Reviews

Malkin Moonlight by Emma Cox

Ill. by Rohan Eason. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408870846
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Emma Cox's Malkin Moonlight won the 2015 New Children's Author Prize for the National Literacy Trust. Cox delves deeply into the cat's world, and she creates a believable society, where cats can communicate, read, marry and support each other. Similar to Watership Down and Guardians of the Ga'Hoole, we follow the path of a young kitten as he grows into cathood, learns life lessons and ventures far from home.
Black cat, Malkin Moonlight is the narrator of this carefully crafted tale, his story begins with a narrow escape from an unkind owner. As a kitten, Malkin talks to the Moon who recognises his special traits and marks him with a beautiful white collar. The Moon's advice guides his path, and influences the life choices he makes. He is a kind, brave feline who will make sacrifices for his friends and use his skills to be a peacemaker.
Malkin's friendship with a beautiful domestic kitten Roux is mutually rewarding, she teaches him to read and he encourages her to venture further from her home, to experience the feel of sand on her paws and the salty sea spray. Malkin's sixth sense assists him in protecting a swan's eggs from a hungry vole and leads him to rescue the father swan trapped in netting.
On the night of the Blue Moon Malkin and Roux are married, but happiness turns to sadness when Roux's owners sell their home and pub and move across town. A month later, the cats meet again on the seawall and Horatio the seagull guides them to their new home the Recycling Centre. Here amidst the sections of Newspapers and Aluminium and Tin Cans, they settle in to life with the friendly cats that sleep on the mattresses, read the papers and play amongst the recycled goods.
On the other side of the wall in the toxic wasteland live the Putrescibles, evil cats with scarred bodies who eke out their existence in a dirty disgusting environment. They fight the cats of the Recycling Plant carrying on a deep-seated feud. Malkin's rescue of a Putrescible kitten, Calica is the turning point. As the wasteland is cleaned up and the rubbish removed, Malkin brings both groups of cats together to live in the safety of the Recycling Plant.
Emma Cox explores a range of themes including caring for the environment, sustaining animal life, the impact of pollutants on the land and waterways. Malkin Moonlight celebrates the power of love, being courageous, facing your fears and living life to the fullest. Rohan Eason's line drawings add drama and liveliness to the story. This is a wonderfully written text, full of descriptive imagery and well-developed characters perfect for a Middle Primary class novel.
Rhyllis Bignell.

Nothing short of dying: A Clyde Barr novel by Erik Storey

Clash of the worlds by Chris Columbus, Ned Vizzini, Chris Rylander

House of Secrets series. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780007465859
(Age: 9+) Clash of the Worlds concludes the action-packed adventure House of Secrets trilogy. Chris Rylander co-authored this final novel with Chris Columbus after the death of Ned Vizzini in 2013.
The Walker children are once again in the midst of a difficult situation; their father's gambling addiction has led to the selling of their mansion and their subsequent return to their previous small apartment. Eleanor and Cordelia sneak out in the dark of night; spend all their birthday money on raw meat to feed their friend Fat Jagger, a huge colossus who has escaped from his book into their world. Unfortunately, other book characters have also crossed over and it is up to the Walkers to remedy the situation. Brendan's attempt to raise Denver Kristoff the author of the book worlds has released a Zombie Apocalypse.
Of course, Brendan, Cordelia and Eleanor must return to the story worlds to right the wrongs and pursue the three Wordkeeper objects needed for permanently sealing off the fantasy world from the real one and rescuing Fat Jagger. The evil Wind Witch needs to be stopped, before she leads her army into San Francisco.
For the best outcome, the three Walkers need to split up, each paired with a book character. They race through Western world, the science fiction and fantasy books, to Atlantis, endure epic battles, frightening life and death situations, with the action continually switching focus. Unbelievable events occur; Cordelia and Adie's dramatically escape from the blue whale, Brendan encounters animated mummies, dealing with duplicate treasure maps and aliens and Eleanor needs rescuing from Castle Corroway.
The authors have written a nonstop action, fantasy adventure suited to fans from 9 years, as their offsiders pay a high price for assisting the Walkers.
Rhyllis Bignell

Frozen heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

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