grow in the forest, the Totara, Kowhaie and Waterfall fern, and the owl, butterflies, and Weta, along with the fuschias, nightshade, and Lancewood. The last few pages give more information about the Fantail, as well as images of the two other books published by this pair, Go green gecko and Watch out snail, strikingly illustrated and telling an environmental story easily read and understood by children.
The bold illustrations are delightful, markedly different from the soft edged, pink and romantic drawings seen in many recent picture books. This boldness using just a few colours, makes the forest a striking place and invites inquisitive eyes to look more closely at what is hidden in the undergrowth. A real pleasure to see a differently presented illustrative technique which pushes the reader to think about and question what they are seeing.
Fran Knight

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

Wayward Children book 3. St Martin's Press, 2018. ISBN: 9780765393586. 176p.
(Age: 15+) Recommended for fantasy lovers. Anyone who loves baking and the idea of a world called Confection and made of sweets, will delight in this whimsical and unique story. Rini comes from the land of Confection to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children searching for her mother Sumi, and is appalled to find that she died years before she was conceived. Reality doesn't get in the way and with Cora, Kade and Nadya she goes on a quest to find her mother.
The first two books in the series, Every heart a doorway and Down among the sticks and bones, were very dark but McGuire strikes a lighter tone in Beneath the sugar sky, as perhaps could be expected with the land of Confection being a star in the story. McGuire also explores how Cora feels about the way people treat her for being fat and makes some pertinent and telling comments about that.
At 176 pages, this was a quick but complex read. It is advertised as a stand alone and can be read as such, but familiarity with some of the characters and the Home for Wayward Children would enhance the enjoyment of the story. With a raft of award nominations (Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novella (2019), World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novella (2019), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2018)), it is one to pick up, with two more in the series to follow, In an Absent Dream (2019) and Come Tumbling Down (2020).
Fans will have a feast reading about the strange and unusual worlds that McGuire creates.
Pat Pledger

A single thread by Tracy Chevalier

HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008153823.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. It is 1932 and Violet Speedwell, whose fiance and brother were killed in the Great War, has become a 'surplus woman', doomed to be a spinster because of the demise of a generation of young men. In an effort to become independent she leaves her family home and goes to Winchester where she joins a society of broderers who are embroidering kneelers and cushions for Winchester Cathedral. It is here that she makes friends and begins to make a new life.
I am a great fan of Tracy Chevalier's stories and her wonderful ability to describe the lives of women, while giving a snapshot of the history of the time. In A single thread, Chevalier weaves the story of how the fictional Violet becomes independent, twining it with the real life of Louisa Pesel, who was asked to design the cushions and runners that can still be seen in the Cathedral today. The group of broderers becomes Violet's mainstay, fending off loneliness with the friendship of Gilda and Dorothy and the calm helpfulness of Louisa Pesel.
I loved the descriptions of the embroidery and was fascinated to learn of the fylfots that were a border on the vestments of the effigy of 14th century Bishop Wodeloke, and how the Nazis took the fylfot symbol as their own swastika. Chevalier writes about Louisa Pesel and embroidery on the author's website.
The details of the art of bell ringing were so graphic that a reader could almost hear the bells pealing. And it was the understated way that Chevalier describes how women were treated in the 1930's that is most poignant and memorable, as she tells of the struggle of Violet to find love and make a family of her own and of Gilda and Dorothy's love for each other. Family life and the loss of a child and the devastation it leaves behind are also described in a very moving way.
A quote from Geraldine Brooks on the back cover sums it up: 'Chevalier is a master at foregrounding the small, dramatic stories of overlooked people from the past.' An interview with Chevalier is available on the NPR website.
This is a gentle and engrossing novel that nevertheless touches on complex themes, that of women's sexuality, the plight of the unmarried mother and the importance and difficulties of family life. It is one too that celebrates the beauty of Winchester Cathedral's embroidered cushions and runners and the talent of the women artists who designed and made them.
Pat Pledger

Captain McCool by Natasha McFarlane

Illus. by Andrew McIntosh. Little Steps Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925839319.
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Pilots, Flying, Aviation Industry, Friends. Captain McCool is written by first time Adelaide children's author, Natasha McFarlane. Natasha worked in the aviation industry for many years and felt there was a need for young children and adults to have their fascination for planes and flight recorded in an easy to read picture book. Captain McCool is the first in a series that will allow readers to gain an insight into an industry which is a part of our everyday lives.
Josh McCool has always dreamt of being a pilot. Right from an early age, he has attempted to fly - often not with success. However he joins the junior flying cadets where he learns about many of the roles people have at an airport. Josh and the friends he made in cadet school support each other throughout their pilot training and all achieve their long held dream.
The entertaining and clever rhyming text with emphasis placed on a significant word or two on each page holds the reader's interest and adds to the enjoyment of story. The illustrations by Andrew McIntosh are beautifully drawn and visually appealing.
An excellent book to have in a school or public library as it is a perfect read-aloud for younger students.
Kathryn Beilby

Elena's shells by Rose Robbins

Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760360573.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Sharing, Possession, Shells, Empathy. Elena loves to collect shells. And she has a large pile of them. But one day, one of her shells starts to run away. She is distressed and follows the shell over the sand and the rocks to the water's edge. She has an idea and calls out 'Shark' making the shell stop in its tracks. Elena shakes the shell, asking why it would want to run away and a small hermit crabs falls out.
The crab explains to Elena, the tapir, that the shell is its home and he needs to change his home now and again when he grows. But Elena says that it is her shell and walks back to her pile of shells to place it with the others. But that night she has second thoughts and in the morning goes in search of the crab, worrying that she may have left him homeless.
She finds the crab and returns the shell, the effort giving her an idea of what to do with her shells, and a neat resolution comes about making all readers and the hermit crab most satisfied.
A bold colourful illustrative technique will encourage all readers to look at the details presented on the page, ponder why Emma is a tapir, look more closely at shells and shell collecting, tapirs and hermit crabs, and try to draw some shells themselves, using the sparkling endpapers as a guide.
Fran Knight