Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781338151763
(Age: 6-10) The Melowies are a select group of winged horses who are
born with a hidden symbol on their wings and a magical power. The 4
ancient islands of Aura are the homes of the Melowies. The Melowies
must leave their island homes and attend school at the Castle of
Destiny.
In this second book of the series, the 5 Melowies will be part of a
musical performance at the school.
This book has themes of friendship, self-confidence and jealousy.
Selene has to overcome her fear of failure and is supported by her
friends to audition for the role of Moon, explaining the title
"Melowy and the song of the moon".
These small novels are about 80 pages long and are packed with
intensely coloured illustrations. Maps at the beginning of the novel
show all the island realms of Aura and each part of the Castle of
Destiny. There is also a fact sheet on the 5 Melowies, which helped
me distinguish each Melowy when I was reading the story.
The Melowies have the same friendship issues as middle primary aged
students and these books have instant appeal with their bright
colours and fantasy Pegasus characters.
The Melowies will appeal to students aged 6-10 years old.
Jane Moore
Melowy: Dreams come true by Danielle Star
Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781338151749
(Ages 6-8) Theme: Fantasy. Short and quick to read. Magical Pegasi
go to a school for magical horses.
Aura, a 'magical land' that's 'in a distant galaxy' has four Island
realms (Winter, Spring, Day and Night) that are populated by Pegasi.
Some Pegasi are Melowies, marked with a hidden symbol on their wings
that indicate magical abilities. Melowies are summoned to school at
the 'Castle of Destiny' in the clouds. Frontmatter details these
realms, provides a map of the castle, and provides short profiles on
the five main characters.
The story opens on the day the new Melowies arrive - which also
happens to be the anniversary of Cleo's arrival day (the day she was
found mysteriously at the castle, origins unknown and no melowy
mark). The story centres on Cleo and Maya, a shy Pegasus from
Spring. During the entrance test, Cleo enters mistakenly, and Maya
asks her to stay and help, and she unsurprisingly ends up assisting
all the main characters.
The brightly coloured Pegasi have unicorn horns, highly decorative
wings, heavy eye make-up, and long flowing manes. There is not a
hint of subtlety about them. The epilogue's twist foreshadows a
threat to Aura.
Donna Isgar
The art of taxidermy by Sharon Kernot
Text Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925603743
(Age: Middle secondary) Highly recommended. Themes: Taxidermy, Verse
novel, Eccentrics. I've been excited about reading "The Art of
Taxidermy" since I heard of its upcoming release. Sharon Kernot's
novel of lyric verse is an easy to consume, highly engaging piece
dealing with love, loss, and grief. Highly recommended for fans of
Steven Herrick's "The
Simple Gift".
Charlotte is a curious little girl who is obsessed with preserving
the dead, or rather, bringing that back to life. It all starts when
she and Annie, her best friend, find a dead gecko and fall in love
with it. Charlotte watches as it decays, but that is only the
beginning. An obsession with birds follows: black birds, corellas,
sparrows, galahs . . . She loves to examine the bodies and discover
how they work. These little dead things are precious. But there is
precious little she can do when Aunt Hilda destroys her collection,
telling her that girls shouldn't play with dead things. Aunt Hilda's
concern only grows as Charlotte becomes more and more experimental
having discovered the art of taxidermy. While her father thinks her
a scientist, Hilda is more prone to worrying that the obsession with
death is unhealthy, particularly for a girl whose mother and
siblings are dead.
The novel discusses grief as something omnipresent. Charlotte is
accompanied by Annie in many of the poems and continues to be long
after the reader realises that she must be dead. It is only when
Charlotte talks about Annie that she finally disappears. The family
is haunted by death having lost Charlotte's pregnant mother, sister,
and grandfather. Constantly looked down upon by her classmates due
to her family's German heritage, Charlotte remains very much an
outsider as she learns to cope with grief sustained in her early
childhood.
Kayla Gaskell
Cicada by Shaun Tan
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780734418630
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Themes: Cicadas, Employment,
Workplace, Bullying, Difference. Unappreciated, Cicada works in a
bleak office in a very tall building. He has worked there for
seventeen years without a break. He never makes mistakes, yet his co
workers taunt and bully him because he is different. His request for
a promotion is turned down, because he is not human. He is not
allowed in the staff rest rooms. He stays late to finish his work,
yet no one thanks him. When he retires he is told to clean his desk.
He has no home, no money and no place to be. He climbs to the top of
the building, desolate and ready to say goodbye. But here something
wonderful happens and Cicada is able to show all humans that he is
made of better stuff and does not have to spend his life in the
office building, but can fly off to greener pastures.
This scintillating story, full of hope and promise that will appeal
to all those who read it. It is multi-layered, at once ruminating on
the drudgery of modern work, of bullying in the workplace, of
prejudice against those who look different, with hints about
homelessness and hopelessness but also of looking forward and of
optimism, as Cicada breaks out, paralleling the fact that cicadas
can live underground for up to seventeen years before emerging.
Tan's rich oil paintings reflect the muted colours of the dreary
work space, with Cicada's bright green just poking above his
partition.
Hints of Escher and Edward Hopper amongst others, can be spotted
within the pages, while the poem quoted on the publications page
adds another layer of meaning and interest to the story.
"Calm and serene
the sound of a cicada permeates the rock"
and Tan's clipped words reflect a minimalism which is deafening in
what it leaves out, each small stanza ending with "Tok Tok Tok"!
Each offering from Shaun Tan is breathtaking in its originality.
Fran Knight
The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408896884
(Age: 9+) Recommended. "When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore
Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet . . . Once in a
generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its
power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for
Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step
down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise. But, deep underground, someone
has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's
next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on
rekindling an ancient war." (Publisher)
This will certainly be one that does not gather dust on the shelf.
It is a gorgeous read full of adventure with magic interwoven
throughout the story-line. It is also packed with a range of
emotions allowing you to go on a true roller coaster ride. The
relationship between Fionn, his grandfather and father supports
this. Fionn is a powerful character who immediately connects with
the reader and Arranmore Island is a place we all yearn to visit. It
is certainly a clever author that can write a book that will appeal
to the younger reader and also an adult audience. I would recommend
the book for readers 9 and up and for both girls and boys. It fits
into fantasy, adventure, family and a touch of mystery. I believe
this is part of a trilogy and I am sure many children will be left
hanging and waiting for the release of the second book. A must have
for the collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
Truthers by Geoffrey Girard
Carolrhoda Lab, 2017. ISBN 9781512427790
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Themes: Conspiracy; Terrorism - 9/11;
Truth and Lies; Foster children; Identity; Mental health. Katie's
Dad has been forced into a mental institution because he claims to
know something about the 9/11 terrorism plot that could imply there
was government complicity in what happened. Is he being silenced
because he has spoken out? Is his former service in Afghanistan in
some way involved? Conspiracy or truth? Is he just a victim of drug
use and PTSD because of his former service or does he really know
something that would upset the world's perception of what actually
happened on 9/11? Katie is plunged into the drama as she tries to
find a way to free her war-hero father from this 'imprisonment' that
seems to be more than just mental health treatment. Plunged into the
"Truthers" world (conspiracy theorists acting within cyberspace and
beyond, with hackers working to uncover hidden 'truths'), she
becomes twisted and challenged by what is truth for her father and
for her own personal history.
This is a brilliantly compelling and slightly disturbing story - but
one that you won't want to stop reading. The teenaged characters are
intelligent and very likeable (and there are hints of a blossoming
romance and 'coming-of-age' drama). The plot is begging to be made
into a movie script. This author has delved deeply into the
conspiracy world and has revealed the dilemma in the cyber-world of
determining truth and of hiding information. And for Katie, there is
added mystery about her own existence and identity.
Highly recommended for ages 16 - Adult readers.
Carolyn Hull
Fart Monster and Me: The crash landing by Tim Miller and Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733338922
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. "Fart Monster and Me: The crash
landing" is the first book in the new series by the amazing authors
Tim Miller and Matt Stanton. These two have come together to write
an absolutely hilarious book that will delight all the fart loving
readers out there.
Ben Dugan is the main character who lived a pretty normal life until
the Fart Monster accidentally crashed into his life. Then the task
at hand becomes how to get him back up to planet "Let 'er Rip". They
try all the fart inducing food possible but it just does not have
the same effect as that of the space cabbage! Ben's Mum and Dad are
unable to see Fart Monster so spend the whole book thinking that Ben
has eaten something . . . . . and would certainly not believe that
there is now a Fart Monster in their house.
This book is funny. It is full of toilet words like fart, butt, gas
and explode! All things that will put a smile on the face of anyone
reading it. I would say that it is aimed at readers aged 6 and up
and as stated by Matt Stanton in the dedication "For any kid who
hasn't decided if they like reading yet - this is for you". I
totally agree. The line spacing is wonderfully wide, the text is
clear and just challenging enough to keep children engaged. Readers
who are reluctant or just not interested will be sure to find
something in this book to enjoy and work with.
The chapters are all around 6 pages long and include lots of funny
illustrations to add to the story.
Overall I would recommend this book and series to readers who enjoy
funny stories, like toilet humour and maybe don't really enjoy
reading that much - I think this series could help to change that. 5
out of 5 from me!
Lauren Fountain
Vasilisa the wise, and other tales of brave young women retold by Kate Forsyth
Ill. by Lorena Carrington. Serenity Press, 2017. ISBN
9780648103066
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Folklore. Short stories. Read
aloud. Beautifully retold by Kate Forsyth and illustrated by Lorena
Carrington, this collection of old tales had me fascinated from the
first story and I was compelled to finish the whole book in one
sitting. What a contrast to the Disney retelling of popular
fairytales and certainly one for young women who are beginning their
journey to adulthood.
The first story, "Vasilisa the wise", introduces the reader to the
terrifying witch Baba-Yaga, and helped by her little doll, Vasilisa
manages to use her wits to overcome her and escape from captivity.
Another tale that stands out was "The toy princess" who was replaced
by an automaton with limited vocabulary and who always was docile
and did the right thing, leaving the reader to ponder whether it is
better to be a free and happy peasant girl than a passive princess.
All the stories have brave, strong and intelligent young women who
are also kind and helpful. Flora is prepared to marry a giant
serpent to save her friend the prince in "A bride for me before a
bride for you", while Katie Crackernuts saves her sister from a
terrible spell, and Rosemary, a lone parent, is not prepared to give
up the search for her little son, stolen by the faery folk of Sidhe
in "The stolen child".
The stories are retold in lyrical prose by Kate Forsyth and beg to
be read aloud. At the beginning of each story is an introduction
which informs the reader of the source of the tale and when it was
first in print, and at the end of each story is a paragraph by Kate
about why she chose that story and a paragraph by Lorena telling
about the process of illustrating the story, often using photos of
Kate's and her daughters and detritus from the forest floor.
Kate says in her introduction "...we knew we wanted the stories
and the artwork to be full of darkness and peril and tension, just
as the old stories always were," and both very successfuly fulfil
that with stories and illustrations that will inspire and challenge
all readers.
This book would be a great gift for young women and is a must have
for libraries.
Pat Pledger
Let's go ABC! Things that go, from A to Z by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Illustrated by Daniel Kirk. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9780802735096
(Age: 3-6) Alphabet. Vehicles. Rhyming book. Each page of this
alphabet book contains a short rhyme about a vehicle for each letter
of the alphabet, e.g., "I pick up speed. I'm gaining height. I catch
the wind, ascend-in flight! I'm an... Airplane!" Each letter is
hidden within the illustration or placed somewhere on the vehicle,
eg. the L is the seat within the limousine. This feature, along with
the large capital alphabet spread on the endpapers, will help
children develop a visual understanding of letters. Exclamation
marks are everywhere but they do help to add to the energy of the
book. Putting the name of the vehicle at the end of the rhyme is
clever as it prompts the child to name the vehicle after the
predictive cue "I'm a... ". There is a good mix of familiar (bus,
motorcycle) and unfamiliar (iceboat, zeppelin) vehicles and features
animals as well as some other characters (santa, snowman) beloved by
children. There is lots of action within each page and the text
reads well at a fast pace, which will keep the young listener
engaged. This is noticeably American, as is always the case with
books featuring emergency vehicles, but will still appeal greatly to
little vehicle lovers, despite things looking a little different.
Children will enjoy finding the letter hidden within the picture as
well as other things that start with that letter. The illustrations
are crisp, bold and easy on the eye. This is a fun book for those
developing visual letter awareness and initial sound knowledge.
Nicole Nelson
The extremely inconvenient adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760297176
(Age: 9-13) Highly recommended. The opening sentences of this novel
make it very clear that Bronte is an orphan and has no recollection
of her parents.
"I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This
did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my
parents."
Bronte has been brought up by one of her many aunts and the butler.
Her life is contented enough until she is instructed to complete the
demands of her parent's will, an enchanted will that must be
followed or chaos will reign in her home town.
The will insists that Bronte must visit her other 10 aunts and take
a particular gift that must be given at a precise time. All this
must be accomplished without any adults accompanying her.
Each visit brings its own excitement; elves, dragons, an avalanche
and pirates are all part of the adventures.
Bronte is a brave child who takes all in her stead considering she
has had a very protected childhood. She discovers she has special
magical skills which she will call upon when she is confronted by
dark magic.
Along the way she is loved and assisted by many of her relatives.
This novel is unpredictable and all of the varied events that occur
all become clear by the end of the story. A map at the beginning of
the book helps track Bronte's travels and the text is interspersed
with black and white illustrations by Kelly Canby.
Jaclyn Moriarty is more well known for her young adult novels and
one of my favourites is Feeling sorry for Celia.
If you would like another adventure about children who have lost
their parents and are on a journey of discovery read Whimsy
and Woe by Rebecca McRitchie published in 2017.
I highly recommend this book for 9 to 13 year olds.
A short book trailer is available here.
Jane Moore
Benny Bungarra's big bush clean-up Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina
Magabala Books, 2018. ISBN 9781925360882
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Environmental care. Recycling.
Mother and daughter team, Sally Morgan and Ambelin Kwaymullina
present a brightly coloured picture book with an important
environmental message. Told from the animal's point of view, this
easy to read story focuses on the impact of human rubbish left
behind in the bush. Benny Bungarra the lizard's fun in the sun is
disturbed by strange noises, unfortunately Olive Python's head is
stuck in a plastic bottle. Benny's creative solution assists the
helpless snake and she is soon safe and ready to help him when
another creature has a problem. 'KAAR OW KAAR OW' calls Colin Crow
whose beak is tangled in fishing line. Even with a bound beak, he
explains how he became caught and Benny creatively uses a stick to
free him. The three creatures then hear another creature in pain and
set out to help Kathy Kangaroo. Benny comments about the problems
caused by human rubbish left in their bush home and comes up with a
solution, Benny Bungarra's Big Bush Clean-up. Rubbish can be
recycled, reused and humans need to be reminded to safely dispose of
broken glass, plastic containers and fishing line. All the bush
creatures happily band together to make their environment a safe and
happy one.
Ambelin Kwaymullina's bold illustrations, fun colourful creatures
and bright borders bring to life the simple but important messages
of Sally Morgan's story. Benny's bold green and purple colouring
makes him standout in his bush setting. Benny Bungarra's big bush
clean-up is an important stimulus book for Junior Primary Science
and Geography exploring how people need to care for their
environment and living things.
Rhyllis Bignell
Averil : The Master of Callus by John Barwick
Averil, book 1. Big Sky Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9781925675177
(Age: 12+) John Barwick is a widely published author of children's
information resources, many of which I have used personally for my
own children's education and recommended to students and teachers.
John has beenshortlisted in the CBC Book of the Year Awards and in
The Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing.
In this first book of the Averil trilogy series, we travel with
newly appointed Trader-Diplomat, fourteen year old Averil, on her
first trading expedition. From Averil's small desert town of Aum to
the barren rocks of Lenir Pass to Eulal and Taalmouth... and then
back again, Averil and her companions search out the evil
encompassing the lands.
Unfortunately, the author's skill in documenting detail in its
entirety has been at the sacrifice to the story so the plot seemed
to move slowly. Trees, rocks and hills were described in so many
ways at the detriment of developing the characters and their plight.
John's latest venture into junior fantasy fiction definitely
reflects his experience as a non-fiction writer of popular
educational resources.
Books 2 and 3 have been published.
Sharon Smith
The power of hope by Kon Karapanagiotidis
Harper Collins, 2018. ISBN 9781460755136
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Kon Karapanagiotidis is truly an
inspiring person - founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre,
he fights for the rights of people who have no other help available,
determined to make a difference to their lives. And though there are
many despairing and difficult times when he has to tell another
desperate refugee that their claim for asylum has been refused, the
heartfelt gratitude from those he has helped keeps him motivated to
fight on. It is difficult to read that first chapter without being
moved to tears. I am so glad there are people like him in our
society.
However what may come as a surprise to some readers,
Karapanagiotidis has not always been the confident leader and
spokesperson that we now recognise and respect. His childhood and
youth were a struggle with self-doubt and loathing. His book bravely
reveals his young insecurities, struggles with body image, and
anxiety about relationships, issues familiar to many teenagers. What
he did have were parents, migrants to Australia, who were determined
to make a good life for their children - the values that many
migrants and refugees bring to Australia: resilience, family values,
hard work, sacrifice, and courage. Those values provided the
groundwork of his life.
As a teenager, a turning point for him was a book - Martin Luther
King's "Strength to love" with its call to 'honour your integrity,
honour your inner voice and spirit', and most especially not to
stand by but to take a stand at times of challenge and controversy.
Karapanagiotidis discovered 'the fire in his belly'.
That inner fire led to many roles working with the disabled, the
homeless, the most needy people in society, and then ultimately to
starting a project to help the many people in Melbourne seeking
asylum but with nowhere to turn for food or aid. That humble
beginning led to the establishment of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
now an established charity completely independent of government
funding, that provides practical support, health care, legal aid and
advocacy services to refugees both in Australia and in off-shore
detention.
This book could be seen as a call to conscience for adults but I
would suggest it for younger readers as well - the issues of sorting
out identity and meaning in life would resonate with teenagers,
particularly finding personal power in a society that doesn't meet
youthful ideals. Throughout the book, particular sentences are
picked up and bolded on a page, as inspirational quotes that can
easily be found on flicking through, serving as reminders to each of
us to go forth with passion, purpose and hope.
Helen Eddy
Duck! by Meg McKinlay
Ill. by Nathaniel Eckstrom. Walker Books, 2018, ISBN 9781925381535
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Humour, Farm animals, Word
play, Ducks. When the duck comes running across the hills to the
other farm animals calling out 'duck' they are all nonplussed. Yes
they know he is a duck, and describe his attributes, comparing them
to their own. So the horse tells him that he is small and wobbly,
while the horse is noble and tall, and just as he is about to
continue, the duck calls out 'duck' once again. This time the cow
takes up the response, telling the duck that he has cloven hooves
whereas the duck has webbed feet, and just as he is about to go on,
the duck calls 'duck' again. So the laughter continues with the duck
ignoring the advice being given, insisting on saying 'duck' to all
the animals he sees, until right at the end the animals realise that
it is not his description the duck is calling, but something more
sinister.
This hilarious book uses repetition and humour to engage younger
readers who will see the attributes of each animal and learn about
the animals that live on a farm, while enjoying the humour behind
the exasperation of each as they try to teach the duck about what he
is. The appealing illustrations give a wonderful flare to the
animals and their concern that they are simply not getting through
to the duck, and the duck's exasperation with the others as the
weather in the background gets wilder. Children will love the joke
even more when they read the sign stating where the farm is, and an
astute teacher will have "The Wizard of Oz" DVD on hand. Classroom
ideas are available.
Fran Knight
If I was prime minister by Beck and Robin Feiner
ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733338953
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Prime ministers, Leaders. Beginning
with a few words about why Australia is great, then going on to tell
us about what a prime minister does and how many we have had since
Federation, the book takes a corner and asks various young people
what they would do if they became prime minister, the aim being that
any prime minister should make Australia as good as it can be.
Each page is dedicated to displaying one child's idea of how a prime
minister could make changes, and unsurprisingly they are all very
similar to the aims of adults, but told in a very different way.
Many of us seem to want the same things: a clean ocean, everyone to
have somewhere warm and safe to sleep, a reduction of cars on the
road, keep the environment safe, people to talk to each other and so
on, but in the hands of children, the way to achieve these aims
takes us on quite different paths.
Submarines should be used to scoop all the waste from the ocean says
one, kolas should be trained to spot people doing the wrong thing n
the environment, all people coming here should be given a great big
hug, and a rollercoaster should be built above roads for people to
get to their destination more quickly. All different, unusual,
outside the box and fascinating, the ideas presented here will be
sure to prompt discussion and debate.
I love the ones that show people coming together, as with one that
suggests that all children should get together for a corroboree, or
all immigrants should be welcomed with a hug or the last one which
suggests that all leaders should be invited to bounce on a
trampoline together. The images of these, especially the last one,
conjure up kept me laughing for a while. All are fascinating,
reflecting a child's view, reducing the concerns of many Australians
to its simplest level, making the reader see that it is something
that can be overcome. But what does the reader think they would do
as prime minister? It is an open book.
Fran Knight
