Fremantle Press, 2018, ISBN 9781925591743
(Ages: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Camping. Going hiking and
camping with Mum's long lost old school friend and her daughter,
does not thrill our hero, as he is told there is no mobile phone
reception, so must leave his phone at home. He is bereft. His phone
is a necessary part of his daily activity, not hiking or camping,
and to be expected to be friendly with the daughter is just too
much. He is from the city where the day is full of lying on the
couch and gaming, not being out doors with snakes, the bush and
insects. And the idea of snakes and robbers takes up a great deal of
this thinking.
As he and Deep go off ahead, they have a walkie talkie to connect
with their mothers, but something goes wrong. They realise that they
have taken a wrong turning and try as they might, cannot connect
with their mothers. They retrace their steps, taking care to have
the waiguls guide them along the way, finally reaching the women and
finding out just what has happened.
This new adventure for young readers about finding that there is a
lot to love about the bush. Simply being in the bush helps Harry to
disconnect with his dependence upon technology, and he finds that he
can cope. Embedded in the story are the themes of friendship as the
two older women reconnect and their children become friends despite
early difficulties. Surviving in the bush is subtly displayed
throughout the story as we hear of the things they take camping and
why they are important. We hear of the rules of staying together, of
following the signs and of keeping safe in the bush. All forms a
quiet underbelly of the story and readers will pick up these rules
readily as they are wrapped up in an involving story which is
dramatic and real.
Fran Knight
The cat wants kittens by P Crumble
Ill. Lucinda Gifford, Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742769097
(Ages: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Cat and kittens. Play. Friendship.
Melbourne based illustrator, Gifford gives a vexed smile to the cat,
Kevin, in this funny picture book showing what happens when the cat,
boss of the house, is supplanted by two new kittens. At the start of
this humorous book we see Kevin doing some very naughty catlike
things about the house: scratching the sofa, biting the dog's tail,
pushing the flower vase off the shelf. It is decided that he is
bored so two new kittens are introduced into the household. But they
undermine everything he does. Readers will laugh out loud, seeing
Kevin stopped from eating his dinner, or taking a sleep in his bed,
or finding the kittens playing with his springy mousey.
Nose put put of joint, he goes to the one place where he feels safe,
under the bed. He waits expecting someone to come looking for him,
but night falls and people are all asleep before he decides that he
had better take a look.
What he finds makes him think that perhaps he had better just accept
what has happened, and readers will be relieved that the situation
has been resolved so peacefully, but turning over to the last page
will anticipate what will happen next.
The look on the cat's face on the front cover says it all.
And some children may make the link to new siblings taking up their
space in a house that was only theirs.
Fran Knight
The wasp and the orchid by Danielle Clode
Picador:Pan MacMillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760554286
(Age: Adult) Themes: Environment. Orchids. Women in science. Edith Coleman.
Botany. This is an insightful biography of Edith Coleman, a woman who
demonstrated the observation skills of a keen scientist and
naturalist and was able to make a difference in the scientific
world, without being a professional or academic. Her
observations revolutionised understanding in the biological world in
the early 20th Century, and yet she was not a scientist, just a
dedicated observer and recorder and communicator of these findings.
In the era when Edith Coleman lived, women were often deemed to be a
'lesser light', and expert only in domestic issues. Edith Coleman
demonstrated that with careful records and clear communication that
it was possible for women to make a significant contribution to the
world of natural science (even as an amateur). Her great claim to
fame was to describe the link between a wasp and the fertilisation
of a look-alike orchid, in a process known as pseudo-copulation.
Danielle Clode has revealed an impressive and detailed unveiling of
all that Edith Coleman was - child, sibling, wife, mother, keen
nature observer, contributor to academic understanding, and a
refreshing writer. Coleman's humanity shines through the enjoyable
discourse of the researcher Clode, who writes her own refreshing
insights on the process of finding snippets of biographical detail
in a myriad of hidden locations - from herbarium records to Field
Naturalist journals and personal communications. This record is both
an in-depth investigation and a lyrical and reflective personal
journey that is full of beautiful language and images of gardens and
natural wonderlands sprinkled with orchids. In reading this book we
remember Edith Coleman, an unsung luminary in Australian biology,
and although this may not appeal to all readers, it will be loved by
any reader who is interested in the way that ordinary people with a
passion for the environment can make a difference. The historical
view of life at the turn of the 20th Century is also delightful, and
Edith Coleman's daughters are revealed as equally influential in the
recording of natural science. Clode's writing reveals her own
joy in communicating science in a way that would appeal to a
non-scientific audience.
Highly recommended, for Adult nature lovers.
Carolyn Hull
The Life and Death Parade by Eliza Wass
Quercus Books, 2018. ISBN 9781784295271
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. An exquisite painting of the stages
of grief and acceptance following the death of a loved one. Eliza
Wass shares a breathtaking story of love, loss, and the lengths
people go to to preserve their loved ones.
Nikki met his fate after meeting a psychic who told him he had no
future. The Bramley family have been wallowing in their grief for a
year. Kitty's boyfriend is dead and yet he haunts the family
home - his death causing Kitty to feel even more out of place than
before. A third-generation orphan, Kitty believes that her greatest
talent is in losing people. But can she turn that around and help
the people who have sheltered her and cared for her since her
mother's death?
In her desperation to discover the truth of Nikki's death, Kitty
finds herself at the Canal where, a year ago, it had all changed.
But this time the psychic's boat is different - a boy sits on deck.
His name is Roan and he claims he can speak to the dead. Thinking it
might help, Kitty takes Roan back to the castle to speak with
Holiday and Lady Bramley. While Roan makes quick progress helping
them with their grief, Kitty discovers that while most of The Life
and Death Parade is a farce, Roan is the real deal, talented in many
things, including resurrection. Faced with the most difficult
decision of her life, Kitty must decide if Nikki should stay dead,
or return to life.
Beautifully written, Eliza Wass presents a book that deals with the
grief of losing a loved one gently, a testament to her own
experience. She includes excerpts of poems written by her late
husband which break up the work. I read the novel in one sitting and
would highly recommend to readers twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell
Want to play trucks? by Ann Stott
Ill. Bob Graham, Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378238
(Ages: 4+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Playgrounds. Trucks. Play.
Jack and Alex meet most mornings at their local playground to play
together, while their mums sit on the seat in the background,
chatting and keeping an eye on them. The two play in the sandpit,
Jack pushing his beloved trucks around the space, while Alex plays
with his dolls. When Jack asks Alex to play trucks, there is a small
problem to overcome. Alex would prefer to play with his doll. They
decide that the doll can drive the truck and so all is well. When
they turn to the forklift truck, things must be decided again. The
tutu will not fit in the driver's seat, so again a compromise must
be made. The doll is divested of her tutu and dressed in dungarees.
All is well.
An ice-cream truck can be heard in the background, all playing is
stopped for a treat. And the treat is something no one can argue
about.
This delightful tale of a small moment in the sandpit; the use of
strong words between the boys, is resolved by the children as they
decide what is important. Playing together, finding a way to
overcome a disagreement is the basis of their friendship. This
gentle tale of peace and understanding is beautifully paralleled in
Graham's distinctive water colour illustrations, reflecting the two
families which meet at the playground and the efforts made by the
two friends to remain friends and join in their game.
I love the mothers in the background, chatting away, while their
children work out their own disagreements for themselves. And in the
city backdrop, life moves on with people cycling past, a kite is
caught in the tree, a person is helped past in his wheelchair, a
squirrel watches the children and people walk their dogs. What a
wonderful story to encourage discussion about friendship and
compromise, about disagreements and coming together.
Fran Knight
Shine Mountain by Julie Hunt
Allen & Unwin, 2018, ISBN 9781760291501
(Ages: 12+) Recommended. With the death of her pop Ellie's world
transforms; desperate to maintain some semblance of normalcy, she
clings to the things her Pop left behind: the goat (Nanny Gitto),
Pop's hat, and of course the broken button-box which was stolen from
his grave by their lawyer. Desperate to fix her Pop's instrument,
Ellie goes to a travelling tinker who does what he can to repair the
button-box. Imperfect yet working, Ellie quickly discovers the
button-box's magic. Little does Ellie know, clinging to the past has
a way of stirring up old secrets, secrets she would never have
believed if they hadn't come from her Oma's own mouth. Spurred on by
the knowledge she was adopted, Ellie sets off to destroy the cursed
button-box and uncover her true family. But is it her true family or
her true self she is really searching for?
Haunting and captivating, Shine Mountain shows that what matters
when it comes to family isn't blood, but the people who raised you.
While Ellie journeys to destroy the sinister magic within the
button-box she discovers more about herself than she would have at
Spit Farm. She is a Way-girl, susceptible to the magic within the
button-box and fortune-telling. Yet her path remains unclear in the
struggle to keep the sinister instrument within her possession.
Ellie grows up quickly, travelling across desert and through
mountain to reach the mystical Gleam Land, which, like the rest of
the land, has been affected by the drought.
I would recommend for young people who enjoy fantasy and fairy-tales
aged twelve and up. The novel is engaging and easy to read, dealing
with issues such as belonging, survival, and drought.
Kayla Gaskell
Record breakers by DK
Dorling Kindersley, 2018. ISBN 9780241296967
(Ages: 8-80) Recommended. Themes: Records. Animal records. Human
achievement. Dorling Kindersley's Record breakers focuses on our
Planet Earth, amazing human achievements in people power, the
prowess of athletes, engineering feats, animal records, and space
data. Beautifully presented with amazing photographs, diagrams,
charts, clear captions, easy to read labels, this is an entertaining
book just right to share with the whole family.
Investigate where the world's population lives, the spikes rising
out of the map show the number of people living in each continent,
Greenland has the lowest density. Interested in gems, the most
precious, valuable and rare ones are displayed, the pink star
diamond weighing 59.6 carats sold in 2017 for $71.2 million!
Human achievements include climbers who scaled Mt Everest, the
deepest free divers and the amazing survivors who showed stamina and
strength enduring extreme conditions. Female football stars include
USA's Abby Wambach who scored 184 goals in 256 matches from 2001 to
2015. Imagine jumping further than two Volkswagen Beetles: Mike
Powell jumped 8.95m at the 1991 Tokyo World Championships.
Giant cruise ships, the largest airship to the world's largest
self-powered vehicle, NASA's Crawler Transporter, world breaking
records and giant machinery are included in Feats of Engineering.
Of course, records in the Animal World are both exciting and hard to
comprehend, the Giant Anteater's tongue stretches 61cm while the
Colossal Squid's eye is 28cm in diameter. Animal migration, amazing
mini-beasts and super-sized snakes will delight the animal lover. Record breakers is an engaging, educational encyclopaedia of
facts, there's something there for everyone to enjoy, to marvel over
and discuss.
Rhyllis Bignell
The desert nurse by Pamela Hart
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733637568
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Historical fiction. WW1.
Medical. Female rights. The story is about an Australian nurse and
doctor during the years of World War 1. It is more than a love story
but based on the struggles of women at the time. Evelyn's plan has
always been to be a doctor but her father has stood in her way and
also tried to stand in her way when she enlists as an army hurse.
When she enrolled in the army to became a nurse, she never let go of
her dream to be a doctor. She learns many skills and works well in
surgery with Dr William Brent, a polio survivor. During this time
they both became close but neither plans to marry, Dr Brent because
of his disability and Evelyn because of her career plans to become a
doctor.
The reader gains an insight into the disastrous Gallipoli campaign
as the Egypt hospital coped with the many Australian casualities. It
also acknowledged the important role women played in the hospitals
and near the battle fields. I loved this book, and couldn't put it
down. Rating 9/10
Debra Pepper
Something for Fleur by Catherine Pelosi
Ill.by Caitlin Murray. Lothian, 2018, ISBN 9780734418104
(Age: 2-5) Themes: Birthdays. Surprises. Friendship. When Fleur the
flamingo receives a letter delivered by the postman, she is very
surprised. As she relaxes on her outdoor lounge surrounded by
blooming cacti, she wonders about the big present Bo her best friend
is posting. Her imagination takes flight, will it be icecream
mountains or ten-tiered cakes, but maybe they are a little difficult
to deliver. When a second letter arrives, an additional clue is
included, the present is very strong. The anticipation builds with a
third letter informing Fleur that the present is a little bit
wobbly. Fleur's patience is stretched to the limit when nothing is
delivered by the postman on her actual birthday. By now, the young
audience has guessed the surprise present and can join in with the
Happy Birthday chorus sung by a special visitor.
Caitlin Murray's gorgeous, colourful digital print illustrations
capture the fun and happy mood of Catherine Pelosi's picture book.
Fleur's house is awash in bright bold colours, filled with an array
of lush house plants and jam-packed with fun household items and
gadgets. Fleur's imaginative ideas are creatively represented, three
colourful lorikeets fly overhead dressed in superhero costumes while
frog and sloth become body builders balancing Fleur's presents. The
author's use of letters delivered by the postman is different in
contrast to the popular use of social media. Something for Fleur
is a fun story to share with toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Rhyllis Bignell
The people's poet, transformed by Geoff Goodfellow and Rebecca Bond
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055755
(Age: Secondary) Recommended.
Designed for use by teachers, this collection of Goodfellow's poems
is supplemented by teacher Rebecca Bond's ideas for how they could
be used in the classroom as texts for transformation tasks as
proposed by the Australian Curriculum for English. Bond says that it
is important to encourage students to write and create texts that
have meaning for them - the tasks encourage students to reinterpret
the poems in their own way, giving voice to their own ideas and
experiences.
Whilst many of Goodfellow's poems may relate to an earlier
generation, the poems are very accessible; the themes are ones that
continue to have relevance today - themes of domestic violence,
adolescent independence, addiction, male aggression, lost love,
smoking and cancer, etc. Each poem has a voice or character that
people can understand and relate to.
An example is the poem 'Crowd control' about Terry the bouncer and
the way he uses violence to assert himself and intimidate. But Terry
is also the guy whose punch put a man into a coma. Bond links it to
today's phenomenon of the 'coward's punch' and makes some
suggestions for a transformation task. If however the suggestions do
not pick up on the issue of 'the king hit' as much as some might
like, I would not see this as a detraction from the book - the
purpose is to provide examples and provoke thought - not provide a
copybook for every teacher. The activities are able to be picked up
and used straight away in the classroom, but they could equally be a
helpful springboard in developing other ideas for transformative
tasks adapted to particular audiences.
Goodfellow provides an example himself where he transforms his
original poem in the confrontational voice of a teenage youth 'Don't
call me lad', to the voice of a rebellious teenage girl in conflict
with her mother, in 'Don't look so glum'; necessitating a change of
focus to the different kinds of contentious issues for a girl.
Bond provides suggestions for a whole range of different kinds of
text types that could be the outcome of a transformation task:
advertising campaign, psychological assessment report, diary, blog,
memoir, song lyric, editorial, poem, newspaper article etc.
The book is most definitely a valuable resource that will be
welcomed by teachers.
Helen Eddy
Storm-Wake by Lucy Christopher
Chicken House, 2018. ISBN 9781906427733
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Survival. Coming of age. Nod to
Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Moss is a young girl who has grown up
on a magical island with her father, who believes that he can use
the flowers growing there to control the weather and stop the floods
that he claims have devastated the world. When a wild young
fish-boy, Callan, is washed up on the shore, Moss grows increasingly
attached to him, but finds it difficult to know what to believe when
he begins to question her father. Then two young men are shipwrecked
and she has to question everything that she has grown up believing
to be true.
I did not realise that this was loosely based on "The Tempest" until
well into the story. However astute readers who are familiar with
the play, will read the quote at the beginning of the book and see
the parallels featuring a father who takes his daughter to an
isolated island, and a young feral boy who threatens their peace. At
the same time, readers who are not familiar with "The tempest" are
able to read it as a survival story and a coming of age story, as
Moss grows physically and mentally, and Pa deteriorates as he
consumes more and more of the storm flowers on the island, living in
a drug induced fever. The appearance of the two young men from the
real world who are shipwrecked adds a new dimension to the story and
Christopher gathers together many interesting threads as her tale
draws to an end.
The lyrical writing and the magic surrounding the island drew me in
and after a rather slow start, I found it very difficult to put the
book down. The descriptions of being totally isolated, with just the
three of them, Moss, Pa and Cal, living together and surviving,
combined with dreamlike sequences, draw the reader in, and often it
is difficult to know what is real and what is not.
This is a unique and magical story that will appeal to readers who
like to be challenged.
Pat Pledger
Birthday baby by Jane Godwin and Davina Bell
Ill. Freya Blackwood, Allen & Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760291525
(Ages: 3+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Babies. Birthdays. Family.
Parties. On baby's birthday many friends come along to the party.
Mum and Dad welcome them all: adults, children and the dog. The
families tumble down the stairs, some with pushers, one carrying
food, one riding a trike, but all happy and pointing towards the
family which greets them.
After that each page has a range of babies and an adjective
(descriptive word) about the baby. We have a smiley baby and
friendly baby and a sunny baby leading into a dribble baby and brave
baby but as time goes on and some of their food is taken by the dog,
the babies become more tired. Adjectives change from positive to
more negative: cry baby, cranky baby, wriggly and angry, and as
every parent will know, it is time to go home.
When the pusher is taken back up the stairs and the tired children
leave, then it is time for the birthday baby to have its bath, have
a book read and then go to bed for a well deserved rest.
The wonderful warm illustrations by Blackwood are enticing,
reflecting a personal view of children and their parents together.
The looks on all the faces are delicious, full of the snatches of
childhood, showcasing the variety of expressions and feelings
exposed by such a tiring day for little people.
A delightful look at a baby and its friends coming around for a
birthday party which will encourage discussion amongst the readers
about their birthdays.
Fran Knight
Varina by Charles Frazier
Sceptre, 2018. ISBN 9781473686144
(Age: 16+) Recommended.
In 1906, a man whose shade of skin is 'noted' by the desk clerk,
asks to see a hotel guest, Mrs. Davis, and is told he may wait
outside on a bench. But he persists in staying by the fireplace
until he meets her - the famous Varina Davis, or V as she is called,
once wife to the President of the Confederate States of America.
James Blake is trying to recover his own history, and in the
following meetings with V, she recounts his life and hers. He was a
waif, brought up with her own young children - the question is
though, could he really have been one of them, or was he a
much-loved pet? Was he owned? Could there really be love,
friendship, and affection between people who are owned and their
owners? Kevin Powers answered this in the negative in his brutal
expose of master and slave in A shout in the ruins, also set
during the American civil war. Frazier's novel is more nuanced.
Slavery may be wrong but relationships are complex, as is
continually revealed throughout the story of Varina's life. And in
the end, after the war, was the freedom brought by the Union
soldiers truly freedom? At the end of the book, when James is
travelling home from V's funeral, he is told by the train conductor
to move 3 cars back to the one with the sign saying COLORED.
Readers of historical fiction who seek a story of great romance set
against a background of the civil war will be disappointed. There is
no sweeping hero, no grand love story. Varina's choices as a young
girl are limited and she makes the best of what she can. Gradually
she asserts her intelligence and independent spirit, and also her
humanity, to make her own path, and protect her children, including
James, as best she can. Perhaps some of the later choices she makes
could be seen as a kind of atonement for earlier self-perceived
failings. All in all it is a brilliant portrayal of a complex
person, a woman of intelligence, moral integrity and kindness, who
despite her upbringing in slave owner country could probably have
worked out a better solution than the cruel and wasteful war the
country became embroiled in.
Helen Eddy
Grandma Dangerous and the dog of destiny: Book 1 by Kita Mitchell
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781408355060 Age: 8+) "WARNING: DO NOT GIVE THIS BOOK TO YOUR OWN GRANDMA. SHE MIGHT GET IDEAS... Danger is her middle name! Ollie's dad is missing - but Grandma Dangerous is on the case! She has a hot-air balloon, thirty packets of biscuits and a pooch with magical powers (she says). But as they sail through the skies, Ollie realises they're not just on a rescue mission... Grandma's on the run!" (Publisher) This is a really funny read. It resonates with books by Roald Dahl and I am sure fans of these extremely popular authors will love this. What child does not like adults and, in particular one's parents, being the butt of many jokes and adventures? Ollie can not believe his luck when he has to be looked after by his grandma, aka Grandma Dangerous. Grandma has promised to be on her best behaviour but it is not too long before mischief and adventure comes knocking. Ollie's dad, a famous explorer has gone missing. His mum is too busy looking after his injured sister, Lucy, so it is left up to the two of them and Ollie's school friend, Piper. They set off to Australia with a hot air balloon as their mode of transport! Of course the plot becomes quite complicated in a funny way. The main characters are likeable with Grandma sure to be a hit with the reader. Who does not like a grandma that doesn't make you eat vegetables, feeds you lots of sugar and takes you on amazing adventures? A welcome addition to the collection - suitable for ages 8 and up. Kathryn Schumacher
My Storee by Paul Russell and Aska
EK Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925335774
(Age: 5-8) When he is at home the stories running through his head
keep him awake at night - stories about dragons and rainbow eggs at
the bottom of Grandma's garden; his teacher being eaten by a
gruesome ogre; unicorn detectives chasing robotic pirates up alien
volcanoes. The wonderful, magical ideas just keep flowing and he
writes and writes and writes. It's all about the adventures and not
about the writing rules.
But at school, the adventures dry up because the writing rules rule.
And the red pen is everywhere,
"But at school their are too many riting rulz and with all the rulz
I can never find my dragons."
At school he doesn't like to write
Until a new teacher comes - one who is a storyteller himself and
knows writing is about the story and not the rules.
In the 80s I was lucky enough to be deeply involved in the process
writing movement where we truly believed that writing had to be
about the ideas and the adventures and that the processes of
reviewing, editing and publishing came later once there was
something to work with. Children were just happy to express
themselves and as teachers, it was our job to guide them with
spelling, punctuation and grammar, semantics and syntax, so that if
one of their ideas grabbed them enough that they wanted to take it
through to publication then we would work together to do that. Words
were provided as they were needed in context, and punctuation and
grammar tackled on an individual's needs rather than
one-size-fits-all lessons. And if the effort of writing was enough
and the child wasn't interested in taking it further, then we had to
accept that - flogging a dead horse was a waste of time. In
pre-computer days, how many nights did I spend on the typewriter
with the big font so a child could have the joy of their own
creation in our class library? Children enjoyed writing for
writing's sake, were free and willing to let their imaginations roam
free and were prepared to take risks with language conventions for
the sake of the story.
But when publicity-seeking politicians whose only experience with
the classroom was their own decades previously declared that
"assessment processes need to be more rigorous, more standardised
and more professional" (a quote from "Teacher") we find ourselves
back to the red pen being king and our future storytellers silenced
through fear. While the teachers' notes tag this book as being about
a dyslexic child, it really is about all children as they learn how
to control their squiggles and regiment them into acceptable
combinations so they make sense to others, a developmental process
that evolves as they read and write rather than having a particular
issue that is easy and quick to label and therefore blame. We need
to accept what they offer us as they make this journey and if they
never quite reach the destination, or are, indeed, dyslexic, then as
well-known dyslexic Jackie French says, "That's what spellcheck and
other people are for." So much better to appreciate their effort
than never have the pleasure of their stories.
So many children will relate to this story - those whose mums have
"to wade through a papar ocean to wake [them] up" - and will
continue to keep writing regardless of adults who think they know
better. But who among those adults will have the conviction and the
courage to be like Mr Watson? Who among the powers-that-be will let
them do what they know works best? If the red pen kills their
creativity now, where will the storytellers and imaginative
problem-solvers of the future come from?
Barbara Braxton
