Fremantle Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925591637
(Age: Pre-school) Highly recommended. Board book. Themes:
Individuality, Self-esteem. "I love the way my heart knows best. I
am me. Who else would I be? I love me! A celebration of
individuality and joyous self-esteem, in bouncy, rhythmic prose and
riotous colour". (Publisher)
This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. This book is
about loving yourself for being you. It is a lovely book to read
with small children to teach them that we should all love ourselves
just the way we are. It is important to love ourselves and this book
promotes positive self-esteem.
I highly recommend any parent to share this book with their
children.
Karen Colliver
Hive by AJ Betts
Fremantle Press, 2018. ISBN 9781760556433
(Ages: Secondary) Highly recommended. Themes: Future. Dystopia.
Bees. Survival. The community is like a beehive, everyone has a
role, no one knows what outside is like, and they all worship God,
from whom water comes every day. The hierarchy is strict and a judge
and her council rule the three hundred occupants.
But one day Hayley sees a drip. She is afraid. Water only comes from
God and yet it is coming from the ceiling in the way between living
spaces, a place she is forbidden to enter unless a bee has escaped.
She is frightened, things in her world are not as assured as before,
she notices things. Chasing a bee, she runs into Geoffrey, one of
the uncles and he seems to die from the bee sting. Questions are
raised about the bees and their place within the community.
Told that God gathers the dead and takes them to heaven, she sees an
aunt butchered and thrown into the hub, the place their meat comes
from.
Her best friend Celia is about to be married, a cause for great
celebration within the community as it heralds another baby. Hayley
has befriended Luka, one of the netters who seems to question as she
does, and when Celia is refused marriage as her body has been
examined and found wanting, Hayley is put in her place, and she
chooses Luka as her bridegroom in the hope they can have three
nights of talking without interruption and work out what is going on
in the place they live. But someone else knows she is questioning
and rather than be deemed mad, he takes action to save her.
This is a riveting read of a place where people have taken refuge
after an event which has killed many. But their sanctuary has been
severely reduced and stories evolved to explain their survival,
stories which justify why they live in such a place, and why God is
merciful. But when someone questions, steps must be taken to remove
her. Not your usual post apocalypse story, Hive is a stunning read,
raising all sorts of issues about survival and the role of story in
keeping people compliant.
Amanda Betts is a well known Western Australian author, writer of
several of my favourite YA novels, Wavelength,
Zac
and Mia and Shutterspeed, all engrossing reads
with a totally different perspective on life for post millennials.
Fran Knight
Moth by Isabel Thomas
Ill. by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889756
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Moths. Evolution. Adaptation.
Camouflage. STEM. Industrial Revolution. Survival. Pollution. Hope.
This amazing book shows within easily understood language supported
by the most powerful of illustrations, the ability of an insect to
adapt to the blight of man's impact upon the world. A small moth,
called a peppered moth because of its black and white speckled
appearance, lives near trees where it can hide amongst the patchy
lichen from its predators. During the Industrial Revolution,
factories spurted out coal dust, ash and soot, covering the trees
with black smoke. The peppered moth was no longer able to survive
because it had nowhere to hide, but the darker ones did survive,
and a shift in their numbers occurred, with more dark ones being
born, while lighter ones were rarely seen.
Children reading this book will easily absorb the ideas presented:
evolution, predators, camouflage, adaptation, Industrial Revolution,
pollution, while marveling at the ability of this small insect to
adapt to a rapid change in its environment.
Egneus' illustrations are wonderful, evoking the peace of the
environment in which the moths lived, showing them flitting amongst
the trees, taking shelter on the lichen covered trees, a hungry fox
or owl taking some for their meal. Contrast this with the blacks,
greys and browns of the same area covered with the detritus of the
Industrial Revolution. No reader can be in doubt about the effect
this change had on the moth population.
And within the text, the reader is told about how this little insect
adapted to that change, while the illustrations show the larger
number of black moths filling the pages.
When people realised what damage had been done, efforts were made to
clean up the environment, and so there are many more speckled winged
moths appearing - another change, this time signifying hope.
Isabel's words sing with truth, reflecting her background in
genetics and evolution at Oxford University, while Daniel's
illustrations display a confidence with illustrative techniques
which can be seen across a variety of fields.
Fran Knight
Girl on wire by Lucy Estela
Ill. by Elise Hurst. Puffin, 2018. ISBN 9780143787167
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Confidence. Courage. Determination.
The girl hesitantly watches from her perch in the upper reaches of
the buildings. She is unsure and stands there for hours, just
looking at what she must do. Finally she steps out onto the wire
stretched before her leading her across to the building in the
distance. She curls her toes around the wire, and pushed forward,
inching her way across the wire. The wind whips around her and when
she allows herself to look down she sees how impossibly high she is.
Unsettled she drops to the wire, calling for help, and a response
comes from the other side, telling her that she is there, waiting
for her but she must traverse the wire herself.
The illustrations in this book like those in Adelaide's secret
world (2016) are strangely fantastical, recreating an almost
mythical place which is nearly as we know it but not quite. It is a
place that seems just out of reach with its swirling winds and
leaves, the indistinct buildings an the ghostly faces peering out.
The illustrations form a breathtaking backdrop to the tension within
the story of a young girl setting out on life's journey and
overcoming obstacles on her way through life. She must keep going,
despite the pitfalls and diversions, knowing someone is waiting for
her.
Her courage is there for all to see.
Fran Knight
The other wife by Michael Robotham
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780733637933
(Ages: Senior secondary-Adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime.
Thriller. Family relationships. Those familiar with Robotham's
novels will be eager to read his next Professor Joe O'Lloughlin
episode. It certainly does not disappoint! His writing flows and
leads the reader on but does not take the audience for granted.
Joe's life is turned upside down when his father is taken to
hospital after a fall down stairs. He is in an induced coma and his
outlook for recovery is bleak. On his visit to the ICU he discovers
the first of a number of bombshells about his father. The first is
that the person at his bedside is not his mother but his other wife
of twenty years.
In trying to find the 'real' William O'Loughlin, retired eminent
surgeon, distant and disapproving father, possible bigamist and
leader of a double life, Joe delves into lives that he knows nothing
about. His relationship with the police deteriorates as they try to
persuade him to let them investigate without interference.
Ruiz as ever acts as a stabilising influence, gathering information
and providing protection when needed. All his preconceptions about
his family even his childhood memories seem as if they need to be
recast or at least viewed from a different perspective. His own
family is also vulnerable as he charges head on with finding
'truths'. His daughters, especially Emma, are fragile after the death
of his wife six months before and much is left up to Charlie who has
stepped in to take on some of the household duties.
Of course there is his Parkinsons which is beginning to play a
larger role in the life of Joe O'Loughlin.
Joe finds the truth eventually, but not before family memories are
reviewed and found wanting, old friendships are lost and his
father's image is changed and tarnished, but for the better or worse
he is not sure. He discovers that his father was at least human not
a distant and perfect icon.
Mark Knight
Alpacas with maracas by Matt Cosgrove
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743816349
(Ages: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Alpacas. Verse. Rhyme. Read aloud.
We met Macca the alpaca in a book of the same name, where he had to
deal with a bully, Al the shaggy alpaca. Now Al and Macca are the
best of friends, and have decided to enter a competition, a talent
quest.
But what to do. Everything they try seems to end in tears: Al gets
his head stuck in the harp strings, and his nails break the top of
the drums, while Macca finds the noise of the symbols a little
overwhelming. They try out a rock band but everyone else wants them
to stop. They keep on trying lots of other pieces of musical
instruments as well as stage acts like a choir and a dance sequence
with little success. The readers will be highly entertained seeing
their antics, and breath a sigh of relief when they find something
they can play together with some dexterity, the maracas. The pages
following are a delight, showing the two alpacas playing the maracas
as if they were born to do it. They wriggle their bottoms in time
with the beat, play around on the stage and eventually win a prize.
Not quite the prize the reading audience will think they deserve,
but one which rhymes with blast. The rhyming couplets carry the
story, inviting young readers to predict the rhyming word, and learn
some of the pairs of lines as they read.
The laughter filled pages invite further inspection by the readers
as the vibrant, colourful spreads reflect a variety of movements,
music and fun. A great read aloud.
Fran Knight
Waterhole by Fiona Bell
University of Qld Press, 2018. ISBN 9780702259999
(Ages: 11+) Sunny is home from boarding school - the first school
holidays since her mother died in a single-car accident. She clashes
with her stepfather and secretly blames Kevin, who is working alone
on their farm in North Queensland.
Sunny is overwhelmed by glimpses of her dead mother, and as a
result, believes a missing local teenager to be dead. She is
interested in Matthew, who is older and has an unsavoury reputation,
at least according to another boarding school student, Zara, who
befriends Sunny to relieve her holiday boredom. Sunny and Zara both
briefly work part-time jobs at Leanne's takeaway.
Leanne is invested in helping both Kevin and Sunny cope in the wake
of her best friend's death but Sunny's problems mount as Kevin seems
to be a person of interest in young Dylan's disappearance. Should
Sunny tell someone about her visions or leave town and a burgeoning
romance, to try to find her biological father?
Younger readers may identify with Sunny and her expressive
oversharing narration, but for the more well-read, this ghost story
will seem somewhat old fashioned.
Deborah Robins
Boy swallows universe by Trent Dalton
Fourth Estate, 2018. ISBN 9781460753897
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Violence, gore and extreme language. Eli and
August are two brothers growing up in 1980s Brisbane and for the
most part, their world and daily life experience, depicted amazingly
well by the author, is instantly recognisable to those who recall
the era. Perhaps not every aspect however, given that they live
amongst heroin dealers and are exposed to unspeakable acts of
violence inflicted as punishment and to eliminate competition.
August is the eldest, who abruptly ceased speaking years before and
communicates only by invisible 'air writing' and facial expression.
Eli yearns to be a newspaper reporter and develops the capacity to
recognise a story at an early age. Whilst their parents undertake
relatively small scale heroin deals and yearn to make the score
which they believe will allow them to escape the trade, the brothers
are watched over by a retired criminal Slim Halliday. Famous decades
before, Slim had wasted most of his life in incarceration, much of
it in solitary confinement, for the murder of a taxi driver and
subsequent prison escapes.
In viewing the bleak plight of these boys who grow up in a
threatening environment, surrounded by people who are either
hopeless or dangerous, the reader is caused to recognise the
inevitability of a life's course. Major crime is never excused or
glorified in this novel, however the author crafts characters who
perform according to a script determined by their parentage,
geographical location, limited opportunity and exposure to sinister
criminals who manipulate and exploit.
The story demands consideration of what goodness remains in people
who are undoubtedly criminal, sometimes ruthlessly bad and perhaps
even murderers. Do acts of kindness counter previous misdeeds? Can
the worst criminals be considered 'good' if they are on your side?
Mysterious elements prevail throughout the tale and Eli follows his
nose and summons what limited help is available to him in a bid to
discover the truth.
I found this story to be very sad. Whilst vicious violence and
cruelty is pivotal to the story, there are many poignant and moving
moments. Little boys yearn for family stability and for their broken
mother to be happy after stumbling from one miserable situation to
the next. At the same time they enjoy a typically childish delight
at the prospect of a Paddle Pop whilst existing insecurely in
poverty.
Touching and amusing moments temper what could be a depressingly
grim novel which is unmistakably exciting and captivating.
Rob Welsh
Charlie by Ronojoy Gosh
Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143785026
(Ages: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Lions. Appearance. Zoos.
Illustrator of highly acclaimed picture book I'm Australian too
(Mem Fox) and author of several picture books, Ronojoy has developed
a wider use of his skills after many years in advertising. In
Charlie, a lion who loves good food and art and the beach, finds
that when he takes the bus somewhere, people are afraid of him and
shy away. He does not like to frighten people so decides to wear a
disguise. This he does with much success, going to the beach and the
art gallery and into restaurants without a qualm. In the art gallery
he is able to stand next to many portraits of people with a disguise
such as his, while in art classes he is able to hold his own with
the other participants. At the aquarium, he feels sorry for the
penguins so knits them all a coat. His stomach begins to grumble
while he is out watching stars and he goes to a fine restaurant
where he eats a splendid meal, while afterwards he needs to find
somewhere to wash his disguise now full of the remnants of his meal.
Back at the Zoo for the night, he is satisfied that all has gone
well, he has had a terrific day and looks forward to new adventures
tomorrow.
Readers will enjoy watching Charlie's antics as he dons his disguise
and begins to do things that lions certainly do not do, laughing
with him as he tries to blend into the groups of people. His
disguise is seen in different places in the book so will cause
readers to seek them out, while classes may like to make the
disguise themselves and wear it while reading.
Discussing disguises, children may make the link to being different
and blending in, of the disguises we wear each day so that we do not
stand out.
Fran Knight
The mapmakers' race by Eirlys Hunter
Gecko Press, 2018. ISBN 9781776572038
(Age: 8-11) Themes: Perseverance. Adventure. Map drawing. Eirlys
Hunter's The mapmakers' race is set in a harsh mountainous
environment where a new railway line needs to be built. The
alternate world has mechanical horses and luggage-carrying clouds
and nefarious characters who will use any means to win the 28 day
race and the prize money of five hundred gold guineas.
The Santander family are desperately poor; their father, an explorer
and trail finder, has disappeared and mapmaker Ma and their children
desperately need to win the prize-money. Unfortunately on their
train trip to Grand Prospect where the race starts, Ma leaves the
rail carriage to search for Joe who's filling the water flasks and
she misses the train. Sal, Joe, Francie and little Humphrey decide
to enter the race anyway. All their possessions are on board, and
they believe Ma will catch up along the way. With Carrot the parrot
along for comic relief, this arduous undertaking that will test
their skills of survival and their support of each other. Sal is a
skilled mathematician great at calculating, Francie's special skill
is her ability to project into the upcoming environment and map the
upcoming route. Fortunately, they meet a knowledgeable local lad,
Beckett, who helps the family; he's skilled with animals, a great
cook and has wilderness experience.
In this fast-paced adventure the children overcome many natural
forces, fighting tough conditions, encounters with bear, bees, a
bat-filled cave, dangerous river crossings and cliff falls.
Ingenuity, inventiveness, dogged determination, bravery and support
of each other are qualities that assist the family to push through.
Francie's maps with places named by the children are key elements
that illustrate their twenty-eight day journey.
Eirlys Fowler's descriptive and exciting narrative is suitable for
middle primary students. Her world-building adds depth and interest,
what can a mechanical horse do, what advantages are there to clouds
carrying luggage? Complemented by Kirsten Slade's pen and ink
sketches and maps, this story is a great adventure, with strong
non-stereotypical characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
Sleep by Kate Prendergast
Old Barn Books, 2018. ISBN 9781910646229
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Animals. Sleep. Kate Prendergast's
non-fiction picture book uses vivid illustrations to show where animals
rest and sleep. Her bright close-up paintings use a colour palette
reminiscent of 1960's children's books with swirls, dark shading and
patterns of oranges, reds, yellows and greens. Each animal is shown
asleep, some at home, in the barn, in the field or nests. Whilst
creating this engaging book, Kate discovered the plight of most of
these animals facing destruction of their habitat by humans. As you
share this story with a young audience, take time to discuss the
different ways animals rest or sleep, how and where this occurs and
why sleep is important to both animals and humans.
Harvest mice sleep curled up in their nests, whilst snails sleep in
their shells atop a resting tortoise. Bats sleep during the day and
fish sleep with their eyes open. Take time to wonder about the
places, physical conditions as you share the easy to read facts,
sometimes with added notes that accompany the close-up
illustrations. Prendergast includes 'Some Amazing Animal Facts' just
right for starting to engage with scientific facts and for
researching. Discover facts about cathemeral harvest-mice, mobs of
meerkats sleep in heaps, giraffes that sleep for only 20 minutes a
day and hibernating bears. Sleep by Kate Prendergast is a factual picture book, a great
resource for pre-schoolers and junior primary classes developing an
awareness of the needs of living things and beginning to investigate
how the environment supports life.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Red Fox Clan by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger book 2. Random House
Australia, 2018. ISBN 9780143785903
(Age: 12 - Adult) Recommended. Genres: Adventure and
fantasy. This story is about a group of military men called The
Rangers. In this group a Princess called Maddie is being trained as
a Ranger and has just finished the 3rd year of a four year
apprenticeship where she just about passes as the top ranger in her
year.
She returns to the Royal Castle for the break and to relieve her
boredom she goes exploring. Whilst exploring she discovers some of
the castle's secrets.
Meanwhile the King, her father, has left the castle to find and
destroy a local rebellious group called the Red Fox Clan. This group
has risen because the laws on the succession to the throne have
changed to allow women to ascend to the throne.
They first challenge the King in the provinces and then challenge
the castle itself.
The story comes to a climax when Maddie saves her father against the
forces and she discovers who the Red Fox is from behind his mask.
One of the major themes to come out of this story is loyalty to the
Rangers and their code of honour.
I would recommend this book to anyone in the age group of 12 to
Adult
Chris Mills (parent)
Leave taking by Lorraine Marwood
University of Queensland Press, 2018. ISBN 9780702260117
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Death, Leaving home, Family,
Connections. "Toby and his mum and dad are leaving their family farm
after the death of Toby's younger sister, Leah. Together, they sort
through all their belongings and put things aside to sell or throw
out. It's a big task, and Toby doesn't want to leave the only place
he's called home. As his last day on the farm approaches, Toby has a
plan - a plan to say goodbye to all the things and places that mean
something special to him and Leah, from the machinery shed and Pa's
old truck to the chook house. With the help of his best friend,
Trigger the dog, he learns what it means to take your leave."
(Publisher)
I found this book to be quite moving and at one time I even had
tears in my eyes. Do not be fooled by the cover - it is certainly
not a read for the younger audience. I would be recommending if for
students aged 11 and up. I am not sure if it resonated with me so
much because I grew up on a farm and know the strong attachment one
can have to the land or the fact that Toby was having to deal with
the death of his younger sister. It evoked real emotion discussion
the memories one can have attached to physical things. The journey
that Toby takes around the farm is attached to so many happy
memories associated with his sister and shows one that although
someone is not physically with us anymore, it is so important to
hold onto happy memories. The story was written in verse which I am
not normally a fan of but I really enjoyed it. It touches on themes
such as leaving, death, family and connections.
Kathryn Schumacher
The strange fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold
Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780451480477
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Noah Oakman, is the classic anti-hero
if ever there was one. To avoid the labour of time-consuming
choices, he wears his own daily "uniform" - a t-shirt emblazoned
with the name,"Bowie". He spends much of the book making the most of
a back injury to avoid swimming training, which to his parents
equates to a college scholarship.
Being a concise history, the book begins by reconnecting with his
two best friends, twins Alan and Val, who drag him along to a party.
After meeting Circuit, who attempts to hypnotize him, things get
surreal and the central quest begins. Genuinely trying to find
explanations for the changes and coincidences he experiences over
the coming weeks, he doesn't know whether he is suffering from
paranoid delusions or is onto something revelatory. Allusions to The
Matrix foreshadow the answer.
Noah takes his readers on a comical and poignant mission to confront
his obsessions and coincidences and discover how they are related.
What happened to youtube's Fading Girl? Who is OMG (Old Man Goiter)?
Hypocritically, Noah resists watching the film, "Breakfast at
Tiffany's with his younger sister Penelope, who has her own
obsession with Audrey Hepburn.
Noah's complex frustrations reach fever pitch until Alan is
seriously injured and Noah gets a grip on reality. Paramount is
already busy turning Noah's adventure into a film as evidenced by
the official trailer.
"The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik" is compelling reading,
written by an edgy YA writer who knows how to keep us turning pages.
Deborah Robins
Minecraft: The Crash by Tracey Baptiste
Century, 2018. ISBN 9781780897776
(Age: Teens) Bianca (the main character) is never one to plan ahead:
she, like most people nowadays is 'act now deal with consciences
later,' but on top of that she's a bit of a scatterbrain so most of
the time it's 'act now have someone else deal with consequences'.
When Bianca and her best friend Lonnie are in a car accident that
Bianca might have caused she is incapacitated. After gaining full
consciousness, she is introduced to a VR version of Minecraft and
finds new friends and finding Lonnie in an apparently broken skin
while attempting an 'End dimension run'.
This book is the 2nd in a series, and the first one is a good read
as well. I will tell you that both books are not related apart from
being the first Minecraft series to be sponsored by Mojang and being
in the same series. They are part of a Mojang sponsored program to
get people of all ages reading.
The whole idea of the 'End dimension run' is Bianca trying to run
into her past, to before the car crash happened and it is also seen
through flashbacks that Bianca really depends on Lonnie to help her
with everything, plus that the car accident is a result of her being
a scatter brain. Bianca tries to slip into her past with Lonnie
(whose skin is glitching and has her stuck as a villager) but you
cannot run into your own past.
Bianca feels guilty about causing the crash and tries to complete
Lonnie's plan for the 'End run.' However, thanks to this new VR
version of Minecraft you can control your skin with your mind, but
it also means your deepest darkest insecurities will spawn mob's
most of which will try to kill you. Her guilt about causing the
crash and her obsession about completing the 'End-run' manifests
into an Enderman with a white scar which is the same as the other
car she crashed with. This Enderman will postpone the 'End run' and
attempts to stop the 'End run'.
One more thing, the ending is too obvious. I mean a good book hints
at a spoiler, but this book does it excessively. So much that ANYONE
can guess what it is. This is a HUGE spoiler and that is just not
okay!
Dante C. (Student, Year 7)
