Aquatica, a beginner's field guide by Lance Balchin
Five Mile Press, 2017. ISBN 9781760404147. Hardcover, 32 pages.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Dystopian fiction. Future
settings. Environmental issues. Animals. Robots. Science fiction.
Lance Belchin's Mechanica introduced a futuristic world
where the extensive use of fossil fuels has poisoned and destroyed
the atmosphere, the ecosystems and all of nature. The sea is now a
sterile place, while the red sky is filled with atmospheric fires.
In Aquatica, a beginner's field guide, we discover the
fantastic range of robotic sea creatures that inhabit this desolate
environment. These dangerous Aquatica pose a new threat to the
enclaves of humans left in the world as their population rapidly
grows in the underwater energy field known as the Hum. Here these
creatures are able to communicate, talking, planning, plotting, and
beginning to move stealthily closer to the human settlements.
Fifteen-year-old scientific genius Liberty Crisp sets out on her
first voyage in the HMS 'Beagle' from the fortified island of
Madagascar. She travels with her friendly Mechanica bat, Bert,
across the deadly oceans of Asia gathering data, images and
recording notes on the new frightening species of wild creatures.
Some of these prove to be nonviolent, able to communicate with
Liberty and the other humans on her ship.
Exquisitely detailed illustrations, display each mechanical
creature; there is fluidity to their lines, an amazingly seamless
combination of the robotic and realistic features. Each creature is
identified by its scientific name, detailed description of movement,
purpose, composition, communication mode, speed, power and location.
The massive Watching Squid is a dangerous creature with its two lead
tentacles able to deliver a massive electrical charge as it speeds
through the ocean at 190 kilometres an hour, stunning and killing
its prey. The iridescent turquoise Sentinel Pleumon has a symbiotic
relationship with the Hunter Shark; it transmits attack information
to the shark that protects this defenceless creature.
Balchin's Aquatica brings a deep environmental message: the
impact of our misuse of fossil fuels, global warming, destruction of
habitats and the animal populations, all have futuristic
consequences. This beautifully detailed scientific guide, with its
photorealistic technical illustrations is suited to readers from
nine years of age up to ninety! This is an excellent resource for
educators in the Upper Primary and Lower Secondary years across the
curriculum in Science, Technology and Design, Environmental
education and sustainability, Geography and Art - digital
illustration.
Rhyllis Bignell
Welcome to Willowvale by Rebecca Johnson
Vet cadets bk 1. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143782711
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Boarding School. Veterinary training.
Animal husbandry. School life. Horse riding. Friendship. Science.
Biology. Parasites. Willowvale Girls Academy offers a special Vet
Cadet Program for Year 7 girls. New students Hannah, Abbey and
Talika, all have different family backgrounds but they all have one
thing in common, they love animals, especially horses. As they
settle into boarding school life, these three girls learn to rely on
each other, value each other's differences and work together to
solve several mysteries.
Abbey, Hannah and Talika learn about caring for farm animals,
raising lambs, shearing sheep, caring for their horses and
collecting parasites for their Science lessons. Talika's fat pony
Pudding has a mind of its own and both Abbey and Hannah's assistance
is needed to teach riding and grooming skills. When a neighbour's
aggressive dog chases Talika and her pony, Abbey's farm skills come
in to help. The treasure hunt for parasites adds a quirky scientific
dimension as the three friends explore a nearby dam and capture
airborne insects and those living on cows and sheep. This knowledge
and the use of specialised scientific equipment assist them on their
journey to solving the mystery of the sheep attacks.
Rebecca Johnson's background as a science educator and her love of
animals is evident in this new series for middle primary readers. Welcome
to Willowvale is an exciting introduction and is just right
for readers who enjoy reading information and scientific facts in a
novel format with strong girl role models. Friendship, learning
resilience and working together to solve problems are positive
themes presented here.
Rhyllis Bignell
The princess and the frogs by Veronica Bartles
Ill. by Sara Palacios. Balzer and Bray, 2017. ISBN 9780062365910
Princess Cassandra had everything she could possibly want - hundreds
of dresses, thousands of books and servants to bring her anything
she wanted. She should have been the happiest princess in the world.
But there was one thing she didn't have - she was lonely playing by
herself and desperately wanted a best friend. In particular, she
wanted a pet - one that would match her best dress, swim and jump
and play all day and at night sit on her pillow and sing to her. So
the Royal Pet Handler set off on a quest to find the perfect pet,
but nothing was quite right. The mouse was too squeaky, the kitten
refused to swim, the hippo wouldn't jump and none of them were
green. The task seemed impossible until one day the Royal Pet
Handler arrived with a frog. It seemed just perfect. It was able to
swim, jump and play, AND it was green. But when Princess Cassandra
put it on her pillow and kissed it goodnight, it turned into a
prince!
"Princes aren't pets," she declared and banished it to the royal
kitchens. So the Pet Handler went in search of another frog and the
same thing happened. Again and again and again, until there were
princes everywhere. Then one day, the princess found her own frog
but the same thing happened, except this time the prince wanted to
stay a frog. Will she ever get the perfect pet?
This is an hilarious take on the traditional Princess and the Frog
story made even more so by the terrific pictures from Palacios who
brings the characters to life through their facial expressions. Who
would have thought there were so many different frogs?
A playful bedtime read that might make little ones think twice about
kissing things goodnight!
Barbara Braxton
The most perfect snowman by Chris Britt
Balzer and Bray, 2016. ISBN 9780062377043
Built in the first flurry of winter snow, Drift was the loneliest of
snowmen. With his stick arms, small mouth and coal eyes he stood
forlorn and forgotten amongst the bare winter trees. He dreamed of
having a smart scarf, warm gloves and a long orange carrot nose like
the other snowmen so he could join in their banter, their fashion
parades, snowball fights and other fun stuff. But he was too plain
and different to be included, so his days were spent swooshing and
sliding through the woods, stopping and standing in the shadows to
watch the others at play.
Then one day some children gave Drift all that he wanted - a fluffy
blue hat, warm mittens, a soft scarf and even a long orange carrot
nose. Suddenly the other snowmen found him acceptable now that he
had his new accessories and watched as he played all afternoon with
his new friends. But that night a blizzard blew and Drift lost his
smart new clothes and no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find
them. All he had left were his scarf and his long orange carrot
nose. Then he heard a tiny voice - a little bunny was lost in the
snow, frightened and shivery cold. Drift knows he can save the bunny
by wrapping it in his soft scarf and giving it his long orange
carrot nose but can he bear to part with them? Can he go back to
being that plain snowman with skinny stick eyes, a small nose and
coal eyes?
This is a charming story about what it means
to be 'perfect' and whether it is about looking a particular way or
having the right things or whether it runs deeper than that. What is
the meaning of the old adage 'Clothes maketh the man' and is it
true? Are we more visible and therefore perhaps more powerful
because of our external appearance?
It also raises the concepts of selfishness and selflessness and
whether even giving just a little can make any difference. Do we
need to be applauded and rewarded for doing something kind or should
it be enough to know that we have made a difference? Do we have to
be the person giving the boldest and brightest present at birthday
parties or is it the phone call saying thank you afterwards that is
most remembered?
The soft palette echo the gentleness of both the story and its
message but this is more than just a story to welcome winter.
Barbara Braxton
Summer skin by Kirsty Eagar
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266924
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Mature content. While this is not normally a
book I would pick up and read, I was intrigued by the review on the
cover, promising it to be the feminist love story all girls have
been waiting for. This isn't wrong. Summer Skin dismisses
the old damsel-in-distress and hero archetypes and instead replaces
them with two very stubborn individuals who loath and love each
other. It is a blunt and intelligent take on a love story, the kind
of thing many teenage girls might want to look to when compared to
other popular YA romances.
The story follows Jess in her third year of university in
Queensland. Part of Unity college, she is out for revenge against
the abhorrent Knights for the previous year's sweep (a challenge to
be the first to bed a Unity girl). While Farren wants no further
conflict between the colleges, Jess goes behind her back to initiate
a Unity Sweep where the girl who brings the most humiliation to a
Knight becomes named The Knight Rider. After a public announcement
citing that any girl who sleeps with a Knight is a traitor to Unity,
Jess soon finds herself questioning her own loyalty with the
appearance of Blondie (Mitch Crawford). Mitch doesn't seem to know
what he wants, other than to touch Jess. He refuses to kiss or sleep
with her. It seems they each have a lot to learn about themselves
and each other. Beginning with how to trust.
While this book has a strong physical focus, I would recommend for
girls sixteen and up. It deals with issues surrounding consensual
sex, making it an important discussion for teenagers who don't or
won't listen.
Kayla Gaskell, (University student)
A fearsome beast and a dumpling feast by Yves Stening and Nigel Buchanan
ISBN: 9780648008705.
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Chinese New Year. Dumplings. Detectives.
Clementine and Aksel are off to celebrate the Chinese New Year
banquet at their cousin Ying's house in Chinatown. When their father
is uncertain about the origins of the Chinese New Year, Clementine
decides it is a case for the Dinner Detectives to solve and Ying
gives them the history of the brave little girl in a red dress who
scared away the fearsome Nian. From that day on, people wore red
every New Year in honour of the little girl. The children then watch
the dragon dance and find out that the dragon is what brings good
luck for the New Year. Then they are off to Ying's house where they
eat dumplings and discover that Dr Zhang Zhongjing first made them
to keep the villagers warm and stop their ears from freezing off.
Children will be fascinated by the two stories centering on Chinese
New Year and will love to try the recipes for Aunt Lily's dumplings
that is at the end of the story. There is also an opportunity for
readers to put their own dumpling recipes up here and perhaps
they could think of some white food other than white bread, white
rice and potatoes that Aksel could eat.
The illustrations by Nigel Buchanan are bright and cheerful, giving
a clear picture of the decorations for Chinese New Year with the red
lanterns, fire crackers and the red dragon. The Nian is a fearsome
creature with large white teeth and a huge yellow eye but readers
will be reassured by the brave confident look on the face of the
little girl in red, who is able to scare the beast away by staring
it down. The domesticity of the New Year banquet, with the little
bowls, chopsticks, large fish and steaming dumplings adds to the
narrative.
This is the first in the Dinner Detectives
series, and readers will want to follow their future adventures to
uncover the origins or pasta and sandwiches. Teacher's
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
Ambulance, Ambulance! by Sally Sutton
Ill. by Brian Lovelock. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126303
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. New Zealand author Sally Sutton's popular
picture books focus on introducing transport and industry to
youngsters. Ambulance, Ambulance is the new addition to her
previous publications Roadworks, Demolition and Construction.
Her rhyming story, printed in bold text is fun to read aloud, with
the noise of the ambulance sirens, the clonk of the doors and honk
of the horn.
The ambulance crew race to the site of a bike accident, down a busy
street, lights flashing, ready to help an injured boy. He has fallen
off his bike and broken his leg. With the splint on, he is
transported up the grassy slope and into the ambulance. The police
and fire crew are also on the scene to direct the traffic and assist
the other rider. The loud 'nee nar nee nar' of the siren sounds out
as they rush down the freeway back into the city. After leaving the
young lad in the emergency room, the crew take a minute to rest
before they are called out again.
Brian Lovelock's bold saturated watercolours enhance Sally Sutton's
informative text. His creative use of different perspectives engages
the reader. The eye is drawn into each scene, delineated by vivid
blocks of colour - grass green, sky blue, the bird's eye view of the
blue freeway and the red and white of the ambulance. Ambulance, Ambulance is a great resource for a Junior Primary
unit on our community helpers, for Geography when exploring our
urban environment and as an informative text for English.
Rhyllis Bignell
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Awesome Guide by Calvin Scott
DK Children, 2017. ISBN 9780241280393
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Sure to appeal to LEGO fans, The Awesome
Guide is just that. It gives details of all the super heroes,
their origins and the two cities, Metropolis and Gotham City that
dominate the world of DC Comics super heroes. Then there is
information about the planet Krypton, the superpowers possessed by
the heroes and their secret identities, vehicles and weapons. Of
special fun will be the section where readers can answer a quiz to
find out 'Who is your alter ego?', 'hero, friend, ordinary bystander
or, gulp, villain!'
The villains found in the comics are not omitted either. There is a
section based on their identities, skills and weaponry and readers
can do a quiz to find out how bad they are.
Each of the sections are illustrated in a double page spread,
vividly featuring the LEGO hero or apparatus, and many having small
blocks of information showing a Bick-sized fact and a Stat Scan.
There is a Table of Contents, a list of the LEGO sets and an index.
There is also a Wonder Woman exclusive mini figure contained in the
cover.
Although the reading level is definitely for an older audience, this
book and especially the action figure contained in it will appeal to
Lego fans who are much younger and who will appreciate an adult
reading sections to them.
This would be an ideal gift for any child who enjoys Lego and
superheroes.
Pat Pledger
The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760292294
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Themes: World War II; Childhood; Mystery;
Australian War History. The Blue Cat is an interesting
novelised confluence with the historical investigation of childhood
life in Sydney during the time of war-time attacks on Australia,
combined with some primary sources of the time and an ethereal
mystery. Just as the blue cat seems to live a life of its own, the
novel weaves between the 'legs' of the historical sources and the
innocence of the main character, Columba and her friend Hilda. They
encounter a rather unusual character, Ellery, who attends their
school but is mysterious and isolated from them because he only
seems to speak German. To some extent Dubosarsky has created a
faintly mysterious and strange attempt to create understanding
between children from both sides of the conflict. The dream-like
finale may add a degree of confusion for a young reader, but a
slightly older reader may be able to see the potential for
interpretation. The voice of Columba has a delicate naive quality
(akin to the narrator in John Boyne's The Boy in Striped Pyjamas,
but perhaps with more understanding), but the enigmatic influence of
the aloof and voiceless Ellery adds a degree of sophistication to
the story-line. Is he real or just a reminder of those who suffer
because of war? Initially this appears to be a book for younger
readers - the youthful naive quality supports this - but because it
is not straightforward in its resolution this makes the recommended
reader slightly older.
Recommended for the thoughtful reader aged 11 - 14 years.
Carolyn Hull
Captain Jimmy Cook discovers X marks the spot by Kate and Jol Temple
Ill. by Jon Foye. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760291945
(Age: 8-9) Recommended. Jimmy Cook is an eccentric Grade 3 student
and also an explorer, science whiz kid and adventurer and in this
second book in the Captain Jimmy Cook Discovers series he
digs for dinosaurs, digs for buried treasure, causes a major
plumbing disaster at school, creates an amazing robot that saves his
Dad from a lifetime of chasing flies with a vacuum cleaner, and
generally creates havoc. Jimmy's general lack of awareness of the
consequences of his actions lead to many twisted moments, and even a
few opportunities to visit the Principal's office. With quirky line
drawings that illustrate the impossible tasks that Jimmy explores
with vigour, the Temple co-writers have created another book that
will appeal to young readers whose main aim is to be entertained and
to laugh as they read. This book will appeal to readers aged 8-9,
and even older readers whose humour is locked at year 3 level will
get a chuckle at the misadventures of this not-so-famous explorer.
Carolyn Hull
Bad Guys: Episode 5: Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781760279479
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Another in the fun graphic novel
series by Blabey will be greeted with glee by fans who will laugh
out loud at the latest adventure of the strange gang led by Mr Wolf.
The bad news is that the world is ending, but the Bad Guys, hoping
to become heroes, steal a rocket and fly off to the moon in search
of the evil Dr Marmalade and his Cute-Zilla Ray. Mr Piranha might
have eaten too many beans with disastrous results when Mr Wolf finds
him in the space suit that he is wearing. But only the Bad Guys
could come up with a solution to save the world that involves giant
farts!
Children love this hilarious series and Intergalactic Gas
will be another tale for them to enjoy. The humour is over the top
and will raise the spirits of any child who reads the story while
the illustrations add to the delicious fun. The text is short enough
to encourage the newly independent reader to start the story, while
bold print and funny illustrations keep the reader involved. The
characters are as lively as ever, and this time Mr Wolf shows that
he knows how to keep his friends when he forgives Mr Snake for
shutting him out of the spaceship.
Great fun for all readers. Aaron Blabey presents a short
introduction here.
Pat Pledger
The Australian Animal Atlas by Leonard Cronin
Ill. by Marion Westmacott. Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760294144
(Ages: 5-12) Recommended. Australian animals. This is a revised and
updated edition of a 1995 Envirobook publication by the same author
and illustrator. The illustrations are detailed and realistic and
the author, with a background in biology, presents well-researched
information regarding animal behaviour and physiology. The structure
of the book is faultless and multi-layered and the contents and
index pages are uncluttered and easy to navigate. The animals are
organised into the habitats (e.g., deserts) in which they are found
and the contents page lists these eleven habitats. Indexing is by
common grouping (e.g., insects, kangaroos) as well as by full name
(e.g., Bull Ant, Agile Wallaby). Each of the eleven sections contain
a map showing the area/s of Australia that habitat can be found as
well as a brief description and illustration of that particular
habitat. The animals of that habitat (sixteen for each) are depicted
both within the illustration and again within the border (labelled).
Younger children will especially enjoy searching for each animal
within these habitat scenes. On the following page is yet another
illustration of each animal, this time including information
regarding their unique behaviours and abilities. It is a credit to
the publication that the illustrations are not just duplicated; many
of them are different. Because the number of animals included is not
exhaustive the information given is quite comprehensive for a book
of this kind (not just a couple of interesting or little known
titbits), with 3-5 thorough sentences for each. Westmacott's
detailed and life-like illustrations bring the creatures to life.
An illustrated guide such as this is great for visual learners and
allows children to read about an animal and then connect that new
knowledge to the animal's appearance (e.g., to both read about and
see the spade-like feet of the water-holding frog). As illustrated
in the aforementioned example the descriptive language used is
visual and appropriate for a young audience. The monikers (e.g.,
night terror, flying poison) given to each animal will draw
children, including reluctant readers, into the text and encourage
them to read on. The layout is easy on the eye and not text heavy;
there is lots of white space and the illustrations take centre
stage. The text gives each animal's scientific name as well as its
body measurements.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read, both for
general perusal, habitat investigations and animal research.
Nicole Nelson
The world of dinosaur roar. A series created by Peter Curtis with rhyming text by Jeanne Willis
Macmillan Children's Books, 2017. Dinosaur roar! : The Tyrannosaurus rex. ISBN 9781509835669 Dinosaur Boo! : The Deinonychus. ISBN 9781509834952 Dinosaur Munch! : The Diplodocus. ISBN 9781509835652 Dinosaur stomp! : The Triceratops. ISBN: 9781509835690
Ages: 1 - 6) Recommended. Board Book. Written in association with
the Natural History Museum, this series of four rhyming texts
introduces the very youngest of children to the world of dinosaurs;
each character being endowed with a delightfully cheeky personality.
The dinosaurs depict behaviour typical of what we have come to
expect of each species. Vegetarian Diplodocus incessantly munches
leaves whilst Tyrannosaurus Rex threatens the others more
aggressively as we might expect of the carnivore.
The fabulous rhyming text is great fun for the adult reader too but
be warned - for best results refresh your dinosaur vocabulary and
pronunciation before you begin reading with your little one! The
different dinosaurs from the series 'support' the main character of
each individual narrative with their slapstick but just scary enough
antics. The final pages of each story provide some basic facts about
the dinosaur focussed on in that text. This is a very fine series
for stimulating the imagination particularly of the child with a
fascination for dinosaurs. I certainly would have jumped at a series
like this for my eldest son who had to be restrained on a daily
basis, from boring his Year 1 class to death on this subject quite a
few years ago now.
Elizabeth Avery
The only girl in the world: a memoir by Maude Julien
Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498110
(Age: Mature senior secondary) Recommended for mature readers who
should be given opportunities to discuss the content. Maude Julien's
memoir details a horrific childhood of deprivation and suffering
inflicted by parents determined to create an exceptional being who
would not suffer from any intellectual or physical weakness. Maude's
father was a wealthy French company director who had a Nietschzean
belief in his own power and consequently despised human emotional
fragility. He raised a poor miner's daughter, Jeannine, from infancy
and in time she became the mother of Maude, the author. The couple
isolated themselves from the world and raised their child to master
all skills and eliminate all weakness. Part of her training taught
her to regard other people with suspicion and fear. She is set
constant endurance tests and never shown any affection. Maude's
teacher is her mother, who is a victim of Louis almost as much as
Maude is. Maude is woken in the night and made to sit in darkness in
the cellar to overcome her fear of rats. She is forced to traverse
the grounds of their mansion again at night without a light. She
must sit for hours without moving. Bells are sewn onto her jacket to
ensure that she does not move. Louis wants a guard dog so Linda, an
Alsatian, is purchased. Linda loves Maude but her father forces
Maude to shut Linda in a tiny cage during the day. Maude must not
allow herself to be ruled by sentiment. She must excel academically,
despite being taught by her mother who does not understand what she
is teaching. She must be a gymnast, despite having no trainer, and
she must learn a range of musical instruments. Oddly, despite their
suspicion of the world at large, Maude's parents allow frequent
contact with a vicious gardener who sexually abuses the child, and
her accordion teacher is a sadist who stubs out his cigarettes on
her knees. Louis has a philosophy that is a mixture of Masonism and
Nazism, but the essence is that he must be recognised as godlike. He
tries to force Maude to promise to watch over his grave for the rest
of her life. He fails in this but he does force her to toilet and
bath him, and share in his copious consumption of alcohol. He
eventually organizes her marriage which he does not intend to be
consummated. However Maude seizes her chance and escapes.
Psychologically Maude is saved by the love her few animals, Linda
the dog, Arthur, a pony, and a duck, give her, and ultimately by a
fine and wily music teacher who manages to extricate the seventeen
year old girl from her isolation. She begins to recognize her
talents as a writer and musician, and to understand that it is
possible to enjoy being with others. She has many disabilities, a
damaged liver, nightmares, and chronic distrust among them, and it
takes many years of different therapies before she functions as a
happy and successful person. The message finally is that
psychological damage can be repaired, but at a great cost over a
long time. The importance of simple loving kindness in raising a
child is critical. The memoir is engrossing but an emotionally
difficult read. The cruelty inflicted on the child and the animals
is almost unbelievable and is certainly disturbing. It can be
recommended for mature readers who should be given opportunities to
discuss the content.
Jenny Hamilton
Rock pool secrets by Narelle Oliver
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781922179357
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. At first glance there's nothing much to see.
But the rock pools are full of secrets.
Narelle Oliver's love of the world around her, her desire to inform
and engage through her beautifully crafted picture books is the
wonderful legacy she leaves for us. Her final picture book Rock
Pool Secrets opens up the young readers' eyes to the secret
underwater world of rock pools where sea creatures hide.
Each beautifully created scene is realistically portrayed with a
palette of sea blues, sandy yellows, muted greens and hermit crab
reds. The layered illustrations unfold as you lift the flaps to
discover the many small animals camouflaged amongst the stones and
sea grasses. Her use of linocut printing adds depth and definition
to the detailed scenes. Whose speckled eyes peep from a miniature
cave? Why do the turban snails lie still in the sun?
Narelle Oliver's expressive text is wonderfully written, perfect for
reading aloud with alliterative and descriptive phrases and
questions that lead to discovery. A wealth of knowledge is embedded
in the text - 'the decorator crab hides by playing dress-ups
sticking seaweed pieces on its little hooks.' A glossary is included
at the end for readers who want more information or for classes to
use as a springboard into research. Rock Pool Secrets is an excellent resource to introduce
Junior Primary Biological Sciences, in Year 1 students investigate
'living things live in different places where their needs are met.'
Oliver leaves behind a wonderful body of work from The Best Beak
in Boonaroo Bay to Sand Swimmers. Rock Pool
Secrets displays her passion for the environment, the need for
sustainability and the importance of protecting ecosystems and the
animals that live in them. Classroom
ideas are available.
Rhyllis Bignell
