Candlewick Press 2018. ISBN 9780763691103
(Age: 14+) Recommended for people with an interest in mental health
and magic. TW: This novel contains self-harm. This is certainly a
novel that would be difficult to walk past, The price guide to
the occult is both loud and distracting with neon yellow on
black surrounded by red-edged pages.
The novel follows a cursed family of Blackburn women, all of whom
are destined to have a three-day romance in which a child is
conceived and denied by a man descended from the original eight of
Anathema Island. Together with the curse of heartbreak, each
daughter is 'gifted' with a burden of magical talent, some stronger
than others. Fern Blackburn, the eighth daughter, received the gift
of always getting what she wanted. However, the one loophole in her
gift was never being able to have Quinn Sweeny, the love of her life
and the father of her daughter, Nor. Fern's obsession with
possessing Quinn is all encompassing, and she will stop at nothing
to secure his love - even if that means sacrificing their daughter.
Nor is only a teenager. Her only worries should be grades and boys.
But she is also a Blackburn woman... with a secret. Fear of her
mother has made her tame and afraid of her own powers, for indeed
she is the first since the matriarch, Rona, to possess more than
one. When Fern returns, Nor's fear only grows until she is unable to
keep her power in check. A storm is brewing, and only one Blackburn
woman will prevail. The price guide to the occult was engrossing. Despite the
many references to self-harm and the gruesome murders Fern commits,
it was an enlightening exploration of the relationship between a
neglectful mother and her child. Similar in ways to Practical
magic and Little shop of horrors, it was certainly an
enjoyable read. Recommended for ages fourteen and up with an
interest in mental health and magic.
Kayla Gaskell, 22
Missing Marvin by Sue deGennaro
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742769509
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Bullying. Practical jokes. Feelings.
When Marvin finds his friends' jokes are just too much, he goes
missing, so it is up to the friends to find him, reassure him, and
for Marvin to say how he feels when they tease.
Marvin and his friends work for Baggage Handlers United and get
along very well. They all do the baggage handling work that is
required, and while Marvin really likes his work, his friends feel
the need to play practical jokes on their workmates to fill the
time.
Barry, Shelley and Ivan sometimes place balloons on the luggage
causing it to rise out of reach, sometimes they put fish in the
water cooler, and sometimes have a bucket of water placed on a door
so that when Marvin opens the door, he gets covered in water. He
becomes less and less amused with their pranks, and begins to think
that they only seem to be targeting him. And one day when he is wet
all over, he goes home and stays at home for several days. Meanwhile
his friends begin to notice that he has not returned to work, and
play the jokes on each other. They come to see that they are not so
funny after all, and when Marvin returns the next day, they are able
to tell each other how they feel.
All is resolved and each of the friends is happy. Each has been able
to understand the other and Marvin has been able to tell them how he
feels when they plays jokes.
I do love Australian author and illustrator, Sue deGennaro's work (Milly
loves ants, Peas and quiet, Reindeer's Christmas
surprise and The vegetable ark come to mind) with her
soft illustrations, full of humour and not a little pathos when
needed. Kids will laugh out loud at the looks on the faces of the
animals she chooses to use as her protagonists and scan the
backgrounds of each page to glean more jokes.
I can easily imagine this book being read out loud and an astute
teacher using the interest in the story to discuss gently how people
feel when they are on the receiving end of a joke, or point out the
similarities between making a joke and bullying. And I do like the
double meaning of the title.
Fran Knight
Spot goes to the swimming pool by Eric Hill
Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780241327074
(Age 1-4) Highly recommended. Board book. Themes: Swimming. Fear. A
delightful way to introduce the idea of swimming at a swimming pool
to very young children, this board book is sure to be a hit with its
intended audience. Spot is a bit nervous about the water, thinking
that it could be cold but Mum encourages him to try it out and with
her help and encouragement is soon letting go of the side of the
pool and splashing around in his safe rubber ring.
The bright colours bring to life the poolside, water and swimming
accessories. The wonderful expressions on the faces of Spot, his
mother and friend Steve are delightful and leave the reader
appreciating the joys of a mother who is patient and loving and
helpful friends. The pages are sturdy and should stand up for heavy
use by little hands, as this is sure to become a firm favourite.
Spot has been a favourite of children for many years and Spot
goes to the swimming pool will be a lovely way to introduce a
new generation to this lovely little dog and then perhaps follow up
with some of the many books that Eric Hill has written about him.
Pat Pledger
Best buds under frogs by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763651046
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Friendship. School. Moving from the
city to Pine Lake where she must catch a bus to school, Lily is
apprehensive, and barfing on the first day does not endear her to
the group of friends who had assembled around her. But Darby takes
her on, and soon the two are best of friends, with sleepovers and
catching the bus together.
So begins this amusing story of fitting in, of starting a new school
in year four, of finding someone who will be your best friend. Darby
and Lily set up a club, the Rizzlerunk Club, named after the sea
captain who ran aground in the lake, his head mysteriously becoming
attached to a giant octopus and climbing into the old boat shed on
the shore near Darby's home. Fun and mayhem follows the girls, as
they contend with the remarks from the others in their class and are
somewhat baffled when they take on the club the two have created for
themselves.
Darby's stories are all about ghosts and ghouls and Lily is even
more apprehensive the first time she goes to her house and meets her
family, a large group of people who all look like Darby, even down
to the glasses they all wear. They are all pleased that Lily is
Darby's new friend, who they think is much better that Darby's
former fiend, Jill, who has moved away. But alarm bells ring when
she unexpectedly moves back to the lake, bringing with her her own
sense of the funny and dramatic which embroiled Darby in many
mishaps in the previous year.
Patricelli's first novel for mid-primary people is most successful,
pitched at their concerns, fitting in, finding friends and coping
with family issues. She has included funny little illustrations,
many of which can be found through the text.
Fran Knight
The Lily and the Rose by Jackie French
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9781460753590
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. The Great War is over but that
doesn't necessarily equate to peace. Sophie Higgs is soon to come to
this realisation as she re-establishes her life in Australia, taking
over her late father's business empire as an independent confident
young woman. Alongside her is the circle of women who have become
her ongoing support network in a society that is no longer defined
by the old norms.
It is not only politics and world affairs that are clouded for
Sophie. She is still torn between her love for Nigel, Earl of
Shillings, the strange attraction of Dolphie the German aristocrat,
and in a new twist, a stranger, John, who is trying to expiate his
own war by carving crosses into rocks until he feels at peace.
A call for help from her old friend Hannelore sees Sophie becoming
even more daring as she goes to wartorn Germany on a rescue mission
from which she returns even more confused in her emotions.
Those thoughts remain until a crisis with Nigel's health sees her
racing to England via the unheard of method of flying with female
pilots around the world to reach her beloved and at last the two are
married with their whole future ahead of them. Or is it?
Jackie has left this tapestry with some small waving threads that
will have every reader hanging out for the next instalment. Again a
superlative storyteller takes us on a magical, romantic and
adventurous journey and my recommendations remain glowing for the
mid-teens upwards.
Sue Warren
The old man by Sarah V and Claude K Dubois
Gecko Press, 2018. ISBN 9781776571918
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Compassion. Homelessness.
Paris. Age. This gem of understatement stopped me in my tracks and
I'm sure it will for everyone as they read of the plight of one
homeless old man.
A young girl wakes and gets ready to go to school. Nearby an old man
also wakes and struggles to rise from the pavement where he has
spent the night. He is cold, wet and hungry and walks to keep warm,
rummaging in a bin for food. He is tired and so puts down his
blanket to sleep until someone tells him to move on. He heads for
the shelter for warmth and food, and when one of the volunteers asks
his name, he cannot remember. He climbs aboard a bus and finds
warmth, falling asleep in his seat until more passengers get on,
complaining of his smell and he must move again.
Finding a spot in the park, he covers himself with his blanket and
it is here that a young girl approaches, offering him her sandwich.
This tiny act makes him feel warm inside, he has an idea of who he
is, of being part of the world he lives in and he can smile.
The spare prose burrows its way into the readers' imaginations as we
see this old man, learning a little of his life as the story
proceeds. What we learn of him makes him not just a homeless man, a
smelly man, someone whose feet hurt or whose blanket is wet. He is
given a context and the kind act of the young girl makes us realise
that he is part of all of our worlds. The compassion the young girl
shows contrasts heavily with how he is perceived by all the adults
who pass him by, or ask him to move on, or simply ignore him.
The innocence of the child shows us all how we should all respond,
without rancor, prejudice or bitterness.
The loneliness of the old man is beautifully detailed by the
wonderful watercolour pencil illustrations, showing the lack of
colour and warmth in his world. The images are soft and redolent of
the life this man lives on the streets, and like the text, compel us
to show more compassion to those we see living in such a way.
First published in Paris in 2017, this has been republished in
Australia by Gecko Press.
Fran Knight
The disturbed girl's dictionary by Nonieqa Ramos
Lerner Publishing Group, 2018. ISBN 9781512439762
(Age: 14+) Recommended.
Macy Cashmere is a teenager living in the ghetto trying to survive
life the best she can. Her father is in prison, her mother
entertains a constant stream of male 'guests' and her little brother
has been taken away by Child Protection Services. She battles
constant hunger, poverty and the need for her family to be together
again like it was before her father went to prison.
At school she has only two friends (Alma and George) who she is
fiercely protective of and is constantly in trouble for not
conforming and thus considered a 'disturbed' student. Despite this,
school is really her constant in life. Her way of keeping track of
her life is by her entries in her dictionary which is not really a
diary as we know it but more of a memory keeper.
Macy's only true constant in her life and the one she holds onto
dearly is her friendship with Alma. Alma is a shining star, kind to
her peers, a good student and a loving sister to her young siblings.
When Alma starts to drift away, Macy tries to find out why she isn't
talking to her and what has happened in Alma's life to make her drift
away from the friendship.
This story is raw, full of language and themes not suited to a
younger audience. It is exactly how you would imagine life in the
ghetto to be and the daily struggles of those who live there and
those who try to help those who live there. Don't expect happy
endings but rather an insight into who Macy is, why she does what she
does and how she copes with the actions of those who mean something
to her.
Themes in this book are: poverty, neglect, hardship, friendship and
sexual promiscuity. I would recommend this book to students 14+.
Gerri Mills
The long class goodnight by Sammy J
Five Mile Press, 2018. ISBN 9781760409531
(Age: 9-12) Recommended.
Sammy J, comedian, musician and author takes us on a whirlwind
ride in his debut novel The long class goodnight. Imagine if the
school bell doesn't ring at the end of the first day and the
students of Mount Willow Secondary are forced to stay overnight.
What a night it becomes!
Justin Monaghetti learns he comes from a long line of losers at
breakfast on his first day of high school. Armed with a pair of
'German-made,' reinforced wedgie-proof underpants he sets out to
break the family's losing streak. All Justin wants to do is survive,
find a chess club and make some friends. Unfortunately Principal, Dr
Featherstone, runs a tightly controlled school, every rule must
be followed; they are outlined in the Mount Willow Secondary School
Handbook. For Justin there are more lows than highs, he endures
being bullied, meets with the principal, barely survives a gym
lesson and he's given detention. He meets Eliza who is cunningly
planning to escape at the end of day one by creatively following the
school rules and has a chance encounter with the school gardener
also helps Justin in understanding how to survive at school. To
avoid detention and keep Eliza from escaping, Justin uses his lucky
pawn to stop the school clock. No-one is allowed to go home, staff,
students and principal. What happens next is an afternoon and night
filled with crazy antics, desperately hungry students, cunning
escapes and laugh-out-loud scenes, this is a rollercoaster ride of
hilarity and drama! The long class goodnight is a fast-paced funny story, just right
for middle grade readers who will sympathise with Justin's
determination to make his own destiny. Read aloud to a class, this
novel explores friendships, dealing with bullies, developing
resilience and unique ways to solve problems.
Rhyllis Bignell
Found in Melbourne, a counting adventure by Joanne O'Callaghan
Ill. by Kori Song. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523411
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Melbourne. Numbers. Also published in
Simplified Chinese, this book about Melbourne reflects the visitor's
eye looking at a new place, using a map to find their way around,
visiting the iconic places that make up that city. Two mid-years
children navigate their way past many known landmarks in Melbourne.
Carrying an umbrella (it is Melbourne, after all) they begin with
the one and only, Luna Park. Setting off for the Concert Hall there
are two people on the stage, and three trams are spied along St
Kilda Road. Each page is illustrated with a place in Melbourne, and
two rhyming lines describe the scene beginning with a number;
starting with one for Luna Park, then going sequentially up to 12,
Twelve fancy cakes at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms is reached. Thereafter
the numbers increase to 100 for the butterflies at Melbourne Zoo,
1000 triangles at Federation Square and 1,000,000 stories in the
State Library of Victoria. Melbourne is showcased in this remarkable
book for younger readers as the two visitors stroll around the city.
They take the tram, walk, ride a bike, take the Puffing Billy, visit
the MCG, Art Gallery, Zoo and Concert Hall. Each of the
illustrations takes in a view of the place visited, giving an array
of detail sure to catch the readers' eyes.
The illustrator, Kori, lives in Hong Kong while the author, Joanne
once lived there, now residing in Melbourne. The two share their
love of Melbourne in this book, bringing a Chinese perspective to
the city and its attractions. At the end of the book, a double page
has a thumbnail image of each of the illustrations with a paragraph
of information about each of the places depicted in the book.
This would be a most useful book to have in the library for leisure
reading, work about cities and tourism and along with the Chinese
edition, a worthwhile pair of books to use to promote language
study.
Fran Knight
I am Sasha by Anita Selzer
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143785743
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Holocaust. Identity.
Survival. Resilience. Born in Poland before the Second World War,
Sasha lived on his own with his mother after his father's early
death. This sadness was not the only difficulty that he would face.
The advent of the Second World War added another level of challenge
to their lives as Jewish citizens. Family and friends were in
constant states of fear as the juggernaut of the German advance came
ever closer to their lives in Poland. Sasha's mother Larissa is
incredibly strong and resourceful as she seeks to protect her young
son from the horrors of war and the anti-Semitic response displayed
by soldiers and fellow citizens. Eventually she has a plan to
protect her young son from detection as a Jew - she convinces him to
dress and masquerade as a girl, so that he cannot be exposed 'with
his pants down'. Suffering the indignity of giving up his identity,
Sasha must learn to hide his true self in order to survive. Family
and the resistance movement provide some additional support, but
there is always hunger, threat and inescapable fear. This is an
amazing story based on the real-life survival of Sasha and his
mother, written by his daughter. The sadness that so many died in
horrific circumstances pervades this story of survival.
This is an awesome story for those who do not want the terrible
truths of our global past to be swept under the carpet. What happens
when humans act inhumanely towards one another is always horrible,
and remembering should help to prevent a repeat of the actions or at
the least to provide an opportunity to examine one's own prejudices.
Although the horrors of World War II are not hidden, there is not
too much detail to make the story too graphic for a younger reader.
Highly recommended for age 13+
Carolyn Hull
Uncle Gobb and the Green Heads by Michael Rosen
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408851340
(Age: 7-9)
Uncle Gobb is that really annoying relative who's overstayed his
welcome. Poor Malc and his mother have to endure his constant
roaring, his interfering ways and his opinions about everything from
learning history, to poetry and education. Uncle Gobb and the Green
Heads is the second over-the-top story that sees Malcolm, his
peculiar Uncle Gobb, their family and friends off to America. Malc's
dad lives there and he really wants to reconnect. Along the way
Uncle Gobb's genie 'Doctor Roop the Doop' and Malcolm's genie who
streams out of his nose provide comedic moments and varying levels
of assistance. Both protagonists have ulterior motives for
travelling.
At school, Malc suffers episodes of Blurting Out and Big Trouble;
with his best friend Crackersnacker they endure History and provide
creative answers for the Timeline Book. Brenda the Mender offers the
family her millions of air miles so they can travel overseas. More
bamboozling and confuzling action follows, as Malcolm and his best
friend, his mother, Uncle Gobb and the Weasels, Aunty Brenda the
Mender leave to fly to America. While Malcolm is planning to get rid
of Uncle Gobb, his relative also has an epic plan to get rid of his
nephew.
This is definitely a lighthearted story, where questioning an
adult's actions and motives aren't priorities. What a convoluted
plot, with stream of consciousness asides, absolute silliness,
jokes, fun chapter headings, and fact-filled text boxes interspersed
with Layton's bold cartoons. This book is suitable for the younger
reader who enjoys this humourous style of writing and silly
characters doing crazy things.
Rhyllis Bignell
Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2018. ISBN 9781760127152
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Romance.
LGBT. Young adult. Contemporary drama. Australia. High school.
Sydney, Australia, in 2016, is set for all to see in this brilliant
new age novel by Erin Gough. This story was loosely based on a hoax
that the author and two other students created in their senior year
of high school, however their series of 'pranks' were not political
like the novel but more mischievous.
For senior student prefect at Rosemead Grammar, Harriet Price, life
was forever changed when she ran into Will Everhart, the social
justice trooper at an after school hours' detention. Through a
concerning comment both girls witnessed their PE teacher make that
goes unnoticed, the girls united and the odd duo was born. They
formulate a feminist plan during the detention where they combined
Will's art skills and Harriet's literature abilities to create a
cartoon to be submitted to the school newspaper under the pseudonym
Amelia Westlake, calling out Coach Hadley's obscene remarks. After
the girls get a taste of victory they decide to start calling out
more problems within Rosemead Grammar, and get to know each other
better. We watch their relationship blossom, while they try to
overcome their fears, decipher what they want from this hoax and
re-evaluate their current situations. But with not being entirely
careful with their plans, having the principal on their tails, and
risking their education, how will they pull through? This emotional
but well written journey of the two girls gives the LGBTQ+ youth a
solid platform to relate to.
Emily V. (Student)
Alma and how she got her name by Juana Martinez-Neal
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763693558
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Ancestors. Family.
Names. Upset over her very long name, Alma questions her father
about why she has been given a name that doesn't fit on her page. He
then explains, showing her where each of her names comes from and
why she has been given that name. He takes a photo album from the
bookshelf and shows Alma some of the reasons she has her names: Alma
Sofia Esperanza Jose Pura Cabdela.
Sofia is for her grandmother, a woman who taught her father how to
read. Esperanza is for her great grandmother, a woman who loved to
travel and could not, following her son's voyages on her map. Jose
is for his father who taught him to paint and how to to really see
people. Each name has a tale to tell, as Alma comes to see the
importance of her names and her naming. Each name shows a different
aspect of her family and her forebears, and she can see how she gets
some of her characteristics, handed down from generations of people
who came before her.
Each page is built up with graphite images, enhanced with coloured
pencil and print transfers, all done on handmade textured paper.
The paper, not quite white, suits the idea of generations coming
before, of continuity, of family. I love the repeated stripey
trousers that Alma wears, paralleled with one of her ancestors, and
the predominance of paintings and books which litter the pages
underlining again the continuity of interests and skills which make
up her family.
The author's story of her own name follows in an afterword,
stressing again the ideas behind the picture book. A wonderful book
to use when talking of families and their similarities.
Fran Knight
The Paris seamstress by Natasha Lester
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733640001
(Age: 16+) Recommended. In 1940, young Parisian Estella Bissette finds herself unwittingly
drawn to help a dying man, and becomes the courier of secret plans
to the French resistance. She passes them to a dark mysterious
stranger, a spy, in an encounter that will change the course
of her life. Because of her actions, she has to leave France, and
finds herself on the last ship to New York, an escape route
available to her due to American birth papers that her mother has
kept secret and only now reveals. Estella has to leave her mother
behind and set sail to start a new life in a foreign land. She wants
to carve a career for herself as seamstress and designer with the
help of her friends Sam, a cutter at a fashion house, and Janie, an
adventurous Australian model.
In 2015, young Australian Fabienne Bissette attends the New York
exhibition of her grandmother's fashion line Stella Designs. She
also has a chance encounter with a two people she feels strongly
attracted to. Somehow the lives of Estella and Fabienne are
intermeshed with secrets that people have kept buried until it is
almost too late.
The story is one of dark secrets and family shame, but also of drive
and achievement by strong female characters, set in the context of a
burgeoning fashion industry in America during the war and post-war
years. The historical background has clearly been thoroughly
researched and author Natasha Lester, previously a marketing
executive for L'Oreal, shows her inside experience of the fashion
world and her knowledge of fashion history. Also, her intimate
knowledge of those iconic cities, Paris and New York, shines
throughout the novel. Less detail is provided about the third city
in the story, Sydney, but it is refreshing to read a historical
novel set in Europe and America with Australian characters leading
the story.
The novel maintained my interest throughout with its mix of romance,
war history, fashion world, and mystery. It would appeal to readers
of historical fiction, but especially to those interested in
fashion.
Helen Eddy
Trouble at school by Chris Higgins, illustrated by Emily McKenzie
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408868850
(Age: 6+) Recommended.
Themes: School stories. Friendship. Problem children.
Chris Higgins brings best friends Bella and Magda back in Trouble
at school an amusing story about first days, dealing with a new
teacher and difficult classmates.
Before the start of term, perfectionist Bella sets her school bag in
order and prepares her new uniform, she even organises her younger
brother Sid. Unfortunately when they stop to pick up Magda she ends
up with her friend's breakfast spilled all over her. To make matters
worse, Bella stays and helps in Sid's class for the whole morning
and Mr. Smart, her teacher, is not impressed. He's all about neatness,
order and discipline. As Bella's first day continues there's more
issues, some caused by Magda and some by troublemakers Claudia
Cleverley and her friend Hetty Snoop.
Magda's view of life, her fun and cheekiness help Bella to gain
confidence. There's the banter with the dinner ladies, Magda's
always wanting something exciting and the creative way they sort out
Claudia and Hetty. Miss Pringle the arty relief teacher brings a
totally different energy to the girls' class. Her unique teaching
style provides an opportunity for Bella, Magda and their classmate
Tom to express themselves. Emily McKenzie's comic illustrations are
fun and add humour to the story especially with the cow painting
reveal! Trouble at school is just right for a young reader beginning their
chapter book journey; with themes of friendship, developing
confidence, problem solving and growing in independence.
Rhyllis Bignell
