Illus. by Mary Lavis. Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN:
9781460756614. 32pp, hbk.
'Aboriginal oral history tells of hundreds of Dream Roads
criss-crossing the Australian continent which were made by Ancestral
Beings during their travels at the beginning of the Dreamtime. It
also tells of a vast freshwater lake at the top of Australia and
stories about ancestors like the Anta Moola sisters. There is also
scientific evidence to suggest that 36,000 years ago there was a
large freshwater lake at the top of Australia. Scientist called it
the Lake of Carpentaria . . . and it was also known as Balanorga,
the big water.'
The Journey
of the Great Lake series tells the story of Jadianta, Lande
and Jalmor,three children of the Kadimakara People who were caught
in a storm and stranded across the great lake, Balanorga and their
quest to return to their homeland as they journey around Balanorga,
along the Dream road of the Anta Moola sisters to find their way
home. The series, first published 20 years ago, comprises Home
Of The Kadimakara People, Land
of the Dingo People Land
of the Magpie Goose People, Land
of the Emu People, Land
of the Snake People, Land
of the Kangaroo People, Land
of the Brolga People and the final in the series, Land
of the Echidna People.
Written at a time when there was very little indigenous literature
for young readers available, the series was and is a valuable
addition to resources supporting studies of Aboriginal cultures,
providing young readers with an insight into the life and lands of
northern Australia 30 000 years ago.
Barbara Braxton
Under currents by Nora Roberts
Piatkus, 2019. ISBN: 9780349421926.
(Age: Adult) Themes: Domestic violence, Family dynamics, Stalking,
Resilience. Another classic book by Nora Roberts, showcasing the
importance of family and supportive friends, delves into the horrors
of domestic violence. Zane Bigelow and his sister Britt live in a
beautiful house with their picture perfect parents, a successful
surgeon and community minded wife. But behind closed doors, things
are different, and everything comes to a head one momentous night.
Told from the point of view of Zane, the reader is taken into the
nightmare that if his life as a teenager, and then his life when he
finally comes back to his hometown, as a successful lawyer. He meets
Darby, a landscape architect, who also has secrets in her past and a
loving relationship evolves. Roberts is very skilful at writing
about relationships and family life and her characters come to life
on the page. Darby is a wonderful survivor, full of life and
determined to make her business grow. Zane's aunt is helpful and
kind and her detective husband a wonderful role model.
The scenes of domestic violence are quite graphic and Roberts
describes not only family violence but two separate incidents of
husbands abusing their wives. She shows how difficult it can be to
leave an abusive relationship and how important it is to have family
and community support. These themes overshadow the suspense of who
is stalking Zane and Darby and seasoned readers will have no trouble
working out who is doing it.
Roberts always delivers a story that keeps the reader engrossed
right to the end and this is no exception.
Pat Pledger
Cats and Robbers by Russell Ayto
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408876503. 32pp., pbk.
While inside the house everything appeared to be as it should,
outside three robbers were spying on it and making a list of things
they would take once they were inside. They had dismissed the
paintings, the vases, the sculptures and the sweets and their
primary goal was the safe! So in they crept intent on their mission.
But they did not know they were being watched by two cats. Two cats
who had their own reasons why the safe was sacred and would not be
taken, and who put into place a plan to protect it.
This is a delightfully funny story that will have young readers in
stitches as the slapstick comedy plays out and they want to discover
who wins! The twist in the end is perfect . . .
Written with repetitive phrases and clever use of bold font, it is
made for reading aloud with the reader using the cues to build up
the tension and suspense. This is not a book that can be read in a
monotone with no passion or engagement. Lots of fun and lots of
scope for ideas to foil the robbers and their plans.
Barbara Braxton
The Three Musketeers by Russell Punter
Illus. by Matteo Pincelli. Usborne Graphic Legends. Usborne, 2019.
ISBN: 9781474938112. 104pp., pbk.
In 1844 Alexandre Dumas gave the world his story of Les Trois
Mousquetaires and now 175 years on it is again being made available
to young readers in graphic novel format so they, too, can share the
adventures of young d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel
to Paris, to join the Musketeers
of the Guard. Although d'Artagnan is not able to join this
elite corps immediately, he befriends the three most formidable
musketeers of the age - Athos, Porthos and Aramis, 'the three
inseparables,' as these are called - and gets involved in their
adventures. Set in the France of 1626 when there was fierce rivalry
between the republicans and the monarchists, and bound by the famous
cry of 'All for one and one for all.'
Graphic novels have proven to be an invaluable way of introducing
young readers to the classic stories of old and this is no
exception, and with the current thirst for high action, high
adventure with superheroes, this is the perfect way to lead
children's reading on to something just as exciting while opening up
a new world of literature. To help with understanding the
context because it is set in the real world but a different time,
there are pages at the back that set the scene and Usborne have
their usual Quicklinks page to help the reader explore even further.
A must for independent readers seeking to expand their horizons, as
well as an addition to a unit comparing superheroes past, present
and future!!
Barbara Braxton
Fated by Teri Terry
Orchard Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408350669. 460 pages, paperback.
(Age: Teenagers+) Recommended. Fated is an exciting origin story to
the Slated series. It tells of the chaos that started when
the borders closed around the UK and the forceful control the
government imposed, the start of rebellion from both those who wish
harm to others and those who just want peace, and lastly the
consequences of the actions made by all. The story follows Sam, the
daughter of the deputy prime minister, and Ava a scholarship student
who goes to school with Sam. Both are thrown into a flurry of events
when the government starts to lay blame on the youth, imposing rules
and restrictions that only apply to them.
This story is truly a gripping read and the perfect choice to help
you decide if you want to read the Slated series. Sam's
character is very intriguing as she is still figuring out what she
wants to do with her life, she knows what she likes but doesn't have
the motivation to pursue it. Though thankfully with the help of Ava,
she slowly comes to find something to believe in and that provokes
her to take action. Ava is different from Sam as she is very driven
in her studies, and knows that sometimes it's best to keep her head
down and focus. Both girls are discovering themselves and with all
the chaos that unfolds around them, it isn't easy.
Overall, this is a wonderful and enticing story that has definitely
gotten me interested in the story enough to want to read the
trilogy. I would recommend it to teenagers and up.
Kayla Raphael
The beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Zaffre, 2019. ISBN: 9781785768934.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Lefteri tells
the story of a Syrian couple, Nuri and Afra, traumatised by the
destruction of their home and the death of their young son Sami,
setting out on a path with other refugees to seek safety in another
country offering some kind of hope of a normal life. Afra has been
struck blind by the same bomb that killed their 5 year old son. She
is dependent on Nuri to dress her, care for her, and find some kind
of livelihood. Yet as we read on, we gradually come to realise that
Nuri himself is a broken man, haunted by images and memories that
will not let him rest.
The two of them cling to the hope of reuniting with another Syrian
couple, close friends, Mustafa and Dahab, joint partners in their
former bee-keeping venture in Syria, who have now found safety in
the UK. Their dream is to care for bees together again in England.
Bees are an amazing community that works together for the benefit of
all.
Lefteri interweaves stories and experiences of other desperate
refugees, people who shared their stories with her whilst working as
a volunteer at a refugee centre in Athens. That experience stayed
with her of people who had been through the most horrific of
circumstances in their journey towards survival and renewal. As she
says The beekeeper of Aleppo is 'about profound loss, but it
is also about love and finding light'. It is to be hoped that her
book will provide some greater understanding of the global refugee
problem and the need for all people to open their hearts to caring
about fellow human beings, who from no fault of their own are in
desperate need of refuge and support.
Helen Eddy
Holly the honeybee dancing star by Gordon Winch
Illus. by Stephen Pym. New Frontier Publishing, 2019. ISBN :
9781925594492.
(Age: 3-7) Themes: Honeybees, Dancing. Holly is a honeybee who just
loves to dance and all the other honeybees liked to watch her.
'She's a real dancing star' they thought. But Holly is also a worker
bee and she loves to work. Her job is to collect pollen and nectar
from flowers and take it back to the hive. When she takes it back to
the hive she does a special dance, wiggling and waggling her body.
'Why does Holly keep waggling?' the other bees wondered. One of the
other bees discovers that her dance points in the direction of the
flowers rich with nourishing nectar and powdery pollen. The next
summer when the land is dry and the flowers are dying, Holly's
dancing helps to point the other bees in the direction of a fertile
green forest, saving the day for the hive and the bee colony. The
illustrations are an odd combination of painted, realistic flowers
and landscapes and cartoonish bees, however this does help with the
personification of the bee characters. The text is kept nice and
short and simple but it is a little clunky and it misses the chance
for rich vocabulary by using the same descriptors over and over.
There is a page of factual information about the honeybee in the
back of the book but the story itself does a relatively good job of
including lots of this information. The book and included facts draw
attention to the threat facing bees because of deforestation,
insecticides and pests. It also reminds us that 'without this little
insect, we would not have three-quarters of the food we eat' because
of their pollination. This would work as an introductory book for
young children about bee colonies and the roles of bees both within
their colony and within our ecosystem.
Nicole Nelson
Sea-ing is believing by Steven Butler
Illus. by Steven Lenton. Nothing to See Here Hotel. Simon
and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471178733.
(Age 9+)Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Ghosts, Hotels, Secrets,
Strange fantasy creatures. The Nothing to See Here Hotel is more
than unusual - it is positively disorderly and rambunctious! And if
you thought rambunctious was an unusual word, 'you ain't seen
nothing yet'! Steven Butler has created a spirited (in more ways
than one) and rollicking fantasy tale with strange creatures and
more created words than you can throw a ghost at! In the third book
of the series involving the 'hidden' Hotel that caters for magical
creatures of all variabilities and quirks (some bad and some good),
the return of their feted ancestor Abe as a ghostly apparition
presents all sorts of interesting questions. He also reveals the
grand Ballroom which has been magically missing and presents all
sorts of astounding possibilities and there is an amazing ride to
get there. The drama unfolds when things are uncovered that suggest
that all is not what it seems.
The quirkiness of this book and the array of weird and wonderful
creatures will be enjoyable for young readers . . . it is a literary
roller-coaster with exploding and fantastical creatures dropping
from all angles to impact the passage of the story. The explosion of
created words (reminiscent of the BFG's classic vocabulary) is also
immensely entertaining in an explodiferous and confusaplonking way!
Illustrations by Steven Lenton help to reveal what the imagination
cannot quite fathom.
Carolyn Hull
Rogue by A.J. Betts
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN 9781760787202.
(Age:12+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopian, Future, Global warming,
Climate change, Refugees. A sequel to the award winning Hive
(2017), Rogue takes up the story as Hayley leaves her home
beneath the sea floating in the ocean until she lands on an island,
there taken in by a family after their grandson stuns her.
Recovering she listens and watches: the family does not speak
outside their roughly made house, the older man and his suspicious
granddaughter go off hunting, while gran stays in the kitchen.
Hayley is told of the boatloads of people who try to find their
island, and why they must not allow the refugees' equipment to pick
up their voices and come ashore. Refugees are meant to go to
Tasmania, Terrafirma, where they can be housed, not Maria Island, so
they must remain vigilant, alerting the authorities if they see an
incursion.
As in Hive, the story moves along rapidly, Betts giving
little away hinting of the life being led and what is to come. Full
of anticipation, teens will read this eagerly, noting the parallels
to our current position within the world and our treatment of those
who come to our shores for refuge.
Bitten by a snake, the family risk their lives to cross the water to
find Buckley the healer to help her. Here Hayley finds that their
blood type keeps them confined, they have opted to stay on Maria to
alert authorities about the drifters, but the daughter would love to
leave.
Everyone has had a DNA test and their blood type analysed, making a
simple test an easy way of telling whether they are allowed into
Australia, the Mainland. Drones test from above, but Hayley is
undetectable. When she decides to remain on Tasmania and find her
own way, she becomes the target of those who see her as a tradeable
item and readers will thrill with the story at her attempts to
survive alone. Meeting Jacob she goes to Davenport, there to cross to
Australia, but confused with a group of drifters, she is taken up
by a drone and finds Australia is not what it seems.
A marvellous survival story rich in detail of the possibilities of
science used to track our every movement, of DNA and blood tests
able to pinpoint every one of us, the implications of this dystopian
world seem very real, a position not that far away.
Fran Knight
Squidge Dibley destroys the school by Mick Elliott
Lothian, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419422.
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Themes: Humorous stories, School. School
can be a very funny place, but Mick Elliott has made the Craglands
South Primary School into the most hilarious place in the universe.
The story of the arrival of Squidge Dibley (a most unique student
with bizarre 'medical' anomalies) and his interruption into the life
of 6PU is narrated by Padman O'Donnell, one of the students who has
his own quirky attributes and family life. The class is an
accidental nightmare as it seems that all the kids who might cause
trouble in a school are all co-located in the same class and
teachers are falling like deciduous leaves (there is a small glimmer
of hope along the way . . . but she does not last long either). The
final replacement teacher would have to be the worst (multiplied by
3) possible option for the class who have perfected the art of being
gross and uncontrollable. With explosions of body gases, weird
behaviours, tricksters, a blow-fish as a class pet and plots of
diabolical fiendishness, this account of school life is just one
amusing moment after another . . . with multiple detentions along
the way.
Written for the generation of readers who love Diary of a wimpy
kid, Tom Gates and other books designed to cater for
readers who love quirky and silly humour with crazy illustrations,
this will be another series that will be easily consumed and peer
recommended.
Carolyn Hull
Fashionista by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780734418975.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Fashion, Individuality, Self image. A
bright and breezy homage to being yourself is offered by Clarke in
this exciting book. Each page offers a different set of clothing and
movements as the young person dons different swathes of clothes, all
individually teamed with a choice of other accessories to make a
statement. This is me!
Each page exhorts the reader to stand out from the crowd, be
individual, be different, follow their own hearts rather than follow
the restrictions others may place on them.
In bold rhyming lines, which encourage the reader to predict the
rhyming words, the text flows across each page, using differing
fonts to engage and attract the reader.
But the images are outstanding: each page is full of movement as the
characters show off the clothes they are wearing, sometimes just the
heads are shown, displaying the hair colour, hair cuts or hats,
sometimes the feet are shown with different shoes, but mostly each
page has a full body image, full of life, humour and colour as each
image says quite clearly -
This is me and I am proud.
Nods to fashion icons, Prince, Beyonce and Serena Williams appear in
the book, along with the everyday clothing bought from stores,
recycled from friends or the charity shop, handed down from family.
Clarke uses collage effectively, teaming her watercolour pencil with
magazine cut-outs placed onto textured paper. Some classes will have
a great deal of fun using her techniques as a basis for their own
work after reading this book.
Full of bounce, verve and humour, readers will love looking at the
variety of colour and style Clarke shows in her salute to being an
individual, encouraging the readers to look differently at what they
wear.
Fran Knight
DEV1AT3 by Jay Kristoff
Lifelike book 2. Allen and Unwin 2019. ISBN: 9781760295714.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction, Robots,
Artificial intelligence, Memory, Extrasensory perception. Lemon
Fresh is on the run after the battle in Babel in LIFEL1K3.
She has been separated from Ezekiel and Cricket and is being hunted
by corporate operatives because of her ability to manipulate
electricity. She meets some other Deviates who are hiding out with a
man known as the Major. Meanwhile Cricket has been taken by the
puritanical Brotherhood and Ezekiel searches for Cricket, while
still hoping to be reunited with his beloved Ana. And Eve is still
inside Babel.
Kristoff is a master at writing an engrossing, engaging
rollercoaster ride of a book. This time Lemon is the main character
and readers will be holding their breath as she lurches from one
adventure to another, with the enigmatic Major perhaps holding some
clues to her background. The Brotherhood is described in detail and
readers may find some parallels with religious cults of today.
Cricket continues to add humour to the story and his friendship with
another robot adds zest to often dark occurrences in the book. But
the one theme that really runs through the book is the importance of
friendship and loyalty. Lemon, Cricket and Ezekiel are all
determined to find and help each other, and new characters
introduced also show these traits.
It is best to have read the first book in the series to understand
the background to Babel and why Eve is acting like she is.
Action galore, explosions, humour, religious fanatics, corporate
baddies, robots, wild chases across the desert, sacrifice and a
cliff-hanger of an ending make this a must read for adrenaline
junkies and readers who like to think about artificial intelligence
and robotics.
Pat Pledger
Wombat, mudlark and other stories by Helen Milroy
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815818.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Aboriginal stories, Pilbara, Western
Australia. Eight stories about the environment from Helen Milroy
descended from the Palyku people of the Pilbrara region of Western
Australia, adds to the number of stories told with an Aboriginal
perspective which encourages people to more appreciate our shared
heritage.
These stories, from Wombat appreciating Mother Earth and her
allowing him to burrow deep down into her soil to let him sleep, to
the Mudlark singing to the Sun each day as he warms the pool to let
the bird splash in the mud without getting cold, each story tells of
the relationship between the animals and their environment in which
they live, detailing their friendship and dependence one upon the
other, underlining the fact that we are all responsible for our
environment and at the same time giving a social dictum for younger
readers to live by.
The book is one of a group published by Fremantle Press, Eagle,
Crow and Emu (2016) Cyclones and Shadows (2017) and Bush
and Beyond (2018) each presenting Indigenous authors and their
stories. Traditional Indigenous stories share information about
their cultures, wrapped in a story that captivates, enlightens and
amuses. So we see how animals came to be, their link to the Mother
Earth, the Sun, Moon and Comets, and learn a little of the
spirituality of their beliefs. But at its heart is a good story well
told and these four books offer stories that present basic
understandings to the readers.
In the story, 'Gecko and Big Rock', for example, the two are
friends, and when the sky darkens and blocks the sun, Gecko is cold.
He asks his friend, Big Rock to help, and he goes off to bring back
many rocks to pile on top of each other to reach into the sky,
allowing the lizard to access the sunlight to keep warm. The story
tells of the relationship between the animals and their environment
in a way that everyone can understand, emphasising the need one for
the other, giving reasons why these things occur and how they
evolved back before time. Each of the eight stories gives new life
to a tale of the environment, helping readers see how each can apply
not only to the animals but also the people who inhabit this
country.
Fran Knight
The Emerald Tablet by Meghan Wilson-Anastasios
Macmillan Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781760552633. paperback, 401pgs.
(Age: 16+) Oh what an action packed adventure from start to finish!
I loved how I was taken on a journey through the adventures of the
two main characters, Essie and Dr. Benedict Hitchens. This was one
novel I really enjoyed reading. If you like historical fiction with
an archaeological feel, Meaghan Wilson Anastasios brings her second
novel in the Dr. Benedict Hitchens' series alive with a treasure
hunt for The Emerald Tablet. Wherever Benedict and Essie go,
danger follows them. This kept me reading into the late hours. I
found that there was an Indiana Jones or Lara Croft feel while
reading this adventure.
Anastasios takes us to the Suez Canal in 1956. The world is on the
brink of a nuclear war while also at the same time Benedict and
Essie are on a race against each other and other parties, on who
will to locate and unearth the secrets of The Emerald Tablet. If the
Tablet falls into the wrong hands it could mean the annihilation of
humankind. I was kept guessing on who the other parties were working
for: Nazis, Russians or villains that wanted to control the world.
And yes, the Tablet is a real artefact that I googled once I
finished reading.
I liked how both characters past kept coming up along the way to
haunt both and which made me understand who they were. I want to
learn more about them both and now am interested to read the first
book in the series. Throughout the book you could see how
Anastasios' knowledge as an archaeologist and working in
Mediterranean and Middle East made this novel come alive as she took
me on a journey through Turkey, Egypt, Israel and parts of Europe.
Oh, I nearly forgot. If I ever see the main villain Garve in real
life, I'm running. I do warn that there are few graphic sexual
activities mentioned. One of the main reasons I would say 16+ age
group.
If you are looking for a book with drama, action, history, love,
loss and greed, then I recommend this novel. I am so looking forward
to the next book in the series.
Maria Komninos
Joey and Riley by Mandy Foot
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780734419217.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs, Family life, Rural life,
Grandparents, City. When Joey must move to the city with his mother
from his grandfather's farm, he is devastated. He knows that Mum
must find work, times are tough and the farm must be left behind.
But Joey must also leave behind his dog, Riley, his best friend, the
one he does everything with. They hunt mammoths, ride a rocket ship
to the top of the hill, do their ABC's together with distance
education. Each day holds a different treat for the pair until the
day Mum announces that they are moving to the city. And Riley cannot
come. Joey is inconsolable until his grandfather tells him that he
will write everyday telling Joey what Riley is up to.
So begins a series of letters telling Joey what Riley is doing on
the farm. These delightful slices of farm life will enthral the
mainly urban audience, entranced with the images of Riley drawn over
a sliver of the letters Joey receives. Each double page illustrates
Joey in the city, contrasting his city life with the of Riley back
on the farm. Children will love looking at the differences the lives
these two friends now lead, to be brought abruptly to an end when
Grandfather must tell Joey that Riley has disappeared after a
frightening storm. A lovely ending will have all readers sighing
with relief as the two find their way to get back together.
This is a charming story of the relationship between a boy and his
dog, sure to please all readers who will scan the wonderful
illustrations to see the sort of life led on farm. I was entranced
with Foot's illustrations of rural life and the pages comparing the
life of the dog on the farm with that of the boy in the city through
evocative letters and soft edged illustrations, all revealing the
emotional ties between a boy and his dog.
Fran Knight
