Hachette Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419637.
(Age: Teens) Highly recommended. All that impossible space
blends one of Australia's greatest mysteries with the typical drama
of teenage girls at an all-girls school. This combination makes
conversation about the Somerton man incredibly accessible and
presents history in a fun light for teenagers and I would highly
recommend it to teenage girls.
Following the start of year ten, one of the most important social
years for the girls at St. Mags, the novel's protagonist Lara Laylor
is faced with mystery after mystery, the first being new girl Kate
who threatens Ash's best friend claim to Lara. How do you manage a
new friend when you're so close with someone else? Second comes Mr
Grant's history assignment on the Somerton man - a man found dead
with no identification on an Adelaide beach in 1948. Next comes the
clincher - the disappearance of Mr Grant, easily Lara's favourite
teacher. With her sister on her gap year somewhere in Europe and Mr
Grant's illness, Lara almost doesn't notice the growing closeness
between her and Jos, a friendship blossoming into something new and
complicated - something that Lara, let alone Ash, can't comprehend.
Mixing with boys has never been so heady. Distracted and weighed
down with the mystery of the Somerton Man, Lara's thoughts are
elsewhere, making her the perfect girl for Jos and the boys from St.
Johns to befriend. Between rehearsals, boys, and the Ash-Kate cold
war Lara doesn't know how to find the answers she craves. Why is
nothing ever easy?
Kayla Gaskell
Goodbye house, hello house by Margaret Wild
Illus. by Ann James. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781743311103.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Change, Moving house,
Families. When the young girl must leave the family farm and move to
the city she wanders through the house and its environs saying
goodbye as she goes. She reminds herself that this is the last time
she will see these familiar things. Children will begin to join in
with the refrain, 'this is the last time' as the pages are turned.
When moving day comes she says goodbye to each, halting a little
longer at her bedroom. Readers will sympathise with the young girl
as she says goodbye to things she loves, and recognise the emotional
pull of the familiar, the things she has grown up with, perhaps
recognising the changes that have occurred in their own lives.
Once in her new house, the words are reversed. She looks into each
new room, taking longer over the room which is to be her bedroom,
saying, 'this is the first time' as she greets the new, the
unfamiliar. Readers again will sympathise with meeting something new
for the first time, recognising that change is part of their lives.
Ann James' wonderful illustrations reflect a lively young girl,
confidently saying goodbye to her old life and taking on the new
with aplomb. Readers will connect with her as she opens each door,
greeting the altering circumstances, welcoming the difference in her
life, accepting the change. Watercolour illustrations form the
background of many pages with black outlines used with eye catching
effect over the top. Each time she peers through a door, her black
and white image opens onto a watercolour vista of her old life and
her new. The first end-paper shows a young girl looking out from her
farm verandah with boxes packed and stacked next to her, farewelling
the familiar, while the last end-paper shows her sitting in a tree,
looking out at the apartment houses nearby, the view full full of
possibilities.
A wonderful book about change, of accepting and embracing change is
distilled into the images and spare text of a young girl's move to
the city, by this pair of award winning book creators.
Fran Knight
Devils unto dust by Emma Berquist
Greenwillow, 2018. ISBN: 9780062642783.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Zombies, Coming of age, Adventure,
Western, Dystopian fiction. Adventure galore, a Western setting,
zombies, some heartbreak and a great heroine - what more could a
reader want to while away a few hours?
Willie is a survivor. She has been looking after her younger
brothers and sisters after her mother died from the sickness that
turned her into a horrifying zombie-like creature called a shake and
her father succumbed to alcohol. When her father steals from a shake
hunter in the town of Glory where she lives and she is held
responsible for the debt, she knows she will have to find him. With
the assistance of two hunters she sets off into the desert on a
desperate quest to get the money back from her father.
This was a compelling and easy to read story that blended a story
set in the old West with a dystopian tale of sickness gone awry.
Willie was an engaging character, capable and determined to look
after her family as best she could. Her relationship with Micah her
brother and the twins was very relatable and the reader can't help
but be drawn to Curtis and Ben, the two honest hunters Willie hired
to escort across the desert. Short chapters and humorous dialogue
helped to lighten the darkness of the shakes.
There was plenty of action as the shakes tried to attack the small
party, and some heartbreak and unexpected twists will keep the
reader glued to the page until Willie's quest comes to an end. There
is a small opening for a sequel which the reader would welcome.
Readers who enjoyed the Western setting might like to read the more
complex The Devil's West series (Silver
on
the road, The
cold eye, and Red
waters rising) by Laura Anne Gilman, while those who
like a road trip might enjoy Tess
of the road by Rachael Hartman.
Pat Pledger
Bad crab by Amelia McInerney
Illus. by Philip Bunting. Omnibus, 2019. ISBN: 9781742994475.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fish, Crabs. Retribution,
Friendship. When Bad Crab bites his friends, the Fish, the Octopus
and Seahorse, they quickly retire to the wall above the Crab and
hide behind a concrete ball. He looks up at them and is dismayed. He
does not seem to realise that it is his behaviour which has made his
friends go away.
Along comes a Lobster and surprisingly it bites him. The Crab's
three friends swim down to help him. They attach themselves to him
giving him extra oomph and he bites the Lobster back. The Lobster
retires behind the seaweed. But Crab sees a Grey Shark approaching
and his friends quickly swim back to their hiding place, leaving
Crab alone on the sea floor.
But the friends then roll the concrete ball onto the Shark, leaving
him defenceless but unable to release Crab from his gigantic mouth.
The friends again work together to release Crab from the Shark, and
all seems to going along well, but Crab seems impelled to do another
bad thing, he rolls the rock onto Lobster.
The wonderful illustrations beg the reader to look more closely: I
loved the expressions on their faces and the wordless nature of the
book, begging readers to insert their own words on every page. There
will be lots of joining in as the book proceeds.
A wonderfully funny tale of deeds coming back to haunt you, this
Crab is that naughty child, forever niggling other people, annoying
in so many ways and impervious to the fact that it is his behaviour
which is not wanted. When people retaliate it is never their fault,
but Crab here gets what he deserves, and it is up to his nicer
friends to extricate him from that position.
Lots of discussion about responsibility will proceed from this funny
look at behaviour, and many will be able to point out instances of
bad behaviour being reciprocated.
Fran Knight
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
Scribner, 2019. ISBN: 9781471185861.
(Age: 15 to Adult) Highly recommended. Set over the course of a
year, each of the twelve chapters examines a month in the lives of
different women and their families, all intricately connected by the
disappearance of two young girls. This remarkable book takes place
on Kamchatka, a remote peninsular in far-Eastern Russia, and is rich
with descriptions of the volcanic landscape and tundra with their
herds of reindeer. We are given an insight into lives filled with
loss and longing, of ethnic tensions and traditional Russian values
trying to find a place in the modern world.
While the mystery of the girls' disappearance begins the book and
the investigation is interwoven throughout, this actually reads more
like a series of short stories, with each focusing on a different
woman who has been somehow affected by the event including family
members, a witness, and a detective. There are many characters, and
it is easy to get them mixed up, but thankfully the author has
provided a list of primary characters at the start of the book. This
book was not at all what I expected it to be, it is so much more.
Donella Reed
Roald Dahl's colours illustrated by Quentin Blake
Penguin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241370315.
(Age: 1-5) Highly recommended. Board book. Themes: Colours. Another
stunning board book featuring the captivating illustrations by
Quentin Blake from Roald Dahl's stories for older children. These
will make the book familiar to adults reading it aloud, and will be
a fabulous introduction to the world of Roald Dahl for children.
Each of the double page spreads features a coloured background for
the colours chosen, pink, red, green, blue, purple, orange, grey and
yellow. For example, pink for 'I see plenty of peculiar porky pink
pigs' has hilarious pictures of pigs against a beautiful pink
background. Of course the famous 'green enomous crocodile hungry for
his lunch' features against a lovely lime green background. Only one
of the little people racing away from the snapping crocodile has a
green shirt and this will be a fun way for the adult to show that
there are different shades of green. This is also true of the dark
orange coloured fox against an vivid orange background. It was
interesting to see the colour grey featured and many children will
identify with the idea of a grey suit or grey trousers.
The description of each items associated with the colour is in a
bold black print which makes it easy to remember and there is a
special touch at the end with a gorgeous lift the flap featuring 'a
yellow giraffe with a neck that goes up . . . up . . . up!' Its
construction is also very sturdy with hard boards for heavy use.
This is a fun introduction to colours for children and is sure to
become a favourite.
Pat Pledger
Rabbit's hop by Alex Rance
Illus. by Shane McG. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760524449.
(Age: 3-8) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Persistence,
Self-Belief. This is AFL player Alex Rance's second book and it
features a couple of the characters from his first, Tiger's
Roar. Evidently inspired by being a team sportsman, both
of his books are about being a good friend, working hard and having
fun. Jack Rabbit is the best hopper on Rabbit Island. He is also the
best carrot chomper and the almost best zigzagger. All the little
rabbits look up to him and he is a perfect role-model: 'If you work
hard, be kind, and enjoy yourselves, you will do great things'. Jack
loved his life on Rabbit Island but he feels ready for a new
challenge. One day a message in a bottle floats over to him. It's
his cousin Roo inviting him to come over to Big Island for a new
adventure. It won't be easy to get there but with the encouragement
of his friend Zigga and remembering his own advice to the little
rabbits he decides to go for it. He zig zags across the icebergs and
jumps over the waves. He stops to help a whale caught in a fishing
net and in return the whale gives him a lift to Big Island. As they
get closer Jack begins to worry, 'What if I don't like Big Island? .
. . What if I'm not good enough?', but once he arrives, he finds
Tiger and becomes excited about the adventure ahead of him. This is
wonderfully written and parents and teachers will love the healthy
social and emotional messages it contains. I particularly love the
repeated mantra (work hard, be kind, and enjoy yourself) and the use
of the word philosophy. It is so great for children to know that
they have a choice in how they see the world and the guidelines they
choose to follow in living their life and interacting with others.
It reminds little ones that being good at something is great but
being kind, working hard and having fun is much more important. Jack
Rabbit is a great role-model; he is talented but he isn't conceited
or boastful. He worries and has self-doubt just like everyone, he
supports his friends and he is kind to all those around him. The
illustrations are bright, crisp and spot on. This is perfect for
fans of Tiger's Roar, little sportspeople and all children
who aspire to new adventures.
Nicole Nelson
A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson
Electric Monkey, 2019. ISBN: 9781405293181.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery, Thriller, Murder,
Diversity, Friendship. What a compelling mystery - one that was
almost impossible to put down! Pippa Fitz-Ambobi decides to
investigate the murder of schoolgirl Andie Bell as her final year
research project. Even though the police had closed the case, based
on evidence that her boyfriend Sal Singh had murdered her, Pippa has
always had doubts and sets about interviewing suspects and family
members in an effort to see if she can find evidence to prove his
innocence.
In a tightly packed narrative, consisting of entries into her
Extended Project report and narrative about what is happening every
day, Pippa delves into the secrets of her small town and uncovers
some shocking truths about the people that she thought she knew
well. Highly organised and intelligent, Pippa, with the aid of Sal's
brother Ravi, goes about the investigation in a systematic way that
allows the reader to follow the clues and try and work out who did
the murder, or if there was a murder. At the same time Pippa's
humour helps to lighten the darkness of some of the evidence and
there are some very sad moments as well.
There are lots of plot twists that will keep even seasoned mystery
readers trying to unravel the truth, and both Pippa and Ravi are
people that the reader would like to know. Pippa's view of people
begins to change as she finds out things from the past and she is
uncertain of who she can trust. And if Sal didn't murder Andie, how
dangerous is her investigation?
This is a terrific thriller that will keep the reader on the edge,
very unwilling to put it down until the case is unravelled. People
who enjoyed One
of us is lying by Karen McManus and There's
someone inside your house by Stephanie Perkins will be
sure to enjoy this as well, and I am really looking forward to more
stories by Holly Jackson.
Pat Pledger
Lunchbox express by George Georgievski
Plum, 2019. ISBN: 9781760784904.
(Age: 9 - Adult) Recommended. The cover promises 'healthy kids'
lunches in 5 minutes' and the book delivers 30 days of kids'
lunchboxes, beautifully illustrated with full page pictures of the
featured lunches. There is something here for even the most
fastidious eater, including some bonus adult lunchboxes that will
prove to be really useful as well as recipes for International
Fridays.
Right from the helpful Contents page, the reader is guided through
this useful book starting with tools of the trade that will be
needed to make the lunches visually appealing, including a melon
baller and a ravioli cutter to make shapes, as well as other more
common tools like a chef's knife and veggie peeler. The $50 shopping
list covers 2 children's lunches for one week and ensures that all
the necessary ingredients are available for the lunches. Using
photos of the Bento-style lunchboxes to contain the food the author
has shown what delicious lunches can be made in just 5 minutes.
There is also a section of easy to follow recipes for things like
breakfast muffins and vegetable doughnuts and a handy index finishes
off a worthwhile book.
The colourful illustrations make this a stand-out recipe book that
is sure to inspire people to make truly mouth-watering lunches.
Pat Pledger
Secrets of a schoolyard millionaire by Nat Amoore
Penguin, 2019, ISBN: 9780143796374.
(Age: 8-12) Themes: Wealth, Millionaires, Money, Humour. What would
you do if you found a million dollars? Would you help your family,
your friends and classmates? Ten-year-old Tess Heckleston is the
middle child in a rather chaotic family, her dad calls their place
the Heckleston Hothouse. Tess is an entrepreneur; she's always
planning her next business venture accompanied by her best friend
Toby. Her small bedroom at the top of the house overlooks their
dodgy neighbour Scotty's place and Tess often observes the strange
people visiting him. Imagine her surprise when Scotty hides a large
bag in her backyard treasure chest, just before the police arrest
him!
Tess's choices from this moment on, take us on a wild and crazy
ride, with loads of fun and creative adventures. Toby provides a
voice of reason; he tries to be her moral compass, questioning her
decisions. They need to be careful, to not arouse suspicions as she
tries to help others with this windfall. When her younger sister is
hospitalised with complications from her diabetes, Tess and Toby
decide to spread a little love to the other children in the ward.
Donating money is hard, and adults become very suspicious about kids
with a large handful of notes.
Tess transforms Kathy the homeless woman who lives in the park,
changing her into a look-alike of her mum and they fool the bank
setting up an account, depositing the money and begin to share the
wealth. Tess organises a home in the park for Kath, hundreds of kids
buy Lego sets and build her a haven. Toby's two mums own a print
shop and he's a whiz at Photoshop, creating flyers for their schemes
and something extra special to help with the final events. Things
come to a screeching halt when Tess finds her mum has disappeared,
she's locked in the basement of the theatre where she works. Scotty
is out on bail and on the hunt for his money. How will Tess and Toby
right the wrongs and discover what is important in their lives?
Author Nat Amoore's Secrets of a schoolyard millionaire is
written in a humorous, fast-paced style, includes loads of movie
references, fun asides and tips for budding entrepreneurs - think
puppies. An exciting read-aloud for middle primary classes, opening
conversations about Tess and her decisions. Students can open
dialogue about the protagonist's rights, responsibilities and
ethics.
Rhyllis Bignell
Up to something by Katrina McKelvey
Illus. by Kirrili Lonergan. EK Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925335705.
32pp., hbk.
A sign on the door of the hardware store catches Billy's eye - it's
for a great billycart race! It doesn't matter that Billy doesn't
have a billycart because he has heard his Dad banging, drilling and
sawing in his shed so many times that he is excited about what they
could build together. He is even more excited when his Dad agrees
and they begin work together. But excitement turns to disappointment
when his dad appoints him as his 'special helper' fetching and
carrying the tools and materials, rather than using them. And even
though he gets promoted to 'assistant' because it sounds more
important, the duties don't change and Billy is soon bored with
menial tasks like the sweeping his dad gets him to do. He had dreams of
them working side by side, building something magnificent. But as he
sweeps he has an idea and while Dad is busy measuring and sawing,
Billy is doing the same . . .
Billy's story is that of so many youngsters - wanting to get in and
be like their dads but being assigned to the sidelines - that it
will resonate with young readers who are more interested in making
and doing than watching. Lonergan's gentle illustrations that are so
rich in detail echo the relationship between Billy and his dad
offering a story that could be a lesson for dads about not
underestimating the talents and skills of their offspring.
From a STEM perspective there is plenty of scope to explore creating
plans for billycarts, but if readers look carefully at the elements
of Billy's cart they might be encouraged to look at everyday objects
differently. What else could a laundry basket or an old pair of
roller skates become? Lots of scope for creative thinking embedded
in a story that is just a joy to read in itself.
Barbara Braxton
A grain of hope by Nicola Philp
Illus. by Aldy Aguirre. Publishink Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780648348641.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Refugees, Dogs, War, Abuse. Picking
up a small publisher's book is always fraught for a reviewer.
Sourcing that book can be difficult for a librarian with limited
time so other considerations necessarily inform the review. But this
one is worth seeking out.
The story presented in A grain of hope is told in a
different way, its illustrations arresting and the whole evokes a
poignancy unable to be shaken off.
On each side of the double page a story is told. On the left hand
page (verso) is the tale of a dog, Dok, while the right hand page
(recto) shows the tale of a child, Hanan. Each page reflects the
changes in the lives of Hanan and the puppy. After a warm comforting
childhood for both, Dok must learn a new house, away from its
mother, while Hanan is aware that her family is troubled.
As time passes, Dok tries to avoid the pain inflicted upon her,
while Hanan learns of the deaths of some of her family.
Their stories come together as a van arrives for them both: Dok is
taken to an animal rescue facility, while Hanan and her family try
to escape the war around them.
The abuse of the dog on the verso is contrasted with the increasing
touches of war on the recto.
After this the comparison between Dok and Hanan is even more
confronting. The dog is treated well, staying in its cage until a
kind generous family comes and adopts her. While on the recto, Hanan
is being transferred from one boat to another in the arms of her
mother, until they are put behind bars in a detention facility with
no idea of what is happening or where they will go.
The situation for Dok and Hanan are now reversed.
Readers will understand the message of the book without prompting:
that we treat our refugees less than dogs. Both Hanan and Dok have
similar stories until the end, when one is taken into the heart of
the family, and the other relegated to life in detention.
Our obligation to take refugees into our country has been relegated
to a political act by our governments, unwilling to compromise. This
situation is presented in many books published recently (Room on
our rock, Mediterranean, Boy at the back of the
class, Wisp, Waves, Displaced etc)
telling of the refugee impasse in Australia and A grain of hope
fits well with these to encourage readers to look outside their own
safe home and welcome those who do not have one.
Just as the story is different, so too are the illustrations. This
artist from the Phillipines uses a wash of water colour to give his
drawings an extra sadness. They have an ethereal quality, some
almost lost on the page, which makes them memorable and underlines
the pathos of Hunan's dreadful situation.
Readers will instantly empathise with Hanan's situation, being
handed over the side of a ship, found by a Navy patrol boat and then
relegated to a position behind bars, her misery plain for all to
see.
Fran Knight
A nearly normal family by M. T. Edvardsson
Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781529008135.
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Recommended. Themes: Sweden, Crime,
Family. The Sandell family seems to have it all. Adam is a pastor in
the Church of Sweden, Ulrika is a successful lawyer and their
daughter Stella is a vibrant student and athlete. There have been
the usual ups and downs, as there are with families, but they are
looked on by other residents in the small provincial city of Lund as
a model of success.
Things take a lurch into the unexpected and unknown when Stella is
taken into custody for the murder of Christopher Olsen. The story
unfolds from the points of view of Adam, Ulrika and Stella and gives
very different insight into each individual and the dynamics of this
'ideal' family.
Adam's recount is the first, and as a reader, I found this man hard
to empathise with. His interference with the case and distrust of
the lawyer defending Stella began to annoy me so much I almost gave
up on the book. It was Stella's account that turned things round.
Her character formed by the narrative of her father gave the
impression of a selfish, spoiled teenager full of angst and
rebellion. As her side of the story is slowly and at times
reluctantly revealed an empathy is developed. Her strong friendship
with Amina is at the centre of the web of emotion and loyalty which
Edvardsson brings to life.
Stella who is 18 at the time of the murder has been involved with
Christopher Olsen an older man at 32. Chris is a wealthy, successful
businessman the son of a professor of law at the local university.
There is some uneasiness about his treatment of women when it is
discovered a former girl friend, Linda Lokind, has made a complaint
to the police about Olsen. The investigation came to nothing and its
Linda's reputation and state of mind which has come into question.
The final voice is that of Stella's mother Ulrika. It is the
shortest narrative but one which gives the greatest insight and
perhaps shows the greatest understanding of Stella and of Amina.
The Sandell family was not the one any of its members wanted. Adam
wanted a perfect image projected to his congregation as a reflection
of his role as loving father and husband. He is a controller and in
the end not open with Stella or Ulrika. Stella is a complex
character and she feels guilty about her behaviour and reactions to
her parents but is unable to express them. She has many secrets she
keeps from her family and even some from Amina. Ulrika feels guilt
being the working mother working away from her family so often, but
also feeling excluded from the bond which Adam and Stella formed as
a baby and into her childhood. She too has secrets.
This novel was involving not least from the dynamics of the family,
but also the community in which they live. The Swedish police and
judicial system is an interesting contrast to the US or British with
which we are far more familiar. Edvardsson's resolution is not
entirely unexpected, but the master mind behind it all is more of a
surprise.
Mark Knight
How to build the perfect cubby house by Heath McKenzie
Scholastic Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760152673.
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Themes: Families, Cubby Houses, Diversity.
Heath McKenzie (illustrator of Andy Lee's Do Not Open This Book
series and author/illustrator of a whole swag of picture books) has
created this happy celebration of family and togetherness. Despite
this being a depiction of one family, it incorporates cultural
diversity in such a way that every child will see themselves and
their own family represented. The family tree in the endpapers shows
how this big, varied family fits together (with a same sex couple, a
single mother, couples of different skin colour and
cultural/religious heritage). The dedication also shows Heath's big
and intricate family tree, which obviously inspired this book. The
story is structured as an instructional 14-step plan to building the
perfect cubby house: '1. Have a plan, 2. Listen to others, 3. Allow
plans to change, etc.'. The first page shows a young child and his
dad starting work on a little cubby, and on each subsequent page a
new family member enters and gives their opinion on what else the
cubby house needs (e.g., a garage for bikes, a movie room, a secret
lair, a kitchen, a library). By the time we get to step '13.
Celebrate your hard work' the monstrous, multi-levelled cubbyhouse
is threatening to fall down under the weight of all the additions.
When it does, all that is left is the little cubby house that we
started with, but that is okay because 'the perfect cubby house only
needs to be one thing . . . a place where everyone is . . welcome'.
This is a great story that ultimately highlights the beauty of
families as places of belonging, even when everyone has their own
individual differences. The busy illustrations are fun and messy
(much like families themselves) and the use of speech bubbles means
that the story is appropriately told through the varied voices of
the family members.
Nicole Nelson
Alice-Miranda keeps the beat by Jacqueline Harvey
Alice-Miranda book 18. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143786030.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: School life, Fund-raising,
Festivals, Mystery. Jacqueline Harvey's extremely popular Alice-Miranda
series returns for the eighteenth time in Alice- Miranda
keeps the Beat. Alice-Miranda and her friends are returning to
their school, Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young
Ladies, after enjoying a barbecue lunch with Jacinta's mother. As
they walk through the village, they see smoke rising from the
restaurant Fattoush and the apartment above. With Mr and Mrs Abboud
and their children trapped inside, Alice-Miranda and Millie run into
the blaze, searching for the children. Selflessly Alice-Miranda
rushes up to the smoke-filled attic to rescues the babies. The fire
leaves the family homeless, without anything. Alice-Miranda who's
been secretly taking music lessons, comes up with a fund-raising
music festival to help.
Back at the Academy, tension amongst the staff rises, notes
demanding work above and beyond their normal duties upset the
teachers, even Dervla who manages the stables is under extreme
pressure. With the arrival of a young new teacher with inspirational
ideas, the established staff feel threatened. Has the power of being
in charge gone to Miss Reedy's head? Of course, Caprice is up to her
usual selfish ways, she wants to headline the music festival.
Alice-Miranda and her friends rise to the challenge, with the
support of the village, their families and supporters to make The
Fields Festival a rousing success.
Jacqueline Harvey's special style of weaving mysteries and secrets
into her middle grade novels, certainly keeps the readers guessing.
Each thread is beautifully woven throughout, and we discover why
Zara Abboud was missing at the fire, the real reason Jacinta's
absent father returns and the true identity of the new teacher. All
the much-loved elements are here, pony rides, delicious food (except
for the problem scrambled eggs), community spirit, new babies and
close friendships. Combined with Alice-Miranda's sense of fair play
and supportive nature Alice Miranda Keeps the Beat makes
another delightful addition to the series.
Rhyllis Bignell
