Ruby Redfort series bk. 6. Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN
9780007334285
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Blink and you die is the final
amazing book in Lauren Child's Ruby Redfort's crime-fighting spy
series. With ruthless enemies, near impossible situations to
overcome, ruthless archenemies, surprising revelations, double
crossing dramas and of course, tricky codes and ciphers this is a
fabulous finale for Ruby.
Thirteen-year-old Ruby carefully records the minutiae of her life,
daily discoveries, encounters with evil fiends, school dramas,
everything she encounters in notebooks hidden in her bedroom. She
lives by her own set of rules recorded in a special rule book, wears
t-shirts with slogans and is a truly independent teenager. On her
return from a safe month away at a Gifted Camp for mathematical
geniuses, Ruby quickly becomes embroiled in a tense set of
circumstances assisted by Mrs. Digby the housekeeper, Hitch and her
best friend Clancy.
The tapestry of threads is tightly woven; there is a mission to find
rare mushrooms, poisonous snakes, underwater dangers, UFOs, truly
evil villains and an escape from being buried alive. Luckily, Ruby's
parents are on holiday in France, and this allows this feisty
teenager free reign to visit bookshops, travel by bus to nearby
towns and wake up at 4 a.m. to continue training as a Spectrum
agent. Her hyper-speed booster book assists her in staying ahead of
dangerous situations. Ruby balances her life, she meets her friends
at cafes, attends school, keeps up with her maths homework and
watches horror movies on Channel 44.
Lauren Child's characters are well-rounded, and even the villains
have depth to their personalities. This is a fast-paced narrative
that switches from past to present and provides back-stories that
underpin the current fight of good and evil. This is a wonderful
conclusion to an extremely popular series.
Rhyllis Bignell
Fancy Nancy: Saturday Night Sleepover by Jane O'Connor
Ill. by Robin Preiss Glasser. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN
9780007560912
Fancy Nancy's mum has won a weekend at a resort , and sadly for
Nancy, children are not included. So she and little sister JoJo are
going to have a sleepover at Mrs DeVine's. Even though both girls
love Mrs DeVine, this is Jo Jo's first sleepover and she is a little
nervous. Being a good big sister, Nancy is determined to help JoJo
overcome her nerves and help her through this experience, rehearsing
it, making her a survival kit and showing her the photo album of the
sleepover she had recently. Mrs DeVine is also an expert at
sleepovers and has much fun planned and in the end, it isn't JoJo
who has trouble going to sleep.
This is a series that will appeal to younger readers, particularly
those who are big sisters. Lavishly illustrated including a
sparkling, glittery cover, it has all the things that little girls
love as they take early steps into reading series and learning to
carry characters through a number of stories. She has her own website
and even her own YouTube channel
where all the stories are read.
Barbara Braxton
The crayons' book of numbers by Drew Daywalt
Ill. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008212865
In 2013 Daywalt and Jeffers introduced us to a most unlikely set of
heroes, or at least a set that they probably didn't realise would
become so popular they would become a series. But that is what has
happened to Duncan's seemingly innocuous packet of crayons. From the
day they refused to be stereotyped any longer in The Day the
Crayons Quit to their second adventure when they came home
even crankier than ever in The Day the
Crayons Came Home their stories and individuality have
delighted young readers. Now they are the stars of a number of board
books for the very youngest readers beginning with getting
them to count them as they find them. Typically though, each crayon
does not come quietly - there's a comment from each one of them as
they are discovered.
This is a lovely book for a parent-child exploration helping the
littlest one learn numbers and colours at the same time and just
delight in the joy of these clever, quirky characters. Why can't
dinosaurs be pink? Why are red and blue so tired and worn out? What
else could green do apart from colour in crocodiles? Lots to chat
about and speculate on.
Barbara Braxton
Star Wars Galactic Atlas by Tim McDonagh
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN 9781405279987
While Star Wars: The Original Trilogy: A Graphic Novel told
the story of the original three Star Wars movies, this magnificent
tome is for the aficionado who want to know more and understand
more.
In full colour and measuring 37cm x 27cm, huge double-page spreads
cover everything from Endor and Naboo to Tatooine and Yavin 4, at
the same time spanning the epic stories, the strange creatures and
the glorious vistas of the galaxy of long ago and far, far away. It
contains everything a fan wants to know about the worlds and
creatures of the Star Wars universe. Facts about planets and
characters are woven into complex, brand-new illustrations that will
keep them busy for hours.
Your Star Wars fans will love this. There is a trailer.
Barbara Braxton
Star Wars: The original trilogy: A graphic novel
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN 9781760128180
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away - well it was actually 1977
and the world was very different then - George Lucas released the
first of his Star Wars movies and such was its impact that
almost 40 years on those who saw it then are still fans and every
day it gathers a new cohort, young and not-so-young. Such was the
success of the original, plans for more were made and in 1980 it was
followed by The Empire Strikes Back and in 1983, The
Return of the Jedi.
Since then there have been prequels and sequels and a massive
merchandising franchise that it holds the Guinness World Records
title for the "most successful film merchandising franchise. With
the 40th anniversary clearly in sight this is only going to grow and
so the release of a graphic novel - the preferred book format of so
many - is sure to build a whole new legion of fans.
Containing the three original films, now dubbed Episodes IV, V and
VI this release will appeal to those who are already devotees (so
many of my family and friends have asked for the review copies) as
well as gather new ones. For those in school libraries it will add
another dimension to your Star Wars collections of both
fiction and fact which never seem to stay on the shelf and always
have a long reserve list, in my experience. Now the core of the
phenomenon is accessible to even the most reluctant reader or new
English speaker in print format and that alone, makes it a
must-have.
Barbara Braxton
Starchaser by Angie Sage
The magykal world of TodHunter Moon series, bk. 3.
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408882009
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Angie Sage concludes her fantasy adventure
series in Starchaser, with a huge cast of characters,
multiple story threads and chapters focussed on different places,
mysterious happenings and people in the Ancient Ways. She has
created an intense 'magykal' world, with its unique language,
detailed settings, spells and potions and a strong young female
protagonist. The fight of good over evil continues with malevolent
villains pitted against the family and friends of Alice TodHunter
Moon.
When Septimus Heap's brother Simon's lapis lazuli eye begins to
crumble, this is a sign that change is coming to the kingdom.
Magician Septimus Heap, Tod, Ferdie, and Oskar had previously
returned to The Castle with the Orm, a dragon-like creature that
creates the lapis that powers the Magyk. However, Oraton-Marr the
sorcerer steals the Orm egg keystone to the Heart of Ways and
hatches it, with devastating consequences. Tod and her friends are
sent on a dangerous quest to find another ormlet egg, pitting their
skills against the evil Red Queen who also wants to take over their
castle. The witch Marissa and even Aunt Mitza are wicked adversaries
with malicious intentions to stop Tod's mission.
Sage's narrative is filled with delicious descriptions of food and
feasts, village life, treacherous blizzards, wild parties and
last-minute escapes. There is a sense of crowdedness at times, with
the large cast of characters all needing to be heard. The
protagonist Tod shows strength of character - she is determined,
resilient, courageous, true, and loyal to her family. Starchaser
is definitely an engaging read, The magykal world of TodHunter
Moon series ends here, leaving fans wanting more.
Rhyllis Bignell
The day the mustache took over by Alan Katz
Ill. by Kris Easler. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781681191485
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Humour. Childminding. Nathan and
David are twins. Terrible twins! So terrible that they have made
life impossible for hundreds of Nannies over the years. Their
constant bickering and competitiveness, plus their messy behaviour
and lack of attention to school work and other common courtesies,
mean they are very difficult to deal with until their parents find
Martin Healey Discount - a moustachioed Male Nanny (Manny), of
dubious background and the last on the list of possible
replacements. Within a very short space of time the boys are
transformed, but bizarrely the boys become responsible despite the
irresponsible behaviour of the Nanny.
This is a warped 'Mary Poppins' story, with warped characters, and
lots of doubtful humour that might entertain a young reader. It is
not great literature, but it is just a simply silly tale, with
ridiculous mo-ments (Mustache joke!!) No great cerebral work is
required to understand the nonsense, but the comical moments are
just ridiculous rather than cleverly amusing. Consequently it will
still appeal to young readers who like an occasional chuckle as they
read.
Carolyn Hull
The dry by Jane Harper
Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781743548059
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Crime, Australian rural life,
Drought. Driving to Kiewarra a small town some five hundred
kilometers from Melbourne, Aaron Falk argues with himself about why
he is going to his friend's funeral. A message from Luke's father
tells him that he is aware that he and Luke lied about their
whereabouts on the day that Ellie's body was found twenty years ago,
and he wants to see him. Aaron, now a forensic police officer, was
appalled to hear that Luke had shot and killed his wife and son,
then turned the gun on himself. But Luke's family does not believe
it and pressures Aaron into staying on to check out the truth.
In this hot, oppressive town, Aaron is someone many people do not
want to see. He and his father were hounded from the town after
Ellie's death, people deciding that he was the murderer, while Luke
stayed on, staring down the gossip.
The drought is obvious: crops just stubble in the fields, the river
where Luke and Aaron played, a trail of dust deep in the earth,
shops closed in the main street, dilapidated and unkempt farmhouses
while the townspeople reflect the hostility of their surroundings.
The only life is at the pub, but here the malice directed towards
Aaron makes him question why he is here. But Raco, the local
policeman shares his misgivings about the murder/suicide story with
Aaron, strengthening his belief that he should stay.
Winner of the 2015 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an
Unpublished Manuscript, this debut novel is an absolute must read.
The claustrophobic Australian rural landscape is drawn impeccably,
its downturn obvious to all, the hope of selling out to an Asian
firm the one thing that keeps some going. The heat, dust and gossip
invade every page, enlisting the reader's sympathy with the few who
believe Aaron.
As in Wake in fright (Kenneth Cook, 1961) the misery of the
town is a shock to the outsider as he becomes drawn into its
secrets. Violence simmers beneath the surface as Aaron's forensic
search through the farm's finances come to a head as he finds that
someone has also been checking them. I hope we see more of Aaron
Falk.
Fran Knight
Illuminature by Rachel Williams
Ill. by Carnovsky. Wide-Eyed, 2016. ISBN 9781847808868
"Nature never stops. With every tick of the clock, an animal
wakes up and
goes in search of food. The sky might be dark when the creature
first stirs;
night-time is ruled by the nocturnal animals. During the light
of day
diurnal animals like to hunt. And as the world welcomes dawn,
or bids
farewell to the day at dusk, crepuscular creatures appear."
And in this most amazing book the reader gets to discover what's out
and
about at the various times of the planet's rotation. Firstly
you select a
destination from amongst ten different habitats which include such
diversity
as the Simpson Desert, the Weddell and Ross Seas of Antarctica, the
rainforest of the Congo, the Andes Mountains, even the Ganges River
basin.
From the observation deck what appears to be a jumble of colour
slowly
exposes itself as the outlines of a number of creatures, but when
you then
use the special multi-coloured lens which is supplied, and peer
through the
different colours a whole new world emerges! The red lens exposes
the
daytime creatures, the blue lens those who prefer a darker
environment while
the green lens illuminates the plant life of the region. Then
to make the
experience even better, there is a double-page spread that
identifies each
creature with some brief information about it. There are 180
different
creatures to discover throughout the book, 18 for each region!
This is not a ready reference book packed full of information about
the
world's habitats and their inhabitants. There are countless other
resources
that do that. This is an introduction to the boundless wonders
of nature,
its diversity and difference that reveals itself with the passage of
time
and which will leave the reader with a feeling of awe and perhaps a
greater
awareness of just what might be living in or dependent on the
environment as
they go stomping through it. It truly does illuminate Nature.
Have a sneak
peek at what's on offer.
Barbara Braxton
The bike ride by Jan Ormerod
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN
9781760128982
Bear's world revolves around Maudie, and so does Maudie's. Bear is
the hero
that every little person needs in their life. The one that
does everything
for them, no matter how trying they are; the one that is the
guardian angel
on their shoulder; the one that loves them unconditionally no matter
what.
So when Maudie says she needs some exercise, in particular a bike
ride, Bear
is there ready to help out. He gets the bike while Maudie
gets... her
sunglasses, then their hats, then her scarf, sunscreen, bug
spray. All the
while Bear waits patiently until at last they are ready to go. But
just who
gets the exercise?
This is a gentle, quirky story from the late Jan Ormerod,
re-released in
board book format so it is perfect for the little hands of its
intended
audience. As usual, Freya Blackwoods's gentle pictures in
their soft
palette bring the words to life in a way that just wraps the reader
up in
all the love that Bear has for Maudie.
Barbara Braxton
Blue sky, yellow kite by Janet A. Holmes
Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. Little Hare Books, 2016. ISBN
9781760124229
High above a bright yellow kite soars in the bright blue sky and as
it dips and dives, flits and flies with its tail feathers flying it
catches the eye of Daisy. Intrigued she follows its string to see
who is flying such a magnificent thing. Up the hill, down the hill
and across the field she finds William in a big house on the edge of
town. As she watches longingly through the fence, he invites her in
and teaches her how to fly it. But then she does the unthinkable -
she runs away with the kite all the way back to her house. Knowing
she has done the wrong thing she hides it and doesn't fly it - but
where is the joy in a kite sitting on top of a wardrobe instead of
soaring through the sky? At last she cannot stand it and she just
has to fly the kite - but William sees her and just walks away.
Again the kite is placed on the top of the wardrobe but the next
day, Daisy takes it down again . . .
Sometimes little people are just so tempted by someone else's things
that they just have to take them, even though, like Daisy, they know
it is wrong to do so. And with Christmas coming on and lots of
children having lots of things to show off, there are going to be a
lot of children fighting temptation. Thus this is a timely story
about wanting, needing, guilt and honesty which has a heart-warming
ending that lends itself to all sorts of discussions in the home and
in the classroom.
The visual contrast, both physically and metaphorically, of the
bright yellow kite against the deep blue sky, juxtaposes Daisy and
William's positions and Jonathan Bentley's illustrations add much to
the text with their movement and colour. This is a charming story
about friendship and forgiveness and the dilemma of whether a thing
is more important than a friend.
Barbara Braxton
Fizzlebert Stump and the great supermarket showdown by A. F. Harrold
Fizzlebert Stump series, bk. 6. Ill. by Sarah Horne.
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408869451
(Age: 7+) A.F. Harrold's Fizzlebert Stump comical stories
come packed with quirky individuals, farcical situations, general
silliness and mad mayhem. We begin with Chapter 4; luckily, the
narrator consistently interrupts with stacks of irrelevant and
irreverent background information! Fizzlebert Stump formerly lived
in a travelling circus with his clown mother and strongman father.
Now Fizzlebert or Fizz to his friends is a strong twelve-year-old
boy currently working as a bag boy for tyrannical Mr. Pinkbottle's
superstore. Fortunately, the tale returns to Chapter 1 and all is
explained - the Ringmaster has sold the circus and all of the circus
performers under contract are given new jobs in the store. Fizz
overhears Mr. P's diabolical plans to blackmail the Ringmaster and
disband the circus.
Fizz's life becomes a game of cat and mouse, locked up in the cold
room, forced to deliver bags of shopping, an interlude in a library,
listening in on conversations and being forced to wear a gorilla
suit and clean the floors with a small brush and pan.
Providentially, Fizz has loyal friends, Kevin who switches places
with him and Alice who is a strongperson for Neil Coward's Famous
'Cicrus'. What a fun ending, even the police join the performers to
put on a show.
Sarah Horne's black and white cartoons enliven the pandemonium,
there is Madame Plume de Matant's flatulent explosion at the cheese
counter, Alice's burglar under Mr. Pinkbottle's desk and Fizz's
reunion with Fish the sea lion. Fizzlebert Stump and the great
supermarket showdown is the grand finale to this comical
series, just right for young readers who enjoy slapstick humour.
Rhyllis Bignell
Fridays with the wizards by Jessica Day George
Castle Glower series, bk 4. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN
9781408858417
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Fantasy. Adventure. Castle life,
Mythical creatures. Jessica Day George's Castle Glower
fantasy series continues in Fridays with the wizards.
Twelve-year-old Celie's life is growing up; her pre-adolescent
feelings and attitudes are changing and so is the magical world
surrounding her. This novel is centred on the family's return to the
castle, the betrothal of her older sister Lulah to Prince Lilith and
the escape of the evil wizard Arkwright. The royal family realises
that Arkwright has made plans dangerous to their country and deadly
to them. Celie's skills as a mapmaker and discoverer of secret rooms
and special artefacts are of much benefit. Two dozen exquisite
griffins now inhabit the palace, each one bonded to their owner.
Celie adores her pet Rufus who accompanies her on her daring
adventures to find the escaped wizard, through the ever-changing
rooms and secret castle passageways.
Amidst the endless fittings for wedding clothes, the joy of watching
new griffins hatch, the building of a ship in the sheep meadow,
Celie's experiences some angst and self-doubt. Her decisions at
times seem selfish which cause problems for her family especially
elder brother, Wizard Bran. Fridays with the wizards is a slower-paced narrative, with
less of the surprising fantasy elements included in Jessica Day
George's previous junior novels. Growing up, family loyalty and
taking responsibility for your own actions are key messages here.
Promises of a new magic kingdom with unicorns and a royal wedding
will excite fans of this series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Hachette, 2016. ISBN 9780751568233
(Age: Adult) Recommended for fans of thriller and romantic suspense.
Using different names, an ex-agent, skilled with chemicals and
interrogation, is hiding from killers desperate to put her away. Her
boss and friend has already died in a laboratory fire and she has
just managed to escape. She is exhausted from hiding and when her
former handler asks her to help them with a terrorist who threatens
to murder thousands of people, she decides that she must do this in
order to stop them chasing her. However she discovers to her horror
that nothing is what it seems.
Although there are many novels with an agent on the run from rogue
handlers and a meeting of soul mates, Meyer has created an
interesting and unique setting in The chemist. Her agent is
a very frightening heroine who is exceptionally intelligent and very
clever with poisons and traps. As the novel progresses the reader
also finds out she is exceptionally gifted at many nasty things to
do with chemicals and there are a few rather horrific scenes.
However her romance with Daniel Beach, the man who is accused of
being a terrorist, is rather sweet and will appeal to readers who
like a love affair. Daniel is almost too good to be true, a talented
teacher, helping out when needed and coaching sports. There is some
funny and spirited dialogue in the latter sections of the book that
lifts the story and adds a dimension to the characters.
I found the story quite engrossing and had trouble putting it down.
There are multiple twists and turns, some unexpected developments,
and some very appealing dogs! This is a great holiday read and is
sure to be popular with its targeted audience.
Pat Pledger
Turbo twenty-three by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum bk 23. Hachette Australia, 2016. ISBN
9781472201706
(Age: Adult) Strong language and sexual content. Another one for
anyone who is a fan of Stephanie Plum and her very funny friends.
Stephanie is again trying to pick up a bond evader, who is trying to
hijack a freezer van loaded with Bogart ice-cream. He crashes the
van and a frozen body covered in chocolate and pecans is discovered
in the back. Ranger asks her to go undercover at the Bogart factory
and try and discover just what is going on. From then on there are
all the hilarious hijinks that one would expect to happen in this
series.
Probably one of the reasons people continue to read the books is to
find out whether Stephanie finally ends up with Joe Morelli or
whether the temptation of the dark, mysterious and very sexy Ranger
will prove too much for Stephanie. As always, Evanovich is clever
enough to keep the reader engrossed enough to continue to the end to
see what happens in the romance department.
The murder mystery is also lots of fun as Stephanie grapples with
some hilarious and sometimes very dangerous moments as she helps to
uncover the strange murder. Turbo twenty-three is pure holiday reading, with a lot of
familiar humour, a new plot and some scary moments.
Pat Pledger
