The extremely weird thing that happened in Huggabie Falls by Adam Cece
Ill. by Andrew Weldon. Huggabie Falls trilogy, book one.
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN: 9781925603484.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Winner of the Text Prize for
Young Adult and Children's Writing, this tale about Kipp Kindle and
his friends Tobias Treachery and Cymphany Chan will tickle the
fancies of many mid to upper primary people. The trio lives in
Huggabie Falls, the oddest town on Earth. It is simply normal, part
of its DNA, that strange things happen everyday. But when something
even more weird happens, Kipp and his friends know that something is
wrong. They must find out what is making everything turn normal, and
to return the weirdness to Huggabie Falls.
But Cymphany has been turned into a baby hippopotamus, and an
outbreak of killer bats has been summoned up by the evil Felonious
Dark, a scientist who wields a wand. With his vegetarian piranhas
and a Portuguese-speaking lab rat called Ralf, Kipp, Tobias and
Cymphany are undaunted. The first book in the Huggabie Falls
trilogy, this book will delight mid to upper primary readers looking
for something silly, zany and a lot of fun, something to read out
loud to friends, to share the silliness behind the engrossing
illustrations and simply sit down in a shady spot and laugh until
the tears fall onto the pages.
Book 2: The Unbelievably Scary Thing that Happened in Huggabie
Falls appeared in October 2018.
Fran Knight
Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt
Ill. by Chris Mould. Orion Children's Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781510104556.
(Age: 8-10 ) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy. Opening a strange box is
the starting point of this amazing adventure for Jake Green as it
contains a severed finger, summoning the Grim Reaper which takes him
into the Eternal Void, a place to be avoided. In this place he
must run for his life, but finds he can communicate with the other
inhabitants: the ghosts. In this appalling place, Jake teams up with
several other creatures, Cora who uses a hockey stick for
protection, Stiffley the undertaker and Zorro the ghost fox, all of
whom, like Jake are searching for the Embassy of the Dead, a place
where they will find refuge.
In the background of this tale, in the only too real world, Jake's
life is being torn apart with his parent's decision to split,
bringing to an end all that Jake knows. It is an issue he must deal
with. Mabbitt, the author of the Mabel Jones series for slightly
younger readers, lives in England and enjoys wandering through
graveyards, which seems to me where he gets his great ideas. Full of
humour and adventure, this story is full of laugh out loud lines,
the strangest situations anyone can get themselves into and a nod to
the lives of modern children, alluding to some of the things they
must deal with.
The illustrations by Chris Mould add to the zany adventures of Jake
Green.
Fran Knight
Dolls of war by Shirley Parenteau
Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780763690694.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: World War Two, Japan, Dolls,
Prejudice, Museums. In 1941, eleven-year-old Macy James lives near
the Oregon coast with her father, the director of a small museum.
Miss Tokyo, one of fifty-eight exquisite friendship dolls given to
America by Japan in 1926 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_friendship_dolls)
is part of the museum's collection. This doll represents more than
the place of her mother's birth; it links Macy to her mother who has
recently died. It is a doll they spoke of together often, Mrs James
wanting to take Macy to Japan to meet the people she grew up with
and it was her dearest wish that she meet the maker of the doll,
Miss Tokyo. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, many of Macy's
neighbours demand that Miss Tokyo be destroyed. From Macy's friend,
Lily who thinks it should be put away to those who want it
destroyed, Macy has to stand firm.
She decides to hide this doll which reminds her of her mother, and
keep it hidden until people's discomfort with the doll dies down.
But as the war progresses, Macy begins to have persistent doubts
about her actions, and begins to think that perhaps her neighbours
were right in their push to destroy the doll.
An engrossing story of conflicting loyalties, of prejudice and
judging people, this is one of a trilogy called Friendship Dolls,
the first two being Ship of Dolls (2018) and Dolls
of Hope (2016). The story of these dolls can be found in
the Wikipedia site above, which details what happened to the 58
dolls sent to the USA. The background of the story is riveting,
bringing up small details of life lived during the war for many
people, and of the prejudice shown to people who have been friends
and neighbours for years.
Fran Knight
Old friends, new friends by Andrew Daddo
Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780733338137.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: School, First day at school,
Friendship. Coming back to school for the new year, the young girl
finds that she is in a new class. Her old friends are in a different
class and she knows no one. Her stomach tightens and she feels
uneasy, her hands feel soggy and she feels that she may cry. But she
recalls her mum and grandpa. What would they say? Their strength
helps her be strong, as she knows that her best friend will always
be herself. She loses her stomach rumblings and joins in with the
rest of the class, smiling and happy to be there, willing to be
friendly with all of them each for a different reason: one to be a
friend playing games, one as a friend when quietness is needed, one
to eat lunch with, and looking around the classroom she can see many
people who will be her friends.
Everyone has to start afresh sometime, be it a new school, a new
class, a new job or group, each requires strength in seeing that you
are just as important and worthwhile as the next person. For many
this can be an unsettling experience and Daddo shows the young girl
with butterflies in her stomach, feeling unsettled, clutching her
stomach as if in pain, an image which will resonate with all
readers. But inner strength is called up and all is resolved as she
looks around the class of new friends.
Bentley's images of happy smiling children are infectious and
readers will recognise the images of school: the children dressed
with their uniforms and all important hats, running, jumping,
cartwheeling as well as quietly sitting when the need arises. And I
love the illustration across the book's cover, of new friends linked
together, reinforcing the theme of the story inside.
Fran Knight
Shadow of the centaurs: an Ancient Greek mystery by Saviour Pirotta
Ill. by Freya Hartas. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN: 9781472940254.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Ancient Greece, Mystery. Saviour
Pirotta's fourth book in the Ancient Greek Mysteries series is a
lively tale of mystery and celebration. In Shadow of the
Centaurs the citizens of Athens are preparing for the festival
of Anthesteria to honour Dionysus the god of wine and to celebrate
the beginning of spring. Pirotta's attention to detail from
clothing, architecture, food, daily life, even conversations about
politics, class structure and religion bring the Ancient Greek world
alive.
Told through young Nico's eyes, a free man who scribes for Master
Ariston the travelling poet, he and his friend Thrax who is the
poet's personal slave quickly become involved in a small mystery.
Thrax's deductive powers and his careful observations have assisted
in solving of other mysteries and he's asked by Master Zeno the gym
master to unravel the problem of his stolen dog. When the boys visit
his house, Thrax comments on the gruesome floor mosaic depicting a
battle between soldiers and centaurs. When the boys return late at
night to investigate why the little dog who always barks at
strangers was stolen then returned, they discover a hidden secret
under the mosaic floor. Soon they come upon a plot to assassinate
Pericles the general of Athens and they become deeply embroiled in
searching for the evil people behind this. Thrax mysteriously
disappears, his cloak found supposedly torn by a lion and Nico even
succumbs to an extreme bout of food poisoning. With the help of
street urchins and other members of their secret Medusa League Thrax
and Nico sneak into the festival at the Acropolis and perform one of
their greatest feats. Shadow of the Centaur is a wonderful historical
representation of ancient Athens, filled with recognisable figures
like Socrates and Pericles. Pirotta addresses the role of women in
society, the structure of the classes and opens the reader's eyes to
a new world. Readers who love historical mysteries will enjoy these
junior novels and can quickly refer to the glossary and learn about
everything from agoras - meeting places to tympanums - tambourines.
What a valuable resource for teaching Upper Primary History
researching the roles of key groups in Athenian society!
Rhyllis Bignell
The Boy by Tami Hoag
Broussard and Fourcade book 2. Trapeze, 2018. ISBN:
9781409169635.
(Age: Adult - senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Mystery and
suspense, Detectives, Death, Domestic violence, Children at risk,
Bullying. As a fan of Tami Hoag, I grabbed The boy as soon
as it arrived on my desk and found myself totally involved in the
characters and even better for me, the murderer remained unknown
right until the gripping conclusion. Hoag returned to Louisiana and
her two detectives Broussard and Forcade in this story which can be
read as a stand-alone. It opens with a horrifying scene of a woman
covered in blood, fleeing for help for her son who has been
attacked. Detective Nick Fourcade is first on the scene and finds
Genevieve's 7 year old son, P.J., dead and no clues as to why he was
killed and why his mother was allowed to run for help. Meanwhile
Annie Broussard is with the grieving mother who cannot help her with
the crime.
As the two investigate, each using their particular skills, Annie's
understanding of the emotions of the people involved and Nick's
dogged determination to find the murderer regardless of the cost,
the question still remains - why was the only witness left alive?
Then the boy's babysitter, thirteen-year-old Nora Florette, is
discovered to be missing and the mystery deepens.
Hoag is a master at building up suspense and is also very clever in
her portrayal of the main characters. The marriage between Annie and
Nick survives through the problems of their work, Nick's temper
about injustice and a boss who is not helpful. The difficulties of
single mothers are highlighted, not only with Genevieve and her boy
but with the relationship between the police chief, his fiancee and
fiancee's teen son, and the problems with supervising her family
that Nora Florette's mother has while her husband works far away.
This is a tense, dark, emotional murder mystery, which will leave
many readers wanting to read more of Tami Hoag's stories.
Pat Pledger
The extraordinary life of Michelle Obama by Sheila Kanani
Ill. by Sarah Walsh. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9780241372739.
(Age: 8+) Michelle La Vaughn Robinson, the descendant of a slave,
was raised in a small apartment in Chicago. At the age of forty-four
she became the First Lady of the United States. Sheila Kanani's
biography explains why being the President's wife was only one of
the reasons why Michelle Obama's life has been extraordinary.
The chronological narrative emphasises how Michelle has overcome
economic and social challenges with determination and education. She
used her position as First Lady to promote healthy eating, and
campaigned for improvements in education, housing, and conditions
for veterans. While the author emphasises Michelle's self-belief,
she also acknowledges her competitive nature, and the difficulties
she has faced. These difficulties have included racism, economic
inequality, her father's multiple sclerosis, and the demands of
balancing motherhood with her legal career and her husband's
political ambitions. Kanani has also noted Michelle's gratitude for
the encouragement she received from a caring family, and from
lecturers who recognised her potential. These insights into the
sources of Michelle's insecurities as well as her strength of
character increase the book's credibility as a short but
well-rounded biography. The author's writing style, choice of
vocabulary and provision of definitions in text boxes, demonstrate
that she is mindful of the needs of her young audience. A brief
overview of the United States system of government is helpful for
non-American readers, while monochrome drawings, a timeline and an
index facilitate an understanding of the text. A list of sources for
quotations helps to reveal the author's research process.
Michelle Obama's life demonstrates how a supposedly ordinary
upbringing can foster a desire to achieve extraordinary goals.
Readers can learn from Sheila Kanani's biography not only what the
former First Lady has achieved, but also how she has used her
education and influence to help others.
Elizabeth Bor
The first adventures of Princess Peony by Nette Hilton
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781760650445.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Castles, Play, Princesses and
Princes, Imagination, Getting along. Peony (a princess) lives in a
castle with a courtyard guarded by her dragon (Totts, her dog). Her
brother, Prince Morgan, is a troll, who likes to undermine her games
in the garden, and declares that they must build a trap for the
bears. Princess Peony who likes to be obeyed, does not like the idea
of bears coming into the garden. She helps him build the trap but
becomes trapped herself. The troll refuses to set her free, only
agreeing when she promises him her dragon. But first he must take
the dog four times around the courtyard, something he seems eager to
do, but the dog is so fast he calls a halt. Exhausted, he agrees to
let the princess out of the trap, and together they make traps to
catch any bears that may wander from the nearby zoo.
This delightful story about siblings getting along, although with a
few hiccups along the way, will entrance younger readers marvelling
at their imaginative use of the garden and its surrounds to build a
fantasy world. Peony and her brother, Morgan, are single minded
about what they want but eventually come together to create a world
that suits both of them. Hilton's writing is always subtle and
understated, ensuring the readers use their own imaginations to
explore what they might do in a similar situation.
The clear uncluttered prose set against white space is easy to read,
and words highlighted in childish handwriting will ensure these are
taken note of and practised. The reduced colour range used for the
illustrations makes for an uncluttered look to each page, and the
readers will laugh as they notice the difference between the text
and the images, underlining the rich imaginative world of the
children, and reinforcing their ability to use things in the garden
to create their world. A delightful tale set outside, encouraging
readers to look past their screens.
Fran Knight
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406386851.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Droughts. Survival.
California. Climate change. What would happen if suddenly there was
no water in your house - nothing to drink, nothing to wash with or
cook with, let alone use on the garden? This is what the
collaboration between Neal and Jarrod Shusterman explores as the
people in California find that their taps have been turned off. When
Alyssa's parents go missing on a mission to get water for their
family, Alyssa and her little brother Garrett find themselves
teaming up with their neighbour Kelton, the son of people who have
prepared for Doomsday. They go on a dangerous quest to find water to
keep themselves alive. Along the way they pick up others in an
equally dire situation and discover just how people react when their
lives are on the line.
This a frightening scenario that readers who are familiar with
droughts and fights about water allocations will immediately
identify with as it seems like a very real possibility in our world
where water is a precious commodity and greed often overrides the
needs of everyone. The duo describe in detail what could happen in a
disaster when the taps are turned off. It is all too easy to imagine
the chaos that the Tap-Out would cause, the way that neighbours
would turn on each other, the slowness of officials to respond and
how some people would take advantage of what is happening in a time
of crisis as well as those who would help others.
The suspense is built up as the small group face danger as they
venture on the road to find water and each person's character,
strengths and weaknesses are brought to light as they face difficult
decisions and events.
Fans of Neal Shusterman will find this collaboration as riveting as
his other books as will people who enjoy the challenge of
speculative fiction. It would make for lively and uncomfortable
discussion as a class novel or literature circle book (A discussion
guide is available from the publisher).
Pat Pledger
Hodge Podge Lodge by Priscilla Lamont
New Frontier Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925594287
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Rubbish. Recycling. Subtitled A
rubbish story, Lamont tells her tale of recycling and the
impact rubbish has on our environment through the use of a squad of
animals and the unthinking owners of Hodge Podge Lodge, the Pigwigs.
They are not careful about their rubbish: in fact they love to shop,
and collect things, unwrap things, bring things home, be they
unnecessary thing or things they really do not want. But everything
comes wrapped. Sellotape, and wrapping paper, plastic filling,
string and ribbon is all taken off and left where it lies.
But one day a wind springs up and whisks all the clutter away. The
Pigwigs are happy, it is no longer their problem, but then the
animals that live nearby are made only too aware of their rubbish.
The owl has wrapping paper around its face and bumps into a tree,
the duck has fishing line wrapped around its feet and cannot move,
the deer has a toy on its antlers, the mouse goes into a cardboard
box to have her litter but when it rains it proves not to be the
shelter she is after, and so on. Each animal in the vicinity becomes
embroiled in the things the Pigwigs have discarded and decide to
take action. They march on Hodge Podge Lodge and point out the
problem to the family, bringing along the rubbish that has blown
their way. Miss Pigwig comes up with a very good idea and later
invites all the animals back to HodgePodge Lodge for a fair where
she presents all the rubbish recycled and reused. She gets some bins
with signs on the side to help reuse, recycle and compost the
rubbish they have while one bin is for the things that are totally
useless.
A cute introduction to the ideas behind recycling, this would help
younger children understand the impact that rubbish has upon our
environment and the animals that live there.
Fran Knight
Lottie Perkins: Fashion designer by Katrina Nannestad
Ill. by Makoto Koji. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733339080.
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendship. Fashion.
Creativity. Seven year old Lottie Perkins demonstrates her awesome
creativity and flair by becoming a fashion designer, utilising items
from her family wardrobe. The 'success' of her initial items for
herself and her goat eventually leads to a business offer from the
local Pet store. Lottie's nemesis, Harper Dark, though, is
unimpressed and tries hard to bring her down. Fortunately, Lottie
has a faithful best friend in Sam Bell whose encouragement and
support keeps her from ever struggling under the bully's taunts.
Katrina Nannestad delightfully introduces the entertaining
characters with under-stated humour and whimsy. The illustrations by
Makoto Koji are equally fanciful in their simple cartoon style.
There is nothing but delight in this simple easy-to-read early
chapter book, with a page of fashion stickers at the end of the book
to add to the appeal.
Highly recommended for readers aged 5-7.
Carolyn Hull
Lottie Perkins: Pop singer by Katrina Nannestad
Ill. by Makoto Koji. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733339073.
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Themes: Music. Friendship. Lottie
Perkins is an 'exceptional' child - self-proclaimed! She is quirky
and feisty and manages to demonstrate her awesome singing talents in
a local talent competition despite the challenge from the mean girl,
Harper Dark, and the unfortunate 'goat incident'. With a cute
quirkiness of expression and personality (a Nannestad trademark),
this is a delightful easy read chapter book that will appeal to
early independent readers (especially girls).
Illustrations are in a simple black and white sketch style and are
charming and well-suited to the storyline. The book includes a
sticker page, of limited usefulness, which will appeal to young
readers.
Highly recommended for ages 5-7
Carolyn Hull
A stormy night by Mark Carthew
Ill. by Simon Prescott. Marvin and Marigold. New Frontier
Press, 2019. ISBN 9781925594225
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Fear. Darkness. Families. Mice.
Friendship. The third in the series concerning the two mice, Marvin
and Marigold will bring delighted sighs of recognition from readers
as they explore their fear of the dark together. Marigold's fear of
the dark takes hold when on a dark wintry night the lights go out.
She heads for the space beneath her bed taking her teddy with her.
She hears a loud noise at the window and sees Marvin standing there,
wanting to come in. He snuggles under the bed with Marigold, and
tells her that he has brought a torch.
Told in rhyming pairs of lines, the story will come to life read out
loud, and even more so if snuggled into a dark corner with a torch.
Showing Marigold and Marvin's groundless fear of the dark will allow
readers to talk about their own fear of the dark and laugh about it,
while watching the two mice do something to allay their fears,
subtly showing the readers steps they can take to undermine their
fears.
A funny ending helps lighten the situation, and Prescott's wonderful
illustrations are a foil to the story. His use of large areas of
dark colour reflect the characters' fear of the unknown, and their
eyes are just amazing, large and bold, standing out in the dark,
giving an image of what each is feeling. I love the use of the
endpapers to add depth to the story, and the contrast of the old and
the new characters, each being frightened of the dark will underline
for the readers that they are not alone in their fears.
The theme of friendship permeates the tale as Marvin comes over to
Marigold's house to be with her during the stormy night, and the
theme of looking after each other underpins the whole.
Fran Knight
The assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763698225.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Power, Politics,
War, Propaganda. What a treat to read a unique tale told by two
outstanding people, National Book award winner M.T.Anderson and
Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin. The historian elf Brangwain Spurge
is catapulted into the goblin territory on a quest to give their
lord a gift, while at the same time secretly spying on the kingdom.
His host, the archivist goblin Werfel is chosen to look after
Brangwain. While both should have a lot in common, they have no
understanding of each other's culture and soon they are thrown into
chaos that could cause a war between the goblin and elf kingdom.
Yelchin's witty illustrations bring to life the elf Brangwain. The
reader is introduced to him at the very beginning of the book, as he
is thrown into the goblin kingdom. He is shown as a fearful but
determined character, believing that he is on a peace mission. Then
a letter from Lord Ysoret Clivers, of The Order of the Clean Hand,
brings the reader a different interpretation of Brangwain and his
mission. Meanwhile when he arrives in the goblin kingdom, the
narrative of the goblin Werfel also shows a different view to the
illustrations and the reader is tossed back and forward between a
hilarious and critical social commentary and fabulous drawings that
highlight what is going on and how easily the truth can be
distorted.
Younger readers will be drawn to the wonderful illustrations and
follow the story eagerly to see what will happen to the pair as they
gradually become friends, realising that they are being manipulated
by more powerful beings and blunder through danger and adventure.
Older readers will be drawn to the satire and thought provoking
ideas about history, politics, power and the nature of war. A discussion
guide is available and will help highlight major ideas in the
book, while the humour and unreliable narration will leave a lasting
memory for anyone who picks up this handsome hardcover book.
Pat Pledger
Flat cat by Hiawyn Oram
Ill. by Gwen Millward. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN 9781406371543
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Cats, Friendship. Jimi-My-Jim lives
in an apartment in a big city with his owner, Sophie. She loves him
dearly and spoils him woefully with only the best of treats and
toys. He responds by doing exactly what she wants him to do. But she
leaves him home when she and her mother go out. Jimi can only look
out of the window and watch the cat across the road with some envy.
And after a while he loses his fullness and becomes flat. One day
Sophie and her mother leave in a hurry and forget to take the house
keys. Jimi collects the keys and lets himself out of the apartment,
heading straight across the road for the cat he sees from the
window. They have a wonderful time together: she takes him to meet
other cats, listen to music and roam the big city, things he has
never done or seen before. So excited is he with his new friends and
experiences that he takes them all home to the apartment and there
they have a wild time, making music, singing and dancing. But Sophie
and her parents return to the dismay of all, the new found friends
escaping by any means they can. Jumi is admonished but Sophie
realises why he did what he did. She knows that she has smothered
her cat and resolves to find a solution, as the apartment building
does not allow cat flaps. The situation is resolved to the happiness
of all.
Illustrator Millward draws a wonderful Jimi with a wistful look upon
his face, peering out longingly into the freedom offered by
'outside'. Her multiplicity of cats is a delight on every page and
children will adore the cats having a wonderful time in the
apartment before the adults return.
Fran Knight
