Hachette Australia, 2018. ISBN: 9781444763591. paperback, 400pgs.
(Age: 13+) Weirdness at its max but that's Jasper Fforde's
quirkiness and inventive style. Early Riser is Fforde's
latest standalone novel since Shades of Grey. I sure wanted
to put another jumper on while reading because it's the beginning of
winter and I could feel the coldness leaking through the pages of
the novel. I'm so glad that it's not as cold as the alternative
winter months in Wales described in this book. Imagine a world that
is so harsh that we have to hibernate through winter while only a
few stay awake to take care of the sleepers. Oh and imagine how much
you have to eat to fatten yourself to be the right size to survive
the sleep. I found it amazing that the opposite of the way we think
today is beautiful . . . meaning the fatter you are the healthier
you were because you would survive the winter sleep.
I didn't mind the main character Charlie Worthing, I did find that
he was easily misled by people he met along the way but hey, that's
part of the story. Charlie was a new recruit for the Winter Consul
and the novel is him experiencing his first season and adventure as
one. And what a journey did he take having to deal with
cannibalistic Nightwalkers, the Winter Volk, Hibertech Corporation,
Womads and undesirables he meets along the way, while also
experiencing dreaming for the first time.
If you like genre benders of sci-fi, fantasy, dreamscape, dystopian
and mystery this is the book for you.
Maria Komninos
Watch us rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagan
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526600868.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Highly inspirational, this work will
be the perfect read for young women and men everywhere. The main
characters, Jasmine and Chelsea, take turns in fleshing out a
refreshingly satisfying multi-layered story of making a difference
in today's world. There is an accessible complexity to this work
that embraces intersectionality to explore feminism, discrimination,
misogyny and institutionalised racism through poetry and prose. The
writing highlights influencers such as: The Dark Room Collective,
Tracy K. Smith, Kevin Young, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Gloria Steinem,
Natalie Diaz, Sarah Jones, Reena Saini Kallat and Henrietta Lacks.
Jasmine and Chelsea want to make a difference - now. They both, in
differing ways, struggle with how to 'Write like a girl' and
negotiate the political landscape that seeks to restrain public
advocacy by women. One touching aspect of the work is the way it
sensitively reflects on blind spots. Even a woke activist can act in
ways that others see as unjust - and importantly a true friend will
help you see your blind spot and stand by you as you move forward.
This work gently encourages intergenerational relationships as
fundamental to fully developing as a human being and plotting a path
for effective change making in the world. These relationships
(positive and negative) provide an impetus for growth in the
characters portrayed in the story.
Additionally the work explores love and grief through family and
romantic relationships. Everyday lives are complex and it is this
complexity that balances the fervent desire for change Jasmine and
Chelsea fight for.
Linda Guthrie
We hunt the flame by Hafsah Faizal
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2019. ISBN: 9780374313647
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Fantasy.
Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of ancient Arabia, We hunt the
flame draws together two strong characters: Zafira, the hunter, a
woman dressed as a man, venturing into the dark Arz forest to hunt
animals to provide food for her people, and Nasir, the dark prince,
a feared hashashin assassin, who kills men on the orders of his
father the Sultan of Arawiya. "People lived because she killed" and
"people died because he lived".
Arawaya is a kingdom of five caliphates, under the rule of the
Sultan Ghameq, a ruler who has succumbed to evil, and who in his
continual quest for greater power is prepared to kill his own
people. The whole land has been cursed by the loss of the magic that
formerly protected it. Demenhur, Zafira's homeland, has become
blanketed in cold and snow, the people are starving, and the
darkness of the Arz forest is gradually encroaching further onto the
land. Only Zafira has been able to venture into the forest in her
hunt for prey and been able to return alive and unharmed. An
encounter with the Silver Witch challenges her to go further into
the forest and then across to the island of Sharr to retrieve the
lost power of magic. Unknown to her, the Dark Prince, the assassin,
has also been sent on the same quest to gain the power for his
father.
Faisal has created an amazing fantasy world, with a Middle Eastern
flavour. The men wear turbans or keffiyeh and thobes; and Zafira
shields her identity with a hooded cloak. In Demenhur the caliph
refuses to allow the women any rights or recognise their
capabilities, whilst in neighbouring Zaram there were female
warriors. Each of the caliphates is different, just as the countries
of the Middle East are different. The current situation in Syria has
its reflection in the story of the ruthless Sultan Gharmeq and his
plans to overcome his subjects with a deadly poison gas, with small
children among his victims.
Faizal's writing style is rich and poetic and includes many Arabic
words, a joy for Arabic speakers or Arabic language learners. There
is no need for a glossary though as words reveal their meanings in
context and the reader gradually becomes familiar with a basic
vocabulary.
The author's photograph is shown on the back cover. An American
Muslim, she appears in her black niqab, clothing she is proud to
wear. It is wonderful that she has been able to bring the world of
Arabic culture and history that she knows so well to this gripping
story of mystery, adventure and romance, made so much more
interesting with its Arabian flavour.
While the story twists to a dramatic ending, there are clearly
threads that can be picked up again, and no doubt there will be a
sequel. Readers of We hunt the flame will be eagerly awaiting the
next book.
Helen Eddy
Mr Walker and the dessert delight by Jess Black
Illus. by Sara Acton. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9780143793083.
(Ages 7-10) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs, Hotels, Cooking. The
story of Mr. Walker the Labrador Ambassador is based on a real-life
dog who is part of the staff at the Park Hyatt Melbourne. There are
five charming books in the series that cover different adventures and
this one covers one of his favourites, food. The Hotel is having an
anniversary party and a flamboyant pastry chef has been invited to
assist Chef Remy, a temperamental French chef, with preparations.
The story shows the way Mr. Walker and Henry, the hotel manager,
interact with the many staff in daily hotel life. Even if you have
never read any of the other books in the series the beginning of the
book gives enough detail to be able to get to know the characters to
be able understand the story.
The twenty year anniversary party is very important, and Henry is
busy making sure the preparations for it are taken care of. But Mr.
Walker observes the tension building between the two chefs and the
imminent disaster which could occur if something is not done to fix
this relationship. He takes it upon himself to bring the chefs
together to bring calm to the kitchen. When Mr. Walker causes a
last minute dessert disaster which threatens to ruin the dinner, the
chefs and Henry's family work together to make it a resounding
success. To his delight Mr. Walker is even given a taste of the
result.
These stories will be popular with younger readers and can be read
aloud to a class with ease. Many children love the fact that they
are written from the dog's point of view. There are notes in the
back of the book telling the story of the real Mr. Walker and
pointing out the other books in the series.
Gabrielle Anderson
Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae
Illus. by Guy Parker-Rees. 20th anniversary edition. Hachette, 2019.
ISBN: 9781408354414.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dancing, Giraffes, Verse
story. The fact that Giraffes can't dance has been in print for 20
years speaks of the timelessness and appeal of the story,
beautifully written in verse by Andreae, and illustrated with
appealing pictures of jungle animals by Parker-Rees. A quote on the
back cover from the Daily Mail 'All toddlers should grow up reading
this', says it all - it is a classic story that reads aloud
beautifully and sends an important message about finding your own
way of doing things.
Gerard the giraffe really wants to dance, but his body with its long
neck and skinny legs, makes it hard to find his rhythm and the other
jungle animals laugh at his attempts. Despondent, he leaves the
gathering but a wise cricket tells him
" . . .sometimes when you're different
You just need a different song.'
And when Gerard finds that song, he is able to do the most beautiful
dance in his own way. Children will love the warthogs' waltz, the
chimps' cha-cha, and the lions' tango, but most of all they will
love Gerard's dance, and his final words,
'We can all dance, he said,
When we find music that we love.'
The rhythm of the story will captivate young listeners as will the
colourful illustrations, especially of Gerald as he boogies along
and does a backwards somersault against the background of a full
moon. Children who are old enough to read independently will be
reassured that everyone can find music of their own to dance to.
This is a lovely, feel good book, perfect for toddlers and newly
independent readers.
Pat Pledger
Moonwalkers by Mark Greenwood
Illustrated by Terry Denton.
Penguin Random House Australia, 2019. ISBN 9780143793557.
(Ages: 5-8) Recommended. Themes: Apollo 11 moon landing, Imaginative play. 2019 is the fiftieth anniversary of the first humans
walking on the moon but this new publication also comes amidst the
imminent growth of Australia's own space industry. The book looks at
the moon landing in a playful way, as three kids growing up near
'The Dish' in outback Australia focus their imaginative play and
creations around all things space. They are clearly fascinated by
the idea of space travel: building model rockets, playing astronauts
and simulating their own moon landing. When it comes time for the
real landing, they gather in front of the television with their
parents and watch as the astronauts step down the ladder and onto
the moon. This really recreates what it would have felt like as a
kid when this happened: their excitement and wonder are palpable.
There are toys and stuff all over the ground, the kids are just
having the time of their life and the parents seem laidback and
encouraging of the children and their play. It harks back to a
simpler time, when the world was an open book, full of
possibilities; as we should all feel as children I guess!
There is a tried and tested collaborative partnership between Denton
and Greenwood that works perfectly again here. Busy, fun
illustrations and touches of humour and interesting additions make
this appealing for all young children learning about and already
fascinated by space exploration. All the technical detail is
relegated to the front and back pages (a short introduction to the
mission and the astronauts at the beginning and a flowchart and a
few other facts at the end). Young children of today are growing up
with parents who don't have first-hand memory of the moon landing to
pass on and who probably take it for granted, so it's an important
milestone to share. It also reminds us of a time when Australia's
involvement in space was significant, at a time when there is
once again a promising future (perhaps we can encourage those
astronaut dreams again!). Teachers'
notes are available.
Nicole Nelson
Amundsen's way: the race to the South Pole by Joanna Grochowicz
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN 9781760637668.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Scott's tragic journey to the South Pole is
well known but the victorious great adventure of his competitor,
Roald Amundsen is hardly known. Joanna Grochowicz puts paid to that
with her thrilling description of the wily, uncompromising Norwegian
leader and his devoted crew members, fighting against blizzards,
cold, hunger, fatigue and terrifying crevasses. It seems that every
step towards the goal of being first to reach the South Pole was
fraught with danger. It was Amundsen's knowledge, leadership and
courage that got everyone through safely.
There are vivid descriptions of the barriers created by the
landscape as the expedition pushes deep into the unknown interior,
flashbacks to earlier formative expeditions and wonderful accounts
of the dogs, how they were used and their faithful service. Also,
the mental and physical stress of the men and how they coped, helps
build interest and tension in the story.
The fictional narrative of the book is based on thorough research
and would suit adolescent readers. It has 299 pages, 52 short
chapters and includes maps, drawings and photographs.
Paul Pledger
Alex Rider: Secret weapon by Anthony Horowitz
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN 9781406387476.
An anthology of short stories about reluctant teenage spy Alex
Rider. Much like Horowitz' other novels, it is fast-paced and an
interesting read for lovers of the series.
The nature of the short stories, however, leaves little room for
character growth, but the recurring major characters are at least
well established, even without prior familiarity with the series.
This leaves this particular novel easy to pick up for new readers of
the Alex Rider series. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the
antagonists of each story, which seem to be one dimensional stereotypes.
The plots aren't much to speak of, generally being one single action
set piece, but for short stories, that's exactly what is expected.
The anthology does leave a lot to be desired when it comes to
examining themes. There is a lot of potential left on the table. For
example, one story has Alex's 'normal' friend caught up in one of
his escapades, but rather than examine the stress of living a double
life, status quo is immediately re-established as Alex decides
without thinking twice to keep lying. A common element throughout
the stories is how Alex's uncle conditioned him from childhood to be
a spy, and while this is resented it still goes unexamined for what
amounts to parental abuse. There's also a really uncomfortable
jingoistic undercurrent, with the longest story being about bombing
a cell of Middle-Eastern terrorists, and even the shortest story
finds time to engage in Churchill apologia. The settings of the
stories are deliberately somewhat non-specific, either a fictional
part of a given country, or very broadly 'London', and vaguely
modern time.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, as it helps avoid the
stories dating themselves. The first person perspective somewhat
hurts the writing style of the anthology, as any descriptive
language comes through the filter of a 14-year-old. Still, the
light-hearted tone suits these one-shot action stories well.
Vincent Hermann
Nullaboo hullabaloo by Fleur Ferris
Puffin 2019. ISBN: 9780143787143.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fairies, School, Competition,
Environment. Gemma Hart wants to research butterflies for this
year's science competition. The school won first prize last year and
this year Gemma wants to emulate her former friend's success.
But Gemma is given the topic of march flies and dispirited goes into
the school garden to see if she can spy any. What she sees is a
feather and capturing this in her nifty bug catcher finds it is a
fairy called Janomi and it needs her help. Janomi tells Gemma about
her colony and how their leader, Papa Faffa, has been taken prisoner
by their enemies, the silver spiders. Gemma promises to help rescue
him.
But footage of the fairies ends up on the Internet, and Gemma and
her family must do all they can do to save the colony being
uncovered and exploited by the DUP (Department of Unexpected Things)
represented by two most inept officers.
This action filled story about the magical world of fairies is also
a story about community, working together to preserve living
creatures and the environment. Along the way it is about friendship
and being able to see past differences of opinion when lives are at
stake. The story focusses on families and friends and a small
community working together to achieve its aims.
This is Australian author Fleur Ferris's first novel for younger
readers. After her working life as a police office and paramedic,
Fleur has used her knowledge of the darker side of life to write the
award winning Risk, followed by Wreck and Found,
all three gripping young adult stories based on her sound knowledge
of police work. Nullaboo hullaballoo is certainly different from the three
novels previously written by Ferris, but the target audience will
read it readily, and hope like me that it is the first of a series
of stories about fairies in our backyard.
Fran Knight
My culture and me by Gregg Dreise
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143789376.
(Age: 7-10) Recommended.
Themes: Identity, Aboriginal peoples, Culture, Aboriginal Poetry.
'We need to always remember, to keep our culture growing inside. We
must learn our traditions, and always be filled with pride.'
Storyteller, musician and artist Gregg Dreise proudly presents his
connections to country and celebrates his history in My culture
and me. With natural landscapes painted in earth tones
overlaid with dot paintings, closeups of dancing fire, celebrations
of dancing and music, he captures the ancestral and personal
relationships with the environment. Rich ochre tones, sage greens,
sky blues, fiery reds and earth tones create a visually rich
narrative. Bright shining eyes, warm smiles and a sense of pride
show in the closeups of the dancers sharing their sense of belonging
and stories.
Dreise's use of poetry, sensory images concisely written to explore
and explain his culture. Sensory experiences are portrayed: 'the
waving lines of the rivers, tantalising, a refreshing shine.' Here,
Aboriginal footballers support each other climbing down the cliffs
with one kneeling to look at the shining water. He captures the
spirit of the dancers prepare for corroboree with ochre decorations.
Percussive sounds, the feelings of the didgeridoo, musical rhythms,
the clapsticks' melodies provide the sense of belonging and making
their families proud. He presents ways forward to future generations
to develop their sense of identity and honour their culture. 'We
must listen to the spirits, from our hearts to our hands.'
Gregg Driese's biography concludes My culture and me
explaining his Dreaming, connection to Country and his Emu totem
which can be found throughout his paintings.
This book is a valuable resource for Junior and Middle Primary
educators teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories
and Cultures' key concepts of Country/Place, Culture and People.
Rhyllis Bignell
Moon fish: Poems to make you laugh and think by Harry Laing
Ford Street Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925804256.
(Age: 5-11) Theme: Poetry. This is Harry Laing's second book of
poems; he has performed the poems from his first collection, Shoctopus,
at festivals and in schools around Australia. There are some
exquisite illustrations in here that aren't fully appreciated at
first glance; I think because there is so much variation in style it
is a little overwhelming or confusing at first. But when you take
each individual poem on its own merits there are some fantastic
pieces and many would be great for reading aloud and performing.
Illustrations by Shaun Tan, Lucia Masciullo and Mitch Vane are
particular standouts. Sadly, there are quite a few illustrations
that are disappointing or just don't seem to belong, especially when
placed next to others of a very high calibre. There are some
standout poems (Termite tales, Spider action, Creatures you wouldn't
want to meet, Pet flea) and some that are relatable to the target
audience (It's pizza! And Dog language) but the lack of consistency
in both the text and the illustrations (if one element was more
uniform it would help) makes the collection a little unfocused. In
addition, some poems are trying to be a bit too hip to appeal to a
young crowd (I'm an angry old lady), some are a bit too strange (The
yumbie) and some won't be understood by the target age group (I'm
Henry Lawson's moustache, TV Pug). While there are some impressive
elements here, it doesn't seem to gel all that cohesively as a
complete work.
Nicole Nelson
The Space race by Sarah Cruddas
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241343777.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Moon, Solar system, Space
transport, Mars mission. Astronaut Eileen Collins introduces The
Space race in an inspirational foreword. She discusses her
nine-year-old dreams to become a female astronaut, her career as a
space pilot and her future hopes for women to walk on the moon and
live on Mars. The Space race is presented in three sections: 'To the Moon';
'After Apollo 11' and 'The new Space race'. Each spread includes
easy-to-read information, colourful photographs, diagrams and charts
with interesting captions. In Rocket Power we learn about ancient
Greek scientist Archytas who created a steam-powered wooden pigeon
which flew on a wire for 200 metres. The Chinese invented gunpowder
and fired arrows filled with this explosive material from 1200CE.
Animals played an important role: fruit flies, mice, the Russian dog
Laika even a trained chimpanzee called Ham who tested weightlessness
for sixteen minutes!
The 1960's Space race influenced TV shows - The Jetsons, clothes,
toys, fashion and even food and drinks. Author Sarah Cruddas
provides backgrounds of the women who played pivotal roles,
mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Some women worked as
'human computers' solving difficult mathematical calculations to
understand spacecraft performance. 'The quiet heroes' tells of the
team of 400,000 people who backed the astronauts, from seamstresses
who handstitched the space suits to ground control personnel and the
teams of scientists and engineers across the globe who tracked their
flights.
'The new Space race' is a wonderfully exciting section, exploring
the future possibilities with robonauts, super mega-rockets, the new
space nation of China and the possibility of building s permanent
base on the Moon and Mars. The author leaves the ending open - where
to next?
Sarah Cruddas and the Dorling Kindersley publishers have created a
visually outstanding and highly educational resource. The Space
race is an excellent resource for STEM and History research
investigating the ancient and modern dynamics of travel, propulsion,
living in Space and the influences of governments in exploring
space. Families will enjoy sharing this informative book, opening up
new realms and frontiers, providing lively discussions and piquing
the interests of space fans.
Rhyllis Bignell
The race to Space by Clive Gifford
Illus. by Paul Daviz. Words and Pictures, 2019. ISBN: 9781786038890.
64pp., hbk.
It is hard to believe that it is only a little over a century since
the Wright Brothers made the first powered flight, achieving a
distance of 37 metres at an altitude of just three metres with the
flight lasting just 12 seconds at the amazing speed of nearly 11km
per hour, and now we take flight taken for granted with humans spending
months in space in the International Space Station, vehicles landing
on Mars and probes travelling to the deepest corners of the solar
system.
Even though the earliest rockets were invented by China over 600
years ago, it wasn't till the mid-20th century when the USSR
launched Sputnik, the first manmade device to orbit the Earth, in
1957 and the US, the other world power to have emerged from World
War II, were concerned that this would lead to the USSR having
military control of space, that the race for the exploration of
space really got going.
As the 50th anniversary of man first's landing on the moon
approaches, this new book traces the history of the space race from
the launch of Sputnik to the moon landing with its early focus on
the tensions between the US and the USSR, and concluding with the
'handshake across space' in the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975
marking a new collaboration rather than competition.
Illustrated in full colour and spattered with quotes from
significant participants of the times, this is a book for
independent readers who want to know the stories behind the
milestones and understand why it became a 'race' with that word's
connotation of winners and losers.
Another opportunity to revitalise your collection about this period
of history that is really so recent that many staff and parents will
remember it vividly.
Barbara Braxton
Don't follow Vee by Oliver Phommanvanh
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143505747.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour.
Vee has always gone along with her mother's snapping a picture each
morning to put on her Instagram account 'The Chronicles of Vee' - an
account her Mum started when she was a baby, and Vee always says yes
when Mum asks her if it is OK to continue, but this year is
different. Vee is in high school, and Mum has begun accepting things
from businesses to have Vee wear at school and show online. She has
also started trying to jazz up Vee's life and show baby pictures,
something Vee hates. She tries being anti-Vee, doing things that Mum
would hate to try and turn the account upside down, but she gains
more followers. Mum is aiming for 150,000 followers so what can Vee
do to stop it all. So she turns the table on her mother, snapping
her one morning before she wakes. She encourages her mother to get
out more, join a singing group and meet new friends.
This is an excellent middle-primary book about the Internet,
friendship, and family. Phommanvanh's humour is a treat, easy to
read and laugh out loud at the antics of Vee as she tries to subvert
her mother's interference in her life.
Along the way are some neat sideswipes at the power of the mobile
phone, as children cannot wait to see the number of likes, or what
the next instalment of Vee's life is about or how many burgers her
friend has eaten, or what Mum is doing to get her daughter noticed.
The underlining imperative of 'get a life' appealed to me and will
touch those who read the book and may find that reading it better
than looking at a screen!
And I loved Vee, trying hard not to upset her mum who has brought
her up alone but equally aware that she needs to focus on something
else, and make a life for herself.
Fran Knight
The very hungry caterpillar's birthday party by Eric Carle
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241376119. Board book.
(Age: 1-5) Highly recommended. Themes: Birthday parties,
Caterpillars. Everyone's favourite caterpillar is back with a
birthday party to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The very
hungry caterpillar. A board book, complete with glitter and
sparkle and a special fold-out surprise, has the very hungry
caterpillar watching the events of a special day. The colours are
all hues of the rainbow and flowers and bees, butterflies and
ladybirds, can be seen fluttering in the air. All the accessories
that make a wonderful party are scattered throughout the book. There
are 'Bright balloons . . . bobbing in the sky' and 'pom-poms burst
with colour', while a pile of gifts stands high and the candles are
alight on the birthday cake. All of these are watched by birds, a
curious cat, and a line of ants and of course, the very hungry
caterpillar. The book culminates with a gorgeous fold-out that eager
little fingers will long to touch. Along the way, they will be able
to search for the hungry caterpillar and see what he is up to and
observant children may notice that he is growing bigger as well.
Fans of The very hungry caterpillar will be thrilled to see
another beautiful, sturdy board book that little children will
delight in, complete with all the magic and art of the original
story. The interactive foldout, with its raised glitter objects, is
a tactile pleasure, a lovely bonus for children who like to touch
and feel. It would make a perfect birthday present and a great read
aloud to share at bedtime.
Pat Pledger
