Reviews

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

Dinosaur Munch! The Diplodocus by Jeanne Willis

The World of Dinosaur Roar series. Macmillan, 2017. ISBN 9781509835652
(Ages: 2-4) Recommended. Board Book, Dinosaurs, Rhyme. A tactile front cover and a bright blue, cheeky-looking diplodocus will draw young children to this small board book. It is just one in a series of books (The World of Dinosaur Roar) based on the classic picture book Dinosaur Roar, which have been developed in association with the Natural History Museum in London. An initial introduction page provides the reader with a helpful pronunciation guide for those hard to pronounce dinosaur names, also giving them a cute moniker (e.g. Dinosaur Chew, Dinosaur Whack, etc.). The text length is age-appropriately short but manages to provide a basic introduction to the diplodocus's physiology, diet and habitat. The simple story is about Dinosaur Munch and his tummy that never felt full after lunch. He eats and eats and eats but he is still hungry. Facts are cleverly hidden within the main text (e.g. 'With a swish of his neck and his rows of huge teeth') and the illustrations (different types of dinosaur are shown side by side to highlight size, shape, form etc.). It uses suitable analogies that will be within young readers' realms of experience (e.g. 'long neck like a giraffe', 'as long as three buses') and appropriate and familiar vocabulary as well as some topic specific words such as 'herbivore'. The humorous ending sees the still hungry Munch chewing on his own tail. The fact page at the back reinforces all the visual information provided about the dinosaur's appearance in short, clear sentences (also represented visually). The dinosaurs are fun and cheeky and the unique traits of different species of dinosaur are emphasised both visually and textually. This book has obviously been developed with the highest regard for the prior understandings and needs of its young target audience. It is a high-quality story/information book for very young children, especially dinosaur lovers.
Nicole Nelson

The rabbit-hole golf course by Ella Mulvey

Ill. by Karen Briggs. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781925266290
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Aboriginal themes. Desert. Australian life. Rabbits. Bush tucker. Rhyme. With an eye to repetition and rhyme, this tale of a group of children going out to the golf course to find a rabbit is infectious, begging to be read aloud, encouraging kids to sing along, make the noises and predict the next lines. I can imagine a group of kids with sticks, beating to the rhythm of the story, adding noise and excitement to the tale being read out loud.
They set off in the big old ute, along the long red road to the golf course, pitted with rabbit holes. Already the excitement of finding a rabbit is infectious, and the children have lots of adventures digging holes as big as they are, finding a kangaroo, looking for rabbits, finding honey ants and maku, until finally, covered in red dirt, they sit around the hole they have dug and wait for tea. The families make tea and damper, and while there have been no rabbits found, they all sleep soundly that night in their swags under the stars.
The repetition of 'Where are all the rabbits?' encourages readers to learn those lines and predict where they will appear, calling out the line as the reader turns the page. Likewise other lines, 'the big old ute', 'long red road' and 'desert of my home' encourages kids to recognise the lines as they appear on the pages, asking them to join in.
I love the colourful illustrations, adding another level of interest and excitement to the story. Children will love picking out the slew of animals pictured in the book, along with things which make it recognisably set in the outback. The humour in the tale is reflected in the illustrations with the children seeking a rabbit so desperately but only seeing them in their dreams. I love the repetition of the opening illustration and the last, a child asleep dreaming of rabbits, although on the last page an actual rabbit appears, possibly having a laugh at the children and their efforts. The community is vividly portrayed, from its dot curtains, snuggly woollen hat, to the scattering of dogs and families working together.
And the endpapers show a mud map of where they are headed to find the rabbit-hole golf course, where no one seems to actually want to play golf (understandably). Karen also illustrated Kick with my left foot, a standout publication in 2015, earning its place on the CBCA shortlist.
Fran Knight

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza

Penguin Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780143573166
(Age: 15+) Recommended. CBCA Book of the Year shortlist 2017. Frankie is smart, intellectually brilliant and very, very angry. Abandoned by her mother, her father not around at all, she is only just tolerated by her school peers and teachers. Frankie has been brought up by her Aunt Vinnie and has one best friend. When a half-brother suddenly appears in her life she is excited, confused and very angry with the discovery that while her mother 'dumped' her, she kept her brother, Xavier. Yet Frankie yearns to befriend him, even when she discovers that he is not a good, or even a nice, person. In fact, seeking him, she comes into the world of criminals, violence and the terrible deprivations of those who have lost everything through drugs or criminal activities.
In trouble at school, at home, and pursued by the school, and subsequently the law, for her violence, Frankie almost gives up hope. It is only with the loving intervention of her exasperated aunt and good, loyal friend that Frankie finally finds a way to crawl out of the depths of despair, declaring her independence: 'I'm nobody's daughter. Nobody's friend. Nobody's sister'.
This is a powerful novel of the world experienced by so many disenfranchised children. We are discomforted by children stealing to survive, by their experience of violent, abusive worlds, often living in abandoned houses, or on the streets, ill-treated or ignored by family or drug-addicted carers, hungry and so angry that they can barely tolerate any loving concern, school rules, or their society. This beautifully told narrative resonates long after it has been read, and the issues hit the reader starkly. Plozza passionately presents a call to witness a modern city in disarray, a world that cares little for those who have little, those who live in dirt, loneliness and poverty, who thieve and bash and threaten in order to survive in the big cities, who dwell in an underworld that few of the privileged would recognize. A brave, shining star, Plozza recognises those who are abandoned, poor and struggling to find a place to live, to find food and shelter, in this most disconcerting narrative of a troubled world.
Liz Bondar

The shop at Hooper's Bend by Emily Rodda

Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460753668
(Ages 9+) For all those who have felt drawn to a place without knowing why, this book is for you. Jonquil (Quil), an 11 year old, is heading to Summer camp in the Mountains when she feels the need to get off the train one stop early. While the premise for her not being properly accompanied is a little sketchy, the reader is drawn in. Soon enough, Quil finds herself outside Hooper's Bend store, where Bailey, a fifty-something big-shot from the city, has come to view her inherited property to decide what she will do with it. While she receives a less than warm welcome from the locals, Quil feels so drawn to Bailey, it is almost as though they share a past. Is Bailey right to be suspicious of young Quil? And what is Bailey hiding from the locals?
Quil explores a theory that people are made from exploding stars and similarly to those that believe in zodiac signs, have different traits depending on how much stardust they have of one star or another. While she spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about this thoughout the novel, Bailey uncovers the truth about Hoopers Store and rekindles some friendships long forgotten. Ultimately both characters find closure through their friendship and through what they learn. Rodda's descriptive language is enchanting, and is able to capture the sort of magic that old houses from yesteryear hold within their walls.
Clare Thompson

Dino hunter by Mac Park

D-Bot squad  book 1. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760295974
(Age: 5+) Dino Hunter is the first book in a new series, D-Bot squad by Mac Park. Hunter is the main character who loves dinosaurs and through the surprising actions of the school librarian, Mrs Stegg, ends up in a cave completing a test created by the D-Bot squad.
This is an easy to read book, and as stated on the rear cover is 'a world kids will love, using words they can read'. This is certainly true. I read this with my son who is 6.5 and in year 1. He was able to read chunks of text independently, seeking minimal assistance, whilst still being able to comprehend the storyline of a longer book than he is used to reading.
Each page has good spacing between the lines, and there are lots of pictures to break up the text. This makes the book very accessible for younger readers, providing confidence and a text format that is easy to follow.
As a series, D-Bot squad reminds me of Zac Powers. The plot is simple to follow, with a basic introduction, problem and (almost!!!) a solution allowing the younger reader to gain confidence through predictability and consistency. The pictures are clear, with a similar structure to those in Zac Powers giving young children a good chance to use them for comprehension and additional understanding.
The ending is a cliffhanger which is a little different, however meant the Mr 6.5 immediately asked for the next book so he could see what happened with the Pterodactyl - this makes it a winner in my eyes!
An easy to read story that would suit dinosaur mad boys or girls from ages 5+
Lauren Fountain

The chalk rainbow by Deborah Kelly

Ill. by Gwynneth Jones. EK, 2017. ISBN 9781925335453
Zane is different to other kids - he lives in his own world with his own language, a need to line things up and has an inordinate fear of the colour black. Black food, black clothes, black anything - he won't go near it. Not the pedestrian crossing, the soft fall at the playground, not even his own driveway. So Zane is trapped on the front step unable to venture further, even when his dad yells at him. Until one day his sister starts to draw a chalk rainbow on the steps to cheer him up. Zane likes colour so he joins in. And then the magic begins...
Like so many children Zane is on the Autism Spectrum and while their issues might seem unreasonable and even be unfathomable to those around them, like Zane's fear of black frustrates and angers his father, nevertheless they are very real to the child. And because of the way their brain is wired they can't overcome those fears any more than we can expect them to change their hair colour or foot size, so it is up to us as adults to adapt our way of thinking and working so we can enable the child to manage the world better. It's about acknowledging their disorder and treating them with respect and dignity. If they can't change then we must. Through imagination and love, the rainbow bridges work for Zane's family and instead of being frustrated even his dad is able to free Zane from the prison walls of black.
Kids themselves are very accepting of others whatever their differences, but they don't always understand how their actions can help or hinder. Nearly every classroom has a child with ASD these days and while that child's issues might not be the colour black, using this book as a springboard to introduce how peers can help the ASD child have a better time at school would be a brilliant start towards total acceptance and understanding. Even if there is no ASD involved, using the imagination to make something like a chalk rainbow to take that next step into the unknown is a wonderful strategy.
An essential addition to the school library's collection and the home library of the siblings of an ASD child.
Barbara Braxton

The Eureka Key by Sarah L Thomson

Secrets of the Seven book 1. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681190617
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. When middle school puzzle master Sam and history wiz Martina win a contest for a summer trip across the US, they discover they've been drafted into something vastly more extraordinary. Joining another kid on the trip, Theo, a descendant of George Washington himself, they must follow clues to find seven keys left behind by the Founding Fathers. Together the keys unlock Benjamin Franklin's greatest invention - a secret weapon intended to defend the country. Each key is hidden in a unique location around the U.S., protected with puzzles, riddles, and traps. This has kept the weapon safe . . . until now! Gideon Arnold, a dangerous descendant of the infamous Benedict Arnold, is on the chase.
Competition heats up between Arnold and his thugs and Sam and Martina to reach the artefacts first. Sam, Martina and Theo must use their problem solving skills to solve tricky puzzles, escape death and survive booby-traps. By the end of the series, they must be able to save the USA , uncovering many deep, dark secrets.
Readers will love trying to solve the clues themselves using deductive reasoning to escape and survive the high-stress situations the characters find themselves in. Will they be able to stay one step ahead of the baddies? The story is a fast paced, action thriller that is highly entertaining. It will appeal to students aged 11 and up who will eagerly await the release of each new book in the series of which will need to be read in order. It would make a great read aloud, particularly if studying American history as many of the clues are linked to this.
Kathryn Schumacher

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives book 1. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. ISBN 9780316364300
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Kate Elliott, an award winning fantasy author for adults has turned her hand to a young adult novel with exciting results. Court of Fives is a winner for readers who love fantasy and will also appeal to readers who enjoyed The hunger games, as the heroine in the story, Jessamy, trains for The Fives, a complicated athletic competition. Jessamy is one of four daughters, all with vividly described characteristics, with the author giving subtle references to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.
Set in the land of Efea, similar to ancient Egypt, Jessamy lives in a stratified society. Her father, Captain Esladas, is a Patron from the conquering land of Saro, and an outstanding commander in the army but has chosen to live with an Efean woman, known as a Commoner. By law, he cannot marry her. The four daughters have to tread a fine line in their behaviour in this society bound by class and privilege. When her father's patron is killed he stands to lose everything, and is forced to renounce his family and marry into Patron royalty. Jes seizes the opportunity to train in The Fives and together with Kalliarkos, a Patron Prince, learns about the scheming politics of the royal family and they have to try and save her mother and sisters from a horrific death.
Written in the first person by Jessamy, the reader is carried into a whirlwind of dangerous sport and political intrigue. Jessamy is an intrepid but impetuous heroine, who has great intelligence and the ability to analyse not only the game plan of the Court of Fives, but what is happening around her.
I devoured this exciting novel in almost one sitting and am sure that it would appeal to both teens and adults alike.
Pat Pledger

Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives book 2. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. ISBN 9780316344388
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. An exciting sequel to Court of fives by World Fantasy Award finalist Kate sees Jes now moving up the ladder as she competes in the The Fives, the difficult athletic contest that she loves. She goes to the countryside with Lord Gargaron's entourage, competing against others on the way and gaining good experience while earning enough to help her family. At the same time, she gets caught up in the political machinations that are happening in the country. An attack on her party finds Jes caught up in a battle and meeting up with Lord Kalliarkos once more.
In Poisoned Blade, Jes once more proves that not only is she an outstanding athlete, she has the capacity to think things through and to see the patterns in the events that surround her. She also has to prove herself as a warrior, taking on the enemy that is trying to slaughter the army her father leads.
This is a thrilling story with much to recommend it. Jes is a wonderful main character, her personality and bravery shine throughout the story. Her relationships with her family are complex and the reader gets to know her sisters better as they begin to take on important roles in the story. Her feelings for Kalliarkos remain strong even though it appears that this romance should be doomed because of her position as a Commoner.
Themes of class, race, belonging and power permeate the story and make it a fabulous read. It is however ideal to have read the first in the series, Court of Fives to gain the best understanding of the setting and plot.
Pat Pledger

Dr Karl's little book of dinos by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Ill. by Russell Jeffery. Pan Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781925481242
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Dinosaurs. Filled with lots of details about dinosaurs as well as puzzles, quizzes and activities this is a wonderful book for the child who loves dinosaurs as well as a useful addition to a school or public library collection.
It is divided into 5 sections. 'Who am I?' gives details about Dr Karl, while 'Who are you?' gives the owner of the book the chance to fill out personal details about themselves, including drawing a picture of what they think they will look like in the future. In 'Dr Karl says', three facts are given about dinosaurs that he really wants the reader to know: 1. They had funny lungs. 2. They got wiped out by an asteroid and 3. Half a million cubic kilometres of cooled lava, also helped to kill them. The bulk of the book, 'Dyno Dynamos', is taken up with interesting dinosaur facts, drawings and sections for the reader to fill in, e.g. they are given instructions on how to draw a tyrannosauros rex and can also do word puzzles. Russell Jeffery's black and white illustrations are a boon, helping the reader understand what dinosaurs look like and aiding in the instructions for drawing.
This is a companion volume to Dr Karl's Little Book of Space and is equally as interesting and instructive.
Pat Pledger

Attack of the giant robot zombie mermaid by Matt Cosgrove

Ballad for a mad girl by Vikki Wakefield

Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925355291
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Death. Country towns. Thriller. One night walking across the pipe outside the town, risk-taking Grace has a moment of fear. She has done this many times before, holds the record for getting across, but this time she freezes, the headlights from the kids' cars seem to go off, and she is plunged into darkness after seeing the words Hannah Holt drawn on the underside of the pipe, and one of the Hearts boys must sidle across to help her get back. Hannah disappeared twenty years ago, and although people thought they knew who killed her, William Dean was never charged but killed himself a year later. Grace, the prankster, the girl who cries wolf, feels compelled to find out more about what happened to Hannah Holt and this course seems linked with her own grief for her mother, killed in a road accident two years before. Grace invents a way of getting inside the Holt house, but Mrs Holt suspects her motives, having plenty of oglers come to her door in the past.
So begins a tightly drawn story of compulsion, as Grace feels directed by the dead girl, but trying to tell her friends draws derision as they think it just another of Grace's pranks.
Her father and brother are concerned for her changed appearance and strange behaviour, but they are not coping either after the loss of Grace's mother and more recently, their farm.
This is a gripping read. We share Grace's friends' disbelief at Grace's motives, but are engrossed by the fervour of her attempts to find the truth.
Further complicated when Grace learns that her mother's death was not accidental, Grace must settle things with her friends before she can uncover some of the truths about life in this small town.
Convinced by a psychologist that she is depressed, Grace steels herself to ignore the dreams and voices she hears, but finding a piece from a cigarette packet in the pocket of William Dean's leather jacket sets her off on a different path.
This is a gripping thriller which takes the reader into Grace's mind, following clues that come from the dead girl, but it becomes clear that it is not Hannah directing her obsession. Her friends try to help but are distanced by her odd behavior and although they come to some sort of uneasy peace, the reader knows that Grace will learn to live without them. It is her family that is the mainstay of her existence and once she is able to expose the lie at the base of Hannah's disappearance, they can release the pain and guilt that hangs between them after Grace's mother's death.
I could not put this down, and reread sections after I had finished, so gripped was I about the path taken by Grace in solving the girls's disappearance. I could picture the landscapes so carefully created by Wakefield, walk through the houses with Grace and run over the paddocks to her ailing father.
The striking cover will impel young adults to choose it to read, and they will be stunned by the extraordinary thriller within.
Fran Knight