Reviews

This savage song by Victoria Schwab

Monsters of Verity book 1. Titan Books, 2016. ISBN 9781785652745
(Age: 14+) Recommended. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. Dystopian fiction. In a world that has been invaded by monsters, Kate Harker and August Flynn find themselves together on the run. There are three types of monsters: Malchai who drink blood and are made when there is a murder, Corsai who eat flesh and bones and are formed from violence and Sunai who feed on the souls of sinners and are formed from a major catastrophe like a school bombing. August Flynn is a Sunai, but longs to be less of a monster. His adopted father, Henry Flynn, runs one side of Verity, while Kate Harker's father runs the other side. However the truce that Flynn and Harker had made is beginning to come apart at the seams and August is sent to spy on Kate in an effort to find out what is going on.
The setting of Verity and the formation of monsters from evil acts is quite original and made reading This savage song quite different. Kate's feisty nature and need to please her crime boss father contrasted with August's attempts to be less monster-like. When they both are attacked at their school, they have to rely on each other to work out what is happening and to escape the attempts to kill them. Although there are slight hints at a Romeo and Juliet type of relationship, this is minor to the plot, which is action driven, while posing questions about morality and ethics.
There are some very thrilling and frightening scenes as the monsters chase Kate and August through the underground tunnels and Schwab manages to surprise with some unexpected twists and turns. The conclusion is satisfying but leaves plenty of opportunity for expansion in Our dark duet, the second in the series, which is on my to-read list.
This was a compulsive read with unique characters and magic. Readers who enjoy Holly Black's books will want to read this one.
Pat Pledger

Bitter enemies by R. A. Spratt

Friday Barnes series, book 7. Penguin Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780143784197
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Beginning of term at Highcrest Academy has never been so dreary and desolate. Melanie and Ian are both depressed and missing their quirky best friend, Friday, who has been whisked off to Switzerland to be with her family and attend Europe's most elite school. Adding to their misery, the start of term assembly sees the announcement of the school's anniversary celebrations and the return of four previous headmasters. Good grief! Surely one headmaster is enough for any mortal?
However, they have not reckoned on the surprise return of the school's most dedicated nerdy sleuth who appears dramatically at the doors of the assembly hall ready to deal with anything that might just foul up the anniversary celebrations. And just as well, the students have been warned to be on their best behaviour but apparently no one told the former headmasters the same thing. You have no idea how much havoc can be created by embittered former educators - wait, perhaps you do! As usual, Friday is on hand to solve the mysteries, explain the inexplicable and generally get everyone out of trouble although not without finding herself in a pickle at the same time.
Old and new characters make their appearances and really you have to love Mrs Cannon, the world's laziest English teacher - I wonder what might happen if I tried that approach? These are such fun to read and Friday's idiosyncrasies are so goofy as to be endearing. The solid friendships are a great feature of this series, proving you don't need to be pattern made to fit in. There is also the pathos as we find out more about Friday's ghastly family and oh oh, the shocker at the end - what will happen to Friday when... Oops, never mind, you'll find out.
These are always high in demand in my library and I know the readers are waiting on this new one impatiently.
Highly recommended for readers from around 8 years upwards.
Sue Warren

Grandma forgets by Paul Russell

Ill. by Nicky Johnston. EK, 2017. ISBN 9781925335477
Picture book. 'My grandmother forgets who I am. Every time we meet, it likes meeting someone new...
Even though Grandma can't remember us, we have so many memories of her.'
There are the sausages as big as elephant's legs that she served for Sunday lunch; going to the beach; snuggled in together with a hot-water bottle and a blanket watching the nighttime storms split the sky... The little girl and her dad have memories galore that they share with her in her new home with the painted garden and people who remember for her.
Young children encountering older relatives who are succumbing to the challenges of the ageing process are becoming more common as generations live longer than ever, and so stories that help them deal with what can be a confronting situation are always welcome. This is a gentle comforting story about the enduring love between the generations, although if Grandma is 80 as her birthday cake shows there seems to be a skipped generation in the chain. My own grandchildren would appear to be about the age of the children in the story and they faced this situation with their great-grandmothers, not their grandmas. We are only in our 60s!
Nevertheless, this is an uplifting story that shows how children embrace the changing circumstances, accepting the changes and the challenges and working with them, rather than taking them as a personal rejection. There are adults who could learn from this unconditional love that children display and how they adapt so they almost become the adult themselves. And while there are old memories to recall, there are always new ones to make.
The soft palette and lines chosen by the illustrator portray the beautiful memories perfectly and the love between them all just oozes from the page setting up the perfect opportunity to let the children tell and draw their own stories of their own special moments with their grandparents, perhaps cementing them even more firmly.
A family story that provides lots of comfort.
Barbara Braxton

A cardboard palace by Allayne L. Webster

Midnight Sun Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925227253
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Poverty, Refugees, Child Labour, Survival. Allayne Webster's A Cardboard Palace is a powerful story giving a voice to the plight of Romany children taken from their parents and forced to work as pickpockets and thieves in Paris. Jorge lives in No Man's Land a shantytown with ramshackle huts made from scavenged materials. It is a life of desperation and poverty. His controller Bill forces his gang of six girls and four boys to steal from the tourists and locals, at ATMs, in the Louvre, and on the Metro Stations. The children are quick-witted, cunning and fast, taught the tricks of the trade by the villainous Bill.
Jorge is torn between obeying this man and trying to protect his friends. There is a moral dilemma and he wants his voice to be heard. While Abel keeps some of the money he steals to buy food, Jorge keeps nothing for himself. Camp life is confronting, a sick child disappears, trafficked children are locked up and twelve-year-old girls sold as child brides to older men. Their parents keen to receive the dowry money.
When Jorge scavenges in a dumpster behind a cafe, he meets Sticky Ricky an Australian chef who befriends him, feeds him leftovers and takes up the fight to free these children from the gang. There are tense scenes as the special taskforce moves in to evacuate the children and the Catacombs setting where friends save the day.
A Cardboard Palace is a modern Oliver Twist story, where one boy's courage, resilience and determination shine through. Allayne Webster's Parisienne setting shows a different reality, one of poverty and hardship. The light and shade of the narrative, the emotional resonance of Jorge's voice and her honesty in portraying these deeper issues, make this a novel suited to more mature readers. In Year 7 and 8 students engaging with this literary text, can discuss the ethical dilemmas presented and the interpersonal relationships of the characters. (ACARA)
Rhyllis Bignell

Where is Grandma? by Peter Schossow

Gecko Press (NZ), 2017. ISBN 9781776571543
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Hospitals, Humour, Grandparents. This beautifully evocative picture book about a child trying to find his grandmother in a large busy hospital, is not only a wonderful tale of discovery, but it tells readers why a hospital exists and shows the range of people, staff and procedures that a hospital contains. Henry becomes lost when he goes inside the huge place while his nanny talks on the phone. He knocks on many doors, some of which he opens to talk to the person inside. He talks to a heart surgeon, sees a newborn baby, a woman with dementia, a man injured in a car accident, the worker in the basement and finally the security officer who takes him to Grandma's room.
Younger readers will want to see him reunited with Grandma as he weaves his way through corridors and lifts and lunch rooms, the maternity ward and surgery all on his own.
The gentle humour will appeal to a wide audience and many adults reading will have a giggle at the literary references within the text. First published in Germany with the title, Wo ist Oma, the book has been republished by Gecko Press in New Zealand and distributed by Scholastic.
The illustrations cover the double pages, showcasing large parts of the hospital, the view from the outside, the view from the corridor over an atrium, a few hints of the outside, the long corridors and intimate rooms. On each page we see another aspect of the hospital through Henry's eyes.
I love the range of people shown, from young to old, infirm and able bodied, staff and patients, a range of ethnic variations, all attesting to the diversity shown in our society and in particular, Germany.
Funny incidents occur: meeting his classmate with a bean up her nose, the woman in the lift thinking he is her son, George, the man concerned about his friends waiting for him, seeing Mr Munchberger surrounded by food. Henry decides that Grandma is in good hands after finding out so much about the working day in a hospital, and promises he will not get lost again.
At once a cautionary tale about running off from one's nanny, the story exposes young readers to the working life of a hospital and will encourage them to talk about going to these places with humour.
Fran Knight

Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss

Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780143783435
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Lintang dreams of having adventures on the high seas. When a deadly mythie attacks the same day the infamous Captain Shafira visits her island, Lintang gets her chance, defending her village with a bravery that earns her a place on the pirate queen's ship. But they've barely left the island when Lintang discovers her best friend, Bayani, has stowed away. Telling Captain Shafira means betraying her friend, but keeping Bayani's secret risks everything . . . including their lives.
This is a fantastic read with unexpected twists and turns and the bravest pirate queen there ever was. This book combines a mythic pirate adventure where we meet a variety of vastly different characters who live in a fantasy world. Tamara Moss has done a wonderful job of introducing us to the strong Lintang and equally impressive Pirate Queen.
This book will quickly become popular with students from 11 and up. It is a book full of determination, grit and challenges. Friendship is a strong theme throughout the story and I predict it will continue to develop as the series continues.
Kathryn Schumacher

Little Lunch: Triple the Laughs by Danny Katz

Ill. by Mitch Vane. Black Dog Books, 2017. ISBN 9781921977398
(Age: 6+) Themes: School stories; Friendship; Food; Dress-up Day; Germs. Three stories, made into the successful ABC series Little Lunch, highlight the antics of kids at school. Little Lunch, or as some know it - 'Recess' - is a 15 minute interlude in every child's life when good things and woeful things can happen! The first story in this book tells the tale of the 'little, brown, smelly-wrap things' that appear in the lunchbox when Yaya takes over catering duties while Atticus' parents are away. In Atticus' mind, this is a disaster of gargantuan proportions. The second tale is based on the ubiquitous dress-up day, again another day in the school year fraught with unintended disaster. The final story, The Germblock reveals the problems associated with making a hasty call on a germ-riddled moment.
Each of these short stories is delightful, funny and revealing of the personalities of the school yard and the local customs or problems that can develop in a school context. Obviously as this is an enjoyable ABC television series, young readers will probably already have come to know these quirky personalities, and the book contains photographs of the young actors, as well as the eccentric drawings by Mitch Vane.
Young readers aged 6+ will connect with this easy to read book, but as the Television characters are in Year 6, older students will not be embarrassed to have this book in their reading collection for Silent Reading time (!), although it does take very little time to read. However, this may make a good book for those who might otherwise avoid reading.
Carolyn Hull

Remind me how this ends by Gabrielle Tozer

Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460751688
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Durnan is really a backwater now that Milo's girlfriend has moved 300kms away to University. Milo finished Yr 12 with plenty of options but he's stuck, working in the family bookstore. It doesn't look as if he's going anywhere fast. He's visited Sal once at her student share house but Milo seems to factor less and less in her hectic new life. Who should re-enter Milo's life after a 5 year absence? Layla Montgomery walks through the door of the bookstore. Her baggage is the unresolved grief of her mother's sudden death in Durnan and a drug-dealing boyfriend.
Their respective relationships begin to languish and the pair fall into a familiar friendship of text messaging and teasing. Plans go awry for them both and in the melee, is intimacy on the cards? Or is Milo merely a link to Layla's memories of her mother - in a happier time before her dad swept them out of town on the wave of his own grief.
Tozer's chapters alternate between Layla and Milo's perspectives because this is the classic friends becoming lovers plot. Yet Trent, Milo's brother, and Shirin, Layla's step-mother, are just two developed characters adding credibility, pathos and in Trent's case, more than a little humour. Remind me how this ends amongst a handful of themes, explores the dilemma of what comes after school. Thanks to Milo's gap year, we learn that it's OK to not have your whole future mapped out upon leaving school - not love - not life.
Deborah Robins

Rockabye Pirate by Timothy Knapman

Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849392
Rock-a-bye pirate, in the crow's nest
Mummy says bedtime, and Mummy knows best.
You've had your adventures, you've sailed the high seas,
So under the covers and go to sleep, please.
During the day, this little pirate has all sorts of pirate adventures doing all the things pirates do. But the life of a pirate isn't all swashbuckling, treasure-seeking and making enemies walk the plank - come nighttime they have to have their dinner, have a bath, wash their hair, get in the PJs and snuggle into bed to listen to a bedtime story. And this smart mummy knows this, turning her boy's bedtime routine into a pirate-centred lullaby to settle him down and lull him to sleep.
Author of other preschool-friendly stories such as All Aboard the Dinosaur Express, Knapman describes himself as a children's writer, lyricist and playwright and his way with words, their rhyme and rhythm certainly shines through in this latest offering. Sublimely illustrated so that even the wickedest pirates who ever set sail - Black-Bearded Brewster, Sea Dog McPhail, Cross-Eyed Delaney and Freddy the Fright - become just regular people who go home to their magnificent purpled-hair mum, there is everything that is familiar about pirates in this book as well as things that are not so it is scaled back to become a gentle bedtime story for even the toughest, most adventurous daytime seafarer.
Barbara Braxton

Shaozhen by Wai Chim

Through my eyes, natural disaster zones book 2. Allen And Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113797
(Age: Year 4+) Highly recommended. This is a thought provoking account of the hardship a small village faced in the 2014 drought in Henan, China. Shaozhen has no intention of staying in his remote Henan village and becoming another poor farmer. He intends to finish school, and then, hopefully, work in a factory in one of the major cities, just like his father. But when Shaozhen returns home for the summer holidays, imagining days filled with nothing but playing basketball with his friends, he's in for a shock. The worst drought in over sixty years threatens the crops that the entire village relies on for income. The situation becomes so bad that Shaozhen's mother must join his father in a larger city to earn money with the threat of there being no harvest to generate an income. He is left behind to live with his grandmother. Shaozhen is soon faced with the harsh realities that accompany drought and spends a large part of his day finding alternative sources of water that must be carted by hand to provide them with enough water for drinking and cleaning, as they watch their crops wither away. When these sources dry up, the villages must travel to a nearby town and collect two buckets of water per family per day.
As the water situation becomes dire, Shaozhen realises he must come up with a plan. But will it be enough to save his family and friends and secure the future of his village?
I would highly recommend this book for Year 4 students and up. I can see it fitting into our unit on natural disasters and it would make a great read aloud. Just be aware that the last couple of chapters touch on AIDS. This book presents themes such as determination, village pride and perseverance.
I enjoyed the author's notes, timelines and glossary at the end of the book as I found I was left wanting to find out more about this drought. A fantastic addition to this series.
Kathryn Schumacher

Survival skills handbook, series by Bear Grylls

Knots. ISBN: 9781783422982
Camping. ISBN 9781783422593
Maps and navigation. ISBN 9781783423002
Dangers and emergencies. ISBN 9781783422999
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Survival. Camping. Knots. Navigation. First Aid. Bear Grylls is the world famous survivalist, ex-military commando known for his extreme outdoor adventures on his television series and his work as Chief Scout for the UK Scout Association. Each of these factual Survival skills handbooks focuses on the knowledge, resources, tips and tricks to meet the challenges of living in the wilderness. These provide easy-to-read instructions, clear colourful diagrams and step-by-step guides presented with sturdy covers and elastic bookmarks. They are the perfect addition to a camping backpack, wrapped in a waterproof bag.
Knots is a comprehensive volume of all things rope-related, splicing, tripod lashing, attaching a dinghy to post with a pile-hitch and the more familiar knots used in camping. With an introduction about the knot's purpose, a tip from Bear Grylls and close-ups of each stage with labelled sections, this is a great book for campers, sailors and Scouts.
Camping discusses everything from tent types, making shelters, hunting knives (with an adult in charge), toileting and showering, to food preparation and fire making. He introduces this with an encouragement to enjoy these experiences with friends and family, and safety is an important part of his message. Healthy nutrition, personal hygiene and environmental awareness are also covered.
Maps and navigation looks at the essential skills needed to start an adventure in the wild. The diagrams illustrate the basic equipment required, to being prepared for the conditions, familiarisation with your location, journey and destination. The ability to read a contour map, use a compass, measure distance, even reading signs in nature are extremely beneficial skills to have.
Dangers and emergencies even includes an Australian section on snakes. Knowing how to set an emergency signal, fire cones, flares, even a jungle distress signal is included. Dangerous insects, arachnids, reptiles and mammals are shown with their specific patterns and colours. How to treat snakebite, escape from quicksand, purify water, test for edible plants and build a shelter are vital skills for young wilderness explorers.
Bear Grylls' Survival skills handbooks are excellent resources for everyone who enjoys life in the great outdoors.
Rhyllis Bignell

Blossom by Tamsin Janu

Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781742991641
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Author Tamsin Janu has hit the jackpot again. After the success of Figgy in the world and Figgy and the President, we get to meet the extremely determined Lottie. Lottie was sent to live with her Uncle Bobby at the age of eight, following her mother's death. After being in and out of numerous foster homes while her mother was alive, Lottie craved for attention and love. Uncle Bobby did not have much and struggled with the challenges presented to him with the arrival of Lottie.
One morning a very excited Lottie awoke to find a lost little girl, Blossom, on Uncle Bobby's doorstep. With only her uncle for company, Lottie is extremely happy to now have found a new little sister. She proudly takes her to school and introduces her as her long-lost sister, much to the surprise of her friends. Blossom displays a few interesting characteristics including not being able to communicate with Lottie and being obsessed with a lonely flower that she refuses to part with. Things begin to fall apart when Blossom becomes sick and is taken away. A determined Lottie and a group of friends do everything in their power to rescue her.
An entertaining story for children nine and up that tackles isolation, family breakdown, a yearning for love and acceptance and determination.
Kathryn Schumacher

The very sleepy bear by Nick Bland

Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743812549
(Ages: 3-7) Recommended. Rhyme. Hibernation. This much-loved bear is back in his sixth book and this time he is preparing for winter hibernation. He is just settling in for the long winter when Fox appears and convinces him that a bear like him, 'so big and strong and brave, a creature so magnificent... deserves a bigger cave'. Bear, admitting the cave is a little on the small side, follows Fox as he shows him new cave after new cave, each one more unsuitable than the last: a train tunnel, a tree hollow teeming with bats and a rock cave complete with ocean waves. On return to his own cosy cave, Bear finds sneaky Fox and all his friends have taken up residence there. He doesn't mind if they stay, he just wants to go to sleep. He does get the last word though... 'And by the way... I snore'. It may be the latest in a long series but it isn't any less pleasing, in fact this is one of the best. The fox character is sneaky and humorous and bear is perfectly unimpressed with everything that isn't a quiet place to sleep. Bland replicates the same fun and rhythmical writing style as the other Bear books. It also uses much of the same vocabulary and phrasing, making it a comfortable read for those familiar with the other titles. The illustrations, although they have been gradually evolving since The very cranky bear, are similarly familiar. Children will laugh out loud at this simple but very pleasing narrative, will delight in Bear's lack of enthusiasm, and will like the sneaky character of Fox, who is reminiscent of a dodgy car salesman trying his best to sell something that is far from ideal. Those who are already fans of the Bear series, as well as those who haven't yet been introduced, will enjoy this. A fun read aloud for all ages, which may even become the favourite Bear book.
Nicole Nelson

Because of you by Pip Harry

UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259777
(Age: 15+) Hope. Homelessness. LGBTIQ. Writing. Friendship. Relationships. Everyone has a story... and words can transform lives.
In this YA novel we meet Tiny, a homeless teen who is barely recognised or heard, except by her down and out (and often drunk) older companion, Zak. Her past choices have led her from love and family to destitution and the stench of a life of squalor and uncertainty, until Zak leads her to the Hope Lane Homeless Shelter. The other central character is Nola, who has her own struggles after her boyfriend ditches her because of her silence about her LGBTIQ parents. Nola is required to do school sanctioned Community Service, in order to meet HSC demands, and ends up at Hope Lane. These two teens are thrust together in the newly formed writing group led by Eddie, an intriguing assistant who has his own reasons for being there. At the writing group, the malodorous waft of the quirky attendees is an ever present indicator of their circumstances, but they all have a story to tell. Remarkably in this unusual environment there is opportunity for hope to grow, for relationships and friendships to develop and for both girls to find their place and their voice... and for a future to unfold.
Because of you demonstrates the power of a story to create empathy for those who don't fit... and will definitely open eyes to the plight of those who are homeless and extremely powerless. There are other issues touched on in the book - friendship dramas; school issues, particularly the school formal; teen pregnancy; death; forgiveness and lack of forgiveness; and psychological health. Although this seems an overwhelming number of topics or issues for one book, Pip Harry has knitted these deftly into a heart-warming story that is quite uplifting... and a little bit romantic. There is no didactic posture conveyed towards any of these issues, and teens will probably not notice that this gentle treatment of some weighty issues is unusual. The unfamiliar circumstances of Nola's LGBTIQ family and the impact of drugs and alcohol or mental health issues may mean that this book will not be suitable for every teen, and is probably not recommended for those under 15 or without an open perspective on complex life issues.
Carolyn Hull

Literature to support the Australian curriculum - Annotated lists of fiction and poetry Book 2 by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger