Reviews

The Great Shelby Holmes girl detective by Elizabeth Eulberg

Ill. by Matt Robertson. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408871478
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Shelby Holmes is a feisty nine-year-old girl detective who loves to solve mysteries in her local neighbourhood. She lives upstairs in Apartment 221B Baker Street Harlem, New York City, with her family, Mrs. Hudson their housekeeper and Sir Arthur their English bulldog. Shelby is a well-known and liked figure in her neighbourhood, where she uses her logic and skills of observation to solve crimes.
As eleven-year old John Watson and his mother move in downstairs, a loud explosion startles them. A rather dishevelled Shelby comes down to apologise for the commotion and she totally surprises them with her astute observations. She deduces that John has diabetes, that his parents were recently divorced and Mrs. Watson had been an Army doctor in Afghanistan. John's observations and feelings are openly shared with the reader; his relationship with his father, who does not keep in contact, his mother's concerns about his diabetes and his friendship with Shelby. He expresses his feelings through journal writing recording his feelings and daily adventures with Shelby.
Shelby takes John under her wing and they venture all over, meeting a diverse mix of shopkeepers and neighbourhood characters. Their first mystery to solve together involves a stolen dog, dog trainers and culminates at the Dog Show. Along the way, John meets some new friends and becomes closer to Shelby. The scenes at the Dog Show are humorous, as John sneaks Sir Arthur on to the subway train and has to handle the British bulldog in the ring.
Matt Robertson's fun drawings are entertaining; there is Shelby's frizzled hair after the explosion, the paw embellishments, Sir Arthur's poses and the colourful front cover. Author Elizabeth Eulberg has creatively woven characters and elements of the Sherlock Holmes novels into The Great Shelby Holmes Girl Detective. With themes of friendship, solving mysteries and overcoming worry and anxiety, this is an enjoyable novel suited to ages 8-10.
Rhyllis Bignell

I don't know what to call my cat by Simon Phillip

Ill. by Ella Bailey. Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471124136
(Ages: 3-5) A new pet brings joy, happiness and a few problems for the new owner. Where will it sleep? What to feed it and where to feed it - not the high chair as there will be food everywhere. The biggest problem of all of course, is what to name the kitten, maybe not Kitty. It may be difficult to call 'Kitty', when all the cats in the neighbourhood turn out for tea! The little girl tries Princess High and Mighty, but the cat definitively did not like the princess outfit. She tries everything from Pat, Tricia, Tracey and Betty but nothing seems right. Of course, at the vet's, she discovers an important fact - her kitten is a boy!
After trying Rocky, Arnie and Mr. Maestro, her cat tires of dressing up and of being called names that do not fit his character, so he leaves in a huff. She looks everywhere, even putting up Missing Cat posters all over the zoo. There on a zoo bench she meets Steve the gorilla, who follows her home and cheers her up. He messes up her room, enjoys painting banana pictures, and he even accompanies her to the Museum and a cafe. Unfortunately, the Bureau for Naughty Animals takes him away in the BNA van. To the young girl's surprise, her grey tabby cat returns home with a collar and a name Tricky!
Emma Bailey's delightful digital illustrations are visually appealing; they lift this simple story and bring the characters to life. She engages her young audience with her use of fresh modern colours, wide-eyed creatures and humorous scenes. Look for Tricky hiding in the gorilla scenes, carefully placed in the Egyptian room, the cafe and disguised as a BNA agent.
Simon Phillip's picture book story loses its purpose towards the end, when Steve the Gorilla enters the scene and takes over as the little girl's pet. Fortunately, the tale gets back on track when the lost cat returns home, appropriately named Tricky and prepared to be a great friend to the little girl.
Rhyllis Bignell

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Rebel of the Sands bk 2. Faber and Faber, 2017. ISBN 9780571325412
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. What a roller coaster of a ride this book turned out to be! Amani, the Blue-Eyed Bandit from Rebel of the Sands, has been captured by the Sultan and imprisoned in his palace. Stripped of her powers, and made to obey the Sultan's every order, Amani is determined to spy on everything that goes on and report back to the rebels. She is desperately plotting to get information out of the palace and to keep the momentum of the rebellion going.
Danger is everywhere, especially in the harem, where intrigue is the order of the day. Amani has to come to grips with people from her past, and begins to think about her actions and where they have led her. Her understanding of the powers of the Demdji is growing as is her confidence in her own abilities and beliefs.
While attending the Sultan's meetings she has the opportunity to observe how he operates and also has many conversations with him, where the nature of ruling and power are discussed. The plight of women in the harem is also highlighted - they are powerless unless they have a male heir, and many disappear. This contrasts with the power that the women who align with the Rebel Prince have - they are leaders, generals and valuable advisors.
The setting of the Sultan's palace forms an interesting background to the political intrigues and the friendships that Amani forms. There are some new characters introduced and some desperate losses as the group face the fact that a traitor has betrayed them. Amani's romance with Jin is low-key as maintaining the rebellion takes up most of the time.
There is a gut-wrenching conclusion that will leave readers longing for the next book in the series.
Pat Pledger

Triangle by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406376678
(Age: 3-5) Warmly recommended. Board book, Shapes, Mathematics, Friendship. A hardcover book about triangles! Hmm. But the face made by the triangle on the front cover invites the reader to open up and look inside.
Triangle lives in his house, a triangle, and uses his door, a triangle. He walks to his friend's house, Square. To get there he walks past big triangles and little triangles, shapes that are not triangles at all, until he gets to Square's house. Here he plays a sneaky trick on his friend, and then is followed by Square all the way back home. Once back home, Square becomes stuck in Triangle's door, and so plays a sneaky trick on Triangle, blocking the light, knowing Triangle is afraid of the dark.
By the end of the story children will be laughing at the tricks the two shapes play on each other, they will know what makes a square and a triangle, and that one cannot fit into the other. They will also have realised that playing tricks on their friends is not quite the best way to treat friends.
The seemingly simple illustrations done in single bold colours will intrigue readers. Shapes are contained on each page, reinforcing the theme of the book, and the eyes peeing out from the shapes will entrance all readers, while the question on the last page will cause wonderment as the readers question what they have seen happen.
By the authors of Sam and Dave dig a hole, and Extra yarn, both Caldecott Honour Books.
Fran Knight

Witch glitch by Sibeal Pounder

A Witch Wars Adventure series. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408880340
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Witch Glitch is another story in the A Witch Wars Adventure series. Tiga has been reunited with her mum, Peggy is in charge of the witching world and Fran the fairy is still annoying. The good thing about this series is readers will know what is going on without reading other stories in the series. In Witch Glitch, Tiga has discovered a book about a group of witches called The Karens. At the same time, Tiga's mum has invented a new fairy and Fran the fairy is rather upset. When Fran receives a letter from The Karens, promising to grant her wishes, Fran disappears and becomes a new story in the book found by Tiga. Tiga and her other friends set out to find Fran and discover a jelly castle and a group of witches all called Karen. Their wishes have evil twists and Fran finds herself growing bigger and bigger and bigger! How will Tiga and her friends save Fran? How will they prevent other witches from seeking out The Karens.
Witch Glitch will have readers laughing at the antics of the witches and the funny world they live in. Australia is even mentioned in it! The story is easy to read and moves quickly and readers will be fascinated with the use of the word 'frog' when they speak, the sneakiness of The Karens and the weirdness of this witchy world. Throughout the story, the local newspaper makes reports on recent events including warnings to watch out for falling cake baskets and chats with witches who think their cat shaped jam jar is a real cat! It is highly recommended to readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster

Stormwalker by Mike Revell

Quercus Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781784290696
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. A year ago, Owen lost his mum. He has tried hard to get on with his life but his dad is still struggling. After an argument, Owen's dad agrees to go to counselling and starts to write again. All of a sudden, Owen's reflection is different and during a moment in class Owen sees a dead world around him. After a run in with a bike, Owen finds himself running from the Darkness and running for his life. The world is different, he looks different and everyone is calling him Jack. What is going on? Owen has Jack's memories but he also remembers his life as Owen. As Owen settles into this new life, he has a crazy idea. Is he part of his dad's story? How will he get back to his own world? Can he help save the lives of his new friends? Will Owen's dad realise what he has done?
Storm Walker tackles loss, recovery, adventure and change. The descriptive text is easy to read and follow as Owen skips between make believe and reality. The story moves quickly, keeping the readers on the edge of their seats and it is highly recommended for boys aged 10+. The topic of loss is discussed sensitively but also shows the strength a child can have despite such a great loss.
Kylie Kempster

The perfect picnic by Ciara Flood

Five Mile Press, 2017. ISBN 9781760405366
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Ciara Flood's The perfect picnic is a quintessentially English tale of friendship, as Squirrel and Mole prepare for a picnic in the countryside. Just like the Odd Couple, these two characters are the complete opposites of each other; Squirrel is the perfectionist while Mole is more easygoing. Squirrel's tree trunk home 'Oak Lodge' shown in a beautiful cutaway picture is neat and tidy, everything in its perfect place. His house is next to Mole's underground home 'The Shack' which has mess outside and inside, even his vegetable patch is untidy.
Their friendship is celebrated by dancing, baking, cycling, even painting together. Preparing for the perfect picnic involves Squirrel directing the careful packing of the backpack with delicious food, cutlery and the rug. While Mole is given the responsibility of carrying the backpack, Squirrel wants to find the perfect spot, however the meadow is too sunny, and the hill too windy and the beach is just too sandy. Oh no, while the two friends were searching for the perfect spot, the picnic bag ripped and all the food has fallen out. The perfectionist Squirrel is overcome and all her plans are ruined!
To their surprise, their friends have followed their journey and each one has rescued something from the picnic bag. Bat has the rug, Otter has the apples and Mouse has the plate of slightly squashed cake balanced above his head. What could they do with the sandy sandwiches, cold tea and bent cutlery? It is up to Mole to save the day? The delightful story ends with Squirrel repeating Mole's refrain, 'Right you are, Mole. Right you are.'
Ciara Flood's whimsical illustrations are visually appealing and a delight to peruse. While the text focuses on Squirrel's search for the perfect spot, the ripping of the backpack and loss of all the picnic items is shown entirely through the lovely painted pictures. What a wonderful way to begin a discussion with a young child about what is really happening. The sepia toned maps on the endpapers show the journey of the two friends and introduce the idea of mapping their journey as well.
The perfect picnic is a wonderful resource for Early Years teachers, for Foundation Geography - simple mapping and introducing places and environments and for English engagement with visual texts.
Rhyllis Bignell

I don't want curly hair by Laura Ellen Anderson

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408868409
(Age: 4+) Recommended, Hair. Satisfaction. Body image. With wild hair springing out on every page, and many many words for curls taking up the text, readers will laugh out loud at the antics taken by the protagonist as she tries to straighten her unruly hair. The methods are as wild as her hair, as she ties balloons to her hair in the hope of them going skyward taking her hair with them, or putting heavy books on her hair to iron out the wrinkles, or having her friends pull it out for her. She craves straight hair, and despises her mop of wild unruly hair which makes a birds' nest on her head. The uproarious illustrations will have readers following the girl's attempts with glee seeing her many attempts to tame her hair. But all to no avail, until she hears someone with straight hair trying to change her hair to curly. The exact opposite is happening with someone else. She is trying all sorts of strange methods to get her hair curly and the two have a wonderful time working out fun things they can do with their hair, satisfied that what they have cannot be changed to something it is not.
This book will encourage children to look at their positives and not to be dissatisfied with how they look.
Fran Knight

Dogman unleashed by Dav Pilkey

Dogman series bk 2. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9780545935203
(Age: 7+) Dog Man unleashed is Dav Pilkey's second book in the amusing, comic Dog Man series from the author of Captain Underpants. Colourful cartoon scenes fill the pages, as Dogman steps up to save the day. He is an unusual character, with a cop's body and the transplanted head of Greg the dog. He never speaks, but he communicates with his funny actions, and he loves dead fish, squeaky balls and enjoys visiting Penny's Pet Store. Pilkey's book includes grammatical errors, crossed out words and intentional misspellings, deliberately made to look like a fourth grade student was the author. As he has done previously, there are drawing lessons and Cheesy Animation Technology - Flip-O-Ramas included.
Dogman comes up against three villains in this zany story. The Police Chief has a birthday and the hero's purchase of Flippy the fish from the pet shop sets up all the problems of the book. Petey the cat returns to be a 'supa' baddie, his inventive way of escaping from jail is very entertaining and it unfortunately creates another more evil character - Flat Petey, a paper cat with a dastardly magical spray. Dogman swings from buildings, speeds down snow covered mountains and uses creative solutions to foil the villains' plans; he depends on his team to help him save the day.
Dogman unleashed is a great book for reluctant readers, for Pilkey fans and for readers who enjoy comic books.
Rhyllis Bignell

The Story of Australia by Robert Lewis

National Museum of Australia. Random House Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780857983145
The National Museum of Australia is home to one of the richest collections of objects, photographs, artefacts and other items that document the history of this country from the times of our earliest indigenous people through European exploration, settlement and expansion and on into the 21st century. Drawing on these riches, Robert Lewis has traced the story of Australia in a way that is accessible to young independent readers wanting to begin to understand their heritage.
Filled with photographs, charts and other illustrations, it gives an overview offering explanations of key events and the people behind them which encourage the young historian to delve deeper, explore further and perhaps even make a plan to visit the museum itself to see the actual objects.
This would make a great reference work to have on the home shelves as children start their formal study of the nation's history but it also perfect for the library's collection to help answer quick questions and show that history is about story not just facts and figures.
Barbara Braxton

Strange the dreamer by Laini Taylor

Hodder and Stoughton 2017. ISBN 9781444788983
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. The city of Weep has been cut off from the world and even those that remember the stories have forgotten the city's true name. It seems that everyone has forgotten Weep. Everyone but the city's inhabitants and an orphan boy, Lazlo Strange. It is Lazlo's obsession with the city which earns him a place on the expedition to save it when Eril-Fane (Godslayer) visits Zosma where Lazlo has worked as a junior librarian for the past seven years. Eril-Fane has spent two years away from Weep searching for people with a select set of skills which will enable him to save Weep. Being the only one who can speak fluently in the lost language and a potential translator makes Lazlo a valuable member of the party - even if he doesn't see it that way. When they arrive in Weep however, none of them are prepared for the challenge that awaits; not even golden-boy Theon Nero, famed alchemist and the only person to have succeeded in making gold. How can Lazlo, a librarian, ever hope to help these people?
A whirlwind adventure this fantasy is sure to captivate any fantasy lover and I would highly recommend it to people twelve and up. Strange the dreamer highlights the importance of the imagination and reiterates that sometimes the truth is stranger than you can imagine. Dealing with grief, peer pressure, and first love, it is a piece about finding your place in the world and accomplishing your goals. Just like Lazlo, everyone should have the opportunity to realise their dreams if they only try hard enough.
Kayla Gaskell, 21

My friend Tertius by Corinne Fenton

Ill. by Clive Swan. Allen & Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760113827
(Age: 6+) Recommended. World War Two. Singapore. Hong Kong. Gibbons. Melbourne Zoo. Arthur Copper, working as an intelligence office in Hong Kong prior to the Second World War, rescued a small gibbon from a street stall. He took the animal home, calling him Tertius and training him to live with him as his pet. The pair developed a bond of friendship which saw Arthur taking Tertius with him from Hong Kong to Singapore before the Japanese advance, and then getting on the last boat to Australia when Singapore surrendered. Once in Australia difficulty with emigration authorities forced Arthur to make a difficult decision about his friend. But the warmth of their friendship remained in place.
In Swan's beautifully rendered illustrations, details of colonial Hong Kong and Singapore are shown through his understated and soft pallet of colours giving a sense of the muted, fearful atmosphere in these places as the Japanese forces made their way south. Readers will be able to identify images reflecting the Asian setting, images attesting to the times, and see hints of the encroaching war.
Tertius' story will win many hearts as readers see the lengths some people go to protect an animal they love, and be made aware of the mutual love and respect which existed between these two lone characters. I had fun trying to work out why the gibbon was called Tertius, and readers will be equally engrossed researching this name.
Fran Knight

From the wreck by Jane Rawson

Transit Lounge, 2017. ISBN 9780995359451
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Jane Rawson has used one story, the shipwreck, from which she creates a world built around one survivor's life, and draws us deeply into his life. As another layer, she has interwoven a strange world of beings who may or may not be there, but which, once imagined, haunt those in whose lives they 'exist'. It is in this dimension that she deftly controls the novel so that it remains credible, interesting and perhaps 'fantastic' in the true meaning of the word. In this layer we experience the idea of another world of beings, and of a haunting, both by a spirit in the body of a possibly real character, and another layer, that of the even more enigmatic birthmark.
Yet again, in another layer of existence, is an historically real world. Here are the people who have been displaced, those indigenous to Australia, into whose world the newcomers barge, taking land and place and animals, tearing up the precious earth and covering the land with farms, where they can do so. Theirs is a subtler presence. The imaginative reconstruction of this world is drawn deftly and believably, and we have no problem accepting the reality of their lives, devastating as these are for so many people. The perils of getting to Australia from the old world are ever present, and the shipwrecks are just one of those perils.
The calling up of our emotions and imagination, as we are drawn into the experience of the boy, whose brother's fate is blamed on him, evokes strong responses. As the story progresses, Rawson elicits an enormous feeling of desire in the reader to lift the dreadful burden from the young boy, and, as we see how he is suffering, we are drawn to feel deeply for him in his puzzling loss. We become aware that he is perplexed and burdened by a guilt he can neither explain nor comprehend, and a sorrow that is unrelieved.
This is certainly a strongly constructed story, one that would be suitable for older adolescents, and for all readers interested in the history of this country as a lived experience that we can only know through story. Beautifully written, in luminous prose and rich detail of early South Australia, this story resonates with the reality of establishing a colony and a new life for the immigrants and those born in this new world. Whether it is seen as fiction or a combination of fact and fiction, this story challenges us to consider some of the darker incidents of our history.
Liz Bondar

Henry and the Yeti by Russell Ayto

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408876619
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Mythical creatures. Adventure. Exploration. Self belief. Russell really believes that yetis exist but some others do not share his strong belief, so he sets off to prove they really do exist.
So begins an adventure which sees him set off for the mountains far away to find one. He tells his headteacher who laughs but reminds him to bring back evidence. His Dad reminds him not to stay up too late. He packs his essential things: a telescope, waterproof hammock, compass, camera and rope. He goes through a dense forest and takes a ship over the sea, then finds the mountains, and climbs them in search of the yeti. Just as he begins to lose hope, he bumps into two tall legs. He has found the yeti, and he is much taller than he thought. He takes copious photos with his camera, for evidence, and after playing games with the creature, goes back home. Here he unpacks to give the laughing headteacher the evidence he wants, but Henry cannot find his camera. Without that he cannot prove that he saw the yeti.
The school students begin to laugh once again, but the yeti appears, giving Henry back his camera. Henry is vindicated.
This is a wonderful tale of believing in yourself, of questioning what others may say and of seeking something out for yourself. Henry is a most likeable character, with his large round eyes, huge backpack and unshakeable belief. The uncluttered illustrations will entice students to look more closely at each page, smiling at the path Henry takes in finding a yeti.
Fran Knight

The Cruelty by Scott Bergstrom