Quest of the sunfish series, bk 1. Allen and Unwin, 2016.
ISBN 9781760290917
(Age: Upper primary, Junior secondary) This fast paced novel, the
first of a trilogy, tells of twelve year old twins, Will and
Annalie, and their search for their father, Spinner. He has
disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and as they begin the
search for him, they realise how little they know about their
father.
Their world is post-apocalyptic following a catastrophic flood and
the Admiralty is now in charge, ruling with emergency powers
introduced after the Flood, 40 years before.
Before his disappearance, Annalie's father enrolled her at a school
where she was isolated because her family's poverty made her
different from everyone else. However, she befriends another young
girl, Essie, who is similarly isolated, and when Annalie decides to
run away from the school to begin the search for her father, Essie
joins her. Together, they meet with Will and manage to escape with
Spinner's parrot and his boat, the Sunfish.
They set sail for the Moon Islands, where they believe Spinner has
taken refuge. On the way, they rescue a boy, a former slave, Pod,
and he proves to be a loyal and quick witted member of their team as
they try to elude members of the Admiralty, also searching for
Spinner.
Annalie and Will, although very dependent on each other, clash at
times and Will's forceful nature also creates issues with Essie and
Pod.
There are comments about power and the true nature of those who try
to maintain it at any cost and issues such as bullying, pollution,
slavery and the care of animals. These are conversation points that
students might like to pursue.
Those who value a story which deals with such issues as well as a
battle for survival will look forward to the second book in the Quest
of the sunfish series.
Thelma Harvey
The Ghostfaces by John Flanagan
Brotherband bk 6. Random House, 2016. ISBN 9780857980113
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. I have read a number of books in this
series (but not all) and each of them is thrilling, dramatic and
full of action, and worthy of setting aside time to read and
definitely worth recommending to young male readers who will love
the life-threatening action and combat skills on display. (Note,
young female readers will also enjoy the adventurous spirit and the
fellowship of the band of 'brothers'.) Flanagan has mastered the art
of the historical adventure for teen readers.
In this latest saga we read of the exploits of the Brotherband, led
by the wise-beyond-his-years Hal, who together with a motley
collection of friends with unique skills combine to master their
sailing vessel and battle the elements and any human (or wild
animal) opposition. Their history is well documented in previous
books, but even if this was the first of the series that was read,
Flanagan gives enough detail of their personalities and individual
skills for it to be read as a stand-alone adventure.
Firstly, they have to survive the intense storm that threatens to
blow them far from home and into dangerous and unknown territory.
And then they must face a whole new way of life in a place that
leaves them marvelling and gives them a new sense of home, until
their existence is threatened by 'The Ghostfaces'. Although Flanagan
has created a fantasy world, there are parallels with Viking-like
and North American Indigenous cultures, and this too adds an
intrigue for the reader. A comprehensive sailing vocabulary is
included at the beginning to allow an understanding of the detailed
sailing scenarios that are described in detail. It doesn't take long
to feel like you too have been whipped by the storm in the opening
chapters. But beyond the sailing detail is a story of friendship
that binds these brothers together and allows them to overcome
adversity and loss, and to demonstrate how to esteem individual
strengths and forgive weaknesses.
Carolyn Hull
Quick as a wink, Fairy Pink by Lesley Gibbes and Sara Acton
Working Title Press, 2016. ISBN 9781921504860
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Bedtime story. Fairies. Verse. Children will
get into bed 'as quick as a wink' to hear this verse story read out
to them. They will predict the word that rhymes and laugh along with
the sequence of events that precedes the all important event of bed
time. They will easily learn the lines, repeating them with their
parents as the book is read.
Each time one of the fairies is doing one of the tasks that is done
before bedtime: cleaning teeth, having a bath, dressing for bed,
reading a story, then Fairy Pink cannot be found. The repeating
refrain, Quick as a wink, find Fairy Pink will be one that
is called out by the children and they will need to search the pages
to find the hidden fairy. Younger children will love following the
routines of the fairies in the story as they too go to bed.
Sara Acton's illustrations are deftly done, a few ink lines are
drawn and filled with soft, pastel water colours to give a seemingly
quick impression of the five girls and their activities before bed.
Kids will love looking at Acton's pictures, recognising the five
fairies, and comparing their bed time tasks with those presented to
them in the book. This is a wonderfully gentle story for bed time,
lovely lilting verse accompanied by engaging illustrations.
Fran Knight
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, retold by Terry Deary
Terry Deary's Shakespeare's tales series. Bloomsbury, 2016.
ISBN 9781472917867
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Romeo and Juliet. Another in this series
taking Shakespeare's stories to a wider audience, offers Romeo and
Juliet as seen by the boy who plays Juliet as well as general
dogsbody behind the scenes. Through Sam's eyes we see the company
put on this wellknown play, donning his costume, helping others
with theirs, fetching actors to appear on stage, and watching the
audience. Through his eyes, Deary is able to breathe a different
perspective into the play, offering readers a look by someone their
own age, marvelling at the writing, acting and general demeanor of
the stage craft. The play itself is outlined from beginning to end
so that the reader gains a good coverage of what happens and why.
Stage directions, chats with the actors, illustrations of the Globe
theatre and London at the time all add to the background presented
in this series, making Shakespeare accessible to a younger audience.
And with the plague at London's door and in people's minds, the hint
of someone coughing is enough to divert the audience's attention,
but not for long.
Fran Knight
Up, up and away by Tom McLaughlin
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408870150
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Experimentation. Science. Space. This picture
book will initiate lots of discussions about what makes up a planet,
how they are made, what we can see in the night sky and so on, as
Orson makes his own planet, but then has to make a tough decision.
Orson loves to make things and one day decides to make something
quite out of the ordinary: a planet. He collects together some rocks
with some water and metal, and gathers as much empty space as he
can. His next quest is for a big bang so he gathers some balloons
and finds it makes the planet with ease. So there it is right in his
bedroom, but it looks unhappy, so Orson tries to do things with his
planet to make it happy. He reads all he can about it and so begins
work cleaning it, feeding it, dusting it and tidying the oceans. But
then it is so happy it begins to grow, and attracts a whole lot of
things to its surface.
Orson notices that the planet has become sad again, so decides that
the best thing to do is to let it go.
Sometimes this is a hard decision to make, but readers will
empathise with Orson and his decision, comparing it with some they
have had to make themselves.
Another theme touched on in the story is that of the environment and
how it can be protected. Orson's regime of cleaning his planet will
touch a nerve with some children, understanding that we have not
been good custodians of our planet and there is a need for more
effort to ensure its preservation.
Fran Knight
Snow White: a graphic novel by Matt Phelan
Walker Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780763672331 (Age: Secondary)
Traditional fairytales continue as such a rich source for
adaptations, retellings and reworkings that one is often amazed that
anyone can come up with a new approach.
Acclaimed graphic novel creator Matt Phelan has proven that it is
very possible to revitalise such stories with this interpretation of
Snow White.
With a dark and brooding style reminiscent of film noir, Phelan has
taken 1930s Manhattan as his setting for this evocative rendering of
the favourite tale.
A wealthy man loses his wife but holds onto his fortune despite the
relentless and ominous rat-a-tat-tat of the stock ticker. While the
rest of New York reels under the collapse of Wall Street the man
remarries a glamorous and wellknown Ziegfield Follies star who
swiftly ensures the pretty little daughter, Samantha, known as Snow,
is removed to a boarding school. Before too long, the wicked new
wife decides she cannot be certain that her husband's good fortune
will continue so she cold-bloodedly removes him from the scene via a
poisoned cocktail. Her wrath when she discovers that the canny man
has altered his will in favour of his beloved daughter is ugly and
malicious. However, if anything should happen to Snow, then she
would inherit it all and she is completely prepared to make that a
reality.
She engages a thug to do the dirty work but he cannot bring himself
to do away with the sweet girl and tells her to run. But the seedy
alleys of New York are no safe place for a young woman on her own
and she is pursued by two street hoods. In the nick of time she is
rescued by some small men - in fact, they are just boys who take her
to their hideout.
And so the story goes on - with a wonderfully satisfactory happy
ending.
The amazing illustrations done throughout in grey tones (until the
last few pages) have been done in ink, pencil and watercolour with
some digital adjustments and would be a rich resource to inspire
young artists. It is these illustrations which tell the story with
very little text and make for a sombre and gripping retell of this
classic.
A beautiful addition to your collection for secondary students
particularly those interested in creative writing and illustrating.
You can access teaching
notes and watch a terrific trailer.
Sue Warren
Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller
Text Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925355031
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. I love stories with gothic houses
and strange happenings and was thrilled to read Elizabeth and
Zenobia. Elizabeth and her brave friend Zenobia arrive at
Witheringe House where they find wallpaper that seems to be alive, a
book that tells a different story each night and a weird gardener
who is obsessed with grafting plants. Zenobia is fascinated by it
all, but Elizabeth is not so courageous and she is fearful of what
she will find in the forbidden East Wing where the nursery walls are
covered with a wallpaper that has vines and flowers encroaching
everywhere. When she discovers that she once had an aunt Tourmaline,
who no one has seen for years, she goes on a quest to find out what
happened to her.
The reader is immediately dragged into the unique life of Elizabeth.
They discover that her friend Zenobia is invisible and that her
mother has left her and her father for another man. Her father is
remote and Elizabeth often feels invisible, but Zenobia is the
crutch that she can hold on to when she is feeling frightened.
Zenobia is fearless and goes exploring in forbidden places. She
reads difficult books about clairvoyance and poisons and she dares
Elizabeth to overcome her fears.
One of the fabulous challenges of the story is working out what
belongs to Elizabeth's imagination and what is real. How does Mrs
Purswell, the housekeeper, manage to appear so silently? Is the
wallpaper alive? Does Zenobia really do all the tasks that Elizabeth
describes or is it Elizabeth?
I found myself thinking about this book for days after I read it and
had to re-read the last chapter in an effort to work out what had
happened.
This would be a wonderful book to hand to children who are
imaginative and creative. It would raise numerous questions when
read in a literature circle. Readers would also have fun finding out
about the person Zenobia was named after and researching some of the
things that Zenobia was so interested in. Teacher's
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
The ballad of Henry Hoplingsea by Julia Hubery
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Little Hare, 2016. ISBN 9781760121259
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour. Aspirations. Medieval times.
Love and friendship. When farmer Henry proposes marriage to his
girlfriend, Carmelita, she declines his offer with tears in her
eyes. She has never imagined herself as a farmer's wife, but longs
to be a princess, waited on hand and foot, with long flowing tresses
and a brave heroic knight who will fight dragons for her.
Undeterred, Henry goes off in the dead of night to join a Knight
School, where he will learn all the attributes Carmelita craves.
Told in verse, each pair of lines begs the reader to predict the
rhyming word, encouraging them to be more involved in the story of
Henry trying to win Carmelita's hand. Predicting the rhyming word
will cause lots of fun as will the story itself, along with
recognising the allusions to fairy tales which children will elicit
in the illustrations as well as the text.
The wonderfully energetic illustrations will have readers looking
for the scatter of things on each page, laughing at the view of
Henry on his majestic steed, his cow, with his rooster tagging along
as his squire.
The humour behind the farmer on his quest begs the readers to look
further at books presenting a view of Medieval life and perhaps
discuss the role of men and women in our society, and Carmelita's
aspirations could be considered when looking at the reality behind
what she wishes for. The old adage, 'be careful what you wish for'
may be a handy dictum for discussion.
Fran Knight
Friday Barnes: The plot thickens by R.A. Spratt
Penguin Random House, 2016. Friday Barnes series, bk. 5 ISBN 9780857989932
(Ages: 8+) Recommended. The fifth Friday Barnes book, finds Friday
embroiled in a prank battle with her former friend Ian Wainscott who
is none too pleased to find out that Friday's deductions are correct
yet again. The PE teacher is also out to get Friday as he ramps up
his fitness crusade. Then there is also the mystery of the defaced
artwork appearing around the school, attempted kidnappings and the
list goes on, with the consummate schoolgirl detective solving many
smaller mysteries throughout the book to keep readers enthralled.
The smaller puzzling occurrences lead Friday to solve the major
mystery of what the newly appointed, world-renowned artist come
teacher is up to at Highcrest Academy. Friday Barnes: The plot thickens is a great way to break into
the detective story genre for younger readers. The multitude of mini
mysteries makes this a high interest book while a more complex
over-arching mystery adds more depth. The narrative style is clear
and accessible and the school setting will engage primary student
readers easily.
This book is recommended for young mystery lovers.
Annette Mesecke
Damage by Felix Francis
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780718178833
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Mystery. Horse racing. Felix Francis follows
in his father's footsteps with an engrossing mystery set in the
horse racing industry and fans of the original Dick Francis novels
will be sure to enjoy this one as well. Jeff Hinkley is an
undercover investigator for the British Horse-racing Authority and
when asked to look into the activities of a trainer, finds himself
embroiled in a murder, illegal drug use and blackmail demands.
The action speeds along with Jeff using all his skills to find the
perpetrator. In the meantime he is facing the thought of his sister
fighting cancer and wondering where his long term romance is going.
He is also investigating the drug charge against the son of his
sister's husband and manages to solve this as a small subplot that
demonstrates his expertise as an investigator. Damage has the same feel that brought the Dick Francis books
such a popular following. An intimate knowledge of horses and the
racing industry, an interesting investigator who is intelligent and
a dire blackmailer who could bring the horse-racing industry to its
knees ensures that once again Felix Francis has produced a very
readable and satisfying mystery.
Pat Pledger
Melbourne: Word by word by Michael McMahon
Little Hare Books, 2016. ISBN 9781760126674
(Age: all) Recommended. Melbourne. Cities. Lifestyle. A companion to
the book, Sydney: Word by word, this beautifully produced
picture book about Melbourne, reflects that city in all its colour.
Each page has a single word. But don't be fooled into thinking this
is for the beginning reader, because that word is accompanied by an
illustration which will encourage thinking about an array or words
and feelings and activities evocative of life in a great city.
All the iconic features of Melbourne are included, the trams, the
beach huts, Puffing Billy, the Twelve Apostles, Flinders St Station,
the concert hall, Victoria Markets and more. Interspersed with the
better known images are those of life at street level, people
commuting to work, sheltering from the rain with their umbrellas,
gridlock over the bridge, coffee shops, pastry shops, a child
skipping, a beach scene, football and a neighbourhood of rows of
single fronted cottages.
All the vibrancy of life in a great city is shown, with pages that
will encourage readers to think about what a city has to offer.
Reading the two books about Sydney and Melbourne, students will be
struck by the similarities and differences between these two famous
Australian cities, encouraged to look at how cities work and perhaps
visit.
Fran Knight
Princess Parsley by Pamela Rushby
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781742991610
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Princesses. Bullying. Alternative
lifestyle. School. Markets. When her father falls out with the local
council over starting a market on their small farm in the foothills
behind the town, sparks fly. He decides to follow the example of
Prince Leonard of Hutt River in Western Australia, and declare his
farm a principality, separating it from Australia. But Parsley, the
eldest of four sisters, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme knows that
beginning high school with the name Princess Parsley will not auger
well. The in crowd, the Blondes, cannot help themselves but deride,
scorn and intimidate Parsley. The market keeps on being successful,
helping out other small holdings in the area of Possum Creek, but
their neighbour Councillor Hancock is the one who tries to stop the
market, so forcing Parsley's dad to take steps.
But when Councillor Hancock's son helps Parsley, the Blondes, one of
whom, Danielle, has eyes on him, become even more spiteful. And the
lawyer who offers to help the family, turns out to be Danielle's
uncle and he wishes the girls to be friends.
Letting fly at drama one day Parsley is spotted by her drama teacher
who helps her refine her monologue about the whole situation, ready
to present for a drama competition. The situation is very funny,
resulting in a splendid interplay of characters in this small
community, many of whom are recognisable but still completely
endearing.
Parsley keeps her monologue to herself, having her drama teacher
help her along the way but when she must perform it in front of the
community, her father is shocked and cannot understand how she has
been so upset by his decision. The two must find a way to resolve
their differences before Parsley can perform for the national
competition in Melbourne.
This is a very funny story about families and the effect that a
decision has upon one of its members. Dad's decision to leave the
Commonwealth of Australia may suit his purposes, but he does not
take into account the effect of such a decision on his children. But
a comedic situation is able to resolve their differences and
everyone is happy. Parsley is subject to some bullying but this is
able to be clamped down once she develops confidence in her own
abilities. And along the way is a little romance which improves her
self esteem no end. A delightful story for mid to upper primary
school girls.
Fran Knight
Mango and Bambang: Tiny tapir trouble by Polly Faber
Ill. by Clara Vulliamy. Mango and Bambang series, bk. 3.
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406361483
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. The third in the series about Mango
and Bambang will be an instant hit with fans and new readers alike.
The pair have a wonderful adventure at the seaside, and when Bambang
gets sick they discover just the sort of medicine a tapir needs to
recover. Then a parcel arrives for them and inside is a tiny tapir,
Guntur, who is rather naughty and causes trouble for Bambang.
Finally in the last section Bambang helps ensure that Mango wins the
chess competition.
The book is divided into four sections, with a contents page giving
the title of each of the little stories. The narratives are very
interesting with vocabulary that will entice children to learn new
words. There is the familiar beach scene where Bambang proves that
he is a hero and not a monster. When Bambang get sick the reader
learns along with Mango what a tapir eats and the habitat that it
likes. There is much humour as Guntur wreaks havoc at home before
become a handbag tapir for a celebrity and finally Bambang proves
how intelligent and observant he is when he discovers what is
happening at the chess tournament.
These fabulous episodes are illustrated with lots of attractive
black and teal pictures that will help emerging readers with the
story.
Themes of fitting in, being brave, worry about friendship and making
sure that friends are being cared for, are all things that young
readers will relate to and which make the book such a wonderful
read.
A book trailer from the
authors gives details about tapirs and the main characters.
Pat Pledger
The book that made me ed. by Judith Ridge
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781922244888
(Age: Mature upper primary - Secondary, Adult) Most avid readers
will understand how special it is to share a book with someone. This
may be through encouraging others to read a title, or from
discussion in study, book clubs or impromptu conversation.
This publication compiles submissions by authors who explain how
they were moved, comforted, inspired and influenced by books and it
differs from others in that the authors don't have pretensions and
make no effort to impress with a taste for high brow literature.
Originally I thought it might be a clever way to engage reluctant
readers, however I soon realised that this is a book for people who
love reading, those who want to cheer when someone else voices
exactly what they felt about scenes from their favourite childhood
tale or who want to feel cross that someone just didn't 'get' the
book which meant the most to them in their teens.
It meant a lot to me that different authors voiced similar thoughts
about titles. For example, Fiona Wood first encountered notions of
feminism from the strong, decent and very human main character in Anne
of Green Gables. Rachel Craw also recalls Anne as a powerful
female character yet notes that Trixie Belden was her first.
Benjamin Law fondly remembers the works of Roald Dahl, as does
Bernard Beckett who also experienced the joy of sharing this author
with his own boys via an audio book on a long car journey.
In many of the entries is a sense of yearning for happy, simple
moments from childhood, framed within the familiar setting of
favourite books. For some, it is clear that books helped the
endurance of difficult times, such as family disintegration and
isolation in remote locations.
I was transported by the authors who recalled the excitement of the
weekly visit to a public library, to select three books which would
be devoured, some several times, before the next visit. It was also
interesting to read the opinions of individuals from an array of
cultural backgrounds, to appreciate the value of different forms,
such as spoken narrative, comics and graphic novels. Clearly some
stories had almost universal appeal whilst others may have reflected
blinkered attitudes from their time.
Some secondary and a few advanced primary students will enjoy
reading the views and experiences of these authors, however many
contributors will be unfamiliar. Similarly, with some exceptions, a
lot of the titles discussed are so dated that they are unlikely to
be known. However, I'd be delighted if this book prompts readers to
search out these treasured favourites which they might otherwise not
have come across.
Rob Welsh
Beowulf the brave, retold by Oakley Graham
Ill. by Emi Ordas. Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925275933
(Age: 6+) Beowulf. Myths and legends. Bravery. Verse tale. Beowulf
is the king of his land and rules fairly, but one day a monster,
Grendel, attacks, forcing him to take steps. All the men try to
defeat him without success, so Beowulf must take on the task. He
fights bravely and fiercely, eventually defeating the giant where no
one else could. But defeated, Grendel's mother is very angry so
Beowulf must track her down and overcome her as well. It goes well
and he is lauded by all in his land and hailed as a hero king. He
rules quietly for many more years, but then a dragon appears, ready
to take the treasure from its mound. Beowulf is called to action
again, his people begging him to protect them from this new monster.
He does so, killing the dragon but sustaining a mortal blow himself.
Both stories of Beowulf are well told, involving the reader in the
tale from the Celtic archives. At the end of the book, the author
details more about this old saga, and this little bit of information
will ensure readers look to Wikipedia to find out more.
Stories of ancient tales are few in number and so are a welcome
addition to any library which promotes stories from other cultures.
Fran Knight
