Pitt Street Poetry, 2017. ISBN 9781922080745
(Ages: 12+) Poetry.
Anyone who has had chickens knows the fickle loyalty of chickens,
how they will press around 'She Who Brings the Grain' whoever it may
be, and the challenge of stepping forward without crushing
'worshippers'. Blackford captures the scene perfectly in her poem
'The loyalty of chickens'. Other feathered dinosaur siblings also
feature in this book of poems - currawong, magpies, waterbirds, and
the breakfast visitor that steals the tomatoes. But birds are not
the only creatures that she describes so well, there are also the
tattered cat, the ninja cats, the One True Cat, and the total
control fur kid, the polar bear terrier, the lap dogs of Paris, and
the rat lodger in the walk-in robe.
Child readers will love 'A brief guide to Australian fauna' -
'koalas have no feathers; dolphins have no fur' etc - the images the
poem conjures would make a fun drawing, and could inspire further
inventive animal descriptions. Another fun example is the
multi-bottomed hoist centipede conjured from the washing on the
line.
Adults will find more serious reflections on the creeping dementia
of ageing parents, lost love, and the army of farm boys sent to war.
I loved 'Polenta memories' - a lunchtime meal offered to a handyman
draws out stories from his past in a displaced children's camp after
the war, finally coming to Australia, the 'golden dream of peace'.
Blackford has brought together an interesting collection of poems
that would appeal to many ages.
Helen Eddy
After the lights go out by Lili Wilkinson
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760297299
(Ages: secondary) Highly recommended. Themes: Armageddon, Dystopian
novel, Preppers. When Pru rides into town, to see if others in the
small community of Jubilee have also lost their power, she does so
with trepidation. Dad is at work, a mine some ten hours drive away,
her two younger sisters are left alone at their house fifteen kms
from town, and they have all been drilled in their emergency
procedure, run to the bunker and lock themselves in.
She must get to Dad, and remembers an old restored Holden in a shed
and takes it to drive to the mine. With her is Mateo, sone of the
woman contracted to talk about mine safety. Pru must be cautious, he
keeps making cracks about preppers, and Pru is one. They find an
explosion has ripped much of the mine apart, and that NASA warned of
a solar storm which could knock out power. Pru knows this will lead
to an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) which will render anything
electronic useless. Stuck at the mine with fifteen or so wounded
men, Mateo and his mother, and no sign of her missing father, Pru
can only think of home where her two younger sisters wait for word,
while a young man wanting to get closer to Grace, is riding out
there.
Once in their bunker, the three sisters cycle each day to the town
to help, not telling anyone of the goods they have stockpiled. But
as each day passes, the moral imperative looms large for Pru as she
realises that their medicine would help, but her sisters refuse to
stray from their father's dictum, that family comes first.
Eventually discovered, Pru has a lot of ground to make up to regain
people's trust, and just when she appears to be redeeming herself,
her father reappears.
This is a riveting read, a page turning thriller which will satisfy
all readers. The idea of the prepper has added a variant to post
apocalyptic stories such as "Lord of the Flies". There is a facebook
page for Adelaide preppers, as well as lots of internet pages
selling equipment to those who think the end is nigh.
This book puts into perspective the moral choices that these people
will need to make, and on a wider front, the efforts of the west in
having access to resources denied the Third World.
I kept thinking about its implications along time after I closed the
book.
Fran Knight
The promise horse by Jackie Merchant
Walker Books Australia, 2018. ISBN 9781760650568
(Age: 9+) Recommended. If you are a horse-lover you will relate to
the story of Harry. Evocative moments of a growing relationship
between a patient horse and a heart sore girl are shown as a
grieving family try to ford the emotions left by the death of
Harry's sister, Sissy.
Harry's mother is understandably not coping with the loss of her
daughter from leukaemia and her maternal guilt at her helplessness
is all-consuming. This protectiveness has been transferred to her
surviving daughter, as she struggles, sometimes aggressively, with
the promise she made.
Now they have moved back to the country where her parents grew up,
Harry is eager to own a horse, but the best they can do is borrow a
horse from the local horse trainer. Marksman is gentle and patient,
a temperament perfect for an inexperienced rider; but at over 15
hands high, he is huge! Harry might be exceptionally tall herself
and with her red hair and freckles is agonizingly self-conscious
about standing out. On Marksman she will sit higher than other
riders her age, so standing out will be even harder to avoid.
Hiding Sissy's voice chastising her and seeing the negativity and
fear from her mother, Harry constantly apologises to Marksman for
her own feelings of insecurity. With the help of Gran and Pa,
Marksman's rider, Lizzie Blackburn, and even the school bully, Billy
Johnston, Harry works hard to improve her riding skills so her
mother will allow her to participate in the gymkhana.
"The promise horse" is not just a story about the therapeutic affect
of animals, it is a cleverly blended story of two powerful emotions,
loss and insecurity, in both children and adults. It is an example
of the overwhelming challenges we may face and how we can overcome
our hardships in many different ways. The promise horse will leave a
radiating warmth in your heart.
Recommended to readers 9yrs+. And you might also like similar books
such as "The Thunderbolt Pony" by Stacy Gregg, "Dirt" by Denise
Orenstein and the series "Horses of the Dawn" by Kathryn Lasky.
Reviewed by Sharon Smith
Maudlin Towers: Curse of the werewolf boy by Chris Priestley
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408873083
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horror, Werewolves, Teachers,
Time travel. "Mildew and Sponge don't think much of Maudlin Towers,
the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is
their school. But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the
teachers threaten to cancel the Christmas holidays until the culprit
is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!
But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly
becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in
the attic? What's their history teacher doing with a time machine?
And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a
werewolf?" (Publisher)
This is a well written story. When two young boys Mildew and Sponge
find themselves in a school for the not so bright in a gloomy part
of England with strange things happening around them they are forced
to investigate. The main characters are interesting and funny. They
manage to stumble onto a great number of events without meaning to
and see things that they don't understand at first. As the story
progresses you start to piece together all the happenings and how
they fit together. Mildew and Sponge draw you into the story and
keep you wondering what they will get up to next, and how they will
get out of some of the situations they get themselves into.
The boys find out what happens when they learn that there is a time
machine in the school and how time travel is not always what it's
cracked up to be.
I highly recommend this book to boys 8+.
Karen Colliver
Animal Ark: Kitten Rescue by Lucy Daniels
Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408354148
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Amelia has just moved with her mum into
Welford and she doesn't know anyone except her gran, who they are
living with. Can she overcome her homesickness and help her new
friend Sam to save the kittens with a little help from others in the
village, who they meet throughout their search?
This is a great small book with big text. The pictures add a nice
element to the story, they are well designed and makes the story a
lot more interesting and visual.
I recommend this book for animal lovers just like Amelia and Sam,
age 6+. If you enjoy this book you will enjoy the others
in the series.
(Grace Colliver, Year 7 student)
I love me by Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina
Fremantle Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925591637
(Age: Pre-school) Highly recommended. Board book. Themes:
Individuality, Self-esteem. "I love the way my heart knows best. I
am me. Who else would I be? I love me! A celebration of
individuality and joyous self-esteem, in bouncy, rhythmic prose and
riotous colour". (Publisher)
This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. This book is
about loving yourself for being you. It is a lovely book to read
with small children to teach them that we should all love ourselves
just the way we are. It is important to love ourselves and this book
promotes positive self-esteem.
I highly recommend any parent to share this book with their
children.
Karen Colliver
Hive by AJ Betts
Fremantle Press, 2018. ISBN 9781760556433
(Ages: Secondary) Highly recommended. Themes: Future. Dystopia.
Bees. Survival. The community is like a beehive, everyone has a
role, no one knows what outside is like, and they all worship God,
from whom water comes every day. The hierarchy is strict and a judge
and her council rule the three hundred occupants.
But one day Hayley sees a drip. She is afraid. Water only comes from
God and yet it is coming from the ceiling in the way between living
spaces, a place she is forbidden to enter unless a bee has escaped.
She is frightened, things in her world are not as assured as before,
she notices things. Chasing a bee, she runs into Geoffrey, one of
the uncles and he seems to die from the bee sting. Questions are
raised about the bees and their place within the community.
Told that God gathers the dead and takes them to heaven, she sees an
aunt butchered and thrown into the hub, the place their meat comes
from.
Her best friend Celia is about to be married, a cause for great
celebration within the community as it heralds another baby. Hayley
has befriended Luka, one of the netters who seems to question as she
does, and when Celia is refused marriage as her body has been
examined and found wanting, Hayley is put in her place, and she
chooses Luka as her bridegroom in the hope they can have three
nights of talking without interruption and work out what is going on
in the place they live. But someone else knows she is questioning
and rather than be deemed mad, he takes action to save her.
This is a riveting read of a place where people have taken refuge
after an event which has killed many. But their sanctuary has been
severely reduced and stories evolved to explain their survival,
stories which justify why they live in such a place, and why God is
merciful. But when someone questions, steps must be taken to remove
her. Not your usual post apocalypse story, Hive is a stunning read,
raising all sorts of issues about survival and the role of story in
keeping people compliant.
Amanda Betts is a well known Western Australian author, writer of
several of my favourite YA novels, Wavelength,
Zac
and Mia and Shutterspeed, all engrossing reads
with a totally different perspective on life for post millennials.
Fran Knight
Moth by Isabel Thomas
Ill. by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889756
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Moths. Evolution. Adaptation.
Camouflage. STEM. Industrial Revolution. Survival. Pollution. Hope.
This amazing book shows within easily understood language supported
by the most powerful of illustrations, the ability of an insect to
adapt to the blight of man's impact upon the world. A small moth,
called a peppered moth because of its black and white speckled
appearance, lives near trees where it can hide amongst the patchy
lichen from its predators. During the Industrial Revolution,
factories spurted out coal dust, ash and soot, covering the trees
with black smoke. The peppered moth was no longer able to survive
because it had nowhere to hide, but the darker ones did survive,
and a shift in their numbers occurred, with more dark ones being
born, while lighter ones were rarely seen.
Children reading this book will easily absorb the ideas presented:
evolution, predators, camouflage, adaptation, Industrial Revolution,
pollution, while marveling at the ability of this small insect to
adapt to a rapid change in its environment.
Egneus' illustrations are wonderful, evoking the peace of the
environment in which the moths lived, showing them flitting amongst
the trees, taking shelter on the lichen covered trees, a hungry fox
or owl taking some for their meal. Contrast this with the blacks,
greys and browns of the same area covered with the detritus of the
Industrial Revolution. No reader can be in doubt about the effect
this change had on the moth population.
And within the text, the reader is told about how this little insect
adapted to that change, while the illustrations show the larger
number of black moths filling the pages.
When people realised what damage had been done, efforts were made to
clean up the environment, and so there are many more speckled winged
moths appearing - another change, this time signifying hope.
Isabel's words sing with truth, reflecting her background in
genetics and evolution at Oxford University, while Daniel's
illustrations display a confidence with illustrative techniques
which can be seen across a variety of fields.
Fran Knight
Girl on wire by Lucy Estela
Ill. by Elise Hurst. Puffin, 2018. ISBN 9780143787167
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Confidence. Courage. Determination.
The girl hesitantly watches from her perch in the upper reaches of
the buildings. She is unsure and stands there for hours, just
looking at what she must do. Finally she steps out onto the wire
stretched before her leading her across to the building in the
distance. She curls her toes around the wire, and pushed forward,
inching her way across the wire. The wind whips around her and when
she allows herself to look down she sees how impossibly high she is.
Unsettled she drops to the wire, calling for help, and a response
comes from the other side, telling her that she is there, waiting
for her but she must traverse the wire herself.
The illustrations in this book like those in Adelaide's secret
world (2016) are strangely fantastical, recreating an almost
mythical place which is nearly as we know it but not quite. It is a
place that seems just out of reach with its swirling winds and
leaves, the indistinct buildings an the ghostly faces peering out.
The illustrations form a breathtaking backdrop to the tension within
the story of a young girl setting out on life's journey and
overcoming obstacles on her way through life. She must keep going,
despite the pitfalls and diversions, knowing someone is waiting for
her.
Her courage is there for all to see.
Fran Knight
The other wife by Michael Robotham
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733637933
(Ages: Senior secondary-Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime.
Thriller. Family relationships. Those familiar with Robotham's
novels will be eager to read his next Professor Joe O'Lloughlin
episode. It certainly does not disappoint! His writing flows and
leads the reader on but does not take the audience for granted.
Joe's life is turned upside down when his father is taken to
hospital after a fall down stairs. He is in an induced coma and his
outlook for recovery is bleak. On his visit to the ICU he discovers
the first of a number of bombshells about his father. The first is
that the person at his bedside is not his mother but his other wife
of twenty years.
In trying to find the 'real' William O'Loughlin, retired eminent
surgeon, distant and disapproving father, possible bigamist and
leader of a double life, Joe delves into lives that he knows nothing
about. His relationship with the police deteriorates as they try to
persuade him to let them investigate without interference.
Ruiz as ever acts as a stabilising influence, gathering information
and providing protection when needed. All his preconceptions about
his family even his childhood memories seem as if they need to be
recast or at least viewed from a different perspective. His own
family is also vulnerable as he charges head on with finding
'truths'. His daughters, especially Emma, are fragile after the death
of his wife six months before and much is left up to Charlie who has
stepped in to take on some of the household duties.
Of course there is his Parkinsons which is beginning to play a
larger role in the life of Joe O'Loughlin.
Joe finds the truth eventually, but not before family memories are
reviewed and found wanting, old friendships are lost and his
father's image is changed and tarnished, but for the better or worse
he is not sure. He discovers that his father was at least human not
a distant and perfect icon.
Mark Knight
Alpacas with maracas by Matt Cosgrove
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743816349
(Ages: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Alpacas. Verse. Rhyme. Read aloud.
We met Macca the alpaca in a book of the same name, where he had to
deal with a bully, Al the shaggy alpaca. Now Al and Macca are the
best of friends, and have decided to enter a competition, a talent
quest.
But what to do. Everything they try seems to end in tears: Al gets
his head stuck in the harp strings, and his nails break the top of
the drums, while Macca finds the noise of the symbols a little
overwhelming. They try out a rock band but everyone else wants them
to stop. They keep on trying lots of other pieces of musical
instruments as well as stage acts like a choir and a dance sequence
with little success. The readers will be highly entertained seeing
their antics, and breath a sigh of relief when they find something
they can play together with some dexterity, the maracas. The pages
following are a delight, showing the two alpacas playing the maracas
as if they were born to do it. They wriggle their bottoms in time
with the beat, play around on the stage and eventually win a prize.
Not quite the prize the reading audience will think they deserve,
but one which rhymes with blast. The rhyming couplets carry the
story, inviting young readers to predict the rhyming word, and learn
some of the pairs of lines as they read.
The laughter filled pages invite further inspection by the readers
as the vibrant, colourful spreads reflect a variety of movements,
music and fun. A great read aloud.
Fran Knight
Waterhole by Fiona Bell
University of Qld Press, 2018. ISBN 9780702259999
(Ages: 11+) Sunny is home from boarding school - the first school
holidays since her mother died in a single-car accident. She clashes
with her stepfather and secretly blames Kevin, who is working alone
on their farm in North Queensland.
Sunny is overwhelmed by glimpses of her dead mother, and as a
result, believes a missing local teenager to be dead. She is
interested in Matthew, who is older and has an unsavoury reputation,
at least according to another boarding school student, Zara, who
befriends Sunny to relieve her holiday boredom. Sunny and Zara both
briefly work part-time jobs at Leanne's takeaway.
Leanne is invested in helping both Kevin and Sunny cope in the wake
of her best friend's death but Sunny's problems mount as Kevin seems
to be a person of interest in young Dylan's disappearance. Should
Sunny tell someone about her visions or leave town and a burgeoning
romance, to try to find her biological father?
Younger readers may identify with Sunny and her expressive
oversharing narration, but for the more well-read, this ghost story
will seem somewhat old fashioned.
Deborah Robins
Boy swallows universe by Trent Dalton
Fourth Estate, 2018. ISBN 9781460753897
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Violence, gore and extreme language. Eli and
August are two brothers growing up in 1980s Brisbane and for the
most part, their world and daily life experience, depicted amazingly
well by the author, is instantly recognisable to those who recall
the era. Perhaps not every aspect however, given that they live
amongst heroin dealers and are exposed to unspeakable acts of
violence inflicted as punishment and to eliminate competition.
August is the eldest, who abruptly ceased speaking years before and
communicates only by invisible 'air writing' and facial expression.
Eli yearns to be a newspaper reporter and develops the capacity to
recognise a story at an early age. Whilst their parents undertake
relatively small scale heroin deals and yearn to make the score
which they believe will allow them to escape the trade, the brothers
are watched over by a retired criminal Slim Halliday. Famous decades
before, Slim had wasted most of his life in incarceration, much of
it in solitary confinement, for the murder of a taxi driver and
subsequent prison escapes.
In viewing the bleak plight of these boys who grow up in a
threatening environment, surrounded by people who are either
hopeless or dangerous, the reader is caused to recognise the
inevitability of a life's course. Major crime is never excused or
glorified in this novel, however the author crafts characters who
perform according to a script determined by their parentage,
geographical location, limited opportunity and exposure to sinister
criminals who manipulate and exploit.
The story demands consideration of what goodness remains in people
who are undoubtedly criminal, sometimes ruthlessly bad and perhaps
even murderers. Do acts of kindness counter previous misdeeds? Can
the worst criminals be considered 'good' if they are on your side?
Mysterious elements prevail throughout the tale and Eli follows his
nose and summons what limited help is available to him in a bid to
discover the truth.
I found this story to be very sad. Whilst vicious violence and
cruelty is pivotal to the story, there are many poignant and moving
moments. Little boys yearn for family stability and for their broken
mother to be happy after stumbling from one miserable situation to
the next. At the same time they enjoy a typically childish delight
at the prospect of a Paddle Pop whilst existing insecurely in
poverty.
Touching and amusing moments temper what could be a depressingly
grim novel which is unmistakably exciting and captivating.
Rob Welsh
Charlie by Ronojoy Gosh
Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143785026
(Ages: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Lions. Appearance. Zoos.
Illustrator of highly acclaimed picture book I'm Australian too
(Mem Fox) and author of several picture books, Ronojoy has developed
a wider use of his skills after many years in advertising. In
Charlie, a lion who loves good food and art and the beach, finds
that when he takes the bus somewhere, people are afraid of him and
shy away. He does not like to frighten people so decides to wear a
disguise. This he does with much success, going to the beach and the
art gallery and into restaurants without a qualm. In the art gallery
he is able to stand next to many portraits of people with a disguise
such as his, while in art classes he is able to hold his own with
the other participants. At the aquarium, he feels sorry for the
penguins so knits them all a coat. His stomach begins to grumble
while he is out watching stars and he goes to a fine restaurant
where he eats a splendid meal, while afterwards he needs to find
somewhere to wash his disguise now full of the remnants of his meal.
Back at the Zoo for the night, he is satisfied that all has gone
well, he has had a terrific day and looks forward to new adventures
tomorrow.
Readers will enjoy watching Charlie's antics as he dons his disguise
and begins to do things that lions certainly do not do, laughing
with him as he tries to blend into the groups of people. His
disguise is seen in different places in the book so will cause
readers to seek them out, while classes may like to make the
disguise themselves and wear it while reading.
Discussing disguises, children may make the link to being different
and blending in, of the disguises we wear each day so that we do not
stand out.
Fran Knight
The mapmakers' race by Eirlys Hunter
Gecko Press, 2018. ISBN 9781776572038
(Age: 8-11) Themes: Perseverance. Adventure. Map drawing. Eirlys
Hunter's The mapmakers' race is set in a harsh mountainous
environment where a new railway line needs to be built. The
alternate world has mechanical horses and luggage-carrying clouds
and nefarious characters who will use any means to win the 28 day
race and the prize money of five hundred gold guineas.
The Santander family are desperately poor; their father, an explorer
and trail finder, has disappeared and mapmaker Ma and their children
desperately need to win the prize-money. Unfortunately on their
train trip to Grand Prospect where the race starts, Ma leaves the
rail carriage to search for Joe who's filling the water flasks and
she misses the train. Sal, Joe, Francie and little Humphrey decide
to enter the race anyway. All their possessions are on board, and
they believe Ma will catch up along the way. With Carrot the parrot
along for comic relief, this arduous undertaking that will test
their skills of survival and their support of each other. Sal is a
skilled mathematician great at calculating, Francie's special skill
is her ability to project into the upcoming environment and map the
upcoming route. Fortunately, they meet a knowledgeable local lad,
Beckett, who helps the family; he's skilled with animals, a great
cook and has wilderness experience.
In this fast-paced adventure the children overcome many natural
forces, fighting tough conditions, encounters with bear, bees, a
bat-filled cave, dangerous river crossings and cliff falls.
Ingenuity, inventiveness, dogged determination, bravery and support
of each other are qualities that assist the family to push through.
Francie's maps with places named by the children are key elements
that illustrate their twenty-eight day journey.
Eirlys Fowler's descriptive and exciting narrative is suitable for
middle primary students. Her world-building adds depth and interest,
what can a mechanical horse do, what advantages are there to clouds
carrying luggage? Complemented by Kirsten Slade's pen and ink
sketches and maps, this story is a great adventure, with strong
non-stereotypical characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
