Reviews

History mysteries series by Mark Greenwood

Lasseter's gold. ISBN 9780143309321
The last tiger. ISBN 9780143309253
(Age: Middle primary) Recommended. Two wonderfully enlightening tales in the History mysteries series of books, giving a fictional account of a real event in Australia's history, will be well read as they offer excitement and adventure wrapped up in a plethora of historical facts about our past.
The claim by Lasseter in 1900 that he had found a massive reef of gold somewhere in Central Australia, still holds water today as people search for it. He was able to convince people to back him in 1930 and an expedition set out from Alice Springs. But people soon tired of his secrecy and seeming inability to understand the bush. More of them began to question if he had ever been in the bush, and so most went back to Alice Springs, leaving Lasseter and a gold prospector to travel on. They split, and later Lasseter's body was found buried in a shallow grave by Aboriginal people who had tried to help him. But the story endures, especially after maps and instructions were found in the bank after his death.
The story of the last thylacine in Australia is a poignant as it is instructional, pointing to the fragility of our environment and urging us to care for it.
Two other books have already appeared in this series, Diamond Jack and The lost explorer, and the four together make great reading for middle school people, introducing them to history through a well told story with illustrations, maps and a glossary to help the early learner.
Fran Knight

Harry Kruize, born to lose by Paul Collins

Hybrid Publishers, 2017. ISBN 9781925272628
(Age: 11+) This book draws heavily on one of the best-known poets and fiction writers of Australia's colonial period - Henry Lawson (1867-1922). One of Lawson's recurring themes in his yarns is dogs. Many a boy wants to have the mateship and loyalty of a dog. The stories Paul uses are pub yarns written for adults so many of the underlying morals to the stories will leave kids shaking their heads wandering what the connection is to the protagonist, 11 year old Harry Kruze; this is where teachers will revel in helping readers to dive into the finer details and discuss issues such as family relationships, mental health and student bullying and examine Harry's perception that life is 'all jumbled up and fragmented . . . All messed up. And back to front'.
Harry Kruize describes himself as the Hobbit, feeling like 'a walking disaster' and 'the class weirdo'. Not surprisingly he goes through each school day keeping his head down to avoid his nemesis Gavin Brickson, THE BRICK, while trying to make sense of his mother's fluctuating moods. Although having a low opinion of himself he dreams of becoming a writer and likes to think of himself as represented by font that is 'bold face', 'clear' and 'straight to the point'.
Paul Collins has cleverly interwoven Harry's voice into a class assignment where students come up with a list of wishes and diarise about them coming true or not. Without giving away any spoilers one of Harry's seven wishes is for a dog, hoping that having a dog and winning the Dog Day Race Cup might solve his lack of social skills all the while helped along by some dubious advice from a 'friend'.
Personally I like the cover but I would have preferred to see it representative of the main character's age. The pages are bordered by Microsoft Word desktop which students will feel connected to. The mix of font makes the appearance of the book attractive but a reluctant reader would benefit from increasing the spaces between lines. A warning also needs to be made regarding the graphic goriness depicted in Collins' The dog that wasn't.
Overall, this is an interesting book for readers aged 11+ years. It provides many opportunities for guided discussion about family relationships, mental health, student bullying and empathy.
Paul Collins was born in England, raised in New Zealand and immigrated to Australia in 1972. Paul is the founder of Ford Street Publishing and runs the speaker's agency Creative Net. He strongly believes in nurturing Australian talent and has selflessly dedicated his time to ensuring children continue to be challenged and entertained by their reading choices. Harry Kruize, born to lose is one of Paul's 140+ books. For more information about Paul Collins, stop by his website. There you will find information about all Paul's books, helpful tips for young writers and classroom tools for teachers.
Sharon Smith (Children's and Youth Services Librarian Riverina Regional Library)

The secret science of magic by Melissa Keil

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2017. ISBN 9781760127763
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Coming of age. Mathematics. Magic tricks. Sophia is very smart - she loves mathematics and finds it easy to relate to logic. Joshua loves his magic tricks and is obsessed with finding a way to get to know Sophia. He decides that timing is everything and begins a campaign starting with leaving 2 of hearts card in her TARDIS wallet. As the end of school life looms, both have to come to terms with change and work out what they will do with their futures.
Melissa Keil is an award winning author (Life in outer space and The incredible adventures of Cinnamon Girl) and she continues her winning approach in The secret science of magic. Her two characters capture the reader's interest right from the first chapter. Joshua, a tall lanky boy, loves all the illusions of magic and although isolated at high school has a job and good friends away from the angst of school politics. Sophia, despite being exceptionally bright, is increasingly anxious because her best and only friend, Elsie, is planning on moving to the US for college and her relationship with her brother Toby is exceedingly tense. She has never been interested in boys, but as Joshua gains her interest with magic tricks and plays a giant illusion prank on her Drama teacher, he begins to get under her skin. Sophia's anxiety escalates during the narrative and this is handled sympathetically by Keil as is the romance between the two protagonists. Joshua is caring and understanding of Sophia's anxiety disorder and helpful when she has problems with her friend Elsie.
Keil leavens her story with wonderful flashes of humour and references to Dr Who, musicians and authors like Robin Hobb add a dimension to the story. The insights into Mathematics and Grigori Perelman, a reclusive Russian mathematician are also fascinating and will have readers researching many of the things that are mentioned.
With its humour, diversity (Sophia is of Sri Lankan descent), its sympathetic portrayal of anxiety and its gentle romance, The secret science of magic would make a fascinating Literature Circle or class text.
Pat Pledger

We're all wonders by R. J. Palacio

Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780141386416
(Age: 4-7) Highly recommended. Paperback, 32 pages. Imagination. Play. Emotions. Feelings. Acceptance. Tolerance. Special needs. R. J. Palacio's best-selling novel Wonder introduced readers to Auggie Pullman an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. This novel inspired the Choose Kind movement that encourages everyone to choose kindness, be tolerant and accepting of other's unique qualities.
We're all wonders with its simple, bold statements and colourful, graphic illustrations introduces Auggie and his dog Daisy to younger readers. Palacio's desire is to help children understand the need for tolerance, acceptance and kindness. Auggie does ordinary things, riding a bike, eating an icecream and playing ball, however he does not look ordinary. On the portrait wall, even though there are students from different backgrounds, countries, with different facial features, he stands out. His loving mother says he is a wonder but he knows others see him as different.
Palacio's emotive, stylised illustrations beautifully portray Auggie's emotions when his feelings are hurt: the little boy, his dog, even the blue bird in the wagon all are drawn with their heads down looking dejected. His helmet is drawn as a symbol of protection and he blasts off across a starry galaxy to Pluto where all the creatures who have the same unique faces welcome him. Auggie is shown looking back to Earth wishing that there is room for everyone to be loved and accepted.
This simple picture book is a fantastic starting point for families to discuss tolerance, acceptance and physical differences. From the front cover, to the last page where the world is reflected in Auggie's one eye, this is a powerful picture book. We're all wonders is a key book for teaching ethical understanding in the Early Years: identifying and appreciating similarities and differences in people; exploring how people feel when they are included and excluded from groups and demonstrating appropriate language when encouraging others.
Rhyllis Bignell

My amazing body machine by Robert Winston

Ill. by Owen Gildersleeve. DK Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9780241283806
Young children are always fascinated with their bodies and how they work and this new publication from DK is the perfect starting point for those who are ready to delve a little deeper.
Divided into nine sections, each dealing with a different but related phenomenon of the body, with bite-sized chunks of information in accessible text interspersed with colourful informative diagrams and photos, this would be an ideal addition to the family reference library, ready to consult when questions are asked, as well as the school library collection. Having it out on display so students can leaf through it as they wait will spark lots of curiosity and a desire to find out more. The perfect introduction to the role of the encyclopedia as a starting point to finding out a little and sparking the desire to go to a more specialised book to find out more.
DK have been at the forefront of introducing non fiction to young readers for decades and this is no exception.
Barbara Braxton

Nat's naughty nits by Giles Andreae

Ill. by Jess Mikhail. Orchard Books, 2017. ISBN 9781408329375
(Age: 4-6) Hardcover, 29 pages. Lice. Rhyming stories. Humorous fiction. Health. Daily living.
'There are nits in the treetops,
Nits in the town,
Nits on the toilet seat with their pants pulled down!'
Giles Andreae tackles a new but very familiar subject in this funny rhyming story. Nat's naughty nits have come to play, they have invaded his hair and his life, they are even playing football, eating treats and sleeping safe and sound. There is an abundance of little black creatures up to all sorts of mischief, until Mummy appears with her shampoo and comb. Nate's nits are gone, and he is looking very smart until we see them travelling along the tabletop off to find a new head.
Jess Mikhail's lively nits wear a bold array of outfits perfect for their insect bodies, as they engage in a humourous range of activities. Their funny expressions, up close antics and settings are delightful, an amusing accompaniment to Andreae's rhyming story, which is presented with a range of font sizes from big and bold to tiny.
Nat's naughty nits is a fun story to share with a family or class, especially as an introduction to healthy living and how to cope with this very common school problem.
Rhyllis Bignell

Star Wars: the visual encyclopedia by Tricia Barr, Adam Bray and Cole Horton

The thank you dish by Trace Balla

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760292355
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Food, Gardens, Food production. When Grace sits down at the table to eat the meal her mother has prepared for her, she thanks all those involved in its making. She thanks Leo for lending her a ladder to pick the lemons, the road workers for laying the road on which she can ride her bike to the market stall, she thanks Suki for selling them the kale and corn, the kangaroos for not eating the carrots. A parade of people are thanked because they have in some way been responsible for her meal.
The story underlines our interdependence on other people, it shows how a small community can share its resources and produce, it promotes a grass roots attitude to growing our own produce and sharing it with others. For children it reveals how our lives are dependent on others, from family and friends to neighbours and workers, and will promote discussions abut how they can be involved. There are now many schools with vegetable gardens.
The quirky illustrations reveal a myriad of detail as the girl sits at her table thanking all those who had a hand in producing her meal. Nods to home grown produce are given on each page: a vegetable garden, fruit trees, local jams and relishes, a market stall are depicted with Grace and her mother able to reach each on their bikes, just like the author, Trace Balla.
This story oozes with love and family, with a friendly open community sharing and helping each other, something which many more people are aspiring to.
Fran Knight

Badge, boot, button: the story of Australian uniforms by Craig Wilcox

National Library of Australia, 2017. ISBN: 9780642278937
Recommended as a Library reference book. Themes: Uniforms; Military Uniforms; Australian History; Clothing. Uniforms are probably not everyone's favourite item of clothing, as they are usually worn in response to the authority of others or as a symbol of authority. In this book, Craig Wilcox has looked at the changing nature of uniforms in military and civilian contexts within Australia. With pictorial evidence and magazine-style excerpts of detail from specific examples, the book meanders from the early convict experience, to the military and sporting arena, as well as giving a nod to the influence of military history to civilian work uniforms and government emergency services. Read from cover to cover, there are difficulties in following the historical or chronological thread (particularly when there are multiple pages of pictorial content or sidebar examples interrupting the flow), but this will be an interesting resource for those interested in the way clothing reflects changing social priorities. References to everything from 'The Baggy Green Cap', to Sir John Kerr's Top Hat and topcoat appearance, to volunteer outfits at the Sydney Olympics and the changes of the attire of Flight attendants in an Australian context are all given attention. Surprisingly there is no mention of Cathy Freeman's unusual sporting 'uniform' and running outfit at the Sydney Olympics, nor does Wilcox address the nature of fabric technology changes and the subsequent impact in sporting fields. Understandably in a book of this size (166 pages), it is not possible to discuss every uniform permutation, and the social pressures that lead to change are addressed only briefly. What this book does do well though is to demonstrate that uniform can be reflective of social and political change.
Carolyn Hull

Clap hands series by Pat-a-cake

Ages: 0 – 4) Recommended. Board Book. Boldly illustrated as a series of four rhyming texts, each is your classic 'touch and feel' board book, every page featuring a differently textured material for parts of the characters' bodies. Here come the monkeys depicts different species of monkey on each page with Koko on page 3 bearing a lovely rough paw made of hessian that tells our little reader she must have been doing quite a lot of walking in addition to swinging from tree to tree. Each character is introduced by name and a little birdy, who remains nameless throughout the series, points out each feely feature. The reader is bid to clap hands for the clever creature at the turn of the page. My 11 month old granddaughter delights in the opportunity to display her recently acquired clapping skills after having a good feel. All the touchy textiles are well embedded making the book sturdy and long lasting. In the case of Here come the dinosaurs, the reader is introduced to a range of creatures falling under that umbrella with contractions of the species' names for each one. Terry is Pterodactyl's name and he sports one beautifully shiny foil wing which little birdy on the side sagely points out. The fold out surprise page at the end of each book provides an overview of and contextualizes the monkey, puppy, kitten or dinosaur varieties and providing an opportunity for further discussion with the older toddler. You do need to make the suggestion to your little reader however, that care must be taken with the fold-out, as it is not quite as sturdy as the rest of the book. A great little series for the very youngest of readers to get them hooked on books. Elizabeth Avery

A different dog by Paul Jennings

Allen and Unwin, 2017 ISBN 9781760296469
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Grief, Animals, Dogs, Survival, Courage. Jennings introduces his readers to a boy who can no longer speak. He and his mother lives near a town where she does fruit work to keep them going. The boy had a dog, Deefer, but he had been killed by the next door neighbour after the animal killed some ducks on his farm. Since then the boy has been unable to talk.
He tries to enter a competition nearby to win some money to help his mother, but in climbing the mountain to the start of the race, he sees a van roll over the cliff and into the ravine. He goes after it, finding that the driver has been killed, but has left his dog. He and the dog make their way back home, through the dense, dark forest and over a ramshackle railway bridge, the boy puzzled that the dog can no longer walk, until he realises that this is the dog from the circus, trained to do tricks. He learns not to use some commands, like freeze and sit and decides to make the dog unlearn these.
Twelve months later the boy and his mother receive a visitor who insists that the dog is a circus dog and wants to have him back.
This poignant story of a lonely boy and his mother will resonate with younger readers. The boy who has no voice lives in straightened circumstances, the children at his school bully him, and now that he cannot speak, their torment is merciless. Meeting a dog that cannot walk, brings all of his courage to the surface as he carries the dog through the forest and back to his mother.
The illustrations by Geoff Kelly add to the atmospheric tale of courage overcoming adversity.
Fran Knight

Looking for Rose Paterson: How family bush life nurtured Banjo the poet by Jennifer Gall

National Library of Australia Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9780642278920
Highly recommended. Themes: 19th Century Australia; Pioneer life; Women in Early Australian history; Banjo Paterson. This is an absolute gem! Jennifer Gall discusses the life and letters of Rose Paterson, the mother of Banjo Paterson, and has allowed us to enter into the daily life of a woman of wit and incredible fortitude. Rose was born in 1844, and the times were very different for women. Jennifer Gall makes comment on the strengths and circumstances of this amazing woman - one among many of the time - whose documenting of her life and family circumstances in rural NSW, in her letters to her younger sister, gives us a glimpse of the limits and restrictions of women of the times, and also their joys. Because of a series of difficult financial circumstances her family wealth was not what she might have expected. She was bound to be financially dependent on her husband, with a continuous responsibility for making a home suited to raising a growing family, and having sole responsibility for the education and welfare of those children while her husband was away. Into this social position, with the added impositions of limited healthcare, domestic burdens, and implied loneliness, we meet a woman of intellect, who is a faithful and lively correspondent to her sister.
Jennifer Gall has unwoven the one-sided conversations from the thread of her letters and put them into a historical framework, but she has also revealed the attitudes and humanity of the mother of one of Australia's iconic Bush poets. The collection of photographs, art reproductions, historical sources, Banjo Paterson poetry references and excerpts from the letters (alongside copies of those Primary sources) is a historical treasure. And this is so pleasurable to read! The discovery of Banjo Paterson's influences and his upbringing is worth reading, as is the brief glimpse into farming, childbirth, education, social life and women's rights from the very personal perspective of one woman in the late 1800s.
Carolyn Hull

Captain Jimmy Cook discovers X marks the spot by Kate and Jol Temple

Ill. by Jon Foye. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760291945
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Humour. Australian history. School. Jimmy Cook and his friends gather together implements to dig a hole behind the toilet block at school. Jimmy has found a dinosaur footprint and being the explorer that he is, wants to dig for dinosaur bones. He has already picked out names for this new species. Only Conrad brings a spade so the trio goes to the maintenance shed where they borrow several spades, but while there Jimmy's eagle eyes spy out a map of the school with a large X on it, and he knows X marks the spot where buried treasure lies. They are off an adventure once again, and just as well Jimmy keeps a journal of their exploits. Fans of this inventive 'descendent' of James Cook will understand the journal that is kept daily, marking the weather and various objects pertinent to their deeds. But the whole school gets wise to their digging and soon the playground and school surrounds is a mess of holes.
The accompanying wonderful illustrations which dot the pages are a treat. This book, the second in the series will increase the numbers of followers of Jimmy Cook.
Fran Knight

The Maddie diaries a memoir by Maddie Ziegler

Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9781460753750
(Age: 11+) Biography. Maddie Ziegler was born in 2002 in the US and commenced dance lessons at an early age. She started appearing on the US reality show Dance Moms at age 8.
The singer Sia a fan of the show, detected something special in Maddie and asked her to appear in Sia's video of the world wide hit song Chandelier. Since then Maddie has become known world wide and has appeared in all Sia's videos.
This memoir charts her journey to stardom in a chatty and readable style. Maddie comes through as a thoroughly nice, grounded hard working young person. It highlights her awe at working with famous actors, singers, choreographers. Her fame continues to spread with her work as a judge on 2016 show So you think you can dance: the next generation and touring with Sia in the US and Australia.
The book includes lots of drawings by Maddie - another of her talents - and coloured photos.
At the end of most chapters a section on Dear Maddie, where questions related to teenagers (bullying, self image, problems with parents/teachers, etc) are answered in a positive and empathic manner.
Hints on make up, clothes, etc are included as well as sections where friends and colleagues write about Maddie. Sia (whom Maddie now considers as family) provides the Foreword.
This is a positive uplifting memoir from a very young hardworking star. The memoir will appeal especially to 11+ aged girls and all those interested in dance.
The book is a New York Times best seller.
Ann Griffin

The brown dog by Gina Inverarity