Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN 9781444786729
(Age: senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
Cold case, DCI Banks, Rape, Celebrity crime, Racism, Prostitution.
When DCI Banks is promoted to Detective Superintendent, his first
case is likely to be his last at this posting because of the high
profile of the accused. He is to investigate an accusation of rape
against an under age girl which happened in Blackpool in 1967 by a
television and stage show celebrity now long retired. Having to
interview this man, now in his mid eighties, as well as the accuser,
takes all Banks' patience and stamina. The woman has not called this
out lightly, but the recent exposure of such people as Rolf Harris
and Jimmy Saville has brought it all back. And the police have
several other women come forward with similar stories. During this
investigation, Banks comes across the suspicious death of Caxton's
road manager in the same year, and this creates another level of
investigation which Banks finds was under-investigated, the paper
trail now no longer able to be found.
Meanwhile Annie Cabot is called to investigate the death of a young
girl, seemingly thrown from the back of a van, naked, in an out of
the way minor road. The investigation into her background reveals
connections with a group of Muslim men and so the cry of racism
stirs up some of the populace of Eastvale. But her short life is
exposed as one of a number of girls, groomed by these men to perform
sexual acts for them and their friends, part of a network across the
north of England, paralleling the sex abuse cases brought to court
in Rochdale, Bristol and others in England in the past several
years.
Both stories are disturbing, showing the level of sexual
exploitation that occurs within our community against vulnerable
women. And in some cases how personal influence keeps the stories
from being brought into the public eye. The women are all under age,
and those groomed for sexual exploitation from dysfunctional and
lower socio-economic communities where grooming can be done easily
at a local take away where young people gather. Both stories dove
tail each other, reflecting some of the nastiest aspects of
communities that I have read. Banks and Cabot and the usual
entourage keep unearthing evidence and piecing things together to
the satisfaction of all readers. And their investigations led me to
research the cases alluded to in the book, although with a great
deal of trepidation.
Fran Knight
The horse thief by Jane Smith
Tommy Bell: Bushranger Boy. Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN
9781925520064
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. The Horse Thief finds a new
classmate for Tommy as well as more adventures with his horse Combo.
Riding Combo also allows Tommy to use the hat he found to go back in
time to the time of bushrangers and the gold rush. Tommy manages to
meet bushrangers unknowingly every time! Somehow, he also sees links
between current events in his life and end events in the olden days.
Tommy gets caught up in the middle of horse stealing and before he
knows it, he is chasing bushrangers and helping them escape. How
will Tommy get out of this dilemma? Tommy Bell: Bushranger Boy - The Horse Thief is another
instalment in this series about year 5 student Tommy Bell. It is a
standalone story and refers back to the first book to keep readers
up to date. The good thing about the Tommy Bell series is
the year 5 History links - bushrangers and the gold rush - making it
a good novel for the classroom. They book is quick moving and at 79
pages, an easy read for a time conscious teacher. It is also quick
moving and uses easy to read but descriptive text. Highly
recommended for readers aged 8+.
At the end of the book are historical notes about the bushranger and
other characters in the story. Readers can collect their own
information about a bushranger and write a biographical report and
then their own version of a Tommy Bell story!
Kylie Kempster
Squares and other shapes with Josef Albers
Phaidon, 2016. ISBN 9780714872551
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. Art, Board book. In the series, First
Concepts with Fine Artists, this board book reveals a series
of shapes through the art of twentieth century Modernist, Josef
Albers. On each page is an example of his abstract paintings: a
square, squares within square, rectangles, circles, lots of circles,
triangles and many triangles. Each page shows a bright illustration,
revealing a shape or series of shapes for children to recognise.
They will eagerly tell the adult reading the book what each shape is
and delight in the image given them. The adult reader will be able
to encourage their enjoyment at recognisinsg the shapes shown and
with their increased understanding of fine art. This is the first
book in the series, the second being Blues and other Colours
with Henri Matisse.
Each of the books presents an artist to the younger reader in a way
that will encourage identification, discussion and interaction.
Fran Knight
The Miracle Goal starring Troy, Adam, Joel and Scott Selwood by Tony Wilson
The Selwood Boys bk 2. ABC Books, 2016. ISBN 9780733335464
(Age: 7+) Tony Wilson's series The Selwood Boys is perfect
for the football fans and younger readers who enjoy sporting stories
based on real life characters AFL football players. In an easy to
read format, filled with family fun, footy tips and messages of
acceptance and inclusion The Miracle Goal is another great
junior novel to add to the classroom and library.
Set in 1997 Joel Selwood is in Grade 4 at Bendigo Catholic Primary
School. His football skills are evident already and he is chosen as
captain for lunchtime footy. Fish - Charlie Fishburne is the other
captain and it is serious business when their classmates line up to
be chosen. Joel is surprised when Ray a tiny, short kid from his
class asks for a turn on the team.
When Mr. Cunningham the Year 4 teacher pairs up Joel with Ray on a
spacecraft project on Hale-Bop the comet, Joel comes to understand
why his classmate is different. Meanwhile the twins Adam and Troy
who attend separate high schools, continue to be mischievous
pranksters. In Year 7 at the Catholic College, Adam and Fiona Leigh
trade pranks, mandarin peel in Adam's footy boots, and honey on
Fiona's bike seats. When Deputy Principal Fleming catches Adam with
the honey jar in hand, both pranksters are given Friday after-school
detention. That is the same night that Adam must attend football
training where the selectors are choosing players for the Bendigo
Junior Football League. With Troy out with an ankle injury, he
volunteers to go to detention and Adam plays in the Friday game.
There is more twin trickery, a comet sighting, an exciting fourth
quarter goal by an unlikely team player and glimpses of family life
before mobile phones and the internet.
With the focus on the Selwood brothers and their early years of
playing junior football, Tony Wilson has written a fun series just
right for sports fans.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Selwood Boys: Battle Royale by Tony Wilson
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780733335457
(Age: 7+) Recommended. The Selwood Boys - Battle Royale is an
Aussie story using football playing brothers as the main characters.
Tony Wilson has elaborated on the childhood memories of the boys and
the football theme runs through the story. Joel wants to play
football like his brothers but, for now, has to be happy with being
the boundary runner. This doesn't stop him from wanting to play for
his favourite team, Geelong, one day. The boys get up to all sorts
of mischief - as 4 brothers would - and it is hilarious reading
about their antics and made up games. During the weekly football
game, Joel and younger brother Scott overhear the selectors talking
about their older brothers Adam and Troy. What if only one brother
is chosen? Who is the best player? Will Joel get the chance to play
football or will he have to wait longer?
This story is great for boys (and anyone else who likes football)
and is highly recommended for readers aged 7+. It is full of the
antics kids get up to, talks about their adventures and is
accompanied by black and white cartoons. The text is descriptive and
easy to read. It is full of moments that model positive ways to
ignore bullies as well as how to persevere. Most importantly, it is
Australian and football themed. Fans of the Selwood brothers will
love reading about their childhood.
Kylie Kempster
The unforgettable What's his name by Paul Jennings
Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290856
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. The unforgettable What's his name
explores what it is like to be invisible. The main character is
commonly referred to as 'What's his name' and feels like nobody sees
him. He has no friends. He feels like he doesn't belong. In a moment
of stress, he blends into his environment to escape a group of angry
bikers. He literally becomes the bush he is standing in front of. He
then blends into a wall and then becomes the tree. Eventually, he
can change at will. Mum doesn't believe him and his new biker friend
thinks he is a bit strange. Along the way, our main character makes
friends with a dog and rescues a group of monkeys. Maybe you can be
quiet and shy but still be amazing! The unforgettable What's his name is an adventure as well as
a trip of discovery for our young main character. Readers will not
find out his real name until the end. The story is thoughtful,
dramatic and funny. It is full of adventures and discoveries,
proving it is okay to be yourself and there is no need to change.
The text is descriptive, with just enough suspense to keep readers
wondering what will happen next. The accompanying illustrations are
detailed and colourful and readers can see if they can find the main
character as he changes and hides. The unforgettable What's his
name is a thicker novel at over 200 pages but it is still
ideal for more reluctant readers thanks to the illustrations. Highly
recommended for all readers aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9780545581608
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Dog Man is a book that looks like a
novel, has a lovely illustrated cover - this was in a hardcover, but
is a comic. A quick flick through the book and you will see bright
illustrations and speech bubbles telling the story. Reluctant
readers aged 8+ will thoroughly enjoy this story as some pages don't
even have writing to read. It is also great for younger children
experimenting with their first novel style books or for older
readers with lower skills (they look like their mates).
Dog Man is a dog-headed policeman and is created by the author of
the Captain Underpants series. That alone lets readers know
they are in for some funny stuff. The story starts with how Dog Man
came to be. This is quite hilarious and the colourful drawings
explain the silliness well (you will have to read it to find out).
Now Dog Man might be a man with a dog's head and the villains might
keep trying to ruin his day but Dog Man always saves the day. Read
each new and hilarious chapter and find out how Dog Man fights
vacuum cleaners and robots while still saving the day and annoying
the police chief all at once.
Kylie Kempster
The amateurs by Sara Shepard
The amateurs bk. 1. Hot Key Books, 2016. ISBN 9781471405266
(Age: 15+) Some strong language. Mystery. Alcohol. Parties. Aerin's
sister Helena had been brutally murdered years before and when a
group of young people who belong to an online forum, Case not
closed, turn up on her doorstep offering to investigate the murder,
things begin to get out of hand. The amateur sleuths, Seneca, Maddy,
Madison and Brett all have different talents and together they begin
to unravel the truth.
This was quite a suspenseful plot and very intriguing to begin with.
I enjoyed the idea of the amateurs having a go at solving the crime
and having more success than the police had originally. Seneca was
the most interesting and well fleshed out character, but the others
were often immature and not very likeable. The romances between the
main characters didn't really jell and I found the constant partying
and some sexual innuendos off-putting. As the action progressed, the
country club scene and the wealth of the participants began to
become tiresome, but this may well appeal to a teen audience.
There were a succession of suspects, many red herrings and a
surprise ending which will lead to a second in the series.
Pat Pledger
The cranky ballerina by Elise Gravel
Katherine Tegan Books, 2016. ISBN 9780062351241
Ada does not look forward to weekends, particularly Saturdays,
because Saturday is ballet day and she HATES ballet. Her
leotard is too tight and her tutu too itchy and as for the moves she
is forced to do and practise and practise... as she says,
'Arabesques are GROTESQUE.' As for pirouettes - well! Even with her
little monster sidekick who tries to offer support and
encouragement, she just doesn't like it. For Ada, it is definitely
NOT a case of 'practice makes perfect'.
But one Saturday morning when she is trying to please Miss Pointy
she pirouettes right out the door and into a whole new world, one
where she fits perfectly.
Across the world, Saturday mornings see young girls and boys going
off to do things like ballet and music and sport and so on because
their parents think they should, or they should enjoy them or the
parents are reliving their dreams, but how many are like Ada and
have no aptitude or passion for the activity? Many were the
freezing mornings I cycled many miles to piano lessons thinking of
excuses for not having practised until my long-suffering teacher
told my mum she was wasting her money. Based on the creator's one
disastrous attempt at ballet when she was four, this story will
resonate with those whose abilities, talents and interests lie
beyond those that they are expected to do.
The illustrations are very expressive - even the youngest non-reader
can tell that this is a story about an unhappy child who seems to
have a permanent scowl and for all their apparent simplicity, the
feelings of Miss Pointy and the other girls are very obvious.
With a predominantly gentle colour scheme, lime greens and bright
reds punctuate Ada's discomfort along with speech bubbles and
onomatopoeia giving it a fast pace that will encourage young readers
to read it for themselves independently without much trouble. The
final page is perfect.
Barbara Braxton
Literature to Support the Science Curriculum Foundation - 7 by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger
Pledger Consulting, 2016. ISBN 97801876678470
Teacher reference. Primary School. Highly recommended. Literature
to Support the Science Curriculum Foundation - 7 is a
collection of fiction and some non-fiction books linked to the
Australian Science curriculum. Teachers and librarians will have, at
their fingertips, a collection of relevant texts for each year level
as well as each Science strand. This book is a great way to make
sure English and Science curriculums are well linked. Each book is
matched to a year level and a Science strand and they have a brief
synopsis of the story. Teachers can check if the books are in their
school library or have their librarian order them in. The books
could be used as a class novel, to make sure the class has a
selection of themed books or to guide students to borrow age
appropriate texts.
Highly recommended for all primary schools. This book is supportive
of South Australia where year 7 students are still in primary
school.
Editor's note: It is available here.
Kylie Kempster
Zombiefied! Outbreak by C M Gray
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780733334238
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Zombiefied! Outbreak is book
three in the series and finds our main character, Ben, facing yet
another challenge. Since becoming a half zombie, Ben has had many
adventures and has been getting use to his new strength and infrared
vision. Unfortunately, Ben's brother is missing and zombie hunters
think Ben has attacked him. Ben is tricked into an underground room
where he discovers the hunters are his best friend's parents! What a
plot twist. Will Sophie defy her parents' orders and set him free?
While these events are occurring, a teacher is also watching Ben's
every move. Why does he seem to be everywhere Ben is? Does he have a
secret? Is he a zombie hunter or is he the Lurker (the zombie who is
very human and turns humans into zombies)? It is a race to find
Ben's brother and keep Sophie's parents safe. Zombiefied! Outbreak is a quick moving, hilarious tale. At a
time when zombies are popular, the story is an age appropriate and
engaging version for younger readers. The text is easy to read, the
characters are quirky, the events are funny and there is something
for everyone in the book. It is highly recommended to readers aged
7+ and will make a great addition to a school or class library. The
novel is also recommended for older students who want to read
popular fiction but are limited with their decoding skills.
Kylie Kempster
King baby by Kate Beaton
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406371758
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Babies, Family, Humour. No-one will be
able to hold back tears of laughter as the baby in this story is
shown at the centre of all that goes on within the family. We all
have experience of how a baby disrupts the orderly routine of the
household, and how it becomes the centre of everyone's attention,
but this wonderful picture book shows this with infectious wit and
humour. The proud parents show off their offspring to all visitors
in the first double page. They are all entranced, taking photos,
gurgling, cooing, holding, watching and kissing. But then it starts.
The demands come thick and fast: feed me, burp me, carry me and
change me, until the parents are exhausted, surrounded now not by
the neat, orderly house but a mess comprised of a load of baby
detritus.
I love the way the seemingly simple illustrations detail the baby's
moods and behaviors : aggression, boredom, smugness, contentment,
demanding and so on, all with a stroke of the pen for his mouth. His
crown is firmly stuck on his head as he goes from one development
stage to the next, despite his weary parents, but another story is
growing in the background in the last few pages, designed to knock
the crown from his head. I laughed out loud, with sniggers of
recognition at a baby's unfailing self centredness. This is a joy.
And an excellent read aloud and sharing story for younger readers
and adults alike.
Fran Knight
Scarlett and Ivy: The Dance in the Dark by Sophie Cleverly
Harper Collins Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9780007589227
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Scarlett and Ivy: The Dance in
the Dark is book 3 in the series. It refers back to the events
from book 1 and 2 so they are not needed to understand this story
but book sets are always good to read from the beginning. Scarlett and Ivy: The Dance in the Dark finds Scarlett and
Ivy, twin sisters, back at their boarding school Rookwood
after the evil principal has been removed. Everyone is hoping things
will get back to normal until the ballet teacher mysteriously
disappears, a strange (almost threatening) message is left on a
board, the horses are let out and a student is pushed from a window.
What is going on at Rookwood School? Are the girls and other
students safe or has the terror started again? Who is the Mistress
Zelda and what does her suspicious behaviour have to do with it all?
Can Scarlett, Ivy and their best friend Ariadne get to the bottom of
another mystery before someone else is injured? Scarlett and Ivy: The Dance in the Dark is an easy to read
novel with a quick moving storyline. It is also easy to follow and
easy to find favourite characters. The characters are a mixture of
different personalities and the subplots make the story interesting.
Readers will also cheer for Ivy as Penny (the bully of the story)
picks on her. They will cheer for Scarlett who just wants to protect
everyone. They will wonder who is behind all of the troubles but can
they read the clues and pick the instigator? The themes are well
suited to readers aged 10+ and is highly recommended for girls.
Kylie Kempster
Skyfire by Michael Adams
The Seven Signs series. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781743628010
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Adventure, Series, Awards, Thriller. When
seven young people win a DARE Award and are invited to join the
group, they find themselves enlisted to seek out the seven symbols
that predict what could mean the end of the world. The seven books
in this series offers the search for each of the symbols in turn,
with various characters involved in a cliff hanger of a tale. Each
book is less than 200 pages, told in short chapters, each about
different people within the group, and each involving high risk
behaviour and thrills.
The series, very plot driven and almost formulaic, is exciting and
page turning as the seven young people are all chosen to represent
as wide a group as possible, with several girls, a few from non
Anglo backgrounds, a couple who are more than they appear and some
from a different background. The mix is interesting and sure to
create a broad appeal, ensuring the reader wants to know what
happens to those characters they bond with but also intrigued about
how all seven will survive the thrills and spills as the story
unravels. This is a fast paced set of thrillers, engineered to grab
the reader's attentions from the start, devised to create a need
within the reader to buy or borrow the next books as they come out.
There is a website which invites participation, and enables children
to interact with the story and devise their own symbol, with the
possibility of winning prizes.
The second in the series is called Carnage and the remaining
books will follow over the next few months.
Fran Knight
Blue and other colours with Henri Matisse
Phaidon, 2016. ISBN 9780714871325
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. Board book, Matisse, Art, Colour. A board
book full of reproductions of Matisse's work with scissors, done
when he was old and arthritic, sitting in bed with painted paper and
a pair of scissors is offered to encourage younger children to
recognise colours through the medium of an artist's work. It is a
lovely book to hold and look at each page in turn. The text draws
the reader onto the next page, a child wondering what the words will
say as they explain the colours on each page. Some pages reflect one
colour, then another colour is added, then several colours are
shown, then the book comes back to one, adding a subtle level of
excitement for the reader. Reading aloud with a group of children
will encourage their colour recognition, involvement in an artist's
world and the possibility of trying the technique themselves. The
last double page shows a whole range of colours inviting the reader
to recognise and point to each in turn, the last page has a potted
history of Matisse and his work for the adult to read out to the
child and incorporate in the use of the book, while inside the front
cover is a list of all the works shown in the book with their
details. This is one of a series of board books published by
Phaidon, First Concepts with Fine Artists. Fran Knight
