Photography by Phillip Beresford. Guinea Pig Classics
series. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781635574500.
(Age: 3-8) Recommended. Themes: The Nutcracker, Guinea pigs, Christmas, Classic
stories. This is part of the Guinea Pig Classics series, in
which Classic stories such as Pride and prejudice and A
Christmas carol are told using photographs of dressed-up and
staged guinea pigs. It's a curious concept but one that will
introduce a new generation of young children to some of the
best-loved and enduring stories of the modern world. It is
presented, fittingly, as a performance, starting with an audience
address: 'Dear members of the audience, please take your seats.
Tonight's performance of The Nutcracker is about to begin'. Italics
cleverly alert the reader to the musical accompaniment: 'The double
bass rumbles', 'Ting! Ting! Ting!' The text itself is short,
fast-paced and focused on the action. We are even told of the ballet
moves being performed, putting glorious images in the mind of
swift-footed guinea pigs(!): 'They perform effortless pirouettes,
their feet barely touching the ground.' After the story is a list of
the guinea pig performers and their photographs (as you would find
in a performance program) as well as a very short history of the
Nutcracker ballet.
The small format of the book suits the cuteness of the concept
perfectly and little animal lovers will adore the beautifully
dressed up guinea pigs in their crowns and top hats, not to mention
the land of sweets! This is a great introduction to the Nutcracker
story, especially for little ballet dancers or for reading before
seeing the play.
Nicole Nelson
The twelve days of Christmas with Roald Dahl: Festive things to make and do by Lauren Holowaty
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241428122.
(Age: 7+). Themes: Art, Craft, Recipes, Humour, Jokes, Games. On the First day of Christmas my true love gave to me . . .
One Matilda in the Library
Two Smelly Twits
Three Naughty Muggle-Wumps
Four Repulsant Snozzcumbers
Five Golden tickets
Six Cunning Foxes
Seven Gigantuous insects
Eight Crafty Crocodiles
Nine Spoonfuls of Medicine
Ten Chomping Tortoises
Eleven Foulsome Witches
Twelve Twistmas Tales
From the list of the contents headings above be prepared for a
humorous and entertaining addition to this year's Christmas books.
This is a clever publication of activities based upon many of Roald
Dahl's popular stories and will be an instant hit with his legion of
fans, both young and old. Scattered throughout the book are Roald
Dahl's thoughts on Christmas activities and ideas as well as a
passage he wrote about December from My year.
The book is able to be written and drawn in, as well as the
opportunity to colour pages and complete activities in the reader's
own way. There are recipes to follow, tricks to play and presents to
make. Some of the ideas include: A recipe for Chocolate and Brussel
Sprout Pie, Festive Frobscottle, Giant Peach Pinata, Grandma
Kranky's Guide to A Kranky Christmas, Witches Glove Wreath, Wormy
Spaghetti, Matilda's Clever Christmas Spinners, to name but a few! The twelve days of Christmas with Roald Dahl would be a great
stocking filler or an excellent gift for someone who has everything!
Kathryn Beilby
Harry Potter: Spells and charms: A movie scrapbook by Warner Brothers
Bloomsbury Publishing Australia, 2019. ISBN: 9781526613189.
(Age: 8+). Themes: Movies, Fantasy, Spells, Charms. Fans of Harry
Potter novels and movies will value this latest non-fiction book in
the ever popular phenomenon that is Harry Potter. It is written and
presented as a scrapbook and is full of photographs from the movies
- and from behind the scenes. There are also inserts and
illustrations capturing many of the key moments in the Harry Potter
series. It gives detailed information about different scenes and the
spells and chants used throughout the stories, such as the Duelling
Club Spells, Spells taught to Dumbledore's army and Unforgivable
Curses to name a few. On each page of the different spells there is
information regarding the intention of the spell, who used the
spells and in which book they were used. Readers are also able to
closely examine photographs of significant scenes and read further
information they may have missed when watching the movies or reading
the novels. The book provides stickers, posters and cards to keep
the Harry Potter fan entranced.
Every day a new generation of readers are discovering the world of
wizardry through Harry Potter. Harry Potter: Spells and charms:
A movie scrapbook would be a wonderful introduction for those
just beginning their Harry Potter journey and a welcome addition to
any home library.
Kathryn Beilby
The bookish life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Headline Review, 2019. ISBN: 9781472266217.
(Age: Adult) Recommended for readers who like quirky books with
allusions to novels. Nina Hill is a young woman who is happy with
her life. An only child with a mother who travels the world, she has
a job in a bookstore, is on a winning trivia team, likes to be alone
reading her books and has a cat named Phil. When the father that she
has never known dies leaving her with a complete family of half
brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews she has to contend with all
these strangers. Then Tom, the leader of a competing trivia team
starts to show interest and she finds she has to face a new world.
I expected a very light read and was rewarded with lots of laugh out loud
moments as Nina prepared her lists of what to do and tried to keep
her anxiety at bay, all with a great sense of humour. The
descriptions of the trivia competitions were a hoot and the
references to many books, including Harry Potter, were fun as well.
Adding real depth and interest to the book were the descriptions of
how she grew up with a Nanny looking after her as her mother roamed
the world taking photos and the way she handled having both a new
family and a boyfriend.
This was a feel good book with the added charm of a memorable
heroine who is resistant to change but finds ways of letting new
people into her life. Older teens would really enjoy it, but there
are references to alcohol and sex which might make it unsuitable for
younger teens.
Pat Pledger
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o
Illus. by Vashti Harrison. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241394328.
(Age: 9 - 12 years) Highly recommended. Sulwe was born the
colour of midnight. So begins the stunning picture book Sulwe
written by Academy Award winning Kenyan actress and producer Lupita
Nyong'o. The book describes the feelings of a young girl whose skin
is not the same colour as the other members of her family. She finds
it difficult to fit in at school and is taunted by others. Sulwe
compares herself to her fairer skinned and popular sister and
attempts to lighten her skin but to no avail. She eventually shares
her pain with her mother who supports her with love and
understanding and explains that her name means star which shows
brightness. When night falls, a shooting star takes Sulwe on a
journey and tells the story of two sisters, Night and Day who grew
apart. The star goes onto explain that both Night and Day need each
other and together they make the world as we know it. The story ends
with Sulwe realizing that she is unique and special and has her
place in the world.
The striking illustrations and use of colour by Vashti Harrison set
the mood and reflect the night and day, dark and light theme of the
story. Her images of Sulwe are quite beautiful and the portrayal of
the two mythical sisters, Night and Day, are stunning. Sulwe is a wonderful story that warrants a place in any
school library. It sends a powerful message to primary aged children
and will prompt plenty of class discussion about how we treat others
and how we feel about ourselves. It also shows us that with kindness
and support, we can begin to overcome our own feelings of low
self-esteem and that we are all bright and beautiful as we are.
Themes: Families, Self-esteem, Racism, Belonging, Acceptance, Myths,
Fantasy.
Kathryn Beilby
The Confession by Jessie Burton
Picador, 2019. ISBN: 9781509886159.
(Age: Adult-Adolescent)The Confession is a story of mystery,
love and loss, and of the roles that family and friendship play in
our lives. Essentially, this narrative delves into the ideal of
motherhood, family and love, but is also about the reality of life,
of self-absorption, fear, loneliness, rejection and mystery. The
choice of a puzzling lack of information within the narrative is
pertinent to the enigmatic events and choices that the characters
make, and reflects what Burton has constructed, in an absorbing and
completely captivating narrative.
In the narrative that begins in 1980, Elise falls in love with
Connie when they meet unexpectedly in the park in New York, and this
meeting changes Elise's life. The second narrative, interwoven and
connected to the first, and told in the first person, is the story
of Elise's daughter, beginning in 2017, of her quest to find her
mother who disappeared one day, leaving no trace, and who has never
been found. The notion of mystery pervades the text, as we are
similarly eager to discover the truth when we realize that we do not
know the details of the enigma of the lost mother either.
Structuring the story in two different eras, Burton begins in 1980
and interweaves the years subsequent to this period with the events
of 2017 and beyond.
Well-written, richly descriptive and tantalizing in its complexity,
and indeed in the description of the passing of the years, this
narrative is a powerful expression of the way in which human
interaction can be loving and supportive, while also suggesting that
life can also be ruled by an individual's choices that are hurtful,
self-absorbed or unexpectedly puzzling. Jessie Burton has written an
evocative story, one that is well-constructed, powerful and
interestingly complex. It is appropriate for both adult and
adolescent readers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Lottie Luna and the Bloom Garden by Vivian French
Illus. by Nathan Read. HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008342982.
(Age: 7+). Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Werewolves,
Friendship, Gardens. In this very enjoyable and easy read junior
fiction novel, the story begins in the crumbling Dracon Castle where
a werewolf family have recently moved to. Lottie Luna, her older
brother Boris and their parents have become the local royalty and
Lottie Luna is about to begin at a new school in the middle of term.
She decides to be ordinary and not tell her classmates she is a
princess. Lottie Luna has another secret though. She was born when
there was a full moon and lunar eclipse and has special powers. She
is able to run and swim very quickly, is very strong and has
astounding hearing. After rescuing Bernie, a werewolf cub, she is
unavoidably thrust into the limelight. Lottie Luna then discovers
her school Principal, Madame Grubeloff, was born on this special day
and also has the same special powers. The Principal encourages
Lottie Luna to use her special powers only when absolutely
necessary.
On the first day at her new school, Lottie Luna wins a competition
to design a school garden on a derelict plot of land behind the
school which may otherwise be sold for a toll road. Her garden is
called the Bloom Garden and the school students set about
landscaping and planting the flowers. Sadly it is destroyed two
nights in a row and Lottie Luna's suspicions fall on Aggie who is
not a kind classmate and who thought she would win the competition.
The new Deputy Principal and his sneaky son Bruno are unpleasant
characters who also come under suspicion. With the help of Lottie
Luna's new friends, Marjory and Wilf, the problem is solved and the
Bloom Garden eventually survives.
The black and white illustrations by Nathan Read complement the text
brilliantly and draw the reader in. They are both detailed and
entertaining and help to set the visual imagery throughout the
novel. Lottie Luna and the Bloom Garde is the first in a
series with the second titled Lottie Luna and the Twilight party.
Kathryn Beilby
Tim and Tigon by Tim Cope
Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760554293.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. 'Adventurer Tim Cope had a childhood dream:
to travel the 10,000 kilometres from Mongolia to Hungary on
horseback - a journey undertaken by the legendary leader of the
Mongols, Genghis Khan. Tim made this epic journey - across the
windswept wilderness and wolf-infested plateaux of Mongolia and
Kazakhstan - with his dog Tigon'. (Publisher)
The YA version of the novel makes it easy to follow and digest for
younger readers even aged 12. This is a recommended novel with
heart. The pictures in the middle show the reality of the harsh
conditions that Tim and Tigon coped with and the traditions of the
people that they encountered.
Vincent Hermann
The fate of Fausto: a painted fable by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780008357917.
(All ages). Highly recommended. Themes: Greed, Wants and needs.
Fausto wants everything to bow in acknowledgement to him. He
believes that he owns everything and goes to a flower, a sheep, a
tree, a field, forest and a lake to force their submission to him.
He expects this, although the lake takes some time to see things his
way. Next the mountain holds his ground, making the man make his
fist, stomp his feet and generally put up a fight. The mountain
concedes.
Children and adults alike will see parallels all around them of
behaviour such as this.
But the man is still dissatisfied and takes to a boat upon the sea.
Away from the shore he tells the sea that the sea belongs to him.
The sea remains silent. He tells the sea again that he is its owner,
and this time the sea responds, telling him that Fausto does not
owns the sea. He is adamant that he does and says he will stamp his
feet, and climbs out of the boat onto the sea to do so. He
disappears.
None of the things that bowed to him cared. They carried on just as
before. Fausto's fate did not matter to them at all.
A wonderful modern fable about possessions and self image, readers
of all ages will thrill at the behaviour shown by Fausto in trying
to get his own way, seeing parallels in the nightly news or history
or people with whom they mix.
This story reveals all the elements of a fable, a short story in
which animals have human characteristics and ends with a moral, and
will be another discussion point with students. Comparing this tale
with Aesop's fables, for example will widen the student's literary
vocabulary and enable them to see other examples of modern fables.
Students could discuss why the author has chosen the name Fausto for
his anti hero, and absorb the wonderful story retold by Kurt
Vonnegut at the end of the book, seeing parallels between that story
and why Jeffers wrote his fable.
The startling illustrations done using a lithographic printmaking
technique, add to the dream like qualities of the story as many
pages are blank,some pages have a phrase and just a line of colour,
some pages are covered with colour but all expect the reader to
think about what is happening, to think about the man's expectations
of life and his dissatisfaction with what he has ending with his
sinking into the sea and oblivion.
The endpapers reflect books from years ago with their wonderful
marbling effect and intricate designs, which once more will attract
the readers to look again before the book is closed.
Fran Knight
Antarctica by Moira Court
Fremantle Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781925815757.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Antarctica, Animals, Survival,
Counting book. From one to ten, the unusual animals of the Antarctic
are presented to the reader. For a younger child the book is a great
read aloud, reinforcing the numbers one to ten, while older readers
will be intrigued with the animals presented, asking questions about
how each survives in such an inhospitable place, reading the four
pages of information given at the back of the book to find some
answers.
Each double page presents a group of animals: one is for the leopard
seal, two has two emperor penguins, three is for the elephant seals,
and four reveals four right whales while ten is for ten sea stars.
Each double page has a line about the animal, using rhythmic
descriptive words, begging the listener or reader to repeat the
words, allowing them to roll about the mouth, enjoying the freshness
of the descriptions.
Moira Court's illustrative technique ensures the eye will pour over
every page, pondering how each image is produced, marvelling at how
the remote, cold and isolated place can be revealed with scraps of
paper.
Court uses a range of print making and collage techniques to produce
her work, and younger children will be introduced to this form of
art reading this book. It will excite their interest working out how
each image is produced, encouraging them to try their skills to make
one of the animals. Court's website gives some
clues about her techniques and is worth a look.
This book is a wonderful introduction to Antarctica and its animals
and landscape, giving quirky facts in the information for older
readers and encouraging all readers to look, question and ponder.
Antarctica is again in the news with pressure mounting for oil
exploration to occur. This is a timely addition to the field and
will enable readers to know just what does live in the Antarctic.
Fran Knight
Every day resilience by Michelle Mitchell
Big Sky, 2019. ISBN: 9781922265029.
(Age: Adult -16) Highly recommended. Subtitled Helping Kids Handle
Friendship Drama, Academic Pressure and the Self-Doubt of Growing
Up. 'In this book Michelle shows every family how they can cultivate
resilience in their children or adolescents by focussing on 7 key
traits - courage, gratitude, empathy, self-awareness,
responsibility, self-care and contribution. She answers questions
like: How can I help my child be more confident? What do I say when
my child is rejected by friends? How do I help a child who is
struggling academically? What do I say when my child says, "I
can't"? How do I help an anxious or shy child find their voice? What
can I do to help them discover their potential?' Every day resilience is a book for all parents, teachers,
counsellors and older teenage readers (perhaps 16 plus). It tackles
the harder issues and shows how to overcome them. It is a self help
book that is recommended for those struggling times.
The author's website
also has helpful hints about parenting, eg an article and video
entitled, Bringing
the Calm: How to Interrupt the Anxiety Loop, and the
book is accompanied by The Everyday Resilience Journal and Video
Series for Tweens.
Vincent Hermann
Liars: Lockdown by Jack Heath
Liars book 4. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742993423.
(Age: 10-15). Recommended. Jarli, creator of the Truth app, is one
of the students trapped in a hospital by mercenaries taking
hostages. 'All the phones are jammed. The building is locked down.
No help is coming. The mercenaries work for Viper, a ruthless and
deadly criminal. Jarli and his friends have outwitted Viper before.
Can they do it again?' (Publisher)
This is a very intense YA novel, part of the recommended Liars
series, highly engaging and up-to-date for young readers. The series
of novels follows on well and is quite suitable for the youth of
today.
Vincent Hermann
Home by Charles Hope
Wild Dog Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781742034249.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Information book, Animal homes
and habitats. The ingenious dwellings of the animal kingdom are
portrayed here through beautiful and insightful photography (as with
Hope's very successful Close up series and the CBCA
shortlisted The big book of Antarctica). The book first
explains why homes are important for animals before giving brief
information about animal habitats. It then separates animals into
two categories: the builders and the squatters. The builders section
shows and discusses webs, hives lodges, burrows, bird nests and
non-bird nests (such as termite mounds and alligator nests). The
squatters section deals with those who dwell in caves (entrance,
twilight and dark zones), hollows, shells and exoskeletons. There is
no great detail about any one animal but a focus on the types of
homes and why and how they are built or chosen. There is a great
diversity of animals mentioned, including many that children may be
unfamiliar with or not know much about. There is then a double page
each on animal homes in zoos, pet life and farm life (with each
discussing the purpose and associated problems of these unnatural
animal homes). There is also some information about baby animals'
first homes (eggs, chrysalis, pouch, frogspawn, womb) and those who
are carried by their parents as young. The book then succinctly
answers the question of why not all animals need homes and explains
migration and its purpose.
Overall, this is a fantastic text that explains why things are the
way they are rather than just stating what happens. It provides
fascinating information about this Australian Curriculum topic in an
interesting and engaging way. It is very reader friendly with plain
language, an unfussy layout that contains lots of white space and
some full-page photographs that provide a break from the pages with
longer text sections. The photographs are spectacular and provide a
detailed and insightful look at many new and unusual animal homes.
There is also a detailed glossary and index to assist readers in
developing research skills.
Nicole Nelson
Full disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241367063.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: HIV, Sexuality, Gender, LGBQT+,
Prejudice. Simone is the adopted daughter of a gay couple she calls
Dad and Pops. The two men chose her, an HIV positive baby, as an act
of caring after seeing friends die from AIDS. Simone's condition is
managed with regular drug treatment, her viral load is almost
undetectable which means she is not a risk to anyone. But whilst she
is informed and responsible, she knows that the ignorance of people
around her can mean humiliation and rejection if anyone finds out -
that was the horrible experience at her last school. She is now
starting at a new school, with new friends, and has been selected as
director of the school play, but just when everything seems to be
going well, anonymous messages threaten her happiness once again.
Camryn Garrett wrote this book when she was only seventeen years
old, and it is a refreshingly candid account of teenage worries and
fears: anxiety about the first date, first sex, gender confusion,
sexual attraction, masturbation and even a first visit to a sex
shop! The voice is open and honest, and the values are positive
throughout. Her fathers are both caring involved parents, her
friends are loyal and supportive, she has an encouraging teacher,
and even the blackmailer is revealed to be a troubled person in need
of help rather than punishment. The book advocates for speaking up,
sharing worries and getting help. And ultimately Simone learns to
overcome her fears and to trust in the people who care for her.
Dealing openly with topics people generally don't like to talk
about, this story will reflect many teenage concerns, and also is
very enlightening and informative on the subject of human
immunodeficiency virus - readers will come away having enjoyed a
heartwarming story and be a little more knowledgeable as well.
Helen Eddy
A banana is a banana by Justine Clarke and Josh Pyke
Illus. by Heath McKenzie. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760891664.
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Names, Humourous stories. Based on the authors'
song by the same name, A banana is a banana looks at the
humour in some of the names given to things ('If an eggplant really
grew eggs, chickens would be out of a job. If a catfish was really
made of cats, then it might get chased by a dog . . . And a banana
is a banana. That's what it's called. I don't know why'). This
definitely sounds better when sung, but it reads rather well and
unlike the song it allows time for discussion about what it means.
Kids will love 'getting the joke' ('It would be just like a bad
dream, if they serve you up jellyfish and ice cream') but they may
need some help understanding it. This will be enjoyed by those who
are already familiar with the song but will also encourage those who
don't know it to have a listen. As always, Heath McKenzie's
illustrations are bright and fun and use mini-versions of the three
creators.
This is a fun nonsense book that isn't complete nonsense, because it
does make you think!
Nicole Nelson
