Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781510102194
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Chase, written by famous adult
crime author, Linwood Barclay, is a thrilling adventure full of
secrets, danger and of course running. The book is action-packed
with loads of suspense and a major plot twist, which meant it was
impossible to put down as the tension built up. An on-edge novel, it
was exciting from the start when Chipper, an experimental
cyborg-like dog, escapes 'The Institute' before he is run over by
Jeff, who is driving underage. Jeff, an orphan, and his friend
Emily, nurse Chipper back to health in the woods. But when they plug
Chipper into a computer, it becomes apparent that this is not a
random meeting and the new friends are in a world of trouble.
At the beginning you get to know the characters and become one with
them as they face life or death. The friends launch into an endless
adventure of cat and mouse, always looking behind them. The newborn
friendship will be put to the test. Chase keeps you guessing
what will happen to the strong friendship between man and dog. The
author's words captivate you until you turn the last page and will
leave you breathless and wanting more till the very end. Overall,
everyone can enjoy this, not just kids and teens - adults too!
Cara F. (Student)
Convergence by Marita Smith
Harbour Publishing House 2017. ISBN 9781922134158
(Age: 13+) Convergence is a blend of the scientific and the
spiritual in face of environmental disaster. It follows the story of
Robyn Greene and her discovery of an ancient gene that can enable
humans to communicate with animals. However, her findings are soon
stolen by MRI, a shady organisation who claim that Robyn is one of
their scientists, despite her never having heard of them. With the
help of Kate and Kara, Robyn's best friends, Robyn and the
gene-mutant she uncovers, Fletcher, are able to evade the MRI who
come to collect them and murder Fletcher's parents. Meanwhile, the
other researchers, Derek, Catherine, Terrance, and Xiaofang, are in
the dark. Each has some crackpot theory about the possibility of
communication between humans and animals - a crackpot theory that,
this time, turns out to be correct. Robyn is determined to find and
warn them of the MRI's malicious intentions. Everything happens so
quickly and it doesn't even occur to Robyn that they might not be
surprised at all to find they've been used. One of them might even
be the mastermind behind it all. Could any of them be so callous to
work with the murderous MRI? And why is it only now that this
ancient gene is rediscovered? Where does it come from and what is
its purpose? Only those with the gene can reveal that to Fletcher
and the others with convergence.
Recommended for students thirteen and up who have a passion for
science and environmental disaster. Smith imbues the text with a
strong message about taking care of the environment to prevent
disaster, showing in particular, the effect of human pollution on
the world's oceans.
Kayla Gaskell, 21
Ella saw the tree by Robert Vescio
Big Sky Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925520378
Picture book. Highly recommended. When you can't see the trees right
in front of you what else are you missing?
This is a well illustrated book, the pictures help you to believe
that Ella is doing all of the things she is imagining. Until one day
Ella notices the tree in her back yard, it has always been there but
she has not noticed it before. Ella is worried about the tree, and
mum helps her to stop and look at what is happening now, to see what
is right in front of her.
This is a lovely story about living in the moment and appreciating
what we have right in front of us.
Karen Colliver
Big stink by Mac Park
Ill. by James Hart. D-Bot Squad , book 4. Allen & Unwin,
2017. ISBN 9781760296001
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Hunter and his friend Charlie continue on
their adventures in Big stink. Hunter has been bailed up by
a stegosaurus, who makes the most enormous farts, so much so that he
can hardly breathe. His D-Bot has been wrecked by the dinosaur and
things look grim for him until Charlie comes along. She is clever
and brave and reminds Hunter that often it is good to work together
as a team, which is exactly what these intrepid dinosaur hunters do.
Like the others in the series, there are six short chapters with
large print and interesting vocabulary to keep the emerging reader
entertained. The cliffhanger ending will ensure that the next book
in the series is grabbed as soon as it is available, but it is
possible to read Big stink as a stand alone for any reader
who comes into the series late. Illustrations by James Hart are
amusing and informative and complement the text.
This is a great series for both boys and girls to enjoy. Other books
reviewed are Sky high
and Dino trouble and Dino
hunter.
Pat Pledger
Guff by Aaron Blabey
Penguin Books Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780670077175
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Friendship. Stuffed toys. Looking rather
worse for wear on the front cover, Guff the much loved stuffed
animal toy is the constant companion of his owner. She takes him
everywhere, from bed to an outing on the bus, to the toilet, on her
bike and at the seaside. He stays in the car when she is at school,
but she is happy knowing that he is waiting for her. When she leaves
him on the bus Mum must stop the driver to retrieve him. When Guff
falls into the water, it is Mum who must climb in after him. Long
suffering Mum has the most delightful expressions on her face,
showing that she is not as enamoured with Guff as her daughter is.
Now and again Mum needs to put him in the washing machine and her
face again says it all, and will draw laughter from the readers.
Blabey is able to squeeze humour from the simplest expressions, ones
that the readers, young and old, will instantly recognise and
understand.
When Guff goes missing, Mum makes posters to hang around the street
asking for his return, but of course he is only lost within the
house. His owner imagines all the most dire reasons for his
disappearance, but when he turns up, all is smiles again.
A delicious tale of friendship and love, brimming with humour.
Fran Knight
Aliens, ghosts and vanishings: Strange and possibly true Australian stories by Stella Tarakson
Ill. by Richard Morden. Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN
9781925324969
Australia really is a 'story country' and the tales, tall and true
that have been collected in this volume prove just how rich and
diverse this nation is. Even our unofficial national anthem focuses
on a ghost so why wouldn't there be a wealth of stories about
mythical creatures, mysterious locations, haunted places, UFO
sightings, bizarre disappearances and strange happenings?
From bunyips and yowies to Azaria Chamberlain and the disappearance
of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, this is a collection that will
absorb the lover of the weird, wonderful and utterly mysterious,
some familiar and others not so. Ostensibly for those 10 and over,
its clear format, short chapters and abundant illustrations will
appeal to any independent reader who is interested in finding out
more about the strange and unusual that this country has on offer.
As well as the stories themselves, there are pages with extra
information, and some of the sources the author used for her research
are included for those who wish to investigate further. Identified
as a Notable Book in the 2017 Eve Pownall Award for Information
Books, I know a couple of young readers who are going to be having
to do scissors-paper-rock to see who reads this one first.
Barbara Braxton
The Beach Shack Cafe by Belinda Murrell
Pippa's Island series, book 1. Penguin, 2017. ISBN
9780143783671
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Moving house, Islands,
Family life, School stories, Restaurants and cafes. Belinda
Murrell's enjoyable new series Pippa's Island celebrates
family, friendship and food, with the idyllic setting of Kira Island
providing wonderful opportunities for new experiences. Pippa
Hamilton and her family have left everything familiar behind in
London, their home, friends, schools, even their pet goldfish and
moved half way across the world. This island is where her mother
grew up and now Grandpa and Mimi are happy helping their
grandchildren settle in. Mum is busy renovating the old boatshed
into a bookshop cafe with an apartment upstairs. Pippa, her brother
Harry and younger sister Bella have to face the challenges ahead of
them, including sharing the cramped old caravan in their
grandparent's backyard.
Pippa's arrival in Mrs Marshall's fifth grade class causes some
problems, especially with Olivia who is usually top in Maths tests
and becomes jealous of her. Soon the newcomer forms friends with
'eco-warrior Meg, boho-chick Charlie, and fashionista and cupcake
baker Cici.' Pippa's quick thinking about their group project,
designing a quest game set in Africa draws the girls together; each
has useful skills to help in the construction and designing. Dance
lessons and kayaking in the bay prove challenging for Pippa, these
lessons are nothing like her activities in her London school, The Beach Shack Cafe is a rewarding read; Belinda Murrell's
novel portrays a cast of realistic characters facing the
difficulties and rewards of family and school life. As the community
draws together to make the opening of the bookshop cafe The Beach
Shack a success, this is a time of making new memories and delight
in new friendships and relationships. This is a fabulous
introduction to the Pippa's Island series and Book 2
promises more fun and adventures for the Sassy Sisters, Pippa, Meg,
Charlie and Cici.
Rhyllis Bignell
The girl who drank the moon by Kelly Barnhill
Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9781616205676 (hardback) ISBN
9781848126473 (Paperback)
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Locus Awards 2017. Newbery
Medal (2017), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee
(2018), Andre Norton Award Nominee for Young Adult Science Fiction
and Fantasy (2016). Every year a tiny baby is left in the forest as
an offering to the witch. The people of the Protectorate believe
that this is the only way to keep the witch from terrorizing their
town. But the reader soon discovers that the witch Xan, is not evil,
instead she collects up the abandoned baby, fills it with some
starlight and takes it to the other side of the forest where as a
Star Child it is loved and wanted. One year Xan takes a baby and
instead of the little girl being filled with starlight, she
accidentally is fed with moonlight and becomes enmagicked. Xan
decides to keep Luna the baby and together with her friends, Glerk
from the Bog and Fyrian, a tiny dragon, brings her up, but as her
magic grows wild, Xan is forced to lock it away until her 13th
birthday. As Luna approaches her 13th birthday, she finds that she
must protect her friends.
This is a beautifully woven story with fully realised characters,
from the witch Zan, who is loving and wise, to the sinister Sisters
in the tower and the elders of the town. I loved the little dragon
Fyrian whose personality brought many smiles to my face and worried
along side Luna's mother as she went mad with grief at the loss of
her daughter. The rich descriptions and the intrigue of the Elders
and the Tower will leave the reader breathless as they follow the
many characters who have been affected by the ghastly practice of
leaving a baby as a sacrifice.
As the many awards testify, The Girl Who Drank the Moon is
an outstanding fantasy and a must for every library. It would also
be a stunning read aloud in the classroom.
Pat Pledger
The hired girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press, 2015. ISBN 9781406361407 (hardback) ISBN
9781406365931 (paperback)
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. A beautiful tale of adventure, love,
courage and religion. Set in 1911, Joan decides to begin a diary
documenting her life at Steeple Farm where she lives with her
abusive father and three unsympathetic brothers. Fourteen and
motherless, Joan is expected to do 'women's work' - cleaning,
cooking and washing the boys' clothes, day in and day out. A lover
of literature, her only friends are the strong female protagonists
of the books given to her by Miss Chandler, a teacher that Joan
greatly admires. Inspired by these women, Joan stands up to her
father, only for him to retaliate by burning the books she holds so
dear. Upon losing her most precious possessions, Joan decides that
she has had enough of this miserable life and, with all of the inner
strength she can muster, packs up her remaining few belongings, and
takes off on an adventure; determined to reinvent herself. She heads
to Baltimore, where she seeks work as a hired girl. Along the way
she finds hope, love, and a new meaning of family; and discovers
more about herself and the world as each day passes. Relatable,
empowering and beautifully written; this is not a novel that you
will easily forget. Joan's determination and perseverance makes her
a heroine whose heart-warming tale inspires all who read it. A
stunning story for book lovers everywhere - the type of novel that
makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and let yourself be
transported into another world.
Daniella Chiarolli (university student)
Editor's note : Boston Globe-Horn Book Award fiction honor book, 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, YALSA Best fiction for young adults 2016
When the world is full of friends by Gillian Shields
Ill. by Anna Currey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849668
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Themes: Friendship, Working together 'When
the world is full of friends, the fun and laughter never ends'.
Author Gillian Shields and illustrator Anna Currey celebrate
friendship and creativity in this gentle story When the World is
full of friends. From a pastel yellow background, little
Albert the rabbit hops across the grass to begin the tale. Tom,
Flossie and Pipkin love to escape from their little thatched cottage
into the green meadow ready to play. Each one has special
characteristics, Albert the oldest is the most active, he loves to
run and race. Young Tom enjoys dressing up, in his pirate, monster
and Prince costumes he acts out plays for his whole family. Sister
Flossie is creative, she loves to be inventive, making and painting
windmills, forts and pretty umbrellas. Baby Flossie loves playing on
his blankie in the sunshine.
When a family of squirrels appear on the opposite side of the
riverbank, each of the rabbit's special abilities are needed to work
together and find a way across the river to meet their new friends.
Currey's delightful ink and watercolour paintings add liveliness to
this easy to read story celebrating family and friends.
Rhyllis Bignell
Through the gate by Sally Fawcett
EK Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925335415
As she looks through the gate of her new house, the little girl is
feeling really despondent because it is anything but new. All she
could see were the drooping roof, the peeling paint, and the
crumbling steps. As she sits on the step pondering all the changes
of a new house, a new town and a new school she sees nothing bright
in her future. But gradually, slowly, one step at a time things
begin to change - and so does she.
This is a familiar story for many children who are uprooted from
their comfort zone that has been told on so many different levels
that it is quite brilliant.
Firstly there is the concept - as the house is slowly restored to
something smart and vibrant so does her mood and her willingness to
look beyond her untied shoelaces, gradually lifting her head to the
possibility and potential that surrounds her. Then there is the text
itself - carefully chosen vocabulary that reflects the girl's moods,
changing with each step forward that she takes in settling into her
new environment. This is accompanied by illustrations that have an
increasing use of colour and detail, climaxing in full-colour
spreads as the future becomes clearer. And throughout, the changes
are reflected in the life of the little bird that first appears on
the front endpaper as a lonely soul with a forlorn twig and ends on
the back endpaper showing all the riches of life.
This is a story about nothing staying the same; about even the most
dismal day waking to a sunrise soon; about how our moods and
feelings can colour our world; and cliches like 'light at the end of
the tunnel'; 'some days are diamonds and some days are stones' and
'without rain there can be no rainbows.' While younger readers may
engage on a more superficial level at spotting the changes to the
house and the bird's business, older readers may be able to dig
deeper and look at the more philosophical ideas that underpin the
story as well as learning about looking for the positive, managing
emotions and expectations, and developing strategies that will help
them deal with new, tough or confusing situations, physical or
emotional. Some might even like to share such occasions and how they
coped perhaps sending a message to other classmates that they are
not alone and not on their own.
Change can be challenging but time can take care of things.
Extensive teaching
notes are available.
Barbara Braxton
My life as a hashtag by Gabrielle Williams
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113681
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This is a novel that takes adults
into the world of adolescents, firmly and deliberately embedding
them in the unknown aspects of their world and plummeting them into
the deeply emotional world of adolescence. Marie Claude, or 'MC', is
unexpectedly not invited to her best friend's party, an unthinkable
event. It seems that the boy she liked is 'with' her best friend
too, provoking more nastiness and venting. In response, MC goes to
various internet personal rant sites, like Tindr, Snapchat, and
Facebook, where she thoroughly and completely bags her best friend.
Her online voice is not really hers but, as an everyday teenager in
Australia, she is astonished by the power of her rant, and her
sudden achievement of a global audience. Plummeting the reader into
this post-modern world, we are aware that Williams deliberately
shocks her protagonist by making her suddenly and frighteningly
aware of the huge potential for worldwide recognition of an
individual when her posts 'go viral' internationally and she becomes
a hit for her virulent bagging of her friend. Her nastiness is
rewarded by those who champion this kind of bagging, and the troll
attacks begin too. This of course, is not what she expected, and the
devastation it brings plummets her into a deep depression that
reverberates with the understanding of the power of this medium.
Ostracized by her friends, her school and, she feels, the world, she
is terrifyingly alone except for the online champions of her
nastiness.
MC has also been coping with her parents' life choices and this has
caused her a great deal of angst. Things do improve, but this modern
fable is a tremendously powerful 'I told you so' moment for a young
woman who could not have imagined the effect of those nasty posts.
This is a strong, modern, credible and very well-constructed
narrative that carries a chilling warning for the power of the
internet in the modern world. It is most suitable for older
adolescents as it is most disconcerting in Williams' revelation of
the capacity of one individual to achieve a worldwide audience that
seemed to be simply waiting for such vitriol.
Elizabeth Bondar
Six Tudor queens: Anne Boleyn, a King's obsession by Alison Weir
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781472227638
(Age: 14+) Recommended. British history, Tudor history, Kingship.
Anne Boleyn is certainly a name most people will recognise as the
one for whom King Henry VIII split with Rome. When all of Europe was
Catholic, owing allegiance to the head of the church, the Pope in
Rome, then political intrigue garnered power behind his headship and
those in favour could call the shots. Henry was desperate to father
a son, one to take up the rule of England after he died, to carry on
the Tudor lineage. His older wife, Katherine was past her child
bearing days and so Henry looked around for a new bride. He had read
Leviticus which forbad a man to marrying his brother's widow, and
using this Biblical reference as the reason for not having a son,
lobbied Rome for an annulment. But Rome was in the thrall of the
Holy Roman Emperor, Katherine's nephew, so no such annulment was
forthcoming. This forced Henry to break with the church and set up
the Church of England, a move which paralleled the Reformation in
Europe.
But what of Anne? Alison Weir develops a page turning story of
Anne's life both before and after her marriage and we see her as a
young woman sent to several countries in Europe where she learnt the
pattern of surviving in a court. Weir paints a rather
headstrong girl, used to getting her own way, wary of the obstacles,
but looking out for a likely marriage prospect. She knew her father,
Thomas Boleyn well. He was rising in Henry's court, making himself
useful to the great king, always on the lookout for how his children
could benefit from royal patronage. The machinations behind the
scenes make for fascinating reading, particularly when Anne's sister
Mary becomes the king's mistress and Anne can see how problematic it
is, especially when she has a child. All the court detail is given,
and conversations developed from the extensive research done by
Weir, making this a riveting read into the private lives of Anne and
her family. A long list of the cast of characters is given at the
end in the order in which they appear in Anne's life, and a useful
family tree is given at the start.
Fran Knight
Middle School mayhem Rachel Renee Russell
The Misadventures of Max Crumbly book 2. Simon and Schuster,
2017. ISBN 9781471164279
(Age: 9-12) 'I knew middle school was going to be challenging, but I
never expected to end up DEAD in the computer lab, wearing a
SUPERHERO COSTUME, with four slices of PIZZA stuck to my BUTT!' Max
Crumbly returns in Middle School Mayhem, and this sequel
starts immediately after the cliffhanger scene that ended the first
madcap adventures of this dorky teenager. Max is desperately trying
to find his dad's lost comic book and stop three thugs determined to
steal the school's computers.
In Russell's familiar notebook style, punctuated by her quirky comic
illustrations, Max reveals his crazy thoughts, mad antics and silly
humour. Dressed in his best friend Erin's ice princess costume, he
has to think quickly and creatively to stop the thieves from leaving
the building with the new computers. Why he doesn't ring the police
is a little hard to take, instead he sends Erin the school's
computer password to allow her remote control access to the PA
system, lights and security cameras. With his limited battery life
in his cell phone, every minute counts as they coordinate turning
off the lights and turning on the sprinkler system. The school
cafeteria scene is filled with slapstick comedy as one of the
thieves Moose accidentally butt-dials the stove burner, cools his
burning pants at the kitchen sink, then endures being slimed, his
head is stuck in the bucket and finally being plastic-wrapped.
Max's unique point of view is strong, he stops to contemplate his
super-hero life, invent crazy raps and totally, totally (his
favourite word) take the fans along on his crazy journey. Of course,
Russell ends with another cliffhanger ensuring her audience is
committed to the series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Usborne Big book of animals by Hazel Maskell
Ill. by Fabiano Fiorin. Usborne, 2017. ISBN 9781474928953
From the icy polar regions, the steaming tropics to the depths of
the oceans, our planet is inhabited by some amazing creatures and
many of them are gathered here to tempt the budding David
Attenborough as they investigate the tallest, longest, fastest,
heaviest and most dangerous animals in the world, complete with
facts and measurements.
With easily accessible text, bite-sized facts, and fold-out pages
which introduce a myriad of creatures, little ones cannot only learn
about the creatures that share their environment but also that books
can educate as well as entertain. They are for information as well
as the imagination. And for those who want to know more, Usborne has
a page of Quicklinks that offers safe, vetted links to information
and activities. The Usborne Big Book of Animals is just one in this series of
early non fiction for young readers that help them find more about
the world they live in and which would be quality additions to any
school or home library.
Barbara Braxton
