Greenwillow Books, 2015. ISBN 9780062670328
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Mental illness (Schizophrenia). High school.
Friendship. Relationships. YA books can deal with tough issues, Made
you up addresses the difficult world of schizophrenia. In this
book Alex deals with the struggle of working out what is real, and
what can't be trusted. Is everything in her life a true
representation, or is it the result of a hallucination storm that
glides into her reality creating a slippery slope of uncertainty?
You can't help but like Alex as she battles to control her delusions
and her reality, and her relationships with her new classmates after
being forced to change schools. Into this new uncertainty, changing
schools is always difficult, come friends Tucker and Miles, two
young men who are incredibly accepting as Alex negotiates her mental
illness roller coaster. As readers we are given Alex's view of the
world and understanding her struggles to keep everything in place
creates empathy for those who have to live with a mental illness.
The complexities of school life, romance, family dynamics, dealing
with psychological support and medication weave in and out of this
dramatic tale, and Zappia has also knitted in other mental illness
manifestations among the narrative. This just adds to the drama!
Zappia has written a great book to add to the YA library of books
dealing with Big Issues. The mental illness aspects are also
represented through the conversations with the Magic 8-ball
scattered amongst the chapters, and although this sounds eccentric,
it helps us understand Alex's distress as she deals with life in all
its manifestations. The author has cleverly created tension leading
to the final chapters, and because it is Alex's world we inhabit,
there is work for the reader in making sense of the action. I was
even led to research signs and symptoms of schizophrenia to make
sure that I understood what was happening. The winners in this book
though are the friends who accept Alex, despite her illness and the
wonderful sense of normality that pervades even the most difficult
of her symptoms.
Carolyn Hull
The Ogglies: A dragon party for Firebottom by Erhard Dietl
Starfish Bay Publishing 2016. ISBN 9781760360016
(Ages 7-10) Recommended. Join the Ogglies of Smelliville as they
organize a birthday party to cheer up their pet dragon, Firebottom.
Written and illustrated by Erhard Dietl, The Ogglies: A dragon
party for Firebottom is one of three in the series following a
very interesting family. With gruesome but hilarious descriptive
language, The Ogglies series are sure to have boys hooked.
In addition to words such as slimy sludge and cheesefeet, Dietl's
illustrations are bright and detailed with whacky things to find on
every page.
In addition, The Ogglies may be used as a tool for visual
arts, allowing readers to create their own Ogglie character and
describe its unique features similar to what can be seen on the
opening page.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is filled with quirky
characters including a special sing-along birthday song, sure to
keep children giggling for hours.
Keely Coard
Life hacks by Girlfriend Magazine
Hachette, 2016. ISBN 9780733635755
(Age: Teens) Highly recommended for all school libraries. Themes:
teenagers, puberty, love, friendship, sex, gender identity,
depression, bullying, health. 'All of the answers, none of the awks'
claims this teen guide. Based on the Australian teen magazine's
advice column and drawing on advice from an impressive number of
named experts and commentators the information is attractively
presented in a simple yet accessible format. The content unfolds
logically in a chatty style with clear headings, diagrams,
strategies and checklists, working through changes every teen will
experience both physical and mental, then body image and
friendships. The next chapter on Identity may challenge some school
libraries celebrating, as it does, the whole spectrum of sexual
identity. 'So if you're bi, trans, gay, sexual, cisgendered, or not
quite sure yet, read on. There's something for everyone.' ('If you
were born a girl and identify as a girl (or born a guy and identify
as a guy), you are cisgendered'). The following chapters on love,
sex, mental and medical awareness as well as how to help someone
with problems and get help yourself are less controversial and very
well presented. Chapter nine outlines where in Australia to get help
and the acknowledgements and references might suggest sources for
further study.
Overall it is a modern life guide all teens should read presented in
a format they are likely to read and share. This guide would be a
useful tool for teachers of health courses or for discussion topics
in pastoral care sessions. It is supported by the magazine's website.
Sue Speck
Applesauce weather by Helen Frost
Candlewick Press, 2016. ISBN 9780763675769
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Applesauce Weather is a
beautifully illustrated story told through poetry. Faith and Peter
know Uncle Arthur will arrive when the first apple falls and the
first two poems introduce this brother and sister duo. The poems are
a stark contrast between the younger sister - who eagerly awaits the
uncle's arrival - and the older brother who now doubts the magic of
a far away uncle even knowing when the first apple will fall. Uncle
Arthur is mourning the loss of his beloved wife and memories of her
are reflected in each poem. Each poem is a small story; building up
to Faith worrying Uncle Arthur has no more stories to Faith finally
seeing the signs of her fun loving uncle again. The poems are simply
named according to the person's perspective - Faith, Peter, Uncle
Arthur. It is beautiful and melodic storytelling, creating a sense
of togetherness while also allowing our characters to be
independent. The vocabulary is as simple as it is descriptive,
explaining the love story between Arthur and his wife, Peter's
feelings for his first crush and Faith's joy at spending time with
Uncle Arthur. This book is highly recommended for readers aged 10+.
It would be a great read aloud in the classroom as students
investigate different points of view and would also be good to help
build character profiles.
Kylie Kempster
Growing together by Taro Gomi
Phaidon Press 2016. ISBN 9780714871264
(Age: 2-5) Recommended. Written by internationally bestselling
author, Taro Gomi, Growing Together is a four book box set designed
to share. Neatly backed in a sturdy display box, readers will find
four small books titled Growing, Imagining, Sharing
and Exploring all of which are nicely connected.
Throughout all four books, pictures reflect Taro Gomi's and Phaidon
Press's Japanese culture. Additionally, the stories include short
simple sentences, ideal for a young and growing family. Growing
Together is strongly family oriented and features real-life
scenarios.
Overall, the Growing Together set is about childhood and
families in all its honesty, unexpectedness and charm.
Keely Coard
The grabbem getaway by Adrian C. Bott
Ill. by Andy Isaac. Axel and BEAST series. Hardie Grant Egmont,
2016. ISBN 9781760127800
(Age: 7+) Recommended. What happens when a giant shape-shifting
robot BEAST crash-lands in Axel's garage? Twelve-year old gamer
Axel's life changes dramatically. One minute, he is battling
BAGGER_63 in the Tankinator Arena using his skill, stealth and
knowledge and the next he is off on an amazing action-adventure with
his new friend BEAST. The young gamer lives with his single mother
Nedra a motor mechanic, who home schools Axel because of the
bullying he suffered previously. When Axel, Nedra and BEAST sit down
to discuss the robot's fate, a holographic projection - a 3D image
of Agent Omega appears on the robot's chest. With his wise guidance
and some technological transformations, Axel and BEAST are ready to
fight the enemy.
Axel climbs inside the clear panel on the robot's chest and steps
into a clear, magnified world. Everything the BEAST senses, Axel can
sense, the words appear in front of him and describe the object,
material, history and the robot's abilities to utilise them. Flying,
accelerating, dodging missiles launched by the Grabbem pilots in
their flying ships, Axel is in his element, employing his gaming
strengths. Ingenuity and creative problem solving allow Axel to best
use BEAST's shape-shifting abilities to outwit the enemy.
Themes of having a go, standing up to bullying, courage,
resourcefulness, friendship and loyalty are included in this
action-packed chapter book just right for tech-savvy readers. Both
Axel and BEAST are well rounded characters: the robot has a gentle
nature, is fearful at times although he is really built to destroy
others. Rusty Rosie, the junkyard owner is also a key character
whose crane-driving skills play a vital role as well. Andy Isaac's
graphic cartoons bring the action to life - the shape shifting as
BEAST's SKYHAWK shoots into the sky like a rocket and the junkyard
scenes with the enemy ships tied up in cables. Axel and BEAST is a great junior novel to read to children
who enjoy robots, technology and gaming. This book is captivating
for readers with a high-interest and low reading level and is a
great read-aloud class novel. Challenge the class to write their
next adventure, develop and publish a short graphic novel or utilise
a graphics program to design a similar range of robots.
Rhyllis Bignell
Danny Best : Never wrong by Jen Storer
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Danny Best series bk. 2. ABC Books, 2016. ISBN
9780733333347
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Diary narratives are an extremely popular
genre for young readers. Now author Jen Storer's Danny Best is a
larger than life character who believes he is a total legend, best
by name and best by nature. Danny shares four over-exaggerated
humourous short stories about his family, his friends and his school
life. Each story is told through Danny's eyes, in Chapter 1 'Bella
did it', he continually tests his mother's patience, playing with a
little wooden doll that sit above the sink. He plays tricks on his
mum until one day the arms fall off the doll. Of course, his dog
Pugsley disappears with one of the arms and Danny's race around the
back yard is truly frenetic. Finally, with his sister Bella's
interference and a little grunt glue and paint, his creative problem
solving pays off. Each story ends with a fun multiple-choice test,
how much did you remember?
Danny is a great friend inventing wonderful obstacle courses for his
gang, this time it is 'The Master's Challenge', and even Pugsley's
Dog Poo Desert is a feature. Danny proves himself a caring and fun
friend with an amazing creative ability to find the fun side of
life. When Danny's class are challenged to write stories - boys for
the girls and girls for the boys, Danny is up for the contest. His
lizard ballerina and killer slug tale is truly unique and of course,
he believes that his is a winner.
Mitch Vane's cartoon illustrations, dirty smudged backgrounds, fun
maps and crazy diagrams combined with the emphatic fonts, different
text sizes and styles make this a fast-paced story. Danny Best :
Never Wrong is perfect for independent readers who are ready
for chapter books. Read these humorous stories aloud to Year 2-Year
4 classes and challenge them to develop their own cartoon characters
and creative adventures.
Rhyllis Bignell
You are oh so horribly handsome! by Eva Dax
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
