HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780733335983
(Age: 7+ years) Highly recommended. Max Walbert is the boy who can
make others laugh, the funny kid. Only . . . he's lost his funny. On
the eve of Redhill's local talent quest, Max pulls a prank on his
new teacher, but nobody laughs. By the time the auditions come
around, Max has managed to put a lot of people off side, including
the other entrants. His best friend Hugo remains on his side, but
after a few poor life choices of late, Hugo is now angling to be
Max's life coach. Begrudgingly and after being spectacularly heckled
by a clown named Tumbles, Max accepts that to win the talent quest
he is going to have to find some new material. But then his grandpa
goes missing from the nursing home, and Max suddenly has a lot more
serious matters to consider; especially when he is the one who
discovers that his Grandpa has been kidnapped.
Children from about seven or eight will find the style of this book
very easy to read.
This novel is for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom
Gates and similar. It took me a little while to work out that
the speech used by comic pictures in the book was part of the text
and not separate from it, but kids familiar with this style would
pick it up straight away. From the outset, the novel will have
readers laughing out loud. Max's narrative, for a book about a kid
who is unfunny, is definitely fun to read. Author Matt Stanton is
definitely creating a reputation for himself in comedic prose,
including upcoming titles in the Funny Kid series, Fart
Monster series and This is a Ball series.
This book comes highly recommended for middle Primary years students
and also for reluctant readers.
Clare Thompson
Witch snitch by Sibeal Pounder
Witch Wars series. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408892046
(Age: 9-10) Recommended. Sibeal Pounder's Witch Snitch : The
Inside scoop on the witches of ritzy city is another addition
to the popular Witch Wars series. This book is all about
Tiga's first Witchoween, which is a celebration of how wonderful
witches are if you were wondering, and her entry into the film world
when she is asked to help make a documentary about the most
interesting witches in Sinkville. There are 18 fantastic,
interesting witches for them to interview and each one for their own
special reasons. One develops the bestselling mouldy jam cat food
with a hint of fairy flavour, another the owner of a secret cafe and
another who has a museum dedicated to mermaids and owns over 100
pairs of mermaid -print leggings. All interviews scenarios are
funny, and filled with problems to be solved by Tiga and her crew.
Although it is part of a series I found that it was a good
standalone book as the book is full of character profiles, craft and
cooking activities and fun facts about the witches of the Witch Wars
fame. Dedicated fans of this series or newcomers could easily follow
the ideas and create their own Witch Wars party as intended by the
author.
This book is quite girly, in that there is a lot of talk of fashion,
style and fairies, plus the majority of the characters are female.
It would be ideal for a reader who struggles with the jump to longer
chapter books as the illustrations and activities provide a nice
interlude and distraction if needed.
I particularly enjoyed the funny character names such as Fluffanora,
Sluggfey and Melodie McDamp! I think young readers will find the
humour in these names.
Sibeal Pounder's writing is lively and interesting, keeping readers
entertained and hooked to the story. I have not read any of the
other Witch Wars stories, however if they are written in the same
way then I feel that this would be wonderful series for readers
around 9/10 years old.
Lauren Fountain
The Getaway by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 12. Penguin, 2017. ISBN
9780143782797
(Age: 7-12) Recommended. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway
is the 12th book in the long standing, award winning series by Jeff
Kinney. Just as in book 9 The long haul, this story depicts
the Heffley family going on vacation. The structure of the book is
the same as the previous titles, written in a diary style and filled
with the line drawn pictures that are synonymous with this series.
As usual there are many struggles and issues that Greg and his
family face. From the beginning there are problems and it is easy to
see that this is not going to be the relaxing Christmas break that
they had hoped for.
The issues include a fear of flying, navigating unknown and
interesting local animals, annoying parents, and stomach troubles to
name a few! Most of these would be very real to children when on
holidays and I think that this book, even though it is total
fiction, deals with them in a funny way and shows that even after
all sorts of incidents and problems you can still enjoy a holiday
with your family.
It is over 200 pages long, however it is an easy read with the
pictures adding interest and especially humour to the story. It is
written for primary school aged children and it fits this criteria
perfectly. The topics are relevant, it is very funny and the
illustrations mean that even children who are not confident readers
will find enjoyment in the series. There was not as much toilet
based humour as in the previous books I have read, but the tropical
paradise holiday craziness makes up for that.
This is the 4th book of this series that I have read and I can see
why so many children love it. I recommend this book to children aged
7-12, especially readers who may struggle with longer chapter books
as the pictures break up the text very nicely. I give it 4/5.
Lauren Fountain
We're going on a bear hunt (Snowglobe Gift Book) by Michael Rosen
Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406377736
(Age: 2-7) This is a special edition of the classic 1989 picture
book, featuring a snow globe window in the front cover. The timeless
picture book depicts a long journey and a quick retreat. It can be
chanted, sang or read and is just as well known now as a standalone
song. Part of its charm is that children of all ages love joining in
with the sound effects ("swishy swashy!", "Squelch squerch!") and
the catchy refrains.
It is a favourite of educators because it is enjoyed by children of
all ages and provides opportunities for many follow-on activities.
The last page, where the bear walks alone on the beach, also
provides a great discussion point. This is an attractive new version
of the book, but is probably suited to home libraries rather than
public or schools due to the plastic snow globe insert in the cover.
While it is fairly sturdy it does make the book more prone to
damage.
Nicole Nelson
You belong to me by Colin Harrison
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408886298
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Themes: Murder; Greed; Maps; Drama
(Thriller). You Belong to Me! Greed, jealousy, desire and ambition
clash violently in this tense drama set in New York amongst the
upwardly mobile and the rich and well-connected. Paul Reeves, the
central character is a twice married, but now single lawyer with a
passion for old maps of the New York region. This passion borders on
obsession and impacts his current relationships and direction. His
neighbour, Ahmed Mehraz, is of Iranian extraction and has
successfully risen to great heights within American society and
particularly in the complex world of global business. His beautiful
wife, Jennifer, is an adornment and possibly a 'possession' that
might prove to be a future political asset as proof of his
'neo-American' success, but she hides a past with rough edges. Into
this cauldron of external success and the rise-to-the-top arrives an
ex-flame for Jennifer, an all-American ex-serviceman - William
Wilkerson, whose relationship with Jennifer fractures the surface of
the veneer of success. The successful Ahmed sets in motion an
engineered solution to prevent the interloper from destroying his
plans for the future and with Paul and Jennifer also embroiled in
keeping William from Ahmed's attention, the circumstances of their
life become very complicated. Tension, violence, and organised crime
enter the otherwise perfect world of the richly connected
neighbours. Even though past horrors of Tehran's history have been
left behind for the Mehraz family, the reader feels the tension as
current horrors involving Mexican assassins and murder slowly twist
what seemed to be glamour and success into a miry mess. And into all
of this we see the wheeling and dealing of Paul Reeves as he tries
to get his hands on his own prized possession - an antique map of
New York.
Harrison has written a slowly ratchetting thriller, that uses New
York and its locale as a contributing influence in the tension. I
loved the insight into Antique Map collecting and the
uber-successful business world with its flashy botoxed-facade as the
setting for this slow-burn tense drama. With some quite violent
moments, this is not for the faint hearted, and definitely for an
adult audience as jealousy, sexual pursuit and obsession take over -
who belongs to whom?
Recommended for adult readers who enjoy the Drama/Thriller genre
(with some violence)
Carolyn Hull
We see everything by William Sutcliffe
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408895986
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. War. Terrorism. Drones. Using drones
to target and kill people who are enemies of the regime is given a
sophisticated outing in this menacing dystopian novel by award
winning author, William Sutcliffe.
Alan is a failure to his single mother. Disinterested in school he
seems to have no drive but gaming is his passion and he is chosen to
train for a position within the government secret service, to use
drones to watch and kill terrorists. Alan loves the uniform, the
money, the prestige but finds his mother is appalled that he has
taken such a job.
Meanwhile in The Strip, an area within Central London full of
homeless and displaced people, bombed out of their homes, surrounded
by no go zones and barbed wire, Lex takes on a courier job for his
activist father, taking messages to houses within the ruined city
where they live, aware of drones constantly overhead monitoring
their every move. People caught in The Strip still manage to live
with handouts and aid, some things smuggled in via the tunnels.
Lex's ability with gaming gives him an edge with his deliveries, he
knows how to avoid detection, to check out the route ahead, to stay
safe and so learns his role quickly. He uses money earned selling
cigarettes to buy himself a secondhand bike and this gives him some
freedom, but Alan watching from above, sees a boy and his
relationship with his father helping him restore the bike, a
closeness he has never known. He becomes involved with the two that
he watches, developing an empathy for them both, the boy only a
little younger than he, the father teaching him things possibly
meant to help him survive when he is gone.
Set in London, Lex's life is bound by a small section of the inner
city, with barbed wire keeping them contained, but it could be
anywhere, and astute readers will make the link between other places
around the world where people are suffering behind walls, contained
in bombed surroundings, often refugees in their own country,
tunnels, bombing and barbed wire all part of their everyday lives.
And this story shows us that the watched and the watchers are people
living out their lives surviving as best they can. But in this case
the drones are a formidable piece of armory.
Told in alternate chapters, one from The Strip where Lex delivers
his messages, and the other from the control room, where Alan
watches, guiding his drone to collect information. But the day is
coming when Alan will be asked to use his drone to kill.
The film 'Eye in the sky' (2015) introduced audiences to the
power of using drones, and this is shown with more intimacy in this
book as Sutcliffe reveals the two boys and what motivates them,
their lives coming inexorably closer. A thriller that is sure to
engage the most jaded of readers, the links to the gaming world are
intoxicating.
Fran Knight
The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681195278
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Genetic
engineering. Utopias. Friendship. Megan Frazer Blakemore's science
fiction novel The Firefly Code explores friendship and life
in the beautifully crafted utopian world of Old Harmonie. Everything
from a regulated diet to strict guidelines for living is adhered to
by the residents. Parents can genetically design their children and
when they have their thirteenth birthday they learn their genetic
makeup and choose their latency a special gift.
Twelve year old Mori and her friends, Julia, Theo and Benji live in
cookie cutter houses on Firefly Lane. They love riding their bikes,
swimming and hanging out together. Mori's curious about the history
of her environment, and she loves to explore deep in the woods right
near the fence separating the outside world from hers. When new girl
Ilana moves into the vacant house, she seems to be too perfect, and
the friends are curious about her textbook life and family, her past
and her sometimes strange behaviour.
Mori and Ilana form a special bond; Mori's inquisitiveness is piqued
by Ilana's actions causing her to carefully observe her behaviours.
The two girls build a secret retreat they call 'Oaksedge' in the
woods, a special retreat where Mori nurtures her special trees. When
the friends decide to explore the abandoned house left by the
founders of Old Harmonie, friendships are tested and questions are
raised. Mori takes Dr Varden's notebook explaining the origins of
the society based on genetic engineering of bees and their
behaviour. With an unexpected fire, the disappearance of Ilana and
Mori's determination to uncover more about her great-grandma's role
in starting this special place, this is an exciting story.
Blakemore's novel told from Mori's perspective is an engaging read,
exploring everyday life, friendships and realistically discussing
the role of genetic engineering and the impact of life in a utopian
society. The Firefly Code is a suitable science fiction
narrative for the middle grades as a class novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
Horses wild and tame by Iris Volant and Jarom Vogel
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171324
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Horses are of endless fascination to many
people and this book will satisfy both children and adults who are
very familiar with them as well as those who seek information about
them.
The contents page is comprehensive and the reader can read from the
beginning of the book starting with the Introduction and What is a
horse right through Horse gaits, Wild horse, Legendary horse and
many more finally coming to Horse care and the Index. Those who are
interested in specific topics can also peruse horse topics that
might interest them, e.g. the impact that the story Black Beauty had
in its time or Sports horses in the Modern Olympics.
Rich illustrations in deep greens, mellow browns and vivid blues
stand out and complement the text that is concise and interesting to
read and could be managed by an independent reader. It is also a
book that is good to flick through - the beautiful colours and
drawings draw the eye, and the reader just has to stop and read. I
was fascinated by the legendary horse Pegasus and the drawings of
war horses made me stop to read about them.
This would be a very worthwhile addition to any library or
classroom.
Pat Pledger
The history of bees by Maja Lunde
Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471165689
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. The history of
bees is told as three story strands in different settings and times:
William, a biologist in England in 1852; George, a beekeeper in the
United States in 2007, and Tao, a worker in China in 2098. They are
separate stories that gradually draw closer together, told in short
alternating chapters that grab your attention and make you want to
read on. The theme of bees and their role in pollination is what
unites the stories but there are also overlapping themes of parents
and their dreams and expectations of their children. It is here that
Lunde's writing is most powerful, as she captures so subtly and
perfectly the misunderstandings, the unexpressed feelings, silences
and disappointments between husband and wife, and between parent and
child.
At the same time we learn the history of bees, of the invention of
the first man-made beehives, the burgeoning industry of beekeeping
and commercial pollination, the disaster of Colony Collapse
Disorder, and the repercussions for future humankind with the loss
of the bee and its pivotal role in nature. There is so much we can
learn from the bee - the unity and dedication of the bee community
is contrasted with the selfishness and self-centredness of man. This
book sounds an environmental warning about where humans are headed;
it is a story painted in pictures with the lives of three families
who also seem on the brink of collapse, struggling to understand
each other and live together in harmony. However, there is hope, and
William, George and Tao each contribute to the answer.
Helen Eddy
A necessary evil by Abir Mukherjee
Vintage Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781911215127
(Age: Senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime
fiction, India, Historical fiction, Racism, British Raj. When
Captain Sam Wyndham and his sergeant Surrender-not Banerjee attend a
local prince who is in Calcutta for talks about cooperation between
the principalities in 1920's India, they did not expect to be
witnesses to the man's assassination. Surrender-not is mystified,
the prince was an acquaintance from school, and he must go to the
funeral in the principality of Sambalpore to ensure that he and Sam
can investigate further.
But the palace is not what they expect: no one can be trusted, least
of all the major in charge of the investigation, having already
seized someone as the culprit.
Wyndham's opium craving comes to the fore, clouding his judgement
and making him impatient and suspicious of those near to him.
His one time lover, Annie Grant is also in the palace, a guest of
the prince's brother, Punit, now heir to the throne, and Sam is able
to use her to get closer to the people he wants to question: the
women within the court closed to him, a white male.
These books make fascinating reading, recreating the India of the
Raj in the 1920's with a backdrop of unrest, of wanting the British
gone, of racism, the wealth of the principalities and the caste
system. The first in the stories introduced the former Scotland Yard
detective Sam Wyndham and his sergeant, Surrender-not, in A
Rising Man (2016) a duo with underlying tensions as
Surrender-not, the Harrow educated man of considerable depth and
knowledge is subordinate to the flawed Wyndham. Forays into the
zenana, the private world of the harem, a tiger hunt and splendid
dinner with the maharaja with a silver train on the table taking the
champagne to the guests, all add spice to this multi layered story.
For lovers of crime fiction, historical fiction, tales of the Raj or
simply a tale of the tension between the two main protagonists, this
is a treat.
I thoroughly enjoyed every word particularly the foreshadowing of
the eventual demise of British rule in India.
Fran Knight
All the crooked saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781742767611
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Miracles. Music. A strange, lyrical
and ultimately uplifting story All the crooked saints
follows the fortunes of the Soria family, a family that has a saint
who can perform miracles for the pilgrims who come to Bicho Raro.
There is one catch, the pilgrims receiving a miracle have their
darkness made manifest but then they have to come to terms with it
before it disappears as a second miracle. In the Soria family are
three young people who want to change things: Beatriz wants to be
free to be an intellectual; Joaquin longs to be the Diablo Diablo of
the renegade radio station that he comperes and Daniel, the current
saint, wants to be with the pilgrim, Marisita, but is forbidden to
help her with her darkness.
Stiefvater brings her highly original take on this story, which was
slow to start for me, but as I became familiar with the family
members and the pilgrims who wanted a miracle, it gained momentum
and became a story that I think about often. Its message of darkness
that people have and how they must overcome it alone by themselves
will resonate with readers.
The three young main characters, Beatriz, Joaquin and Daniel are
very engaging, and every person in the ill-fated Soria family is
intriguing and captivates the reader's attention. The beauty of the
setting - the starkness of the desert - gives the story much
atmosphere and the reader is caught up in the tension of Daniel's
disappearance into the desert and fear for his survival. Music too
is so important to the plot ranging from the songs that Joaquin
talking as Diablo Diablo sends out on the pirate radio station, to
the lyrics that give back a pilgrim her voice. All the crooked saints is complex and demanding, but fans of
Maggie Stiefvater will not be disappointed with its rich themes of
redemption and star-crossed romance.
Pat Pledger
Incredible Floridas by Stephen Orr
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743055076
(Age: 15+) It is interesting to speculate about the historical
details, which may have inspired Stephen Orr to write this cleverly
constructed novel. Incredible Floridas is mentioned in a poem by the
revolutionary poet of the 19th century, Rimbaud. The Australian
composer Richard Meale wrote an instrumental piece by the same name;
a homage to Rimbaud. Peter Weir made a short film, also of the same
name, which encapsulated Meale and this music piece. So here is a
writer also drawn to the world of the arts, often intangible and
subtle.
The post-war Australian art scene forms the backdrop to the novel,
and the author himself suggests that the character of Hal's father
is based on Russell Drysdale. The reader senses this, when the
family and Roland's fellow artists discuss his paintings and his
depiction of figures and landscapes.
Hal is an inward looking boy, and this becomes clearer as his
parents observe him at school and with the jobs he takes on as he
moves into adolescence. Hal is frustrated that everything his father
looks at is in terms of a painting. Roland only very gradually
realises that his son is drifting dangerously. Ena, his mother, is
very concerned that Hal knows how to behave; yet she fails to
understand his misdemeanours, until it is too late.
Orr relies on dialogue to explore character; for this reason it is
difficult to visualise the surrounds. Is that important, though, in
a novel, which investigates the elusive?
However I enjoyed the numerous historical references to Adelaide; we
visit Thebarton, Maugham Church and Torrens Road; and the
well-researched fragments of domestic life in the 50s and 60s. These
ground the reader in real time.
Throughout, the story moves from the present to the past and back
again, but any confusion is avoided with cleverly constructed
dialogue.
Julie Wells
Mr Romanov's garden in the sky by Robert Newton
Penguin Books, 2017. ISBN 9780143309307
(Age: 12+) Recommended. I recall being most taken with Robert
Newton's earlier story entitled, When We Were Two. The story
of an unlikely friendship between two brothers, in search of a lost
mother, and a band of men off to join up for the Great War, was
moving and beautifully told. Mr Romanov's Garden in the Sky was inspired by an incident
witnessed by the author when he attended an emergency as a
firefighter. A young girl was left crying on a landing after her
mother overdoses. He wondered for a long time after what had
happened to both of them.
One day, young Lexie, living with her often absent mother in a
council flat, witnesses a dog being thrown off the apartment tower.
The Jack Russell belongs to the elderly Creeper, another tenant who
has a reputation for madness and for venturing out at night. Davey
Goodman also lives in the same block: an engaging and amusing
character. In time he and Lexie befriend the Creeper, and the three
form another unlikely friendship.
Lexie has dreamed of going to Surfers Paradise ever since she and
her late father talked about travelling somewhere exotic.
Predictably, the three set off on an adventure, but it forms a
wonderful tale, bringing life changes for each of them.
I really enjoyed this book. It is funny, poignant, and full of
memorable moments, and written with a great understanding of
childhood, aging and contemporary Australia. Teachers'
notes are available for this novel from the publisher's
website.
Julie Wells
Here we are: Notes for living on planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008266165
"Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.
Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you've only just
got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let's explore
what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to
people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your
journey. And you'll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just
remember to leave notes for everyone else. Some things about our
planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you've
just got to be kind."
Written for his baby son, Jeffers tries to offer an explanation of
this planet and how it works so that young Harland (and any other
little children) will be able to negotiate it successfully. Even
though this planet is a complex place, Jeffers manages to extract
its essential elements - there are basically two parts, the land and
the sea - and using direct narrative, his iconic illustrations and
simple labels he explores the concepts of the planet and the people
and animals who inhabit it. Huge ideas reduced to simple but
carefully chosen words that convey both explanation and advice.
"People come in many shapes, sizes and colours. We may all look
different, act differently and sound different... but don't
be fooled, we are all people."
Throughout there is the underlying message of choosing to be kind and
gentle to the land, its people and all its inhabitants, underpinned
by a quote from J.
M. Barrie; as part of the dedication page.
With so much emphasis on the environment in our school curricula
these days, this is the perfect book to create a child's awareness
of their surroundings beyond their immediate self. But there are so
many avenues that could be explored by posing questions such as "Is
there more land that sea?" or "If most of the land is at the top of
the planet, why doesn't the planet roll?" that could lead to
investigations by all ages. Here we are: Notes for living on planet Earth was the No. 1
New York Times Bestseller and voted No. TIME Best Book of the Year
for 2017. It's easy to see why. A must-have in your collection and
one to be recommended to teachers as the staple that underpins all
their lessons this year.
Barbara Braxton
Coco: The essential guide by Glenn Dakin
DK, 2017. ISBN 9780241288412
Hundreds of young people are going to 'Coco' the latest holiday
release from Disney Pixar, the story of a Miguel a young Mexican boy
who loves music even though it is banned in his family. On the eve
of Dia de
los Muertos, the night ancestors return to the Land of the
Living, a magical incident takes Miguel to the Land of the Dead
where he discovers a family secret that explains the ban.
While Miguel doesn't want to fight his family, music is his passion
and he needs to find a way to be able to express it in his home.
This new release from DK enables those young people to explore and
understand the movie more thoroughly as it introduces the settings
and the characters as it moves through the significant parts of the
plot. It even has a double-page spread which sets up Miguel's
dilemma - should he follow tradition or should he follow his heart?
One of the surefire ways to get young children to transition between
screen and print is to offer them resources that feature their
favourite screen characters so there is a feeling of familiarity and
connection already, and when those resources enrich and enhance the
screen experience as brilliantly as DK do, then they have to be
valuable. From the popular sugar skulls which decorate the endpapers
through to the vivid, full-colour illustrations, many using graphics
from the movie itself, through to the enticing layout, small
snippets of information in text accessible to the target audience
and a voice that talks directly to the reader, this is a book that
will extend the movie experience long after its 100 minutes on the
screen.
Common sense media offer a review
of this movie (and many others) so parents can determine if it is
suitable for their child.
Barbara Braxton
