Dragonkeeper book 6. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781922179586
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Dragons. Fantasy. Myths. Mythical
worlds. Carole Wilkinson has ended the Dragonkeeper series
with another thrilling, fantasy journey into the mythical world of
Huaxia (China) in the safe haven where the dragons have sought
sanctuary. This series is set at a time when it seems that dragons
are about to lose their capacity for survival. Tao the dragonkeeper
(who has power to summon the life-force from the invertebrate world
and the ability to see visions into the future) is called upon again
to rescue the dragons and their hope for the future - their dragon
stones. His Buddhist leanings (although challenged at times)
encourage him to seek peaceful solutions for the dragons in order to
solve their in-fighting and the war-like advances from humans bent
on using the dragons for their own power displays. Tao's faithful
dragon companions, who see and know his strengths despite his
peaceful demeanour, eventually work with him to ensure the long-term
survival of the remaining mythical creatures. But will his role as
dragonkeeper protect them into the future?
Wilkinson has managed to create a stand-alone story (even though
this is Number 6 in the Dragonkeeper series) that could be
comfortably promoted to readers even if they have not read other
books in the series. (I confess to only having read books 1 and 2 in
the series, prior to reading this final offering.) This is a series
that can be savoured for introducing a fantasy and mythical world of
dragons and magical powers that is still narrative-driven, gentle,
and not blatantly sinister. It also explores and parallels human
motives as they pursue power and self-aggrandisement. The Buddhist
practices of Tao are generally confined to peaceful and vegetarian
preferences, but this also provides an uncommon perspective for
children's literature. His wisdom and mystical powers supersede his
religious life.
Carolyn Hull
Julius Zebra: Bundle with the Britons by Gary Northfield
Julius Zebra series. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406373721
(Age: 8+) Ancient Rome. Animal stories. Gladiators. Humorous
stories. Champion gladiator Julius Zebra returns in another crazy
adventure accompanied by his zany animal friends. Life for the
People's Champion should be exciting; everybody loves this zebra, he
even signs hoof print autographs in the muddy streets of Rome.
Emperor Hadrian has promised Julius his freedom after one last fight
at the Colosseum, but the ruler has an alternate plan.
Unfortunately, they have one more task to complete, a tournament in
distant Britannia. Julius is disappointed as he was set to enjoy his
upcoming holibobs, while Felix the warthog wanted to add to his
extensive rock collection and Rufus the giraffe planned a relaxing
fishing holiday. Instead, they must travel on a stinky sailing ship,
far across the seas to an unknown place to fight in another
tournament.
Septimus the gladiators' trainer is a hard taskmaster on board; he
forces the animals to scrub the decks daily and sleep in hammocks
inside the stinky hold. An attempt to dress in chainmail and escape
the confines of the ship leads to a hilarious incident that
requires the rescue of the crocodile, warthog, giraffe, lion and
antelope.
Life in Roman Britain proves fraught with danger, the smelly streets
of Londinium treacherous, and their holiday home a hovel near the
small amphitheatre. The animals are quirky character drawn together
in difficult circumstances, unaware that their opponents are mean
fighting machines.
Gary Northfield's hilarious cartoons highlight how Julius and his
friends struggle with life in an unknown land, as they prepare to
face new combatants in the arena. The animals' irreverent dialogue
is sharp, witty and sarcastic. This is another laugh out loud story,
with plenty of jokes, gags and puns. These stories combine facts
about Ancient Rome life with humorous scenes and silly animal
antics.
Rhyllis Bignell
Note perfect by Yvette Poshoglian
Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella and Olivia series, book 19.
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781743811481
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Family life. School life. Concerts. Music. Note
Perfect is the nineteenth junior novel in the Ella
and Olivia series. The extremely large font and line
drawings support the transition from picture book to beginning
novel. Each book is written with a specific theme and each includes
a range of familiar text and some specific trickier words relating
to the theme.
Ella and Olivia are sisters and best friends. Ella is seven years
old and Olivia is five-and-a-half years old; they live with their
mum, dad, and little brother Max. The sisters love music and enjoy
participating in the Junior Band at School. Olivia plays percussion
instruments, the triangle, wooden blocks and glockenspiel; she also
is learning to play the drums. Ella loves to play the flute and both
sisters love to practise at home. With an upcoming concert and a
difficult new song to learn, there is plenty of drama at home and at
the rehearsals. At home, everyone enjoys the music, Max plays the
pots and pans and even Bob their puppy tries to sing along!
There are a few hiccups on the day of the concert. When Miss Knowles
the band conductor asks Olivia to take Luca's place at the drum set,
is she up for the challenge?
Yvette Poshoglian's charming stories are written specifically for
early readers who enjoy simple plots and relatable characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
Nomax by Shannon Horsfall
Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9781460753927
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Dogs. Pets. Names. A delightfully funny
picture book in which the text belies the image given on each page
will have readers laughing out loud as the dog chews its way through
things he shouldn't, steals sausages from the butcher or tries to
help dad by bringing his slippers but resulting in moving the
standard lamp closer to his chair with predictable results.
The dog is thrilled that his dad calls him by name, Nomax, each time
he does something incredibly helpful, but readers will see the
underlying humour as Nomax's antics get him into trouble each time.
Running down the hill while on the lead sees dad call out Nomax,
digging the roses in the garden sees his name called out again,
washing his socks or tidying the office gets an instant response of
his name being called. The gentle humour will appeal to younger
readers, whether this is read out loud or read alone. If read in a
group I can see children calling out to say what Nomax has done,
thrilling at the unexpected results of his helpfulness. And turning
the last page will bring gales of laughter as they realise why he is
called Nomax.
Horsfall's illustrations are deliciously witty with the funniest
expressions on the dog's face being shown with just the slightest of
changes in his mouth and eyes. Things hanging from his mouth belie
his perception that he is doing the right thing, and will elicit
laughter from the readers.
Fran Knight
Under the same sky by Mojgan Shamsalipoor, Milad Jafari and James Knight
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9780733637827
(Age: 15+) At a time when more than 20 million refugees seek shelter
in countries which wrestle with questions regarding asylum, this
story simply tells of the lives and experience of Mojgan
Shamsalipoor and Milad Jafari, two young people from Iran.
Mojgan's background was one of financial hardship, with her single
mother struggling to provide for the family and often having to
depend upon the charity of relatives to access accommodation. It
would appear that desperation drove her to remarry, hoping to create
a more stable life and home for Mojgan, her sister and brothers.
Sadly, the situation became nightmarish for Mojgan and her mother
when her brutal and violent stepfather commenced beatings and sexual
assault before arranging a marriage to a man old enough to be her
grandfather. Trapped by oppressive Sharia law which offered no
escape and administrative corruption which enabled and supported the
stepfather, Mojgan and her brother Hossein undertook the perilous
journey to escape Iran.
Also growing up in Iran, Milad experienced a more secure life in a
family provided for by his father who worked hard and enjoyed
financial success. Life became dangerous for this family however as
Milad came under police scrutiny for producing forbidden Hip Hop
music and other family members became imperilled from simply knowing
people who had been arrested and subsequently murdered for political
reasons.
The tension and fear experienced by these young people fleeing an
oppressive regime, risking their lives to the hands of people
smugglers and enduring a frightening, arduous journey by boat is
difficult to adequately express. Similarly the anxiety produced by
protracted detention, the seemingly endless asylum application
process and fear of terrible consequences if rejected and returned
to Iran is impossible to summarise.
Meeting in Australia, Milad and Mojgan fall in love and marry,
however their newfound joy turns to stress and fear when asylum is
refused for Mojgan and she is pressured to return to Iran.
Recent events have prompted renewed consideration of Australia's
asylum policy in relation to Moslem refugees by politicians, media
commentators and the general public. Evident in this book was the
fact that life for asylum seekers fleeing oppression is miserable
and this is removed from any ideological debate concerning whether
Australia ought or ought not accept Moslem refugees.
What affected me most powerfully was a sense of fury and despair
that the world's refugee problem is principally caused by political
and / or religious lunacy which foments oppression and violence.
Whilst this continues, millions of innocents will continue to be
driven from their homes where they might otherwise have stayed to
live productive and happy lives.
Rob Welsh
Double take! a new look at opposites by Susan Hood
Ill. by Jay Fleck. Walker Studio, 2015. ISBN 9781406377293
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Opposites. Perspective. Points of
view. More than a look at opposites, this interesting picture book
is also a challenge for the reader to ponder and delve into what an
opposite really means and to think about different points of view.
Hood has written an engaging, thought provoking text in rhyme,
looking not just at what a simple opposite can mean but how it
relates to who wants to know and the perspective of the person
asking: Who knows what's BIG
unless there's SMALL?
Does SHORT mean a thing
except next to TALL?
The illustrations done in a retro style by Jay Fleck are evocative
and add much to the text. The one on the back of the book with the
blurb was particularly engaging showing a tall flower in a small pot
with a bird looking at it and a short flower in a big pot with a
mouse looking at it. Another that caught my eye was the elephant
lifting a large weight that contrasted with the boy trying to lift a
small one: Who's STRONG
and who's WEAK
is hardly perplexing
Then the reader turns the page to see a double page spread with a
giant whale and the text: But STRONG can look WEAK
when a new champ is flexing.
The use of different styles of print to highlight the point being
made also adds to the fun of the book and would lead to easy
emphasis when reading aloud.
This would be a very useful book to have in the classroom, and its
easy rhythm and fun illustrations will engage both readers and
listeners.
Pat Pledger
Chook Doolan : Let's do Diwali by James Roy
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925381597
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Chook's real name is Simon Doolan and in
each of the easy to read Chook Doolan novels, Chook has a
different adventure to share with the reader. In this book, he
befriends Praj and together they research Diwali as a part of the
'Festivals' topic in their classroom.
Luckily, Praj and his family have invited Chook to join them
celebrating their own Diwali. He is nervous because he is not sure
he will know what to do and is hesitant of crowds. As Chook says I'm
just someone who's scared of things. He wants to be braver and
does attend Diwali even though he has reservations. Chook gets to
experience the clothing, food and music of India.
These small novels give students an interesting storyline in an easy
to read format. The font is large and the pages are interspersed
with Lucinda Gifford's appealing illustrations. There are 8 chapters
so students can experience a novel format.
These books are very appealing to the emergent independent reader.
They are similar in difficulty and look to the Billie B Brown
novels by Sally Rippin. Students love to read all the books in
Rippin's series and I feel confident that this will also be true for
the Chook Doolan books. I am pleased there is another series
that is matched to the reading ability of the younger students.
James Roy is an accomplished author and his books can still tell a
good tale within the bounds of a limited vocabulary.
Jane Moore
Nanna's button tin by Dianne Wolfer and Heather Potter
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781922077677
Highly recommended. This book brought back memories of my childhood
and spending time going through my Gran's buttons. I highly
recommend this book.
This story is well written telling the story of each of the buttons
they find in their search for the perfect button for teddy.
It is a story of memories and how little things can bring big
memories.
A perfect story for a grandma to share with her grandchildren.
Karen Colliver
Our race for reconciliation by Anita Heiss
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781760276119
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Aboriginal themes, Cathy Freeman, Athletics,
Reconciliation. The story of one family and its journey to Sydney
for the People's Walk for Reconciliation across Sydney Harbour
Bridge in 2000 is the basis for this evocative tale reflecting the
solidarity shown on that day and on Sorry Days since, as all
Australians recognise the past and look forward to a future
together.
Mel's family lives ten hours drive from Sydney at Ipswich, but makes
the journey along with their gran and grandpa who are part of the
Stolen Generations, to join the march. We hear of Mel at school
where the teacher explains why people are calling for an apology, we
see the family in the car when mum talks about how her mother was
treated, the family singing along with Archie Roach's CD, and we see
the letters written by the class to their heroes, in Mel's case,
Cathy Freeman, with outstanding results.
Mel's family has Aboriginal heritage so readers will see a family
just like their own, with its dreams and aspirations, everyday
concerns and problems, showcasing a background which does reflect
some differences. The explanation mum makes of her mother's
childhood will fill in gaps for many of our readers. Sorry Day and
Reconciliation are given a face with the emphasis on Mel's family
and how things in the past have affected them.
In the lead up to the Sydney Olympic Games, Mel is very excited
about Cathy Freeman's event, and we see Cathy from Mel's
perspective, a hero above all others.
Heiss uses the class as a platform for debate, offering negative
views of Aboriginal people, Sorry Day and Stolen Generations to be
mouthed by one of their classmates. George's opinions give the
teacher and Mel and her brother as well as others in the class, the
opportunity to repudiate the negative things said, so informing the
reader.
The book ends with the Olympic Games and Freeman's stunning victory
with all of Australia proud of her efforts. Even George concedes he
may have been wrong and when Mel's brother extends the hand of
friendship, he accepts.
Trying to instill information about a particular topic is always
fraught in historical novels, and although the story is slow at the
start, the sensitive handling of the family and the impact of the
treatment of their forebears, shines through. This book will inform
younger readers and be useful as a read a loud in classes grappling
with Reconciliation.
Fran Knight
Singing my sister down and other stories by Margo Lanagan
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760295134
(Age: 14+) Recommended. The first line of this book reads 'We all
went down to the tar pit, with mats to spread our weight', and from
there I was hauntingly hooked. The first story Singing my sister
down was my favourite, as the depiction of Ik's tar-pit death
was so beautifully written; dark and emotional; and I could almost
see the scene in front of me.
The following 12 stories continue with dark depictions of rituals,
violence or gender and all have a deep seeded theme of death. Some
of them I found quite confronting, as Margo Lanagan writes in a way
that brought visual representation easily, and evoked strong emotion
or loyalty towards the characters. She also brings in familiar
concepts to keep readers hooked as in A good heart which
deals with life's 'what ifs' or Winkie where a mother's
intuition is highlighted.
In many of the stories you can also find links to popular
fairytales, such as Not all ogre which shares similarities
with Sleeping Beauty and the slightly disturbing Winkie
with a fair resemblance to the song Wee Willy Winky who runs
through the town in his night gown, just as in the story.
Many readers may not usually like short fiction, but they should at
least give this book a try. Each story has depth and can leave you
confronted, surprised or intrigued.
This strange yet compelling group of stories is targeted to those in
the young adult age group, and I feel best suited to readers from at
least 14 years of age due to the complex set of themes and topics
brought forward in this book. Some of the stories are slow to start,
however persistence is often rewarded. These stories may also lead
to interesting dinner table conversation!
Lauren Fountain
The girl guide by Marawa Ibrahim
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781847809483
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. Star rating: 5/5. This is the book
I wish my mum put on my bedside table instead of 'Where did I come
from?'!!
Growing up is a tough gig, especially in a society where
advertisement and media plays a huge role (unconsciously or not) in
providing education to women around our bodies, growing up and the
portrayal of what is normal. What Marawa Ibrahim has done with this
book has taken ALL the things that happen to girls growing up and
written down what really happens. From periods, hormones and bras to
embarrassing moments, friendships and just being yourself, it is all
in there.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this guide is that each of
the 50 lessons are shown in a very light-hearted easy to read way,
however you also get the sense that these experiences really were
her own and that made me feel more comfortable in my own personal
experience. I feel that this will transfer well to the younger
female reader who reads this book either at the start of or
throughout their journey with their changing body.
Marawa tells us about her inner most embarrassing moments, and then
how she got over them. You get the pros and cons of the various
types of hair removal and the benefit of stretching and meditation -
there really is something for everyone.
The blurb states that The girl guide is "packed with
practical advice, this book is a stylish agony Aunt for any 10 year
old girl" and I feel that this is 100% true. It answers all the
questions you want to ask your mum or friends but are too shy or
embarrassed to, and does so in a way that any 10-15 year old girl
would completely understand.
Lauren Fountain
Too many friends by Kathryn Apel
UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259760
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Tahnee has the problem of having too many
friends. Everyone wants her to be their work partner in class and
playmate in the yard. Tahnee accepts everyone but she especially
targets the new girl Lucy who is quiet and withdrawn. Her efforts to
include Lucy alienate Tahnee's best friend Roxie. How can you be
friends with everyone all of the time?
Tahnee is in year 2 and her close family support her friendly
attitude but it is Tahnee who has to find her own answers to solving
her friendship problems.
The issues of friendships and bullying are common in school and many
students will identify with similar problems, being excluded from
the group, convincing others not to be your friend and put down
comments and looks. Choosing who you work and play with is fraught
with friendship issues, even for someone as kind and inclusive as
Tahnee.
Kathryn has dealt with similar problems in her novel Bully on
the Bus where 7 year old Leroy struggles with the bully that
makes his life so unpleasant.
Kathryn Apel lets her protagonists work through their problems and
after listening to advice they find their own answers. Tahnee's
solution is both inventive and kind and a positive role model for
students who are reading the book.
This novel would be a great read aloud and discussion point for
classes. Apel's prose flows beautifully and being written in first
person, strongly conveys Tahnee's feelings and concerns.
The front cover is simply decorated and the bunting theme and paper
cut outs continue into the book to highlight the beginning of each
chapter.
I would recommend this book to 7 to 10 year olds.
A book
trailer is available.
Jane Moore
Welcome home, Harley by Jess Black
Little Paws series. Ill. by Gabriel Evans, Random House
Australia, 2017.
ISBN 9780143781776
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Themes: Guide dogs - training, Puppies,
Family life. Guide Dogs Australia rely on the help of hundreds of
puppy raisers each year, these families take an eight week old puppy
into their homes and train them up, preparing them for a life as a
service dog. Each litter of puppies is named for the same letter of
the alphabet. The sale of each of these Little Paws series'
books helps raise awareness and finances to support this important
cause.
Nine-year-old Lexie and seven-year-old Tom Walker can't contain
their excitement when their parents agree to become a puppy raising
family. Brett the officer in charge is there to talk the family
through the special concerns, issues and important job of helping
Harley the eight-week-old Labrador pup become a confident young dog.
However, this puppy is a bundle of energetic and mischievous fun.
The Walker family haven't had a puppy before and Harley is good at
chewing the children's toys, destroying the bathroom where she
sleeps and causing beanbag explosions.
With Brett's assistance, instructions from the Guide Dog Training
Manual, Mum and Dad's help and with Lexie's family planner, Harley
learns the skills needed ready for her new role.
Jess Black's easy to read chapter book includes facts about the
Guide Dogs Australia organisation and fun information about raising
a service dog. This is a fun story for pet lovers who are beginning
to read chapter books. This is complemented by Gabriel Evans' line
drawings of Harley and the Walker family.
Rhyllis Bignell
Datsunland by Stephen Orr
Wakefield Press, 2017. ISBN 9781743054758
(Age: Year 12-Adult) Recommended. Short stories. This
extraordinary collection of short stories, written by David Orr, is
powerful as both story about, and analysis of, Australian life over
the years since European settlement. Orr depicts, in vivid and often
painful detail, the struggle for individuals and families trying to
cope with life, revealing the emotional responses to death, divorce,
inter-racial tension and disillusionment. He centres his vignettes
on the essential qualities of being human, particularly focusing on
the generosity, love, respect and loyalty that are at the basis of
being human. So, contrasting both kindness and nastiness, loyalty
and deception, in his various characters, he lays before us the
reasons why, being lost, lonely, discriminated against,
disillusioned or angry, they are angry, hurtful or evil, and why
they may have barely managed to survive in difficult times over the
centuries in the city, the small country towns or the suburbs of
rural and urban South Australia.
His sometimes interwoven stories reflect the issues from the times
of the early settlers to the modern world, focused on both children
and adults. We are drawn deftly into the worlds of the characters in
their experiences of unhappy marriages, of family disintegration and
separation, of unexpected and sometimes violent death, of the
after-effects of terrible childhoods, of war, and of the impact of
religious rules and disharmony. A religious institution features
more than once, in different stories of the lives of those dedicated
to education, particularly that of a Catholic religious brother who
has cared for, and lived with, a disabled woman who has no family.
Carefully, secretly never revealing her presence to anyone, he
supports her totally yet suffers terrible guilt for this choice. Orr
positions us to see him as he sees himself, as flawed and disloyal
to his religious vows yet correspondingly as a loving, devoted,
caring man. Other stories plunge us into lost, sad lives of
characters who are barely able to survive, or of those who struggle,
separated and lonely. Deliberately unsettling us, he disrupts our
ideas of what is good, and we are disturbed by his vivid depictions
of the sorrows, the terribly unhappy lives and the sometimes utterly
tragic circumstances of his characters.
Orr's writing is wonderfully rich in detail, his stories utterly
captivating, dramatic and disturbing, memorable for his vivid
language, his construction of time and place, and for the vivid
reality of the human condition. In his characters that are
chillingly real, sometimes good and sometimes utterly awful,
sometimes strong and often weak, in his eloquent, vivid and often
heart-rending stories, in his disturbingly accurate depiction of
time and place, he constructs worlds that are richly evocative of
both the past and present. In his interweaving of threads, his
appallingly sad stories captivate us, compelling us to read on, to
respond to the revelation of chillingly painful truths, as he
details the acts and thoughts of the disillusioned and the abused,
of the actions of both the good and evil characters, leaving us with
a disturbing sense of how little control we have of our lives.
Elizabeth Bondar
Goodly and Grave: in a bad case of kidnap by Justine Windsor
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008183530
(Ages: 10+) Highly recommended. Magicians. Kidnapping. London.
Nineteenth century. The Penny Dreadful is full of the stories of
missing children in London, with dire predictions of what has
happened to them. Lucy Goodly meets her match at the card table at
one of London's seamier gambling establishments, when she is beaten
by someone with better skills at cheating. So convinced that she
would win, she set herself against the dastardly Lord Grave, and in
losing must return with him to Grave Hall and be his boot boy. Here
she finds strange things happening, the cook is a bearded man
dressed in women's clothing, she overhears people speaking of the
missing children, she goes into a room where she meets a talking
raven. Lucy must use her wits if she is to help solve the puzzle of
Grave Hall, rescue the children, release those entrapped by magic,
and get back to her own family.
Her suspicions of Lord Grave and all the others in his employ cause
Lucy to take the magic route offered by the raven and she lands in
the castle of Amethyst, Grave's enemy. But here too, she comes to
disbelieve what she is being told, and seeing the woman collect the
tears of the children, realises that something is very wrong.
A heart thumping thriller of a story, Lucy lurches from one grave
situation to another, often accompanied by other children, all
trying to deflect the lies they are being told. But who can be
trusted? Twists occur on every page, but Lucy's tenacity shines
through. Readers will love the humour as well as the plethora of
strange beings, working with Lucy to try and find out what is really
happening to the children kidnapped from the streets of London. And
for those completely enraptured with the situation Windsor presents,
the second in the series will follow soon.
Fran Knight
