Ill. by David Cornish. Ford Street, 2018. ISBN 9781925736038
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Rhyming book. Learning. Persistence. Jasper is a
bit of a disinterested learner (dragging his tentacles off to
school) and he would definitely rather juggle jellyfish than count
them. Imagine his surprise when his learning to juggle (he wants to
give up with this when it becomes too hard) also results in him
learning to count.
Rich, shiny illustrations give an under-the-sea sheen but the
illustrations falls a little flat, perhaps let down by Jasper the
octopus not having a form that allows for any facial or bodily
expression. This is disappointing as the story focuses heavily on
Jasper's attitudes to learning, failure and success and while there
is an attempt to counter this through the text ("He crumpled with a
sigh") it doesn't quite hit the mark. The little jellyfish are more
animated but they are secondary characters and singular faceted in
their emotions.
The story is an important reminder to children that learning can be
useful and fun and a nice reminder to parents and teachers that
there is more than one way to learn and that children learn best
when they are active participants engaging with the world around
them.
Nicole Nelson
And my heart crumples like a coke can by Ali Whitelock
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055342
(Age: Adult) Highly recommended. Poetry. The evocative title And
my heart crumples like a coke can struck a chord with me, and
I knew I was going to enjoy reading Whitelock's poems. Even the
cover, with the image of the poet with the direct confrontational
gaze, drew me in. If you read down the contents page, there is sure
to be something to pique your curiosity - 'what you must do you must
keep your mouth shut', 'please do not pee in the sink', 'let me eat
cake and go quietly to seed' attracted me. Other readers may be
drawn to the poem about the dog with arthritis, or the friend's
vagina, or making a chocolate cake, or dead man farting. The themes
of the poems grapple with aspects of life most of us have
experienced - death and grief, love, lies and infidelity, illness,
having babies or not having them, therapy, racism, unexpected
friendships.
The language pours out like a rant, it is blunt, there is swearing.
There are also amazing images like the crumpled coke can. There is
minimal punctuation, no capitals or full stops, but as you read the
lines, you realise there is a structure; the broken sentence with
the carefully placed word on the next line is almost like the
staggered emphasis of rap poetry.
The language pours out but it is crafted; Whitelock says that
writing a poem could take 'one week or fifty-two it depends'. And in
the poem about the not-friend in the fish and chip shop she
describes the process as 'haemorrhaging internally while reaching
for the light'. There is beauty and harshness together.
It is a slim book, easy to pick up, read, and return to again. My
husband, who does not usually read poetry but happened to pick it
up, has his bookmark at a different page to mine. We're taking turns
reading.
Helen Eddy
Hello to you, Moon by Sally Morgan
Ill. by Sonny and Biddy. Little Hare, 2017. ISBN 9781760125462
(Age: 3-5) When little people draw the curtains on the day, snuggle
down and close their eyes, little do they know that a whole
different world is waking up.
From the fading of the light through to the twinkling black and on
until the dawning of the new day, as the constellations shift across
the heavens and Moon completes its journey for another night, across
the world nocturnal creatures are getting on with their lives, each
paying homage to that timeless orb that will outlast and outlive
them as it has done for generations of their forbears. From the
kangaroo coughing at the moon at dusk in an Australian desert, to
the jungles of Asia where sun-bears snuffle and grunt and to the
still silence of the extra-long Antarctic night where penguins
scurry and honk, the planet is populated by species that prefer the
cool light of the moon to the bright heat of the sun. And while not
all of them are strictly nocturnal, nevertheless all respond to the
moon through movement and sound that little ones will like to mimic.
Stunningly illustrated in the details, textures and colours of the
night, and building as a counting story, author and illustrators
have brought the after-dark to life introducing the youngest readers
to the nocturnal world in a way that will make them want to learn
more about what else is up and about while they sleep and why they
choose dark over light. It may also encourage curiosity about the
Moon - why does it change shape; where does it go in the daytime;
why can we sometimes see it in the day and not at night - but my
favourite activity is to get them to listen to the sounds of night
falling and imagine those things that are tucking themselves in for
the night as they are and those things that are waking and greeting
their new 'day'.
Formal teaching
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
Spirit by Cherri Ryan
Ill. by Christina Booth. Black Dog Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925381771
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Perseverance, Imagination,
Adventure A powerfully emotive tale of trying again is told in spare
prose, augmented with detailed digital illustrations, sure to
attract younger children alive with curiosity about their world, and
unwilling to give in at the first hurdle.
The young girl builds a boat from scraps around her house. She sets
it to sail in the pond in the garden and is delighted when it gets
to the other side of the little sea. That night she dreams of oiling
its deck and scrubbing the sails and wonders how far it will sail
the next day. It gets across the little rivulet into her arms. The
next night she dreams again of polishing the deck and tightening the
sails and sets it off the next morning across a river. Each night
she dreams of what might be, and the next day she tries the boat
out, each time successfully. All readers will know that something
will happen to upset the routine when reading the story with its
repeated phrases but will still be concerned when the boat comes
asunder in the larger river.
What the young girl does next will gladden the hearts of the
readers, as they experience a setback in the girl's dreams, but know
that she will try again. This is a wonderfully positive story to
read with young children, reaffirming the reality of not always
being successful but encouraging them to try again.
Children will love following the adventure of the little boat in the
illustrations, going from the pond to the rivulet then the larger
river with its hazards, larger reeds and blackening skies. Christina Booth is an author illustrator and was awarded an Honour book for
"Kip" in the CBCA awards.
Cherri Ryan has a background in medicine and is always impressed
with children coping with change.
Fran Knight
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Arc of a Scythe book 2. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406379532
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction, Death,
Assassination, Artificial intelligence. In the sequel to the award
winning Scythe,
Rowan has gone rogue, turning himself into the assassin Scythe
Lucifer, taking down corrupt scythes, while Citra working with
Scythe Curie, wants to stop the corruption from inside. Meanwhile
the Thunderhead looks on, seemingly unwilling to halt the decline of
the Scythedom although working with Greyson Tolliver to protect
Citra from attacks. There is an increasing division among the new
and old order of scythes and all of humanity is threatened.
The story of Citra and Rowan unfolds in alternate chapters, with a
section at the beginning of each told in the words of the
Thunderhead, leaving the reader wondering in suspense whether this
all mighty intelligence will intervene to stop the problems that the
world is facing. The action moves along at a cracking pace, the
reader left breathless hoping that the main characters will survive
assassination attempts, imprisonment and isolation. At the same time
there is great character development, Citra begins to show her
intelligence, compassion and integrity as she prepares people for
gleaning, while Rowan continues as a merciless vigilante, still
believing in the Scythedom. The addition of Greyson Tolliver as a
conduit to the Thunderhead also adds to the plot line, which is
complex and thought provoking.
Big questions are examined in "Thunderhead": the perils of
immortality, the ethics of gleaning, and the power of artificial
intelligence, all wrapped up in stunning action. A mind blowing
cliff-hanger of a conclusion that is totally unexpected, will have
fans eagerly waiting for the next book in the series. Fans of Martha
Wells' "Murderbot" series and Jay Kristoff's "Lifel1k3"
will enjoy this book.
Pat Pledger
Kid Normal and the Rogue Heroes by Greg James and Chris Smith
Ill. by Erica Salcedo. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408884553
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Theme: Adventure, Humour. A fast-paced
humorous adventure with likeable heroes and outrageous capers, this
is another cracking adventure for Murph and the Super Zeroes
battling a truly evil supervillain and one not so evil sidekick. I
am impressed with this sequel. It jumps straight into the action, as
the Super Zeroes thwart a jewel thief with ease. It keeps up the
pace with an exciting premise and twists and turns every few
chapters, moving the story forward. The Super Zeroes think they're
in for a quiet second year at the School, but the most dangerous
supervillain (or Rogue Hero) of them all has other ideas. No-one has
been able to go near Magpie in 30 years for fear of having their
power stolen, so when Magpie summons Kid Normal to his top-security
prison cell, The Alliance seizes the opportunity to glean new
information on his crimes. The visit seems unfruitful, and frankly,
a massive let-down, but Murph is convinced there must be more to
know. A nonsense poem and a bit of digging lead the gang on their
most important mission yet.
The book strikes a great balance between plot and Greg and James's
(authors) wonderful brand of humour. The jokes fit in very well and
add much needed lightness and fun. They have managed to continue to
narrate in their unique style.
A great story to read aloud to children. Character development is
another appealing element of "Kid Normal". Murphy and his friends
all mature significantly. They learn actions can have serious
consequences and build on their friendships formed in the debut
book. We also learn much more about the adults of the Kid Normal
Universe and their pasts as well. Even grumpy, shouty Mr. Flash gets
the chance to show he's not a totally unreasonable buffoon. This
makes the book rich and well rounded.
Overall, a fabulously fun story.
Donna Isgar
Fart monster and me : The new school by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733338939
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Tim Miller and Matt Stanton have
produced a series ("Fart Monster and Me") that will entice and
engage young readers; especially boys; through their toilet humour,
hilarious and simple illustrations and easy to follow storyline. The
chapters are short enough to keep reluctant readers on task, but
they utilise lots of the frequently used words they will know with a
few challenges mixed in for good measure. This combination enabled
my son to really enjoy actually reading this book, not having it
read to him. This particular episode deals with transition to a new
school and the prospects of being embarrassed on your first day.
Will the kids believe that the stink was not caused by Ben but by
his Fart Monster?
The toilet humour is a real winner for kids from ages 5 and up (and
some adults!), with loud farts, green gas clouds, and even the
silent but deadly fart getting a mention. Mr 8 couldn't help but
smile and enjoyed the book as you can see in his review.
I really enjoyed the illustrations too, as although they are simple
line outlines, they have personality and add a lot to the story. The
text is very clear, without changes to font size and style, and with
appropriate line spacing to assist young readers. This is extremely
helpful for children of all reading levels and abilities.
This book gets 5 out of 5 for its humour, ability to draw in
reluctant readers and fantastic collaborative writing by these two
well-known authors. A must-read for all fart loving children out
there.
Lauren Fountain
Chalk boy by Margaret Wild
Ill. by Mandy Ord. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760630683
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Visual literacy, Homelessness,
Community, Social isolation. Bernard draws a boy in chalk on the
pavement outside a busy railway station in the city. People are
brushing past from all angles, hardly noticing the pavement artist
as he works. Heedless of what is happening, some of the crowd
eventually stop from looking at their mobile phones or drinking
their coffee, and watch the boy come to life. They crowd around,
taking snaps on their phones, eventually drifting off to their
destinations.
Bernard reminds the boy that life is ephemeral, but he does not
care, as life is wonderful
That night it begins to rain, and the chalk boy begins to fade.
Bernard hears his cry for help and covers him until morning, when he
will do one last picture.
This thought provoking scenario, full of reminders of the shortness
of life, of the necessity for people to connect, will draw in
readers as they see the implied criticism of our daily lives:
rushing from one place to another, neglectful of what is going on
around us, unable to see those in need in front of our eyes.
As the boy asks for help when it begins to rain, people walk over
him, one man taking a selfie with the railway station behind him,
others rugged up against the weather, intent on getting home, the
plight of the boy beneath their feet ignored.
Cartoonist and graphic comic writer, Ord has a visual freshness, a
darkly confident cartoon like style which will appeal to readers.
They will readily see the variety of people shown in her work,
appreciate the criticism of modern life and sympathise with the
street artist, whose work is ignored. Each page displays aspects of
modern life in a city, and readers will readily share what they see.
Award winning author of children's books, Margaret Wild often
surprises with her deeply felt stories of the way we are and this
will make every reader stop and take notice.
Fran Knight
Wish you were here by Michelle Blackbird
Vanguard Press, 2018. ISBN 9781784654320
(Age: 14 +) Highly recommended. Genre: Historical fiction, WW 2.
This is the story of two girls in the Netherlands caught up in World
War 2 and the German occupation. Michaela's story starts at the end
of the war. She begins her new life after being in hiding and faces
the challenges of freedom, school, and friendships. She struggles in
trying to understand about what really happened during the holocaust
as she begins her new life in freedom.
Hannie and her family were captured during the war and sent to a
concentration camp. Her story is touched on briefly as she faces the
horrors of the time. This is very challenging to the reader, and we
can feel the despair of Hannie and her family.
Two girls, two different pathways during the same war. This
compelling story not only gives you an understanding of the time but
shows us the strength the girls needed in facing the challenges
ahead of them.
I enjoyed this very moving story and readers who have loved the
"Diary of
Anne Frank" will find this a must read.
Links with "Diary of Anne Frank"
Rating 9/10
Debra Pepper
Losing the Girl by Marinaomi
Life on Earth Book 1. Graphic Universe, 2018. ISBN
9781512449105
(Age: older teens) Themes: Graphic novel, Relationships, pregnancy, friendship. Part one introduces us to Nigel
Jones, a likeable skateboarding boy living with his mum, dealing
with his parents' separation while trying to find a girlfriend. The
graphic style is simple and expressive, particularly
Nigel's hair. Small details like action indicators, unusual
perspectives and individual text types add depth and interest. Nigel
asks Emily for a date and she asks him if there is a serious side to
his joking around. They quickly get closer and he asks her if she is
a virgin. They discover they are both virgins and kiss. Part two is
from Emily's perspective. She confesses to her friend Paula that she
wants to lose her virginity to someone more memorable, like older
boy Brett Hathaway. The strong black and white graphic style comes
into its own at a party where Emily's increasing emotional
instability under the influence of alcohol and Brett Hathaway is
effectively expressed in how she is drawn. She does lose her
virginity and becomes pregnant. Older sisters and friends help
clarify her options but the emotional roller coaster is vividly
expressed. As the abortion approached Emily retreats more and more
into herself until she is a brief outline. Friendships are tested
and some harsh lessons are learnt. Part three is from Brett
Hathaway's point of view. Secretly in love with Joanna who wants to
be just friends he learns about Emily's abortion and goes to see
her. The softer grey washes are expressive, but not as engaging as
the previous styles. The Fourth section is from Paula Navarro's
perspective. Emily's not so attractive friend, draws her own
narrative in her own sketchy style. Scarred by her own abusive
relationship with Darren, she is unable to support Emily as she too
is attracted to Brett and her story is infused with guilt and
jealousy. The end is complex, incorporating colour for the first
time and returning to a thread about a missing student who may have
been abducted by aliens! "Losing the Girl" is a complex interweaving
of perspectives on the lives of ordinary suburban teens told through
their own relatable voices. We are led to feel their awkward moments
and mundane concerns interleaved with life changing decisions in a
sophisticated graphic presentation. Teens will find this appealing
though the sex and one incident of smoking drugs might preclude
younger readers. It will have wider appeal than graphic novel fans,
especially readers from non-English speaking backgrounds and less
literate students.
Sue Speck
Being a princess is very hard work by Sarah KilBride
Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781408881941
(Age: All ages) Highly
recommended. Themes: Self Esteem, Rhyming book. If you ever thought being a REAL Princess was loads of
fun, and even easy, then this funny rhyming picture book will set
you straight. Imagine sitting on a throne for hours, to practising
handshakes and waving at your subjects when all you feel like doing
is having a nap. Think of having no time to play, keeping all those
body noises inside and most definitely no nose picking. Tables
manners must be immaculate and no fussy eating allowed. Worse still
the dragons you might have to contend with, and the frogs just
waiting to be bestowed with a kiss. Having to look neat and
spotlessly clean always, which pretty much makes anything remotely
fun out of the question. Just being yourself, a REAL little girl,
moody, energetic, noisy and yes messy, of course, but also generous
and kind is so much better.
That's the opinion (anyway) of one would-be young princess's Mum and
Dad, who want their child to know that they love her for who and
what she is. The rhyming text is complimented with fabulous
illustrations with double spread pictures full of wonderful details,
many of them taken from traditional fairy tales, adding another
dimension for the reader to enjoy.
Perfect for young would-be princesses and parents that want to get
the message to their child to appreciate their "inner beauty" and
develop themselves in spite of any "quirky" traits they think they
may have.
Donna Isgar
A funny thing happened to Simon Sidebottom by P. Crumble and Dean Rankine
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781743810385
(Ages 8-12) Themes: Humour, Choose your own Adventure. A hilariously
gross laugh out loud, choose-your-own Adventure. Simon is having a
really bad day . . . a really, really, bad day! And thanks to you
it's going to become a whole lot worse.
Picture this . . . it's the final day of school holidays and all
Simon wants to do is enjoy his last hours of freedom. But . . .
Simon's Mum has other plans, which involve shopping for shoes,
accompanied by Simon's snotty faced little sister. When you see the
words, "Then a funny thing happened", that's your cue to choose
which super-embarrassing, mega-crazy adventure will happen to Simon
next.
Will he be trapped forever in a sea of sister baby snot?
Be attacked by a cranky cat called Mr. Fluffykins, and end up
experiencing mega wedgie pain?
Will he come off second best when he wrestles Tiny the Elephant?
Think gross jokes about bodily functions and dangerous stunts. YOU
CHOOSE.
"I laughed so hard I filled my nappy" - Simon's baby sister Snot
Face.
"Sorry about all the farting" - Tiny the Elephant.
This is a choose-your-own adventure with quirky fun images and crazy
humour. The font used in the book is fun and easy to read. There are
some unexpected twists throughout the story.
Donna Isgar
Dear Grandpa, Why? Reflections from Kokoda to Hiroshima by John L. Read
Wakefield Press, 2018. ISBN 9781743055762
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. The
cover shows John L. Read's grandfather Edward Mobsby and his wife
holding their year old twin daughters. It is this photograph that
sparks Read's curiosity as to what would make the father of adored
twin daughters sign up to fight a war in another country, flying
bomber aircraft over New Guinea jungle, and ultimately give his
life, shot down by the Japanese. Read's quest to understand the
motivation of the man in the photograph - obviously an elated and
proud father - leads him to retrace Mobs's steps and search out the
site of the plane wreckage and burial in New Guinea.
Read gradually comes to understand the gut-wrenching courage
required to fly the B52 planes repeatedly into enemy territory,
facing certain fire from the Japanese Zeros - and wants to know
whether the sacrifice was worth it. He is driven to research the
causes of the war in the Pacific, and questions whether we have
learnt from that time. We say 'Lest we forget' but it's not enough
just to remember the deaths and grieve, we want to make sure that we
don't repeat the same mistakes. Resource scarcity as a trigger for
war could easily occur again, and foreign aid has been cut despite
its significant role in reducing likelihood of regional conflict.
Australia seems set on a dangerous path.
In his quest for understanding, Read encounters a Japanese woman on
a similar undertaking, honouring her grandfather's death in the same
part of New Guinea. It is in Read's family's developing friendship
with Miyuki and the honest communication that they share that offers
the best hope for the future.
This compelling book is written from the heart, and easily draws the
reader in on the journey with Read seeking answers about his
grandfather's sacrifice. I recommend it to all readers, but
particularly students of World War II. It provides a personal
entry-point for understanding the events that led to the war in the
Pacific and raises many questions about what causes war and what we
should do in the future to prevent such terrible loss and waste of
life.
Helen Eddy
Tiger's roar by Alex Rance
Ill. by Shane McG. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760523916
(Ages 5+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Teamwork. Belief. A young
tiger finds himself unseated from his position at the top of the
jungle's tallest tree. He is totally devastated as he has also lost
his roar. Tiger is encouraged by his jungle animal friends to not
give up. He tries different approaches to regain his roar and claim
his spot back up the top of the tree. He practises howling like a
monkey, hopping like a rabbit and using his strength by pushing over
a tree like a rhino. But nothing he does seems to work. Finally,
some good advice from Silverback the Gorilla reminds Tiger that he
should not try to be someone he's not. Tiger needs to be himself and
use the talents that make him special, not the talents of his
friends. And it doesn't matter if he's not the King of the jungle,
as long as he's proud to be a tiger. But perhaps he will make it if
he keeps trying, and with a little help and team work from his
friends.
Inspired by the experience of his own football team, the Richmond
Tigers, working together to win the 2017 Premiership, author Alex
Rance has created an uplifting story about a tiger who learns from
others to be himself and the strength of working as a team. The
illustrations have a great sense of fun, a little quirky and each of
the characters very appealing. It emphasises teamwork and never
giving up. Good for teaching children to have perseverance and
believe in themselves.
Donna Isgar
Save the date by Mary Kay Andrews
St Martin's Press, 2018. ISBN 9781250190291
(Age: Older adolescents - Adult) Plunging us into the frenetic life
of the young woman who has chosen to be a wedding florist, whose
work begins with flowers and catapults into the full thing - the
flowers in the church (and often for the reception too), the flowers
carried by the bridal party, the decoration of the reception venue,
flowers for the bride and often advice for the bride, or sometimes
for the mother-of-the-bride, or even the groom, Mary Kay Andrews
sets up a protagonist who keeps up a pace that seems impossible to
imagine. This novel would be suitable for older adolescents and
indeed for adults intrigued by this particular world in the southern
states of the USA.
Cara Kryzik is on the rebound from an unsuccessful relationship, and
has started up her own shop to supply the luxurious floral
decorations expected for weddings, both commonly at the church and
in the wedding venue as decreed by the mores of society in the
southern US states. Her brief goes beyond the flowers that might be
carried by the bridal party, as she begins to create the
decorations, responding to the brides, for the whole ceremony and
reception, also advising on many other aspects of the wedding. The
costs are high, and not just in monetary terms, as so much is
expected by the brides, the mothers of the brides, the attendants
and indeed the family, and Kara is under enormous pressure for
almost every wedding, pre-wedding and post-wedding celebrations for
which she caters. However, the complexity of her life is extended
further as she deals with a broken marriage, a new lover, unhelpful
workers and a father who wants to run her life.
Fast-paced, like Kara's life, this novel takes us on a journey to
the southern United States, exploring the pressures exerted by the
families on the brides as well as the weight of the expectation of
perfection in every single aspect of the whole ceremony and
celebrations on that very special day. However, the underlying story
of Kara dominates, and we are drawn deeply into her family troubles,
her attempts to leave her old life behind to forge her way into a
new life, the dominating father and the element of trust that
concerns her deeply in her relationships.
Captivating and fast-paced, this delightful novel depicts southern
life so vibrantly, exploring both its expectations of family members
in their daily lives, and especially on such occasions as a wedding,
Andrews constructs a world, moreover, into which she draws us
deeply, exploring this world's complex pressures on young people to
meet and marry the right person, to display the family's success in
suitable fashion, and to impress the world around them with their
events. Its richly evocative atmosphere is the heart of this novel,
and is the core of its strength.
This novel would be suitable for adolescent readers, but would also
be a captivating story for all ages, particularly those who are
interested in the world of the southern United States, or those who
have not experienced the particular way of life that is depicted so
richly in this novel.
Elizabeth Bondar
