Lothian Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9780734418739
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fathers. Daughters.
Relationships. Family. Love. The most beautiful watercolour
illustrations demonstrate from page one the loving relationship
between a father and his daughter. Dad is depicted as a very large
person indeed, with his slightly too small shirt and pants, thongs
and very curly beard and hair. He dotes on his daughter; they do
everything together, sharing their days as they play games, read,
talk, cook and try new things. But not only this, he stops his work
to listen to her, he comforts her when she is sad and gives her lots
of cuddles. When he goes away they are both sad, but he rings often
to sing her to sleep. He makes marks on the door frame to show how
much she has grown, learns from her just as much as she learns from
him.
The highly humorous illustrations will tickle the readers as they
spy the large man attempting to do everything his daughter wants him
to do. Seeing him crawling under the table, or keeping watch as she
sleeps, ready to take on the monsters that may lie under her bed
will delight and endear the story to the readers,
exposing some of the fears they may have. Each image underlines the
bond between the two and reiterates what a happy household is like
where things are shared, where the child is supported, where Dad is
part of the meld.
A lovely story to read out loud, to give to children to learn to
read for themselves, for children to see how much of the story
relies upon the illustrations, and how much the illustrations tell
the reader.
The text and images speak for themselves and make the word from the
author at the end seem rather superfluous.
The endpapers recreate some of the images used in the book.
Fran Knight
The Fandom by Anna Day
Chicken House, 2018. ISBN 9781910655672
(Age: Older teens - YA) Note on book: Not suitable for younger
readers. Anyone in any fandom's greatest dream is to be transported
into the canon world of their favourite story and live out the
events as the main character. Maybe except for fans of The
Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and now The Gallows
Dance. The story follows four teens who were transported from
Comic-Con to the canon world of The Gallows Dance, where regular
humans are looked down upon and discriminated against. Of course,
then it all goes wrong; they accidentally kill the main character
and Violet, our main character, takes her place in the story. The
Fandom is full of tropes and cliches, but is comforting in the
sense that you can anticipate what happens next. The comfortably
cliched style is reminiscent of novels like The Medoran
Chronicles by Lynette Noni and is pleasant to read and follow
along to; however, if you like suspense and surprise, you might feel
the book falls short. The only problem I had with the tropes and
cliches (without giving too much away) was the death-revival trope,
as it doesn't allow for emotional payoff.
Although friendship is meant to be a large theme within the story,
there doesn't seem to be much true friendship displayed throughout
the book, something which disappointed me. The action moves quickly
once the world is established, and though you know what's going to
happen as the story follows canon, the writing describes it
beautifully and of course, nothing ever really goes to plan. The
twists and turns keep you on your toes as you read. The teens and
the audience get a glimpse at how large and deep a story's universe
is and how much effort goes into creating such a detailed,
captivating world.
Day gives a satirical look at discrimination and oppression,
emphasising everyone's humanity and the futility of social
constructs. The main character Violet is a massive fangirl and a
brave but reluctant hero, whose sarcasm and wit bring a spark to the
book. The story was compelling and complex, with witty twists and
turns.
I would recommend this book to people who want something comfortable
and easy to read, but captivating nonetheless.
Stephanie Lam
These are animals by Daniel Egneus
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889909
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Animals. Humour. Read aloud. Movement.
Sound. What a lovely way to introduce animals to young readers. A
vibrant, colourful display of animals around the world is presented
with verve and movement, noises and sounds for little kids to enjoy,
join in, make the noises and move around copying the the traits of
the animals shown.
Neatly divided into areas: woodland animals, polar, grassland, night
time, rainforest and ocean, each section shows a range of animals
that survive in this particular habitat. Grassland animals depicts,
for example, giraffes, elephants, zebras and lions, encouraging
children to make the noises of the elephant and lion, copying the
expressions on their faces. Some readers may even question why these
animals live in this particular part of the world, eliciting all
sorts of information from the adults. Night time animals too,
depicts bats, owls and wolves and children will laugh with delight
trying out the noises that the owl and wolf make, while blinking
like the owl or hanging upside down like a bat. Each page is brim
full of ideas for younger children to take to heart: moving, making
noises, stretching, jumping, howling, squawking and swinging through
the trees.
This is a delightfully colour filled book of sound and movement to
introduce younger readers to the range of animals that exist around
us.
Fran Knight
A royal murder by Sandra Winter-Dewhirst
A Rebecca Keith mystery book 2. Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN
9781743055243
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Themes: Mystery. Murder. Adelaide. During
the Women's Australian Open golf tournament in Adelaide, Rebecca
Keith discovers a silk duffle bag containing the body of one of the
golfers. She then embarks on an investigation of the murder,
cavorting through some of Adelaide's best restaurants and eateries,
not to forget the delights of Kangaroo Island and the Barossa
Valley.
Like the first in the series, The Pop Eye murder, this is an
easy to read, lighthearted murder mystery, with the food and wine
topping the bill for interest. South Australians will once again
delight in recognising favourite restaurants and the fabulous
Adelaide parklands as Rebecca follows clues to the murders, and other
readers will enjoy the atmosphere and setting. It is heart-warming
to see the close friendship of Rebecca and her two friends, Penny
and Lisa. There are quite a few laughs to be had as they travel
around South Australia.
The background to the murders is also unusual with Chinese triads,
top women professional golfers and property developers on the
suspect list. This keeps the reader involved following the clues
while enjoying a gourmet food and wine trail. Details about the
process of getting news articles published and a slow moving romance
with the police officer Gary, also round out what is an entertaining
read.
Pat Pledger
The case of the missing hippo by Laura James
Ill. by Emily Fox. Fabio: The world's greatest flamingo detective
series, book 1. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889312
(Age: 6-9) Highly recommended. Themes: Detective story. Animal tale.
This is a 'classic' detective story involving the great Flamingo
Detective, Fabio. He is an intelligent flamingo, with a very tall
giraffe co-worker (who is not quite as clever, but he is very tall!)
and Fabio is exceptionally good at solving the problem of the
missing hippo. Putting together the clues and bringing the case to a
satisfactory conclusion (in a Hercule Poirot revelatory and
flamboyant style), is detailed very simply for a young reader, but
without underestimating their desire for a good story. This is an
interesting mystery - it is after all fairly difficult to hide a
hippo! Young readers will love the story, and animal characters add
a touch of humour.
Illustrations are scattered through the pages, done in a simple, but
amusing, cartoon style, and intensely vivid pink and green pages are
also randomly included. This colour explosion adds a burst of
interest for even the most reluctant reader.
Highly recommended for independent readers aged 6-9, and could still
appeal to an older reluctant reader as they will recognise the
subtle (or not so subtle) humour.
Carolyn Hull
A pet called Nibbles by Zanni Louise
Ill. by Gillian Flint. Tiggy and the magic paintbrush. Five
Mile, 2018. ISBN 9781760680411
(Age: 5-6) Themes: Magic. Pet Day. School. Tiggy does not have a pet
for pet day, but she does have a secret magic paintbrush in her
sock. She creates a magic pet - a small dragon, called Nibbles. This
solves her problem, but not everything goes smoothly for Nibbles -
after all he is only pocket-sized. Illustrations by Gillian Flint
are a mix of colour and black and white and are in an appealing
cartoon-style.
This is an easy to read book suited for those who would like to
transition to independent readers, rather than picture books. It is
not an early chapter book - there is only one chapter, but is
well-suited to those aged 5-6.
Carolyn Hull
I do not like books anymore by Daisy Hirst
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406369137
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Books and reading. Learning to read.
Cooperation. Natalie and Alphonse love to read together. Dad reads
them picture books, Mum reads them scary stories, Grandma tells them
stories about the terrible shrew. And they love all of them, and
often make them up, retelling stories that they know.
Natalie is impatient to learn to read and to read a story all by
herself, even able to read it to Alphonse. But given a book to read,
she finds it unintelligible, and in desperation, throws it away. The
writing is a lot of squiggles, looking a lot like birds' feet, with
nothing in it that she recognises. Miss Bimble tells her that it
will take practice, and Mum and Dad tell her to be patient. She
sticks at it all week until she can read her cat book, but when
Alphonse offers her another book to read to him, she finds it a lot
like before, lots of squiggles. She gives up saying that her toy
elephant needs to be cared for. Alphonse asks her to tell him a
story and in so doing, encourages her to illustrate it and getting
Dad to write the words, she finds that she can retell it after all.
A charming story of trying different methods to help children learn
to read, the story will resonate with children who are in that stage
where writing is a bit of a jumble. But perseverance and help from
others leads to the children learning to read.
Fran Knight
Bronte's big sister problem by Mary Van Reyk
Surf Riders Club. Lothian Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9780734417923
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Bronte is in Year 8 and really idolises her
sister Carrie, who is 17. Before their older brother, Oscar, left
for University, the three siblings had such a close friendship and
now it feels like there is a rift between them. Lately, Carrie has
been secretive and boy-obsessed and is trying to set Bronte up with
Daniel; but won't listen to her sister saying that she is not
interested. She also wants Bronte to do whatever she does and sulks
if Bronte won't do what she wants. Bronte is feeling so lost without
her sister, but her friends are encouraging and interested in the
same things as she is so she has to make choices.
Bronte is in the Surf Rider Club, a group of 5 girls, (Ava, Janani,
Alex, Molly and herself) who love catching waves and hanging out at
the beach. When a surf competition comes to their local beach, the
Surf Riders Club are keen to enter. The problem is, Carrie makes
Bronte promise she will go to see a DJ with her that day. Bronte
feels like she doesn't get a choice. All of the stress of it is
interfering with Bronte's practising for the upcoming comps.
In the second book of this series, Bronte works through her feelings
and eventually learns to talk about them to her sister. Her brother
Oscar is a big help in this, though his character came across as a
little too text book eg "I'm sorry, this must feel very overwhelming
for you... " In saying that, this story will teach young girls
to be a little more assertive, and that is a definite win.
I'd recommend this for girls of Year 4 and up who are interested in
surfing, are having relationship issues within families and those
with a good conceptual understanding.
Clare Thompson
Hubert Wilkins: Forgotten hero by Elizabeth Corfe
Era Publications, 2011. ISBN 9781741205114
(Age: Upper primary) Hubert Wilkins is probably not well known to
Australian students although he was born in South Australia in 1888
and was quite famous in the 1920s. This biography written for upper
primary age students highlights Wilkins' pioneering work studying
weather in polar regions and the significance of his use of
technology, exploration and leadership.
Early chapters of the book describe the young man's farm experience
and the hardship caused by drought. Understanding the weather became
a motivating force in his life. He became a film maker, learnt to
fly and experienced the Arctic climate first hand. Each new
adventure gave Hubert the skills and understanding to undertake new
missions such as the study of Australia's Aboriginal people, the Inuit
of Canada and Russia. The First World War battle field tested his
courage and willingness to undertake difficult challenges.
Through short paragraphs and appropriate vocabulary the author
presents the life of a forgotten hero whose discoveries were ahead
of his time. Each page is illustrated with interesting photographs,
maps and illustrations. Important background information (e.g.
drought, the first movies, life in the trenches) is highlighted in
brief side panels. The book's conclusion includes a timeline and
glossary.
Paul Pledger
My grandfather's war by Glynn Harper
Ill. by Jenny Cooper. EK Books, 2018. ISBN 9781775592990 My grandfather's war tells us of a more recent conflict, the Vietnam
War, a war where those who served are now the grandparents of its
target audience, our primary school students.
At a time when the world had almost emerged into a new era following
World War II, the USA and the USSR were the new superpowers and the
common catch-cry promoted by prime ministers and politicians was
"All the way with LBJ", Australian and New Zealand joined forces
with the USA in this new conflict to stop the "Yellow Peril" of
China moving south and overtaking nations just as Japan had tried to
do between 1941 and 1945. Among the 65 000 troops of both nations
committed between 1963 and 1975 was Robert, Sarah's grandfather who
now lives with her family and who is "sometimes very sad."
Possibly a natio, drafted because a marble with his birthdate on it
dropped into a bucket, old enough to die for his country but too
young to vote for those who sent him, Robert, like so many others of
his age whose fathers and grandfathers had served, thought that this
was his turn and his duty and that the war "would be exciting". But
this was a war unlike those fought by the conservative, traditional
decision-makers - this was one fought in jungles and villages where
the enemy could be anywhere and anyone; one where chemicals were
used almost as much as bullets; one where the soldiers were not
welcomed as liberators but as invaders; and one which the soldiers
themselves knew they could not win. It was also the first war that
was taken directly into the lounge rooms of those at home as
television became more widespread, affordable and accessible.
And the reality of the images shown clashed with the ideality of
those watching them, a "make-love-not-war" generation who, naive to
the ways of politics and its big-picture perspective of power and
prestige, were more concerned for the individual civilians whose
lives were being destroyed and demanded that the troops be
withdrawn. Huge marches were held throughout the USA, New Zealand
and Australia and politicians, recognising that the protesters were
old enough to vote and held their futures in their hands, began the
withdrawal.
But this was not the triumphant homecoming like those of the
servicemen before them. Robert came home to a hostile nation who
held him and his fellow soldiers personally responsible for the
atrocities they had seen on their screens. There were no welcome
home marches, no public thanks, no acknowledgement of heroes and
heroism, and Robert, like so many of those he fought with, slipped
back into society almost as though he was in disgrace. While the
official statistics record 578 killed and 3187 wounded across the
two countries, the stats for those who continued to suffer from
their physical and mental wounds and those who died because of them,
often at their own hands, are much more difficult to discover. Like
most returned servicemen, Robert did not talk about his experiences,
not wanting to inflict the horror on his family and friends and
believing that unless you were there you wouldn't understand; and
without the acknowledgement and support of the nation he was
supposedly saving and seeing his mates continue to battle the impact
of both the conflict and the chemicals, he sank into that deep
depression that Sarah sees as his sadness but which is now known as
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Disturbed by his sadness but told never to talk to her grandfather
about the war, Sarah is curious and turns to the library for help.
But with her questions unanswered there, she finally plucks up the
courage to ask him and then she learns Grandad's story - a story
that could be told to our students by any number of grandfathers,
and one that will raise so many memories as the 50th anniversary of
the Battle of Khe Sanh approaches, and perhaps prompt other Sarahs
to talk to their grandfathers.
Few picture books about the Vietnam War have been written for young
readers, and yet it is a period of our history that is perhaps
having the greatest impact on our nation and its families in current
times. Apart from the personal impact on families as grandfathers,
particularly, continue to struggle with their demons, it opened the
gates to Asian immigration in an unprecedented way, changing and
shaping our nation permanently.
Together, Harper and Cooper have created a sensitive, personal and
accessible story that needs to be shared, its origins explored and
understanding generated.
Lest We Forget.
Barbara Braxton
Sorry Day by Coral Vass and Dub Lefler
NLA Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780642279033
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal themes, Sorry Day,
Aboriginal history, Reconciliation, Apology, Kevin Rudd. Two stories
coincide in this beautifully illustrated picture book telling of
National Sorry Day celebrated on May 26. The momentous day of
February 13, 2008 is the setting of this tale as Maggie and her
mother stand amongst the crowd eagerly waiting for Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd to say sorry to Aboriginal families for what was done to
them in the twentieth century taking away their children as a matter
of government policy.
In the crowd Maggie loses sight of her mother, and in this way the
book parallels the plight of those children forcibly removed. But
all is well for Maggie and she is restored to her mother, just in
time to hear the Prime Minister utter the words that so many have
longed to hear for generations.
This is a deceptively simple story, sparsely told, one that shadows
the Stolen Generation in its words and illustrations. Without over
telling the tale, students are acquainted with the bare bones: that
children were taken - enough to ignite many discussions and stories
in the classroom as part of the Australian Curriculum.
The illustrations accompanying the text parallel the words with
subtle sincerity. The sepia wash double pages show what happened in
the past, reflecting the lifestyle of the groups living in fear of
the men in authority coming for their children. In between these
pages subdued colours show Maggie and her mother waiting in the
crowd, excited by the momentous happenings on that day.
Each double page reflects the difference between Maggie and her
mother celebrating with their families and the children of the past
being taken. One page has legs hiding Maggie as she loses sight of
mum, while the next shows the legs of the authorities rounding up
the children. Readers will enjoy recognising these parallels and
marvel at the skill of the illustrator, Dub Leffler, a descendant of
the people of south west Queensland, the Bigambul and the
Mandambarji, underscoring the events of each day
With a foreword by Lee Joachim, Chair of Rumablara Aboriginal
Cooperative, a double page spread giving an outline of Sorry Day and
its history, and photos on the last pages, the book offers an
insight into the celebration of Sorry Day and why it was
established, making it a must read for any library and classroom to
initiate discussion, inform, delight and educate.
The front cover is stunning, with the colours of the Aboriginal flag
subtly forming the background, the young girl focussed on looking
ahead and the grasses in one corner offering a link to the past, and
I love the fold out page towards the end where all the themes come
together, everyone looking forward together. Teacher
notes are available on the NLA website.
Fran Knight
Turtle Trackers by Samantha Wheeler
UQP, 2018. ISBN 9780702259951
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Ten year old Isaac lives with his widowed
mother in a caravan park in seaside Queensland. They are the park
caretakers and the huge workload impacts on their lives, ensuring
Isaac has very little free time during his holidays. His passion is
for the migrating turtle species who arrive on the nearby beaches
every year to lay their eggs. These eggs are at risk from marauding
dogs, visiting tourists and feral wildlife. Isaac wants to be an
official turtle tracker, someone who watches over the turtles and
their nests, but his commitments in the caravan park make it
impossible for him to fulfil his dream.
To add to the pressure, visiting travel blogger Eddie Eastwood is
visiting the caravan park with his unleashed, mischievous dog Bella
and it looks as though a poor review will be forthcoming . . . bad
news for his Mum and her future employment with the owners of the
park, the local council.
Isaac has a strong environmental passion which is evident in the
story and the author uses his voice to educate about the importance
of protecting turtles and the impact of pollution on the turtle
population. Only one in a thousand hatchlings will survive to
generate new eggs so it is important to be aware of the necessity of
protecting the turtle's future.
Although this book has a strong message to tell, the story
entertains and keeps the reader interested in Isaac and his hopes
and dreams.
For the reader that wants to learn more about turtles, the author
provides further information and links at the end of the novel. Turtle Trackers reminds me of another of Samantha Wheeler's
books Mister Cassowary, which gives an insight into the
prehistoric like cassowary, while telling an interesting story about
a boy and his family's past.
The bright primary colours on the jacket are appealing and clearly
identify the book's focus.
I recommend this novel to 9 to 12 year olds.
Jane Moore
Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer
Candlewick Books, 2018. ISBN 9780763684426
(Age: Mature14+) Being Fishkill focusses on 12-year-old
Carmel Fishkill who is named after a highway exit sign her mother,
Keely, glimpsed while giving birth in the back seat of a car. Her
life is complex and she decides that starting seventh grade in a new
school is an opportunity to reshape her image, now that her abusive
grandfather is dead, and her drug-addicted mother has vanished.
Starting with a name reversal, Carmel becomes the tough girl,
Fishkill, but her plan is thrown off course when the more precocious
but equally tough Duck-Duck Farina befriends her.
The novel is dark, with moments of lightness, as Fishkill quietly
'fights' to establish an identity that is not based on her
dysfunctional family. This narrative is about a search for
connections and also enters the realm of the first stages of
exploring sexual identity.
For me, as a reader, Fishkill and Duck-Duck seemed much older than
their 12 years, and that caused a block in the plausibility of their
characters.
There are flashbacks to a disrupted and disturbing life with her
mother and grandfather. This is countered with Duck-Duck's mother,
Molly. who welcomes her into the home.
There are many twists and turns in this novel which would keep the
reader engaged. Emotions and experiences are intense and at times
confronting.
I would recommend this for more mature readers of 14 years and up.
Maree Samuel
Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn
John Joseph Adams/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. ISBN
9780544947306
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Philip
K. Dick Award (2017). Themes: Dystopian fiction, Science
fiction, Murder, Birth control. Years after an environmental
disaster has devastated the world, killing millions, the Coast Road
in the US has developed a thriving culture, where birth control is
mandatory and people must earn a banner if they want to have a
child. In Haven, Enid has not only earned a banner but is an
Investigator, helping to solve problems and mediate when necessary.
When there is a suspected murder in another town she is sent to
investigate and uncovers more than she was anticipating. Bannerless is a sometimes bleak and very different take on a
dystopian future, with less emphasis on solving a crime but
exploring a society that allowed it to happen. Through a series of
flashbacks the reader follows the progress of Enid as she grows from
a restless young woman roaming the roads with Dak to a responsible
member of her community trusted to obey the laws that allow it to
flourish and to enforce them if necessary. People live together in
small groups, grow their own food and look after each other, putting
the needs of the community before individual needs. Cities no longer
exist and much of the technological knowledge that ruled the world
before its downfall has disappeared. The Coast Road people managed
to salvage what knowledge they thought was most important, birth
control being one of the major needs.
Vaughan, better known for her Kitty series, featuring a
werewolf, shows off her writing ability in Bannerless, bringing
alive a different and unique take on a dystopian future. Its themes
of birth control, self sufficiency, sharing and group living, as
well as the ethics surrounding the murder of a loner, make it a
fascinating and memorable read.
Pat Pledger
Fantastically great women who made History by Kate Pankhurst
Bloomsbury, 2018, ISBN 9781408878897
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Subjects: Women - History, Women -
Biography. Fantastically Great Women Who Made History looks
at the lives, discoveries and achievements of many important women
from Hatshepsut in Ancient Egypt to Russian astronaut Valentin
Tereshkova. Kate Pankhurst's has an engaging and unique presentation
design, interweaving fun and interesting factual information with
stylish cartoon characters, bold coloured text boxes and visually
engaging fonts and sizes.
'To make history you need to be brave, bold and believe in yourself
- just like the women in this book.' The book begins with Harriet
Tubman who helped many runaway slaves escape through the Underground
Railroad between 1850 and 1860 in Maryland. Flora Drummond fought
for women's equality and for the right to vote in Edwardian England,
as did the author's relative Emmeline Pankhurst. Chinese Qiu Jin
wrote poems, articles and gave speeches about the unfair treatment
of Chinese women, in the late 1800's. She was passionate about the
cruel practice of feet binding and encouraged her students to
secretly rebel against the old-fashioned government rulers. English
inventor Ada Lovelace designed a flying machine in 1828 when she was
just twelve, and later worked with Charles Babbage on his Difference
Engine.
Pankhurst travels through history, focussing on inspirational women,
some famous and others who have made important contributions to
women's rights, people's lives and living conditions across the
arts, literature, music and world issues. Pankhurst concludes with a
challenge 'How will you make history?' Fantastically Great Women
who made History is an excellent resource suited to Humanities
and Social Sciences from Year 2-Year 9 reflecting on women's
influences in the shaping of Australia and the world.
Rhyllis Bignell
