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
Bad bones by Graham Marks
Red eye series. Stripes Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781847154545
(Age: 14+) Horror. Warning on back cover: Not for younger readers.
Gabe is under pressure - his father has lost his job and money is in
short supply. On a ride in the hills around LA, he comes across a
grave and finds not only a skeleton but a gold bracelet. He thinks
that will end his money troubles but it is only the beginning of his
misfortune. He has awakened more than he bargained for. With his new
friend Stella, he investigates the background of the gold artefacts
while he is stalked by Raphael, a sinister figure from the past, who
is accompanied by coyote and owl companions.
Those who have read quite a few books in this genre like me will
find that the rather strange mixture of wicked priest taking hearts
from his victims in an Aztec like ritual, gold artefacts that have a
hypnotic effect, and good versus evil, has a familiar feel. However
this may not affect readers new to the genre as the action is fast
paced and the plot quite chilling. There are some scary moments as
Raphael goes on a killing spree, leaving Gabe to stumble along
hoping that people survive this monster.
Reluctant readers may enjoy this as it is easy to read with lots of
action and tension.
Pat Pledger
The Boundless Sublime by Lili Wilkinson
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781952534461
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Cults. Thriller. Guilt. Survival. In
this riveting thriller, Ruby believes that it is her fault that her
brother has died and her grief is overwhelming. Her mother has
completely withdrawn into herself and when she meets Fox, a shining
naïve youth handing out water, she falls under his spell and
gradually becomes involved in what she believes in a loving
community. When she goes to live at the Institute of the Sublime she
quickly succumbs to the sway of Daddy, the charismatic leader of the
group, and under the influence of brainwashing finds herself unable
to work out what is truth and what is false.
This was a gripping read. It was all too easy to see how Ruby could
be swayed by Daddy's words. She had felt empty and guilty, but Daddy
persuades her that she is special and chosen. Denying her body,
eating only raw food, and drinking the Institute's water, she begins
to feel that she is being cleansed. Even when she and Fox are beaten
by Daddy and locked up, she still continues to believe in him, such
is his power of persuasion and the influence that he has over the
cult members. Finally she does leave, but Wilkinson has some
unexpected twists here for the unsuspecting reader in the final
climax as Ruby must decide what to do.
Wilkinson paints a clear picture of how vulnerable people can be
seduced into a cult and as a reader I could easily sympathise with
Ruby's actions. The thought of eating pure food, and of being free
of material possessions seemed rational to her although as a reader
there were many times that I wanted to warn her of the dangers. In
the descriptions of how the cult operates, the children who are not
given names, and are called Monkeys most aroused my sympathy.
Isolated from their parents, they don't believe that they are real
people. Such was the power of Daddy that Ruby didn't really question
how they were treated.
The tension in the book is extreme. Right from the beginning, the
reader is left wondering about what is going to happen to Ruby and
Fox, and as events escalate, there is enormous fear for the children
and other cult members.
Teens are sure to love this book and the advice that Ruby gives at
the end about 'life is for the living' is sure to make any reader
ponder her thoughts. It would be a great choice for a literature
circle or book group.
Pat Pledger
My magnificent jelly bean tree by Maura Finn
New Frontier Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925059588
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. My Magnificent Jelly Bean Tree
is a story for the imagination. The rhythmical, rhyming text will
help build and develop a young reader's fluency and expression and
their imaginations will soar with all of the possibilities a jelly
bean can bring.
Our main character is a young boy who dreams of sprouting a tree
from a jelly bean. Every page is a wonderful illustration of the
possible adventures he could have in and with his jelly bean tree.
The rhyming text is magical and descriptive and the book is highly
recommended for readers aged 5+. Young readers will love reading it
with an adult or older child and readers aged 7+ will enjoy reading
it on their own. My Magnificent Jelly Bean Tree would be a great book for the
classroom as it can be used to investigate poetry and rhyme and to
deconstruct into a storyboard. Imagine the amazing illustrations
children can create!
Kylie Kempster
The misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker hero by Rachel Renee Russell
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471144615
(Age: 11+)Recommended. The writer of the very popular Dork
Diaries has done it again - and this time male readers will be
able to engage with her books (perhaps competing with the girls to
get their hands on the books)!
In the same style as Dork Diaries with comic-like
illustrations and journal entries, Russell has introduced us to Max
Crumbly, a less than inspiring Middle-School student who gets caught
in rather bizarre and hilarious circumstances. Poor Max has escaped
home-schooling by his grandmother only to discover that he is now
the year 8 victim of the school bully. Being rescued from the
claustrophobic locker by the lovely Erin does not actually mean that
his life has gone to great heights. He just seems to keep getting
into one twisted problem after another. Misadventures just keep
following every step of his new Middle School life. And this is
obviously only the first in the series as we are left in a graphic
comic-style cliffhanger at the end of the book.
For those who have loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other
similar humorous tales there is now another series to recommend.
Readers who are happy to be amused rather than challenged will enjoy
this book.
Carolyn Hull
The diary of William Shakespeare, gentleman by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2016. ISBN 9781460750575
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Shakespeare, Diary, Historical fiction. A
diary written by William Shakespeare during the last six months of
his life is developed here by French, giving readers a keen
understanding of his life and times. He has retired back to
Stratford on Avon and here lives a life of memories with his wife,
Ann and daughter Judith, meeting regularly with his other daughter,
Susanna, and her husband, the local doctor. Will has become a
gentleman and French goes to great lengths to explain just why this
is so important in his time.
But it is the background to Will's life as an actor and playwright
that I found mesmerising. From a child going to the local school
where French says he was told only to learn to read, he soon
developed an excitement for the players who came to the town. His
school friend, Ned was sold to a travelling theatre group and years
later Will found out what happened to him. Pedophilia is nothing
new.
But his meeting with Judyth as an eighteen year old youth, inspired
his love sonnets, and French cleverly insinuates some of them into
the text. Their love was doomed from the start, two young people
from different backgrounds meeting at a time when Shakespeare senior
needed a more lucrative marriage for his son, to get him out of
debt. With Anne Hathaway's brother refusing consent to a man eight
years younger than his sister, Will took the only path he could, he
made her pregnant so that consent had to be given to avid scandal.
From there this young man was soon entranced by players he met in
Stratford and it was a not a huge leap to venture to London to act
and write for the stage.
I throughly enjoyed French's fictional tale of Shakespeare. The book
offers a fascinating insight into the life of our most famous and
influential writer, French's fictional diary will be read by her
legion of fans and they will be entertained and informed by the huge
array of facts offered on every page of this tome. And perhaps seek
out non fiction texts to find out more about this man.
Fran Knight
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290023
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Wendy Orr has woven her passion for the
mysteries of the Bronze Age centred around the Mediterranean islands
into a wonderful mythical fantasy that links known history and its
mythical beliefs and archaeological stories into a lyrical and
heart-wrenching narrative.
In this old and mythical world, gods have power that invoke worship,
sacrifice and honour; power that can sing and manipulate wild
animals, and upset the natural world and power that drives
communities to order their lives in fear and reverence in order to
fend off disaster. The central character Aissa is born with features
that defy the god-like need for perfection of her High Priestess
mother. She is cruelly damaged, disowned and discarded, and yet
survives. Her fate seems to defy the goddess that 'rules' the island
of her birth and yet she is hidden and loved, until another disaster
leaves her as the mute, cruelly targeted unlucky slave-girl called
'No-Name' that no-one values. The constant emotional attacks and the
ignoble role she plays in society are so cruel that it is easy to
believe that she has wronged the gods in some way. An unexpected
role to pay tribute to the Bull King from a neighbouring island
looms as a possible way for her to rise above her lowly and unlucky
position . . . or face death as a permanent escape from her misery.
The pain and suffering she experiences and the small glimpses of
hope that she clings to with incredible humility (despite the rise
of hidden goddess-inspired powers) are mixed with an immensely
strong resilience and spirit. The effect is awe-inspiring!
Orr has written this with deft mastery, mingling prose poetry style
sections with more standard narrative in a beautiful tapestry. It is
powerful and compelling reading, even though the mythology and magic
of these times is likely to be unknown to many young readers.
Fantasy lovers will engage with the unusual world, and those who
have a heart for the down-trodden and bullied in contemporary
culture will see the enormous strength of character of Aissa despite
her circumstances. This is definitely not like Orr's Nim's
Island stories or her teen drama Peeling the Onion,
but it is certainly to be recommended for those who might enjoy a
different kind of lyrical fantasy adventure.
Carolyn Hull
Mister Cleghorn's seal by Judith Kerr
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780008157302
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Seals, pets, Zoos. This charming tale
based in part on a story the author's father told her as a child,
asks readers to think about their place within the environment, how
things humans do impact on animals around them and how one person
can make a difference.
Mr Cheghorn has sold his shop and now lives alone, wondering what
the day will bring. A letter from his cousin who lives at a seaside
town invites him to join his family for a holiday. Mr Cleghorn can
now accept and packs his bag to venture on the train to the town.
Here he is greeted heartily by his younger cousins, and one boy,
Tommy becomes a special friend. They row out each day to watch a
baby seal left on a rock while its mother fishes, returning to feed
her offspring in the evening. But one day she does not return,
probably shot by fishermen down the coast, and Mr Cleghorn's cousin
decides it must be killed rather than dying a slow hungry death. But
Mr Cleghorn decides to take the animal home, and an adventure begins
as he must find ways to keep it fed, along with how to keep it in
his small flat. The decisions he makes in keeping this animal crowd
in as he succeeds in eventually finding a home for the seal, but not
before he angers the janitor at the flat, has fish land on some
people beneath his balcony, find a loving relationship with the
woman downstairs and takes over a zoo. This lovely story will have
wide appeal, especially to animal loving children in middle primary
school.
Lovely pencil illustrations accompany this story adding a nostalgic
ambience.
Fran Knight
Freedom swimmer by Wai Chim
Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760113414
(Age: Lower secondary - Adult) This is an absorbing tale, based on
the life of the author's father, himself a freedom swimmer who
eventually entered the USA as a refugee.
All ages will appreciate this story of Ming, a shy teenager, reviled
by other villagers in the China of Mao Tse-tung because his father
was considered a traitor. Ming's father had been shot while trying
to escape the life of starvation and poverty common during the
period called Three Years of National Disasters.
He befriends, Fei, a young girl whose circumstances are equally
desperate.
When teenage members of the Red Army are relocated from the city to
the village in 1968, Ming gets to know one of them, Li, and despite
the differences between them, they spend time in each other's
company and Ming teaches Li how to swim.
It is a time of expected devotion to the teaching of Mao and those
who are considered to be less devout to Mao's cause can be denounced
and punished. When Li's father is branded a traitor, Li himself
comes under suspicion and is persecuted. He decides he must escape
and he and Ming plan to elude the guards and begin the dangerous
swim through the shark infested waters to Hong Kong.
The strength of friendship amongst Ming, Fei, Li and also Tien, is a
heart warming feature of this story and helps to balance the horror
and trauma experienced by many at this time in Chinese history. This
is a story which needed to be told and needs to be read.
Thelma Harvey
400 minutes of danger by Jack Heath
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760158798
(Age: Upper primary, Lower secondary) Award winning Australian
writer, Jack Heath, has produced another thrilling book, featuring
10 stories, 10 dangerous situations, 10 brave kids and 40 minutes to
escape.
Directed at reluctant readers, each of the ten stories in this
collection is designed to be read in 40 minutes and a countdown is
included in the page margins.
Teenagers are the heroes of these stories, each placed in a
situation of grave danger, battling against overwhelming odds to
survive. For example, Nancy must rescue her dog and ensure that both
escape from a sinking ship, Charith must steer a bus full of
classmates down a mountainside while being pursued by an assassin
and Tak has to protect his colleagues from a rogue killer robot.
Mr List, the mysterious collector of animals, is the threatening
villain in some of these stories, and the members of the agency,
SPII, weave in and out.
Readers looking for a fast paced resolution of the plot and who like
the challenge of trying to reach the denouement in 40 minutes, or
even beat the countdown, will enjoy these stories.
Thelma Harvey
Nothing! by Yasmeen Ismail
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408873366
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Imagination. When Lila is asked a question
about what she is doing, she replies 'Nothing!' twirling a piece of
paper, or eating a crumbly biscuit, but the illustrations belie what
she has said. Turning the page we see the wildest of images, as she
turns the thing she is playing with into the most imaginative of
quests, facing a fearsome beastie, tumbling over an elephant's back
in a circus or climbing the Eiffel Tower with a young girl in her
arms. Each image is extreme in its depiction as she conquers one
thing after another, finally meeting her grandfather and telling him
about the wonderful adventures she has been having and inviting him
along. And just like all good grandpas, he follows her into one of
her adventures.
A delightful story of imagination and adventure, Lila does things
that are out of the ordinary, turning small things into brave
adventures, risking life and limb to take more risks, taking a road
into uncertainty. With bright, swirling illustrations to attract the
reader, Lila's story is a wonderful homage to imagination and taking
a risk, even if only in thought. Turning the ordinary into something
fabulous, the little mundane things into tall towers and circus
animals, all are designed to capture a reader's imagination. The water
colour swirls are wonderful, capturing Lila's excitement as she lets
her imagination soar.
Fran Knight
Get coding by David Whitney (Young Rewired State)
Walker Books,2016. ISBN 9781406366846
(Ages: 9+) Non Fiction. Get coding is an engaging
introduction to creating your own webpages, apps and games online.
It covers a basic introduction to HTML, CSS and JavaScript, some of
the main web based programming languages. It takes the reader
through six missions and tasks created around the disappearance of
the famous Monk Diamond, a fictional scenario developed for the
purpose of coding experiences. The book was produced by Young
Rewired State which is a worldwide group of eighteen and under
digital makers. Get coding utilises Duncan Beedie's cartoon-like characters, speech
bubbles, 'Did you notice?' boxes and colour coding of chapters, to
draw the reader into the concepts covered. Each mission is clearly
stated and supported with step by step instructions before launching
into do it yourself tasks. Readers are directed to weblinks such as
the Get coding kids website
for further help and are encouraged at the end of the book to
continue to develop their skills through other websites.
First steps into any programming language can be daunting, but
provided younger coders are supported with adult help when needed,
they can work through this book to successfully create their first
web content.
Annette Mesecke
The unexpected everything by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471146145
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Romance. Family relations. Friendship. A
perfect holiday read filled with likeable characters and funny
moments, Matson has written an enjoyable romance that is sure to
engage its readers. Andie has her future all planned out - a top
medical school, no serious relationships and avoiding her
Congressman father. All that falls through when a political crisis
sees her father at home and her summer internship cancelled.
Desperate, she takes on a dog walking job, gets to know the nerdy
Clark and hangs out with her friends, Palmer, Bri, Toby and Tom.
Matson's flowing narrative and snappy dialogue made this an
addictive read. Andie's plight of finding her summer plans in chaos
because of the scandal surrounding her father provide the impetus
for her to find another job - dog walking - and this is not what she
had wanted at all. However when she starts to walk Clark's dog
things begin to look up. Clark is the author of a best-selling
fantasy series, living alone in his publisher's house and fighting
writer's block. Home-schooled, he is fascinated by Andie and the
dynamics of her friendship group and the fun that they have
together, swimming in his pool and going on a scavenger hunt.
Andie also has to come to grips with her father, at home for a
lengthy period for the first time since the death of her mother from
cancer. Andie has been used to living her own life, with an odd
assorted of relatives to look after her and no set curfew so it is a
shock to have her father looking out for her. The growth of their
relationship is a feel good aspect of the book.
Filled with lots of funny moments, a heart wrenching look at
friendship between girls, and a moving romance The unexpected
everything is sure to be a winner.
Pat Pledger
The cat wants custard by P Crumble
Ill. by Lucinda Gifford. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760155780
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Cats, Humour, Likes and dislikes. The cat
that stares out of each page demanding custard will immediately
remind the readers of the cats they know about: those at home or in
neighbours' yards. The haughty, self involved expression on its face
is a give away that he is just like all other cats, self absorbed
and the centre of their own universes.
He wants custard, and when called to the kitchen for his tea, runs
through the possibilities of what the woman will give him. He
rejects many offerings: chicken and gravy, beef, pigs' ears,
sardines, and thinks just about custard. He tries to tell the woman
how much he wants custard by miming the word, thinking about it so
that she will think about it too, and spelling out the words with
his body. He sits by the fridge all night trying different things,
willing the door to open, but all to no avail, he falls asleep. But
during the night the woman comes along for a snack and leaves the
door open. His dream has come to fruition, he leaps into the fridge
and finds a bowl of custard but a big surprise waits for him.
The book with its wonderful illustrations of a manic cat will
initiate discussions about likes and dislikes, about what to do when
asking parents for something that you like, what to do if offered
food that it not to your taste, and so on. The story humorously
depicts the cat and its antics designed to get the food it wants,
and then the author turns the story on its head with a funny twist
which will ensure the readers dissolve in laughter.
Fran Knight
