Ill. by Levi Pinfold. Walker Studio, 2018. ISBN 9781406304879
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Music. Dams. Loss. Hope.
Picture book for older readers. Based on a true story told to Almond
by Kathryn and Mike Tickells, two musicians, The dam
celebrates the power of the human spirit and the beauty of music. In
the 1980's, Keider Water in Northumberland, the largest artificial
lake in the UK, was created. Farms and houses were submerged and a
village drowned, but before that happened a father and his daughter
visited the houses and in each, the girl played her fiddle for the
last time. Then the valley disappeared and a huge dam and lake took
its place. When the water rose and covered everything, it left a
beautiful lake and Behind the dam
Within the water the music stays,
Will never be gone.
Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, this poignant picture book
will linger in the memory. The text is sparse and beautiful and the
accompanying illustrations, first in sepia tones, and then gradually
becoming more colourful, are stunning and beg to be examined again
and again. The father and his daughter come alive on the pages, the
love between the two and for music shining through the pages, with
people singing and dancing on the banks of the lake as the
continuation of music is celebrated even though great changes have
been made in the landscape.
This is an unforgettable picture book, with author and illustrator
combining to give the reader a lyrical story with wonderful imagery,
truly a showcase of art.
Pat Pledger
Look up! by Antonia Pesenti
Little Hare, 2018. ISBN 9781760125240
(Ages: 4 - Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Architecture.
Numbers. Colours. Shapes. Subtitled Numbers, colours and shapes in
architecture, this remarkable book highlights some of the world's
best known and significant buildings. The first section, "Numbers in
Architecture" has the numbers one to ten on starkly white pages,
next to beautiful illustrations of the number in architecture. So we
have Two showcasing the two towers of Notre Dame, while Six is
illustrated with the Sydney Opera House and its six sails, Eight is
the eight columns of the Pantheon. Each of the ten illustrations is
magnificent, taking up the whole page with the eye drawn to its
completeness and the significance of the number applied to it. A
small title appears near the building to tell younger readers what
the place is and where it can be found, while the last pages have a
complete set of the illustrations and their names as a handy
reference. It is wonderful to be able to look more closely at each
piece of architecture and take in the reason the number is there
while seeing the place in its entirety without the distraction of
surrounding buildings. Younger readers will appreciate these
magnificent buildings from the world stage and take in their
significance. A second section, "Colour in Architecture", shows
different places but this time highlighting their colours. Here
accommodation is the theme, while the last section, "Shapes in
Architecture" displays the various shapes that have captured
people's imaginations in buildings. Here we have the Guggenheim Museum, New York, and the Seattle
Library as well as the Flu's Eye Dome in the USA.
The whole book is splendid in its revelation of architecture for
young readers, enthusing them with the shapes, numbers and colours
that can be found, giving them a basis from which to view other
buildings in their vicinity.
Fran Knight
No friend but the mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani
Picador, 2018. ISBN 9781760555382
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction.
Writing from Manus Prison, "Behrouz is convinced that the general
public have yet to grasp the horrors of systemic torture integral to
the detention system". However, don't expect a refugee memoir
designed to draw your sympathy. This book fits more among works of
world prison literature. The men on Manus are subjected to a
Kyriarchal system that is built around domination, oppression, and
submission. Basic instincts of hunger and survival come to the fore,
and the humiliation of constantly queueing and waiting in the heat
for food, for toilets, for cigarettes, for telephone time, for
medical treatment, means that sometimes some people push themselves
forward and sometimes other people are trampled over. The cruelty
and meaninglessness of the rules defies any understanding, and seems
designed only to take away any sense of agency and to break the
men's spirits.
Boochani describes a day when desperate for some amusement someone
manages to use a permanent marker to draw a backgammon board on a
table and the men start to play, using lids from water bottles as
counters. Instantly the guards cross out the game and write over it
"Games Prohibited".
One man, "The Father Of The Month's-Old Child" has heard news that
his own father may be approaching death and desperately seeks to
move forward in the telephone queue in order to phone him. People
show him sympathy and he is allowed to move forward, but the
Australian guard will not hear his appeals - he is told 'these are
the rules and it's not possible'. Three days later, The Father Of
The Month's-Old Child finally has his turn only to learn that his
father has died. His distress and anger, smashing the phone against
the wall, leads him to be beaten and sent to solitary confinement.
We meet many different characters, there are no names; Boochani
names them by their personality. The Smiling Youth scratching his
mosquito bitten legs, dies from the infection - he is Hamid Khazaei.
The Gentle Giant caught in the prison riot of February 2014 is
brutally killed by officers - he is Reza Barati. These are but two
stories - others have also lost their lives on Manus and Nauru.
Boochani's book was written in Farsi as thousands of phone text
messages and then translated by Omid Tofighian, lecturer and
researcher based at the American University of Cairo and University
of Sydney. Tofighian has an understanding of the rich tradition of
Kurdish folklore and Persian literature that imbue Boochani's
writing, and in places found it best to translate prose as poetry -
these become very emotive passages in the book.
Behrouz Boochani remains on Manus - he survived near drowning on the
treacherous voyage to Australia and has been illegally detained
since 2013. He does not know what his future holds. But his book
speaks for all the imprisoned refugees and bears witness to the
cruelty of Australia's detention system.
Helen Eddy
On the way to Nana's by Frances and Lindsay Haji-Ali
Ill. by David Hardy. Magabala Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925360301
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. "I'm on the way to Nana's house. What will I
see?" On the way to Nana's by Frances and Lindsay Haji-Ali
celebrates the beauty and majesty of the Far North of Western
Australia. They share the special memories of their own road trips
in this delightful rhyming picture book, with its question and
response perfect for reading aloud to a young audience.
With a countdown from fifteen to one, they experience life on the
road, stopping to fish, observing the rugged anthills, the grazing
cattle and proud brumbies. The family watches the rugged landscape
pass by, with huge boab trees, splashing waterfalls, and road trains
and find new friends to play when they stop. The mud map at the
beginning shows the 1000 kilometre trip from Broome in Western
Australia through Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and
Katherine and finally to Darwin.
David Hardy's delightful digital illustrations capture the rich
colours of the bush landscape, the sweeping vistas and show close-up
encounters. Take time to count the bright coloured flowers, termite
mounds, flying magpie geese and the cattle grazing. The repetitive
refrain and descriptions make the long trip come to life. What a
delightful celebration of Indigenous people's connection to the land
and the importance of family relationships. On the way to Nana's
is a great resource for Early Years Geography investigating "Places
having distinctive features".
Rhyllis Bignell
How not to be a twit and other wisdom from Roald Dahl
Ill. by Quentin Blake, Puffin. ISBN 9780241330821
(Age: 6+) Themes: Roald Dahl. Witticisms. Sayings. In this unusual
offering from The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd, children can read
witticisms and sayings taken from Dahl's books. Based around one of
his most popular books, The Twits, the introduction tells us
that not being a twit is something to be aimed for and this little
volume will help you avoid the trap (of growing up).
With quotes from his broad acreage of books, and references to where
the quotes are from, this inviting volume of sayings will push
readers to search out the books from which the quotes came,
reacquainting themselves with the humour contained in Dahl's books.
To quote just a few: "What's so wonderful about being a little boy
anyway? Why is that necessarily any better than being a mouse?
Little boys have to go to school. Mice don't." (The Witches)
"It's impossible to make your eyes twinkly if you aren't feeling
twinkly yourself" (Danny the Champion of the World) "Life is
made up of a great number of small incidents and a small number of
great ones" (Going Solo)
And all illustrated with the dancing pen of Quentin Blake, the
familiar lines of his technique will enthral the reader, recognising
his drawings form other Dahl books they have read.
A sure fire book to reinvigorate interest in Dahl's stories and
Blake's illustrations, this volume, designed to fit comfortably in a
small hand, will be bought by those with fond memories of their
work, designed to pass it on to their children and grandchildren.
Fran Knight
Boats: fast and slow by Iris Volant
Ill. by Jarom Vogel. Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171522
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Boats, Non fiction, History,
Survival, Exploration, Migration. The history of boats is entwined
with the history of people around the world, as people look for
food, conquer other countries, build boats as a sign of their power
and influence, explore, migrate to new worlds, and use boats for
festivals and races.
From the beginning of this beautifully presented non fiction book,
readers will eagerly read of the ways boats have developed and
changed according to what is required by the population. The first
few pages are devoted to a definition of a boat: a vessel to carry
people across water, and then to elaborate on the different sorts of
boats that we may see. From there the book divides into four
sections: "The first boats", "War boats", "Work boats" and "Leisure
boats" with a double page between each section showcasing one
particular boat that is well known.
Each section gives detail about the style of boat and what it is
used for and where and when. In "War boats", for example is a page
on Viking longships and Pirates, while "Work boats" introduces the Cutty
Sark as well as steam boats. Double pages are devoted to
famous boats, like the legendary Nautilius and Ra's
barge, HMS Beagle and Spray.
Readers will love reading of these famous ships and how they
influenced our lives. After a fascinating read, children will find
two pages outlining the Semaphore flags and then a further double
page offers an illustrated index. Each of the endpapers has a map of
the world with illustrations showing where some fo the boats
resided.
All in all a wonderful read to educate and entertain, making sure
children and adults will know what they are looking at when they
visit some of these magnificent boats.
Fran Knight
Help around the house by Morris Gleitzman
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143793236
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Caring. A funny and moving
story of a boy and his friends never losing heart in a sometimes
heartless world. Set in Canberra, Australia.
When Ludo's Dad is elected into Federal Parliament, Ludo knows this
is the perfect chance for him and his Dad to make good on the
promise to his dying Mum - they would always continue to try to help
people.
Unfortunately, Ludo's Dad's Boss seems to think being re-elected is
more important. His Dad is sent off on a fundraising trip the night
after Ludo arrives. But this doesn't stop Ludo, and when an outing
to help the homeless of Canberra uncovers a conspiracy, Ludo starts
to see that maybe it's the rich and powerful who need his help more.
Ludo and his friends are determined to do what's right, at whatever
cost, even though the enemy is not just a person, but a system.
They help us remember that doing what's right is not always easy and
beneficial to us, but we should still do it anyway. You might not be
able to change the world, but you can change someone's world, and
that is just as important.
Donna Isgar
The Gum Family finds home Tania McCartney
Ill. by Christina Booth. NLA Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780642279255
(Ages: 4-7) Recommended. Themes: Australia - Geography, Koalas. The
Gum family wants a rock-solid home. Mum is determined to move from
their unreliable eucalyptus tree and she plans their journey around
Australia while dad packs the caravan. Mum's list includes a
friendly community, not close to humans, undercover with views.
Where will this family of koalas find the perfect spot to settle
down?
They travel across Australia, stopping at iconic locations including
Uluru, The Three Sisters and Cradle Mountain. The Gum family explore
the stunning Australian landscapes, marvelling at the geographical
features and observing the flora and fauna. A helicopter flight over
the Bungle Bungle ranges shows the deep canyons and sandstone
formations. With large forests of eucalypts, will the Blue Mountains
become their new home?
Tania McCartney's gorgeous descriptions, bring the scenery to life -
imagine walking through 'the ancient rainforests, glacier-carved
valleys and golden moorlands' on the Overland Track in Tasmania.
Interesting geographical facts about Australia's unique geology are
included at the back of the book. Her engaging story centres around
the truth that your home is where your family is. She shows the
caring relationships between each of the Gum family members.
Christina Booth's creative and colourful illustrations show broad
vistas, close-up scenes, montages of real photos and boldly painted
scenes, family photos and the cheeky young koalas Leaf and Nut
creatively posing. The Gum Family finds home is a charming, informative story
that celebrates home-life, family and Australia. Tania McCartney and
Christina Booth's creative synergy make this a wonderful story just
right for sharing with a young family, at a preschool or with a
Junior Primary class. What a great stepping stone into Science and
Geography, exploring natural and man-made objects, Australian
landscapes, housing or wildlife. A great resource for an information
report on koalas - comparing the facts and fiction elements of this
picture book.
Rhyllis Bignell
Careless Love by Peter Robinson
DCI Banks series. Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781444786989
(Age: senior/adult) Themes: Crime, Yorkshire Robinson's latest DCI
Banks Novel, Careless Love is the 25th in the series. The
Yorkshire setting will be familiar to those who have read the books
and seen the TV adaptations. This new novel involves the discovery
of three bodies, two in Banks' area and one in the neighbouring
jurisdiction. There are problems about each of the deaths and the
scenes of the crimes. There is a definite lack of anything to
identify the bodies, no mobile phones, wallets, purses, credit cards
or keys. They are all well dressed, as if on a swanky night out, not
for a hike on the moors, while one appears to have committed
suicide.
The novel eventually reaches the point many readers probably guessed
at quite early in the narrative, that sex is the contributing factor
not drugs. It is now just the detail that needs expanding and
explaining to keep the audience attentive and reading.
Fans of DCI Banks will find the read satisfying, with the constant
references to his music knowledge and choices attempting to make him
more human and adding to the characteristics fans already know about
the man, but all it did for me was to make the reading easier by
skipping all those music citations. The most interesting addition is
Annie's father's partner Zelda, an eastern European woman much
younger than Ray. She has had a number of very nasty experiences
with sex traffickers and now, because of her photographic memory
recall works in London on occasions for one of the government
surveillance agencies. It is her piece of information that directs
Banks and Annie down a path towards an old adversary, one who will
stop at nothing. He has already tried to kill Banks, so fans will
eagerly follow the storyline to see how Banks extricates himself.
It is an easy read, but its satisfaction level may not please
everyone. A click on https://
www.inspectorbanks.com/ will tell you all you need to know
about Banks and the other 24 novels detailing his investigations.
Mark Knight
Dude! by Aaron Reynolds
Hachette Australia, 2018. ISBN 9780734418791
(Age: 5+) Highy recommended. How much story can you get from one
word and some amazing illustrations? You will be surprised. In Dude!,
there is one word - dude - and yet readers will tell more than one
story. A beaver and a platypus want to go surfing. Should they get
an icecream? Will they avoid the rocks? Is that a shark fin? Is that
a crying shark? I wonder why it is sad? Can Wombat and Beaver help
the shark? Will a surfboard help? Can a shark, a beaver and a wombat
become friends? These questions are helping to tell one story. What
story will you tell the next time you read Dude!
The amazing illustrations in Dude! and that one word - dude
- tell a hilarious story of three unusual characters. The wonderful
details and facial expressions explain the story and it is engaging.
Readers will be able to tell their own story, using their story
telling skills as they investigate each picture. The story will
never be the same each time. Dude! is highly recommended for readers aged 5+. It will give
young readers a chance to practise their narrative telling which
could then lead into story writing.
Kylie Kempster
The unscary book by Nick Bland
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742994147
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Monsters, Humour. Our hero is
all dressed up to scare the living daylights out of the reader. He
has a donned a skeleton costume, a hat with a row of teeth, large
furry slippers and googly eyes sprouting from his head - all things
to provoke and scare. But each time he brings something else into
the picture he is trying to create, something very unscary enters.
Told to expect something scary, readers will laugh with anticipation
and then surprise as he whisks aside the red sheet to reveal an
apple tree not a monster, nothing scary at all. He tries again,
pulling down the blue curtain covered in stars, expecting a monster,
but a rainbow appears. Then a bunch of rabbits hop into the picture.
Frustrated he calls again for a terrifying thing, only to have an
ice cream vendor come onto the page. By now with his hands on his
hips, he declaims loudly how he wanted this to be a scary book, full
of horrifying and terrifying things, aiming to scare the readers,
not make them hungry for an ice cream, or look at a bunch of cute
rabbits. Each page rings with his frustration, so after another
attempt, his grandma rides across the page, he has had enough, and
drags a monster onto the page. The monster unhappily scares everyone
else away, but our hero is happy that he now has something scary to
show the reader, although the monster is not as scary as he wishes
him to be.
A delightfully funny story of not getting what you want, of
frustration at things not working out as you intended, this tale
will resonate with younger children who will recognise exactly what
the boy feels.
Bland creates a wonderful mix of the scary and unscary, using words
in a different type to entertain the reader and make them aware of
the meanings of some of these new words. In the background can be
seen parallel stories: his dog loves the apple tree, digging around
its roots and finding a bone, the rabbits eat all the apples, going
to great lengths to get the last one on the tree. Readers will love
the humour, picking out details on each page, watching the antics of
all the other characters on each page.
Fran Knight
Wraith by Alexandra and Shane Smithers
Magabala Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925360950
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Science Fiction, Flight, Climate
Change, Aboriginal people. James can fly; he practices his technique
out in the bush, as his best friend Darren shouts words of
encouragement. He's unsure of his special powers and unfortunately
tends to crash land. Darren hatches a cunning plan when James'
parents travel to New Zealand for a work conference. Through some
tricky manoeuvres Darren helps his Bra'a return to his empty family
home and continue to master his flying skills.
Wearing Darren's invention, the Variable Pressure Release unit,
James is propelled up into the atmosphere. He crashes into
Nebulosity, a cloud city peopled by sky dwellers. After waking from
a coma, he is amazed by this advanced city, a different civilisation
with its unique transport and technological advances. James is drawn
into a desperate search to find the SAFFIRE technology designed to
save the city from the effects of climate change. With the help of
Aureole, a young girl determined to save Nebulosity, James needs his
to rise to the challenges and help in this journey.
Woven throughout is the three villains' story, their mission is to
find and destroy the SAFFIRE technology. They travel in an array of
fast vehicles, employ a range of tools and utilise their specialised
skills to thwart the teens' plans. Their attitudes, conversations
and actions heighten the drama and build the fast-paced action.
The main Aboriginal characters James and his mate Darren are
genuinely relatable, realistic, humorous, showing determination as
they discover, grow and develop their abilities. Key environmental
messages of personal responsibility and working together to save the
planet underpin "Wraith: James Locke and the Azuriens".
Alexandra and Shane Smithers have written a complex and compelling
narrative, set against the background of both rural and urban
Australia. Their creativity, attention to detail, scientific
understandings, complex worlds and populations of sky and earth
dwellers make this a richly rewarding read for teens and young
adults.
Rhyllis Bignell
Puffin the architect by Kimberly Andrews
Puffin, 2018, ISBN 9780143793755
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Themes: Housing, Design, Architecture,
Homes, Rhyming fiction, STEM. Puffin is a smart architect who's
trying to design a house for some very fussy clients, two pufflings.
They tour the town, investigating all the other animals' houses with
special design features just right for the animal, their jobs and
personal needs. In wonderful rhyming poems, Andrews takes these hard
to please clients to Platypus the baker's place cut into the
hillside, Detective Hound's secret study and Painter Goose's
light-filled art studio.
Each rhyme begins with 'a lot of clever cupboards' for storage and
adds the furniture and special built-ins, a place perfect for them.
The poems are written on a project plan, just like an architect
uses. Kimberley Andrews delightful cut-away paintings are perfect
for children to explore, matching the design element from the poem.
Pilot Moose's treetop home includes cupboards for his flannel
shirts, a pulley-operated lift and a flying fox between the bathroom
and his house. Look for the energetic pufflings on each double-page
spread, flying or playing with Pig's collapsible stools.
Architectural drawings, blue prints and plans add to the interest of
this fun picture book.
The pufflings are the architect's most bothersome clients. At the
conclusion of the story we discover who the Puffin architect is and
who the pufflings belong to, a heart-warming ending.
"Puffin the Architect" is an excellent story to link with STEM
topics for younger students, as they can design and plan other
animal homes or their own personal spaces. This is just right for
families to share and for Early Years classes as a springboard into
Technology activities.
Rhyllis Bignell
Other Worlds series by George Ivanoff
Ill. by James Hart. Random House Australia, 2018. Game World book 3. ISBN 9780143786238 Dark World book 4. ISBN 9780143786252
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Adventure, Zombies,
Gaming. "Find the key! Open the doorway! Enter the other world!"
George Ivanoff's gripping portal fiction series continues with "Game
World" and "Dark World". Each stand-alone story features new
characters facing challenges, obstacles and competing for survival
in an alternate world.
"Game World" centres around a world of virtual reality, when gamer
Hall puts on the VR helmet and is transported into a strange game
world where humans and computers battle to survive. Field Marshall
Maheera meets Hall and warns him that he is in the middle of a war,
fighting drones of all shapes and sizes. He must use his gaming
skills to discern what is reality and what is virtual and find a way
back home. Hall's online nemesis Randomizarbian actually assists him
in his mission.
"Dark World" begins with Newt and Rowan waiting in Principal
Hardnose's office after an altercation in Science class. They remove
a magical book from the principal's library and on opening it a
portal appears. They are a drawn in to a sinister world filled with
piles of rubble, destroyed buildings and zombie-like creatures
roaming around. Newt and Rowan discover a laboratory run by an evil
scientist intent of destroying the Darkness with a bolt of energy
from her Volt Cannon. This conjures up a huge spider-like creature
and a royal character from another portal which results in magic and
mayhem. Newt and Rowan learn to rely on each other and overcome
their differences as they seek to escape from the Darkness.
The books in the "Other Worlds" series are exciting fast-paced
junior novels, filled with action, adventure, mystery, set in
alternate realities. With both boy and girl protagonists and themes
of friendship, collaboration, accepting diversity and problem
solving, these novels will engage readers from ages 8 and up.
Rhyllis Bignell
Found by Fleur Ferris
Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780143784326
(Ages: secondary) Highly Recommended. Themes: Crime, Survival,
Witness protection. About to tell her strict father, Bear, about her
boyfriend, Beth hesitates when she sees him across the road waiting
for her. A van pulls up and he is gone, his backpack left on the
road. Explaining this to her mother she is met with a strictness she
has never heard in her voice. Told to wait she is frightened by her
tone, even more so when confronted by what she hears as they head
for the bunker on their farm.
In a witness protection program since she was a baby, Beth has had
no idea that the skills her parents have developed in her as part of
growing up were designed to make her resilient, able to adapt and
survive.
This is a pace maker of a story, sure to grab every reader's
attention as they are impelled to turn the pages wanting to see how
Beth copes with this new set of circumstances.
Ferris' police background gives a strong base of reality to the
tale, and her story telling skills are paramount as we watch Beth
avoid the pitfalls put in her way.
Her new boyfriend, Jonah, senses that something is wrong when Beth
does not answer calls or text messages, and her father does not turn
up to sports training. Used to the family being absolute sticklers
about turning up on time and keeping appointments, Jonah takes steps
to go to the farm to investigate.
Here there are three men in balaklavas, already holding Bear, and
waiting for Beth to show up. But they find Jonah instead and from
the security of the bunker, Beth and her mother see him being
beaten, and so decide to act, despite the strict instructions from
Bear that once in the bunker they stay until help arrives.
Eventually Bear, Beth and Jonah are able to make some headway, but
as the police arrive and the ambulance takes away Beth's mother, we
know that the leader of the gang, Carlos, is still at large.
A superb thriller, Fleur Ferris has found a niche in young
adolescent novels waiting to be filled by a writer with a strong
background knowledge that permeates the whole story.
Fran Knight
