Ill. by Tim Wesson. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408870860
(Age: 7-9) Spy toys is an action-adventure story in which a
cast of misfit creatures, a doll, a teddy bear and robot rabbit, join
forces to protect the prime minister's son. Along the way, there is
pandemonium, with daring rescues, giant snowballs, slapstick antics,
an evil elephant and a Mayonnaise Bomb to defuse.
Snaztacular Ultrafun is the world's largest toy company with an
amazing range of high quality toys, each fitted with 'a tiny
computerised brain and a unique personality.' Poor Dan a Snugaliffic
Cuddlestar bear is rejected because of a faulty chip that makes him
so strong he can crush a car (not a child). He teams up with
cast-off Arabella, a Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll that fails because
of her short temper and her inability to interact with children. The
mysterious Auntie Roz recruits Dan, Arabella and Flax a custom-made
police robot rabbit to become THE SPY TOYS ready to fight crime.
Mark Powers' junior novel is fast-paced, humorous, with eccentric
villains and strange situations. Tim Wesson's over-the-top comical
illustrations compliment the action and bring the strange
characters to life. The McBiff triplets are suitably scary and so is
Rusty Flumptrunk the humanoid elephant.
Rhyllis Bignell
My best friend is a goddess by Tara Eglington
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780732299903
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Surprising as it is for fiction aimed
at teenage girls; this novel is highly engaging and thought
provoking. For once, a book that celebrates intelligence rather than
harping on about how being beautiful is everything!
When Adriana returns from eighteen months in Borneo her best friend,
Emily, thinks that everything will go right back to normal - Friday
night movie nights, and sharing secrets. Her plans go array however
when Adriana returns a goddess, even more beautiful than the 'Tens'
they always hated, while Emily is still the same old Emily waiting
for the 'boob-fairy' to bless her. It isn't only Adriana's newfound
beauty that comes between them but, as expected, a boy. Theo is
dreamy in every way. He is the embodiment of Emily's artistic
fantasies. And Adriana's crush. Like with any best friendship, Emily
knows she can't act on her feelings and instead chooses to keep them
to herself, forcing a bigger wedge in their friendship than ever
before. It isn't long before it becomes clear that Adriana must
leave her loser friend behind, but despite this knowledge she clings
to Emily's friendship until she has no other option but to destroy
it.
The thing about friendships is that things change and people have to
adapt to their new situation. It could be that one friend moves, or
gets another friend, or maybe there's a boy (or girl) that gets in
the way. This is a novel which shows how things sometimes have to
change. And how sometimes they don't have to change all that much. I
would highly recommend to girls aged thirteen and up; not only is
this a guidebook for coping with change, but also a great way to say
beauty is not everything.
Kayla Gaskell, university student
The fail safe by Jack Heath
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266078
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Spies, Future, Dystopian fiction.The next
thrilling adventure after Cut out, The fail safe has
Fero in a bind. He has remembered just who he is, but must keep this
knowledge hidden from the two people posing as his parents, lest
they kill him. Some memories of his real life come back awkwardly,
others are triggered by something happening. When the TV news shows
one of his friends being killed over the wall he knows he must act.
And escape.
With CCTV everywhere, and monitors focussing on him, face
recognition software is hard to trip up, so he plans his escape
meticulously. He triggers a fire in the tube station, sure to result
in pandemonium, but it only takes seconds for the scanner to pick up
that he has gone. A cat and mouse search ensues with some people
directed to search for him. But he follows a woman he sees acting
suspiciously and is taken to be a spy, but in doing as she directs,
is recaptured. Still trying to behave innocently he convinces them
that he is still Fero and the exciting game continues.
Set against two neighbouring countries somewhere between Russia and
the Ukraine, the tension is palpable as the conflict between theme
escalates, resulting in a wall being built between them. Fero hears
harsh words said against his country but with a nuclear option being
readied by both sides, he must make a decision.
Boys in particular will enjoy this thriller being played out by Fero
(Troy) trying to evade capture and having to prove his innocence to
those back home who see him as a traitor. Action packed, fast paced
and thrillingly written make this a treat for reluctant readers.
Fran Knight
Ned's Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher
Ned's Circus of Marvels bk 1. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN
9780008124526
(Age:12+) Film and television animator and designer Justin Fisher's
debut novel Ned's Circus of Marvels conjures up a
frenetically paced fantasy adventure, with a huge cast of bizarre
characters set in an alternate world beyond the Veil. Here,
mysteries unfurl, dark magic abounds and good and evil forces fight
for control. Fisher weaves an intricate multi-layered story, where
he combines elements of steam punk engineering with a coming of age
tale and a quest to bring two pivotal characters together to save
the world.
Ned Waddlesworth is an ordinary boy who lives with his engineer
father in the quiet London suburb of Grittlesby. Unbeknownst to Ned,
he holds the key to saving the world and his life will dramatically
change forever on his thirteenth birthday. With evil clowns chasing
them, his father races him across town to the safety of Benissimo's
Circus of Marvels. George the talking, book reading, banana loving
giant ape becomes his protector, Ringmaster Benissimo is there to
guide Ned's journey and blind Kitty the farseer and witch supplies
him with sage advice and wisdom. The circus performers are really a
trained army of creatures, shape shifters and darklings, ready to
wage war to save the world. Ned constantly questions the people and
creatures around him, as well as trying to come to terms with a
travelling circus that flies to different locations.
The overarching plot is lost in the middle of the narrative, with so
many subplots, character additions and deviations. Ned's search for
Lucy the other key holder who can stop the veil disintegrating
needed to be central to the storyline. There are however, moments of
love, sacrifice, humour and friendliness, a family reunion all set
against the preparation for war and the ultimate marathon battle led
by warring brothers. Ned's Circus of Marvels is suited to the confident reader who
enjoys reading fast-paced fantasy adventures.
Rhyllis Bignell
The complete adventures of Figaro and Rumba by Anna Fienberg
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN
9781760292997
(Age: 6-8) Highly recommended. Author Anna Fienberg and illustrator
Stephen Michael King's The Complete Adventures of Figaro and
Rumba is a celebration of friendship, food, music and
adventure.
In the first story The Crocodile Cafe, we meet Figaro a
lively, happy-go-lucky dog who lives with his best friend Rumba the
cat, who misses his home in Cuba, and puts all his energy into a
cleaning their house. When the two friends finally catch the Very
Fast Train after a few wild adventures, they meet a Cuban
smooth-talking, conga-playing crocodile who owns a cafe. Along the
way the two friends learn some life-lessons about trust and rescue
some Cuban felines the wicked crocodile had catnapped.
Fortuitous circumstances occur and Figaro and Rumba take over the
ownership of the crocodile's cafe renaming it The Cool Cat Cafe.
Figaro finds the never-ending music rehearsals at the cafe difficult
especially when lead singer Marta continually points out his
difficulties joining in with the group. He chats to Ronaldo the
sloth who cleans the building and discusses the mysterious stranger
he sees and hears at night. One day, Figaro leaves the cafe behind
and heads off for a big adventure with little ginger cat Dora in
Martha's classic Catmobile. After a fabulous drive in the open top
car along the beach road, an unfortunate accident happens. Along the
way Figaro discovers a new musical talent, clears up the mystery of
the grey coloured stranger and enjoys the Fiesta filled with
singing, salsa and Cuban food at the Cool Cats Cafe. Stephen Michael
King's colourful, expressive illustrations bring the unique
characters to life, he vividly shows their expressions, emotions,
drams and triumphs.
This junior fiction novel is a great light-hearted story for young
readers beginning their chapter-book journey. Anna Fienberg's Figaro
and Rumba stories are perfect for this young audience, with
relatable characters, fun adventures and a celebration of music,
singing and dancing.
Rhyllis Bignell
The busy tailor crab by Bingbo
Ill. by Gumi. Starfish Bay Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781760360412
(Age: 6-10) Recommended. Written by award winning Chinese author
Bingbo, The Busy Tailor Crab follows a famous tailor crab
who is a thriving business man stitching clothes for the other
animals; that is until he sews a pair of pants for caterpillar.
Paired with Gumi's illustrations, pictures are detailed with
attention to the little things - markings on the insects, visible
text on Tailor Crab's pin-boards . . .
Amongst Bingbo's text and Gumi's illustrations, The Busy Tailor
Crab is a book of many messages including problem solving, how
to run a successful business, fairness, negotiation and flexibility,
how to treat other people and an early introduction to money.
In conclusion, Bingbo's story provides ample opportunities for
discussion; do you think tailor crab is being fair to all the
animals? What do you think he should have done etc? Overall, The
Busy Tailor Crab is another delightful picture book from
Bingbo who has authored hundreds of children's stories and won over
fifty awards for his work.
Keely Coard
Literature to support the Science curriculum Foundation -7 by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger
Pledger Consulting, 2016. ISBN 9781876678470
Highly recommended for educators. Subjects: Science
curriculum; Fiction; Annotated bibliography. Fran Knight and Pat
Pledger continue to write first-rate reference tools for teachers in
primary school education, which focus on key curriculum areas. This
resource links popular picture books, junior and senior novels and
non-fiction books with the Australian Science curriculum. Each book
listed has a review available on the ReadPlus
online database.
Set out in an easy to read format, each year level and scientific
topic is explored with listings presented in alphabetical order of
the author. A comprehensive index is included as well.
Pamela Allen, Jeannie Baker, Phillip Gwynne and Elizabeth Honey's
popular picture books support the Foundation Biological Sciences
strand and the Inquiry Skills. Recent publications such as Aleesah
Darlison's Spider Iggy and Roland Harvey's On the River
provide up to date scientific information in a story format. The
scientific and geographic books by writer and researcher Peter
Gouldthorpe provide an excellent foundation for Year 6 students
investigating Earth and space sciences. Content included covers
Aboriginal perspectives and presents books that introduce a
scientific worldview.
Fiction is an invaluable tool for introducing a new science subject,
for encouraging investigation, for introducing keywords, setting up
a word wall and stimulating creative inquiry and research skills. Literature to support the Science curriculum Foundation -7 is
a significant resource for educators and teacher librarians and for
supporting STEM programs.
Rhyllis Bignell
Editor's note: The book is available here.
One keen koala by Margaret Wild
Ill. by Bruce Whatley. Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN
9781743629291
(Age: 1+) Highly recommended. Counting. Going to school. This
wonderful picture book will serve many purposes, two of which are
obvious on first read. It is a stunning counting book, counting to
twelve but it is also an introduction for the young reader to going
to school.
Margaret Wild's beautiful text is a joy to read aloud; the
alliteration rhyme and rhythm make it a tale that bounces along and
one which young children will love to repeat and learn by heart.
Each number has a double page spread with the rhyme on one side,
illustrated, and a complementary large drawing by Bruce Whatley on
the other. I particularly loved the picture of Five bashful banicoots
meeting Mrs Roo.
The young reader will enjoy finding the shy bandicoots hiding under
books in behind Mrs Roo's skirts, and can also count the books to
see how many there are in the picture. The expressions on the faces
of all the animals is a joy to behold and will make any reader feel
happy just looking at them. It could also be useful to use when
talking to a young child about going to school or pre-school.
This is a lovely book, humorous, happy, beautifully narrated and
illustrated by leading author Wild and illustrator Whatley.
Pat Pledger
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series by Marcus Emerson
Ill. by David Lee. Allen and Unwin, 2017. Diary of a 6th Grade Ninjabk 1. ISBN: 9781760295554 Pirate Invasion bk. 2 ISBN: 9781760295561 Rise of the Red Ninjas bk. 3
ISBN: 9781760295578 A Game of Chase bk. 4ISBN: 9781760295585
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Marcus Emerson's Diary of a 6th Grade
Ninja books are short, fun and easy to read. They are just
right for Middle Primary students, for readers who love the
diary-style series and are great for engaging the reluctant boy
reader. The protagonist talks directly to the audience, exploring
his feelings, his self-perceptions and problems.
New student, Chase Cooper chronicles his experiences in 6th Grade at
Buchanan School. Luckily, his cousin Chloe is there to guide and
support him. During gym class Chase, Zoe and Brayden a new friend
and werewolf hunter, encounter a secret group of ninjas practising
their moves in the woods next to the track. All clothed in black
outfits with ninja masks; they kidnap Brayden and demand that Zoe
and Chase steal a student's purse and the food-drive collection
money. Will the cousins stand up for what is right or agree to
complete the tasks and become part of the ninja group? In Pirate Invasion, pirates overrun Chase's school; they talk
like pirates, act and dress as pirates and they plot to change the
school mascot. Even Chloe and Brayden betray Chase and join the
pirate team. Chase must face his nemesis, Buccaneer Captain Carlyle
and his cousin Wyatt who was the bully from the first book. The
choices Chases make and the actions he undertakes deliver important
messages: stand up to bullies, be responsible, resilient and brave,
do not give in to peer pressure. Rise of the Red Ninjas simply starts with Chase's stolen
backpack that contains his science homework and a love note to his
lab partner Faith. A consequence of the Red Ninja's actions is the
demolition of the training camp and woods beside the gym track.
Wyatt and Carlyle join forces to embarrass Faith and Chase at the
Skate Party, however cousin Zoe steps in with some words of advice.
Instead of fighting the bullies, she suggests that Chase changes the
game and they compete in a skating race. Chase comes to the
realisation that he does not care what others think. A Game of Chase involves the Science Fair, sabotage, a
kidnapping and a surprising villainess.
The Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series has fun, lively comic
strip drawings by David Lee and delivers action-paced school life
adventures with important wellbeing and anti-bullying messages.
Rhyllis Bignell
AniMalcolm by David Baddiel
Ill. by Jim Field. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008185152
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. For Malcolm's eleventh birthday, he has
written out the specifications for a brand new Apache 321 computer
and left the list displayed on the kitchen wall. After the usual
birthday song, Malcolm's happiness turns to disbelief when his
present is a little white chinchilla in a cage. Malcolm stands out
in a house full of pets; he really dislikes animals, after a nasty
incident at the zoo when Louie the chimp threw poo at him.
The one surprise for his birthday is Mum and Day paying for his Year
6 camp to Orwell Farm - a nightmare setting for Malcolm - one filled
with animals! When Malcolm stares deep into the eyes of KPax the old
goat with the hypnotic eyes, his life suddenly changes. The boy
magically morphs into the body of a tortoise. Over Malcolm's
three-day school trip, he embodies a range of animals, experiencing
their lifestyles, their abilities as he develops these
understandings he also has a change in attitude.
Each change is filled with highs and lows, with funny incidents and
some interesting food options. There's manky lettuce for Malcolm the
blue-eyed baby tortoise, a cat fight with Zsa-Zsa the farm cat and a
fun conversation about cats drinking toilet water. Malcolm is
cleverly able to communicate cross-species and all the farm animals
assist him on his journey back to being a human. When Malcolm now a
tiny piglet asks his animal friends to travel into the city and find
his family, their long journey begins. He rides Snowflake the pony
and two bigger pigs, three sheep, a cat and a dog accompany him to
City Zoo. His family love the zoo and visit every Sunday. Of course,
there's plenty of fun as Malcolm morphs into a chimp and encounters
Louie the dominant male for another poo throwing encounter.
Jim Field's cartoons add humour and life to fun Baddiel's story of
growth, change and acceptance.
This is a great story for sharing with a Middle Primary class and
for readers who enjoy animal stories with a twist.
Rhyllis Bignell
Such stuff: a story-maker's inspiration by Michael Morpurgo
Ill. by Michael Foreman. Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406364576
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Writing; Inspiration; The craft of
story-writing; Authors. Michael Morpurgo is a much loved author for
young readers. He has managed to craft stories that connect with
young readers and yet never speak down to them. He often combines
real life stories involving children and animals and well-known
historical scenarios, with the added ingredient of his fertile
imagination, to weave a compelling narrative that children do not
want to stop reading. In this book he gives an insight into the
history of these stories from the author's perspective and from a
historical perspective. Unfolding before us we hear how he has
struggled with an idea until it has matured and developed into a
complete and engaging plot, and we also glimpse something of his own
life and experience on the way.
Each chapter unfolds the unique story of each of his own literary
creations, and it is like discovering the story of the birth and
early life of his children as we, the readers, are given a personal
insight into 'family' truths and struggles along the way. What
follows is an excerpt from the books he has written or a historical
explanation of the facts upon which the story was based.
Understandably then, this is a disjointed book, but it does allow us
to discover much of the personal history of Michael Morpurgo and to
understand why the name 'Michael' appears so frequently in his
books. I have read many of Morpurgo's books, and have loved every
one, recommending them to able readers who come into the school
library; but now I think I may have to go back and read his entire
anthology of work, so well does he introduce their genesis in 'Such
stuff'. (Note my school has a good collection of students who
clamour for 'More Morpurgo'!)
Recommended for those who have already devoured a number of
Morpurgo's books; the references to his works would be meaningless
without some connection to the author and his written work first.
Carolyn Hull
There's a magpie in my soup by Sean Farrar
Ill. by Pat Kan. Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 9781925275681
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. There's a magpie in my soup is a
zany, fun rhyming story from debut author Sean Farrar. With the
exception of the porcupine in bed, all the creatures featured are
Australian animals. This read-aloud picture book will engage
children in guessing the rhyming words and laugh at the silly
situations they encounter - the snake on the cake and the cockatoo
in the loo.
In a two-page spread, we are introduced to the animal, the object in
rhyme and then the vivid illustrations delightfully show the
interaction. Pat Kan's use of watercolour wash, pen and ink, cross
hatching and action lines are whimsical and animated. The cute
platypus with the fluttering eyelashes swims backstroke in the milk
trying to make butter! There's a very large grey and yellow cockatoo
with crazy tongue emerging from the loo, who's always asking for
food!
Share this with an Early Years class, at a preschool or kindergarten
and learners will enjoy engaging with rollicking rhymes. This
picture book is a great springboard in to writing rhyming poems and
developing their own class anthology.
Rhyllis Bignell
Flapper VC by Mark Wilson
Lothian, 2017. ISBN 9780734416759
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Animals in war. Pigeons. Australia at
war. On Manos Island, north of Australia's mainland a patrol of
Australia's soldiers were fighting an enemy advance. In dire peril,
they released two of the three pigeons they were carrying only to
see both shot down by the enemy. The last one, the smallest of
the three, Flapper, flew above the clouds to find a gap in the rain
and shell fire to get back to base with his message. For his bravery
he was awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the
Victoria Cross.
Mark Wilson has expanded on these basic facts to give a story of
this bird, born as war broke out and trained to be a homing pigeon.
When the call went out for homing pigeons, Flapper was one of the
13,500 donated to the war effort and he was trained to be carried by
a soldier and given experience in the jungles, so different from the
range he had at home. He was trained to return to the mobile hutch
and to carry messages on his leg and so sent to the islands north of
Australia.
The stories of many animals used in war, are being written for a
wide audience, bringing their courage and tenacity to a reading
public. The Australian War Memorial's M is for mates: Animals in
wartime form Ajax to Zero (2009) gives a brief outline of the
range of animals that served during the war, and shows what probably
happened to Flapper and his mates under Q for Quarantine.
Wilson's distinctive illustrative style is most appealing, using a
range of pencil and acrylic paint to give a sweeping view of the
jungle and intensive war met head on by Flapper and the patrol. The
crayon and lead pencil drawings show the range of animals and people
who were part of the war effort, bringing another level of
understanding to the younger reader. Each element of this amazing
tale is distinguished by illustrations worth more than a second
look, and I found myself poring over many of them, taking in the
detail given, and I love the framed illustrations on the cover and
elsewhere, with the high flying pigeon on the endpapers. With Anzac
Day coming up as well as commemorations
for the 75th anniversary of the battles of Milne Bay, El Alemien,
Kokoda and the Fall of Singapore this is a splendid book to have
available for classes studying the realities of war.
Fran Knight
The secret of the black bushranger by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2017. ISBN 9780732299453
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Australian history. Aboriginal themes.
Convicts. Freedom. Barney Bean has found his feet in the colony of
New South Wales, taken in by the Johnson family who treat him as
their own, along with Birrung and Elsie. But one night John Black
Caesar asks Mr Johnson for sanctuary, and he is fed and given
shelter for the night. The next morning he is gone.
Behind the story of how Barney came to be in this new colony is his
tale of survival on the streets of London, his mother doing all she
can to keep them alive. Once in the colony, after nine months aboard
a convict ship, she dies, leaving Barney alone and through his eyes
we have a masterfully drawn view of the colony and how it operated
over two hundred years ago. French always includes a plethora of
facts, insinuated into the story, and this is no exception. The
reality of life for the whole gamut of people tied to this colony is
believable and against this she puts Black Caesar, Australia's first
bushranger.
Her take on his background is most plausible, and she breathes life
into the few facts known of this man, showing the reader that all he
craves is freedom to be himself after being a slave and a convict.
This is the third in the The secret histories series, which
began with Birrung, the secret friend, and continued with Barney
and the secret of the whales. Each of the three stories
revolves around the real clergyman and his wife, the Johnson family,
who in the early years of Sydney helped orphans and convicts alike,
putting their own lives in peril when the Rum Corps took control.
Historical fiction places characters and their lives against the
reality of life in a particular time, giving readers a great story
set against a credible background, which in good hands subtly
teaches. And French's book goes a long way to give information about
our convict past, showing through Barney just how hard life was for
the early farmers, as well as entertaining readers with the story of
our first bushranger.
Fran Knight
Can I tell you a secret? A tale about being brave and sharing your worries by Anna Kang
Ill. by Christopher Weyant. Hachette Australia, 2016. ISBN
9781444926439
(Age: 3-7) Highly recommended. The husband and wife team of author
Anna Kang and illustrator Christopher Weyant's colourful picture
book asks an important question - 'Can I tell you a secret?' This is
a valuable resource for teaching wellbeing in kindergartens,
preschools and Early Years education.
'Pssst!' says Monty as he leans in to talk to us from the bulrushes.
'Could you come here for a sec?' The little green frog has a secret
he wants to share, he can't swim and is afraid of the water! A lot
of quick thinking, creativity and hard work have helped him to keep
this from his family and friends, a doctor's note for his swimming
coach, a protective umbrella, even catching a ride on a tall bird's
leg. Questions and responses keep the reader engaged and Weyant's
colourful, comical scenes add to the fun of the story. Monty is a
cute character, with his large green head, expressive eyes, giant
flippers and little hands that show a range of emotions.
When Monty decides to share his secret, he first builds up his
courage by complimenting his mum and dad on dinner and on their
awesome parenting. Facing your fears and sharing your worries are
important life lessons. With his parents' loving response and
reassurances, Monty is able to start learning to swim.
This delightful picture book supports teaching the Health, Wellbeing
and Protective Behaviours curriculum. Young learners can read, view
and discuss how Monty was able to bravely overcome his fears and
take a risk in sharing his secret. They can identify characters that
help the main character stay safe and healthy and the importance of
establishing a safe network of people you can trust.
Rhyllis Bignell
