Harper Collins Publishers, 2017. ISBN 9781460754283
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. A heart-warming and emotional tale
of the importance of generosity, family, love and compassion. When
Holly Chase is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits warning her
of the imminent consequences of her selfish actions, she elects to
ignore their advice, doing nothing to mend her ways. Six days later,
she dies. Awakening in an office, Holly learns that she will be
working for a top-secret company called 'Project Scrooge' to help
other 'Scrooges' like her change their behaviour before it's too
late. She is appointed to the position of the Ghost of Christmas
Past and accepts this as her fate; forced to redeem herself through
encouraging others to do what she could not - change for the better.
Five years after her death, however, she is faced with a Scrooge
that she feels a connection to: Ethan Winters III, a
seventeen-year-old who is similarly spoilt, materialistic and
grieving the loss of a parent. For the first time since her death,
Holly finds that she has something to be hopeful for.
Through her authentic and genuine characters, beautiful writing
style and valuable moral, New York Times bestselling author Cynthia
Hand provides a sweet, unforgettable and thought-provoking novel
that will touch the heart of its reader, and fill them with hope,
happiness and gratitude. A book that is impossible to put down, and
even harder to stop thinking about, "The Afterlife of Holly Chase"
is not a novel to miss and is a wonderful read all year round.
Daniella Chiarolli (university student)
Finch by Penny Matthews
Walker Books, 2018, ISBN 9781760650759
(Ages: 9+) Highly recommended. Themes: Country towns, Family,
Vineyards. When Audrey and her family move to a small wine growing
community after dad lost his job in the city, everyone is put out.
Audrey and her sister miss their friends and school back in the
city, Mum cannot believe that her husband wants to try his hand at
farming and Dad is all at sea worrying about his new workload.
Audrey has always been on the outer at school, her love of birds
makes her a bit of a nerd in the eyes of the other girls, so when
she meets a boy living in a cave near the edge of their property she
cannot believe how easily she talks to him, and they share her
interest in birds. He swears her to secrecy, having left his uncle's
farm where he worked because he was abused, but when a flash flood
occurs and Audrey thinks the cave may be under water, she must
divulge her secret.
This story will carry along the reader, hooked in by the story of
the boy in the cave, wanting to follow his relationship with Audrey
and find out just who he is. Along the way information is given
about birds, particularly the Emu wren, an endangered scrub bird,
rarely seen.
Audrey is a captivating character. Readers will follow her exploits
with interest, willing her to fit into her new community, but aware
of the problems the family is facing. The people within that
community are lovingly composed and developed - we feel we know
Mavis and her brother: the teacher and other students at the school,
the people at the gift shop. Readers will be drawn to the references
to food and its place within the town, the CWA, SES volunteers and
the shop owners. Readers will feel like they can walk down the main
street with the girls, recognising places described within the book
and feel comforted as is Audrey by its familiarity.
Fran Knight
Backyard by Amanda Braxton-Smith
Ill. by Lizzy Newcomb. Black Dog Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925381177
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Backyards, Insects, Animals,
STEM, Discovery. What a feast can be found in one's own backyard,
simply using the skill of observation. This wonderful book impels
younger readers to do just that, as a sleepy child and her star
gazing dog sit on the back verandah and simply watch. Amongst the
fig, lilly pilly and large eucalypts trees animals come out at night
to eat. The tawny frogmouth is watching for whatever flies past, the
spider is weaving her web waiting for an insect, midges fly around
only to be eaten by the honeyeaters, a bat swoops up a dragonfly, a
possum takes the last of the dog food from its bowl.
The child and her dog observe each and every animal they can see,
and eager eyes reading the book will follow the text noticing each
animal mentioned and observing more in the undergrowth. Newcomb's
acrylic illustrations show us the breadth of the backyard,
surrounded by large trees, shrubs and pot plants. Children will love
looking at the array of things, recognising things found in their
own yard, eager to seek out what they can see when they get home.
This delightful book will encourage children to look more closely at
what surrounds them, to be more aware of the living things in their
own backyard, to see what shares their home.
The visual and word imagery will intrigue and delight readers as
they roll the lines around, practising reading them out loud and
peruse the pictures with care to find out what lurks beneath the
leaves.
Artist Lizzy Newcomb also illustrated "My name is Lizzie Flynn", the
story of a quilt made by convict women on their way to Australia,
while Amanda Braxton-Smith has written several novels for Black Dog
Books including "Plenty" one of my favourites for 2014.
Fran Knight
The Funny Life of Pets by James Campbell
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889947
(Age: 8+) Recommended. A dog's nose is more than 1 000 times more
sensitive than our nose. That's why if you do a bottom burp in a
dog's face it will go cross-eyed and fall over. Imagine a sausage
dog's dilemma when it's eating sausages - the resemblance of this
tasty snack to their Granny is uncanny! Uncover top tips for feeding
goldfish and avoiding a mini tsunami in your house causing dinosaurs
to evolve from your carpets! Discover some of the rarest dog breeds
in the world, like the Jack Russell Sprout . . . but remember,
they're not just for Christmas.
This is truly one of the funniest books I have ever read. Campbell
have very cleverly mixed fact with fiction and will be a real hit
with the young readers (8 and up) - especially the advice that is
given to convince parents to allow them to get just the pet they
want. It has a mix of quirky illustrations, sign posts indicating
what directions you can choose and text. It is a little like a
choose your own adventure book, whereby you can choose what you want
to do. It is not a book that has to be read from cover to cover. I
sneakily gave it to one of my Year 6 reluctant readers and he could
not put it down - he was very keen to borrow it. I can also see
myself using it to fill in the odd five minutes - picking it up and
reading a couple of pages. A very lighthearted book that is a must
have.
Kathryn Schumacher
Goal Power by Meredith Costain
Ella Diaries series. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743818060
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. "Goal Power" is another instalment in
the "Ella Diaries" series. It is a standalone read, and new readers
to the series can start with this diary themed novel. Ella tells us
about her daily life in a diary, complete with labelled diagrams.
She looks at her life in a fun and positive way and changes words to
help her describe everything. From 'fantabulous funerous fun' to
'desperating despair', Ella's (and the author's) play on words
creates a fun and engaging text.
In "Goal Power", Ella and her friends start a girl's only lunchtime
soccer club. Ella is so excited and can't wait to be a striker.
Unfortunately, Ella struggles to learn the skills to be a striker so
she has a go at being a defender. This doesn't work out either. Will
Ella find her place in the soccer team?
"Goal Power" is all about friendship, positive female characters and
finding what you are good at. The author portrays Ella as positive,
adventurous and a bit dramatic which makes the story funny. Ella's
diary entries and diagrams are great to read and easy to comprehend.
This novel is engaging for younger readings and is reminiscent of
the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (but not so embarrassing). "Goal Power"
is highly recommended for readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
Changing Gear by Scott Gardner
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760631468
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: relationships, family,
self-discovery, nature. Year 12 is over and Merrick Hilton has two
weeks to study for his final exams. He tells his amicably separated
parents he is staying at the other's place and takes off on his
restored postie bike. Since the death six months before, of his
grandfather, his rock and mentor, Merrick has been disengaged with
life, slipping through the space between the two families, and the
road trip is a spur of the moment decision. "If you feel like shit,
don't just sit around; make something, clean something, smash
something - Grandad" p 33. Leaving behind his broken phone and
forgetting his wallet, Merrick gathers up his swag, a handful of
muesli bars and some cash he had stashed away and rides. Life on the
road is challenging in many ways but the constant movement and
passing landscape meets his needs, challenging his entrenched habits
and when he reaches Little Desert National Park the slower pace
required by sandy roads allows him to observe nature more closely.
When the chain breaks on his bike Merrick reaches a low point. "I
needed boobs, but there were none. I needed food. Proper food, not
just muesli bars and bruised fruit. If I'd given this trip more than
a moment's thought before I barrelled out the gate, I'd be in a much
better place right now." p 69. On the remote desert track Merrick is
forced to push his bike a considerable distance until he meets an
old man walking the track who reminds him of his grandfather. Victor
makes a temporary repair to the bike chain but it soon fails again
and they walk together towards the nearest town. Somehow slowing
down to a walking pace has grounded Merrick and the two find
companionship while facing the challenges of the road.
Merrick's road trip is more than a simple coming of age story; it
canvasses a wide range of issues including grief, relationships,
real versus internet/media experience, values and a philosophy of
life. The vast empty beauty of the land and the walking pace allows
for a clarity of thought rarely possible in our modern world.
Merrick is not afraid to listen and to learn to respect the land as
he pursues his life-affirming inner and outer journey. This is a robust and
engaging story recommended especially for boys fourteen and over.
Sue Speck
Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tanya Bolden
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681196992
(Age: 13+) Recommended. In the latter months of 1864, during the
U.S. Civil War, General Sherman of the Union led a huge army through
Georgia, freeing slaves, plundering goods and destroying property of
the vanquished. Many ex-slaves chose to accompany the advancing army
on the march. Many would have seen the Northern soldiers as
saviours, some depended upon their rations and some undoubtedly
wanted to participate in and witness the defeat of the Confederate
South.
The Union army was glad to have the labour from thousands of willing
workers for transporting equipment, foraging food and building
pontoon bridges to replace those destroyed by the retreating
Confederates. Accompanying the principally male ex-slaves engaged in
military support were the women, children and elderly from their
families or dependants from their previous life of servitude.
This story centres upon Mariah, a young woman whose main focus after
being freed is the protection of her intellectually disabled young
brother by establishing a home on one acre of land, upon which she
can grow food. From her recollections, the reader comes to
appreciate some of the abject misery and brutal cruelty endured by
slaves in the American South. It is difficult to imagine conditions
in an era when those who considered themselves part of civilised
society might sell children away from traumatised mothers, would
inflict barbaric, degrading punishments for the slightest of
perceived misdeeds and could ultimately end a slave's life.
Liberated from tyranny, these ex-slaves rejoiced in freedom but
faced the fact that they were ill prepared for life ahead, having no
land or property and usually no education. When Mariah meets Caleb
(a skilled black man working for the Union Army) she recognises his
kind, gentle and decent nature and a romance develops which would
have been realistic under the circumstances.
The climax of this story involves an historically accurate event
which should be shamefully acknowledged and remembered, yet appears
to have been buried and forgotten in the mists of time.
Young readers may be confused by the opening sequences of this
story, especially if they have no knowledge of slavery in the
American South. It may be difficult for those unfamiliar with
plantation life and conditions to understand the various characters
who are introduced in the early passages, yet if they persist, they
will be better for learning about this profoundly important chapter
of history.
Recommended for readers 13 years+
Rob Welsh
Bonkers about beetles by Owen Davey
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171485
(Ages: 6-adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Beetles. Non-fiction.
What a wonderful encyclopaedic book about beetles, I read it from
cover to cover, loving every piece of information given, observing
the pictures with glee, scanning the layout and clear design
features with admiration.
After a contents page, each double page fastens on one topic, well
illustrated with clearly defined drawings, using colours that
reflect the places the beetles dwell. Each page is covered with
highly arresting information, distinctive and finely detailed
illustrations which will enrapture the readers.
The first two double pages inform the reader about the basics of
being a beetle: what they are and where they live. Readers will find
that there are over 400,000 different beetles species, and that they
can be terrestrial or aquatic, and herbivore, omnivore, predator or
decomposer. While over the page is a magnificent drawing of a beetle
with body parts numbered so that the reader can easily see what part
is what, and read how each part is useful to a beetle. From there
each double page concentrates on one aspect of the beetle: wings,
food, disguise, defence, and camouflage while other pages
concentrate on one beetle, like the ladybird and the horned dung
beetle.
The last two double spreads show the beetles in mythology and
conservation being made on the beetles' behalf. It will surprise
readers to find out that although there are over 400,000 species of
beetle, some are under threat, and Davey explains just what these
beetles do and how we can help in their conservation.
All in all a sparkling look at beetles, and a book I will go back
to, as will many readers who love gathering bits of information or
who are potty about beetles, or just love the design of the book.
Flying Eye Books has published three other books by Owen Davey that
use the same entertaining style of both information and
presentation: Mad about monkeys, Smart
about sharks and Crazy
about cats. All four of these books will gather a wide
excited audience from primary people.
Fran Knight
Angry Cookie by Laura Dockrill
Ill. by Maria Karipidou. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383089
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Anger. Friendship. Confronted by an
angry Cookie from the start, the reader will be in no doubt about the
theme of this book. We are told in no uncertain terms, not to open
the book, not to turn the page, and not to try to do anything about
his anger. With that, Cookie escapes up the stairs to his bedroom.
But then he peeps around the door, apologetically, a little
chagrinned about his outburst. Over the next few pages we find out
why Cookie is angry. His best friend, the cactus, plays his recorder
badly, a pigeon tries to snack on him, he has had a bad hair cut,
his toothpaste runs out and he must use his parent's toothpaste
which is not to his liking, in fact, his whole day goes awry. But he
peeps again at the audience and realising that we are all still
there listening to him, deduces that things can't be that bad. He is
surprised that the reader keeps coming back despite his bad temper
and anger, and concludes that the reader is there because he is a
friend and that's what friends do. Young readers will readily
empathise with Cookie, recognising the bad events that can happen to
them all.
The humour behind the illustrations will have broad appeal to the
reader, the simple Cookie expressing his emotions with small changes
in the mouth, eyebrows, and eyes. I loved looking at the pictures
first to see just how Cookie is going to react on each page before
reading the story. Young readers will enjoy Cookie's exploration of
what makes him angry, and like him, realise that a friend can make
all the difference to how you feel. This is a perfect conduit to
class discussions about feelings, anger and friendship.
Fran Knight
Melowy: The night of courage by Danielle Star
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781338151787
(Age 7+) Recommended. The night of courage is book 3 in the
Melowy series and will be enjoyed by any pony lover aged 5+. In
this book, readers meet the Melowies, magical ponies who are
at school together. They come from a variety of Melowy worlds and
display skills and powers accordingly. The Melowies have been
challenged to spend a night in the woods. Their teacher expresses
the need to learn to not fear making mistakes as the fear stops you
from trying something new. The trip starts well despite another
Melowy being added to the group of friends, a Melowy who isn't
normally nice to the group of friends. The girls build a successful
shelter together but in the search for something to eat, Elektra
goes missing. Will they find Elektra? Will Eris ruin the chances of
the friends being reunited? The night of courage is a simple narrative built around the themes
of friendship and not being afraid. The storyline moves quickly and
it is easy to read and understand. It is a short novel, making it
ideal for younger readers moving into being independent readers. It
would also make a great read for before bed whether independently or
being read by an adult. Sections of the story could be linked to the
Child protection and Health curriculums when discussing teamwork,
problem solving and friendship. The night of courage is a fun read and is recommended for
independent readers aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster
I had such friends by Meg Gatland-Veness
Pantera Press 2018. ISBN 9781925700015
(Age: Teens) Themes: Death. Grief. Suicide. Bullying. Depression.
Prejudice. Love. Loneliness and coming of age issues. Homophobia.
Sexuality. Sexual identity. Abuse. Neglect. Alcoholism. Domestic
violence. Child sexual abuse. Self-confessed loser Hamish Day lives
with his parents on a small cabbage farm in an Australian seaside
town. His whole school is in shock after their top student, Charlie
Parker, is killed when his car swerved to avoid a dog; his
girlfriend, the also popular Annie Bower, survived the accident.
Hamish, also in year 12, wasn't friends with Charlie; his only
friend is Martin, a computer geek from an affluent family. Both boys
are studious and conscientious but relentlessly bullied at school so
it is a great surprise when Peter Bridges, one of the popular
footballer boys, offers Hamish a lift in his beaten up car. A
friendship develops between this odd couple, the tall, strong
confident Peter and the skinny, weak, anxious Hamish who so wants to
impress his new friend that he wags school and nearly drowns after
jumping off a rock into the sea. "I was worried about looking like a
wimp in a situation where I could have died." (p 37) Hamish is no
less surprised when Annie Bower, the most beautiful girl in his
year, asks him on a date. Bewildered, but hopeful, he opens himself
up to love and friendship. Hamish has some rapport with Annie's
survivor guilt as his little sister died in a tragic accident at
home and he lives in a home filled with grief. But both Peter and
Annie's problems go deeper and Hamish's introspection is challenged
as his new friends confide in him and he seeks to comfort them. In
doing so Hamish discovers more about himself and the people around
him than he thought possible. Appearances can be deceiving and
people he thought were most to be envied for their perfect lives
turn out to be holding on emotionally, mentally, physically, and
financially out of sheer desperation. The dark underside of country
life is explored and the feelings of hopelessness and isolation felt
by teenagers who don't fit in are confronting. The homophobic rage
and the actions of the teenagers against Peter and Hamish are
horrific to read. It is possible the author tries to tackle too many
big issues in the last half of the book ending up not doing them
justice but there will be many boys who will relate to Hamish's
insecurities and need to discover his identity. The story requires
some emotional maturity but all teens should read this, if only to
be made aware of the damage caused by bullying.
Sue Speck
The story of Eva Carmichael by Gary Crew
Ill. by Paul O'Sullivan. Harbour Publishing, 2018. ISBN
9781922134103
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Shipwrecks. Loch Aird.
Migration. Victoria. Subtitled, "The wreck of the Loch Aird", this
informative, sumptuously illustrated picture book will have readers
delving into the delights of the internet to verify the truth behind
the tale. The wreck of the ship along Victoria's infamous Shipwreck
Coast is certainly true, and many visitors stop and wonder at Loch
Aird Gorge during their trip along the Great Ocean Road. Crew
imagines the young survivor (one of only two) of the shipwreck, Eva
Carmichael, later recalling her life and in particular, the
shipwreck.
Through his narrative, Crew fleshes out the reasons why her family
emigrated, details life on board the ship, and the horror of that
night, her rescue and life after the shipwreck. As with the book
which burst on the young adult scene in 1990, Strange objects,
this is a mix of fact and fiction, so seamlessly entangled that Crew
has created a credible and entertaining story about one girl's life,
built up around a true event, shocking in itself, but sure to carry
every reader with it. Strange objects saw many people debating whether his hero was a
true character or fictional, whether the shipwreck had actually
occurred, and I remember fielding many questions about the book in
schools. So it will be with this book, many will debate the reality
of Eva's narrative, wanting to find a diary in the state archives,
others marvelling at Crew's ability to reveal the mind of this young
woman with such empathy.
Part of the magic of this book is brought by the illustrator who
uses his pencils to detail the ship and its rigging, the high seas
and the shipwreck. Each view of the seas brings a different
breathtaking perspective to the eye of the reader, and they like me
will eagerly search each page, breathing in the details, admiring
the way O'Sullivan draws the seas and its animals, the cliffs and
the debris left by the shipwreck. I love the image of the girl on
the front cover, contrasting with her image as an older woman in
Ireland at the end, and the famous Peacock on display in
Warrnambool's museum.
This is a wholly satisfying historical picture book which will
ensure readers will inquire further, adding to their knowledge of an
incident in Australia's past.
Fran Knight
The survival game by Nicky Singer
Hodder Children's Books, 2018, ISBN 9781444944525
(Ages: 12+) Mhairi is a child displaced and desperate to return
home. The world is changing around her and she is caught in an
exodus as the people of Africa flee north, praying for a chance at
survival now Global Warming is taking its toll.
Parentless, traumatised, and alone, Mhairi knows that if she can
just make it back to Scotland, to the Isle of Arran where she was
born, everything will all be okay again. But the walk from Sudan is
long and treacherous and she isn't sure that she will ever be free
from the memories which haunt her. Regardless, Mhairi is determined
to survive, even if that means abandoning a mute boy who tries to
join her. But he's more persistent than she expects, and they soon
become friends. Travelling alone had its benefits, particularly when
it came to crossing borders but it's clear to Mhairi that the boy
has no papers. He's an illegal. But he's just a boy. A mixture of
compassion and guilt drives Mhairi to adopt the boy as her brother,
causing even more problems than before. Will Mhairi's determination
get them home? And will they be safe there when they arrive?
Singer provides a dystopian (and quite realistic) take on increasing
global temperatures and explores the options humans might have in
order to maintain their current lifestyles. Preservation and
survival butt heads in this novel, yet it also weaves a tale of
compassion and determination.
Kayla Gaskell
The heart of a whale by Anna Pignataro
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743817629
(Ages: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Whales. Loneliness. Melbourne author
and illustrator, Pignataro has drawn and painted since a young
child, culminating in a career of over 40 books, often nominated in
prestigious Australian book awards. Her Agatha series, like this
book, The heart of a whale, has a layer of poignancy which endears
the books to readers.
Whale sings his song so that the whole ocean can hear. His song
helps the newly born seahorses go to sleep, his song calms the
wriggling octopus and cheers the sad urchin.
But even though his song reaches all the depths of the seas, there
is no song to fill his empty heart. The sea creatures hear his sigh
and it travels through forgotten seabeds and sleeping turtles to seek
out another whale and his wish is granted.
In spare prose, Pigantaro weaves a wonderful tale of shrugging off
loneliness as the whale is able to tell of his sorrow and find
company.
Despite his ability to bring happiness to all those around him, he
has an empty heart and craves company.
This is a beautiful tale to read aloud and discuss with children,
promoting the issue of mental health amongst younger people. The
story encourages younger readers to talk about their friends and
friendships and the way friends support each other.
The watercolour illustrations support the view of the whale in the
water. Each page is full of blues and greys, with touches of colour,
replicating what can be seen underwater. Younger readers will love
recognising the animals and plants they can find on each page and
cheer with the whale when he finds a mate at the end. And on the
last page are facts designed to further delight the young readers.
Fran Knight
How to Ninja: Activity book by Marcus Emerson
Diary of a 6th grade Ninja series. Allen and Unwin, 2018.
ISBN 9781760523824
(Ages: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Ninja. Adventure. Humour. For those
who have loved every edition of the funny series, Diary of a 6th
grade Ninja, then this book is sure to add to their pleasure. An
activity book, it has all sorts of games, puzzles, activities of all
kinds to keep readers amused.
The first five pages offer thumbnail sketches of the main
protagonists in the series: Chase, Brayden, Faith and Zoe, then
their opposite numbers, Wyatt, Olivia and Carlyle. Two pages follow
showing readers how to draw Chase, and he tells how to be a Ninja.
After that are 'spot the difference' pages, and some more art
activities. The pages are filled with an array of things to do about
Chase and his Ninja friends and foes, and readers are invited to
answer questions, draw Ninja fashion, complete word searches and
mazes.
In between are pages of articles about each Ninja, full of humour
and interest to those already hooked on the series, and complete
enough to hook new readers.
For those who wish to see if they have answered all the questions
correctly, answer pages follow the activities, and after these are
two pages depicting the front cover of the ten books in the series,
and a page about the author, Marcus Emerson.
Great fun for those already fans of the books, but also designed to
increase their following, the humour is infectious and will draw
readers in to read it from cover to cover and enjoy the activities.
Fran Knight
