Illus. by Freya Blackwood. Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780670078127.
(Age: 6-13 years). Highly Recommended. Themes: Family, Death,
Grieving, Cycle of life, Community. The tiny star written by
celebrated Adelaide author Mem Fox is a unique and touching story
that describes the cycle of life in a beautifully illustrated
picture book. The analogy of the star falling to earth and over the
course of the story moving through life stages until its passing,
provides a gentle and heart-warming look at life and death. Many
families explain the passing of loved ones to children by telling
them that they are always with us as a star above in the heavens.
At each stage of life, family is always present and the love and joy
shines through. The clever muted tones of the illustrations by
renowned Australian illustrator Freya Blackwood add to the
flickering memories of the story as the cycle of life progresses.
The use of the star end papers image throughout the story as a baby
wrap, a cape, a shawl, a scarf and a blanket connects the journey
from beginning to end. The subdued yet detailed illustrations on
each page entice you to explore them again and again as you are
drawn to reread the text.
Mem Fox and Freya Blackwood have sensitively shared the story of the
passing of time and the memories created through simple text and
illustrations that will capture the interest of readers time and
time again.
Kathryn Beilby
Five dark fates by Kendare Blake
Macmillan Children's Press 2019. ISBN: 9781509899135.
(Age: YA) Recommended. Five dark fates is the long-awaited
conclusion to the Three dark crowns series. Following the
triplet queens Mirabella, Katherine, and Arsinoe, and the revolution
of the Legion Queen, Jules - a war gifted naturalist - the girls
must face off in an epic battle against supernatural forces and each
other for the crown and island.
With Jules's legion curse out of control Arsinoe has no choice but
to bind and drug her friend while hoping to find a cure. Meanwhile
in the capital Katherine is at a loss. With Pieter unconscious she
has no one but Genevieve to advise her - a poisoner she has never
had any love for. The dead queens are growing restless inside of
her, they want more freedom. With the Mist rising Katherine must
find a way to counter it. She sends for Mirabella, her sister and
the most powerful elemental the island has. At Katherine's request
Mirabella travels to the capital to join her little sister, her mind
filled with the girl she once was rather than the terror who is now
the queen crowned. But Mirabella isn't there just to banish the
mist, she wants to know what Madrigal Malone meant when she said
Katherine was filled with the dead. With conflict at every side, the
sisters must decide what is right not only for the people of
Fennbirn but for the island itself. Is it time to do away with the
tradition of the triplet queens?
Dealing with familial conflict, the struggle for the greater good,
and the ultimate importance of friendship, I would recommend Five
dark fates for fans of the series, and the series to those
interested in YA fantasy.
Kayla Gaskell
Under the stars: astrophysics for bedtime by Lisa Harvey-Smith
Illus. by Mel Mathews. Melbourne University Press, 2019. ISBN:
9780522876086.
(Age: Children/Teenage) Recommended. Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith was
appointed in 2018 as the Australian Government's Ambassador for
Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
She has written a book that demonstrates both her expertise in STEM
and her ability to communicate with children and teens in a fun way.
Mel Matthews' fun and colorful illustrations complement the text
beautifully. Under the stars invites us to explore the night sky,
especially our solar system and includes interesting and unusual
facts about life on earth. It poses questions that will intrigue and
captivate readers, e.g. did you know that a day on Venus is longer
than a year on Venus? Questions are posed and sometimes answered in
every chapter, involving the reader in some lateral thinking.
I love the chapter headings that are sure to draw readers into the
book, e.g.'Comets - the hairy stars of doom'; 'The wonky reasons
for seasons'; 'How your eyes make stargazing extraordinary', etc.
Whilst the book is great to read aloud some children will be
absorbed and read straight through by themselves and others will
browse and just take the information they need. An index would have
been useful but the chapter headings will take readers where they
need to go. Under the stars abounds with knowledge but also engenders
feelings of wonder at the amazing universe in which we live. A good
book on so many levels.
Jan Barwick
The deathless girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781510106918.
(Age: Senior secondary) This novel is about Bram Stoker's 'dark
sisters.' First person narrator Lillai tells a linear, past tense
story. She journeys through medieval settings filled with
challenges. Soldiers and marauders pillage and people fight with
stakes and knives. There is a Gothic sense of hidden menaces and
forbidding castles. Millwood Hargrave's style is descriptive,
sometimes florid. Rapid fire similes and metaphors are initially
distracting, but many students listening to me read liked the style
and the author's tricks of foreshadowing.
This novel is suitable for independent study in senior school and
for intertextual analysis. Millwood Hargrave raises several ideas
and affirms that women can take control in harsh situations. In the
beginning, demonic men kill adult Travellers, burn their homes and
capture young Travellers out foraging. We are alerted to women's
agency when Lillai says of her twin, 'I was especially proud of the
injuries Kizzy inflicted'. The sisters are sold and appraised by a
Mistess Malovski, who takes them to a castle owned by Boyar Valcar.
His Cook tells their futures, keeping us interested to see if her
prophesy, 'I can find no death for you', comes true.
Defiant, the twins are confined in solitary cells for a time,
fulfilling our sense of Gothic entrapment. 'I didn't know these
places were real', says Lillai. Preparing them for their meeting
with Valcar, Malovski shows the sisters how to make bite wine - wine
infused with snake venom to improve men's virility. We meet many
grotesque men and wonder who Dracula might be.
Cook helps Lillia escape with Mira, whom she starts to love. Lillia
and Mira are reunited with other young people, and they try to
rescue Kizzy.
As the melodrama unfolds, it's hard to stop reading. While the
imperative is to read, not to reflect, there is plenty to say about
the ways in which the author presents the strength of female
characters and the choices they make at the end.
Chris Bourlioufas
Let it snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780141371207.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Short stories. Winter. Romance. Christmas. A
reprint of the 2015 book, Let it snow is out in conjunction
with the Netflix film with a new cover and will be loved by fans of
the three authors. A blizzard stops a train carrying Jubilee to her
grandparents in Florida and results in her walking through the snow
to a Waffle House where she meets a stranger who gives her a
delicious kiss. Meanwhile, three friends struggle through the snow
to the Waffle House to see the cheerleaders who have also alighted
from the train and this results in old friends discovering that they
are more than friends. Addie's early morning shift at Starbucks is
the beginning of her realisation that not everything is about her
and brings her back to her true love.
These three highly popular and skilled authors ensure that these
stories are not only very readable - I finished the book in a couple
of sittings - but also give insights into the meaning of love and
friendship. Maureen Johnson's The Jubilee Express provides
the initial winter setting of a blizzard that is so bad that the
train has to stop. It also introduces Jubilee Dougal, who finally
comes to terms with the fact that her boyfriend is not especially
caring when she meets Stuart who takes her home to make sure she is
OK during the storm. On the train, Jubilee also meets Jeb who is
desperately trying to make a meeting with his girlfriend, Addie and
his story is told through Addie's eyes in The patron saint of
pigs by Lauren Myracle. Of course, fans of John Green will
immediately pick up this book, just to read a story by him and A
Cheertastic Christmas Miracle is funny and touching and very
memorable.
This is a heart-warming and thoughtful collection of short stories
about teen love. While each story can be read as a stand-alone the
interweaving moments add to its appeal. The strong characters,
humour and touching moments make it a great read and a lovely
prelude to the Christmas season.
Pat Pledger
Move the Mountains by Emily Conolan
The Freedom Fighters series. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760294946.
(Age: 9-13) Recommended. This novel is the third in the series and
combines the 'Choose your own adventure' style of writing with
historical fiction. The main character discovers ways to find
freedom and escape life threatening situations, they are 'Freedom
Finders', hence the name of the series. The reader becomes the main
character and makes the decisions that can lead to success or death.
It is 1943 during WW2 in Italy and an Australian airman has crashed
into the German occupied Italian mountains. 'You' and your cousin
hide the airman who befriends you both, teaching you maths and
providing an insight into life in Australia.
Impetuously, you take a family lucky charm and give it Charlie the
airman to help him escape and from then on only bad luck ensues for
your mother and siblings.
Will the airman manage to return to Australia unhurt? Will you be
able to join him? Can you ever return the lucky charm and improve
the family's fortune?
Can you deal with corruption, sexism and injury?
These and many other questions will confront you and you make
decisions that will drastically affect your life.
This novel provides an insight into the famous Australian Snowy
Mountains Scheme and the problems that are faced by women in the
1950's who want to step out of the 'acceptable' role of wife and
mother.
I have read and reviewed the 2 other novels in this series,
Break Your Chains and Touch the Sun and all books
follow the same format with extra information in the back of the
book to help the reader understand the historical background of the
story.
Primary school students enjoy the interactive choices of 'Choose
your own' books and I recommend these books for students aged 9 to
13 years.
Jane Moore
The Witch's Warning by Joseph Delaney
Aberrations series book 2. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN:
9780241349953. 303pgs., pbk.
A new spooky horror-fantasy YA story in a new series by
international best-selling author of the Spooks series,
Joseph Delaney. The Witch's Warning is the second book in
the new series Aberration's. It is a stand-alone read but I feel
like I should have read The Beast Awakens because references
were made back to world of Aberrations and I think you get a better
understanding of the main characters.
Delaney has managed to create a world where a dark force, The Shole,
is quickly taking over. All creatures that are unfortunate enough to
be living where The Shole takes over are either killed or changed
into blood thirsty monsters. The Shole is an endless multitude of
dark and nasty creatures that are creeping north. The imagination
Delaney has used to come up with these creatures is amazing, the
flappers are my favourite.
The main characters Crafty is very likable and he teams up with Lick
and Lucky to make up a trio that takes on The Shole. Along the way
they find Donna and Titch who join their team. Donna and Titch are
dead Grubs that have been brought back to life but will die if they
leave The Shole. They take on an adventure to stop Viper who has
come back to take over the land.
I love how Delaney's books are based on real places in Lancashire
and the inspiration behind most of his stories come from the local
ghost stories and legends of Lancashire. Would love to visit the
area one day.
If you like dark creatures, non-stop action with cliff hangers The
Witch's Warning is a great read.
Maria Komninos
World War II: The story behind the War that divided the world by Nick Hunter
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526605580.
(Age: 8+) World War II: The story behind the War that divided
the world is a non-fiction text by Nick Hunter, with
supporting documents provided by the National Archives, who are the
UK Governments offical archive and report to contain over a 1,000
years of history.
This book covers World War II right from the first storming of the
beaches all the way through to victory! It also includes information
specifically about what happened to children during this time, an
informative glossary and a very good timeline.
Each page of this book has interesting, well written information
that would be understood by children from around 8-9 years of age.
All of the photos are described, and add a high level of interest
for the reader. I really felt that all of the photos enhanced the
information, and gave the text a personal feel.
Topics covered in this text include Hitler and the Nazis, Pearl
Harbour, women and children at War, Operation Overlord and even a
look at how the world has created memorials for this war.
There are images of pages from a war diary, maps, posters, plus
items such as suitcases and uniforms. These all come from the
National Archives in the UK and are extremely interesting.
This book would a very good resource for a student completing a
project about WWII, as the author, Nick Hunter, has written the book
full of real-life stories and backed them up with photos and
artefacts.
The only problem with this book is that is is from an English
viewpoint. I do not think that this is a terrible thing, students
will just need to seek clarification and information from Australian
sources.
Overall I think this book would be an asset to any library as it
provides readers with appropriate information to answer many
questions about WWII.
Lauren Fountain
Jake Atlas and the Quest for the Crystal Mountain by Rob Lloyd Jones
Jake Atlas series, book 3. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781406385007. 303pgs., pbk.
Exciting, gripping, action packed adventure which is easy to get
into this is a great book to get pre-teens into reading. I was
hooked into the adventure right from the start and wanted to know
what happened next right to the end, while also learning about the
culture in Tibet. I do wonder what Yak butter would taste like.
Jake, Pandora (his twin sister), mum and dad are in search of the
fifth Emerald Tablet to reveal the secret of the history of
humankind. They take on a fast paced adventure with plenty of twists
and turns while trying to out run and outsmart The People of the
Snake and other enemies they make along the way.
Both twins are great and totally opposite of each other. Jake the
smart, funny, cheeky but likeable boy, Pandora the level headed
genius who is a bit moody, are awesome characters that work well
together. We are reminded that mum and dad had a secret life as tomb
raiders which has caught up with them and led to the great hunt for
The Emerald Tablets.
The story felt like I was watching an Indiana Jones movie crossed by
Mission Impossible with all the history, artefacts and high
tech gadgets and explosions all the way. Still can't believe a young
kid can go through so much and still survive.
The story takes us through China and on the way to Tibet. I enjoyed
reading about the history of these sacred places and how Jake
discovers himself and the people he meets along the way like Tenzin.
Rob Lloyd has written many books and Quest for the Crystal
Mountain is the third instalment in the Jack Atlas
series. It can be read as a stand-alone book. There was lots of
referencing back to what happening the other books in the series so
I think reading them first would be good. I think you learn more
about how the Jake and Pan discover the secret life their parents
had and who The People of the Snake are. Quest for the Crystal Palace was fun to read and I'm looking
forward to more Jake Atlas adventures.
Maria Komninos
The writing on the wall by Juliet Rieden
Macmillan Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760559489. pbk., 308 pages.
A great book for secondary students to read to learn what it takes
for a journalist and author to research and write a book about their
family history, The Writing On the Wall is a moving memoir
of family, tragedy, history and the Holocaust.
Juliet Rieden decides to find out more about her father, John
Rieden. John always kept quiet about his background and past from
his family. He passes away in 2006 and in his final moments he
suddenly looks up and says 'The plane is in the hangar'.
Juliet decides to learn more about her father's side of the family
and her quest begins.
After 18 months of research and travelling to Prague and England to
she uncovers more about her father's past than she ever thought she
would. She discovers that her father's real name was Hanus, and as a
young boy his parents made one decision that managed to save the
life of her father. As a young child he is sent to England to study.
We hear about his ups and downs about being a young boy on his own
and being concerned about his family.
We also read about the fate of John Reiden's parents, cousins, aunts
and uncles as they face the Nazi regime. Juliet is also lead to
Theresienstadlt and Auschwitz towards the end of her research. We
hear the about the cruelty, courage and kindness they endure.
Juliet has included letters, magazine extracts, documentary notes,
family trees, reports etc. in the book. Also included are photos of
her family, letters and her visit to the Pinkas Synagogue in Prague,
where she finds her family name repeated many times.
I did enjoy learning about Juliet's family and past. It is also one
part of our history that we should never forget and never want to
witness again.
Maria Komninos
The Australia survival guide by George Ivanoff
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796572.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. What an entertaining, clever and
informative book this is! I picked it up as a possible present to
give my grandchildren from London when they visit and quickly became
engrossed in the descriptions of all the dangerous things that can
be found in Australia and how you can survive them. The way the book
is set out is sure to grab the attention of both children and adults
as they learn about deadly things on the land (spiders, snakes,
mosquitoes); in the water (sharks, crocodiles, jelly fish); in the
environment (thirst, deadly vegetation) and finally everything else.
Each section has a description of the deadly things, facts and first
aid, photographs and a news story about survival. I was particularly
taken with chapter 5, 'Cute but dangerous animals' (1. Kangaroo 2.
Tasmanian devil 3. Platypus 4. Wombat) and loved the section on the
wombat with a picture of its cube poo and a description of an attack
on a woman by a wombat.
Kids will enjoy the avatar that guides them through the book and
will love the humour of the sections like 'Totally fake death' where
they can learn about mythical animals like the bunyip and the
Hawkesbury River Monster. This is a book that would be a boon to
take on a family holiday because it would provide kids with hours of
interesting reading that could be shared with the whole family. At
the same time the content is informative and well described, with
the first aid sections and instructions being particularly clear and
concise should any of the deadly creatures and events be
encountered.
This is a keeper, useful for not only travellers and holiday makers,
but all libraries.
Pat Pledger
The secret commonwealth by Philip Pullman
The Book of Dust, volume 2. David Fickling Books, 2019. ISBN:
9780241373347.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Since diving back into the world of His
dark materials with Malcom in La
belle savage (book one of The Book of Dust
series) the excitement has grown fans of the original trilogy. With
the release of The secret commonwealth there were many
questions that needed answering about the adult Lyra becomes. In
this novel we re-enter Lyra's life during her final year of college
at St Sophia's, just as her world comes crumbling down.
After the death of the master of Jordan College, Lyra loses the
protection of the college, throwing her into a dangerous world.
After the discovery of a dead man, Lyra and Pan's world is thrown
upside down. Taken into hiding by one of Lyra's teachers (Malcolm)
after the ransacking of her bedroom, Lyra begins to question
everything she knows about her tutors and their involvement with
Oakley Street. Meanwhile, Lyra's relationship with her daemon is
threatened by her controversial philosophical heroes. She refuses to
listen to Pan and, one night after an argument, Pan sets off in
search of her imagination. Naked and gruesome without a daemon, they
both must set off too.
With the intrigue of Oakley Street, the layers of the alethiometer,
and a budding romance that will almost make you forget about Will, The
secret
commonwealth is every bit as fascinating as La belle
savage and His dark materials. For those approaching
this book independent of the series I would advise caution, while
enjoyable in its own right it does rely heavily on the book's
predecessors. This is a novel with a multitude of layers which
delves not just into psychology and philosophy but politics and
self-affirmation.
I would highly recommend to fans of the series (and encourage them
not to be put off by the new budding romance).
Kayla Gaskell
The world that we knew by Alice Hoffman
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471185830.
(Age: Adolescent readers, with support) This beautifully written and
most unsettling narrative captures our imagination instantly,
plunging us into the terror of the German government's plan to
exterminate the Jewish people of Europe. From our 21st century point
of view this vile scheme was dire and inhumane. Yet it happened and
Alice Hoffman delves into the agony and terror faced by people who
were simply 'wrong' in one government's notion of what makes some
people simply unacceptable, thereby justifying getting rid of them.
While we know that horrendous crimes against people for no more than
their religious beliefs and lifestyle have taken place over the
years of human history, this story is one that speaks of brutality
at its worst and of dreadful injustice, of despicable treatment of
both children and adults, all apparently embedded in the notion that
those who are unwanted can simply be eradicated.
Helped by good people in France, who ask no questions but offer
shelter, and sometimes food, the fleeing girls go on their perilous
journey. They spend time in barns, on farms and in a school where
they are disguised as locals. Terrified for her children's lives,
one mother realises that she cannot flee with children as they will
almost certainly be apprehended if she accompanies them, so, in
desperation, she creates a golem, a Jewish mystical creature created
from the materials of the earth, to guard and guide her daughter.
This mystical element is deeply embedded in the narrative, and is
representative of the trust in the elements of our universe to be
good, kind and trusting, as we see in the decency of those who offer
sanctuary to the strangers. The golem leads them to safety, as they
travel away from all that they know and those whom they loved in
their own world, to a world that is unknown but offers them the
chance of a future. This decision is critical, agonising and
indicative of the enormous trust in God that this women's actions
suggest.
The book is suitable for adolescent readers, with guidance and
support, as it details how parents would know that the only chance
for their children to live is to flee without parents, as this would
imperil them, to be recognized as fleeing Jews.
Elizabeth Bondar
Nine worlds in nine nights: A journey through imaginary lands by Hiawyn Oram
Illust. by David Wyatt. Walker Studio 2019. ISBN: 9781406377705.
(Age: Upper primary+) Themes: Fantasy, Magic, Imagination. This
luxuriously produced large format book with its dark padded cover,
metallic motifs and runic fore-edge is a little confusing at first.
The premise is that it contains the writings and drawings of a
theoretical physicist Professor Dawn Gable who experienced a life
changing nine nights journeying with a dragon, Hyllivar, in a
fantastic machine to nine magical worlds. Inspired by nine pages of
a book, given to her by her brother, called Lost in the
Imagination the worlds include Valhalla, Mecanopolis, Wyvern
Abbey and Atlantis, each with a double page from the book.
This is an absorbing and lavishly illustrated journey, alternating
between the pages of the book and Professor Gable's sketches and
scientific observations as she gradually embraces the magical worlds
and achieves self-knowledge, understanding the power of human
imagination. With complex diagrams, lovely watercolour sketches and
interesting information this will appeal to upper primary students
though some of the many typefaces are a little hard to read. An
unusual book, I was reminded of Lady Cottington's pressed fairy
book by Terry Jones.
Sue Speck
Peppa Pig: Peppa's Australian underwater adventure
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241405024.
(Age: Pre-school) Recommended. Another Peppa Pig adventure will
thrill all the young fans who love to watch the TV show. This time
Peppa Pig has been fortunate enough to win a colouring competition
and the prize is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. With her family
and Miss Rabbit her teacher, the group gets organised for the
journey, buying what they need and then going by plane to Australia.
Miss Rabbit had a very exciting trip by hot-air balloon, helicopter
and boat! Peppa learnt all about marine biology, diving and
different sea creatures that lived in the Great Barrier Reef.
With its enticing sparkly aqua green cover, and beautiful pictures,
this will be a book that young children will enjoy. At the same time
they will learn what marine biology is, different ways of travelling
and the joy of diving deep and looking at the sea life, different
fish and corals that are in a reef. What excitement when Peppa finds
a rare blue clownfish that hasn't been seen for a while!
Fabulous colours, familiar characters and a narrative that can be
read aloud easily makes this a perfect book for any fan of Peppa
Pig.
Pat Pledger
