Reviews

Max Champion and the great race car robbery by Alexander McCall Smith

Ill. by Kate Hindley. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408886137
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Themes: Motor car racing. Criminals. Values. Good versus evil. When Max discovers that his grandfather was the inventor of the Champion motor cars he is stunned to discover that the greedy Mr Grabber had stolen his ideas and his car, Arabella, many years ago. Max decides to try and find a way to get back what his grandfather had lost.
Even though the Champions are poor they are very happy and always honest. Grandfather Gus is philosophical about the loss of his inventions, his mother works hard at her sandwich making business and Max mows lawns to help out. When his mother has to make a mountain of sandwiches for Mr Grabber, Max helps out and it is in the Grabber's mansion that Max uncovers some of the secrets that the Grabbers have been keeping.
This is feel good story of the poor but honest Champion family overcoming the rich and dishonest Grabber family, as Max manages to overcome all the difficulties he faces, and in a wild car race, finally wins out. Kate Hindley's illustrations bring the story to life and add an element of humour that children will delight in.
Permeating the story are the values of decency and honesty, working hard doing the right thing. Grandfather Gus has some very pertinent advice to give Gus amidst the excitement of his hiding from the villains, a thrilling car chase and winning out in the end.
This would make a great read aloud story and give rise to much discussion when values are being examined in the classroom.
Pat Pledger

Let me lie by Clare Mackintosh

Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9780751564877
(Age: Adult - Older adolescent) Themes: Mystery and suspense. Suicide. Grief. The dedication at the start of the narrative positions us perfectly to be led into a complex story of love, loyalty and betrayal, with Clare Mackintosh's choice of Benjamin Franklin's wise words to precede the narrative: "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead". Indeed the use of "lie" in the title of the book itself is enigmatic, as we begin to realize what has happened.
Single mother, Anna, has an eight-week old child, Ella, with her partner, Mark, the psychologist she had been seeing since the disastrous disappearance of her parents, in what appears to have been separate suicides. Prior to the opening of the narrative, we learn, Anna's parents appeared to have run a successful car sales business for many years, apparently making money and in a successful personal relationship. However, the manner of their deaths, apparently suicide, and the things that Anna begins to discover suggest that all was indeed not well. This is where Murray, the retired policeman who is fascinated by the mystery, decides to investigate privately, both to help Anna, who is dismayed, afraid and angry, and to answer the questions that puzzle him.
Apart from the obvious lack of care of their daughter, having been somewhat venomous and not particularly loving parents, Anna had thought her life to be predictable and normal. She discovers, gradually, that all had not been well, that her parents had cared little for her and for each other, and she has been devastated by the lies that had filled her life and the dreadful events that appear to have occurred.
This book is imbued with a sense of decency, in how we should treat one another, how we should respond to tragedy, how indeed we should live in today's complex and often difficult world by caring for, and recognizing, the humanity and goodness of others. Tense, disturbing and at times shocking, this new novel tells a good story and leaves us understanding the terrible nature of some people, and of the hidden secrets and venom of some people's lives. Mackintosh elicits strong emotions in the reader as we begin to understand what others find the strength to do, not only to survive, but to approach life with love, hope, loyalty and respect so that they, and we, can live justly, if we are lucky, in this sometimes very daunting and dark world.
This book is suitable for adults and older adolescents, as it does deal with admirable and honourable attributes of humanity, tainted by the presence of betrayal, cruelty and violence.
Elizabeth Bondar

Tommy Bell Bushranger Boy series by Jane Smith

Big Sky Publishing, 2018.
Gang of Thieves. Book 5. ISBN 9781925675238
Mrs Thunderbolt. Book 6. ISBN 9781925675320
(Ages: 7-10) Themes: Time travel, Bushrangers. Author Jane Smith presents two new time travel stories with "Gang of Thieves" and "Mrs Thunderbolt". She weaves factual information into the fictional account of young Tommy Bell who time slips between the present day and the era of history when bushrangers ranged throughout the bush.
"Gang of Thieves" sees Tommy preparing for his school camp. Unfortunately he has to leave his special friend Combo his horse behind. The only hat Tommy brings is his special cabbage tree hat and he know the consequences for wearing it, slipping back in time one hundred and fifty years. The strict camp director Mr Porter forces Tommy's hat on his head and when his vision clears he's at Ben Hall's campsite. They've met before and discuss what's happened with Hall's gang. Tommy is caught in a dangerous situation when Ben Hall and his mates raid a local store, stealing supplies, food even jewellery. He chooses to leave with the bushrangers even though they've robbed the Solomon's and had a gun fight. Tommy stays with the gang outsmarting the law, until Ben Hall rides out to see his girlfriend and their son. Police Superintendent Pottinger has deliberately set fire to their cabin. Hall's family is safe and he tells Tommy to leave this troubled life and return home. Tommy reappears in the midst of a stream where his friends are panning for gold. Just after Francis finds some specks in his pan, Mr Porter shoves Tommy's hat back on his head. Both present and past cause Tommy to think about how adult's conduct their lives and the choices they make.
Smith's sixth novel "Mrs Thunderbolt" takes Tommy into the Outback for an exciting pony camp. With his bay horse Combo along, they are ready for long rides across the floodplain. When he finds himself lost in the bush, Tommy puts on his special hat and time slips to meet Captain Thunderbolt's Aboriginal wife Mary Ann and their two children. After the family is arrested with stolen goods, Tommy rides along to help them. Quick-thinking Mary Ann pretends to be in labour and forces the policemen to take them to Wilby Wilby Station. Two days later Fred Ward (Captain Thunderbolt) and his gang return and raid the station before leaving on their stolen thoroughbred horses. Tommy learns more about the family on the long ride to Tamworth. He once again faces a moral dilemma to help with the robbing of a mail coach or not. Tommy slips back to the present, then back to help prove Mary Ann's innocence and help her be free from false imprisonment.
Jane Smith's "Tommy Bell Bushranger Boy" series of books are easy to read with Pat Kan's bold block prints both visually appealing and informative. These junior novels are an excellent History resource providing an understanding of the life and times of this era. They are an easy to use research tool - comparing and contrasting daily life, transport and the motives behind the bushrangers' actions.
Rhyllis Bignell

Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378627
(Ages: 3-6) Themes: Fish, Appearance. Coral Reef City is filled with some of the most colourful and fabulous fish of the ocean. A flurry of action words ("dashing, flashing, swirled") echo the movement of the sea seen in the illustrations, which feature minimal background detail comprised of white line drawings and speckled shades of matte blue, making the fish and colourful coral stand out. All of the pages are double page spreads to give the full panoramic experience of the sea. Poor Terry . . . in the midst of such a vibrant world he is plain blue and a very average fishy shape. He does have two great friends, Cilla the crab and Steve the sea snail, but as much as he loves playing with them (he is really good at hide-a-fish), he longs to be part of the tropical fish crew (they call him "Terry the DULL fish" and are definitely not interested in his silly games). After fancying himself up with colourful bits and bobs, Terry is finally able to join the popular gang, but when they run into a spot of bother, it's Terry's hiding skills that save the day. After this Terry realises that standing out isn't always great and starts to take pride in what makes him unique and special. The illustrations are beautiful but as a whole the book is let down a little by the text which lacks suspense and drama, especially when read aloud. In addition, while the story attempts to show that brains are superior to beauty it doesn't do this in a way that will be obvious to a very young audience.
Nicole Nelson

I Love You Dino-Daddy by Mark Sperring

Ill. by Sam Lloyd. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893449
(Ages: 3-6) Themes: Fathers, Rhyming book. As a republication of a 2015 title, initially published as "Dino-Daddy", this puffy hardcover book has a shiny foil title that somehow makes it seem cheap at first glance. However, on opening it contains first-rate illustrations (the cover illustration is overshadowed by the glittery text and stars) and a rather lovely rhyming text. The dinosaur family are a beautiful vibrant green with rich facial expressions and oodles of energy. The pictures are imbued with a sense of fun, chaos and craziness that many kids will identify with as how it feels to hang out with dad. Hands-on, rough and tumble play, silly magic tricks and jokes on dad when he falls asleep on the couch are all accounted for. This is gender stereotypical, with dad being the fun, slightly irresponsible parent, but entertaining nonetheless (and you could always swap Daddy for Mummy when reading). The simple, rhyming text reads aloud well ("And though he has a list of jobs he has to dino-do, he always seems to find the time to play a game . . . or two!") and the humorous illustrations do a lot of the talking. A great Father's Day gift or read aloud that celebrates time spent together.
Nicole Nelson

Master of stillness, Jeffrey Smart by Barry Pearce

Wakefield Press, Revised edition, 2018. ISBN 9781743053393.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. "Master of stillness" is the perfect title for this beautiful book which through its collection of photographic images traces the evolution of the art of Jeffrey Smart, born in Adelaide then eventually resident of Italy for 5 decades. The artworks are grouped by locations - Adelaide, Sydney, Rome and Tuscany - but if when you read Rome and Tuscany you expect images of ancient architecture, villas and rolling hills, you'll be surprised to see here modern landscapes of fences, roads, and concrete slabs, for it is Smart's fascination with lines, planes and shapes that dominate his work.
He wrote, "people often think concrete structures ugly... But the play of light on the precast slabs, the mystery of the building is beautiful to me."
They are 'still' paintings, quiet, the human figure mostly a minor point, an intersection of lines, or an indicator of scale. Clearly Smart had a mastery of the human form, seen most impressively in, 'Wine carriers', 'On the roof, Taylor Square' and 'Morning practice, Baia' but usually the human figure is strangely lonely in the urban landscape, the human element even ominously lonely with the depiction of the empty pram on the beach in 'Holiday resort' and 'Approaching storm by railway'.
Turning the pages of this book, it is fascinating to trace the development of the artist's discovery of beauty in lines, textures and shapes, from the early examples of still life, to the buildings and fences, roads and bridges, leading to his last and ultimate work 'Labyrinth', with the portrait of H.G. Wells, a small figure placed in the maze of straight stone walls with shadows making triangles amid the rectangular shapes.
This book is a wonderful celebration of a great Australian artist - it is a book to treasure, and deserves a place in the art section of every library.
Helen Eddy

Clash of the keepers by Mitchell Starc and Tiffany Malins

Ill. by Philip Bunting. Mighty Mitch book 3. Scholastic, 2018, ISBN 9781742769158
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Cricket. Sportsmanship. Australian international cricketer Mitchell Starc continues his popular Mighty Mitch series in Clash of the keepers. Suffering a loss to Marshall Spark is quite a blow to young Mitchell; he is shocked to lose the cricket-keeping contest. Mitchell determines to turn the tables around. The story begins with the Wander Hill Wombats on the way to a special coaching clinic, with his dad driving and annoying Oli singing over fifty-eight verses of the same song. At the name-tag table Mitchell accidentally takes Marshall Spark's tag, and this meeting comes back to make problems for Mitch all day. Marshall becomes his arch-enemy and a fierce competitor.
When Marshall arrives on Saturday to join Mitch's team, things go from bad to worse, when Mitchell's normal wicketkeeping position and his gold gloves are taken over by Marshall. There's plenty of action, drama and some great cricketing tips provided. Young Mitchell's decision to make Marshall looks stupid makes problems for the rest of the team. Backfiring pranks played by both boys add to the fun of the story.
Mitchell Starc's own memories of his early days, his encouragement of young players, lots of statistics and encouragement of sportsmanship are relatable elements in this junior novel.
This is a popular genre now, across many Australian sports and the books are proving popular with sporting fans. Philip Bunting's very simple cartoons show the team's cricketing skills and the results of the different pranks. Clash of the keepers is one for fans from 8-10 years.
Rhyllis Bignell

What will I do when I grow up? by Margherita Borin

Berbay Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780994384157
What will I do when I grow up by Margherita Borin is a picture book that as the title suggests, discusses a variety of careers people can do when they grow up. It centres around the high street of a town (or the Main Street as we know it in Australia) and focusses on a Chef, Builder, Scientist, Teacher and an Artist.
Each vocation is explained in a simple way, in respect to what the person may do, what instruments or equipment they may use and other things that may be involved with the job. Each section also ends with the question 'Would you like to be a... when you grow up" leaving it open for discussion with the reader.
Each of the jobs also has multiple pages of illustrations showing areas within the workplace and the actual equipment that may be used. For example - the chef section shows a kitchen, chef's uniform, utensils (knives, pots and pans, scales, blenders, mixers and graters to name a few), and a whole page of raw and cooked ingredients. The builder shows a work site, machinery and building equipment.
When reading this with my kids it was a good tool to talk about what they knew about these jobs and if they liked any of them. We also spent a lot of time looking at all the different pictures, naming them and how they can be used. Obviously there are a lot more jobs in the world than these 5 but it is a good introduction to the idea of a career and also an understanding of what adults do and who is behind many of the things we love i.e. How was our house built? Who cooks our dinner at a restaurant? How can we cure diseases and learn about the world? Who will we meet at school? We give it 3.5 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain

The silver sea by children from the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne with Alison Lester and Jane Godwin

Melbourne with Alison Lester and Jane Godwin
Affirm Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925584745
"Let's go down to The Silver Sea,
Come on, I'll hold your hand."
Take a journey with two little children as they explore what is beneath the waves in this magical adventure created by young people at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne with Australian authors Alison Lester and Jane Godwin.
Inspired by a multi-storey aquarium that was once part of the RCH environment, and created during a series of drawing workshops with the young patients, this is a stunning collaboration that features the rhythmical lullaby-like text of Lester and Godwin and the distinctive artwork of children that can never be replicated by adults. From splashing with the dolphins and seals in the waves to deep down in the indigo depths and back home again through diving shearwaters, the vast array of sealife is brought to life through the eyes and hands of the children.
Little ones will be inspired to create their own images of what they might see if they were able to go on an adventure like the children in the story, while older readers might like to investigate some of the creatures that they encounter. There is nothing quite so entrancing as seeing a leafy sea dragon in amongst the seaweed - an enduring memory of my scuba diving days - and wanting to know more about them!
All proceeds from the book's sales go to the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, making an extra reason for ensuring this utterly charming story is in your collection.
Barbara Braxton

Monsters by Anna Fienberg

Ill. by Kim Gamble and Stephen Axelsen. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293369
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Monsters, Fear, Confidence, Friendship. This beautifully presented picture book will have readers enthralled at the everyday things: plants, furniture, curtains, even a clothesline, that harbour a monster or two. They are peeping out from every corner of each page, scaring poor Tildy witless. She sees them when she goes to sleep, when she wakes, when she walks down the garden path.
They make her feel scared, and her parents try to comfort her without success.
At school a new boy called Hendrik sits next to her and draws monsters instead of listening in class. Tildy is eager, he is unafraid of the monsters, telling her he kills them with his sword.
Later he asks her to come and play and stay overnight in his tent in the backyard. Tildy is pleased to go but when night comes around she becomes fearful and wants to go home. When she tells him that she wants to go, he is upset saying that he thought they were friends. She tells him why she does not wish to stay. Hendrik knows just what to do, and he draws her monster, helping her defuse her fear.
This lovely book about confronting your fears and sharing them with others, will be a treat to read out loud in class, encouraging children to look closely at the wonderfully descriptive illustrations.
Kim Gamble, who has illustrated many of Fienberg's books, died during the development of this book and the finishing was taken on by Stephen Axelsen, illustrator and friend. The finished product is stunning, with monsters peering out from every corner of the page. Fans will relish the touches of Tashi in this book dedicated to the memory of one of Australia's finest illustrators, Kim Gamble.
Fran Knight

The New Kid : Unpopular me by James O'Loghlin

Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760554255
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. "The New Kid Unpopular Me" is a hilarious story about being the new kid in school. If it can go wrong it will! Sam is 11 and has just moved to Canberra with his family. He has already been targeted by the class bully, has only made one friend who is pretty unpopular and his mum keeps buying him rather embarrassing clothing. Sam is lonely. He won't admit it and he wants to be a good friend to his only new friend Gary. Sam decides he has to make Gary more popular to help himself become more popular. Will it happen during the school camp? Will fireworks be a good idea? Could the school play help Sam become more popular?
"The New Kid Unpopular Me" is a fun read with several embarrassing moments along the way. Sam's mum is just as embarrassing in the situations Sam finds himself in. Readers who have been to a new school will relate to the exaggerations in the story telling. It would be a great read aloud for the classroom thanks to its easy to read and descriptive text. The situations Sam gets himself into are also good for discussing feelings during the Child Protection Curriculum. It is highly recommended for independent reader aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster

Bab Sharkey and The Animal Mummies: The weird beard by Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts

Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies Book 1. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760650001
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Ancient Egypt, Humour, Time travel, Adventure. Award-winning Australian comedian Andrew Hansen, best known for "The Chaser", has teamed up with his wife, designer Jessica Roberts, to create this series of funny books, beginning with Bab and his exploration of Ancient Egypt.
This is a time travel with a difference, as our hero, twelve-year-old Bab Sharkey picks up a beard in the Egyptian desert, which attaches to his face. He is transported back in time and is now the pharaoh with some very odd powers. Bab befriends some unusual beings, a pair of undead animals wrapped in bandages called Scaler the Fish Mummy and Prong the Ibis Mummy. But the previous owner of the Beard, the ancient and evil sorceress the Unpharaoh, wants her beard back. While having the time of his life in Ancient Egypt, Bab learns more about his amazing place and it is all there for middle to upper readers who have a distinctly wacky sense of humour, and love a fast paced story served up with fun, tongues lodged firmly in cheeks, set against a fascinating background.
Fran Knight

The hole by Kerry Brown

Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733335235
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Animals, Problem solving. Walking through the woods, a squirrel comes upon a hole on the path way she is using. Peering in she falls, and clings onto the top of the hole, hoping that she has not woken the beast that lives below. An ostrich passing by offers to help, and peering into the hole, becomes stuck as well. Then three small monkeys happen by and soon all five are hanging from the top of the hole.
Told in rhyming stanzas, full of alliteration, repetition and fun, the verses will be a treat read out loud, inviting listeners to predict the last lines of each couplet, and learning when some o the repeated words will appear, and so say them along with the reader. The use of the word, 'Then ...' at the end of some of the pages will appeal to the readers as they are asked to predict what will happen over the page.
The soft illustrations depict all the animals with affection, and the looks on their faces will appeal to the young readers, underlining the concern abut what lies beneath.
A field mouse happens by and also gives a hand, especially when the monster below stirs. The whole troupe hears its scritching sound and as it gets closer, so the readers will sit up and take notice. A wonderful resolution occurs, an they all sit down to eat what was in the squirrel's basket.
With some nods to fairy tales, the story will be a wonderful read aloud and engage children in developing ideas around problem solving.
Fran Knight

The coldest girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Changing gear by Scot Gardner

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760631468
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Journeys. Road trip. Western Victoria. Merrick tosses in his final weeks of school, just before his year twelve exams, to take off on his beloved motorbike and see what happens. Seemingly with no particular aim to begin with, he finds more than he expected, walking side by side with a homeless man, a tramp who has plied the roads for over thirty years.
I love the story on the road, but found the early interaction with his peers heavy going, as he seemed so out of touch with them, a watcher rather than one of the group. Once on the road this persona falls away and he is able to breathe the fresh air, see the horizon and just ride. That is until his chain breaks, out on a dirt road miles from Dimboola. But Merrick has made some bad choices: leaving behind his wallet, not taking essentials like matches and toilet paper and not taking anything to repair his bike. So finding the philosophical old man tramping between the towns, offering advice, helping with things like how to clean your bottom without loo paper, is serendipitous, leading Merrick to understand just how and why he is here.
Based partly on Gardner's own motorbike trip around Australia, meeting a man who formed the basis of Merrick, enjoying the freedom of the open road, this story reflects the journey of many, that of finding out where they belong in a confusing world.
The banter between Merrick and Victor exposes the eighteen year old to the reader, and they will see his ideas about who he is and his place in the world develop as he travels further from home.
Gardner writes stories that reveal the stress of boys growing up to be young men, confused at what life offers, unsure of where they fit in with other people, particularly girls, often putting on a brave face, but in this case, having that mask questioned by an old man, one who has seen everything in his years on the road.
Fran Knight