We are all equal by P Crumble and Jonathan Bentley
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742999838
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Equality. Animals. Difference. LGBT.
Diversity. Using a range of animals to shout out about difference
and being the same, this richly illustrated little book will evoke
interest and discussion amongst its readers. Teachers and parents
could use it to introduce the theme of equality, reinforcing the
structures which underpin our society. Diversity is shown in all of
its richness: the different things we eat, the different places we
live, the offspring we have, what we live in, our physical
limitations, our size and strength, our partners, our beauty, how we
get along.
Each double page opens with the refrain 'We are all equal', then
elaborates upon that in a particular way, reinforced by the
illustration on the page. Each rhyming four line stanza presents a
truism for readers to contemplate, reflecting the diversity in our
society and asking them to transfer the idea from the animals
illustrated to their peopled world. With a promotional line from
Magda Szubanski, 'a resounding yes!', written across the top of the
cover, adults will be in no doubt about the thrust of the book, and
read it with background that will reinforce the inclusiveness of our
society.
A page about bullying, impels readers to look out for each other,
while another about testing, tells the readers that they are not
judged by tests alone, while the last page sums up the message of
the book, 'We share hopes and dreams, we're equal and proud'. A
wonderful read aloud where children are invited to predict the
rhyming word, the theme of the book supports all the inclusive work
being done in schools.
Fran Knight
Butt out! by Heath Mckenzie
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742997902
(Age: 4+) Themes: Bottoms. Animals. Conventions. All the well
dressed animals are taken aback when the baboon decides to go
pantless. The giraffe pushing a market trolley in her natty green
frock, grasps her front paws in anguish when she spies him, but
baboon tells her, 'sun's out, bums out'. The suited turtle drops his
walking stick in surprise and tells the baboon that he has forgotten
his pants. 'No', replies baboon, 'I never put any on'. Mother goat
unsuccessfully hides her kids' faces from the spectacle, but baboon
can only respond that he likes the air between 'my cheeks'. All of
the animals take it in turn to remind him to put his pants on, and
finally they all come together to try and enforce their way. And
they seem to have succeeded until baboon turns around. And the
readers will laugh out loud.
A funny tale in which all the words for bottom are included,
encouraging younger children to see what each word means, and laugh
at the different meanings of the word but/t. I can imagine this as a
wonderful read aloud, with children joining in trying to get baboon
to change his ways, while others may like to take the role of the
baboon in rebuffing their attempts.
Fran Knight
The bee book Charlotte Milner
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241305188
Recommended. Bees have been an essential and integral part of life on the planet
for over 100 million years - even pre-dating the dinosaurs - and
about 20 000 different species can be found all around the world.
While some bees are large, others small, some can cook and the
original name of the much-loved bumblebee was 'dumbledore', the most
famous is the honey bee and this amazing new book focuses on this
species as it explores all aspects of its life and why it is so
important to the survival of humans.
Packed with easily accessible information and eye-catching
illustrations, this is the ideal book to show young children how
critical bees are within the environment as they, along with other
insects, are responsible for about a third of everything we eat! As
well as emphasising their importance, there is also a warning about
their decline in numbers and the potential for catastrophe if that
happens. There are suggestions for how we can assist their
longevity, including building a simple bee motel (although I cheated
and bought one) with more detailed instructions available here.
With Christmas approaching, and Miss 12 and Miss 7 growing beyond
toys and stuff, this book, and a copy of this year's winner of the
CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers, How
to bee because they seem like natural companions, as
well as the bee motel will make a somewhat different gift, but one
which will inspire them!
A must for school libraries and fascinating and informative for
those with an interest in the environment.
Barbara Braxton
Rainbow bear by Stephen Michael King
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742997698
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Bears, Fathers, Children,
Families, Humour. A wonderfully funny and engaging book about
families and the way they interact will appeal to readers as they
watch the antics of the children playing with their father. The cubs
greet their father, home from the long journey back from the city
with glee. They know he will have brought them presents, and they
frolic with him for the rest of the day, running, playing and
tickling. But as soon as the shadows blow in, the bear is fast
asleep. When he wakes he has a different coat, a sparkly, colour
filled coat that looks bright against the snow and ice. Each morning
he wakes to a different coat, one day swirls and lines, another
circles and dots, and each day when he goes for a swim, it washes
off.
One day he wakes and spots small footprints near where he has slept,
and following the steps, comes to his bear cubs and their pots of
paint. The problem is solved, but not before everyone is covered in
paint, all the colours of the rainbow decorating their coats.
Full of the wonder of the relationship between families,
particularly dad and the children, this story radiates warmth and
togetherness as many facets of family life are shown. Readers cannot
help but respond to the father's joy in his children or their
happiness in being with him, able to include him within their games,
and trick him with the paint. A wonderful read aloud, this book
underscores the part of each person within the family, particularly
the father.
Fran Knight
Guinness World Records: Wild Things ed. by Craig Glenday
Guinness World Records, 2018. ISBN 9781912286485
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Animals, Records, Zoology, Mammals,
Reptiles, Insects. Wild Things is jam-packed with an array
of amazing animal facts, records, achievements, oddities and
dangerous creatures. Split into 9 chapters, the book includes
information about Odd Bods, The Cute Factor, Creepy Crawlies and
Zootopia. Catchy titles, fun facts and figures, close-up photos,
bold visually appealing double page spreads make this a fun book to
share with animal lovers from eight to eighty!
Beginning with Booty and the Beast, it is filled with fun facts and
photos. Discover the female mandrill who displays her
rainbow-coloured butt as a sign of status, the trapdoor spider's
manhole butt and the manatees that use their digestive gas as a
flotation device! Compare mammal statistics, while the blue whale
weighs in around 190 tonnes, the tiny bumblebee bat from Burma and
Myanmar weighs up to two grams. In Little and Large a life-size
Indian rusty-potted cat leaps out, growling with pointed teeth. A
new wild cat species, the southern Brazilian oncilla, was only
recognised in 2013.
Australasia is On the Map; test your knowledge with thirty-three
unusual animals to identify and fun facts to discover. Did you know
the New Zealand tuatara is the fastest-evolving animal in the world?
Conservationists, including Dr Jane Goodall, Bindi and Rob Irwin and
Nisha Owen, provide interesting insights into their passions, work
and environmental messages.
Trading cards filled with animal facts, charts for animal height and
weight and short quiz questions across the bottom of some pages
capture interest and make for interesting conversations. An
augmented reality app in Creepy Crawlies adds an animated insect
screen to a phone. Guinness World Records: Wild Things is an
excellent resource for STEM classes, a fabulous addition to a
classroom or school library and for a scientifically minded reader
from eight to eighty.
Rhyllis Bignell
Of blood and bone by Nora Roberts
Chronicles of The One book 2. Piatkus, 2018. ISBN
9780349414980
(Age: Adult - 16+) Dystopian fiction. Pandemics. Coming of age.
Roberts continues with her compulsive series, writing as always in a
very readable style with great characters. The first book Year
One introduced many characters and the second in the series
carries on with the story of Lana's daughter, Fallon Swift, who has
reached the age of 13 on the farm where her mother had taken refuge
with Simon, an ex-soldier turned farmer. With her gifts beginning to
mature it is time to learn how to fight for good. She is taken away
from the family farm by Mallick to be trained as a warrior and
gifted healer as she has been identified as The One, the girl of
Light who would fight against the forces of the Dark and lead her
peoples to victory.
Fallon is an engaging character, showing all the signs of a young
adolescent, but under the guidance of Mallick, she takes up the
heavy burden that has been given to her and trains very hard and
studies intensively, to be worthy of the gifts that she has been
given.
Readers will follow her coming of age with interest and will be
happy to return to the community of New Hope and find out what
happened to characters first introduced in Year One. Roberts always
has strong family ties and relationships underpinning her stories
and Fallon's feelings for her family and her dead family are handled
deftly and sympathetically. There is a hint of romance to come with
growing feelings between her and Duncan, who has appeared to her in
dreams as a grown man, and the love between Lana and Simon is a
highlight of the story.
Battle scenes and devastated countryside bring the dystopian world
to life and Roberts manages to combine a world devastated by a virus
with elves, fairies and people who have extraordinary paranormal
gifts in an unusual and believable way. There is a surprise twist at
the end and the reader is left hoping for the next book in the
series to find out how Fallon and her compatriots deal with the
forces of evil.
Pat Pledger
Mince spies by Mark Sperring
Ill. by Sophie Corrigan. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893463
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Competition. When
all the Christmas goodies: gingerbread men, Christmas sticks,
puddings, yule logs and so on, fall to the floor in the supermarket,
something must be done. The super spies, Mince Spies come jetting in
to unravel the mystery.
Told in verses, children will love predicting the next word in each
line, as the Mince Spies do some sleuthing around the supermarket to
find the culprit. With their flaky pastry jetpacks they hide within
the shelves, waiting. But time moves slowly until their walkie
talkies come to life, and they fall to the floor with their cheesy
breadsticks and whipped cream cans at the ready. Imagine their
surprise when they find that the Brussel Sprouts are working
together to rid the shelves of all the Christmas goodies, throwing
them to the floor with abandon. Readers will laugh out loud at the
antics of the Sprouts and sympathise with their reasoning. But
someone else must come and help with a solution, and Santa himself
appears. All is neatly resolved, and the readers will be happy at
the way the sprouts are appeased.
Told in verse form, supported with funny, detailed illustrations the
story will have readers laughing out loud at the antics of the Mince
Spies and Sprouts, as they almost come to blows over what is eaten
at Christmas. Children will love reprising the sorts of goodies they
have at this time of the year, and wonder at a winter Christmas
where Sprouts are served.
Fran Knight
The angel's mark by S. W. Perry
Atlantic Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786494955
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Crime, Elizabethan England,
Medicine, Superstition, Childbirth, Women, London. Steeped in the
life and times of the later years of Elizabethan England, this story
of the investigation into bodies found with an upside crucifix
carved into them will have the readers enthralled. Nicholas Shelby,
an aspiring physician at a time when doctors used medicinal herbs to
deal with the most advanced of diseases, and where surgery was
undertaken by the local butcher, loses his faith when his wife dies
in childbirth. Unable to cope with a god that allows this to happen,
and made very aware of the limits of his knowledge, he falls into a
stunning decline, to the point where he throws himself into the
Thames. Saved by a young woman, a tavern owner called Bianca, he
realises after a few weeks that she has been using medicines that he
has only read about. Eventually the two are able to share
information, Bianca having a vast knowledge from her time spent as a
child in Padua, where both men and women practise medicine. But here
in London she must take care, women such as she are burnt as
witches, any fool wanting to cause trouble able to make an
accusation.
But Nicholas saw the body of a child dragged from the river,
emblazoned with the carving and he knows that it was not a drowning,
as certified by the coroner.
When he sees another with the same disfigurement, he and Bianca set
out to find an answer. But their lives are interrupted by Robert
Cecil, a master spy, doing the Queen's business rooting out Catholic
conspiracies, and when Shelby plans a visit to the house of John
Lumley, Cecil forces him to spy.
With Spain meddling in England's affairs, and the queen not as
strong as she once was, plots abound as people vie for power, making
this is a riveting historical read. Descriptions of London's streets
form an amazing backdrop, the descriptions of palaces and luxury
just as beguiling, while the two main characters set against these
impossible times evoke our sympathies as they rail against injustice
and coercion. The stunning conclusion brings all of these themes
together in a most intriguing way, making sure the second in the
series, The serpent's mark to be released in June 2019, is
watched for.
Fran Knight
Pens and bayonets : letters from the front by soldiers of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia during the Great War by Don Longo
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743056103
(Age: 16+) Recommended for history enthusiasts and students. If I
had to sum up this great book in one word, it would be 'poignant'.
Soldiers who grew up on farms and in towns on the Yorke Peninsula
(and those who moved there for work) wrote letters from the First
World War battlefields, from hospitals and rest areas. These letters
were most commonly written to close family members but many were
sent to newspapers, sporting clubs and social groups - as a means of
informing the district about the exploits of local men but also to
rally support for the cause.
I often struggle with epistolary works which lack the formal
structure of standard non-fiction. These letters however have been
carefully selected to provide a soldier's perspective to the
campaigns and battles in which these local identities were involved.
I'm certain that the editor would have been tormented at having to
limit himself to including only two or three letters per battle or
theatre but in doing so, he has created a highly readable and very
interesting book.
The letters are introduced by short explanations of the historical
background in terms of the First World War's momentous events,
geography, and notable facts. The text from the soldiers'
communications is followed by summaries of the individual's service
experience and details of their lives following the war.
I found this touching and sometimes very sad. Considering that most
of these young men were farmers, miners and manual labourers with
education probably limited to lower secondary level, I was impressed
at their usually high level of literacy. Given the circumstances
under which the letters were written, the spelling and grammar are
superior to contemporary communications. Above all, most writers
were incredibly articulate and this is certainly not limited to
those from the relative minority of officers who were presumably
educated to a higher standard.
It is moving to read the words from men who were exhausted and
traumatised, who clearly needed to confide in their loved ones but
were simultaneously trying to withhold gruesome and frightening
elements whilst attempting to reassure that they would be safe. It
tears at the heart to read in the summaries immediately after the
letter that they were killed a few weeks after writing. In contrast,
I found myself breathing a sigh of relief to learn that laconic
diggers, dodging shot, shrapnel and gas on the Somme or other,
equally dreadful hellhole, returned to farm at Curramulka or open a
shop in Moonta and died at the age of 87.
Sadly, these examples are in the minority and a frightening number
of soldiers who survived the war and returned to South Australia
died in their forties and fifties. Another confronting aspect which
I didn't expect was that so many of these soldiers appeared to spend
significant lengths of time in hospital, not from wounds but from
influenza and presumably water borne diseases.
It was difficult to read this work without picturing the familiar
towns such as Moonta, Ardrossan, Maitland, Minlaton, Port Victoria
and the like. One hundred years later, these are still small, tight
knit communities where individuals are valued and their achievements
celebrated. I felt a profound sympathy for the families and friends
of these soldiers who were so proud of their boys but must have been
sick with trepidation. Sadly, all too often their worst fears came
to pass when instead of receiving a longed for personal letter from
their son or husband, a clinical telegram from the Army or Navy was
delivered to inform them of the death of their loved one.
Rob Welsh
Burpzilla by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733339028
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Themes: Burps, Monsters, Humour, Verse. After There's
a monster under my bed who farts (2012) and Dinosaur dump
(2015), amongst many others by the team of Stanton and Miller, comes
a new tale about burps. Each of their books presents a story about
something not usually spoken of, bringing the problem to the
surface, making it acceptable to talk about in an open and very
funny way.
With Burpzilla, the subject of burps is tackled. A group of
mean monsters live at Behemoth Bay, and the worst of these is Frank,
a large green monster with an enormous appetite. Our narrator is a
small red bird whose comments on each page are a neat foil to how
Frank sees himself. When two explorers land on the island with
telescopes and maps, Frank eats them up, and is immediately wracked
with indigestion and belches and burps. He is at a loss, and looks
to his friends to help him out. Mark tries to scare him, Rob tells
him to hold his breath underwater, Sam tells him to drink the lake
dry, all to no avail, and when they decide to call Frank, Burpzilla,
he loses his cool and eats them as well.
Now he sits and waits on the shore of the bay waiting for more food
to drop by, burping all the while.
In easily read rhyming stanzas, the fun is infectious and readers
will love it read out loud to them predicting the rhyming words at
the ends of the lines. I can see groups of children learning parts
of it to call out with the teacher, and learning that burping and
belching are part of the process of eating and digesting food,
although there are ways to be polite about it.
Fran Knight
Disney ideas book by Elizabeth Dowsett
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241314210
Whether it's 101 Dalmatians, Coco, The Little
Mermaid, Mickey Mouse or Tangled, every child
has a favourite Disney movie, and in this super-sized activity book
there are projects to accompany more than 50 of them!
Listed firstly by the type of project and then by the movie, young
readers can easily find their favourite and soon find themselves
making Elsa's sparkly cape, Buzz Lightyear's Wings, Cinderella's
pumpkin carriage, Belle's book garland or even doing the boogie with
Baloo. Each activity is related to a character from the movie, has a
list of the equipment needed, if any, and clear step-by-step
instructions so that young readers can follow the steps
independently. There are templates, tips, tricks and explanations
and the typical DK layout makes it accessible to all ages and
abilities, although some may need adult assistance.
Each activity provides a procedural text to follow, which could be
used as a model for students to create their own, while others like
the parachuting soldiers from Toy Story offer science to be explored
and explained.
With so many activities, this one book could form the basis of your
STEM and craft curriculum for the year, while being the perfect
addition to the family entertainment library as the long summer
holidays loom. No computer screens required!
Barbara Braxton
What the woods keep by Katya De Becerra
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760637309
(Age: 13+) Recommended. What the woods keep is a scary
fiction novel, which focuses on Hayden. She moved to New York after
her mum's puzzling and peculiar death in the woods but her Mother
left clues behind and no one knows what the woods keep. This book is
thoroughly enjoyable and fast paced while still establishing a back
story. While at times the book may seem too supernatural for its own
good, the book still maintains a grip on reality.
This book is great for a younger audience of around 13 years old;
this age group will embrace this book because of its fun nature but
mature themes. The book is great for lovers of supernatural books,
like Twilight or The mortal instruments books, which
all have similar themes of mystery, romance and scary. The main
character, Hayden was one of my favourites in the book, because you
didn't know if she was as nice as she was letting on. If you're
looking for a more real life drama, I wouldn't pick up this book,
but if you're looking for a fast paced, non-stop supernatural
horror, this is perfect.
Overall, this book is fantastic for this age group, it has the right
balance of themes and is a very fun book to read. This book blends
horror and drama very well, and paints a world, that has beautiful
towns and scary woods. This book is very easy to read and doesn't
overstay its welcome. I would definitely recommend it.
Joseph T. (Student)
Kill Shot: A Wyatt Thriller by Garry Disher
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925773224
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Crime,
thriller, Australian story. This is my first Wyatt thriller - but it
will not be my last. I will be going back to read the others in the
series. although I had no trouble reading this as a stand-alone.
Stylish, concise and exciting Kill shot takes place in Sydney, moves
onto Newcastle and even further north as Wyatt follows the trail of
a corporate crook who has run a very successful Ponzi scheme. Wyatt
and others believe that he has stashed away millions and he is
determined to get hold of the money.
Wyatt is an enigmatic character: he prefers to work alone, has a
series of ingenuous disguises and different aliases and has been
very successful at evading the law. He has just been getting by with
small burglaries and sees this heist an opportunity to hit the big
time. He is a careful man, and is prepared to abandon his goods and
chattels at a moment's notice if he thinks that someone has
penetrated his disguise.
At 242 pages, Kill shot showcases Disher's sparse but illuminating
prose at his best. It is really refreshing to read a novel that can
conjure up vivid settings and flesh out characters without having to
resort to wordy descriptions, at the same time keeping up
unrelenting suspense as Wyatt evades the law and crooks alike.
A compelling read, it is a must for fans of thrillers and Australian
authors.
Pat Pledger
Harry Potter - Creatures: A Paper Scene Book by Warner Bros
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781526605849
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Art. Fans of the Harry
Potter world will be thrilled with this very handsome volume
featuring the fantasy world and dark creatures of the Black Lake,
the Forbidden Forest and the dragons of the Triwizard Tournament.
There are four fascinating paper cut-out dioramas showing the
strange creatures from the films that readers will be find
themselves poring over. Some will be a tad frightening like the
strange merpeople in the Black Lake all coloured in blue black with
a slightly paler blue or the dementors in Dark Creatures, coloured
in paper of the deepest purple. All have Harry Potter lurking
somewhere, his distinctive glasses giving a clue to his whereabouts.
The artistry of the dioramas is incredible. The paper cut-out works
are intricate and beautifully produced in deep, dark, rich colours
and each begs to be inspected closely.
The introduction gives an outline of what is in the book and
interspersed between the dioramas is a double page spread describing
the creatures, some of the films' productions and how the creatures
were designed and filmed, all with illustrations and photographs to
stimulate the imagination. The descriptions of how the creatures
were created for the films, using well known myths for some like the
centaurs and the magnificent red dragons or J.K. Rowling's
imagination for the unknown creatures give the readers an in-depth
idea of the creativity of the film-makers.
This will be a delight for all art lovers who will be intrigued by
the intricate work of the dioramas, while fans of the Harry Potter
world will want to have this in their collection.
Pat Pledger
Lemonade Jones by Davina Bell and Karen Blair
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781925266733
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: School, Animals, Family. Containing
two short stories, The first day back and The zoo that
comes to you, this volume will appeal to younger readers who
have moved from picture books to reading something more complex and
wordy. Lemonade is an assured young girl, moving into primary school
after her prep school closed down. Mum is a little concerned about
the change, but Lemonade Jones is looking forward to the challenge.
But from the start things go awry. Her best friend is in a different
class, her teacher Miss Wisby is like a witch and she is made to sit
by a girl she does not know. When she becomes unsettled she bites a
child and is sent to the quiet corner for the rest of the afternoon,
but a talk with Miss Wisby sees a compromise on both sides as
Lemonade knows she did the wrong thing, and Miss Wisby thanks her
for reminding her just how upsetting the first day at school can be.
The second story concerns Lemonade Jones' birthday party. About to
turn six she chooses to have 'The Zoo that comes to you', as her
party and invites her friends from school. But when the organiser
turns up, he brings in just a few cages with birds, some spiders and
not a lot else. So Lemonade Jones must make some bold decisions, and
her imagination saves the day.
Lemonade Jones is a character children will take to their hearts as
they read of her in situations not unlike ones they have
encountered. West Australian author, Davina Bell has a light touch
writing about girls and their issues. She wrote the Alice books in
Puffin's Our Australian Girls series, which were
understandably well received. And Karen Blair's charming
illustrations bring another layer of interest to the stories.
Fran Knight
