An Ekaterin Vorkosigan novella. Subterranean Press, 2019.
ISBN: 9781596068926. 73 pages.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. What a thought
provoking and stylish novella from Bujold, an award winning author
who never fails to deliver a book that lingers in the memory.
Ekaterin is beginning to take on the role of Lady Vorkosigan and
with her interest in Botany sees the Vashnoi exclusion zone lands
that have been devastated by war and still radioactive as something
that she may be able to reclaim. Working with scientist Enrique
Borgos, the pair experiment with radbugs that could eat the
radioactive material in the dead zone and spew out fertilizer.
Not only does Bujold bring to life the horror of atomic devastation
but the lingering effects of radioactivity on the surviving
population. Writing with compassion and warmth she outlines the
dilemmas that Etakerin faces when the radbugs begin to disappear and
secrets that have been hidden since the time of her husband, Miles'
grandfather, come to light.
In 73 engrossing pages Bujold explores the themes of prejudice
against those who have suffered from radioactivity poisoning, the
use of bioengineering and reshaping the landscape. Although this
highly readable novelette fits into the series of books in the Vorkosigan
saga, it can be read as a stand-alone.
Pat Pledger
18 tiny deaths by Bruce Goldfarb
Octopus Publishing Group, 2020. ISBN: 9781913068042
(Age: Senior secondary/Adult) Recommended. Subtitled The untold
story of Frances Glessner Lee and the invention of modern
forensics this is the biography of an eccentric and determined
woman who strove to develop the new field of legal medicine, aiming
to replace the unqualified and often corrupt position of coroner
with skilled medical investigators with sound knowledge of pathology
and forensics. Born in 1878, Frances Lee Glessner never had the
opportunity to undertake higher education, but her keen mind and
passion, and her substantial wealth, saw her take a lead where
no-one, let alone a woman, had gone before. With her friend George
Burgess Magrath, she was able to set up the innovative department of
legal medicine at Harvard, at a time when violent crimes were
unrecognised or bungled through ineptitude. Lee was appointed
consultant to the department at Harvard years before female students
were even admitted to that institution, and she went on to be made a
Captain of the New Hampshire State Police, first woman to hold that
rank. Truly an amazing woman, she overcame every obstacle to achieve
her vision.
However, the creation she may be most remembered for is the
collection of murder-scene dioramas, the Nutshell Studies of
Unexplained Death - dollhouse-sized recreations of murder scenes,
each minute detail fastidiously recreated, each with hidden clues
and red herrings, purposely ambiguous, to train police officers in
the skills of observation and hypothesis. The Nutshell Studies are
still used today, years after her death.
Goldfarb's biography recounts Lee's life and the steps towards her
achievements, and includes colour photographs of the crime-scene
dioramas and the case notes that accompanied them. The book would be
of interest to those studying the forensic sciences or exceptional
women in the sciences, or the general reader who would simply like
to peruse the puzzles posed by the miniature scenes and learn about
their creator.
Themes: Forensic science, Legal medicine, Violent crime, Murder
investigation.
Helen Eddy
The portrait of Molly Dean by Katherine Kovacic
Alex Clayton Art Mystery, book 1. Bonnier, 2018. ISBN:
9781760409784.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended. An elegant murder
mystery for art lovers, The portrait of Molly Dean swings
back and forth from 1999 to 1930 when a young aspiring journalist
Molly Dean was murdered. Art dealer Alex Clayton finds a portrait of
Molly Dean and while trying to uncover its provenance before selling
it, finds inconsistencies in the evidence surrounding her death.
There appears to be a cover up; evidence disappears and although
there is a likely suspect, he was never brought to trial. She
enlists the aid of John Porter, an art conservator, and together
they try to solve this cold case, stirring up some dangerous events
even in the present.
The author keeps the suspense going by telling the story first in
Alex's voice as she sifts through the evidence and in Molly's voice
as she tries to write an article about the life of a dangerous,
enigmatic rich man in the hope that it will be a breakthrough for
her journalistic and author aspirations. The reader will learn much
about the life of an art dealer and conservator and Australian art
while life in 1930's will prove equally interesting.
In notes at the back, the author tells the reader that
the events in the book are based on the real murder of Mary 'Molly'
Winifred Dean and that many of her associates were real people while
Alex is fictitious. This fictional re-enactment of what could have
happened will be an enticing read for those who are interested in
real crime as well as those who like a solid murder mystery.
The author has
written more mysteries set in the art world which I hope to pursue.
Pat Pledger
My Dad is fantastic by Roald Dahl
Illus. by Quentin Blake. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241430217.
Board book.
(Age: 0+) Highly recommended. A perfect book for any Dad to read
aloud to his child, My dad is fantastic is sure to become a
firm favourite especially with the fathers who are reading it to
their offspring. Quentin Blake's fabulous illustrations jump off the
page, especially the one at the beginning which has Dad leaping in
the air, cheered on by many happy children. Set against solid
colours, blue, yellow purple, red and green, the reader is taken on
a voyage of discovery about what Dad can do - he is so tall he can
life a child over mountains; he makes a child roar with laughter; he
tells amazing stories and will always stay by the child's side.
A robust, well-made board book, this will stand many readings and
the rhyming narrative lends itself to being read aloud, time and
time again. Beautiful words and ideas and gorgeous colours leave the
reader feeling uplifted and happy.
A perfect book to have in a child's library and on hand to celebrate
Father's Day.
Pat Pledger
Baby shark: adventure down under
Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897970.
(Age: 3-5) The Baby Shark phenomenon began apparently in 2015 with
the promotion of one of the easiest of songs for kids to sing along
with. All of this passed me by. Since then it has blown out to be a
world wide video, YouTube sensation, shared on social media and now
is a musical and part of the Kellogg's stable of breakfast cereals.
Beginning as a camp fire song it was taken up by a Korean start up
company in 2015 who produced a video which gained 5 billion viewers
in 12 months. Revised and updated since then, it has spawned a dance
craze as well.
So to receive Baby shark down under, with very little on
each page but a three rows of doo doo doo doo, I was perplexed. I
don't know if I am much the wiser, but I am certainly amazed that
such a simple thing gives rise to a world wide craze, TV show,
billions of online viewers, a musical and a breakfast cereal.
The book cover with lot of glitter will attract the readers, and for
those in the know of the Baby Shark craze will be thrilled. Each
double page has the refrain of three doo doo doo lines associated
with one sort of shark found in Australian waters, and on the right
side of the page is a fact list for that particular shark. So
readers will find out about the Pygmy Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark,
Great White Shark, Grey Nurse Shark, Blacktip Reef Shark, Whale
Shark, Zebra Shark, Tasselled Wobegong, Shortfin Maco and the Port
Jackson Shark. Each fact list gives their botanical name, size,
conservation status, and one fact which children will love to read.
The book does have merit in acquainting younger children about the
different sharks in our waters, and fits in well with the craze that
seems unstoppable. Themes: Sharks, Sing a long, Baby sharks.
Fran Knight
Sometimes cake by Edwina Wyatt
Illus. by Tamsin Ainslie. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760650421.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Each section of this charming book
begins, 'Audrey found Lion', and goes on to tell us what Lion has
with him, prompting Audrey to ask the same question about what Lion
has: a balloon, a cake, a hat, and so on. And each question leads to
information about the Lion. It is not his birthday but it is soon he
says and he likes Tuesdays and coconut, and orange and yellow, while
Audrey adds purple. Audrey adds other things she likes as well, and
they celebrate the things they like together.
But one day Lion is not celebrating anything: he tells Audrey this
is just an ordinary day. So she goes away to find things that are
ordinary but have made their days extraordinary. She makes bunting
and cuts up paper to fill a jar with colour; she makes them hats,
and brings out her musical instruments. Lion comes along to see what
she is doing and they play together, making the day anything but
ordinary, the two working together to make it joyous.
The pen and watercolour illustrations sparkle depicting the
friendship between the two characters as they play together,
discussing the things they both like. One might like yellow, and one
purple, but both colours are included in their play. One likes
Tuesdays and the other adds Thursdays, and they both like coconut
and cake.
Pages are filled with the detail of the play area, and younger
readers will love spotting things they like to play with, and
recognise things they could make easily to brighten someone's day.
A book which encourages playing together, but also to alert children
that sometimes their friends might not be as happy as they usually
are, and give them a remedy to help them have a happier day. I love
the sparse text, brimming with subtle overtones, encouraging
children to be more aware of how their friends are feeling. Themes:
Depression, Sharing, Friendship, Mental health, Well being, Baking.
Teacher's
notes are available.
Fran Knight
Monstrous devices by Damien Love
Rock the Boat, 2020. ISBN: 9781786077523. 338pp.
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. There is mystery and plenty of action in
this story with 12 year old Alex as the central character. He lives
with his mother in London, is regularly bullied by fellow student
Kenzie and life isn't particularly remarkable until the arrival of a
package from his Grandfather in Europe. It contains an old tin
wind-up robot, which Alex suspects has special powers over him. His
Grandfather returns as a group of villains turn up who are desperate
to get their hands on the tin robot, which Alex keeps in his care.
All manner of robots, including flying ones and human size robots
called life-sizers pursue and attack Alex and his Grandfather. Their
search for help takes them to France and then Poland. The toy robot
is revealed to be valuable and it has a connection to Golem, a clay
creature which has been lying dormant and will be unleashed for evil
purposes by the villains. Alex has to learn to trust his Grandfather
no matter that he doesn't tell Alex the whole story. Alex believes
two of the villains are his relatives, which is never resolved and
potentially provides a segue into a second book in the series. Monstrous devices is nail-biting escapism and with such
visual action you can imagine it as a film. There is a hint of the
old world of toy shops and Dickensian characters. The
Grandfather carries a Gladstone bag and uses his cane like a
weapon. He says things like "old boy" when talking to Alex. It will
appeal to readers of the Artemis Fowl or Alex Rider
series with a similar smart, young male hero, bad guys and its
gadgetry. Its main theme is good versus evil but Alex must
confront his own internal demons and his Grandfather is also no
angel. There is some consideration of robots and AI being used for
evil purposes, which is of course a contemporary dilemma. This is a
fairly long read which will suit a more confident reader.
Jo Marshall
Peter hops aboard by Katie Woolley
Illus. by Eleanor Taylor. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241410813. Board
book.
(Age: 0-5) Recommended. Based on Beatrix Potter's iconic characters
and illustrations, the young child will happily follow Peter Rabbit
and his family as they have a lovely picnic by the pond. Peter
decides to build a raft and his family wants to help. Flopsy is good
at plaiting reeds, Mopsy could find a stick for the mast, and
Cotton-Tail could puff into the sail to push the boat along. However
Peter decided that he could make his own raft without any
assistance. Unfortunately it was flawed and began to sink. Indeed he
needed to be rescued out of the water by Mr Jeremy Fisher, and
discovered that his friends' expertise to make a raft that would not
sink was essential. He just needed to ask for help.
Eleanor Taylor's illustrations reflect Potter's beautiful originals
and make this book a lovely one to look at and examine. The rabbit
family are done in gorgeous pastels and the young child will enjoy
following the efforts of the rabbits to build a raft. On the way
they will learn that sometimes it is best to use everyone's
expertise to get a job done, and that it is always OK to ask for
help.
Pat Pledger
Goldfields girl by Elaine Forrestal
Fremantle Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781925816501.
(Age: 10-14) Heartily recommended. Moving from the goldfields of
Queensland to those at Coolgardie, fourteen year old Clara Saunders
kept a diary. In it she described the voyage in a steamer, docking
at Fremantle, then the long road to Southern Cross, where she worked
for her brother Tom in his hotel. A year later she travelled on to
Coolgardie to be assistant manager at a hotel, married and stayed in
the region until her husband died. Her diary was transcribed when
she died in 1957.
Using this diary as a base, Forrestal has fleshed out the writer and
her experiences, describing the early years of Coolgardie and life
in Western Australia in the late nineteenth century. It is a
fascinating look at a young woman, boldly going to work in a place
where women were rare, and their nursing skills in high demand.
Clara goes to Southern Cross to work at her sister's husband's
hotel, and there meets Jack, a water carter. When a reef of gold is
discovered at Coolgardie in 1892, men flock to the town to try their
luck. Clara is eager to join the rush, and accepts a hotel job,
setting off the following week with her mother's Encyclopaedia
of Common Diseases and Remedies, while Jack stays as a water
carter ferrying water to the rapidly growing town. Her life in
Coolgardie is an eye popping look at what life was like: the lack of
sanitation, shelter, water and decent food playing havoc with men's
lives.
Fremantle Press provides teacher
notes.
An interview
with Elaine Forrestal is available on Fremantle Press' website
giving more information about Clara and her life which initiated the
writing of this fine book, introducing readers to a rather
overlooked gold rush in Australia's past. A brief outline of
Coolgardie and its gold rush can be found here.
This involving story is an invaluable introduction to the lives led
by women in the late nineteenth century, the hardships faced,
privations endured, as well as giving readers a solid working
knowledge of life in a gold rush town, so important to Australia's
early economic development. Themes: Goldfields (WA), Western
Australia, Gold rush, Coolgardie (WA).
Fran Knight
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408883358.
(Age: Young Adult/Adult) Highly recommended. Fans of Samantha
Shannon's The
Bone Season series will be both delighted and surprised
at her latest offering; fantasy epic The Priory of the Orange
Tree. A stark departure from the supernatural dystopia of her
previous series, Priory is a confident and ambitious entry
into the rarefied world of high fantasy. The book alternates between
multiple characters: Ead, lady-in-waiting to the powerful Queen
Sabran, charged to secretly protect the royal from increasing
danger; Tane, an orphan who has trained from birth to ride dragons
and defend her people; Loth, a privileged noble sent to a dangerous
land to achieve an impossible task; Dr Niclays Roos, a disgraced
alchemist banished to the ends of the earth, who finds himself
caught up in the political machinations of entire nations. Tying all
these compelling characters together is the whisper that after one
thousand years of peace and prosperity an ancient and dangerous race
of dragons, led by the Nameless One, is about to reawaken from its
forced slumber. Priory is a story of East vs West, good vs evil, religion vs
history and deceit vs truth. In this respect, it fits in comfortably
with the well-established tropes of high fantasy. However, Priory
is also a story for contemporary times. It is an epic with a
feminist and queer twist. Characters are of diverse backgrounds and
religions and relationships are varied and complex. While mythical
creatures and perilous journeys abound, Priory is also a
product of its time, in an era when writing cannot help but be
influenced by the world it was created in. This book is highly
recommended for both established fantasy fans and those seeking an
entry into a genre that might have previously seemed distant or
irrelevant to modern life. Themes: Feminism, War, Religion, Love,
Friendship, Dragons, Mythical Creatures.
Rose Tabeni
Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen
Simon and Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781982152581.
(Age: Senior secondary/adult) Highly recommended. Lily returns to
Atlantic City, where she grew up, after her relationship and her job
in New York finished. Atlantic City seems to reflect her condition,
she has lost confidence in her self and is drinking too much, while
her home town is slowly shutting down. The casinos are closing and
the hotels and beach front along the board walk are looking shabby.
The populace seem aimless and shell shocked, while the number of
homeless is ever growing.
Lily does find work in an up market spa as a receptionist but finds
the work unrewarding, and her work place is struggling to survive in
a city with few rich clientele. She does find two people she can
relate with, Emily who works with her at the spa and a young girl
Clara Voyant a psychic who works on the boardwalk.
The reader also hears from the Jane Does who lie in the marshy area
behind the run down seedy Sunset Motel. All have come to Atlantic
City seeking some sort of dream or escape. But all are quickly
disappointed and turn to the only option which is open to young
girls with no connections and little money. There is only one person
who does notice them and he is a serial killer.
Clara has read the tarot cards with some of them or with family who
have come to search for them and she begins to catch glimpses of
their lives as well as fractured flashes of their deaths. These
visions are sudden and increase in frequency and often leave her
vulnerable and frightened. She and Lily try to help Peaches a young
prostitute who has decided to get out of town and return home. Clara
has become increasingly disturbed by her visions and believes
Peaches is in danger, but she seems to have disappeared - neither
can find her in her usual haunts. Lily's coworker also seems to have
gone missing. Emily has given no insight into her life outside the
spa, and her dreams of college and further education require far
more money then she can earn at the spa.
Both Clara and Lily's lives are endangered as they find themselves
embroiled in the seedy underworld of Atlantic City. It is only by a
hair's breadth that Lily doesn't become yet another victim to be
left in the marsh behind the Sunset Motel.
This is Caitlin Mullen's debut novel, which is disturbing yet
satisfying at the same time. There is great sympathy for the two
main characters Lily and Clara who have been used and abused by
those they loved and relied upon. The setting of Atlantic City is
also a marvellous feature of the novel, its faded glory, peeling
veneer of the casinos and once swanky hotels now closed or providing
packages for much less well heeled small town Americans. A
disturbing insight into the underbelly of the USA and a pause for
thought for those who live in the shadows. Themes: Crime fiction,
Atlantic City (USA), Casinos, Serial killers.
A page turner.
Mark Knight
Super Sporty Girls: be inspired and celebrate Australia's amazing sportswomen
Penguin Random House, 2020.+ ISBN: 9781760896058.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Super Sporty Girls celebrates the
lives and achievements of sixteen Australian women and their teams.
Each colourful double page spread begins with the young narrator
exploring a different sport, looking for her inspiration, trying to
find her place in the world of sport. 'Maybe I should give them all
a go!' she comments.
Jess Gallagher is a visually impaired Paralympian who excels in both
winter and summer sports; she is a fabulous example of reaching for
the stars. Sally Fitzgibbons excels at surfing. She was crowned the
World's no. 1 Surf League Women's Champion in 2019. Soccer is a very
popular sport for girls and women, imagine playing for the Matildas
at 15 just like Sam Kerr.
Tennis, rugby, cricket, horse-racing, cycling are all there for the
reader to watch the main character have fun, try new activities, and
build up her skills. She has a positive attitude and looks for
inspiration from the top Australian sporting stars.
Colourful photos show the skills, engagement, excitement, and
athleticism of these winners, from Olympians, Paralympians,
international stars, and team legends. Super Sporty Girls is
an easy-to read factual book, with bright, bold eye-caching graphics
and photos. This is perfect for readers who want to find out more
about sports and to challenge themselves to try something new.
Themes: Subjects: Sports, Women Athletes - Australia.
Rhyllis Bignell
To the Bridge - The Journey of Lennie and Ginger Mick by Corinne Fenton
Illus. by Andrew McLean. Walker Books, 2020, ISBN: 9781925126822.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. The building of the iconic Sydney
Harbour during the Great Depression captured the interest of the
nation. One young farm boy Lennie Gwyther from Leongatha loved to
ride his pony Ginger Mick to pick up the newspapers delivered by
train. Every morning he had read about the progress made by the
large workforce as they laid the pylons and built the arches.
Lennie's one desire was to attend the special opening ceremony,
however when his father broke his leg, his son had to step up and
complete all the farm chores. There wasn't any money for a train
ticket to Sydney.
Lennie's solution was to ride the six hundred miles on his faithful
pony Ginger Mick. What an adventure, riding twenty miles a day,
looked after by folks along the way, given food and overnight
shelter. Escaping from a bushfire, battling the weather, riding in
the mountains, Lennie's dream led him through all the tough times.
On Saturday March 19th, 1932 Lennie and Ginger Mick proudly crossed
the Sydney Harbour Bridge, what an amazing achievement!
Corinne Fenton's beautifully descriptive story To the Bridge
captures the feel of the countryside, the struggles of farm life and
the true spirit of Australia. There is a sense of pride, as she
captures the determination of a young boy's achievements, his
determination to complete an arduous journey and inspire hope in
times of adversity. Andrew McLean's sweeping landscapes, his
beautiful pen and watercolour illustrations add depth to Fenton's
story. Subjects: Boys, Horses, Sydney Harbour Bridge - History. Teacher's
notes are available.
Rhyllis Bignell
The tell by Martin Chatterton
Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760895945. 280p.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Crime. Rey Tanic (Raze) is coming of
age as the youngest son of one of Sydney's most successful
gangsters. He wants no part of it, preferring to break the law by
creating 'urban art' with the MCT crew - McLafferty (Ides), Cooper
(Candy) and Tanic (Raze). When his father escapes from maximum
security prison aided by his brother Solo, he is thrust full tilt
into the gangster lifestyle for the first time.
At first, the family business reminds Rey of a James Bond movie with
helicopters and submarines. But a rival crime family, the Sullivans,
deepen an existing feud with gunfire, arson and hitmen. Rey too must
go underground and finds unlikely sanctuary right under the nose of
Candy's father, Chief Superintendent Don Cooper. Dejan Tanic plans
to retaliate but MCT intervene to save innocent bystanders. How can
Raze avoid getting killed by criminals or the police? Raze has the
support of his best friends, Candy and Ides to figure a way out of
the mess.
Martin Chatterton, a UK author of dozens of childrens' books, relies
heavily on the Sydney landscape with this new YA crime thriller. The
plot and action scenes are so visceral, his characters execute a
conclusion too spectacular to be simply inevitable. This is an
author that keeps on giving, as he is also a prolific mainstream
crime writer working under his nom de plume, Ed Chatterton.
Themes of family, organized crime, domestic violence and first love
entwine in a familiar location, making the relationships and events
hyper real. Don't wait to see the movie. Dig into The Tell
to dodge the bad guys and their bullets along with Raze.
Deborah Robins
The Bad Guys Episode 11: Dawn of the Underlord by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760668662.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Aaron Blabey brings his superb
illustrations back in the 11th episode featuring the Bad Guys. It is
time to party but Mr Snake decides to lock himself away and ignore
his friends. When a voice instructs him to open a doorway and gain
untold power he can't resist and what results is mayhem and evil.
Fans of the series will adore this episode and those new to it are
given enough context to read it as a stand-alone. The illustrations
are fantastic and so witty and humorous. I loved the party scene
where there are enormous splashes and skateboarding. The expressions
on all the characters are fabulous and the use if bold black print
in different sizes is wonderful for creating the scenes of evil as
Mr Snake unleashes evil on the world. As always there are puns
galore and I especially liked the description of the steps that were
taken as a celebrity - make your own record label and fashion label,
own a basketball team, cooking show and fragrance and become a music
producer. And then there is that ending that is such a cliff-hanger,
leaving readers desperately waiting for episode 12!
This series is sure to attract readers of all ages and won't stay on
the shelves in any library for very long.
Pat Pledger
