Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381597
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Chook's real name is Simon Doolan and in
each of the easy to read Chook Doolan novels, Chook has a
different adventure to share with the reader. In this book, he
befriends Praj and together they research Diwali as a part of the
'Festivals' topic in their classroom.
Luckily, Praj and his family have invited Chook to join them
celebrating their own Diwali. He is nervous because he is not sure
he will know what to do and is hesitant of crowds. As Chook says I'm
just someone who's scared of things. He wants to be braver and
does attend Diwali even though he has reservations. Chook gets to
experience the clothing, food and music of India.
These small novels give students an interesting storyline in an easy
to read format. The font is large and the pages are interspersed
with Lucinda Gifford's appealing illustrations. There are 8 chapters
so students can experience a novel format.
These books are very appealing to the emergent independent reader.
They are similar in difficulty and look to the Billie B Brown
novels by Sally Rippin. Students love to read all the books in
Rippin's series and I feel confident that this will also be true for
the Chook Doolan books. I am pleased there is another series
that is matched to the reading ability of the younger students.
James Roy is an accomplished author and his books can still tell a
good tale within the bounds of a limited vocabulary.
Jane Moore
Nanna's button tin by Dianne Wolfer and Heather Potter
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781922077677
Highly recommended. This book brought back memories of my childhood
and spending time going through my Gran's buttons. I highly
recommend this book.
This story is well written telling the story of each of the buttons
they find in their search for the perfect button for teddy.
It is a story of memories and how little things can bring big
memories.
A perfect story for a grandma to share with her grandchildren.
Karen Colliver
Our race for reconciliation by Anita Heiss
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781760276119
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Aboriginal themes, Cathy Freeman, Athletics,
Reconciliation. The story of one family and its journey to Sydney
for the People's Walk for Reconciliation across Sydney Harbour
Bridge in 2000 is the basis for this evocative tale reflecting the
solidarity shown on that day and on Sorry Days since, as all
Australians recognise the past and look forward to a future
together.
Mel's family lives ten hours drive from Sydney at Ipswich, but makes
the journey along with their gran and grandpa who are part of the
Stolen Generations, to join the march. We hear of Mel at school
where the teacher explains why people are calling for an apology, we
see the family in the car when mum talks about how her mother was
treated, the family singing along with Archie Roach's CD, and we see
the letters written by the class to their heroes, in Mel's case,
Cathy Freeman, with outstanding results.
Mel's family has Aboriginal heritage so readers will see a family
just like their own, with its dreams and aspirations, everyday
concerns and problems, showcasing a background which does reflect
some differences. The explanation mum makes of her mother's
childhood will fill in gaps for many of our readers. Sorry Day and
Reconciliation are given a face with the emphasis on Mel's family
and how things in the past have affected them.
In the lead up to the Sydney Olympic Games, Mel is very excited
about Cathy Freeman's event, and we see Cathy from Mel's
perspective, a hero above all others.
Heiss uses the class as a platform for debate, offering negative
views of Aboriginal people, Sorry Day and Stolen Generations to be
mouthed by one of their classmates. George's opinions give the
teacher and Mel and her brother as well as others in the class, the
opportunity to repudiate the negative things said, so informing the
reader.
The book ends with the Olympic Games and Freeman's stunning victory
with all of Australia proud of her efforts. Even George concedes he
may have been wrong and when Mel's brother extends the hand of
friendship, he accepts.
Trying to instill information about a particular topic is always
fraught in historical novels, and although the story is slow at the
start, the sensitive handling of the family and the impact of the
treatment of their forebears, shines through. This book will inform
younger readers and be useful as a read a loud in classes grappling
with Reconciliation.
Fran Knight
Singing my sister down and other stories by Margo Lanagan
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760295134
(Age: 14+) Recommended. The first line of this book reads 'We all
went down to the tar pit, with mats to spread our weight', and from
there I was hauntingly hooked. The first story Singing my sister
down was my favourite, as the depiction of Ik's tar-pit death
was so beautifully written; dark and emotional; and I could almost
see the scene in front of me.
The following 12 stories continue with dark depictions of rituals,
violence or gender and all have a deep seeded theme of death. Some
of them I found quite confronting, as Margo Lanagan writes in a way
that brought visual representation easily, and evoked strong emotion
or loyalty towards the characters. She also brings in familiar
concepts to keep readers hooked as in A good heart which
deals with life's 'what ifs' or Winkie where a mother's
intuition is highlighted.
In many of the stories you can also find links to popular
fairytales, such as Not all ogre which shares similarities
with Sleeping Beauty and the slightly disturbing Winkie
with a fair resemblance to the song Wee Willy Winky who runs
through the town in his night gown, just as in the story.
Many readers may not usually like short fiction, but they should at
least give this book a try. Each story has depth and can leave you
confronted, surprised or intrigued.
This strange yet compelling group of stories is targeted to those in
the young adult age group, and I feel best suited to readers from at
least 14 years of age due to the complex set of themes and topics
brought forward in this book. Some of the stories are slow to start,
however persistence is often rewarded. These stories may also lead
to interesting dinner table conversation!
Lauren Fountain
The girl guide by Marawa Ibrahim
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781847809483
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. Star rating: 5/5. This is the book
I wish my mum put on my bedside table instead of 'Where did I come
from?'!!
Growing up is a tough gig, especially in a society where
advertisement and media plays a huge role (unconsciously or not) in
providing education to women around our bodies, growing up and the
portrayal of what is normal. What Marawa Ibrahim has done with this
book has taken ALL the things that happen to girls growing up and
written down what really happens. From periods, hormones and bras to
embarrassing moments, friendships and just being yourself, it is all
in there.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this guide is that each of
the 50 lessons are shown in a very light-hearted easy to read way,
however you also get the sense that these experiences really were
her own and that made me feel more comfortable in my own personal
experience. I feel that this will transfer well to the younger
female reader who reads this book either at the start of or
throughout their journey with their changing body.
Marawa tells us about her inner most embarrassing moments, and then
how she got over them. You get the pros and cons of the various
types of hair removal and the benefit of stretching and meditation -
there really is something for everyone.
The blurb states that The girl guide is "packed with
practical advice, this book is a stylish agony Aunt for any 10 year
old girl" and I feel that this is 100% true. It answers all the
questions you want to ask your mum or friends but are too shy or
embarrassed to, and does so in a way that any 10-15 year old girl
would completely understand.
Lauren Fountain
Too many friends by Kathryn Apel
UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259760
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Tahnee has the problem of having too many
friends. Everyone wants her to be their work partner in class and
playmate in the yard. Tahnee accepts everyone but she especially
targets the new girl Lucy who is quiet and withdrawn. Her efforts to
include Lucy alienate Tahnee's best friend Roxie. How can you be
friends with everyone all of the time?
Tahnee is in year 2 and her close family support her friendly
attitude but it is Tahnee who has to find her own answers to solving
her friendship problems.
The issues of friendships and bullying are common in school and many
students will identify with similar problems, being excluded from
the group, convincing others not to be your friend and put down
comments and looks. Choosing who you work and play with is fraught
with friendship issues, even for someone as kind and inclusive as
Tahnee.
Kathryn has dealt with similar problems in her novel Bully on
the Bus where 7 year old Leroy struggles with the bully that
makes his life so unpleasant.
Kathryn Apel lets her protagonists work through their problems and
after listening to advice they find their own answers. Tahnee's
solution is both inventive and kind and a positive role model for
students who are reading the book.
This novel would be a great read aloud and discussion point for
classes. Apel's prose flows beautifully and being written in first
person, strongly conveys Tahnee's feelings and concerns.
The front cover is simply decorated and the bunting theme and paper
cut outs continue into the book to highlight the beginning of each
chapter.
I would recommend this book to 7 to 10 year olds.
A book
trailer is available.
Jane Moore
Welcome home, Harley by Jess Black
Little Paws series. Ill. by Gabriel Evans, Random House
Australia, 2017.
ISBN 9780143781776
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Themes: Guide dogs - training, Puppies,
Family life. Guide Dogs Australia rely on the help of hundreds of
puppy raisers each year, these families take an eight week old puppy
into their homes and train them up, preparing them for a life as a
service dog. Each litter of puppies is named for the same letter of
the alphabet. The sale of each of these Little Paws series'
books helps raise awareness and finances to support this important
cause.
Nine-year-old Lexie and seven-year-old Tom Walker can't contain
their excitement when their parents agree to become a puppy raising
family. Brett the officer in charge is there to talk the family
through the special concerns, issues and important job of helping
Harley the eight-week-old Labrador pup become a confident young dog.
However, this puppy is a bundle of energetic and mischievous fun.
The Walker family haven't had a puppy before and Harley is good at
chewing the children's toys, destroying the bathroom where she
sleeps and causing beanbag explosions.
With Brett's assistance, instructions from the Guide Dog Training
Manual, Mum and Dad's help and with Lexie's family planner, Harley
learns the skills needed ready for her new role.
Jess Black's easy to read chapter book includes facts about the
Guide Dogs Australia organisation and fun information about raising
a service dog. This is a fun story for pet lovers who are beginning
to read chapter books. This is complemented by Gabriel Evans' line
drawings of Harley and the Walker family.
Rhyllis Bignell
Datsunland by Stephen Orr
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743054758
(Age: Year 12-Adult) Recommended. Short stories. This
extraordinary collection of short stories, written by David Orr, is
powerful as both story about, and analysis of, Australian life over
the years since European settlement. Orr depicts, in vivid and often
painful detail, the struggle for individuals and families trying to
cope with life, revealing the emotional responses to death, divorce,
inter-racial tension and disillusionment. He centres his vignettes
on the essential qualities of being human, particularly focusing on
the generosity, love, respect and loyalty that are at the basis of
being human. So, contrasting both kindness and nastiness, loyalty
and deception, in his various characters, he lays before us the
reasons why, being lost, lonely, discriminated against,
disillusioned or angry, they are angry, hurtful or evil, and why
they may have barely managed to survive in difficult times over the
centuries in the city, the small country towns or the suburbs of
rural and urban South Australia.
His sometimes interwoven stories reflect the issues from the times
of the early settlers to the modern world, focused on both children
and adults. We are drawn deftly into the worlds of the characters in
their experiences of unhappy marriages, of family disintegration and
separation, of unexpected and sometimes violent death, of the
after-effects of terrible childhoods, of war, and of the impact of
religious rules and disharmony. A religious institution features
more than once, in different stories of the lives of those dedicated
to education, particularly that of a Catholic religious brother who
has cared for, and lived with, a disabled woman who has no family.
Carefully, secretly never revealing her presence to anyone, he
supports her totally yet suffers terrible guilt for this choice. Orr
positions us to see him as he sees himself, as flawed and disloyal
to his religious vows yet correspondingly as a loving, devoted,
caring man. Other stories plunge us into lost, sad lives of
characters who are barely able to survive, or of those who struggle,
separated and lonely. Deliberately unsettling us, he disrupts our
ideas of what is good, and we are disturbed by his vivid depictions
of the sorrows, the terribly unhappy lives and the sometimes utterly
tragic circumstances of his characters.
Orr's writing is wonderfully rich in detail, his stories utterly
captivating, dramatic and disturbing, memorable for his vivid
language, his construction of time and place, and for the vivid
reality of the human condition. In his characters that are
chillingly real, sometimes good and sometimes utterly awful,
sometimes strong and often weak, in his eloquent, vivid and often
heart-rending stories, in his disturbingly accurate depiction of
time and place, he constructs worlds that are richly evocative of
both the past and present. In his interweaving of threads, his
appallingly sad stories captivate us, compelling us to read on, to
respond to the revelation of chillingly painful truths, as he
details the acts and thoughts of the disillusioned and the abused,
of the actions of both the good and evil characters, leaving us with
a disturbing sense of how little control we have of our lives.
Elizabeth Bondar
Goodly and Grave: in a bad case of kidnap by Justine Windsor
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008183530
(Ages: 10+) Highly recommended. Magicians. Kidnapping. London.
Nineteenth century. The Penny Dreadful is full of the stories of
missing children in London, with dire predictions of what has
happened to them. Lucy Goodly meets her match at the card table at
one of London's seamier gambling establishments, when she is beaten
by someone with better skills at cheating. So convinced that she
would win, she set herself against the dastardly Lord Grave, and in
losing must return with him to Grave Hall and be his boot boy. Here
she finds strange things happening, the cook is a bearded man
dressed in women's clothing, she overhears people speaking of the
missing children, she goes into a room where she meets a talking
raven. Lucy must use her wits if she is to help solve the puzzle of
Grave Hall, rescue the children, release those entrapped by magic,
and get back to her own family.
Her suspicions of Lord Grave and all the others in his employ cause
Lucy to take the magic route offered by the raven and she lands in
the castle of Amethyst, Grave's enemy. But here too, she comes to
disbelieve what she is being told, and seeing the woman collect the
tears of the children, realises that something is very wrong.
A heart thumping thriller of a story, Lucy lurches from one grave
situation to another, often accompanied by other children, all
trying to deflect the lies they are being told. But who can be
trusted? Twists occur on every page, but Lucy's tenacity shines
through. Readers will love the humour as well as the plethora of
strange beings, working with Lucy to try and find out what is really
happening to the children kidnapped from the streets of London. And
for those completely enraptured with the situation Windsor presents,
the second in the series will follow soon.
Fran Knight
Funny kid for president by Matt Stanton
ABC Book, 2017. ISBN 9780733335976
(Age: 8-11) Funny kid for president is the hilarious junior
novel from the popular author illustrator team of Matt and Beck
Stanton. Their extremely popular picture books include This
is a ball and Did
you take the B from my -ook? In the style of Diary
of a wimpy kid and Tom
Gates, Max Walburt, funny kid, class clown and Redhill
Middle School student, introduces us to the ups and downs of his
life.
Who pooped in Mr Armstrong's storeroom? His teacher is a volcano
waiting to erupt and Max is singled out as the culprit. Even though
Max has not pooped since Monday, he has to clean up the mess. After
school, Max and Hugo, his second best friend, plot a
super-massively-red-faced-embarrassing revenge for Mr Armstrong.
This plan leads them into all sorts of trouble, as disaster follows
them and so does a stalker duck. Abby Purcell overhears the friends
plotting and dobs to the teacher.
Principal Sniggles becomes involved in the altercation between Max
and his teacher and suddenly their class is involved in electing a
class president. With Hugo as his political manager and someone
sabotaging the other candidates' campaign, does Max have any chance
of winning?
This is a funny junior novel, filled with comical close-ups of Max's
emotional outbursts and plenty of gross situations including the
great library vomit-apocalypse.
Rhyllis Bignell
May Tang: a new Australian by Katrina Beikoff
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781742990743
(Age: 10+) Recommended. China, Tiananmen Square, History. When the
Tiananmen Square incident occurred in 1989, those looking for change
in China were dismayed. None more so than May's family, living in
Shanghai with their son studying in Australia. May's mother had been
sent from university to work as a labourer on a rice farm during the
infamous Cultural Revolution, and she and her husband want a
different life for their children. They make the heart breaking
decision to send May and her mother to Australia to join their son,
applying for protection because, as an activist, he cannot return
home. May's life is turned inside out as she must leave her father
and her friends, her grandfather and his singing bird to go
somewhere totally alien.
The first part of the book gives a strong background for the story.
Readers will sympathise with the decision made by the parents in a
time of uncertainty, and appreciate the Australian government's
decision to allow families of Chinese students already here, to
emigrate. They may also compare that government's decision with the
decisions being made today about refugees risking all to get here.
Our response to both groups is totally different.
The latter part of the book shows May's efforts to acclimatise to
her new country. She has learnt English and must translate for her
mother while their brother is away picking cherries to earn money to
support them. She must go to school and here she comes up against
mindless racism, telling her she needs to fit in to become a real
Australian. Her mother gains employment packing at a local bakery
and the baker, finding they are from Shanghai, gives her some pork
bones to make him pork dumplings, a childhood memory of when he
lived there.
An easy to read story, May is an endearing character whose tale will
intrigue the readers, learning more of the reasons behind people's
decisions to emigrate to Australia, in this excellent series, A
New Australian. Their life in China is well captured and the
reasons for the family's ill ease at staying in China explained well
for middle school students. The book reflects the situation in
Australia as well, with its suspicion of difference. This series
portrays the reasons behind people's migration to Australia
beautifully, engaging the most cynical of readers and broadening
their vision of Australia's rich and varied heritage.
Fran Knight
Ava's spectacular spectacles by Alice Rex and Angela Perrini
New Frontier, 2017. ISBN 978192059984
(Age 4-7) Highly recommended. Sight. Spectacles. Fairy tales. Ava
sits at her desk in the classroom and can't see the board. She
doesn't want to wear her glasses and keeps them in her bag. Then her
sympathetic teacher tells her of the fairy tale characters who would
have had much happier outcomes if only they had used their glasses
to find their way.
The narrative is very clever and interesting. Children would respond
to the authors using fairy tales to depict why wearing glasses would
be very useful. The narrative would also help children who do not
need glasses begin to understand why some people need them.
Bold illustrations make this story stand out. Keen readers will spot
the glasses case in Ava's bag in the beginning of the book. They
will also be able to follow the expressions on her face changing
from miserable when she can't see the front of the classroom to a
huge smiling face as she begins to read on the last page. I loved
the picture of Humpty Dumpty wearing specs and not falling off the
wall while on the opposite page are the guards who could have put
him together again when they could see using their glasses. The
picture of a gleeful Ava being little Miss Muffet with glasses to
see the big spider and using her fly spray is very humorous.
This would be a lovely book to give a child who has just been given
spectacles and is feeling worried about how friends will react and
could also be used in the classroom when doing units of work on
sight and seeing.
Pat Pledger
The Diamond Horse by Stacy Gregg
HarperCollins Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9780008124403
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. This book has two main characters,
each with their own unique story to tell, each with a challenge that
they need to overcome to be able to move on. These two characters
are connected in a way even they are not aware of.
Being a princess is not all it is cracked up to be. Anna lives in a
beautiful palace with a number of animals around her, some living in
the palace and others in cages in the grounds of the palace. Anna
has a special way with the animals that everyone around her is not
happy with. The main animal she has to be wary of is her older
brother, who is determined to make Anna's life unbearable.
Anna is faced with a number of challenges that she has to endure,
some things no princess should have to deal with.
Valentina is a circus performer with a love of animals, she does all
she can to protect the animals from the mean ring master. Valentina
is looking to her future and trying to do what she can to make her
life better.
I highly recommend this book. Once you start reading it is hard to
put it down.
Karen Colliver
13 reasons why by Jay Asher
Penguin Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780141387772
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Suicide. A gripping story that you
can't put down, you need to know what comes next. The way the story
is written helps to keep you intrigued and wanting more, needing to
know how the various characters are intertwined and how their
stories impact upon each other.
The two main characters are telling their stories intertwined
together, the more you read the more you see how each character has
an impact on others sometimes on purpose and other times without
even realising it.
This book discussed a number of controversial topics that can be
life changing. Hopefully this book will spark conversations about
these topics that are not normally talked about.
This book reminds us that we never really know what someone else is
thinking or feeling or how what we say or do impacts on another
person.
This story could be set in any town with a park and a diner.
Hopefully after reading this book it will start some discussions
around the topics that are discussed, it may encourage people to
talk to their friends about things that are happening in their
lives.
What you do can have an effect on others that you may not be aware
of or intending.
Sometimes we don't even know what we are thinking or really feeling.
This book also highlights the impact that suicide has on the people
left behind and hopefully that will again spark discussion around
this topic.
Karen Colliver
A true story: Ballerina dreams by Michaela and Elaine DePrince
Faber and Faber, 2017. ISBN 9780571329731
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. At first, with its pink background and cute
dancer on the cover I thought this was another ballerina story for
young girls but Ballerina dreams is a lot more than that.
Written by Michaela DePrince and her adoptive mother Elaine, this
story reveals Michaela's amazing journey from being an abandoned
orphan in Sierra Leone, West Africa, to an international ballet
dancer.
Michaela describes how she felt alone and valueless because as well
as loosing her parents she had a skin complaint called vitiligo.
Vitiligo made her skin loose some of its colour and she had
noticeable white spots on her chest and neck. This made her even
more of an outsider.
By chance, Michaela finds a torn page showing a picture of a
ballerina, blowing in the wind. Immediately she decides that is what
she wants to be. An amazing dream for an orphan with only one friend
but this is exactly what happens. She is sent to America and meets
her new mother, Elaine DePrince who supports her goals.
The book is aimed for year 2-4 students and the story has been
adapted for that age group but I listened to Michaela on a TED talk
describe the horrors she saw and experienced before arriving in the
USA. Yet her message is clear,
'It doesn't matter if you dream of being a doctor, a teacher, a
writer, or a ballerina. Every dream begins with one step. After
that, you must work hard and practise every day. If you never give
up, your dream will come true.'
The book fits easily into a young hand and has simple but effective
illustrations on most pages. It will appeal to young aspiring
ballerinas and they will learn a lot about the power of love and
conviction.
Watch Michaela dance on YouTube.
Jane Moore
