Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925591552.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Philosophy, Questions. Violet has big
ideas and is always thinking about them. But when she starts
thinking about nothing, it creates an impossible range of more
questions to ponder and try to answer. She asks a range of people
for their idea about nothing, and tries out their responses for
herself, but still cannot come to any conclusion. She asks, what is
nothing? and where is nothing? She ponders about whether it is real
and if nothing is real, then is anything real?
A quizzical book for those who like to find an answer to the big
questions of life, or at least ponder the big questions of life,
this book encourages creativity and imagination as readers will
share Violet's questioning with their cohort, eager to find some
answers. Readers will follow Violet's pursuit of the answers to her
big questions, hoping that she does reach a conclusion, but equally
satisfied that one question leads to another. Children will use
their imaginations along with Violet in seeking out answers to the
big questions.
The imaginative illustrations showcase the ordinariness of Violet's
home life, contrasted with the jumble of colours and lines
representing her mind as she thinks about things. I love Mum putting
on her shoes or Gran painting, while Violet's mind is a kaleidoscope
of colour. Readers will love picking out all the things within that
mess of colour, showing what is going on in Violet's mind as she
thinks about all sorts of things at the same time. The wonderful
endpapers had me hooked for some little while trying to pursue some
of Violet's thinkings.
Fran Knight
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781444945256.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. This book was captivating and disturbing. A
confronting story of family relationships is told through the eyes
of Rachel. Rachel belongs to a family devoted to a fundamentalist
Christian religion.
The family church emphasises female submission and follows a rigid
interpretation of the Bible that sets all followers apart from the
rest of civilisation. Family members do not attend school or
associate with members of the wider community.
Rachel accesses the one computer in the house to manage her father's
business. This opens the door to knowledge - and Rachel begins to
realise that there might be more to life. This book sensitively and
intelligently explores the relationship Rachel has with her faith.
The reader considers the actions of her family when her access to
wider knowledge is discovered. As Rachel interrogates the differing
perspectives on offer the reader also interprets their perspectives
of the Bible, feminism, and vegetarian lifestyles.
There is a delicate touch to the writing that shows Rachel evolving
through the experience of leaving the community. The support she
receives nurtures her and is provided without judgement. 'Tell me,
what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?' is
the question that returns throughout the book. Devoted is an
essential read.
Linda Guthrie
Super cats by Gwyneth Rees and Becka Moir
Bloomsbury, 2019 ISBN: 9781408894194.
(Age: 5-8) Themes: Cats, Superpowers. Gwyneth Rees brings cats,
magic, superpowers and villains together in her new book Super
cats, just right for young readers.
Tagg the tabby kitten was born in spring to Melody and Chester.
Whilst his other brothers and sisters find new homes, he keeps
coming back after several attempts to find him a family. Of course,
there's a special reason for this, young Tagg has been born with a
superpower just like his mum and dad. His brother Rowdy from a
previous litter also has a super feline ability.
In the summer house, his great-uncle shares stories of previous
Feline Force adventures and Tagg tries to imagine what his talent
will be. When beautiful cat Glamour lands on the roof to report her
partner Flash, is missing after leaving home to purchase tickets for
an upcoming concert, the other cats become worried. Why is the
concert venue in an abandoned factory? What is the eccentric human
scientist and his feline offsider planning? With three other
supercats missing, all the adult Feline Force team gather to plan
and then infiltrate the concert to search for their missing friends.
Tagg sneaks off against his parents' instructions and teams up with
Sugarfoot the kitten. Together they become involved in dangerous
adventures, narrow escapes, scary bodyguards and foil evil plots. As
Tagg grows and helps save the missing cats, his surprising super
talent appears.
Gwyneth Rees' fast-paced story is just right for young animal fans
and Becca Moir's line drawings show all the feline action. What's
next for young Tagg and his new kitten friends - time for a team of
new super-agents?
Rhyllis Bignell
Things nobody knows but me by Amra Pajalic
Transit Lounge, 2019. ISBN: 9781925760200.
(Age: Adult) Memoir. Pajalic writes that as a young person she had
judged her mother and found her wanting, as a mother, as a wife, as
a human being. It was only when she was 16 that a school counsellor
helped her realise that her mother was most likely suffering from
manic depression, that there was a chemical imbalance in her brain
that caused her moods and behaviour to change in ways she could not
control. This was a revelation that changed Pajalic's perspective of
her mother, and led her to better understanding and forgiveness. Things nobody knows but me is a record of Pajalic's chaotic
childhood, the highs and lows of a life where parental guidance was
lacking, and where one unpredictable thing could happen after
another. The child Amra and her younger brother had to largely fend
for themselves, and try to work out the mysteries of the adult world
around them, often in situations that veered on dangerous.
When they travel to Bosnia, and stay with her mother's parents,
there is at least the security of rules and boundaries, but it comes
with harsh physical punishments for any wrongdoing. Amra comes to
realise that her mother and in fact all the women in her family have
had a very restricted life, where men have a free hand, and women
have to fearfully guard their moral reputations.
With the realisation of the things her mother had to bear, Pajalic
has a better appreciation of the opportunities now available to her,
and the freedoms that she in turn can offer her own daughter.
For the reader, it provides an intimate insight into mental health
issues, parenting styles and abuse, and women's rights.
Helen Eddy
We're stuck by Sue deGennaro
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781760663476.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Elevators, Friendship, City
life. With a tongue in cheek swipe at the unfriendly attitude of
people when getting into a lift in a city apartment, Sue deGennaro
highlights the isolation that many city dwellers create. Separated
from each other, rarely acknowledging another's existence, the
animals living in this apartment only needed a small prod to
communicate with each other.
A wonderful double page opens before the reader, making them turn
the book on its side so they can see the apartment house in its
entirety and the animals that live on each floor getting ready to
leave for work. Readers will have fun looking closely at the animals
to see what each wears and what work each does, so musing about
where they are going. DeGennaro's illustrations are enticing with
her pen and ink techniques, giving a humanity to the animals which
all readers will recognise; the large tuba player, the very busy
lion looking at his watch, the shy turtle sliding into the corner of
the lift, the very round hippo chef, the tall giraffe with a ladder!
and so on. Each is polite but stays guardedly aloof from the others
in the lift.
But something happens to bring them all together. The lift breaks
down and is stuck.
Turtle mentions that it is his birthday so without saying too many
words, the animals look into their various bags to find things to
help him celebrate his special day. Readers will be delighted and
amused seeing what each animal can design out of something very
simple - Crocodile inflates her rubber gloves, Hippo uses the
newspaper to make paper hats, Pelican finds a cake in his bag, and
they all sing out surprise to Turtle. Hippo helps Giraffe with her
allergies, Whale tells everyone she is a hairdresser and cuts lion's
mane, and they all settle down to chat and eat cake. When their
rescuers arrive, no rescuing is needed, and the firemen are invited
in for a cup of tea.
A delightful story well told will have children begging it to be
read again. Layers of understanding about life in a city, isolation
and lack of communication will not go unnoticed by the readers, as
they see that it only needs a small trigger for people to break down
the barriers. Readers will love to contemplate the next steps for
the residents of apartment block 24, now that their lives have
changed so completely.
Fran Knight
It's Trevor Noah: born a crime by Trevor Noah
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781529318760.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Trevor Noah is a stand-up comedian and so
you would expect his book to be funny. And funny it is, with many
stories that made me laugh out loud. But what readers might not be
so aware of, is that he grew up in apartheid South Africa, the son
of a black woman and a white man, at a time when it was a crime to
have any kind of inter-racial relationship, so his very existence
was a crime.
Apartheid was a rigid policy of segregation and discrimination where
people were assigned to one of four different racial groups: black,
white, coloured, or Asian (Indian and Pakistani). Bizarrely,
Japanese were considered white, because it suited the government's
trade relations. South Africa was a police state designed to keep
black people, the majority, oppressed by the white minority; with
movement, education and job opportunities for black people severely
restricted.
So how was Trevor Noah able to grow up largely unscathed and able to
follow his dreams? It is all thanks to his fiercely independent and
proud mother, who refused to bow to any racist laws and who always
found a way to get around the restrictions. She was a fervent
Christian who believed that Jesus would look after her and her
family if they did the right thing in God's eyes. She was also a
strong disciplinarian, motivated by love and determination that her
son would follow the right path. As a result Noah had an amazing
life, with many adventures, that is so fascinating to read about. He
credits a lot his ability to mix between the racial groups to his
grasp of the different languages of each group, and promotes
multilingualism as a great way to overcome stereotypes and break
down barriers.
This version of his book has been adapted for young readers. It
interleaves short descriptions of the apartheid regime with
rollicking stories of the misadventures that made up his life. It
makes for informative and also thoroughly enjoyable reading that
will be sure to make you laugh.
Helen Eddy
The Fork, The Witch and The Worm by Christopher Paolini
Tales from Alagaesia bk. 1. Penguin, 2019. ISBN:
9780241392379.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This is a new collection of stories
based in the world of the Inheritance Cycle. Can you enjoy
this book when you have not read the Inheritance Cycle
series? Yes. This book may be just the book you are looking for to
entice those readers a little reluctant to take on the Inheritance
Cycle series because of the size of the volumes.
The book comprises three stories: The Fork; The Witch (with the
chapter 'On the Nature Stars' written by Christopher's sister Angela
and The Worm. The book begins with Eragon working to establish Mount
Arngor as the Dragon Rider's new home.
Of these stories it is 'The Worm' and 'The Fork' that really
captivate the reader. In 'The Fork', an innkeeper's daughter
encounters a mysterious traveller at a tipping point in her life.
She confides in the traveller who provides timely advice. Later when
the traveller's meeting with traders has an unexpected outcome, the
wisdom of the advice becomes clear. This story relates the
advantages of confronting your fears.
'The Worm' is the story of Ilgra. She lives in a village that is
attacked by a dragon. Following the attack, that kills her father,
dragon takes up residence above the village. Ilgra trains herself to
be a mighty warrior and then convinces a shaman to teach her the
magic she needs to defeat the dragon. There is a real feeling of a
Norse saga about this story. The themes of courage, loss and
persistence are well told in this final story.
Linda Guthrie
The multiplying mysteries of Mount Ten by Krista Van Dolzer
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781681197708.
(Age: 8 - 12) Esther, an aspiring 12-year-old artist has worked hard
to get her art portfolio perfect and is on her way to attend a
prestigious art camp in her holidays but finds herself at a Maths
camp after getting hopelessly lost in a storm with her step-father.
She feels like a fish out of water at Camp Archimedes but after
getting involved in some of the camp's puzzles and activities and
then solving a very complicated brain teaser in a single day her
confidence lifts.
So, when faced with the cryptic, threatening notes left for her and
some of her fellow campers she resolves not only solve to the
mystery but save the victims she thinks have been kidnapped,
including her stepfather. Not knowing who she can really trust
Esther works with the children who have found the notes and they
show great cooperation skills as they work together to find a way to
make the notes lead them to a solution.
The book provides the reader with a variety of good puzzles to solve
along the way and if read to a class it would be entertaining to try
to solve the puzzles along with the characters.
The characters were not as well developed as in some other books for
this age group, but they are strong enough to make this an
entertaining story. The story moves a little slowly at first but has
a satisfying resolution and picks up the pace through the book to
reach it.
The relationship Esther has with her stepfather Toby and the way
they interact will resonate with the many children who are living in
mixed families.
A side story about a character called the Fenimore Forger is not a
necessary part of the overall story but perhaps the author has
included it as an added interest for art lovers.
A good book for readers who like maths. Themes: Mathematics puzzles,
Problem-solving, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Maple the brave by Chloe Jasmine Harris
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925381924.
(Age: 4+) Bravery, Fear, Seasons. Madge lives in a little house,
high above the trees. Here she has the water from the roof and the
trees are so close that she can pick the fruit from their branches.
But she is wracked by fear of the unknown. And the worst fear is
about the animals that live on the forest floor, so she never
ventures there.
But one day the water stops falling and the trees begin to wilt, no
longer producing any fruit. She must go to the forest floor to find
food. But she is so frightened. She ventures down amongst the dark
trees and once there meets the animals she has been so frightened
of. They are welcoming, and teach her to run swiftly, to swim, to
climb and to travel over rough waters. She becomes an adventurer,
staying with her new friends, learning from them how to survive. But
she must return to her home and her friends go back with her until
it is time for them to return to their on homes.
Cutely illustrated, the story of Maple and her home in the sky will
appeal to those who like to be by themselves, who crave time out,
but also know that they cannot live by themselves, that we all need
others to survive.
Maple is a engaging young girl, and readers will enjoy seeing how
she lives by herself, picking out the detail shown in her home.
Teachers will be able to talk about the seasons represented in the
book and the sort of adventures Maple has on the forest floor and
how she overcomes her irrational fears of the unknown. Activities
are available in Walker's
storytime kit.
Fran Knight
Alex and the alpacas save the world by Kathryn Lefroy
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815412.
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Mystery, South American
history, Alpacas. Kathryn Lefroy's realistic fantasy draws the
reader in immediately, there's an ancient prophecy, portents of
evil, talking llamas and a young girl whose destiny is coming to
fruition. Alex envisions a boring summer holidays just helping her
mysterious grandfather on his farm. With a fractured foot, he's
unable to look after his alpacas and the olive grove.
When Alex touches an unusual symbol on the farm gate, a splinter of
wood draws blood and the atmosphere changes. She unleashes magical
forces and wakes up Kiala a powerful spirit trapped in the forest.
Grandpa's unhappy about his daughter and granddaughter's visit; he
believes his grandson Wilf is the fortieth sun needed to fulfil the
ancient prophecy. Things quickly escalate; Alex's ability to
communicate with the talking alpacas, her interpretation of the
one-thousand-year-old prophecy and the appearance of a huge white
sea eagle are just the beginning.
When Alex's mother is poisoned by the bite of a Tasmanian tiger and
slips into a coma, Alex must overcome her fears and search for the
antidote deep in the forest. Assisted by Leeuie a boy from a nearby
apple orchard who is a walking encyclopaedia of nature facts, they
ride the alpacas into the dark woods, desperate to overcome the evil
forces. Ferocious Tasmanian tigers herd them towards the evil spirit
trapped in a tree. Alex and Leeuie must find the elements listed in
each line of the prophecy and stop the evil force.
In Kathryn Lefroy's Alex and the Alpacas Save the World we
see elemental forces at play, in a wonderfully crafted world filled
with shades of darkness and light. Her world-building sets fantasy
characters amidst the realities of Tasmanian forests and farms. Both
Alex and Leeuie are relatable characters whose journey is exciting
and scary. As Alex fulfils her destiny, she learns to rely on her
new friend, collaborating to complete the challenges and stepping
outside their comfort zones. There is a fast-paced urgency to the
narrative as they seek to find the cure for Alex's mother.
Fulfilling your destiny, the fight of good and evil, the power of
love and the restoration of family relationships are key themes. An
excellent Upper Primary class novel and an exciting read for nine to
twelve-year-old fantasy fans.
Rhyllis Bignell
We are blood and thunder by Kesia Lupo
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408898055.
(Age: 12+ ) Recommended. Themes: YA, fantasy, magic. 'In a sealed
off city, it begins with a hunt. A young woman, Lena, is running for
her life, convicted of being a mage and sentenced to death. Her only
way to survive is to trust those she has been brought up to fear,
those with magic.
On the other side of the locked gates is a masked lady, Constance,
determined to find a way back in. She knows only too well how the
people of Duke's Forest loathe magic. Years ago she escaped before
her powers were discovered. But now she won't hide who she is any
longer.
A powerful and terrifying storm cloud unites them. It descends over
the dukedom and devastates much in its wake. But this is more than a
thunderstorm. This is a spell, and the truth behind why it has been
cast is more sinister than anyone can imagine . . . ' (Publisher)
Only Lena and Constance hold the key to destroying the spell. Though
neither of them realise it, they need each other. They are the blood
and they have the thunder within.
Kesia Lupo crafts a vibrant fantasy world in her debut novel, where
both kindness and cruelty stand out. The worldbuilding grounded the
story and gave a sense of reality through the characters' trials and
tribulations. In her emotive narration, Lupo enables the reader to
empathise with the main characters and feel indignant at the
inequity and unfairness that Lena faces. Lena's character growth was
a pleasure to read as she transforms from an insecure child unsure
of her place in the world to a young woman who understands her
identity and connections to the people around her. Constance's
mysterious and inscrutable character was a stark contrast to Lena's
easily perceived emotions, creating a compelling narrative that led
to an unexpected twist. The way the storm cloud connected Constance
and Lena emphasised the way the past actions of some can impact
other people's futures, binding them together through chance or
fate. Lupo's abrupt descriptions of character deaths suggests the
way people devalue others' lives is callous and beseeches readers to
consider the way our actions impact others; thought-provoking themes
for the current day and age. The pacing in the opening scene was
fast, heightening the tension, and remained at a good tempo for the
rest of the novel, slowing for the worldbuilding, then increasing
for climactic scenes. Some descriptions in the book are visceral and
not appropriate for young readers, but for teenagers, this novel is
an engaging, interesting read.
Stephanie Lam
Star Wars: Meet the Heroes: Chewbacca by Ruth Amos
DK. 2019. ISBN: 9780241387795. 63p
(Age: 8+) Themes: Star Wars, Heroes, Cinema. Like the other heroes
in the Star Wars Meet the Heroes series, Chewbacca, will
delight new fans of the Star Wars movies by revising some
fun facts about Han Solo's hairy side-kick.
We learn that Chewbacca is a rebel hero despite not having a
speaking part. We recall why Chewbacca makes howling noises and
learn obscure details about his Wookie upbringing. Higher order
questions about Chewbacca's mechanical and aeronautical abilities
compete with recall literary facts such as What is the Millennium
Falcon? How old is Chewbacca? Both the detail and the non-fiction
format make Chewbacca more credible - a pop culture icon!
The consistent format of both R2-D2 and Chewbacca in DK's latest Q
and A hardbacks, brands the Meet the Heroes series with a
mash-up of movie stills, colour blocks, bold headings and obligatory
glossary. All of the Meet the Villains and the Meet the
Heroes titles, promise to be enthusiastically received by
young fans who have only recently stumbled upon the Star Wars
stories.
Deborah Robins
Arthur and the tiger by Sophie Beer
Puffin books, 2019. ISBN: 9780143791836.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Tigers, Circuses, Fear.
Arthur's Circus is going along well, a bright contrast to the grey
smoggy city on the hill in the distance. He has a trapeze artist who
can soar like an eagle, a strongman who can lift a car with one
finger, jugglers who can breathe fire like the best of dragons, but
Arthur's son can do no tricks at all. Arthur the ringmaster tries
lots of things with his son, but each time he fails; all he wants to
do is have a picnic and a nice cup of tea. But one day his father
announces that there will be an addition to the circus: a tiger. And
the one to tame the tiger will be Arthur.
Everyone is terrified: the strongman shivers, the juggler is
jittery, the acrobat falls into her net, and the townspeople are
just as unhappy with a ferocious tiger about to arrive. But no one
is as scared as Arthur as he shivers in his bed, the bedclothes held
over his head. When the fearful day arrives and the animal is let
out of its tightly locked cage, it takes one look at Arthur's
friend, the mouse, and runs to hide. Arthur reassures him that all
is well and the two become friends, Arthur able to teach the tiger
some tricks which they perform, and after an evening's performance
can sit down with a picnic and a nice cup of tea.
A delightful story of friendship, of facing one's fears, of working
together to find an amicable solution will have children laughing
out loud as the tiger is more afraid of Arthur and his friends than
they are of the tiger.
The wonderfully playful illustrations convey the fun of the circus
on every page with blocks of big bold colour. Each page plays with
shape and texture, style and colour, and is exciting to look at and
ponder as the antics of each of the circus performers are shown.
Arthur's face is ever changing as he faces the challenge of taming
the tiger, relieved that the tiger is more scared than he.
Fran Knight
Malamander by Thomas Taylor
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406386288.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Family; Loss; Adventure;
Fantasy creatures. Set in the gloriously named 'Eerie-on-Sea', this
mystery adventure reveals quirky characters who try to solve the
mystery of the unusual creature, the Malamander, and its influence
on their local community. The main character is Herbie Lemon, a
young lad who works in the local Hotel as the 'Lost-and-Founder' -
an important role of returning lost things to their rightful owners.
Unexpectedly, a visitor named Violet drops into his office and
sparks a rollicking and roiling adventure to uncover the mystery of
missing parents, the hook-handed Sea Captain and the scary and
dangerous Malamander. With danger on the sea-shore, a talking cat
and an ominous author as distractions, Herbie and Violet explore
friendship and exercise problem-solving strategies to find what the
community has lost and found.
This is obviously going to be the first book in a series of further
adventures as the author, Thomas Taylor, leaves Herbie and Violet
poised for more mystery and problem-solving. Lovers of fantasy will
enjoy this book. The honesty and guileless nature of Herbie will
endear him to readers, and the extremely idiosyncratic nature of the
town and characters that inhabit it adds to the overall humorous
oddities that young readers will enjoy. The action that escalates in
the book is not so tense as to cause fear, but there is drama!
Packaged in a pull-out box, this would make an interesting and
appealing gift for a young reader.
Recommended for readers aged 10+
Carolyn Hull
Isles of storm and sorrow: Viper by Bex Hogan
Orion Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781510105836.
Recommended for mature readers aged 16+. Seventeen-year-old Marianne
is the daughter of the Viper - a sadistic and powerful Sea Captain
of the King's protective fleet. Surrounded by a crew of murderers
and psychopaths, Marianne is expected to become just like her
father, but she harbours a reticence that defies her heritage and
her father's cold-hearted purpose. With multiple murders, violence
and the intense distrust within this band of powerful misfits,
Marianne is set on a course that is brutal and disquieting. Almost
no crew members are worthy of trust, and she is always on the
lookout for betrayal and is conscious that something is very wrong
in her life. Her natural instinct is to heal rather than to kill,
maim and destroy and this puts her at odds with everything her
father does. Her relationship with her mentors Grace and Bronn has
been good in the past giving her glimpses of hope, but even these
relationships become remote and risky as she approaches her
Initiation. A chance discovery, an unexpected alliance and an
improbable future, combined with a mysterious history are all set to
collide in a war-like confrontation, with a hint of fantasy.
This is an intensely powerful story, with romance, violence, extreme
stress and internal and external conflict for the young protagonist.
The story has fantasy, piratical scenarios and sadistic characters
in abundance, and yet it is also the story of someone who desires to
rise above her circumstances and change her destiny. This is a
compelling story and readers will look forward to the rest of the
trilogy of Isles of storm and sorrow. However, extreme
violence described in the book makes this a book for older readers
only - it is more Game of Thrones than Hunger games.
The explicitly described violence can be quite confronting.
Themes: Conflict, Trust and distrust, Family, Violence, Good vs
evil, Fantasy, Royalty.
Carolyn Hull
