Ill. by Sabine Dully. Starfish Bay, 2016. ISBN 9781760360139
(Age: 3-7) Recommended. Gregor, the little green monster has all the
right attributes, he loves to shout ear-splittingly loud, he is also
horrendously strong, and frighteningly fast. Unfortunately, one day
a nasty thought enters his mind and he ponders the question 'Am I
handsome?' He seeks reassurance from his loving family, his old
neighbor and his best friend and each one focuses on a special part
of his character and gives a supportive response.
Mommy loves his handsome squint, Daddy loves his stinkiest,
cheesiest feet and even his little brother loves his 'fattest,
flabbiest, softest, squashiest, wibbly-wobbliest tummy!' Each one
then gives him a kiss, a hug, a cuddle or a pinch on the cheek and
Gregor's spirits are lifted with each encouragement.
Eva Dax's text is rich with descriptive phrases; she builds on each
response with more and more colourful responses, using fun words
that will amuse the youngster sharing this story. With phrases like
'bumpiest, muckiest, yuckiest' these are just right for reading
aloud to a young audience. Eva Dax brings out the many facets of
Gregor's character; each scene has fun detailed backgrounds and each
of the family and friends are caring and loving monsters. The
close-up of his rotten, crooked, yellow teeth with little monsters
peeking out of the cavities, a dangling spider and a worm wrapped
around one tooth is humorous. You are oh so horribly handsome, is an excellent picture book
for Health and Wellbeing, for lessons on family relationships,
self-esteem and valuing each other's differences and abilities. For
English, this is a fun way to introduce descriptive writing and
adjectival phrases.
Rhyllis Bignell
Signal loss by Garry Disher
Hal Challis series. Text Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925355260
(Age: secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
Victoria. When a bushfire erupts over Mornington Peninsula a burnt
out Mercedes is found with two charred bodies, and the remains of a
rifle. DNA is the only way to identify them and this leads Challis
to Sydney. Just why two professional hit men are sent to his patch
is a major cause for concern. Investigating this coincides with the
disappearance of a known meth user and dealer, and interviewing his
partner they find that her daughter is missing, collateral for a
drug debt. But it is schoolies week and with a serial rapist on the
move, Ellen Destry leading the sex crimes unit has her work cut out
for her. The manager of the local surf shop has been raped by this
person the previous year and it is one of Ellen's officers who is
able to use her skills to perfection.
Drug dealers, no mobile coverage, professional killers from Sydney,
local businessmen using the sadness of meth users to feather their
own nests, and a bushfire are beautifully crafted to come together
at the end, the reader all the while entranced and wondering how the
crimes are linked. And combined with a new drugs unit being imposed
upon the station, friction between investigating groups is bound to
have ramifications. Destry has her own problem with her sister and
her new man, one who she can see is simply out to fleece her.
Readers of this excellent series will know and love Inspector Hal
Challis and his interaction with lover, Ellen Destry forms a neat
romantic interest but when their boss finds out about their
relationship this could jeopardise both their jobs.
The background of the story is amazingly real, described in rich
detail: the farms and small towns, huge sheds with lots to hide,
moneyed properties owned by weekenders from the city, cheaply built
forests of satellite suburbs, the wealthiest and the strugglers are
all here, making this a read that gets under your skin. Disher
handles the theme of ice and its impact upon small rural communities
with fascinating insight, one which will inform and sadden all of
his readers, but cheer as Hallis and co are able to stamp out a
small part of the syndicate causing chaos for those least able to
cope.
Fran Knight
Alice Springs: From singing wire to iconic outback town by Stuart Traynor
Wakefield Press, 2016. ISBN 9781743054499
(Age: Secondary) Recommended. Stuart Traynor spent 8 years
researching the history of central Australia for this book, and it
shows in the meticulous detailed recording of the lives spent in the
outback - from the explorers who tried to find a path through the
middle of Australia, to the linesmen who worked against the clock to
string a telegraph wire from Adelaide to Darwin, to the men, women
and children who carved out a life on that lonely frontier, not to
mention the Arrernte Aboriginal people whose lives were changed
forever. Traynor presents an impartial account that draws on
historical records to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of
interconnecting lives. He tells of the brutality and the massacres
within the context of the prevailing mindset of the time. Other
writers, e.g. Nettelbeck and Foster (2007) in their book In
the name of the law, have delved deeper to reveal a
darker heart of Australia, but while Traynor describes the trial of
William Willshire for the murder of Aboriginal men, it is but one
incident in the wider picture of the good men and bad who all
struggled to make a life in very demanding circumstances. However
his account of the stolen generation housed, if you can call it
that, in the appalling conditions of the 'Bungalow Half-caste
Institution' is not glossed over in any way and the story of the
desperate plea of the 16 year-old girl 'longing to have someone to
help her' escape the sexual demands of the Superintendent is
particularly poignant. In his postscript 'An iconic town' Traynor
writes that he hopes that we can learn from our past and weave
together 'a new life-giving culture' that can be shared by all.
The book is supplemented by a collection of historical photographs,
a detailed timeline 1860-1960, reference notes for each chapter, and
a bibliography and index. There are some maps at the beginning of
the book, showing the path of the submarine cable from England to
Australia, and the main towns on the cable line from Darwin to
Adelaide - my only quibble would be to wish for a more detailed map
showing the many smaller places described in the book. However the
book as a whole is an amazing feat of research and would be an
excellent reference for students studying this era in Australian
history.
Helen Eddy
The 12th dog by Charlotte Calder
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734416926
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Dogs. Animals. Pets. Cricket.
Friendship. Family. Arlo the dog simply adores cricket. He can't
bowl or bat but he excels in the field. He is the fastest in the
field to get to the ball, keeping his eye fixed firmly on the ball
as it leaves the bat. But on leaping into the air and catching the
ball, he does not bring it back, he takes it away with him. No
matter how hard the backyard team asks him for the ball, he simply
does not give it up. So he is sent back to the pavilion until tea.
He desperately wants to play, even fancying himself as a wicket
keeper. One day Holly hits the ball off the middle of the bat. Up
into the air it soars, over the heads of all the fielders form the
street: Cooper, Yasmin and Max. Suddenly Arlo is there and catches
the ball. He runs through mid-wicket, then silly mid-on and finally
into the wickets, spilling the stumps and bails. All is tense
waiting for the umpire to declare Holly out. Arlo has saved the day
and finally done something with the ball that everyone approves of.
After that the teams are happy for Arlo to join them - most of the
time!
This is a happy joyous picture book about life in the backyard as
the kids in the street play cricket together. Jellett's lively
pictures capture the drama of the day's play, the everyday things in
the backyard used as their cricket pitch, the mix of children from
around the street, and their efforts in playing the game even with
the help of Arlo. All the while Dad is up the ladder cleaning the
gutters and keeping an umpire's look at the proceedings.
For kids new to the game of cricket many words used in the game are
there to be questioned, without being overwhelming. The fun of the
backyard game is infectious and I am sure many young readers will
want to try it out for themselves.
And many readers with a pet dog will instantly recognise the harvest
of balls in various states of disrepair shown on the endpapers.
Fran Knight
Diary of a Minecraft zombie series by Zack Zombie
Scholastic, 2016. A scare of a dare. ISBN 9781943330140 Bullies and buddies. ISBN 9781943330140
(Age: 7-9) Another fan fiction series recorded in the ever-popular
diary style format made famous by Jeff Kinney's Wimpy kid.
These books are simplistic, easy to read without a depth of plot and
character development, junior chapter books for the gaming
enthusiast. Twelve-year-old Zack a Minecraft zombie has penned A
scare of a dare. He loves scaring people in the village, using
lessons taught at Scare School. Zack experiences a range of
unfortunate incidents, and on Thursday he stays home from school
after losing a body part - his legs. Passing notes in class, the
problems of zombie kissing - no lips, and camping at Swamp Biome are
events recorded in Zack's diary. This book includes pixelated
characters and scenes from the Minecraft game.
Bullies and buddies is the second junior novel in the Diary
of a Minecraft zombie series. At a disastrous party at Steve's
place, Jack Zombie and his friends Skelee, Creepy and Slimey are
attacked by the villagers. Steve is sorry for his friends' injuries
so he lends Zack a special video game all about plants and zombies.
Zack invites his schoolmates and friends over for a special evening
of game playing and cake. Twentyfive kids are truly horrified as
plants eat zombies, are run over by lawnmowers or blown to pieces.
Zack's home life is interesting: he wants to be infested by lice
like his annoying little brother, his basement is filled with spare
zombie parts and pimples are an important facial feature. At school,
Mutant the bully is threatening the other kids: he teams up with
Mike Magna and targets Zack at dodgeball. How to stand up to bullies
is a common theme in this story; Zack searches for the answers from
his parents and teacher. The journey for Zack involves mutant
rabbits, a visit to the Nuclear Waste Plant where his parents work
and wise advice from Old Mr Jenkins. Jack Zombie learns to resolve
his issues and gain a new friend. This second story has more
narrative, the characters have developed and there is a message
included.
The Diary of a Minecraft zombie series is suited to an
emergent reader, a Minecraft fan who enjoys stories written about
the familiar gaming characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
Piggy by Trevor Lai
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681190655
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Friendship. Reading. Loneliness. A little pig
called Piggy simply loves to read. He reads day and night in his
library, and his favourite book is about two friends. But one day he
realises that he is down to his last book. He takes a toy from his
storeroom to play with but notices a cat on the swing reading a
book. Just what he needs - a friend. He decides that he will need to
attract her attention and does various rather spectacular things to
do so, but to no avail, she is still reading. He then decides that
the best way is to offer her one of his books, and this, after
getting over a little hiccup, proves to be successful.
This charming tale of friendship will have broad appeal to younger
readers. They will love the things Piggy does to get Kate's
attention, and the resolution will ensure that friendship for them
includes reading. The illustrations of Piggy are entrancing, and the
large glasses and the small hiccup with Kate's vision will endear
readers for whom sight is less than perfect. And this may encourage
discussion about sight and vision, large print books and glasses in
the classroom.
Fran Knight
Night lights by Lorena Alvarez
Nobrow, 2016. ISBN 9781910620137
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Picture book for older readers. Night
lights is a beautifully illustrated story, touching on how
fear can make us doubt ourselves. At night, Sandy's imagination
allows her to catch the lights that come into her room. She then
uses them and her imagination to draw amazing designs and images.
During the day, Sandy attends a strict school, determined to squash
independent thought and creativity. She meets a new student who
loves her drawings and at the same time an entity appears in her
dreams, trying to persuade Sandy to draw for it and only it; trying
to persuade Sandy she cannot draw without it. Sandy's drawings
change from amazing and detailed to scribble. What will she do to
get her confidence and her creativity back? Is this new student
really helping or is there something more sinister at work? Night lights is a picture book for older students and is
recommended for readers aged 12+. Even then, readers will need an
adult to sit with them and discuss the themes of fear and personal
insecurity. It would be a great book to read with students who need
help to build resilience, modelling how one person can take control
of their fear and use it to their benefit rather than being
controlled. While these themes seem heavy for a children's book,
Lorena Alvarez has used her amazing design and artistic skills to
approach a topic that can be tricky to discuss. See how Sandy
doesn't let fear control her. See how she controls it!
Kylie Kempster
The secret cooking club by Laurel Remington
Chicken House, 2016. ISBN 9781910655245
(Age: 9+) Recommended. The secret cooking club is a
delicious story, filled with family, food and friends.
Twelve-year-old Scarlett's life is a mess, her mother is a blogger
who writes about the ups-and-downs of family life. These blogs are
humiliating for Scarlett, as the whole school knows about her Disney
Princess knickers, her friendship dramas and her failure at learning
the violin. Mum is so engrossed in the notoriety of becoming a
famous blogger and gaining sponsors that she fails to parent her
daughters, and Scarlett is forced to look after young Kelsie.
One night as Scarlett is lying in bed she hears a noise in the empty
house next door and goes to investigate. Her elderly neighbour Mrs.
Simpson has been hospitalised and no one should be home. Scarlett
discovers a very hungry cat and the most amazing chef's kitchen
filled with appliances, bags of flour, jars of spices and all kinds
of sugars, a fridge filled with delicious ingredients, utensils and
a little magic recipe book. When Scarlett decides to bake cinnamon
scones, her life begins to transform. With the help of a new
classmate Violet, they cook up an amazing array of tasty treats each
afternoon. These are sneakily placed in the school cafeteria for the
other students to enjoy. The secret cooking club explores the problems a preteen
faces, first crushes, friendships, enemies, bullying, as well as the
responsibility of caring for the elderly. It is a light and
humourous story with a relatable protagonist and a family that
transforms over time. Laurel Remington won the Times Children's
Fiction Competition in 2015 with this book; recipes for all of
Scarlett's baking are needed!
Rhyllis Bignell
The roadman boogie by Nikki Slade Robinson
Starfish Bay, 2016. ISBN 9781760360146
(Age: 3-5) New Zealand author-illustrator Nikki Slade Robinson brings
a true story to life in The Roadman boogie. The Roadman
controls the traffic with his large stop sign as the digger fills
the truck at the side of the highway. He is sneezing, shivering,
cold and soggy as he stops the cars and trucks during a heavy
downpour. When a crowded car stops, his feet begin to twitch in time
with the rockabilly music blaring from the radio. Each time a car
stops for the Roadman, he can't help dancing in time to the music.
There is a country ballad, a bouncing boogie-woogie, a Latin rumba,
even a saucy salsa; he's certainly got the moves. He twirls and
turns, controlling the traffic, so caught up in the moves he doesn't
notice the water rising. With the cones out across the road, all the
cars and trucks stop in time for the Roadman's Boogie Ball.
The rhythm of Robinson's rhyming text and the fun alliteration make
this a great story to share with an audience of preschoolers. Listen
to some different types of music mentioned and have the children
move to the beat. The grey textured backgrounds sweep across page
after page, evoking the rainy conditions.
Rhyllis Bignell
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Ill. by Marie Lu. The Illuminae Files bk. 2. Allen &
Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266573
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Science fiction. Futuristic space
travel. Mystery. Adventure. I was initially reluctant to read this
book for review because it contains some features that are not
normally high on my favourites list - science fiction based in
futuristic intergalactic scenarios and narrrative threads revealed
through 'Text Speak'. My nephew had recommended the first book in
the series, so I was prepared to persist and after overcoming my
initial reluctance, I was swept along in the unusual but compelling
story. The story is revealed through a variety of documents, text
records, journal entries, briefing notes, and transcripts from video
feeds that have been presented in a hearing to uncover truths
surrounding a major event occurring on board a space station from
the 26th century. We are introduced to several young teens who play
pivotal roles in overcoming an elite Strike Team who are duty-bound
to wipe them out of existence. The threat of being sucked into space
wormholes, losing contact with external rescue options, being
attacked by creatures beyond description (that are farmed to produce
hallucinogenic drugs), using multifaceted communications systems,
and being highly trained in physical combat strategies all are woven
together in an action-filled mystery drama. The intricacies of the
25th century world do make this a book to recommend to able readers
who can handle the complexities of concepts that astrophysicists
might understand (but if like me physics was not your favourite
subject, then you can also read this in the same way that you might
read fantasy, where the outlandish worlds require leaps of faith).
Interlaced amongst the science fiction drama is also a teen drama,
with romance and relationship intricacies as a side issue, and the
voice of the teens is humourous and spirited and their behaviour is
feisty and they display amazing intelligence as well as combat
skills. I imagine that this book will reach cult appreciation status
among young teen readers. It is extremely cleverly written, and with
visual and artistic renderings of some of the information, it is a
multilayered narrative that is innovative and fresh. And even for a
resistant reader, it was captivating!
Note: the book has all coarse language 'blacked out' - literally.
This does not mean that you cannot determine what the missing words
might be, but the reader is saved the offence of the words leaping
off the page and attacking sensibilities. [There are still some
aspects which could offend - e.g. an earworm virus that plays an
offensive 'pop song' repeatedly on the space station is very
suggestive, not unlike some popular songs in the 21st century!
Carolyn Hull
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
David Fickling Books, 2015. ISBN 9781910989203
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Dystopian fiction, Future, Mythology,
Survival. Crippled Nessa must make more effort than most if she is
to survive the school and learn to beat The Call. It will happen as
it does to all of them, only one in ten surviving the appalling
treatment at the hands of the Sidhe, the ancient Irish, forced out
of their own country by the people there now. Once taken, the
children must undergo the most horrific of torture as they are
hounded by the fairies, most until death. At school, they are
trained to survive what is to come, partly by reading the stories of
the few survivors, but also trained in a variety of skills pertinent
to their testing. Nessa arrives at training school with just three
books: a History of the Sidhe, a, compilation of last year's
testimonies from those who were taken and a book of love poetry.
But at school she must also repulse the devious behaviour of a group
of bullies, led by Conor. The story unfolds quickly pulling the
reader into its murky depths. Conor's group sees themselves as
champions of a new order where only the fittest survive, food denied
to those weak and disabled in the hope that the stronger will be
able to defeat the Sidhe and Conor targets Nessa as one of those to
be eliminated.
Alternate chapters give accounts of the fantastic world of the Sidhe
and the reader is swept along with the teens' efforts to survive the
ordeal. The horror they endure at the hands of the Sidhe are mind
boggling and these chapters are thankfully short.
But when a Sidhe is found in a rock near the school, the mound
attracts Nessa and her friends, and here many are taken even fewer
returning.
The Sidhe have made promises to some of the Irish in return for
their betrayal and Conor promises much in return for being king as
long as he can kill Nessa himself. The school burns down just as
Nessa is called.
This wholly absorbing thriller has elements of a dystopian future,
intertwined with the myths of Ancient Ireland. Now relegated to the
Grey Lands, the Sidhe determines to wipe out the Irish so they can
reclaim what they once had. But they have not taken Nessa into
account. Themes of survival, heroism, betrayal and love packed
between the covers of this wonderful fantasy thriller will satisfy
all readers.
Fran Knight
Ellyse Perry series by Sherryl Clark
Random House Australia, 2016. Pocket rocket. ISBN 9780143781240 Magic feet. ISBN 9780143781264
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. High school, Sports, Self image. This
series of books (and there are two more due in January 2017) follows
Ellyse Perry as she begins high school. Small for her age, she is
surprised when the teacher judges her by appearance, but she is
determined and persistent, catching the eye of the captain of the
school eleven, doing well at Saturday competition and being noticed
by a selector.
Women's role in sport is at the heart of these stories, showing
Ellyse navigate her way around the many obstacles placed in the way
of elite sportswomen.
Ellyse Perry, champion all round cricketer and soccer player is
shown as a sportsperson willing to take advice and practice what she
preaches. She is full of grit and determination, observant as well
as being a team player.
This second book in the series, Magic feet, focuses on
Ellyse's soccer abilities, and her attempt to get into the school
soccer team, full of boys. One of them is a bully and takes delight
in putting down girls, but Ellyse sticks to her aim, overcoming the
insults doled out. A good series for mid to upper primary school
girls, showing strong women overcoming hurdles to get where they
want to be.
Fran Knight
Nathalia Buttface and the embarrassing camp catastrophe by Nigel Smith
Ill. by Sarah Horne. Nathalia Buttface series bk. 5.
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008167127
(Age: 9-11) Recommended. Nathalia Bumole (Bew-mow-lay) or Nat
Buttface to her fans is ready for a new 'cringe-tastic' adventure,
an eco-camp experience with her 8H classmates. At Assembly the Head
announces that snotty, grotty Darius Bagley's satirical essay has
won a special prize, and Nat is very indignant because she was the
real author. While Darius was completing all of her maths tests, she
had written all of his essays. The prize is a week stay at a 'super
damp, super bug-ridden, super grotty' back to nature camp.
Unfortunately, another class is joining Nat's group; students from
posh Saint Scrofula's College are also attending.
To make matters even worse, Nat's disaster-prone Dad comes along as
a parent helper. He has finally applied for a proper job, teaching
survival skills to juvenile delinquents and needs to pass his
Approved for Kids certificate.
Of course, the fun and misadventures starts on arrival, their
sleeping accommodation is in disgusting mouldy goatskin yurts while
essay winner Darius has a luxury chalet. Poor Nat - Dad is up to
usual embarrassing ways, dreadful jokes, ukulele playing, his green
man of the woods outfit, pearls of wisdom and unhelpful suggestions.
Her camp experiences are just disastrous, her sleeping bag becomes
stuck to a giant weather balloon and she flies off only to land in a
tree. She did not set out to destroy Saint Scrofula's geography
project.
Sarah Horne's humorous ink sketches show Nat at her worst, stuck
inside the model volcano as it explodes and one of the funniest
episodes, horseback riding backwards on a large grumpy pony.
Author Nigel Smith's Nathalia Buttface series delivers a
quirky cast of characters, a ton of humourous situations, plenty of
embarrassing daily dramas and a surprise conclusion; this is a fun
novel to share with a middle primary class.
Rhyllis Bignell
Zombified! Outbreak by C.M. Gray
Zombified series bk. 3. ABC Books, 2016. ISBN 9780733334238
(Age: 7-9) C. M. Grey's Zombified is a funny and slightly
spooky series featuring young Benjamin Roy half-zombie who has
learnt to manage his special skills - infra-red vision and super
strength. At home, his annoying brother Michael is obsessed by the
computer game Princess Sparkle and her Magic Glitter, and he even
collects the figurines and leaves trails of glitter around the
house. When Michael is captured on the last day of school, Ben and
his best friend Sophie set out to investigate.
Mr. Knight, Sophie's dad, is a mysterious person whose office is in
a big old bus parked in their yard. When Ben opens his school
locker, he is greeted by a shower of glitter and a note from
Michael, payback for Ben's trick with the princess figurines at
home. The mystery begins when Ben notices the track of glitter
leading away from the classrooms.
Creepy teacher Mr Slender sneaks through the school pouncing on
students who are not in class. He hunts down and finds Ben and
Sophie as they search for Michael. Just as he is sending them off to
detention, an unlikely pair comes to their assistance, old Mr Bill
the headmaster and Nurse Nellie. Ben and Sophie's punishment is
cleaning up the sickbay.
There is an escape, a twist in the tale, who can Ben and Sophie
really trust? This is closely followed by an imprisonment where
Ben's super strength comes in handy and a very tricky situation in
which Sophie drives a bus. C.M. Grey's lively pen and ink sketches
capture the exciting situations, quirky characters and swift action.
Ben is a likeable half-zombie and his loyalty to his friend Sophie
makes this an enjoyable story for readers from 7-9 years.
Rhyllis Bignell
Doug the pug - king of the internet by Leslie Mosier
Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9780752266039
(Age: 0+) You don't see many A5 coffee table books, but then pugs
are small dogs. Predictably, Doug the pop culture icon, is
anthropomorphized by being photographed in a variety of costumes.
A body of research exists which attempts to explain the cute animal
or child effect. One study found that viewing cute photos improved
concentration in addition to inducing warm and fuzzy feelings. Brain
imaging proves that our brains release dopamine when viewing such
images. But why pugs? The emotionally needy pug epitomizes Conrad
Lorenz's 'baby schema' (infantile features) with their small noses,
chubby faces, large eyes and fleshy bodies. It doesn't take a degree
in consumer psychology to realize that Doug and myriads of cute
animals and babies are amongst the most shared images on social
media.
For centuries, frivolous pugs have been a costly and popular fashion
statement raising the status of the owner. Undoubtedly, more than
one 20th Century fluency can be demonstrated by the Doug the Pug
phenomenon, but Doug is probably best viewed and discussed in his
natural habitat online rather than on paper.
Deborah Robins
