Serenity Press, 2018. ISBN 9780648230427
(Age: 6-9) Recommended. Themes: Differences. Acceptance. Need a book
for Halloween? Here is one that might work, that is neither too
dark, nor too grim!
Crowboy is not like the other children. He has tried to fit in and
be like them... but he just doesn't like what they like. He likes
haunted houses and other macabre things, and gets driven home from
school in the undertaker's hearse (with the coffin on top). When the
teacher sets a creative writing task, Crowboy has the opportunity to
share his imaginative side and he discovers a new accepting audience
for his dark and spooky tale. This is a book that shows that we
don't have to all be alike to find points of connection.
With a dark and slightly macabre illustrative style, with a touch of
whimsy, this picture book may not be suited for all in the under-9
age group, but there will be some who recognise the character hiding
behind the dark disguise - the one who is keen to be known, despite
his differences.
Recommended for the edgy children who 'do not fit' in the Under-9
age group.
Carolyn Hull
What should a horse say? by Fleur McDonald and Annie White
New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594201
(Age: 2-5) Themes: Farm animals. Horses. Farmer Rochelle's farm is
filled with noisy animals, all mooing, baaing and even clucking
"chick chick". However, she has one big problem, her horse also says
"chick chick"! She asks her friend Farmer Hayden for help, even his
tractor, quad bike and truck make the right noises. He's just not
sure about "what a horse should say". Farmer Rochelle continues her
quest to find the answer ringing her friend Susan who can't help
either. Her cocky just wants more chocolate and everyone she meets
still can't provide her with the appropriate solution. Dr Swan the
vet drives up in his red ute, ready to investigate what is wrong
with the horse. After a thorough check-up, he gives him some funny
tasting medicine and rubs yellow cream on to his throat. Has the vet
saved the day?
Annie White's sweeping vistas, close up farm scenes and lively farm
animals are delightful. Her large brown horse is the one to watch,
especially when Dr Swan checks his temperature. Find the little
happy chickens jumping and dancing throughout.
Fleur McDonald's noisy story What should a horse say is an
entertaining read aloud. Young children will love joining in with
all the farm animal noises. They will love the question and
response, knowing that all the way through the horse should be
neighing.
Rhyllis Bignell
From Elizabeth Mary Cummings, author of The Forever Kid
ISBN: 9781925675399.
A lifelong bookworm, English was my favourite subject at school. I
studied Psychology and Business Studies at University before doing a
postgraduate in Primary School teaching. I discovered my passion for
teaching and my love of working with young people.
Recently I have focused on developing and publishing my writing with
a special focus on mental health, writing about real life situations
in narrative form. This narrative therapy approach to discussing
mental health issues with children is something that I think is a
very strong tool for helping heal and develop positive communication
strategies especially when talking about difficult subject matter
with young people.
I got the idea for The
Forever Kidwhen I was thinking about my uncle who I
never met. He died when he was a teenager before I was born. My
father often spoke about him and described how sad the family was
that he had died, even though he had been ill for a long time before
then. I had been talking to my parents about life and family and so
I think that my mind was focused on family matters. I woke up in the
middle of the night and the whole story was there in my head. I got
up and write down my thoughts straight away and then spent three
years honing the narrative as well as seeking community engagement
and feedback before pitching it to publishers. It was so vital to
ensure that the story's message rang true and that the integrity of
the message remained intact throughout the creation.
My hope is to not only share this story but to facilitate a greater
awareness in society of grief from a child's perspective and to
start a dialogue with families and their support networks on the
matter of death and grief
The Forever Kid by Elizabeth Mary Cummings
Ill. by Cheri Hughes. Big Sky Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925675399
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Grief, Remembrance, Loss. The
Forever Kid is about remembering a child who will never grow
up. The family in the story celebrate the memory of the child who is
no longer with them by celebrating their birthday with the food and
games that that child loved.
This is a lovely book written from a child's perspective which means
it is easier for children to relate to the story. It encourages the
sharing of feelings in a safe supportive way.
The illustrations in this book are simple and they support the story
beautifully.
It can be used as a starting point for discussions on the topic of
grief both by parents and teachers, as this is a sympathetic way to
discuss the topic of loss. Some activities
are available from Just Write for Kids blog.
I highly recommend this book for 4+
Karen Colliver
The Botanist's Daughter by Kayte Nunn
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733639388
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Starting a little slowly, yet
creating two worlds that have no defining link, this novel is
captivating, rich in depiction of the past, and cleverly
interspersing the two stories. The title suggests a story of a
family and an interest in botany, and it is that, yet this book
offers much more than a simple family history. One story is set
firmly in the present, where a young woman can take herself off to
England to seek an understanding of the book's provenance, while the
other plunges us into the past, particularly referring to the place
of women at the time of the story, telling a story set in the 1880s.
Both narratives delve into the lives of women in their era,
especially elucidating the differences between the possibilities for
the two: between education, freedom to travel, learn, work or
interact outside the family, and to create a life for one's self.
Placing her narrative in these two distinct eras, beginning the
story in the 1886, in England, and Sydney in 2017, Kayte Nunn takes
us into the lives, and indeed the minds, of two characters,
exploring their worlds and considering the wider world and time in
which each lived. Each story is lightly told while both are
revelatory of the particular differences for women in their times.
The modern story begins when an old book of beautiful botanical
illustration is discovered hidden within the wall cavity of an old
Sydney house, the owner, a young woman, is stunned. Captivated by
the beauty and artistry of the illustrations, the owner, Anna,
realizes that she is keen to unravel the mystery of the origin of
this book, and her determination to do so takes her to England. Back
in Australia, while Anna is redecorating the house, relishing her
discoveries and enjoying the search for what kind of person was this
ancestor of hers, she comes to believe that perhaps it was an
inherited interest that drew her into botany and the kind of life
had she has lived.
The story is told in two parts, that of the historical search by an
English woman and her servant, and that of the modern woman who has
found the intriguing diary. Moving back and forth between the
narratives, Nunn reveals that the original botanist was Anna's
grandmother, yet we are eager to unravel the mystery of why the book
was hidden and what is the accompanying history of this grandmother.
Beautifully written, clearly and simply narrated from the
perspective of both grandmother and granddaughter, who had not known
one another, this captivating novel creates a link between two
distinct eras. Nunn deftly creates an enigmatic story-line, while
subtly revealing the differences in the freedom and choices of women
in the modern era and that of the past in England in 1886, and
indeed of the violence that took place in defence of what one
believed to be the right to ownership.
This book is intriguing and would be appropriate for older
adolescent readers and indeed most interesting for adult readers,
particularly those who love a good historical novel that has an
added twist.
Elizabeth Bondar
The A-Z of Wonder Women by Yvonne Lin
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781526361547
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Women - Biography. Award-winning
industrial designer Yvonne Lin is a leader in creating innovative
products for women. She designed The A-Z of Wonder Woman for
her young daughter Roni introducing her and other girls and boys
around the world to positive female role models. She has drawn
inspiration from leaders in various fields of endeavour, from
ancient times to the current day. Women of different ethnicities,
different ages and stages in their careers are presented in
alphabetical order by their first names. She has included popular
figures and those that are less well-known.
The book begins with English mathematician Ada Lovelace who invented
the first punch card algorithms in the mid-1800s. Cathy Freeman runs
across the page in her Australian Olympics uniform proud to be the
winner of the gold medal in the 400-metre race. Florence Nightingale
is celebrated as an English statistician who championed proper
sanitary procedures in hospitals and founded modern methods of
nursing. J K Rowling started a literary revolution when she wrote
her Harry Potter series, encouraging reluctant readers around the
world to read all 3407 pages.
Yvonne Lin commends Italian educator Maria Montessori, suffragette
Kate Sheppard from New Zealand and Oprah Winfrey one of the most
influential African-American women globally. The author has
recognised comedian and producer Tina Fey as a "titillating tickler"
and Yayoi Kusama the eccentric Japanese artist whose installations,
sculptures and paintings have influenced Hockney and Warhol's
styles.
The amazing layout of this book includes colourful backgrounds,
portraits of each women, a concise account of their achievements and
an encouraging quote. As a bonus thirty more influential women are
mentioned at the conclusion of this informative book. The A-Z of
Wonder Women is ideal for History and Social Sciences students
as a stepping stone for researching women who have influenced
changes across the globe.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763688042
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Gusta loved the golden sound of her
horn, the way the notes could make you ring like a bell, from your
hair bow to your toes. Its music was so large and grand. She was
quiet by nature, but the horn was the bravest part of her her sweet,
large, secret, brassy voice.
Throughout the book Gusta (Augusta) develops as a strong leading
female character. She lives in New York with her mother. Her German
father is wanted by the law with the threat of World War 2 looming
on the horizon. Gusta finds herself being uprooted and sent to live
with her grandmother and aunt who own an orphanage. She is
continually trying to make everyone around her happy and only truly
feels at ease when she is playing her horn. Gusta is surrounded by
children of varying ages from all different walks of lives and
develops a special bond with her cousin Bess. Throughout the story,
she has to make some incredibly hard decisions that even an adult
would find challenging. Gusta is determined to find the wish that
her great grandfather who was a sailor left behind. This allows for
a thread of magic to be interlaced throughout the story.
Themes such as justice, fairness, loyalty and friendship are
discussed. It was interesting to read the author's notes at the end
of the book that this was based on Nesbet's own mother's life.
This book is suitable for children 10 and up. A must have for the
collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
Collecting sunshine by Rachel Flynn
Ill. by Tamsin Ainslie. Penguin 2018. ISBN 9780143785187
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Themes: Childhood; Play; Memories. An early
childhood book with two central characters who go to a park with a
paper bag ready to gather their own collection of treasures. When it
rains the bag breaks, but the children continue collecting, only
this time they collect memories which they later record in their own
art gallery. This is a simple picture book, with limited text and
appealing naive illustrations. The illustrations appealed to the
nearly-two-year-old that I shared this book with. She loved
searching for the dogs, the cat, and the bike in the illustrations,
but more particularly she loved identifying the blue budgie hidden
on every page. It wasn't until I was ready to review the book, that
I also discovered the illustrator had deliberately hidden a mouse on
every page as well as the blue budgie. The idea that you can collect
memories is the essential feature of the book.
This is a book that would appeal in a child-care context, prior to a
walk in the park, collecting sunshine and memories along the way.
Recommended aged 1-4 years.
Carolyn Hull
Inside the tiger by Hayley Lawrence
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143788959
(Age: Senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Justice system, capital
punishment, social action, friendship, family, grief, loss. Bel
Anderson is the 17 year old daughter of the Minister for Justice and
has attended an exclusive girls' boarding school in Sydney for the
last seven years. Her mother was murdered when she was a baby and
her father has made it his mission in life to get justice for
victims of crime; he is now campaigning for mandatory sentencing
laws. Bel's Legal Studies class is given an assignment to "align
yourself with a movement for the betterment of society, the world,
yourselves or each other" p 3. She is sick of causes, having been
dragged into her father's campaigns all her life so she chooses to
write a letter to a prisoner, seemingly the easiest way to fulfil
the assignment's requirements. When the prisoner, Micah, on Death
Row in a notorious Thai prison writes back Bel finds herself drawn
into caring about the 18 year old Australian and his situation, and
travels to Thailand to visit him. Knowing she will be opposing her
father's position on justice and punishment Bel draws support from
her friends, even though they are concerned and caution her about
the emotional cost. As she takes Micah's cause to social media and a
public rally she widens the debate "We don't allow our own
government to execute our prisoners so why should we be silent when
it happens to our people overseas." P223. But her actions have some
unforeseen consequences.
This first novel is remarkable in successfully weaving together a
rarely explored and controversial topic with a complex and
challenging coming of age story. Bel leads a life of privilege but
the loss of her mother and the preoccupation of her father leave her
emotionally vulnerable. Finding a "soul mate" in a Thai gaol helps
her find perspective and she grows in maturity as she faces some
hard truths.
Recommended for senior students and particularly those interested in
social action this novel could be used as a discussion starter on
social activism or capital punishment. The "From the Author" section
at the end of the book quotes the Foreign Prisoner Support Service
"Write to a prisoner. It will make your day, but it will make their
life". The story comes from what she learnt from five years of
writing to a prisoner on death row in Thailand.
Sue Speck
Ting Ting the Ghost Hunter by Gabrielle Wang
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143787334
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Themes: Ghosts, Chinese mythology, Sorcery.
Ting Ting the Ghost Hunter is the much awaited sequel to
Gabrielle Wang's Ghost in My Suitcase. These wonderful
stories bring to life Chinese culture, ancient mythology and
traditions, focusing on the belief in the supernatural and the art
of ghost hunting.
Three years ago, a small Chinese lady Bao Min rescued a young girl
from an orphanage, taking Ting Ting home to a place filled with
kindness and love. Now trained in the special skills of ghost
hunting, she travels with her grandma Por around Shanghai capturing
problem ghosts. Snake whips, mingshen mirrors, a coin sword and
brass bells are used to lure the spirits from their hiding spots.
Ting Ting is unhappy with her role just banishing "harmless
fat-belly ghosts" and wants to step up to her grandma's ghost
hunting level. When her Por is summoned to Black Band Village for a
special job, Ting Ting is left behind trusted to continue her
home-schooling and to seal Bao Mansion protecting the house from
spirits. She is very fearful of returning here because six weeks ago
she was hurt while fighting her grandfather's ghost.
When her Por disappears and doesn't keep in touch, Ting Ting decides
to travel to their Shanghai home and then on to the mysterious Black
Band Village. Her journey high into the mountains demands courage,
self-reliance, and use of her special skills and trust in the
villagers who have been exiled by a den of ghosts.
Gabrielle Wang's charming story opens up the world of Chinese
culture and beliefs, magic, festivals, fantastic food and an insight
into daily life. The characters are heartfelt and Ting Ting's growth
is encouraging to see. The author's charming sketches throughout add
to the excitement and understanding of their way of life. Ting
Ting the Ghost Hunter is an evocative junior novel, filled
with magical realism just right for readers from 9-12.
Rhyllis Bignell
I went trick-or-treating by Paul Howard
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408892886
(Age: All) Recommended. I went trick-or-treating by Paul
Howard is a wonderful holiday specific story that will appeal to
readers of all ages. It adds to the popular I went . . .
series which includes a Christmas special with Santa and also a trip
to the supermarket.
The story follows a brother and sister who are trying to out-do each
other in a scare competition at Halloween! They come across ghosts,
toads, bats, cats and even pirates along their journey, with each
page building in a "test-your-memory" style story. This aspect of
the story was a great addition to our reading time. Both Miss 4 and
Master 8 were able to interact with the story (at their own levels)
by recalling creatures and characters and also trying to get them in
the correct order. The repetitive nature is beneficial to the
younger listeners, and helps to encourage and involve them in the
text.
The illustrations by the clever Paul Howard are very cute, colourful
and add humour through the facial expressions of all the characters.
My personal favourites are the Monster Boogie King, Naughty Warty
Toad and the Super Silly Skeletons.
According to my 4 year old daughter this book is "very funny". She
enjoyed counting the bats, thought the ghost was funny and liked the
animals the best.
Master 8 stated that it is a good book to read at Halloween and
thought that people from 4 to 99 years of age could enjoy this book.
I agree with both of them and think this book (and the other 2 in
the series) would be a great addition to any bookshelf or library.
4.5 out of 5
Lauren Fountain
The Christmas tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson
Ill. by Eleanor Taylor. Frederick Warne, 2018. ISBN
9780241352885
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Christmas, Poultry. Emma Thompson,
the renowned actress, has written another tale about Peter Rabbit in
this board book, beautifully illustrated by Eleanor Taylor. Peter is
very excited about Christmas and can't contain himself in the
kitchen, upsetting three bowls of mincemeat. Mrs Rabbit sends him
off on an errand to get him out of the way, and then he bumps into
Benjamin Bunny and William the turkey, who confides in the pair that
the McGregors "say that on Christmas Day they are to have me for
dinner!"
Peter and Benjamin are determined to save their friend and come up
with many ingenious ways to hide him from the McGregors, including
under a rhubarb-forcer by the compost-heap and in the coal shuttle,
but his magnificent tail-feathers always gave him away. Finally they
came up with a solution - and children will have fun suggesting ways
of hiding a turkey with a very full set of tail-feathers.
Thompson has succeeded in writing a narrative that reads aloud very
well and will be enjoyed by children, as they follow the dilemma of
William and his two friends. Parents and teachers should be aware
that younger children may need to be introduced gently to the idea
that turkeys are killed and then roasted for Christmas dinner.
The illustrations are done in the vein of the original Peter Rabbit
drawings, and are charming and often humorous.
Overall, a delightful addition to the Peter Rabbit tales.
Pat Pledger
The girl with the dragon heart by Stephanie Burgis
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408880777
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Dragons, Fairies, Good and
Evil.
"Once upon a time in a beautiful, dirty, exciting city full of
people and chocolate and possibilities, there was a girl so fearless
and so daring that. . "
Stephanie Burgis weaves another magical fantasy in The Girl with
the Dragon Heart. Following The
dragon with the chocolate heart, thirteen-year-old
Silke, storyteller and worldly-wise orphan is the focus of this
second story, that is filled with castle intrigue and an evil plot.
The royal court of Elfenwald, the feared fairy kingdom, is coming to
visit the royal family at the Drachenberg palace. Princess Katrin
asks Silke to become a palace spy, disguised as a lady-in-waiting to
find out their real motives.
We learn more Silke's past and discover why she loves to spin tall
tales, why she is quick-witted and has developed excellent survival
skills. She is an orphan: her parents disappeared in the evil fairy
kingdom of Elfenwald and with her older brother Dieter, live a
simple existence in Drachenburg, selling second-hand clothes on the
riverbank. Her handbills advertising the chocolate shop are
fabricated with stories of royal patronage, and this captures the
princess's attention.
Silke's initiation into palace life is humorous, as she wears
corsets and fancy dresses, learning to curtsy and following all the
rules. Young Princess Sofia's jealousy of Silke's special assignment
also causes problems. Night time forays into the secret tunnels and
passageways, listening to secret conversations add to the excitement
and danger. Silke finds comfort with her friends the chocolate
makers as they prepare delicious confections in the palace.
Stephanie Burgis understands the fantasy realm; she builds an
exciting world filled with relatable characters, adding magic, a
fight of good and evil, exciting fairy characters, goblins and of
course dragons. The Girl with the Dragon Heart champions
girls taking charge of their own destiny and surviving in difficult
circumstances by using their skills and wits. A fantastic adventure
novel to share with Middle Primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell
There's a baddie running through this book by Shelly Unwin and Vivienne To
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760630614
(Age: Preschool+) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Books, Robbers and
outlaws, Theft. There's a baddie running through this book,
Turn the pages; have a look.
There he goes, did you see?
Sound your siren, chase with me. (Publisher) There's a baddie running through this book is a fun story:
you can follow the path of destruction left by the baddie in the
book, as he makes his way through the book stealing different items.
He left a trail of nuts behind him as he made his way through the
book, and in the end this was his undoing. He ends up caught and
everyone gets their things back. He is locked up, but will he stay
that way?
The illustrations are lots of fun and children will enjoy picking
out the baddie in his mask and carrying a sack over his shoulder,
while enjoying the havoc that he leaves behind.
It uses language that can be used to support concept development
such as "up and down", "left or right".
I recommend this book especially for preschool age children to
support the development of the concepts used in the book.
Karen Colliver
Saffy and the sneaky secret summoning by Annabel Cutler
Little Steps, 2018. ISBN 9781925545029
(Age: 3+) "Join Little Saffy as she goes about her sneaky secret
mission. She is determined to summon the almighty dragon and she
will most certainly not let anything stand in her way." (Publisher)
This is a delightful story about Saffy, who tries every night to
summon a dragon. She persistently tries again and again but instead
finds herself face to face with creatures including a chook, dog and
a skunk. Despite no initial success Saffy is determined.
I loved the bright illustrations throughout the book and found it
easy to identify themes such as persistence and self belief. Dotted
throughout is Saffy's vivid imagination. Without giving the ending
away, it is fair to say that she goes on an incredible adventure and
it has a happy ending.
Suitable for children aged 3 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
