The City of Guardian Stones by Jacob Sager Weinstein
Walker, 2018. ISBN: 9781406368864.
(Age: 9-12) Themes: London, Fantasy, Magical realism, Adventure. The
City of Guardian Stones is a hilarious, entertaining fantasy
caper that takes us deep down into sewers, art gallery and railway
tunnels, chasing the dastardly Minnie Tickle stone thief. Hyacinth
and her family and friends return for another fantastical quest to
save their city from evil forces. Someone is stealing the magical
heritage of London; ancient stones are disappearing from
underground.
Hyacinth's family are mysteriously connected to the magical rivers
that run under the city of London and the stones that hold the
ancient secrets of the city. They undertake an epic journey across
London, travelling with Oaroborous a giant pig wearing a swimsuit
who communicates succinctly with responses written on little cards.
They are also assisted by the Coade stone statues which are
strategically placed throughout the city, especially the stone lion
Hungerford who transports them and assists them in some dangerous
situations.
The young girl, her Mom and Little Ben Franklin find themselves
locked in jail, stuck in the Lost and Found Office and fighting in
magical foggy conditions. Here, Hyacinth's sword and dancing skills
utilising her 'Excalibrolly' prove useful fighting Minnie Tickle.
Can Hyacinth and her friends stop Minnie from resurrecting the old
London Bridge and stop the evil that wants to control the city?
Weinstein's epic story has a surprising array of quirky characters,
strange settings and magical moments that takes the reader on a
thrilling ride. His world building, architectural descriptions and
unique underground places add to the excitement. Each of the main
characters learn more about their capabilities, strengths and
working together as a team. For added interest, photos and
information of the real London sites are included.
Rhyllis Bignell
How to rob a bank by Tom Mitchell
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780008276508.
(Age: 11 and up) Recommended. Themes: Adolescents, humor, guilt,
bank robberies, fires. When I first read the title of this book
little alarm bells rang in my head thinking this may not be such a
great topic to allow into a teenager's hands. However, the story is
more about a young man's need to impress his first love than
stealing from a bank. Fifteen-year-old Dylan Thomas is competing
with annoying Harry for Beth's affections and giving her a Nepalese
candle for her birthday seemed a great idea at the time. But as with
many of Dylan's great ideas, his execution never seems to come up to
what he's envisaged. The candle smelled awful and trying to get rid
of it in a hurry when Beth's mum was on her way to catch him in
Beth's bedroom meant throwing it into the bin. Great idea, unless
the candle is still alight and causes a house fire.
Things turn from bad to worse when he realizes he has caused such a
catastrophe that Beth must move in with her Aunt and go to a
different school as the family can't afford the rent for the flat
they are forced to live in as a result of the fire. The idea that he
could somehow gift Beth the money her family needs gives him the
motivation to rob a bank. Watching movies with his dad, who is not
opposed to bending the rules when it suits him, has shown him that
there are many smart ways out there to get money without having to
go into a bank. In desperation to save Beth from her family's'
financial woes he decides to try a few out.
Again, his implementation lets him down on several occasions
providing the reader with a story that is very entertaining. Dylan
is a thinker and is determined to get this right and no unfinished
history homework, horrible Saturday job or nasty bank manager is
going to stand in his way.
Gabrielle Anderson
The Talent Show by Delphine Davis
Mermaid Holidays bk. 1. Illus. by Adele K. Thomas. Puffin
Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796510.
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Themes: Friendship; Mermaids. This is an
easy-to-read Friendship tale involving friends who catch up every
school holiday break . . . and mermaids! Each of the four
mer-friends has a companion side-kick - a marine creature that often
speaks the words of wisdom that they need to hear. In this tale, the
mer-girls get together to plan their mer-formance (performance) in
the upcoming talent show. Sophia's bossiness gets in the way of a
polished performance, creating waves amongst the friends. Will the
friendship recover from the debacle? Only the voice of reason from
Sophia's side-kick, Smedley, can restore what has been wrecked.
This is a book for readers of easy chapter fiction for girls, not
dissimilar to many others written for this age group, but with
mermaids as characters. Illustrations are simple comic style which
reveals story and character details with hints of humour. There is
no great complexity to the plot and young girls will recognise the
playground and friendship dilemmas and solutions. There are other
books to follow in the series, so this is one to recommend to the
young reader discovering chapter books and reading independence.
Especially if they love mermaids!
Carolyn Hull
The bug collector by Alex G. Griffiths
New Frontier Press, 2019. ISBN 9781925594539.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Insects, Grandfathers, Collecting,
Hobbies, Environment, Museums. When his Grandfather takes George to
the museum on his favourite day of the week, Sunday, Grandfather
takes the lead, pulling him past the dinosaurs, whales and mammoths
to a place he likes best of all, the smallest creatures in the
museum, the insects. George becomes hooked on these marvellous
creatures and can talk of nothing else. He creates a backpack with
all the necessary equipment and goes out to collect insects. At
first it is very difficult, as the insects seem to know when he is
about to net them, but he soon develops skills that see him net and
trap a whole array of the insect world. He is very proud of his
achievement, looking at all the insects in their finery in glass
jars and bottles in his play house, but when he climbs down the
ladder to go back home, he feels very alone. It is very quiet, there
are no insects buzzing around the garden any more, no small
creatures to look at and admire; they are all gone.
Next day in the garden he notices that nothing looks quite right:
plants have wilted, trees are losing their gloss and there are no
insects to be seen. Grandfather realises that George has taken all
the insects from the garden and he explains just how important
insects are to the health of the environment they live in. George
goes immediately to his play house and opens all the doors and
windows, bottles and jars to let the insects out and back into their
world.
A life lesson is learnt by all in an easily explained picture book
which will evoke tons of discussion in the classroom, and all
insects that venture in will be watched with glee. The humorous
illustrations fit the bill, with Grandfather in his tiny hat, and
Darwinesque beard, George with his backpack and ever present cat,
and an array of insects on every page.
I love the ease with which Griffiths outlines some basic information
about the role of insects in our world, sure to be much thought
about in classrooms.
Fran Knight
Gone by midnight by Candice Fox
Crimson Lake bk. 3. Bantam, 2019. ISBN: 9780143789154.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Crime, Detectives. Ted Conkaffey is
back with his partner, Amanda Pharrell, in a suspenseful, locked
room mystery. Following on from the success of the first two books
in this series, Crimson Lake and Redemption Point,
Fox once again writes an engrossing story that keeps the reader
guessing right until its thrilling conclusion. Four young boys had
been left alone in a locked room, while their parents dine
downstairs. When one of the parents checks on the children, they
discover one of them is missing and no trace of his whereabouts can
be found on the CCTV of the building. Conkaffey and Amanda are
brought in by the parent of the missing child and begin to
investigate what has really happened that night.
Lovers of mysteries and police procedurals will really enjoy this
story, trying to follow the clues and work out just what has
happened to the young boy. Amanda's abrasive personality and quirky
dialogue brings some welcome relief to the story, and Fox's
exploration of the joys and responsibilities of parenthood adds
depth to the mystery. Ted is supposed to be caring for his daughter
Lillian, at the time of the investigation, and has to call on his
friend to help childmind while he leaves to follow leads, and Sara,
the mother of the missing boy, is fighting her ex-husband for
custody. The background of the crocodile infested Crimson Lake in
Northern Queensland, Amanda's bikie friends and her stalker all add
colour and vitality to a clever and well written book.
Ned Kelly award winning author, Fox, gives enough background for
this to be read as a stand-alone crime story, but new readers would
find that the first two in the series are well worth pursuing.
Pat Pledger
Adventure Duck vs Power Pug by Steve Cole
Illus. Aleksei Bitskoff. Orchard Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781408356838.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Superpowers, Humour, Good vs evil.
Imagine a meteor lands and the impact creates a surge of energy that
transforms animals nearby into over-charged versions of themselves
with powers that defy reason . . . and that is the premise to this
book. When an ordinary duck, living an ordinary life in a local duck
pond, (A Duck, self-named as Adventure Duck) becomes the recipient
of this excessive burst of 'super' and supreme influence, he also
gets to team up with a mind-reading egg (with Eggstra-sensory
Perception) and a striking Neon Zebra to bring their evil nemesis,
Power Pug and his sidekick, Apocalypse Cow, to their knees.
This book does defy reason, but the extremely quirky characters with
their bizarre powers are entertaining. The story is filled with
mildly amusing puns and expressions that will appeal to young
readers. With a second book to follow, ready to incorporate
Adventure Duck's talents, young readers who enjoy humorous stories
will be recommending this book to their friends.
This is not great literature, and the illustrations are suitably
eccentric, but kids will be laughing as they read and will enjoy the
super-charged hapless superhero.
Recommended for readers aged 6+.
Carolyn Hull
Boy oh boy by Cliff Leek
Illus. by Bene Rohlmann. Quarto Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781786033291.
Themes: Masculinity, Activism, Racism, LGBTIQ. Subtitled 'From boys
to men', inspired by 30 coming-of-age stories of sportsmen,
artists, politicians, educators and scientists, Boy oh boy
is a collection of biographical entries to highlight the way that
different young men from around the world have expressed their
strength, individuality and their influence in the world. The
variety of expressions of what it is to be a man is deliberate in
showing that there are many ways to do this. From Nelson Mandela,
Mohammed Ali, Gandhi to Prince and LeBron James, there are many
examples of activists, politicians, musicians, artists and sports
stars that have changed the world in some way. Many of the men will
be unknown to young readers, but do make interesting
reading. There are also individuals whose fame has also given them
opportunity to serve and impact the world and a number of LGBTIQ
individuals whose stories of overcoming discrimination are told in
this collection.
Illustrated with a Pop Art style bright design for each bio page,
there is a youthful and non-realistic representation for each man
depicted. This is ironic for a non-fiction biography and perhaps
will attract some, and dissuade others from reading this book and
may make it difficult to be used as a reference book.
Carolyn Hull
Follow after me by Allison Marlow Paterson
Big Sky Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925675580.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: World War I; Romance; War;
Family history. This is cross-generational story involving both a
World War I story and a contemporary coming of age drama and
romantic tale. It is compelling, romantic and sad, and yet also has
heart-warming qualities. In 1916 we hear of the young girl Evie,
whose boyfriend, Tom, goes to war with four of his five brothers.
Sadly, only two of the young family members will return home. The
heartbreak for one family is intense, and for Evie the uncertainty
is also heart-rending. In a time when letters provide an opportunity
to share one's heart, Evie and Tom share their lives and love
despite the separation of war.
Generations later, these letters and their insights into the past,
with the other family communications from the brothers, are
rediscovered by Lizzie's family in an abandoned and slightly ghostly
family home. Lizzie is encouraged to read the letters, but is going
through some personal turmoil and contemporary challenges. Her
friendship choices, social media, school and romantic life have
taken a twist that threatens to create her own dramatic conflict
with potentially disastrous consequences. A social encounter
involving alcohol and a potential sexual assault reveals the danger
to which poor choices can lead. A gentle fellow student and a
protective older brother prove to be her heroes and more trustworthy
than her new friends. As these two story threads are woven together,
the author reveals the intensity and dangers that impact
relationships can have similar elements across the generations, but
the stresses of the times are quite different. Both storylines are
gripping and the insights into the Anzac soldier's life are
compelling.
Allison Marlow Paterson has based her World War I story line on her
own family history detailed in her non-fiction work, Anzac Sons.
Because of the truths of the circumstances from her own ancestry,
this story resonates with tragedy. The facts of the war are
well-detailed from her own research, and using her own family
records and information from the Australian War Memorial. The
setting of both generational tales in rural Australia is also
revealing. The modern storyline incorporates many modern dramas -
sexting, the dangers of choosing the 'wrong' friends, social media
dilemmas, and the misunderstandings across generations. Lizzie's
school visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra is a turning
point in the book and for anyone who has visited, will remind them
of the solemn experience.
This is a very readable book, and will stay with the reader for some
time. Romantic and sad; confronting and gentle . . . and worthy of
recommendation. Highly recommended for those who love social
history, aged 14+.
Carolyn Hull
A quiet girl by Peter Carnavas
University of Queensland Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780702260025.
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Sounds, Listening, Personal
characteristics. Peter Carnavas's distinctive illustrations have a
calming, soft and peaceful quality perfectly suited to the themes of
this book. His previous publications, including The
Children Who Loved Books and The
Elephant, tend to encourage treading lightly on the
world and stopping to appreciate the world around us, and A
Quiet Girl is no exception. Mary is a free-spirit and the
house seems to be full of things that she has made out of rubbish:
bird feeders, wind chimes, pots and vases. She is also very quiet:
she walks quietly, talks quietly and thinks quietly. 'Because Mary
was quiet, she heard things nobody else heard. A dragonfly buzzing
through the air. The soft sigh of the sleeping dog next door'. The
problem is, Mary is so quiet nobody hears her. 'Use a nice, LOUD
voice', says her dad over the racket of the blender. 'Speak up,
honey', says her mum over the roar of the hairdryer. But she just
can't do it, so instead she becomes quieter and quieter until it
almost feels like she isn't there and the illustrations show her
gradually lose colour and disappear. The story ends with Mary and
her noisy family sitting down together and listening 'for all of the
small wonderful things that lay hidden in the world'. It is
beautiful to see them all entering Mary's world for a little while
and it highlights the importance of recognising and appreciating
differences and personal characteristics; she is different to the
rest of her family, but that is okay. Mary's gentle interaction with
the world encourages the reader to take note and revel in the wonder
in the world: 'the smell of freshly cut grass . . . the tickle of
the breeze ruffling her hair'.
This book is a little reminiscent of Margaret Wild's recent The
Sloth Who Came to Stay in its message to slow down and
enjoy the little things around us, but it is also about taking note
of those children who are quieter and sometimes get lost or
misunderstood in the ruckus of everyday life: a beautiful and
thought-provoking message for all teachers, parents and noisy
friends. Teacher
notes are available.
Nicole Nelson
Fart Monster and me: The birthday party by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780733340208.
(Age: 5-9) Themes: Birthday parties, Humour. This is the third book
in the Fart Monster series (The Crash Landing, The
New School). It uses simple language, perfect for newly
independent readers. The content will also be appealing and
relatable, even for slightly older children, making it a great
series to try with struggling or reluctant readers. The series is
wonderfully Australian, full of toilet humour and reflective of the
everyday life of a typical Aussie kid. For those not familiar with
the previous titles in the series there is a helpful prologue
introducing Ben and his green fart monster who crash-landed in his
yard. Luckily (and unluckily) Ben is the only one who can see the
fart monster, so someone else is forever being blamed for his
stench.
In The Birthday Party, Ben's whole class have been invited
to Chris's birthday party and the fart monster is there too. There
are plenty of party games and lots of farts being blamed on the dog.
If you take out the constant farting this would just be a story of a
kid going to a birthday party but add the farts in and it gives it a
little more oomph. It's silly and repetitive but the jokes are just
right for the target audience and it is a perfect length, layout and
text for beginner readers. There are black line illustrations
throughout showing the hideous fart monster, which will help to keep
readers engaged.
Nicole Nelson
Me and my sister by Rose Robbins
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760524456.
(Ages: 3-8) Themes: Autism, Differences, Siblings. Me and My
Sister indirectly and gently looks at what it's like to live
with a sibling with autism. It doesn't label the sister as having
autism but her brother points out things that make them different
(she doesn't use many words, likes different foods, can be rude to
people, goes to a different school, doesn't get told for things that
he would get in trouble for, doesn't always like hugs). The book
also highlights things that they like doing together or that they
can help each other with (listening to music, comforting each other,
reading together, laughing together). The brother acknowledges that
he doesn't always understand his sister or how other people respond
to her, which is a common issue with siblings of children with
autism and other disabilities. It shows the highs and lows common in
any relationship, but the love between the two is clear.
The illustrations are warm and cheerful and it is a nice change to
see a female depicted with autism in a picture book as it is
commonly boys that feature. The author (based in England) has a
brother with autism and she teaches autistic young children; this
knowledge and understanding of everyday life with a person with
autism is obvious and the tone of the book is empathetic and loving.
This could be used as a general book about accepting difference in
others but it will be much more appealing and meaningful to those
who have a family member with autism.
Nicole Nelson
Baby business by Jasmine Seymour
Magabala Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925768671.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal themes, Country,
Babies, Smoking ceremonies. When a child is born, the women of the
Darug community take the baby into the bush, gathering paperbark
leaves, the leaves from green bushes and termite mound mud to
prepare a smoking ceremony. This ceremony welcomes the new child
into the community, making sure it will know things about the
environment into which it is born and ensuring that it will follow
the path of the community's laws. Warm smoke from the fire tickles
the baby's feet making sure it is connected to Country; smoke winds
its way to the heart ensuring the child knows it is cared for by
Country; the smoke reaches the hands reminding the child that it
takes only what it needs; smoke reaches the mouth and tongue keeping
the language and songs of the ancestors alive and smoke reaches the
ears making sure it will listen for the song of the bees, the baby's
totem.
Each facet of the baby's life is mentioned in the smoking ceremony,
passing on the laws that will make sure it survives just as its
ancestors have for millennia.
This beautiful book shows a ritual as old as time - that of
welcoming a new child into the community. All readers will be able
to relate to this act be it in a church, temple, home, Country, as
laws are passed on, customs reinforced, responsibilities outlined.
The book's digital illustrations, are simply stunning. The figures
move through a wonderful landscape, with browns, greys and white
predominant in the background, and keen eyes will notice specific
plants and animals on the pages. The women's group collect their
materials as they go, sitting in a semi-circle around the fire as
the smoke curls up around the baby. They are all part of its growth,
each taking part in its education into the community, the family a
strong part of the child's development.
Darug words are used throughout the text, and many readers will work
out what each word means as they read, and there is a glossary at the
back of the book for those who need it.
Jasmine Seymour is a Darug woman from the Hawkesbury area of NSW and
aims to make people aware that the Darug community is still there
through her work. I hope this is the first of many stories from her.
Fran Knight
Willow Moss and the lost day by Dominique Valente
Illus. by Sarah Warburton. Starfell bk. 1. HarperCollins,
2019. ISBN: 9780008308391.
(Ages 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Magic, Witches, Time, Fantasy.
Dominique Valente's debut fantasy novel conjures up a magical world,
filled with witches and trolls, controlled by an evil time spell. In
the village of Starfell everyone has a magical talent, some are more
exciting than others. Unfortunately, Willow Moss has a simple one,
she can find lost things, wooden teeth, lost glasses, and the
townsfolk line up and pay a spurgle for her help. Then powerful
witch, Moreg Vaine, requests that Willow accompany her on a quest to
find the missing day - Tuesday. The pace picks up as Willow leaves
her home town with her carpet bag and Oswin, a very opinionated
kobold (a green furry cat-like creature) and ventures out into dark
forests and magical towns. Journeying by broomstick, they are guided
by the Storypass, and stopped by the menacing Brothers of Wol, Moreg
who want to rule the world. Danger lurks at every turn, who can they
trust, where will their journey take them?
The young witch grows in confidence as she travels far from home.
Feathering the dragon joins the travellers transporting them up to
Cloud Mountain, meeting a forgotten teller (not fortune teller)
Nolin Sometimes, who reveals more of the mystery to them.
The impact of losing a weekday seems insignificant, until Willow
thinks about all the births, deaths, special appointments and events
that are lost, as history's course is changed. One young witch and
her quite sarcastic sidekick Oswin the kobold finds hidden
strengths, learn resilience and find courage on their dangerous
mission.
Dominique Valente's imaginative world building, cast of unusual
crazy characters, fun conversations, humorous and dangerous
encounters and fast-paced actions make Willow Moss and the lost
day an exciting and enjoyable novel. Middle Primary students
will enjoy diving into this magical world, overflowing with witches,
wizards, trolls and monsters. What's next for Willow Morse and her
caustic kobold?
Rhyllis Bignell
Don't let go by Harlan Coben
Cornerstone, 2017. ISBN: 9781780894249.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Mystery, Revenge, Secrets.
Best-selling author Coben writes a compelling thriller about the
death of two teenagers, Leo and his girlfriend Diana, who were found
dead on train tracks. Nap Dumas, Leo's twin brother, now a detective
in New Jersey, has never been convinced of the official verdict
especially as his girlfriend Maura disappeared at the same time.
When her fingerprints turn up in the case of a suspected murder, he
is even more determined to find the truth.
Coben is a master at keeping the suspense going in a tightly woven
plot that kept me reading until the twist at the end of the book.
Nap Dumas was a complex and interesting character, and the
exploration of his first love of Maura, adds to the plot. His
investigation of secrets, those of his high school friends, his
colleagues and the government and the notion of revenge make for a
highly readable story, and the short chapters and crisp dialogue
make it a quick read as well.
I had not read books by Coben for many years but will seek out more
books written by him. I really enjoyed this suspenseful, tricky
stand-alone story. A great read for lovers of mysteries and
thrillers.
Pat Pledger
Shauna's great expectations by Kathleen Loughnan
Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760631574.
(Age: 16+) Shauna is on an Indigenous scholarship to Oakholme, a
prestigious boarding school. She's in her final year and she's
excelling at French and Maths, and dreams of going to Paris with her
equally smart friend Jenny, before going on to study journalism at
Uni. She has a great group of dorm friends, dubbed the 'ethnics' by
rich country girl Keli, who gives them all a hard time. Keli has
mastered the art of covert racist taunts and seems to have all the
teachers' approval.
I thought the novel gave a particularly insightful expose of the
frequent ineffectual response to bullying in schools despite the
good intentions of teachers and the espousal of an anti-bullying
policy. Shauna and her friends just have to swallow their anger,
occasionally managing a smart retort.
Things start to become more complicated for Shauna at school. She's
asked to mentor the latest scholarship recipient, Olivia, who is
full of attitude and clearly doesn't want anything to do with her.
And she discovers that her summer romance with country boy Nathan
has brought its own complications...
When Shauna finds that some of her dreams are going to have to go by
the wayside as she takes on the responsibility of an unplanned
teenage pregnancy, the tone of the novel is strongly pro-life rather
than abortion, and the drama is how to get the school to accept a
pregnant student. Shauna's ambitions change, she is proud to be a
good mum, friend and student, but how she is going to achieve her
further study is left unclear. It seems to be enough that she has
chosen her own path and has the support of family and friends.
The strength of the novel lies in its affirmation of friendship, and
working through relationships to better understanding, even with the
most difficult people. The friends' conversations and conflicts will
resonate with many YA readers. However I am not sure why the author
took on the persona of an Aboriginal girl - is this an authentic
voice, or a device to distinguish this book from other school
stories? You can read about Loughnan's views in the teaching
notes available online.
Helen Eddy
