Frozen Heart series. Disney Paper Rocket, 2016. ISBN 9781484730515
(Ages: 9+) Fans of Frozen the Disney movie released in 2013
will recognise a large amount of the similarities to the film's
dialogue included in this new novel written by Elizabeth Rudnick.
There is a definite fan-fiction element to the writing, as the
stories of Anna and Hans are developed instead of Elsa's and
Kristoff's. Each chapter alternates as the characters narrate their
stories. Young Anna is confused and concerned by the imprisonment of
her sister Anna, after the incident when she magically filled the
ballroom with snow. We are introduced to Prince Hans' background; he
is the thirteenth and youngest son of King of the Southern Isles,
bullied by his older brothers. He works his way into being the
king's favourite, with the goal of attending the coronation of
Princess Elsa and marrying her.
When Anna meets Hans at the coronation, there is an instant
attraction and she desperately wants to say yes to his proposal. Of
course, when she asks for her sister's permission, Anna becomes
angry; she creates an everlasting winter in Arendelle and then flees
into the mountains.
Elizabeth Rudnick's action and adventure novel explores the
motivations of Elsa and Hans, what drives them to act in certain
ways. With the themes of love, sacrifice, greed, selfishness and the
fight of good and evil, Frozen Heart is suited to a preteen
audience who grew up with the movie.
Rhyllis Bignell
Hexen Haus by Nikki McWatters
University of Queensland Press, 2016. ISBN 9780702254253
Highly recommended for anyone interested in history. This is the story of three young
women across time, joined by the Systir Saga and accusations of
witchcraft.
Veronica watched her father burn at the stake for the crime of being
an accused witch. The authorities say that he confessed but Veronica
knows the tortures he endured for that confession to be torn from
him. Together with his letter, she and her brother Hans must venture
out on their own to avoid the fate that usually awaited the children
of witches. They must escape before they too are burned. Through a
happy accident they find sanctuary with a healer in a forest, but
their peaceful life comes under threat when Christoff, a
woodchopper, is on the verge of death and Veronica must venture
into unfamiliar territory unescorted.
Katherine struggles to find a new way of life as she joins her
sister as a servant for a wealthy family. Clashing with the children
while hiding a secret Jacobite beau, her life is endangered by the
antics of a local priest on the hunt for Jacobites. He convinces one
of the children to put on a show of being possessed and to name
Katherine as a witch - giving her just one possible future - Hexen
Haus - and a release into the flames.
Paisley just wants a peaceful life, but with a self-confessed witch
for a mother is that really possible? When one of the local boys
falls into a trance-like state after visiting her mother for a
spiritual consultation, the gossip begins. Maybe she really is a
witch? What did she do to the poor Hooper boy? Worse, when the
Hooper boy goes missing Paisley's mother becomes subject to a police
investigation - but that is nothing in comparison with the family's
new pariah-like status in the community.
This is a particularly intriguing read which weaves in modern issues
of prejudice with the haunting presence of the European witch
trials. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in history,
particularly that of witch trials and the Jacobite rebellion.
Kayla Gaskell, 20
When the lyrebird calls by Kim Kane
Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781741758528
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. All Australian fiction is
important, and fiction which helps understand what federation meant
for Australia even more so. So many people today don't have much of
an understanding of Australian history as it is often portrayed,
even by some historians, as 'boring'. Our 'boring' history is
fundamental to the nation we made and maintain today. Kim Kane's
When the lyrebird calls is, for that reason, a novel I would highly
recommend to a middle-school audience. The reader will join Madeline
in a journey to the past which shows that the foundations of the
Australia of today were already well underway in the 'olden days' of
last century.
Madeline would much rather be spending summer playing cricket with
her friends in New South Wales, but instead she's been shipped to
Mum-Crum's while her Mum revises for her exams. With nothing else to
do, her days fall into Mum-Crum's strict structure of exercise,
7-vegetable smoothies, and renovations. That is until she discovers
a pair of shoes hidden in an old cupboard and ventures out to the
Lyrebird Muse, the local museum. Along the way she falls through
time and into the previous century where a friendship blossoms
between her and Gertrude Williamson, of the Williamson family - one
that had an important role in Australia's federation. While in the
past Madeline must learn to fit in and work out a way back home or
else face a future trapped in the past with Elfreida, Mrs.
Williamson's German cousin poised to tear the family apart.
Just a schoolgirl from New South Wales, Madeline is more modern than
even the whackyiest member of the Williamson family. With her
anti-racist, anti-sexist, pro feminist beliefs, Madeline struggles
to navigate the horribly racist, sexist, and anti-feminist past
which is often glossed over in historic fiction.
Kayla Gaskell, 20.
Editor's note: Teacher's
notes are available from the publisher's website.
Living with the locals: early Europeans' experience of Indigenous life by John Maynard and Victoria Haskins
National Library, 2016. ISBN 9780642278951
(Age: Secondary) Depicting experiences of early contact between
Europeans and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, this book
necessarily relies on primary and secondary historical sources.
Importantly however, sensible and considered anthropological
analysis is applied to better understand the records.
Nine separate experiences of colonial Europeans living with
Indigenous Australians are detailed and they all occurred on the
East coast of Australia, reaching south from the tip of Cape York
down as far as the bushland around Melbourne. Presumably Dutch and
Portuguese sailors had similar unrecorded experiences living with
Aboriginal people on the Western Australian coast, prior to British
colonisation.
British colonials found themselves living with Indigenous people for
varying lengths of time, from three months in Eliza Fraser's case to
32 years for the well-known William Buckley. This came about because
they were convicts fleeing captivity or because they found
themselves stranded as a result of shipwreck.
A common theme evident in the accounts is the incapacity for
'rescuers' and contemporary commentators to consider that living
with Aboriginal people was a valid existence which could be
considered as a permanent way of life. Some returning individuals
refused to expand on their experiences or divulge particulars
regarding social and spiritual practices, possibly to protect the
people to whom they were grateful for having saved their lives.
Others exaggerated and even fabricated aspects in order to gain
notoriety and possibly profit from journalists and speaking events.
In the case of Eliza Frazer, one can ponder whether she suffered
from a psychiatric disorder, either pre-existing or brought about by
trauma and whether this may have influenced her account. Often,
commentary which openly acknowledged kindness and the fact that
European lives were saved by people who sometimes were the victims
of terrible violence and exploitation was still patronising and
dismissive of Aboriginal society. Sadly, early colonial discussion
regarding Indigenous people on occasion tended to focus on
cannibalism when there was little evidence of it (apart from William
D'Oyley's and John Ireland's experience). Similarly, the cases of
white women living with Indigenous people were treated in a lurid
manner, implying capture and sexual abuse rather than emphasising
their salvation from certain death and generous adoption into
community.
I found it a curious experience to read this text, identifying the
ignorant and arrogant views expressed by colonial commentators and
feeling appropriately embarrassed. Any notion of being 'holier than
thou' is however dispelled by considering the accounts from the
perspective of the writers who lacked the knowledge and progressive
understanding of culture which has developed in the centuries since.
Hopefully this book will continue the process of educating
non-Indigenous people regarding the culture and society of
Australia's original inhabitants.
The text is highly relevant to the contact topic in the current
Australian history curriculum.
Rob Welsh
Aliens, ghosts and vanishings: Strange and possibly true Australian stories by Stella Tarakson
Ill. by Richard Morden. Penguin Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN
9781925324969
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Non fiction. Supernatural. Ghosts. Tall
tales. Myths. A compilation of intriguing stories which will amuse,
frighten, delight and tantalise, is offered in this larger format,
hardbacked book. The stories are divided into six groups: Mythical
Creatures, Mysterious Locations, Haunted Places, UFO Sightings,
Bizarre Disappearances and Strange Happenings. Each section contains
about half a dozen stories, some of which will be familiar to some
readers, while others will be wholly unknown. Readers will have a
great time dipping into this book, telling friends and family about
the stories they have read. The whole is served by a good contents
page, fascinating illustrations, and a glossary, while each chapter
has a page of web references for further research.
Written in a lively manner, the book is a great book to dip into.
I had heard of Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour but knew little
about it, but its tale in the section, 'Haunted Places' gave me a
firm understanding of the hardship endured by our convict ancestors
as well as the tale of its haunting. By contrast, 'Bizarre
Disappearances' chronicles the story of Malaysian Airlines Flight
370, which everyone must have heard of with the search continuing
over the past two years, but the author discusses the conspiracy
theories about the crashed airliner, adding another level of
interest to the story. Two stories from opposite periods in the
timeline of Australia's history: one based in fact with our convict
history so well documented, while the recent is an event we know
little of as the plane and its recorders have not been found.
Included too are the stories of Phar Lap, Azaria Chamberlain, the
Bunyip, Lassetter's reef, the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold
Holt, the Min Min, the ancient African coins, Hanging Rock and
Tasmanian Tigers amongst others. Each is detailed enough for younger
readers to learn about this story, and with references for further
research adds a cue for further study.
I loved dipping in and out during the past few weeks, reading the
ones I had never heard of and reading again of things part
remembered. And others intrigued me because of the way the event is
remembered after many years has elapsed.
Fran Knight
Sportsmanship by Net Brennan
Our stories series. Black Dog Books, 2016. ISBN
9781742032337
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Sport. Australian history. Culture. Icons.
Another in the excellent series, Our stories this book fills
a gap in books about themes in Australia's history. Sportsmanship is
a worthy addition giving an overview of the place sport has played
in shaping Australia's traditions and values. Our identity as a
people has been enhanced by the achievements of our sporting heroes,
and the stories of their triumphs are part of the mythology which
blends us as a nation.
Of course, it all started with cricket, and the opening chapter, 'In
the Beginning, there was Cricket', parodies a famous opening line,
underlining the importance of this game in Australia's colonial
past, a time when the first team that toured England was made up of
Aboriginal players. Each one or two pages introduces the reader to a
famous person or sporting event. Well known sporting heroes are
introduced with information about what they achieved: Les Darcy, Don
Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, along with others perhaps not
so well known, Fanny Durack and Shane Gould amongst them. Between
these are chapters about events: the Melbourne Olympic Games, the
start of the Ashes series, the Bodyline Series, the America's Cup,
as well as an event which forced Australia to make changes, that of
Nicky Winmar's action in a football match in 1993.
Each has a part in making our nation what it is today, a rich and
diverse nation, proud of its heritage and stories of past heroes,
and proud of those who compete today. Trust, mateship,
inclusiveness, confidence... the list goes on revealing attributes
related to our involvement in sport. Some wonderful photographs have
been included, and these along with a brief glossary, bibliography
and serviceable index make this a worthy addition to the school
library.
Fran Knight
And I darken by Kiersten White
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780552573740
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance,
Action. You become absolutely consumed in the world of Ladislav
(Lada) and Radu Dragwla as you venture with them on their journey
throughout the Ottoman empire. And I Darken, the first book
in a 3 book saga, is a story about Vlad the Impaler, a ruthless
Romanian prince - as a woman. The book also follows the journey of
an alternate personality, her brother, struggling to overcome the
ruthlessness of the 1400's. The book carries the reader through
their early years, birthed as the children of the 'dragon', as they
grow and become young adults.
Lada, becoming victim of the social norms of women at the time,
grows to overcome expectations and rises to conquer. Whereas Radu,
gifted with the tools to achieve an easy life, learns how hard it is
to live up to expectations when he struggles to understand the
brutality of their father. The well crafted story branches from
here, allowing the reader to grasp what it was like in this time, as
they face many challenges and deal with life-rendering experiences.
The book was thoroughly enjoyable. The writing style easy and
understandable, captures the audience with fluent imagery and
enlightenment. Despite the substantial difference in time and
context, the remarkable character development allows the reader to
understand the characters' motivations in order to experience this
journey WITH them. The theme of the book carries a dark tone,
incorporating the reader in the book itself, but also on the
emotional ride of countless ups and downs.
Overall, the riveting tale of Lada and Radu, the two characters at
the core of this story, is an original story and one not to be
overlooked. I am eagerly awaiting for the 2nd book to be released.
Ethan Russell (Student)
My Lady Jane - the not entirely true story by C. Hand, B. Ashton and J. Meadows
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406372021
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Lady Jane Grey was Queen of Tudor
England for only 9 days. That much is true to history. But this Jane
is a very reluctant Queen, married off to Gifford Dudley in the days
leading up to King Edward VI's 'death' in suspicious circumstances.
A collaboration of three authors, the Lady Janies, have created a
humorous alternate version of English history. In addition to
twisting events, the authors add a pinch of magic and frequently
breach the fourth wall. Jane, Edward's heir and favourite cousin, is
a scholar and intrigued rather than disappointed that her new prince
consort is unable to stop turning into a horse each night.
You see, Jane's magical England consists of Verities (regular
people) and shape-shifting people called E∂ians. Not all E∂ians
realize they possess the ability, so the inevitable nudity after
returning to human form is a hoot.
When Edward's mad sister Mary deposes Jane, she immediately decrees
the genocide of all E∂ians. In the pursuit of both love and revenge,
Edward, Jane, Gifford, Bess and their trusted servants problem-solve
their way out of some sticky situations in order to regain the
throne.
This flirtatious fantasy romp through ye olde England is an easy
read not to be dismissed. Hopefully we can look forward to a whole
series penned by the three collaborators: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton
and Jodi Meadows because as Napoleon Bonaparte once proffered, 'What
else is history but a fable agreed upon?'
Deborah Robins
Stories from Stella Street : 3 books in 1 by Elizabeth Honey
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760292256
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. This compilation contains 45 and 47
Stella Street and Everything that Happened, Fiddle-Back and The
Ballad of Cauldron Bay. Themes: Family; Adventure; Writing;
Relationships; Holidays.
This 3-in-1 Omnibus by Elizabeth Honey is an absolute delight to
read. Written in the voice of young aspiring writer, Henni Octon,
about her personal adventures with the friends and neighbours in
Stella Street, and begins with a wonderful adventure when they
uncover 'The Phonies' who have moved in to Stella Street. Henni's
friends and family are revealed with all their wonderful quirks and
personality idiosyncrasies, including her good friend - Zev, who has
'electric hair'. Henni, as the naively open writer of all three
stories, reveals a wonderful and innocent view of the world that
sees much and understands more about how connections in community
really work. The second story happens when multiple Stella Street
families combine in a 'life-changing' bush holiday and adventure.
Henni shares the story of simple and honest revelry of enjoying a
camping holiday, which is interrupted by an amazing storm, new life
and a group of unscrupulous locals who are bent on destroying the
pristine environment and the 'Fiddle-back' for their own gains. The
wonderful interactions between adults and children in the beautiful
surrounds are just glorious. And in the final story, Stella Street
adults and children go on another holiday to a wildly natural
beachside holiday house with all the excitement of freedom and the
stories that naturally flow when the children are free to explore
with minimal adult direction - and definitely no technology. Into
this normally wonderful Stella Street experience, a young and
troubled outsider arrives. This creates all sorts of personal
challenges for Henni, who celebrates her 13th birthday at the
beginning of the story. This book marks the beginning of the changes
in Henni and her understanding of herself, but it also demonstrates
to the reader the challenges and joys of growing up.
I have loved all these stories, and even though the first in the
series is now 21 years old, they have not lost any of their charm
and animated enthusiasm. Henni matures in the course of the three
books, but retains a careful naivety and maturity despite her years,
as she enjoys childhood with vitality and spirit. Elizabeth Honey as
author of the series does not patronise a child reader in this
series (Note: In Fiddle-back, a baby is delivered in the
bush, and the details are given in a child-friendly way, but without
avoiding detail . . . after all every mother has to deliver a
'playcentre'! And in The Ballad of Cauldron Bay, the local
surfies do use inappropriate language, but Henni records it with
euphemistic style.)
Highly recommended for aged 10+. Each book can cater for a slightly
older reader.
This compilation would also make a lovely gift for a holiday reading
marathon!
Carolyn Hull
Survivors by David Long
Faber and Faber, 2016. ISBN 9780571316014
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Survivors is a gorgeous
hardback book, offering a collection of survival stories. Readers
can read about known characters such as Shackleton and Mawson as
well as less known characters such as Juliane Koepcke who fell from
a plane. Each story averages 8 pages in length and because each
chapter is a stand-alone event, readers can read them in any order
and over any time frame. The stories of Mawson and Shackleton link
well to Year 4 and Year 6 Science and the story of Greg Rasmussen
surviving the Kalahari Desert is also a good link for these year
levels with the study of Africa and harsh environments. The book
would also be great for reading aloud in a classroom. Teachers could
read a story a week, investigate story sequences, created
storyboards, investigate the vocabulary and study the characters and
how they survived. The short stories are great for comparing events
and characters. The language in each chapter is descriptive and easy
to read, making this book ideal for and highly recommended for
readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster
The roadman boogie by Nikki Slade Robinson
Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781760360146
(Age: 4+) Recommended.Traffic, Workmen, Dancing, Rhyming story. This
chirpy rhyming tale tells the story of a bored Roadman, standing
with his stop-go sign in the wind and the rain at the side of a busy
road. When various cars and trucks pull past him blaring their
music, his feet begin to twitch and twiddle, moving with the beats
coming from the vehicles. From rockabilly to country ballad, boogie
woogie and Latin numbers, his feet do not stop dancing, entertaining
all the people in the cars, buses and trucks who need to stop for
the roadworks. Everyone is thrilled to watch the man dance, as they
obey the signals he is giving with his sign. But as he dances, the
rain keeps on falling, necessitating him closing the road
altogether. But not to worry, he leads all the people in the cars to
a ball, where they can all dance with him, until the road is open
again.
The full page illustrations show his amazing moves perfectly, giving
a sense of movement on each page. The exuberance is infectious, and
readers will love seeing the dancing in such an unusual place, and
be thrilled with the range of vehicles represented. Along the way
they will learn the importance of road rules and see the necessity
for a road works man with a sign.
First published by Duck Creek Press, New Zealand.
Fran Knight
The mountain who wanted to live in a house by Maurice Shadbolt
Ill. by Renee Haggo. Starfish Bay, 2016. ISBN 9781760360023
(Age: 5-7) Maurice Shadbolt's unusual tale begins with a lonely
mountain, people come to climb on it, and they watch the birds
flitting in the trees. However, no one considers that it has
feelings and desires. The mountain watches over the nearby town and
longs to be inside at night, in the warmth of a house. This is a
most unusual request and as if by magic, the mountain begins to
move, towards to the town with a rumbling, tumbling sound, over the
pine forests scaring the birds and townsfolk. As they hurry away in
their cars, one young boy bravely questions the mountain looking for
an answer to the threat. Michael listens to the mountain's story of
his loneliness and watches as snow tears fall down to make two
lakes. Thomas ponders the problem and comes up with an ingenious
solution drawing from an idea about jumpers shrinking in the wash.
Washing the mountain presents a problem and so does building a
shelter, so with the help of Michael's father an artist the perfect
solution is found. Michael shows courage, determination and
creativity in this story.
Renee Huggo's paintings use earthy tones and suggestions of human
characteristics to show the mountain alive - grey clouds for toes
and a carved rocky face. This is a curious picture book for a more
discerning reader. The Mountain who wanted to live in a house provides a
starting point in class to discuss cause and effect, to write an
alternate solution for the mountain's problem and to discuss
anthropomorphism in simple terms.
Rhyllis Bignell
Lisette's Paris notebook by Catherine Bateson
Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760293635
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Paris. Romance. Art. Fashion. When
eighteen year old Lisette hits Paris for the summer holidays before
going to uni in Melbourne, she is aware that she is doing something
her mother always dreamed of doing. Mum has arranged that she stay
with Madame Christophe, a clairvoyant she met online and Lisette
will take French lessons to improve her language skills as well as
gain an appreciation of the arts and fashion, touring art galleries
and haute couture. From the start the reader is aware of some
tension between Lisette and her mother who raised her after her
artist lover abandoned her and fled to Wales.
With misgivings Lisette goes along to French lessons in her vintage
punk and Doc Martins, only to be challenged by much she sees and
hears.
Her great-grandmother was the proud owner of a Chanel jacket and
with a seamstress mother, fashion is part of her makeup.
But she does not reckon with the men she meets and readers will
laugh out loud as I did, when Lisette consents to being a model for
one of the art students at her French class, and then has a worrying
time trying to work out what to wear to disrobe.
But try as she might, this man is not for her and accidentally
meeting an Englishman in the park, begins to fall in love.
This funny, absorbing coming of age novel, full of references to
Paris, fashion, art galleries and food will fascinate teenage girls
yearning like Lisette to try all that Paris offers.
Paris invades every page: its sights and sounds, colours, fashion,
architecture and people are the thread of the novel, making every
reader want to go and capture the essence of the city, while those
who have been will wish to return.
Lisette has some real choices to make, but is always aware of her
return ticket to Australia and the looming departure date. Finding
that her dead father left her money, allows her to make a decision
that had been impossible and in ringing his widow, finds common
ground with the woman she has never met. Middle secondary girls will
love Lisette, seeing Paris through her eyes, looking at her options
as she becomes more involved with Hugo who must return to England.
Bateson has again produced a wonderfully entertaining story of a
young girl in an unfamiliar situation, potent with choices,
impelling the readers to ponder what choice they would make.
Lisette is surrounded by beautifully written characters that will
endear the reader to Lisette and her friends. Hugo is an enigma but
adorable, Madam Christophe magnificent with her tarot cards and
scarves, Fabienne stunning with her stilettos, Anders and Gabi ooze
early warning signals, while the girls Lisette meets give her
courage. All of her experiences encourage her to take her own path,
to find her own way, to be herself. And she does.
Fran Knight
Girl detached by Manuela Salvi
Barrington Stoke, 2016. ISBN 9781911370024
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Sexual content. Fiction. Romance.
Tragedy. Teenage. The book, Girl detached, falls under the
umbrella of romance and tragedy. Aleksandra (Alek) is a teenage girl
with a bad stutter. Living under the roof of her grandmother after
her mother abandoned her at a young age, Alek became a victim of her
Grandmother's strict discipline and protection in order to avoid
making the mistakes her mother made. The book details her story
after her grandmother's sudden death, when Alek is forced to move
yet again, back to where her life started. Living with her mother,
stepfather and half-brother, she struggles to find ground in her
new 'home'.
Although this book employs some very overused themes such as
romance and tragedy, it also stands out on its own. The author's
brave actions bring light to very real and serious themes that exist
for the target audience and is nothing short of commendable.
Although the book is difficult to get into and consists of raw
content, it becomes easier to read throughout the duration of the
book. The writing style is concise and vivid, allowing the reader to
become easily drawn into the reality of each scene. As a result of
this, the themes and the unfolding story resonate on a deeper level.
The book is a cautionary tale for members of the 'love is blind'
club. The morally questionable and often wrongfully considered
actions of the characters, highlights what happens as a result of
certain privileges being granted to young adults.
Overall, the raw components and educational value of the book is
what won it for me. The consistent character development and the
brutal ending also tied this book up perfectly.
Ethan Russell (Student)
The complete adventures of Figaro and Rumba by Anna Fienberg
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Allen & Unwin, 2017. ISBN
9781760292997
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Early chapter book. Humour. Friendship.
Adventure. With two Figaro and Rumba stories in one book, newly
independent readers will thrill to the adventures of these two
friends.
In the first story, 'Figaro and Rumba and the crocodile cafe',
good friends Figaro the dog and Rumba the cat plan to catch the Very
Fast Train to the beach. But their friend, Rat, has lost his friend,
Nate, and so an adventure begins.
King's wry illustrations set the scene perfectly, adding a level of
humour and anticipation which readers will adore.
This six chapter book will enthrall and delight as they read of this
wonderful pair of characters and their friends. Chapter four sees
them on the train at long last, but in the carriage of a very shady
character, a crocodile. With his easy charm and wonderful waistcoat,
he invites them to his cafe, redolent of Cuba where Rumba was born.
Figaro, with some suspicion of the crocodile decides not to stay,
but goes off to explore. He finds cats locked in a small shed and
ringing the police, learns that the crocodile is a cat-napper, ready
to add Rumba to his captives.
A lovely story, neatly resolved, it is full of things to take note
of: invitations from strangers, friendship, holidays with friends on
a train, learning to swim and taking risks for a friend while
learning a little about Cuba and the Spanish language. But the main
thing is the story of friends helping each other, and along with the
lively illustrations, will be sought after.
The second story, 'Figaro and Rumba and the cool cats' sees
Figaro singing along with the Cool Cats at their rehearsal. The cats
are those rescued from the crocodile's cages in the first of the two
stories. The lead singer cannot cope with Fig's howling and barking,
even if he does so very quietly. Rolando the cleaner, a small sloth
also found in the cage, listens halfheartedly to Fig's complaints.
But another friend has the keys to the singers' Catmobile, and with
Fig convinced he has seen a monster in the car, they go off on
another adventure.
Both stories have a wide appeal to readers newly attempting chapter
books for themselves and with stories like these, will be most
satisfied.
Fran Knight
