Ill. by Sally Heinrich. Allen and Unwin, 2018. Life of the Party! File no. 1. ISBN: 9781760296681 Game Changer! File no. 2. ISBN: 9781760296698
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Self-perception, Identity, Problem
solving, School life, Parties. Shamini Flint's new series The
Susie K Files brings a fresh new approach to the graphic novel
diary genre. Susi K is one of a kind, she is a problem-solver,
analytical, willing to stay home and read rather than attend a
classmate's party, or participate in her school's sports day. She
uses her creativity and resolve to stand up to her mother's demands
that she fit in and be accepted by the popular girls. Her mother's
constant comparisons to her war-torn childhood drive these demands.
The narrative is driven by the funny dialogue with plenty of speech
bubbles, even George has something to say!
File No 1 Life of the Party introduces us to the Smith
Family, her soccer-loving dad, her ambitious mother, handsome and
popular teenage brother Jack and nine year old Susie K. She loves
science, reading and problem solving, her life is so organised she
even keeps records of her experiments. Her Sri Lankan mother wants
the best for her daughter, including success and popularity much to
Susie K's dismay. Susie K likes science instead of netball and uses
the class goldfish as a sounding board. When Mum overhears that
popular Clementine has invited the whole class to her birthday party
she is pleased. Unfortunately Susie K hasn't received an invite yet.
What does Susie K do, she applies her five step approach to problem
solving to come up with a solution? When Clementine's mother bans
the use of party balloons because of their environmental impact, our
problem solving girl comes up with some crazy, creative
alternatives.
Sports Day looms at Susie K's school, everyone is signing up for the
usual events, javelin, discus, races in Game Changer File No. 2.
Susie K has two weeks to choose a suitable sport, unfortunately
netball is not an option. After some spectacular failures, Susie K
rules out team sports and individual events. With her best friend
George the goldfish and Bones her real size skeleton, this problem
solver comes up with a creative solution. Susie K's surprising
answer helps the Purple Team in their quest for house points.
Sally Heinrich's fun cartoon sketches add energy to the humorous
story, with Susie K's lively expressions, her problems solved by
drawing scientific diagrams and the class goldfish George's fishbowl
antics.
Shamini Flint's The Susie K Files are just right to share
with middle primary classes, perfect for introducing problem solving
skills, for creative writing and for teaching scientific strategies.
Rhyllis Bignell
Three cheers for women! by Marcia Williams
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406374865
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Women. Marcia Williams returns
with her signature comic-strip style in Three cheers for women!
which celebrates over 70 women who have made a great contribution in
all walks of life throughout history. The front end papers grab the
eye with a multitude of banners featuring the areas that women have
excelled in: leaders, inventors, discoverers, thinkers, authors,
environmentalist, doctors, campaigners to name just a few. Of the
women featured some are very well known and some less famous, but all
have led interesting and inspirational lives. The women featured
with their own double page spread are Cleopatra, Boudicca,
Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, Florence
Nightingale, Marie Curie, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Frida
Kahlo, Wangari Maathai, Mae C. Jemison, Cathy Freeman and Malala.
Then there is a section for Leaders and World-changers, with brief
biographical information about women like Edith Cowan, Australian
politician and social campaigner and Sheryl Sandberg, American
executive, activist and author. Readers will learn much about their
lives and will be inspired to follow up and do research on them.
Another double page spread looks at Sportswomen and Creatives and
readers will have fun finding names they know (JK Rowling, Beatrix
Potter) as well as ones they probably haven't heard of (Zaha Hadid,
Iraqi-British architect, and Paula Rego, Portuguese artist). Hooray
for Scientists, Pioneers and Adventurers features Dame Jane Goodall,
Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse, Rachel Carson, conservationist,
among many others.
There is a Dear Reader letter at the end from Williams that states
that the women in the book have reminded her "that, whether you are
a boy or a girl, you are never too young to too old to do something
world changing!" A clear index concludes the book.
The facts, quotes and great cartoon style will grab the reader's
attention and the achievements of the women will remain in the mind
as a reminder of what these individuals have achieved. This is
highly recommended for any library or classroom.
Pat Pledger
Me too by Erika Geraerts and Charl Laubscher
Ill. by Gatsby. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381900
When two young friends discuss the things they like and want to do
with their lives, they are pleased to discover that their friend
says, 'me too'. One wants to pack her bag and go off on an
adventure, while the boy does the same thing, saying 'me too'. The
boy hopes to find someone who likes dressing up, and the girl
responds, 'me too'. The girl wants someone to make her breakfast in
bed and the boy walks in with a tray of pancakes and pot of tea,
while the next page the boy hopes someone will help him when he is
down, finding the girl ready with a bandage when he falls from his
bike. Each double page shows the two in a situation where they are
sharing something each likes, one complimenting the other, each
realissing that the other is just like them. The two friends find
out what each other likes as well as what they like, developing
their own characteristics and personalities.
The line drawings suit the story line, its unfussy appearance
focussing attention on the words and the behaviour of the two,
adding a frugally small amount of colour.
Children will enjoy reading this book, talking about the things they
like, and finding out who also likes the things they like, but being
aware that some people may not always like everything that they
like.
This book will make a great discussion starter, as well as making
children think about their preferences in a friend.
Fran Knight
Dark in death by J.D. Robb
In death, book 46. Piatkus, 2018. ISBN 9780349417868
(Age: Adult) Mystery. Eve Dallas is called in to investigate the
killing of a woman in a cinema while watching Psycho. An
ice-pick had been sunk into the back of her neck by the murderer who
then disappeared. As Eve puts together the clues to this murder, new
evidence comes to light: an author comes into the station claiming
that the murder was based on one of her police mysteries and from
there on Eve knows that there will be further murders as the author
has written a number of books in her series. Further investigation
turns up another murder that resembled one of her plots and Eve
knows that she has a serial killer on her hands.
Fans of the In death series will not be disappointed. This
is an easy to read and engrossing mystery and Robb's narrative as
always keeps the interest of the reader. The murderer is not at all
obvious and the plot twists through a series of events and theories
as Eve puts all her intellect and good solid police work to find out
who is behind the bizarre killings. On the way, there is much
fascinating information about police procedures as well as how a
best-selling novelist handles the demands of her fans, which
certainly has a ring of truth to it.
The continuing relationship between Roarke and Eve will please
romance lovers. Fans are sure to want to pick up the next in the
series as each of Robb's plots are certainly different and unique,
at the same time keeping the familiar and very likeable main
characters of Eve, Roarke, Peabody, Mira and Nadine.
Pat Pledger
Women in science by Jen Green
DK, 2018. ISBN 9781465468604
More and more as news coverage reports scientific breakthroughs, it
is a woman who is the face of the science rather than the
stereotypical man in a white coat. Women leading scientific
discoveries is not a new phenomenon, as this new DK publication
demonstrates with its introductory section about scientists of
ancient times, but at last it is becoming understood and accepted
that science is not "bizniz bilong men".
Written especially for young readers who are verging on independence
or who have made that journey, this book links the achievements of
just a handful of women who have made significant contributions to
their field of study. Familiar and unfamiliar names are included as
well as a brief introduction to just some of the fields that come
under the science umbrella, encouraging the reader to perhaps be the
next big name.
There is a quiz to spark further investigations as well as the
characteristic DK attention to detail in the layout and supporting
clues and cues.
As well as introducing young readers to the work of these remarkable
women, there is scope for it to be the springboard as they answer
the questions, "Who would you add? Why?"
Barbara Braxton
Palace of Fires: Initiate by Bill Bennett
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143783794
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Witchcraft. Good and evil. Beginning
with the tale of an ancestor's pact with the devil, Initiate
follows a modern American girl, Lily, on her journey of discovery
following her mother's disappearance. For the first time since her
father died Lily's life is close to settled. She and Angela are
selling their produce and hoping for a decadent lunch at one of the
fanciest restaurants in town. But things change when three scary
looking women appear. Without any warning Angela takes Lily and
flees, leaving her daughter in a motel and disappears. With Angela
gone, leaving Lily all alone she has no choice but to get in contact
with her uncle Freddie who, as Angela explained in the letter she
left, would explain everything. While Freddie organises someone to
collect her, Lily is subject to the questioning of Detective Marley
Davis, who, of all things, asks her about witches and the Golden
Order of Baphomet. While Lily dismisses this as ridiculous, she soon
learns it is anything but, and she has the potential to be a great
and powerful witch, with training. But first she must reach her
uncle in Santa Fe while continuing to evade the three biker women
who are desperate to catch her too.
Confusion reigns for most of the novel as Lily comes to terms with
her budding sensitivity to the energies that surround her and her
sudden desirability to the school stud, KJ and the forces of evil.
Meanwhile she hurtles towards a destiny she previously could not
imagine, discovering family secrets along the way and embracing the
reality that she is a soldier of the light.
I would recommend for anyone twelve and up with an interest in
witchcraft and the battle between good and evil.
Kayla Gaskell, 21
The detective dog by Julia Donaldson
Ill. by Sara Ogilvie. MacMillan Children's books, 2018 (2016). ISBN
9781509801596
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Dogs, Board book, Detection. School.
Books. Libraries. Read aloud. I love books about books, stories that
tell of people sharing books, of reading books, of borrowing books.
Well, this one is someone stealing books! But it all ends happily,
so don't fret. Nell's story is told in rhyming stanzas, a tale of a
dog who is born to be a detective, her nose sniffing out the places
where all sorts of things lie hidden: socks, honey, a lost book, a
spider in the bath, a lost ball. And she loves going to school to
hear the children read, but one day when they come to school, the
library has been ransacked and all the books are gone. Catastrophe!
But Detective Nell to the rescue. She picks up the scent and follows
it, leading the class trailing out behind her. They traverse roads
and gardens, past the zoo and the take-away shop and into a wood.
Here they run through a very overgrown garden and push open the
messy gate. Behind the gate sits the culprit, a man with a stack of
books, his nose buried in one of them. He is most apologetic,
promising that he intended to return them after they had been read,
and he helps the children take them all back to school. A happy
relationship is established as the children show the man how to open
a library account and borrow as many books as he wants. The
infectious illustrations swirl with colour and life moving quickly
across the pages, inviting the readers to follow the action. The
dog, Nell, is a wonderful creation, one every child would love to
have, and the way Nell is depicted with her nose in everything about
will have resonance with most dog owners.
This is a charming homage to pets and libraries, to frazzled
teachers, to those sharing books, to those who are helped in their
quest to find books, and of course to skillful dogs and
accommodating children. A real treat. And now republished as a board
book spreads the fun to a wider audience.
Fran Knight
Toto the Ninja cat and the great snake escape by Dermot O'Leary
Ill. by Nick East. Hodder, 2017. ISBN 9781444939453
(Age: 7+) "Oh hi! You're here. Purrfect Timing! I wrote this story
about my cat. This is TOTO and she's awesome. But she is no ordinary
furry feline, my friends. She is almost totally blind, she has ninja
skills and at night she has amazing adventures with her cheeky
brother, Silver. Want to join them on their first great adventure? A
deadly King Cobra has escaped, and TOTO's going to have to use all
her powers to capture him . . . . "
For young readers who love books about animals this is bound to be a
popular series. It would make a fantastic read aloud or be equally
enjoyed by a child reading it by themselves. It is a purrfect fit
for those wishing to read chapter books as the text is large and
interspersed with gorgeous black and white illustrations. Underlying
themes of friendship, inclusivity and facing adversity and winning
it would make a great back to school read. I love the Q and A at the
end of the book with O'Leary as it gives the reader an added insight
into the book. Children will also appreciate the findaword. Toto
will fast become a favourite with many. Suitable for ages 7 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
Appendix Man by Angus McNeil
Crowbar Media, 2017. ISBN 9781925658002
Themes: self-belief, friendship, superheroes. Leon and Daisy have
been friends since primary school, but when 17 year old Daisy
declares she is going to be Australia's first megahero, her first
target being eco-villain, Dr Green who aims to destroy people for
damaging the planet, all Leon can do is be supportive and suggest
she might be overreaching her abilities. Undaunted Daisy adopts the
name "Appendix Man" after an operation. Both their parents go
off on an unexpected holiday together leaving the friends to find
all the accoutrements needed for a megahero in an underground bunker
in the backyard where Daisy's Dad has been experimenting with hi
tech gadgets. They team up with the author of a crime-busting
website, Ash; added into the mix is Hong, the martial arts teacher
whose teaching involves sitting in a red room doing nothing, and the
Ginger Ninja who also needs to be defeated before she joins forces
with Dr Green and his family.
Set in Melbourne at some time in the future when Koalas are extinct,
the story has an unlikely cast with a different twist around fixing
the planet. Appendix Man's gender seems to confuse even the author
and there are more errors in the text than there should be. I found
it difficult to suspend disbelief as the plot became more and more
extreme, including genetically modified drop bears with the
denouement hinging on preventing the villain finding an organic
self-destruct button. However it is essentially a story about
friendship and support which may entertain younger readers looking
for something a bit different.
A website is available.
Sue Speck
Rain Fall by Ella West
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760296834
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Murder. Crime. Thriller. New
Zealand. Coal mining. Rodeos. Horses. Annie is running late for her
basketball game when she spots what looks like a raincoat floating
in the river. Then her whole neighbourhood is cordoned off by police
who say that her neighbour is dangerous and has a gun. She doesn't
believe that her neighbour Pete would hurt anyone and hopes that he
has got away. When riding her horse, Blue, on the beach, she comes
in contact with a new boy riding an amazing horse, but not trusting
strangers is careful to brush away any signs of Pete. Then a body is
found and Annie becomes embroiled in the mystery.
The constant rain provides a good background for this crime thriller
and it is easy to visualise the wild coast of New Zealand. The story
of coal mining and its demise also provides an interesting backdrop
to the tale as West describes what happens when a community loses
its only means of livelihood. Annie's father drives the coal train
and when the mine begins to fail, so do the jobs that keep the town
going. Annie's having troubles at home as well, with her father
uncertain about his job and the family is faced with the prospect of
moving away from their home.
However it is the mystery that really grips the reader, who becomes
immersed in what is happening. Why was the man murdered? Is Pete
really to blame and where has he gone? How far can Annie trust Jack
the new boy who is so attractive and can she keep her actions a
secret from her parents for very long?
This is a great read and will appeal to people who like mystery and
suspense, with a touch of romance and interesting background. In
addition there are two wonderful horses, some information about
rodeos and likeable characters, all adding up to a most enjoyable
story. Readers who haven't read Night vision by Ella West
would want to pick up this excellent book as well, and teachers
could find this a useful class novel or literature circle text. Teacher's
notes are available on the publisher's website.
Pat Pledger
Lucky Button by Michael Morpurgo
Ill. by Michael Foreman. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406371680
(Age: 8-11) Highly recommended. Themes: Orphans and Orphanages,
Classical Music, Wolfgang Mozart, Friendship, 18th Century Britain,
Bullying. Michael Morpurgo's Lucky Button is a thoughtful
time slip story set in the present day and in The Foundling
Hospital, Britain's first home for abandoned children. This charity
was started by philanthropist Thomas Coram in 1739 with the
assistance of British painter William Hogarth and composer George
Frideric Handel.
Young Joshua Trelawney's life is divided clearly into two halves. At
home he cares for his wheelchair bound mother while at school he's a
loner longing for a friend while suffering the taunts of the bullies
who make fun of his name with Moby Dick taunts. Music is Jonah's
solace; he loves to sing and desperately wants to join the school
choir. Jonah escapes from the bullying seeking refuge in the chapel
originally part of the Foundling Hospital. Finding a small gold
button and meeting a ghostly organist helps Jonah to understand his
current circumstances and to find happiness.
Nathaniel Hogarth shares his life story, abandoned as a baby at the
Foundling Hospital, then sent to live with kind foster parents in
the country. Music provides solace for young Nathaniel when he's
returned to the hospital, and he meets Handel and is chosen to sing
in The Messiah. Foundling 762 grows up to be apprenticed at the
artist Hogarth's stable and takes his surname. Fortuitously young
Nat moves on to Sir John Sullivan's estate where he becomes a
companion to young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Woferl. Lucky Button celebrates the power of music, with Morpurgo's
touching narrative beautifully told through Michael Foreman's
detailed watercolour paintings showing strongly drawn historic and
contemporary characters. This is a story that resonates with hope,
friendship and resilience rising above adversity, a story perfect
for sharing with students in Years 3-5.
Rhyllis Bignell
Race to the bottom of the sea by Lindsay Eagar
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9780763698775
(Age: Year 4+) Highly recommended. Can a clever young inventor
uncover a ruthless pirate's heart of gold? When her parents, the
great marine scientists Dr. and Dr. Quail, are killed in a tragic
accident, eleven-year-old Fidelia Quail is racked by grief - and
guilt. It was a submarine of Fidelia's invention that her parents
were in when they died, and it was she who pressed them to stay out
longer when the raging Undertow was looming. But Fidelia is forced
out of her mourning when she's kidnapped by Merrick the Monstrous, a
pirate whose list of treasons stretches longer than a ribbon eel.
Her task? Use her marine know-how to retrieve his treasure, lost on
the ocean floor. But as Fidelia and the pirates close in on the
prize, with the navy hot on their heels, she realizes that Merrick
doesn't expect to live long enough to enjoy his loot. Could
something other than black-hearted greed be driving him? Will
Fidelia be able to master the perils of the ocean without her
parents - and piece together the mystery of Merrick the Monstrous
before it's too late?
What a fantastic book for our Year 4 and up students, in particular
girls, to read. Fidelia encompasses many things that girls wish to
experience. This is a powerful book with a strong protagonist who
encounters pirates, treasure, adventure, mystery and suspense.
Fidelia is smart, nerdy and brave but also extremely compassionate.
She is very strong willed and does not let those around her deter
her intentions, though at times this can result in encountering
sticky situations. Fidelia's knowledge of marine biology, partly due
to her parents' occupations, will hopefully inspire many to look
after the ocean. A must have for your library.
Kathryn Schumacher
Love and gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406372328
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Secrecy. Romance. Italy.
Self-perception. Diaries. Feel good book. Teens Top Ten 2017.
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction 2016. Lina
has come to Tuscany to live with Howard, the father that she has
never met. Devastated by the death of her mother, Lina begins to
read the journal she has left behind of her early time in Italy and
with Ren, her cute neighbour follows in her footsteps. What she
uncovers is the truth about her father as well as learning about
herself.
This is an ideal book for anyone who enjoys stories about other
countries. The author captivates the reader's imagination with her
vivid descriptions of Tuscany, Florence and Rome and the life that
Howard leads in the American Cemetery where he works. Not only are
the wonders of the Italian architecture and sculpture described by
Lina but the reader is taken on a culinary tour, almost being able
to taste the gelato that she loves.
Told in the first person by Lina, and interspersed with extracts
from her mother's journal, the reader is led into the feelings and
loves of both mother and daughter. The style is breezy and easy to
read and the characters are very likeable. The mystery of what
happened to her mother so many years ago also keeps the reader glued
to the page as Lina follows the clues left in the journal about X,
the man her mother fell in love with.
I finished this book in one sitting - it had everything to make it
an outstanding contemporary romance - charming characters, wonderful
setting and feel good vibes.
Pat Pledger
The Kindness Club: Chloe on the bright side by Courtney Sheinmel
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681195315
(Age: 8+) Fifth grader Chloe Silver is good at looking on the bright
side. But staying positive has been difficult since her parents
divorced and she had to start at a new school. When Chloe is given
the chance to try out for the exclusive It Girls club, things are
finally looking up again. Then Chloe is assigned a science project
with offbeat Lucy Tanaka and brainy Theo Barnes. Together they
create an experiment that tests how people react to different acts
of kindness. Officially forming the Kindness Club, Lucy and Theo are
fun to be around, and their new club means a lot to Chloe. But the
It Girls don't want to share Chloe with anyone else. Can she find a
way to be kind to all of her friends, and still stay true to
herself?
This is a feel good book that will develop into a successful series.
I think the underlying themes of friendship, family and kindness
will resonate with many. Many children will be able to make strong
connections with Chloe, who may be experiencing divorce and having
to start at a new school. I like how the story looks at the meaning
of a true friend and the qualities they possess and that it is
possible to be friends with different groups of people. Acceptance
is a huge part of a child's life and Chloe seems to tackle it head
on in a kind way. This book has a great lesson for all readers -
that it is not always easy to do the right thing. The author
cleverly does this in a unique way ensuring that the novel maintains
interest and one develops feelings for the main characters.
The snippet of the second book at the end of the book is a very
clever marketing tool. Children 8 and up will enjoy this book.
Kathryn Schumacher
100 scientists who made history by Andrea Mills and Stella Caldwell
DK, 2018. ISBN 9780241304327
Throughout history there have been so many perceptive pioneers,
brilliant biologists, medical masterminds, clever chemists,
phenomenal physicists, incredible innovators and other scientific
superstars who have challenged the known to change our lives that to
choose just 100 of them must have been a taxing task.
Nevertheless, in this brand new release from DK, the achievements of
people as diverse as Aristotle, Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur,
Ernest Rutherford, Alan Turing and Edwin Hubble are all described in
typical DK format with it characteristic layout, top-quality
photography, bite-sized information and accessible language. But
there is so much (and so many more). Although not being of a
scientific bent, while many of the names of those in the clear
contents pages were familiar, there were as many that were not, and
sadly many of those not were women.
But the authors have included many women in the lists - who knew
that Hildegard of Bingen, aka the singing nun, born in 1098 could
have had such an impact on medical treatments through her study of
and writing about the medicinal uses of plants? Or that of five of
those credited with having such an influence on the development of
computing, three were women? Or that Mary Somerville correctly
predicted the existence of the planet Neptune in the early 19th
century and that there were many 19th century astronomers who were
female?
This is a wonderful book for everyone - not only because it will
introduce a new generation to those who discovered so much of what
we take for granted today - they didn't make history because they
became famous, they made the history we look back on so we can move
forward - but also to inspire - 'If them, why not me?' Challenge
your students to find another scientist who could have been included
and have them develop a page for them using the DK format as a
model.
I know a budding scientist who needs this book!
Barbara Braxton
