Little Hare, 2018. ISBN 9781760501761
'Every year, I stay in the same cabin at the beach with my family,
and every year Chicken Smith's here too, with his Dad and his dog,
Jelly. But this year, something's different.'
Convinced that his friend Chicken Smith will appear any moment, the
young narrator of this story waits resolutely for him, cradling the
piece of driftwood that Chicken Smith carved into a whale shape last
summer. While he waits and waits, his sister tries to get his
attention but he ignores her - nothing is more important than being
there to greet Chicken Smith when he arrives. Apart from anything
else, he has a shell to give him as a thank you for the driftwood
whale.
As he remembers and reflects on past summers, it gradually becomes
clear that perhaps Chicken Smith won't be coming this year. The
cabin he stays in is shut up with long grass all around it and a
huge cobweb in Chicken's bedroom window. And at last, the boy pays
attention to his sister's entreaties and discovers something that
makes up for Chicken Smith's absence...
This is a moving story that will inspire young readers to reminisce
on their own holidays at the beach, the friends they made, the
things they did and start to build the anticipation of having such a
magical time again. They might like to speculate on what has
happened to Chicken Smith and ponder whether the boy will have as
good a holiday without him, using the clues towards the end to think
about the new friendship that is beginning. The childlike language
and the illustrations that could have been drawn by the narrator
make this a more personal experience for the reader - you are just
waiting for Chicken Smith to appear and for the boys to get on with
what boys do at the beach. Great for starting thoughts about the
upcoming summer... Teachers'
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
The Boneless Mercies by April Tucholke
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471170003
(Age: Mature 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: High Fantasy, Death.
Certain to appeal to young adult fans of medieval epics, this
macabre group of heroines will attract an even wider audience. In
the male dominated Vorseland, orphaned girls who want escape life in
a brothel could be apprenticed to black-cloaked mercy killers. A
band of nomadic Boneless Mercies may be hired specifically to carry
out assisted suicide for the terminally ill - with the exception of
the occasional abusive husband or revenge kill. Aging Siggy's last
apprentices: Frey, Ovie, Runa and Jupiter are skilled in both
stealth and homicide. With Siggy gone, Frey leads the Mercies and
one by one their pasts are revealed to their 17 yr old leader.
Trigve is a tolerated travelling companion, but as a male he can
never be a Mercy, a job for women only. 'Men will not do this sad,
dark work.'
Without Siggy's guidance, the girls survive but despair of mercy
killing - murdering children in particular. Alternatively, they seek
glorious battles for their considerable skills and Frey leads her
willing band on a series of noble quests. They renounce their trade
with an initial goal to slay the Blue Vee monster and end the
giant's carnage in Jarl Roth's northern kingdom. The reward money
will give them all future security. On route to Blue Vee, they are
side-tracked by further adventures; liberating the victims of evil
Jarls, making deals with self-serving Sea witches and ending the
malevolent reign of the powerful Cut-Queen.
Unlike other Mercy bands or the insular Sea Witches, Frey's group
occasionally accept the comradery of worthy males who become
embroiled in their battles. Inspired by the saga of Beowulf, these
adolescent girls are clearly in charge. Frey's first-hand narration
with an undercurrent of free love and extreme violence makes this a
novel for mature readers. But a wise woman's universe has no
absolutes - Frey never compromises her understanding of the
complexity of the human condition, where destructive cycles are
broken only by acknowledging all victims - including the monsters
themselves.
Deborah Robins
Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake
Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781509876495
(Age: 12+) Despite having read the previous books in the series, Three
dark crowns and One
dark throne I personally wasn't a fan of Two Dark Reigns.
The addition to the series felt unnecessary.
The third book in the series, Two Dark Reigns follows the
three queens of Fennbirn in their new lives. After Katherine's
ascension, the island is filled with unease. Without the bodies of
Arsinoe and Mirabella it is hard to prove their deaths, particularly
when rumours of the legion-cursed Jules Milone resurface from the
warrior city of Bastian. As the island revolts in the face of The
Undead Queen and Katherine is increasingly forced to rely on the
powers of the dead queens, whispers emerge of a revolution led by a
new queen, a legion-cursed Naturalist with the strength of a
Fennbirn queen.
Meanwhile, away from the island, Arsinoe and Mirabella struggle to
reconcile themselves to their new lives. Each day is a challenge for
Arsinoe as she continues to wear trousers and flaunt her scared
face. Mirabella, by comparison, has an easier time blending in, her
queenly grace finally being useful. However, things start to go arwy
when Arsinoe is contacted by the spirit of the Blue Queen, an island
legend who haunts her and demands they return to Fennbirn to save
the island from Katherine.
While the sisters must decide what is best for the island, the
people, and themselves, Jules must also decide who she wants to be
and whether or not she can lead a revolution, breaking free of all
the island is and leading it into a new age. I would recommend to
fans of the previous books. The novel touches on feelings of
otherness and loss of control.
Kayla Gaskell
Unicorn! by Maggie Hutchings
Ill. by Cheryl Orsini. Affirm Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925712506 Luka makes the world light up
Like a shooting star on a dark night.
But when Luka gets really sick and makes a wish for a unicorn, it is
not so easy for her best friend to keep her promise of making it
come true. Even though she did lots of research about where to find
one and how to catch it when she did, she couldn't find the
information she needed. So she drew a picture of one but that didn't
satisfy Luka as she lay in her hospital bed. And neither did
dressing up in a onesie. Even borrowing a pony and putting a
cardboard horn on it did not make a difference. But sometimes every
minute spent wishing and hoping and determined to keep a promise can
pay off . . .
Unicorns and little girls currently go together like fish and chips
- there is an inexorable pull between them - and so to discover a
picture book that features them is all that will be needed to get
your young readers clamouring for this one. The double bonus is that
it is a quality story that is about friendship and the lengths we go
to for those we love which is accompanied by exquisite
illustrations. And the ending is perfect - even I looked under my
bed!
Barbara Braxton
Billie by Nicole Godwin and Demelsa Haughton
Tusk Books, 2018. ISBN 9780994531414
Billie the dolphin loves the wildness of surfing the ocean's waves -
for her there is no greater thrill. And so she sets off to find the
most enormous wave that she can, one that will make her happy, safe
and free. But in her search for that one wonderful wave, she
encounters more than she expected as she finds fellow marine
creatures entangled in the human detritus and pollution of the
ocean. Fishing lines, plastic bags, nets, noise . . . all are
modern-day hazards that have to be navigated as the ocean's
creatures go about their daily lives. Billie helps to free as many
as she can, but when she herself is caught in a net and her new
friends come to rescue her, she finds something that is even better
than surfing the enormous waves.
The Canberra author of Ella has made it her mission to be a voice
for those creatures of the wild who don't have their own voice to
bring attention to the destruction of their habitat. Many young
readers will be familiar with the sight of dolphins surfing the
waves and develop a fascination for these beautiful, intelligent
creatures from a young age. But they are unaware of the issues that
dolphins face as the human world encroaches more and more on their
environment and so it is books like this that carry a critical
message of conservation as well as a charming story that inspire
them to action. Rather like the little wave that forms and is then
apparently lost in the vast ocean, but in fact becomes part of a
larger wave, so the voices of authors like Godwin and illustrators
like Haughton who has created such vivid images become bigger and
bigger and louder and louder as both Ella and Billie are shared with
our young students as part of the sustainability perspective of the
Australian Curriculum.
The final double spread explains more about the issues that Billie
encountered on her journey, and part of this includes the statement,
'One of the saddest parts of my journey was not being able to help
my friends in the dolphin park. They belong in the wild, not in
tanks.' This has the potential to become a formal debate on the role
of places like SeaWorld and other venues where dolphins are held in
captivity, perhaps even extending to the roles of zoos in the
understanding and conservation of the planet's fauna. So while this
appears to be a picture book for the very young, it has scope to be
used with a much wider, older audience.
Barbara Braxton
Invisible Jerry by Adam Wallace and Giuseppe Poli
EK Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925335781
People don't notice Jerry. If someone bumps into him, they don't say
sorry. If he makes a joke, no one laughs. He never gets picked last
for sports teams - but that's because he never gets picked at all.
It's like he's invisible. Even though, like most kids, he doesn't
want to be too different that he stands out, he hates being
invisible. He really would like to be part of the crowd, laughing,
smiling and having fun but that's hard if you're quiet and shy.
But then along comes Molly . . . and not only does she change
Jerry's life, she enables him to changes the lives of others.
There is a fine line between being the centre of attention and
perhaps putting a target on your back for bullies and being so
introverted that you're not even noticed. Most kids seem to work
within a happy medium between the two but there are always the
extremes - like the Bell curve of distribution. Sharing this book
with young readers can help make those in the middle more aware of
those like Jerry who don't have the confidence to step forward, or
who are ignored when they try, while at the same time, give the
introverts the opportunity to reach out to someone who is just like
them and who is probably feeling as unhappy as they are. Whilst we
don't all are or want to be in the limelight, sometimes it's
necessary to cast a light into the shadows.
From the front cover of this book where the line between Jerry and
his peers is drawn with the title dividing him from them, the
placement of Jerry in the illustrations underscores his isolation
and the gentle palette reinforces the light touch that Spark author,
Adam Wallace has used to portray a common situation that can be dark
and overwhelming.
Another wonderful story for your mindfulness collection.
Barbara Braxton
Light Years by Kass Morgan
Hodder and Stoughton 2018. ISBN 9781473663398
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Science fiction, Space
stations, Bullying, Discrimination. When the exclusive Quatra Fleet
Academy changes its policy on admitting students from other planets,
the best and brightest of Chetire, Loos, and Deva can finally hope
for a better life. Known as Settlers and dealing with horrendous
conditions and low life expectancy on their home planets, the
students from Chetire, Loos, and Deva are eager to prove they are
just as smart, if not smarter, than the Tridians.
Cormak, a black-market water-runner from the toxic planet of Deva,
arrives at the Academy by accident, taking the place of his deceased
brother, Rex. Together with being one of the first Deva people to
attend the academy, Cormak wins the place of Captain on his team,
drawing the attention of the Tridians and the disdain of his fellow
classmates. For Cormak, this is all made easier by the rivalry with
his pilot, Vesper, a Tridian and the daughter of their headmistress.
Along with Aaran, a boy from Chetire, their team is completed by
Orelia, a girl who claims to be from Loos but is hiding a dark
secret.
Joining the Quatra Fleet is the dream of any Tridian and the
admittance of Settlers into the highly competitive program is like a
slap in the face. While the Tridian cadets try to maintain their
superiority, they forget their common enemy and the reason the
Quatra Fleet was formed in the first place. Can they overcome their
petty rivalry to face the greater enemy in time?
Playing with issues such as bullying and discrimination, Light
Years presents this space academy as a coming of age story. I
would highly recommend to people struggling with issues regarding
discrimination, bullying, or relationships aged twelve and up.
Despite being set in space, the novel doesn't read much like a
science fiction piece, rather a school drama.
Kayla Gaskell
First Children's Dictionary ed. by Marie Greenwood
Australian Edition. Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 9780143794981
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Subjects: English dictionary. Dorling
Kindersley's First Children's Dictionary is an excellent
resource and reference guide for children, students and families to
use. Introductory sections assist in understanding alphabetical
order, sentence construction and how to use the dictionary. Labels,
diagrams, photos, bold text and whole pages focussed on one topic
make this visually appealing. We view a city scene with a cyclist,
street musician and traffic surrounded by descriptive words filling
the sky in a range of fun fonts, just right to investigate.
Fireworks blast and flash across the Entertainment page and
industrial robots, surveillance drones and high-tech humanoid robots
are surrounded by descriptive nouns, verbs and phrases in the 'R'
section.
The editors have included a broad range of words including both
familiar language and new topics to extend the reader's vocabulary.
This dictionary is clearly set out for younger children with a
simple definition and explanation included in a sentence. Colourful
images, half page photo spreads and three columns per page, bold
guide words and alphabetical order on the page edges make this an
interesting reference tool. Spelling tips, Writing and punctuation
tools, Maths facts and figures, Animal Families and a world map are
included as additional points of interest.
With more than 400 entries and 800 illustrations this First
Children's Dictionary is a constructive guide for families and
students in the early years. A beneficial introduction to grammar,
spelling tips and a useful resource for creative writing.
Rhyllis Bignell
Uncle Gobb and the plot plot by Michael Rosen
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408873946
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Nonsense. Malcolm's new problem
presents itself immediately - in the middle of the night in fact.
Mum and Malcolm, aided to a small degree by his nose genie, discover
Uncle Gobb gearing up to turn his Dread Shed into a school for
'important facts and rich knowledge'.
Perhaps because this is a post fact world, for which Uncle Derek
Gobb is not equipped, his plot (both his plan and the name of the
land near the school) do not gain traction even with the help of his
own genie, disguised as Fred Shed. Will Malcolm's disenchanted and
grumpy Uncle Gobb succeed in opening the Dread Shed School next to
Malcolm's school?
The anachronistic Uncle Gobb makes an hilarious comeback in this
series that began with The Dread Shed and The Green Heads.
Neal Layton's charcoal comics and key words complement Michael
Rosen's narrative anarchy in that familiar way of a father
constructing a nonsensical story off the cuff to delight a child at
bed time.
In this manner, sometimes Rosen makes sense and sometimes not. There
is no fourth wall to suspend disbelief and no apologies made when
events or motives are incredible. All's well, because Malcolm's
mental meanderings and two witty weasels commenting on Rosen's text,
teach young readers a great deal about the art of constructing a
narrative.
As with much of Michael Rosen's work, Uncle Gobb and the Plot
Plot is partially recorded on his youtube channel. Visit https://youtu.be/pRxi6_XBaNk
to hear those early chapters read by the oddball author himself -
plus flashbacks of Spike Milligan for unwitting grandparents.
Deborah Robins
The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid book 13. Penguin, 2018. ISBN
9780143309352
(Age: 8-12) Themes: Friendship, Competition, Community Life, Climate
Change. Jeff Kinney's popular series returns in the thirteenth
instalment The Meltdown. Greg Heffley's diary focuses on the
huge winter storm that results in heavy snow falls and school
closures. When Greg's mom forces him to play outside, it's time for
epic snowball fights, neighbourhood battles and plenty of fun.
Greg's self-deprecating diary entries help the reader see the world
through his eyes, with humorous asides and plenty of family and
school drama. Greg's imagination is fun to read, thinking about how
cold his ancestors were because they didn't have thermal underwear
and even sheltering in his Gramma's basement and having to wear her
clothes. Kinney's cartoon illustrations add to the fun as well,
there's snow boots melted to the fireplace, epic snowball battles
and pizza box snowshoes. The diary contains comments about the
effects of climate change, the final cartoon shows cyborg Greg
playing cards with a robot as an atom bomb explodes outside the
window.
Greg's diary begins in January, which is unseasonably warm. His
brain is fried and he's forgotten to write his International
Showcase country project owing to the heat from the school furnace
frying his brain! At home things are always interesting: mom's no
screens on the weekends force Greg out into his neighbourhood to
play. Surrey Street is fraught with danger, problems with neighbours
and the upper and lower sections constantly at war with each other.
February brings heavy snowfalls and school closures that sees an
epic snowball fight complete with snow forts, flags and kids who
collaborate to bring the other side down. There's even an
entrepreneurial neighbour, Mitchell Pickett, who's selling pre-made
snowballs, icicles, snowball launchers and sloppy specials to all
the participants. Fortification and castle building add interest to
Greg's diary entries.
Fans of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will enjoy The
Meltdown; it delivers all the wry humour, funny situations and
social commentary they enjoy.
Rhyllis Bignell
We are together by Britta Teckentrup
Little Tiger, 2018. ISBN 9781848576582
'On our own we're special, And we can chase our dream.
But when we join up, hand in hand, Together we're a team.'
This is the message of this story - the power of one, but the
even greater power of many. Starting with being content with
one's own company flying a kite, it grows to embrace others in our
lives, known or not-yet, so whether it's being caught in a storm or
being passionate about a cause, the support and strength found in
the love and friendship of others alongside us is cause for joy and
celebration.
If ever we're lonely, we'll just say out loud: Let's all stand
together, one big happy crowd!
The cover is intriguing with cutouts peeking through to just two of
the children on the stunning endpapers showing children of all
nationalities and ethnicities, and as each page is turned the
cutouts increase revealing an ever-widening circle of children
capturing the innate way they have of making friends regardless of
any external differences.
It provides an opportunity to talk about not only receiving a
helping hand but also extending one, valuing and sharing the things
we do well personally while respecting and trying the things others
can do. It emphasises that while we are individuals, humans are also
dependent on others - no man is an island - and that co-operation,
collaboration and company are essential elements of our well-being.
Barbara Braxton
Mutiny on the Bounty by Peter Fitzsimons
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733634116
(Age: Senior students - Adult) Recommended. Mutiny on the Bounty
tells the amazing story of strong personalities, intrigue and high
adventure in the South Pacific.
Captain William Bligh was appointed to take his ship and crew, to
the island paradise, Tahiti, where they were to collect breadfruit
for transplanting in the West Indies. After five months of carefree
living the crew was reluctant to leave. William Bligh's changed
behaviour towards and eventual persecution of his protege, the
popular leader, Fletcher Christian, resulted in the crew mutiny and
the banishment of Bligh and 18 others to an open boat. In a
remarkable feat of navigation and endurance the small boat was
navigated to Timor. Meanwhile, Fletcher Christian sailed back to
Tahiti. The mutineers were well aware that they would be wanted men.
Most remained on Tahiti but Christian and eight compatriots along
with Tahitian men and women sailed off in search of a secret hiding
place. Eventually they discovered Pitcairn Island, where they
proceeded to settle, populate, quarrel and murder.
Peter Fitzsimmonds has based his book (613 pages) on the work of
earlier researchers, and detailed quotes from primary sources such
as Bligh's logbook. Incidents are flavoured through diary notes
converted to conversation and assumed thoughts or motivations
discussed during the main developments. The ship and settings are
described in detail with drawings, pictures and maps to support the
narrative. Suspense is maintained through simultaneous accounts of
the actions by both factions in different parts of the world. Some
readers might take issue with the accuracy of the accounts of the
mayhem on Pitcairn Island. However, the author gives a strong
flavour of how events probably occurred. An amazing story that is
still gripping over two hundred years later.
Paul Pledger
Helen Oxenbury: A life in illustration by Leonard S. Marcus
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406357943
(Age: 11-Adult) Highly recommended. What a joy it was to discover
this fascinating account of the life of Helen Oxenbury, written in
an easy to read manner by Marcus, a distinguished children's
literature critic. From the very beginning when the reader glimpses
a rich brown red door at the top of the stairs, then is shown all
the accoutrements of an artist, brushes, pens and crayons, it is
evident that this is a book to be savoured and treasured, one to
share with other people who love art and with children who have
adored the illustrations in many of Helen Oxenbury's books.
The book is divided into spans of years, giving information about
Helen's childhood and early training as an artist in the period from
1938-1957, then the book is divided into decades following the
important events of her life. It is illustrated with beautiful
photographs that bring Helen to life for the reader as well as
containing many gorgeous illustrations from her books. Anyone who
has been involved with reading to young children will recognise the
wonderful pictures from We are going on a bear hunt, to Ten
little fingers ten little toes and will be filled with
nostalgia for the lovely times of reading aloud and sharing these
books. Helen's understanding and love for children is evident in her
delightful drawings of toddlers and babies and her empathy for young
mothers is also very obvious.
It is easy to read the book from cover to cover as Helen's life and
the growth of the publishing industry is described. And it is also
wonderful to let the pages just drop open to see what gorgeous
illustration might appear.
This beautifully designed book is a fascinating biography of a very
warm and talented illustrator and one that could grace any home
where art is valued, while being a valuable addition to any library.
A video is available.
Pat Pledger
The librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
Translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites. Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN
9781250217677
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Historical fiction. Based on a true story,
this novel recounts the life of Dita, a 14 year old Jewish Czech
girl, sent with her mother and father by the Nazis in Prague, first
to the Jewish ghetto of Terezin, and then to the Auschwitz
extermination camp. There, in Block 31, she becomes the librarian,
guardian of a secret library of eight books, a strange assortment
that has been secreted into the camp one by one: there is an atlas,
a book of geometry, H. G. Wells' history of the world, a Russian
grammar, a French novel, a Russian novel, Freud's treatise on
psychoanalytic therapy and a disreputable Czech publication The
adventures of the good soldier Svejk. The books are forbidden,
and they become the most valuable link with another world, the world
of literature and education. Dita literally guards them with her
life.
Life in Auschwitz is miserable and fearful. The school that their
inspirational leader Fredy Hirsch has set up in Block 31 is
threatened at any moment by discovery by the Nazis. The cruel and
heartless Dr Josef Mengele has Dita in his sights, he is tracking
her every move. Afraid, Dita doesn't know who to trust - is it truly
as the eccentric Professor Morgenstern says, your best friend is
only yourself?
Despite all the horrors she experiences, Dita is a survivor, and in
this story Iturbe captures her unique spirit, her courage in the
face of the worst evils, and her determination not to be beaten. The
book includes other truly brave people, a reminder of the strengths
of ordinary people living in the worst of times.
In the end this is an uplifting book, a reminder of the importance
of literature and ideas, and of empathy and shared human experience.
Young readers and adults would equally enjoy it.
Helen Eddy
It's a long way to the shop by Heidi McKinnon
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742998855
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour. Adventure. Overcoming
obstacles. Determination. Persistence. Readers will just love
working out how these two rocks can make it to the shop. After all
they don't have legs or wings, or flippers, but they make it across
the field, the river and the mountain with the help of other
creatures.
Right from the start, they know it is a long way to the shop. The
blue rock continually questions the red rock about how they can get
across the field, climb so high or swim the river. Each time, the
blue rock answers 'we fly' or 'we swim' but each time the blue rock
responds with an insurmountable problem. But they do make it to the
shop, some adventures happening along the way that press them
forward: a goat picking them up in its mouth, then spitting them
out, a bird taking them up to its nest, a person skimming them
across the water.
Children will laugh out loud at how they are moved, despite their
obvious inability to move of their own accord. And when they get to
the shop, another problem occurs! The shop is a sausage roll shop,
and it is waiting for them on the counter, but how can they get it
down to eat it? Children will love working out what they or others
can do to assist them.
The pared back illustrations using only a few colours are most
entertaining, as they show the determination of the two rocks to
achieve their goal. Children will love the blue text from the blue
rock, and the red text from the red rock, encouraging them to join
in when it is read to them. Children and adults will laugh at the
insinuation of rock and roll into the story: the tale is about
rocks, the title parodies a famous rock classic, 'It's a long way to
the top', and they attend a rock concert. Heidi McKinnon, a
Melbourne based graphic designer published her first book late year,
I
just ate my friend, a very funny understated look at
friendship. You can read more about her at www.heidimckinnon.com
Fran Knight
