Ark House Press, 2016. ISBN 9780995391796
(Age: 14+) This book has many good lessons, and is about mostly good
people, or at least those who are trying to be good. The 'Pastor's
kid', Mattie, is in senior high school in the new town where her
father has been sent to work with students. It is her mother, a
teacher at her high school, who is more puzzling, disappearing as
she does on many weekends, for reasons that are only revealed
towards the end. The students appear to be supportive of the
religious element at first but then things begin to change. However,
the story remains centred more on the Pastor's family and their
struggles to fit into their new world.
It is normal to see the presence of God as good for this family, but
with the state high school's invitation to the pastor to work with
the senior students, it is evident that the students' responses will
vary. We are caught up in the story of the parson's daughter,
Mattie, for whom romance blossoms as she is captivated by her new
friend, Jay. Yet, while trying to help her father make the Chapel
program vibrant and workable, puzzled at her mother's frequent
weekend trips to the city, and at the same time trying to keep her
cool as her sister begins a new relationship with Jay's friend,
Mattie struggles and everything seems to get too hard.
This is a good story that addresses issues of the place of religion
in the world today, especially in the public school system. It would
be suitable for students in the middle and senior years of high
school.
Elizabeth Bondar
The bad bunnies' magic show by Mini Grey
Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471157608
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Magic. Magicians. Deception. A slight change
in plans means that The Great Hypno has been unavoidably detained
and is replaced by the two bunnies, Mr Abra and Cadabra. The two
bunnies take over the magic show usually put on by The Great Hypno,
changing a fish into an octopus, using one of the bunnies as a
target for knife throwing, changing a bird into a beast, and sawing
a woman in half. All is done with the magic wand and the words, Hey
Presto, reminding readers of days gone by when this sort of
entertainment was far more usual than it is today. People reading
the story with the children will have fun recalling the fairs, fetes
and circuses which once were common in towns and cities alike.
Television shows about magicians too seem now a thing of the past,
and so this will rekindle interest and teach the words and images
that went with this form of entertainment.
Mr Abra and Cadabra go on their merry way, eventually using
hypnotism to get the audience asleep to steal from them, but the
woman sawn in half comes to the rescue of The Great Hypno and all is
well.
A wonderful read aloud story, I can imagine children and adults
alike putting on various voices of the people involved, searching
for The Great Hypno, detained by the bunnies and looking closely at
the images that make up a magic show. Great fun and gloriously
illustrated, with lift the flap pages adding to the intrigue.
Fran Knight
100 things to know about food
Usborne, 2017. ISBN 9781409598619
This is a fascinating journey through the world of food that will
not only appeal to budding young chefs but to anyone who likes to
eat. Presented with lots of colourful illustrations with
hundreds of simply expressed facts that are readily accessible to
newly independent readers, it begins with an explanation of why we
need to eat, the sorts of basic elements we need to have, like fats,
carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins and then takes us on
a journey of the most diverse and interesting topics. Who knew
that hating Brussels sprouts could be in your DNA; that you should
never bake meringues on a rainy day; or that the national fruit of
Jamaica contains a deadly poison? Readers can find out about
why farmers rent bees, the last meal served on the Titanic, even
about the Frenchman who ate an entire plane between 1978 and 1980.
This is the sort of book that attracts young boys in particular, as
they sit around a library table each sharing the same book and
sharing the most outrageous pieces of information they can
find. Despite the knowledge that they gain about the topic,
the sheer enjoyment of the activity, and the affirmation that
reading is not only useful but fun are enough to ensure that this
book deserves a place in the collection.
As is usual with Usborne non fiction, information literacy skills
are supported by a glossary, and an index, as well as pre-selected Quicklinks
which take the learning even further. Another one for the
information-hungry, daughter-of-a-chef Miss 6. She is going to be
surprising her father with her new knowledge!
Barbara Braxton
Two rainbows by Sophie Masson and Michael McMahon
Little Hare, 2017. ISBN 9781760127794
The little girl looks out from her city window and sees a cloud and
part of a rainbow. At first, it seems like it is the only colour in
this grey, drab city landscape and she thinks longingly of the
rainbows she used to see in the country on the family farm -
rainbows that spanned the whole sky and lit it up, not just a small
arc peeping from a cloud because the sky is full of buildings.
But gradually she begins to see spots of colour in her new
surroundings - not the full-blooded red of the tractor of the farm
but the red postbox in the street; not the orange of the sunset and
the twine around the hay bales, but a curl of orange peel on the
pavement; not the blue of her sheepdog Billy's eyes but the paint of
a neighbour's fence... And there is one colour that both
landscapes have in common.
This story is a marriage of text and illustration, each
interdependent as they should be in quality picture books. At first
the little girl sees only the rainbow, even though there are other
spots of colour around her, as she thinks nostalgically of the
colours of the country, but as she starts to see more of her
environment, so too the colours in the pictures increase although
the city remains grey and the country bathed in light. And as her
thoughts slowly attune to the city environment she begins to see
more objects, different from the farm but perhaps with something to
offer as she peers over the blue fence and sees a treehouse with a
rope ladder and maybe a friend.
Perhaps, after all, there is but one rainbow - it just sees
different things. An interesting contrast between city and country
living that poses the question about why the family may have moved;
about nostalgia as we tend to yearn for the things we remember when
we are out of our comfort zone and hope as we learn to adjust and
adapt to new places, new things and new experiences.
Barbara Braxton
Aussie legends alphabet by Beck Feiner
ABC Books, 2017. ISBN 9781460709214
(Age: 8 - adult) Highly recommended. A surprise package, Aussie
legends alphabet will thrill readers, children and adults
alike, as they peruse the select group of famous and worthy
Australians chosen to be described in this book. Starting with A is
for Adam Goodes, then proceeding through the alphabet, there are
amusing but very recognisable illustrations of people who have
contributed to Australian life and culture, with a small and often
amusing snippet of information about each. There is a good mix of
gender and diversity across the whole spectrum of Australian life.
The following are covered: sports (Adam Goodes, Rod Laver, Cathy
Freeman), politics (Bob Hawke, Julia Gillard and Eddie Mabo), the
arts (Dame Edna Everage, Dame Joan Sutherland, Peter Allen, Queenie
Mckenzie, Henry Lawson, Olivia Newton-John), the media (Lee Lin
Chin, Ita Buttrose, Molly Meldrum, Kath and Kim, Medicine (Fred
Hollows) and History (Ned Kelly).
The way Feiner has drawn each of the people, using the letter of the
alphabet, is original and attention grabbing. She has managed to
capture the personality of each in the drawings and the reader is
tempted to go through the book again to read the clever but short
sentence that encapsulates the person's claim to fame as an Aussie
legend. At the back of the book is a section with more details about
the birthday, place of birth and achievements.
An ideal starting point for students who are looking at famous
Australians in class, as well as being a fabulous gift and talking
point for adults.
Pat Pledger
The list by Michael Brissenden
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9780733637421
(Age: Senior secondary, adult) Recommended. Crime, Terrorism,
Afghanistan. When young Muslim men on the terrorism watch list turn
up dead, Sidney Allen and his partner, Haifa, are sent in to
investigate. They are part of the K Block, a section within the
Federal Police devoted to investigating terrorism within Australia.
Three of these men have had their right hand removed, prompting Sid
to think further than terrorist related deaths or deaths to do with
gangs or drugs. When forensics reveals that the same gun has been
used, and several of the men have been tortured, Sid concludes that
these are revenge murders and the murderer is working to a list. But
who that person is and why he is killing is harder to work out.
The opening chapter of the book, set in Afghanistan, provides a clue
as to where the book is headed, and throughout the story, Brissenden
gives the readers background information about the wars in the
Middle East and how Australia is involved.
It makes for an informed and educative read, and the story powers
along, taking the eager reader with it.
Sid's partner Haifa is part of a Lebanese family in Sydney's west,
with two brothers jailed for drug offences and a third brother a
darling of the political community, seemingly bridging the gap
between Muslim and non Muslim. Haifa is torn between her family's
values and those of the bureaucracy with which she works, and
Brissenden eagerly reveals some of the tensions which exist between
the characters. A relationship which develops between Sid and Haifa
muddies their professional relationship and causes tensions within
the whole group. But when Sid is kidnapped by the murderer, he
realises that they must work together to find the terrorist called
Scorpion to stop a major event happening in Sydney.
Brissendden delivers an acton packed page turner, revealing the
nuances of understanding between all the protagonists, highlighting
the range of opinions within each community and so reiterating just
how multi layered this issue is in the modern world. He has used his
experience as a journalist to add many real stories adding a layer
of truthfulness to the fictional story. The climax reveals just how
political decisions are when it comes to dealing with terrorists as
those in power vacillate, looking at the implications for their
electorate if a particular decision is made. It makes for
fascinating reading, revealing a layer of complexity that for many
will be unsettling and for some, shocking.
Fran Knight
Alice-Miranda in Hollywood by Jacqueline Harvey
Alice-Miranda book 16. Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN
9780143780618
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Hollywood, USA: Movies,
Friendships, Mysteries. Lights, camera, action, Alice-Miranda and
her friends are off to Hollywood and the Grand Canyon in this
thrilling new adventure. Caprice has surprisingly helped them land
roles in Uncle Lawrence's new movie, a musical western, Frontier
Woman: The Life and Times of Nellie Williams.
Filming at the studio is challenging; there is rivalry between the
young actors and competition for the leading boy's role. Musical
director Frau Furtzwangler demands perfection from the young singers
and the new director flounders in his management, and studio head
Eli Goldberg worries he is unsure about his role. A saboteur causes
havoc on set, making the children's makeup to fluoresce and Uncle
Lawrence is injured by a rubber bullet. Alice-Miranda knows that
none of these misfortunes is related to Old Nellie's curse, but
someone closer to the movie wants it to be shut down. Meanwhile,
Alice-Miranda, Millie and their friends enjoy exploring the wonders
of Hollywood, staying with Aunt Charlotte and the twins and being
spoilt by Mexican housekeeper Magdalena.
In the beautiful desert setting near the Grand Canyon, even more
problems occur on and off the film set. Tyger Lombardi, the annoying
paparazzo who constantly tries to snap photos of Aunt Charlotte and
the twins, has become embroiled with some shady characters that
kidnap her. She escapes from their car and flees across the desert
finding refuge in mysterious recluse Aisle's cabin. Once again,
Alice-Miranda and Millie step up to save the day, this time on
borrowed horses from the movie set.
Jacqui Harvey delights her fans with this sixteenth Alice-Miranda
novel. All the enjoyable and familiar elements are present, an
exciting multi-layered mystery, with captivating characters,
commotions on and off the film set and puzzles for Alice-Miranda to
solve. Devoted fans love the fabulous locations Alice-Miranda and
her friends travel to and are always rewarded with plenty of family,
friends, fun, fabulous food and exciting escapades.
Rhyllis Bignell
Under the same sky by Britta Teckenrtup
Caterpillar Books, 2017. ISBN 9781848575868
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Peace, Sharing. Under the same sky
reflects the theme that we are all born under the same sky, with the
same needs and wants, we share the same feelings even though we are
spread across lands far away.
In brief spare phrases the author delivers this message in terms
that can be understood by all readers, and supported with
wonderfully evocative illustrations of animals looking up to our
shared sky.
Britta uses the technique of collage and printmaking to create her
illustrations and made more interesting with cutouts along the way,
allowing children to turn a page and peek into what went before,
phrases reprised in the next illustration. It adds another level of
intent for the reader, already absorbed by the depiction of skyward
looking animals. Groups of each species are shown on each page and
then to underline the theme, all of them are shown together on the
last double page. Readers will not miss the theme of the story that
no matter who or what we are we share the same emotions, loves and
fears, and so should work together.
Fran Knight
Why do we need bees? Katie Daynes
Ill. by Christine Pym. Usborne, 2017. ISBN 9781474917933
Type the title of this book into a search engine and you instantly
get millions of results including this video, such is the
importance of this tiny creature to the welfare of the world. For
without bees to pollinate the plants there are no plants and
therefore no food to sustain people or animals.
So it makes sense to make our very youngest scientists and botanists
aware of the critical need to protect these creatures as they carry
out their important work and this new release in the Usborne
Lift-the-Flap series does just this.
Using the question-and-answer format that little children themselves
use and which lays the foundations for inquiry-based learning, the
role of bees is explored in six double page spreads. Each
starts with a key question such as what are bees?; why do we need
bees?; and where do bees live? and this is then supported by a more
focused question, the answer to which is hidden under a flap.
Delicately illustrated but sturdily constructed as a board book,
each page offers much to explore and learn, with both the questions
and answers in simple sentences and vocabulary that young readers
understand. And for those who want to know more Usborne Quicklinks
supplies vetted weblinks
to satisfy.
Children are curious about the world around them and we know that as
parents and teachers we can't always answer all their
questions. Helping them understand that there is information
to be found in books and their questions can be answered is a first
step in the development of their information literacy, and learning
that you can dip and delve into books as your interest is piqued and
that you can readily return to what you discover is invaluable.
Even though this is a lift-the-flap book, a format normally
associated with the very young, it contains a way into non fiction
that is perfect for early childhood and could serve as a model for
presentation for older students required to investigate the world
around them as they learn to pose questions as well as answer them
succinctly. An interesting way to introduce keywords,
note-taking, summarising, paraphrasing and using your own words!
A book that has riches beyond those given to us by its subject!
Barbara Braxton
Sometimes by Jessica Love
Echo Books, 2017. ISBN 9780995436435
Sometimes when you're gone I wonder why your job seems more
important to you . . .than me.
Sometimes when you're gone I get upset and angry when you miss
things that are important to me.
Sometimes I look at what you do and I realise that you don't want to
leave . . . but by making our lives harder, you are making other
people's lives better.
But even with that understanding, it doesn't make the life of a
child with a parent in the Defence Forces or any other profession
which necessitates prolonged absences any easier.
This is poignant true story based on the 16 year-old author's own
experiences of being a child in a military family grappling with the
absence of a loved parent. It was her way of telling her dad about
her feelings while he was away and her confusion when he came home
as the family had to adjust to another routine. In an interview with
the Canberra
Times she says, "When I showed it to Dad, it wasn't really
anything we had discussed before . It was quite a shock to him . . .
But Jess didn't just write this book for her dad, she wrote it for
all children of Defence families and in a letter to them she tries
to reassure them that their feelings are common and normal, they are
not alone and even providing a page for them to write their own
ending to the sentence, Sometimes when you're gone . . .
Many of us have taught many children from military families who have
struggled with having a parent deployed and there has been an
expectation that they will "soldier on" and manage the separation
and the emotions that go with it. But this book has a wider
application than just military families - many of our students will
have parents away, either permanently or temporarily - and in
sensitive hands this could be the perfect opportunity to support
them by getting them to open up about their feelings; to help them
understand that they are not alone and it's normal to feel resentful
at times and they don't have to feel guilty; to help them help their
parents understand the impact of the separation because often
parents are so busy being adults that they forget what it's like to
be a bewildered kid.
This is one for all teachers, not just counsellors, and deserves a
wide audience among our profession - it has the power to change
lives.
Barbara Braxton
Rodney loses it! by Michael Gerard Bauer
Ill. by Chrissie Krebs. Omnibus, 2017. ISBN 9781742991900
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Anger, Drawing. Rodney loves to draw,
so much so that he draws just about everywhere. He has a range of
pens with which to draw, but one is his special favourite. This pen
is so special, that he has given it a name, Penny, and has even been
known to kiss Penny, so thrilled is by his favourite pen. One day
while sitting at his desk, drawing, Penny disappears. He has lost
things before: his bow tie, his rubber duck, his keys but he has
always found them. Losing Penny causes him great distress, and the
path of his distress is revealed through this very funny picture
book.
In rhyming stanzas, Bauer shows Rodney losing it as he searches for
Penny without success. Readers will recognise the symptoms:
rummaging through everything, looking in the most unlikely places,
retracing your steps. But all to no avail, Rodney loses his cool and
falls down broken hearted. Bauer cleverly shows readers the steps
they should take when trying to find something, and the outcome when
the thing being searched for cannot be found. In revealing Rodney's
eventual finding of the pen, readers will see sometimes things can
be found when another search is made. The story underlines the anger
that some feel when something is lost, but also shows its resolution
as the lost object is found once calm has been restored.
Krebs' illustrations add another level of humour to the tale,
showing Rodney at the highs and lows of the problem of having, then
losing something precious. Children will see the problem illuminated
before their eyes in illustrations full of life and movement, and
learn a lesson from the tale.
Fran Knight
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
Tiffany Aching book 1, Discworld book 30. Corgi
Childrens, 2017. ISBN 9780552576307
(Age: 10 - Adult) Highly recommended. Fantasy, Locus Award for Best
Young Adult Novel (2004), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for
Childrens Literature (2004) (2016), Parenting Book of the Year Award
(2003), WH Smith Teen Choice Award (2003). Terry Pratchett needs no
introduction. An award winning author, he has excelled himself in The
wee free men, which introduces the spirited Tiffany Aching.
First published in 2003, this 2017 edition will delight another
group of readers with its feisty young witch-to-be and the horde of
wee free men in their kilts who help her chase down the wicked queen
who has stolen her baby brother. The wee free men is an absolute delight to read. Pratchett's
unique sense of humour is evident on every page as he manipulates
words in the best possible way. Not only does he make the reader
laugh aloud at some of his descriptions and dialogue, but he also
makes the reader think about the power and use of the written word:
"Tiffany thought a lot about words, in the long hours of churning
butter. 'Onomatopoeic', shes discovered in the dictionary, meant
words that sounded like the noise of the thing that they were
describing, like 'cuckoo'." pg. 129.
Tiffany is a brilliant young girl who longs to be a witch. Sensible
and practical, she knows that it is the right thing to go and rescue
her brother even if he is annoying. Granny Aching is her
grandmother, a powerful shepherdess, who looked after all the sheep
and lambs on the chalk lands and protecting those who don't have a
voice and from her Tiffany has learnt about doing the right thing
even if it is hard. As the story progresses the reader will grow in
understanding with Tiffany as she works out what is important if you
have power, sympathize with her as she sorts out her feelings for
her brother and laugh at the antics of the wee free men.
This would be an ideal book to give any reader as an introduction to
fantasy and lovers of fantasy who have not tried Terry Pratchett's
wonderful books before will be in for a wonderful read.
Pat Pledger
Oi cat! by Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder, 2017. ISBN 9781444932515
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Cats, Rhyme. Oi frog and Oi
dog, the previous books in this wonderfully subversive series,
tell us that the rules are simple: cats do not sit on mats and dogs
do not sit on frogs. These rules have come of course, from the frog,
so the cat must now find another rhyming word that can be used for
him to sit on, the phrase, 'the cat sat on the mat' being terribly
passe.
The obvious answer is gnats, but readers will quickly surmise that
the cat is upset by the nasty nipping gnats and so must move on to
another rhyming word. So the fun and games continue, with rhyming
words being offered, but all being found wanting. Lark belongs to
shark, and armadillo to pillow, dogs sit on logs, lemurs on
streamers, and trolls sit on dolls. The very funny illustrations
underline the humour of the text and readers will laugh out loud at
the ludicrous pairings offered, as well as the animals and lists of
rhyming words.
The dog seems to be most interested in the cat's bottom, causing
readers to shriek with laughter, as they well know that dogs and
cats do sniff around this particular part of other animal's anatomy,
and they will laugh too at the different meanings for the word bat
or the pageful of rhyming words for cat. All in all the book offers
immense fun for the readers who will predict, laugh and engage with
this highly amusing text accompanied by wonderful illustrations. And
the lift the flap on the last page will be infectious, readers
wanting to take turns at finding out what is beneath the flap. Have
your whiteboard marker ready for all the suggested rhyming words
which will be offered.
Fran Knight
Pip and Houdini by J. C. Jones
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760296056
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Dogs, Running away, Family. A
disarming story of dislocation and reunification will grip readers
from the start as they follow Pip and her loyal hound Houdini when
they run away from home, after she has upset the applecart once
again. Knowing that she has damaged the tenuous relationship she has
with her foster family weighs heavily on her but with a nine year
old postcard and a name, Cass and a place where her birth mother
lived, Byron Bay, Pip and Houdini set off from Sydney.
There follows a road journey where she must survive on her wits,
taking chances with people she meets and always being solicitous to
the needs of her dog. Mid primary people will love reading of her
adventures, sneaking onto a train, keeping Houdini hidden, busking
on the streets, finding money for a little food and water for the
two of them, avoiding the police who are searching for her.
Children will be able to follow her journey stopping at various
points along the way, sigh with her when the train is delayed, and
be angry when the young woman she has befriended, steals her
remaining money.
But in meeting a lone surfer and warning him of the shark nearby,
she finds a friend, and piecing together the clues from her
memorabilia with the information given her about her mother, Cass,
she is able to find some of her family, family that in the main were
unaware of her existence.
The loving relationship between Pip and Houdini is wonderfully
drawn, and children will melt reading of the two of them avoiding
contact with others in case they are found out. In meeting the young
woman with a guitar she does not play, readers will hear of some of
the tricks of the trade that reality shows use to engage their
audience, and the effect these tricks have on the participants.
A wonderful road story of hope, of not finding what you are looking
for but finding something else almost as good, leaves the tale of
these two delightful characters open for a third outing, which
children will anticipate with real pleasure. The first story of Pip
and Houdini, Run, Pip, run, was shortlisted in 2016 for the
CBCA Book of the year, and won the Readings Children's Book Prize,
2016.
Fran Knight
The City of Secret Rivers by Jacob Sager Weinstein
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406368857
(Age: 9+) We stood there for a moment, the drop of water and I.
And then we both leapt at once. Hyacinth Hayward has
accidently unleashed magical powers flowing under London. The
shambling Saltpetre Men have kidnapped her mother and the Toshers
want to trap her in the sewers. Then a giant pig in a swimsuit,
Oaroboarus, insists on an underground tea party, but Lady Roslyn has
other plans. The clock is ticking and Hyacinth must figure out who
to trust.
For those children who like books such as A Series of
Unfortunate Events, where good needs to conquer evil, this is
a must read for them. It is easy to read with the text being
relatively large. Weinstein has written a book that is extremely
imaginative with clever little twists and turns. It is full of
action, humour and descriptive language that truly brings alive the
repulsive stench associated with sewers. Historical places in London
have been cleverly interwoven throughout the storyline.
Hyacinth is a strong lead character, ably supported by Lady Roslyn.
Their friendship strengthens as the story unfolds.
Themes such as friendship, perseverance and adventure run strongly
through the book. This book will sit nicely alongside other fantasy
books on the shelf and is the first in a trilogy. Suitable for ages
9 and up.
Kathryn Schumacher
