The extraordinary life of Michelle Obama by Sheila Kanani
Ill. by Sarah Walsh. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9780241372739.
(Age: 8+) Michelle La Vaughn Robinson, the descendant of a slave,
was raised in a small apartment in Chicago. At the age of forty-four
she became the First Lady of the United States. Sheila Kanani's
biography explains why being the President's wife was only one of
the reasons why Michelle Obama's life has been extraordinary.
The chronological narrative emphasises how Michelle has overcome
economic and social challenges with determination and education. She
used her position as First Lady to promote healthy eating, and
campaigned for improvements in education, housing, and conditions
for veterans. While the author emphasises Michelle's self-belief,
she also acknowledges her competitive nature, and the difficulties
she has faced. These difficulties have included racism, economic
inequality, her father's multiple sclerosis, and the demands of
balancing motherhood with her legal career and her husband's
political ambitions. Kanani has also noted Michelle's gratitude for
the encouragement she received from a caring family, and from
lecturers who recognised her potential. These insights into the
sources of Michelle's insecurities as well as her strength of
character increase the book's credibility as a short but
well-rounded biography. The author's writing style, choice of
vocabulary and provision of definitions in text boxes, demonstrate
that she is mindful of the needs of her young audience. A brief
overview of the United States system of government is helpful for
non-American readers, while monochrome drawings, a timeline and an
index facilitate an understanding of the text. A list of sources for
quotations helps to reveal the author's research process.
Michelle Obama's life demonstrates how a supposedly ordinary
upbringing can foster a desire to achieve extraordinary goals.
Readers can learn from Sheila Kanani's biography not only what the
former First Lady has achieved, but also how she has used her
education and influence to help others.
Elizabeth Bor
The first adventures of Princess Peony by Nette Hilton
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781760650445.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Castles, Play, Princesses and
Princes, Imagination, Getting along. Peony (a princess) lives in a
castle with a courtyard guarded by her dragon (Totts, her dog). Her
brother, Prince Morgan, is a troll, who likes to undermine her games
in the garden, and declares that they must build a trap for the
bears. Princess Peony who likes to be obeyed, does not like the idea
of bears coming into the garden. She helps him build the trap but
becomes trapped herself. The troll refuses to set her free, only
agreeing when she promises him her dragon. But first he must take
the dog four times around the courtyard, something he seems eager to
do, but the dog is so fast he calls a halt. Exhausted, he agrees to
let the princess out of the trap, and together they make traps to
catch any bears that may wander from the nearby zoo.
This delightful story about siblings getting along, although with a
few hiccups along the way, will entrance younger readers marvelling
at their imaginative use of the garden and its surrounds to build a
fantasy world. Peony and her brother, Morgan, are single minded
about what they want but eventually come together to create a world
that suits both of them. Hilton's writing is always subtle and
understated, ensuring the readers use their own imaginations to
explore what they might do in a similar situation.
The clear uncluttered prose set against white space is easy to read,
and words highlighted in childish handwriting will ensure these are
taken note of and practised. The reduced colour range used for the
illustrations makes for an uncluttered look to each page, and the
readers will laugh as they notice the difference between the text
and the images, underlining the rich imaginative world of the
children, and reinforcing their ability to use things in the garden
to create their world. A delightful tale set outside, encouraging
readers to look past their screens.
Fran Knight
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406386851.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Droughts. Survival.
California. Climate change. What would happen if suddenly there was
no water in your house - nothing to drink, nothing to wash with or
cook with, let alone use on the garden? This is what the
collaboration between Neal and Jarrod Shusterman explores as the
people in California find that their taps have been turned off. When
Alyssa's parents go missing on a mission to get water for their
family, Alyssa and her little brother Garrett find themselves
teaming up with their neighbour Kelton, the son of people who have
prepared for Doomsday. They go on a dangerous quest to find water to
keep themselves alive. Along the way they pick up others in an
equally dire situation and discover just how people react when their
lives are on the line.
This a frightening scenario that readers who are familiar with
droughts and fights about water allocations will immediately
identify with as it seems like a very real possibility in our world
where water is a precious commodity and greed often overrides the
needs of everyone. The duo describe in detail what could happen in a
disaster when the taps are turned off. It is all too easy to imagine
the chaos that the Tap-Out would cause, the way that neighbours
would turn on each other, the slowness of officials to respond and
how some people would take advantage of what is happening in a time
of crisis as well as those who would help others.
The suspense is built up as the small group face danger as they
venture on the road to find water and each person's character,
strengths and weaknesses are brought to light as they face difficult
decisions and events.
Fans of Neal Shusterman will find this collaboration as riveting as
his other books as will people who enjoy the challenge of
speculative fiction. It would make for lively and uncomfortable
discussion as a class novel or literature circle book (A discussion
guide is available from the publisher).
Pat Pledger
Hodge Podge Lodge by Priscilla Lamont
New Frontier Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925594287
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Rubbish. Recycling. Subtitled A
rubbish story, Lamont tells her tale of recycling and the
impact rubbish has on our environment through the use of a squad of
animals and the unthinking owners of Hodge Podge Lodge, the Pigwigs.
They are not careful about their rubbish: in fact they love to shop,
and collect things, unwrap things, bring things home, be they
unnecessary thing or things they really do not want. But everything
comes wrapped. Sellotape, and wrapping paper, plastic filling,
string and ribbon is all taken off and left where it lies.
But one day a wind springs up and whisks all the clutter away. The
Pigwigs are happy, it is no longer their problem, but then the
animals that live nearby are made only too aware of their rubbish.
The owl has wrapping paper around its face and bumps into a tree,
the duck has fishing line wrapped around its feet and cannot move,
the deer has a toy on its antlers, the mouse goes into a cardboard
box to have her litter but when it rains it proves not to be the
shelter she is after, and so on. Each animal in the vicinity becomes
embroiled in the things the Pigwigs have discarded and decide to
take action. They march on Hodge Podge Lodge and point out the
problem to the family, bringing along the rubbish that has blown
their way. Miss Pigwig comes up with a very good idea and later
invites all the animals back to HodgePodge Lodge for a fair where
she presents all the rubbish recycled and reused. She gets some bins
with signs on the side to help reuse, recycle and compost the
rubbish they have while one bin is for the things that are totally
useless.
A cute introduction to the ideas behind recycling, this would help
younger children understand the impact that rubbish has upon our
environment and the animals that live there.
Fran Knight
Lottie Perkins: Fashion designer by Katrina Nannestad
Ill. by Makoto Koji. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733339080.
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendship. Fashion.
Creativity. Seven year old Lottie Perkins demonstrates her awesome
creativity and flair by becoming a fashion designer, utilising items
from her family wardrobe. The 'success' of her initial items for
herself and her goat eventually leads to a business offer from the
local Pet store. Lottie's nemesis, Harper Dark, though, is
unimpressed and tries hard to bring her down. Fortunately, Lottie
has a faithful best friend in Sam Bell whose encouragement and
support keeps her from ever struggling under the bully's taunts.
Katrina Nannestad delightfully introduces the entertaining
characters with under-stated humour and whimsy. The illustrations by
Makoto Koji are equally fanciful in their simple cartoon style.
There is nothing but delight in this simple easy-to-read early
chapter book, with a page of fashion stickers at the end of the book
to add to the appeal.
Highly recommended for readers aged 5-7.
Carolyn Hull
Lottie Perkins: Pop singer by Katrina Nannestad
Ill. by Makoto Koji. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733339073.
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Themes: Music. Friendship. Lottie
Perkins is an 'exceptional' child - self-proclaimed! She is quirky
and feisty and manages to demonstrate her awesome singing talents in
a local talent competition despite the challenge from the mean girl,
Harper Dark, and the unfortunate 'goat incident'. With a cute
quirkiness of expression and personality (a Nannestad trademark),
this is a delightful easy read chapter book that will appeal to
early independent readers (especially girls).
Illustrations are in a simple black and white sketch style and are
charming and well-suited to the storyline. The book includes a
sticker page, of limited usefulness, which will appeal to young
readers.
Highly recommended for ages 5-7
Carolyn Hull
A stormy night by Mark Carthew
Ill. by Simon Prescott. Marvin and Marigold. New Frontier
Press, 2019. ISBN 9781925594225
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Fear. Darkness. Families. Mice.
Friendship. The third in the series concerning the two mice, Marvin
and Marigold will bring delighted sighs of recognition from readers
as they explore their fear of the dark together. Marigold's fear of
the dark takes hold when on a dark wintry night the lights go out.
She heads for the space beneath her bed taking her teddy with her.
She hears a loud noise at the window and sees Marvin standing there,
wanting to come in. He snuggles under the bed with Marigold, and
tells her that he has brought a torch.
Told in rhyming pairs of lines, the story will come to life read out
loud, and even more so if snuggled into a dark corner with a torch.
Showing Marigold and Marvin's groundless fear of the dark will allow
readers to talk about their own fear of the dark and laugh about it,
while watching the two mice do something to allay their fears,
subtly showing the readers steps they can take to undermine their
fears.
A funny ending helps lighten the situation, and Prescott's wonderful
illustrations are a foil to the story. His use of large areas of
dark colour reflect the characters' fear of the unknown, and their
eyes are just amazing, large and bold, standing out in the dark,
giving an image of what each is feeling. I love the use of the
endpapers to add depth to the story, and the contrast of the old and
the new characters, each being frightened of the dark will underline
for the readers that they are not alone in their fears.
The theme of friendship permeates the tale as Marvin comes over to
Marigold's house to be with her during the stormy night, and the
theme of looking after each other underpins the whole.
Fran Knight
The assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763698225.
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Power, Politics,
War, Propaganda. What a treat to read a unique tale told by two
outstanding people, National Book award winner M.T.Anderson and
Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin. The historian elf Brangwain Spurge
is catapulted into the goblin territory on a quest to give their
lord a gift, while at the same time secretly spying on the kingdom.
His host, the archivist goblin Werfel is chosen to look after
Brangwain. While both should have a lot in common, they have no
understanding of each other's culture and soon they are thrown into
chaos that could cause a war between the goblin and elf kingdom.
Yelchin's witty illustrations bring to life the elf Brangwain. The
reader is introduced to him at the very beginning of the book, as he
is thrown into the goblin kingdom. He is shown as a fearful but
determined character, believing that he is on a peace mission. Then
a letter from Lord Ysoret Clivers, of The Order of the Clean Hand,
brings the reader a different interpretation of Brangwain and his
mission. Meanwhile when he arrives in the goblin kingdom, the
narrative of the goblin Werfel also shows a different view to the
illustrations and the reader is tossed back and forward between a
hilarious and critical social commentary and fabulous drawings that
highlight what is going on and how easily the truth can be
distorted.
Younger readers will be drawn to the wonderful illustrations and
follow the story eagerly to see what will happen to the pair as they
gradually become friends, realising that they are being manipulated
by more powerful beings and blunder through danger and adventure.
Older readers will be drawn to the satire and thought provoking
ideas about history, politics, power and the nature of war. A discussion
guide is available and will help highlight major ideas in the
book, while the humour and unreliable narration will leave a lasting
memory for anyone who picks up this handsome hardcover book.
Pat Pledger
Flat cat by Hiawyn Oram
Ill. by Gwen Millward. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN 9781406371543
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Cats, Friendship. Jimi-My-Jim lives
in an apartment in a big city with his owner, Sophie. She loves him
dearly and spoils him woefully with only the best of treats and
toys. He responds by doing exactly what she wants him to do. But she
leaves him home when she and her mother go out. Jimi can only look
out of the window and watch the cat across the road with some envy.
And after a while he loses his fullness and becomes flat. One day
Sophie and her mother leave in a hurry and forget to take the house
keys. Jimi collects the keys and lets himself out of the apartment,
heading straight across the road for the cat he sees from the
window. They have a wonderful time together: she takes him to meet
other cats, listen to music and roam the big city, things he has
never done or seen before. So excited is he with his new friends and
experiences that he takes them all home to the apartment and there
they have a wild time, making music, singing and dancing. But Sophie
and her parents return to the dismay of all, the new found friends
escaping by any means they can. Jumi is admonished but Sophie
realises why he did what he did. She knows that she has smothered
her cat and resolves to find a solution, as the apartment building
does not allow cat flaps. The situation is resolved to the happiness
of all.
Illustrator Millward draws a wonderful Jimi with a wistful look upon
his face, peering out longingly into the freedom offered by
'outside'. Her multiplicity of cats is a delight on every page and
children will adore the cats having a wonderful time in the
apartment before the adults return.
Fran Knight
Ellie Engineer - The next level by Jackson Pearce
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN: 9781547601097
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Engineering, Friends. Ellie is an enthusiastic
engineer; she wears her tool belt all the time and loves to solve
problems and come up with creative solutions. She draws up the
plans, finds innovative resources to use and enjoys sharing her
ideas with her friends, Kit and Toby. Ellie's first attempt at
building an elevator with a pulley and ropes unfortunately ended in
disaster. With 24 bread and butter pickle jars balanced on a
tabletop, they tried to pull them up to the treehouse when the
tabletop slipped and pickles, juice and shattered glass fell on the
back lawn.
Ellie's parents decide she needs to help Mrs Curran, their elderly
neighbour, as a penalty for the pickle incident. Ellie proudly wears
her toolbelt expecting to do engineering jobs for Mrs Curran,
however on the first day she spends two hours putting invoices into
envelopes. As the week progresses Ellie uses her skills to mend some
broken cupboards, build a dolly to transport doll-making supplies
and create another elevator to take the supplies upstairs. Mrs
Curran has old-fashioned ideas assuming that only boys can be
engineers and only girls play with dolls. She gives Toby credit for
all the engineering projects and doesn't reward him with a doll like
Ellie and Kit are given for their work. Can Ellie help their elderly
neighbour when she needs it most and will Ellie's engineering skills
make a difference?
Jackson Pearce's Ellie Engineer - The Next Level is a
delightful, funny, illustrated junior novel filled with creative,
STEM-powered projects. There are sketches of Ellie's designs,
examples of pulleys, levers, wheels and axles and the forces needed
to build them. Without being didactic, the story looks at
stereotyping, not making assumptions and valuing each other's
abilities and interests.
This series is just right for a class novel for Years 2-3
introducing engineering concepts and encouraging young engineers to
design their own projects.
Rhyllis Bignell
A good night for shooting zombies by Jaco Jacobs
One World, 2018. ISBN 9781786074508
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Adventure. Martin aka 'Clucky', is a
quirky 13 year old mathematician and heir to his father's egg business.
Vusi owns a dog who likes to bite chickens. Confronting your
neighbour about his murderous dog is not a great start, but
friendship follows as Clucky sees that Vusi is recovering from
treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Clucky is persuaded to help Vusi
make a Zombie film, in which they will both star. When school chum
Chris, spots them filming one day, she quickly becomes the female
lead in Vusi's film.
But the prophetic 'The End of the World' film lands them in a bit of
strife - first with an overprotective nurse and concerned parents
but more worryingly with a gang of local thieves who store their
booty in the old shed, serving as their movie studio.
It's not a long read to find out whether the film gets finished and
the bad guys get caught. The first person narration is hard-hitting
and compelling. Events hurtle along in Vusi's desperation to finish
the film, punctuated by Martin's ongoing and sometimes hilarious
hardships both at school and at home.
Jaco Jacobs first published this title in 2015, in his native
Afrikaans. 2018 saw a movie version as well as this English
translation by Kobus Geldenhuys, which is illustrated by Jim
Tierney. With over 140 Afrikaans children's novels to his credit,
this edition and perhaps a second copy to read simultaneously with a
mate, will definitely not gather dust on our school
library shelves.
Deborah Robins
Ten terrible dinosaurs by Paul Stickland
Macmillan Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781509835522
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Dinosaurs. Prediction. Rhyme.
Counting. Humour. From ten down to one, the text of this wonderfully
inviting romp with a whole lot of dinosaurs will enthral readers as
they count the number of animals on each page, attempt to recognsie
which is which, predict the next number, and be highly amused at the
antics of these beautiful, bright creatures.
Along with the republication of Dinosaur roar! (1993) Ten
terrible dinosaurs (1997) makes a great companion piece and
both will be eagerly read and borrowed from the school library. Ten
terrible dinosaurs is a terrific offering to young readers,
the illustrations looming large on each page, the dinosaur's
characteristics easy to spot, movement splashing across the page
just the impetus needed to get the readers up and dancing. The ten
animals on the first page are standing neatly in a line but over the
page they begin to mess about, losing one of their number, dancing
causes another to leave and so on until only one is left on the
page. So tired is he after all the movement that he lies down and
sleeps, snoring until the rest reappear, waking him with their
roars.
Young children will adore this being read out loud to them, joining
in with the movement, prediction and fun of the tale, calling out
how many dinosaurs are left on the next page, roaring with the ten
at the end. What wonderful mayhem will occur when reading this book.
And paired with Dinosaurs roar!, the classroom will be
dinosaur heaven. Republished in conjunction with the Natural History
Museum, London.
Fran Knight
Treasure of the golden skull by Chris Priestley
Maudlin Towers Book 2. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408873106
(Age: 9-12) Themes: Boarding school. Pirates. Treasure. Monsters.
Chris Priestley's Treasure of the golden skull is a dark
tale, set in a very gloomy English boarding school, Maudlin Towers,
which is threatened with foreclosure. The author conjures up a
fast-paced story, adding a dash of magic, time travel, a treasure
hunt and a pirate invasion. There's a gothic air to Priestley's
black and white illustrations reminiscent of Ronald Searle's St.
Trinian's, with caricatures of boys in old-style uniforms and a
motley crew of pirates who invade the school.
Sponge and Mildew return for another drama-filled story, determined
to find the treasure supposedly stored away by Reverend Brimstone.
The finances are needed to pay for the repairs to the school
building. The two boys believe they'll be sent to different schools
if the governors shut Maudlin Towers, so they plan a rescue mission.
This involves a swarm of pirates calling themselves teachers and an
odd new boy, whose surname is Newboy and who has strange powers to
get everyone to do exactly what he says. There's also a strange
teacher with tattoos and a beard, a sad English teacher pining for
her long-lost love and clues hidden in some unusual places for the
boys to discover. Treasure of the golden skull is silly, a little irreverent,
quintessentially English and humorous with witty dialogue and filled
with funny new words. 'How are you ever going to detectivate? Finlay
Feathering wouldn't let a bit of biscuitlessness bother him,' Mildew
tells Sponge in the staff graveyard.
Readers from ages 9-12 will enjoy this spooky story and relate to
the slightly madcap antics of the two protagonists.
Rhyllis Bignell
Sage Cookson's snow day by Sally Murphy
New Frontier Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925594423
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure. Cooking. Sage
Cookson is the child of TV cooking stars and their celebrity life
takes her to places a little out of the ordinary for a normal school
child. Fortunately, she has a very understanding friend and a mobile
phone to share her experiences. Her latest trip is to the snowfields
where her parents are preparing a show with their long-time friend,
Juliet, a renowned pastry chef. Juliet's son, Kyle, is usually there
to entertain Sage, however on this visit Kyle seems out of sorts and
a little 'cold' in his welcome and when he goes missing there is
some real drama. But this time it is not Sage who is centre stage.
This easy read series by renowned writer Sally Murphy is very
accessible for young readers aged 7-10; there is not a lot of text
nor complexity, but there is interest and excitement. The lovely
interactions between friends and family members are also quite
delightful... a game of 'Spotto' on the trip to the snow is an
episode in domestic dynamics with comfortable warmth and
familiarity. There are also respectful friendships and manners
demonstrated. Readers will want to follow Sage in other books in the
series as she embarks on each new adventure.
Highly recommended for ages 7-10
(Suitable for struggling readers at the 'older' end of this scale as
Sage herself is aged 10, but the text is not complex.)
Carolyn Hull
What monster? by Liz Pichon
Tom Gates book 15. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN: 9781407179865
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: School life, Families, Music
festivals. Tom and Derek stop in at the newsagents on the way to
school attracted by the headline 'Angry Squirrel Throws Nuts'.
Whilst trying to read the newspaper article, they stop to pat a
sausage dog, chat to the nice lady owner and inform her about the
secret way to sneak into school when they are late. Nothing is
happenstance, the sausage dog is involved in the mysterious
disappearance of classmate Marcus' lunches. There's also a rather
strict new supply teacher ready to take on Tom's class when Mr.
Fullerman's leaves for a special teacher conference. There's
excitement at school with the announcement of the school play 'Jack
and the Beanstalk.' Time to make props and audition for special
roles, and Tom's pleased with to play a monster.
At home, older sister Delia's going to the sold-out Music Festival
Oakchella, while poor Tom who'd love to attend, is foisted on his
cousins for the weekend because Mum and Dad are also busy. There are
chalk drawings in the playground, special traps to catch the food
thief, excitement over play rehearsals as Tom records all his
experiences, dramas and everyday life both in drawing and
observations.
Tom Gates's fifteenth instalment by award-winning author Liz Pichon
is another fun addition, with plenty of action at home and school.
Her illustrations sketches and cartoon doodles sprawl across the
pages, text and font styles change adding to the excitement of
reading the narrative. Tom's running commentary on his school and
home life is always humorous, his love for music and food shine
through. There's a Where's Wally (Tom) drawing at the
conclusion with lots of familiar characters enjoying the music
festival.
The Tom Gates series is perfect for reluctant readers who enjoy
stories told through visual representation.
Rhyllis Bignell
