Berbay Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9780648397359.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Sea, Sea animals, Heads and tails
(game), Humour. Every double page shows an illustration of the head
and tail of two underwater creatures. Sometimes a description is
given, with some clues about what it might be, and readers will have
a go at guessing the name of the animal before turning the page to
find out what it is. They will be able to derive information from
the sparse text while delving into the world of searching for clues
for themselves and find there is lots to discover, talk about and
take in. This book is a great start for kids setting out on the
research journey, learning to look for clues in text and
illustration, and learning to discuss things with others to share
and disseminate knowledge.
The wonderful illustrations sourced from a nineteenth century text,
will amuse and delight as the readers turn the pages. Pen and ink
and water colour have been used to great affect. The animals are
inventively illustrated; some needing only a swathe of colour to
give the image as with the jellyfish, while others needing more
detailed pen work as with the crab. All of the animals drawn are
lovely to look at, easy to identify and offer traits about the
animals which younger readers can observe and absorb. And they like
me will enjoy the excitement of seeing what is over the page from
the front cove to the back cover. Wonderfully designed with an
intriguing font and eye catching use of white space on each page, it
is sure to be a hit with younger readers, especially with the
appearance of the shark at the end, pointing in quite a different
direction.
Fran Knight
Kat Wolfe takes the case by Lauren St John
Illus. by Daniel Deamo. Macmillan, 2019, ISBN: 9781509874217.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Mysteries, Detectives,
Palaeontology, Pets, Conservation. When a landslide on the cliffs
above Bluebell Bay reveals a rare fossilized 'dragon' dinosaur and
uncovers a human skeleton, it is time for detectives Kat Wolfe and
her best friend Harper Lamb to investigate. Who was responsible for
the death of an amateur fossil-collector?
The town soon becomes overrun with reporters, scientists, fossil
hunters and attracts famous actors. Harper's palaeontologist father
immediately begins to lead the team in the preservation of the
dinosaur, whilst others are out to steal the skeleton for its
special medicinal qualities.
Kat's pet sitting service Paws and Claws provides opportunities for
her to listen, observe and gather information as she walks dogs and
cares for Mr B the python. Horses, dogs, her pet Tiny an F1 Savannah
cat, a stolen lynx and the python play important roles in the
discovery of an evil plot hatched by a dangerous group of people. A
weekend spent with Kate's grandfather, the British Minister of
Defence at his stately home also provides insight into the Bluebell
Bay mysteries. Kat's high-level computing skills (hacking) proves
crucial as well. Added to the danger of the investigation, the
animal catcher is determined to catch Tiny who loves to disappear at
night.
Author Lauren St John excels with this multi-layered, tense plot,
filled with fascinating characters and an array of pets. She
promotes a vegan lifestyle, explores the dynamics of family
relationships and delves into the illegal trade in exotic animal
products and the extinction of wild animal species. Her descriptive
narrative and detailed settings, her ability to lay the groundwork
and draw the threads together into a thrilling conclusion, make this
an engaging novel. Daniel Deamo's sketches, includes ninjas fighting
on a rooftop and a python curled in a driver's seat, combine with
the catchy chapter headings focus the reader's attention and build
the drama.
'Kat Wolfe takes the case' an excellent novel for readers from 10 to
14 years, opening conversations about conservation and environmental
issues.
Rhyllis Bignell
Rebellion at Eureka by Alan Tucker
Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742994314. paperback, 281pgs.
(Age: middle primary) Oh where, oh where was this novel when I was
teaching about the Goldfields to my class? Would have been awesome
to read it as a class novel. My class would have loved reading a
true-life adventure about the Goldrush. I think Rebellion at Eureka
would be a great addition to any school collection for students
studying the Goldrush. I will be buying copies for my school.
I found the story of 13-year-old Alf and his mum moving from
Melbourne to Ballarat goldfields an engaging story about life on the
goldfields leading up to an Australian historical event, the Eureka
Stockade and what happened during the event. The story is about Alf
and what he sees during his time on the goldfields. He finds himself
and gains his independence from mum while experiencing the events
during the stockade. I liked how Tucker showed how people who lived
on the goldfields helped and supported each other. Rebellion at Eureka was beautifully written and very easy to
follow which is a bonus as a class novel and would easily engage
students to imagine living during the Goldrush and experience the
hardships and treatment of the miners and families back in 1854. I
can't believe the corruption back then. You learn so much about the
Troopers.
The novel also includes references to historical figures like James
Scobie and Peter Lalor and the parts they played in real life at
Ballarat. At the back of the book you will find historical notes
which I found interesting.
Oh yeah, Joe the dog was quite a character too. Maria Komninos
The Bad Guys Episode 9: The big bad wolf by Aaron Blabey
Bad Guys. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742993737.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour, Adventure,
Superheroes. Another wacky, hilarious episode of the bad guys is
sure to be a favourite with all the fans of this series. This time
Mr Wolf has been blown up into an enormous size, and he is
determined to go about destroying things. The rest of the Bad Guys
find themselves with problems to solve. How will they get Mr Wolf
back to his normal size and temperament and how will they stop the
alien invasion? Together with the International League of Heroes,
they all have to do some quick thinking and act in dangerous ways in
order to save the world, using their new superpowers.
Fans will have no problem jumping right into the funny story, while
people new to the series will still be able to follow the story and
characters, but will certainly want to go back and read the previous
episodes. There are some over the top incidents that will have
readers laughing out loud. I loved how Mr Snake got into Mr Wolf's
ear and using his superpower, tries to whisper him back to his
normal self. Of course, this proves exceptionally difficult, and it
is only when he reverts to his normal bossy self and tells Mr Wolf
off, that things begin to change.
A boon for reluctant readers and children who have difficulty
reading longer books, The big bad wolf is another winner for
Blabey.
Pat Pledger
The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
The Eldest Curses book 1. Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN:
9781471162145. paperback, 350pgs.
(Age: 14+) This was my first taste of Cassandra Clare's fantasy
world of the Shadowhunters. I tend to see a copy in the hands of my
students frequently so really wanted to try this book.
The Shadowhunter Chronicles is a young-adult fantasy
franchise by American author Cassandra Clare. The series is so
popular with young adults that there are now companion books,
graphic novels, manga, film, and TV series adaptations. Each of the
books, as my students say, follow the supernatural conflict between
the Shadowhunters, a group of powerful human-angel hybrids, and
Downworlders, a society of mythological beings, and their battle
against demons. The Red Sea Scrolls of Magic is the first of a new series
after the Mortal War. It is co-written with Wesley Chu. This story
follows the High Warlock Magnus Bane and his new boyfriend Alec
Lightwood who is a Shadowhunter.
I found the book very easy to read and follow and wanted to know
more about the characters. The Red Sea Scrolls was a love
story between two people who should not be together due to who they
were. Magnus and Alec decide to take a relaxing romantic vacation
together through Europe. Vacation, I think not. Magnus' past catches
up and he is accused of putting a cult together called the Crimson
Hand. Magnus and Alec are on the hunt to find the real leader of
this cult and along the way they encounter vampires, werewolves,
demons and many other people and creatures.
It is action packed, full of love and great twists and turns, while
the reader also learns more about the past of both characters which
was very interesting. I actually did enjoy reading this LGBT,
fantasy love story book and can see why young adults love the
series.
The ending did leave me thinking, 'Will Magnus tell Alec the massive
secret of who his father really is'? Will have to read the next book
in the series to find out.
Maria Komninos
The ghosts of Mars by Ian Napier
Pegagus Publishers, 2019. ISBN: 9781784654528.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: STEM, Space travel, Mars, Science
fiction. When David arrives in San Francisco after his father moves
from Australia to take up a post at Silicon Valley, he links up with
a friend he met while at a NASA camp during the previous summer
break, Sierra. She and David are space fanatics, so for David to
come from Australia to the camp was impressive. That they hooked up
made their time at the camp even better. But now in San Francisco,
their interest is rewarded, when the heads of department at NASA
come to call.
It seems a door has been found on Mars, an actual door, and it must
be investigated. But NASA is ten years away from suspended animation
for long distance space travel, and an imperative has been added to
the mission to Mars; a meteor is headed its way. The only successful
suspended animation trials have been conducted on children, so David
and Sierra are asked to volunteer.
The premise on which this science fiction tale is based is luminous
- it is so believable, made more so by the writing which oozes with
an infusion of background knowledge. Napier's career in space makes
his setting more than credible: the words, descriptions and
scientific language are easily digested, the position the two are in
seems like something that could happen, the voyage they take seems
almost possible. Readers will love moving about in this engrossing
science fiction story aimed at teens.
The city the teens find on Mars rivals many of the CGI inspired
cities of recent films and the written word brings them to life.
With nods to 2001, a space odyssey, The terminator
and Star trek amongst others along with a splash of The
chariots of the gods (Erich von Daniken) thrown in to stir the
pot, this is a rich read of science fiction and I hope a second
outing for David and Sierra is in the air.
Fran Knight
Alfred Deakin by Belinda Beattie
Little Steps, 2019. ISBN: 9781925545777.
(Age: Primary - Middle school) Alfred Deakin by Belinda Beattie is
an interesting picture book showcasing the contributions made by our
second Prime Minister. The book is fact based, and delves into many
parts of his life, not just politics, but his physical features,
likes and dislikes and family situation. I thought this book was
extremely informative, giving me a broad understanding of who Alfred
Deakin was and where his ideals came from. I liked that they did not
paint a rosy portrait of him and told of his racist views towards
the Indigenous Australians. Belinda Beattie did this in such a way
that it was just another part of the story and it did not 'taint'
the ending.
The illustrations by Maxwell Tilse are lovely, with many of the
characters showing the feelings of the times through facial
expressions and colour. I felt that the pictures really added depth
and further understandings to the text.
One of my favourite parts of the story were the little tid-bits of
information like the total number of days he was in office (1174),
the meaning behind the name of his house 'Llanarth' and his love of
books and speech-making!
I think that this book would be a good addition to any library for
the use of primary to middle school students learning about past
Australian leaders. It is factual, thought-provoking whilst being
easy for a multitude of students to read.
Lauren Fountain
Goodnight, little tough guy by Michael Wagner
Illus. by Tom Jellett. ABC Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780733339356.
(Age: 2-5) Highly recommended. Themes: Bedtime, Sleep. The
bestselling creators of Why I
love summer and Why I love footy team up again to
bring us a wonderful bedtime story that will appeal enormously to
all the very active young children who need to settle down and go to
sleep after a very busy day. This is a delightful read aloud that
adults will enjoy reading to their children, and kids will love the
alliteration that forms an engaging part of the narrative:
'The lounging lion tames are lazily lapsing into the land of Nod,'
and 'The cowboys and cowgirls are completely cactus'.
The book shows a multitude of activities that the tough guys of both
genders may have engaged in during the day, starting off with the
'astronauts who are already asleep', resting wrestlers, firefighters
'fitting in forty fabulous winks', soldiers and pooped pirates.
Each activity is illustrated with humourous pictures of the little
tough guys as they gradually go to sleep, all done in glorious
bright colours. Jellett's many details will bring smiles to
everyone's faces as they read about the different characters, both
boys and girls, who are exhausted after busy day. It was fun to see
the little tough girl who was a 'beefy builder' and a soldier and
the loving relationships in the household pervaded all the drawings.
Bedtime routines like having a bath, cleaning teeth and reading a
bedtime story were all shown in the illustrations, and children will
delight in the many ways that imaginative play is portrayed.
This is a delightful book that will promote healthy sleep to even
the most active child. It is a keeper, one that is sure to become a
big favourite.
Pat Pledger
Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780141386898.
(Ages 16+) Recommended. An action-packed and engaging novel based on
the DC comics super heroine of Catwoman. One of the four books in
the DC icons series in which popular Young Adult authors write
origin stories focusing on the teenage years of DC comics heroes.
Caring for her terminally ill sister, Selina Kyle will stop at
nothing to keep her safe. Battling dangerous enemies in the boxing
ring night after night to pay for her medical bills is just the
beginning. When she is finally cornered by the police, with nowhere
to go and the threat of her sister being thrown into a dingy foster
home that wouldn't care for her medical needs, Selina is offered a
deal she can't refuse. Her sister safe in a suitable, upper-class
foster home, Selina is brutally trained as an assassin. Two years
later, she returns to Gotham City as Holly Vanderhees, a wealthy and
mysterious socialite, by day and Catwoman by night. Joining forces
with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, the group wreak havoc across the
city and spark the attention of Batwing, who is proving himself as
the protector of Gotham while Batman is away on a vital mission.
While her expertise helps her thrive as Catwoman, as Holly, Selina
finds herself clueless when it comes to her wealthy, handsome
neighbour, Luke Fox, who she discovers may just have some hidden
depths to himself as well; for in Gotham, no one is really as they
seem. However, Selina's desperate game of cat and mouse is only
exacerbated when a dangerous threat from her past looms in the
background; threatening her ability to pull off her most important
heist yet. While the novel is action-packed, and has vibrant and
complex characters, the descriptive language of Maas can be
difficult to follow. Knowledge of the DC Universe is useful and
presumed by the author, with little explained throughout the book.
Exciting and representative of important issues such as LGBTIQ+
relationships and mental health, Maas launches the reader into the
dangerous and fascinating world of Gotham City and brings them along
a journey they won't easily forget.
Daniella Chiarolli
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Dread Nation book 1. Titan Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781789092219.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horror, Zombies, Alternative
history, Racism. What a roller coaster of a ride - thrilling action
and a complex story that looks at racism and slavery makes this an
engrossing historical adventure about an alternative America. Jane
McKeene is just about to graduate from Miss Preston's School of
Combat in Baltimore, a place where Negro girls are trained to fight
the undead. When families begin to go missing from the area, she and
her colleague, Katherine, are caught up in a deadly conspiracy that
sees her in a deadly struggle not only against the zombies but
against a group of Survivalists who view her and her companions as
fodder for the undead.
I picked this up as it kept appearing on literary awards for young
adult books in the fantasy and science fiction genres (Hugo Award
Nominee (2019), Nebula Award Nominee (Andre Norton Award) (2018),
Locus Award nominee (2019), and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
(2018)), and I was not disappointed. Ireland's very skilful
narration brings the characters to life while maintaining a very
fast pace. Jane is a feisty and intelligent girl who has outstanding
leadership skills which she uses often while fighting the Shamblers.
But she also has some flaws - she is impetuous and often says things
that get her into trouble. Katherine is her opposite, determined to
remain ladylike in all situations. When trouble strikes them both,
they manage to put aside their differences to fight the evil around
them.
Fans of the zombie genre will want to read this, while fans of
historical fiction will become engrossed in a story that has its
combat school system based on the real Native American boarding
schools, as the author's note explains. And readers who like a good
action story, well written with likeable characters, and which also
explores slavery and racism, will find this difficult to put down
and will be impatient for the sequel that is to come. The complexity
of its themes could also make it a literature circle text, promoting
lively discussion.
Pat Pledger
The boy in the big blue glasses by Susanne Gervay
Illus. by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. EK Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781925335996.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Sight, Glasses, Difference. EK Books
has a tagline 'Books with heart' on issues that matter, and
thankfully Susanne Gervay is one of their authors. Gervay is able to
write about issues that matter with an understated ease allowing
students to read the story as any other story not one that sets out
to make a point. So it is with The Boy in the big blue glasses.
Encouraging children to wear their glasses when a problem with their
sight has been diagnosed can be awkward, and for Sammy, he is loathe
to make himself different from the rest of his class.
Adults do the 'right thing' in trying to be supportive, but they
miss the point altogether. His parents and Gran all talk of the
handsome boy in his glasses, making him a little tense. His aunt and
teacher follow the same line, asking about the handsome boy, the
superhero. But Sammy does not want to be a superhero, he does not
want to be different. His best friend, George is the only one who
points out his new glasses, and Sammy feels that no-one else can see
past the glasses to see him, the same boy, not different at all. He
leaves his glasses behind when the goes to the doctor, he loses them
in the house, Mum finding them under his bed, he takes them off at
school when the others tease him when his friend George is away. But
in doing this everything becomes blurry, and he makes faces at the
funny things he sees and he begins to laugh. The rest of the class
laugh with him, his teacher as well, telling him how funny he is.
When George returns they play the same game, the cardboard box being
the pirate ship, only this time the whole class joins in, seeing him
not as a boy with glasses, but as himself.
A satisfying story about difference, readers will offer all sorts of
tales about difference and the way people are seen by others. The
book lends itself to discussion within the classroom, without being
overly didactic.
Fran Knight
The spongy void by Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts
Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies book 3. Walker Books,
2019. ISBN: 9781760651183.
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Ancient Egypt, Mummies, Good and Evil. Husband
and wife team Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts continue their
humorous Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies series in The
Spongy Void. Fast-paced, filled with crazy settings, humour,
jokes, songs and secrets revealed, this a thrilling junior novel.
Bab's best friends the animal mummies Prong and Scaler join him in
his bedroom, encouraging him to create a rollercoaster and volcano
in his bedroom, all by the magic of his pharaoh beard. Meanwhile
back in ancient Egypt, the evil Unpharoah and her offsider Cainus
the jackal are conjuring up another evil plan. She wants to rule the
kingdom with the power of Bab's magic beard and has just the right
place to imprison Bab and his animal mummy friends Prong and Scaler.
She recalls childhood memories of a special prison, 'a chamber of
terrible purple magic,' the spongy void hidden deep inside the Great
Pyramid. Cainus cunningly captures Scaler and lures Babs and Prong
the ibis mummy here.
The eerie chamber's walls are painted with hundreds of hieroglyphs
from both ancient and modern times. Bab turns into a stone boy
during a set of mishaps and spends the rest of his time as a living
statue. Things quickly escalate as Bab, his father and Prong and
Scaler use a hairy beard travelator to escape from the pyramid. What
an exciting and unexpected ending for Bab and his family!
Jessica Roberts' black-and-white cartoons add fun and drama,
different text styles engage the readers. Little snippets of
Egyptian history also make The Spongy Void an exciting,
slightly madcap novel for fans of history and humour.
Rhyllis Bignell
You're crushing it: Positivity for living your REAL life by Lex Croucher
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892473.
(Age:15+) Recommended. Lex Croucher is an English vlogger whose
videos cover a range of topics including feminism and animal rights.
She uses her influence to advocate for empowering women and girls.
In this book Lex makes use of her extensive experience with
technology and social media to explore the nexus with real life for
teenagers. Immediately relevant to young people are topics such as:
family and friends and creating that team of supporters;
relationships (familial, platonic, romantic, jealousy), body
confidence (acceptance, self-care) and mental health (dealing with
negativity, goals and asking for help). The writing avoids
preachiness and provides a healthy insight into the pitfalls and
pleasures of living in or through an online world. There is hope in
this book. Lex reminds us all that the offshoots from the path we
had mapped out can become the new map. These offshoots can lead to
opportunities that were not dreamed of and yet are just right for
you.
As a common sense guide to being comfortable in your own skin this
book excels. The formatting, anecdotes and the humour will appeal to
the teenage reader but it is the hope and positive examples of ways
a young person might engage with real life that make this book an
unexpected joy to read.
Linda Guthrie
One careless night by Christina Booth
Black Dog Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925381856.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Thylacine, Extinction,
Environment, Tasmania. The image of the last thylacine in its cage
in Hobert is monumental in encouraging people to understand that
extinction means that these incredible animals are no longer on this
planet.
This emotionally draining picture book showing the plight of these
animals, unique to Australia and last seen in Tasmania in the early
years of the twentieth century, will force readers to ask questions
about how this was allowed to happen, and help them take steps to
prevent it happening again.
The stunning cover sets the scene with its dark shades camouflaging
the rear of a thylacine walking in its forest. The arresting cover
forces readers to pause and look before opening the book, gleaning
information about the animal before they proceed. Readers will be
ale to see why it was called 'tiger', its doglike features, its
habitat, while in awe at the skill of the illustrator in referencing
the animals's demise as it walks off the cover.
Each page will draw gasps of wonder as the journey of one thylacine
is followed from her home in the Tasmania bush to her capture and
incarceration in the Hobart Zoo, where, one careless night the
keeper forgets to lock her away and she dies of the cold.
Her days in the forest are spent hunting, teaching her cub how to
survive, running from the shapes that come into the ancient woods to
kill, encouraged by the government bounty on the tigers's head. But
the hunters capture her and she is taken to the city where she is
surrounded by a forest of metal, where she must rely on a keeper to
bring her food and lock her up at night against the cold.
Booth's skill at using digital techniques are nowhere as perfectly
realised as with the illustrations in this book. They are simply
breathtaking, making the reader stop on each page, drinking in the
image presented, looking for the tiger and absorbing clues about its
life. The sparse text accentuates the stunning illustrations, the
words placed on the page contrasting with the images, the font used
impelling the reader to read and think about the words presented.
The author's note at the end followed by the government advice about
the bounty round off an emotionally stunning book, forcing readers
to think more carefully at how easily things are lost forever. Teacher's
notes are available.
Fran Knight
Jaclyn Hyde by Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780062954626.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Science; Perfectionism; Jekyll and
Hyde; Mystery; Personality. Jaclyn Hyde is a girl whose desire in
all of life is to be as perfect as she can be. Mostly she is quite
successful at being perfect, but as is the way with some
high-achievers, she always dreams of more success. The discovery of
a science recipe for a Perfection Potion in the rather scary
abandoned Enfield Manor leads to a series of transforming moments.
With more than a passing nod to the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde story,
Jaclyn Hyde transforms into her 'bad' alter-ego, Jackie. Jaclyn's
best friends, Paige and Fatima, work alongside her in trying to
resolve the disaster that is unleashed at school by the
Jaclyn-Jackie confusion.
This is a wonderful, funny story with some endearing, subtle (and
sometimes more obvious) humour and some explosive moments! Set
within a USA Middle School context in fictional Fog Island, there
are moments of insight into psychological issues for the young
characters, but mostly this is just a fun reconstruction of the
Jekyll and Hyde story. A performance of a school musical has some
positively ridiculous moments involving a Moose costume! Male and
female readers will enjoy the hilarious journey.
Carolyn Hull
