Reviews

My Lovely Christmas Book

Laugh-out-loud Christmas jokes for kids by Rob Elliott

HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780062497918
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Jokes. Christmas. There are lots of laughs in this latest joke book from Rob Elliott. Kids will delight in the wacky humour - although adults may groan at some of the jokes. There are many of the favourite Knock Knock jokes that kids love eg.:
Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Muffin
Muffin who?
Naughty kids get muffin for Christmas
There are hundred of jokes that will delight children who love telling jokes to each other and adults. They will have lots of fun dipping into the book and finding their favourites and tricking friends and family. Here is another sample:
Why was the snowman so mean?
Because he was coldhearted.
Cute little illustrations are scattered throughout the book, which is a small paperback size, ideal for newly independent readers as well as older children.
This would be a great Christmas stocking filler or a fun book to have in the classroom to get a smile on children's faces during the countdown to Christmas.
Pat Pledger

The bush Santa ill. by Mandy Foot

Lothian, 2016. ISBN 9780734416865
(Age: 4+) Christmas, Australia, Cities, Australian animals. This Christmas book with illustrations by Mandy Foot, but no attributing of authorship, has a verse ballad, with a similar rhythm to The man from Snowy River as its base. The lines take the reader around Australia, dropping into various places set out on a map at the start of the book. Here the reader encounters a range of Australian animals with large soft eyes and enticing smiles.
Kids will love hearing the story read out loud, and join in as they get used to the scan and words. The rhythm of the lines is infectious. A second and third reading will ensure they catch on. A large wall map will help place the towns and cities mentioned and a standby book of Australian animals could be used to give the readers more information.
Fran Knight

Kokoda by Peter Fitzsimons

Hachette, 2016 . ISBN 9780734417435
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Peter Fitzsimons has done an excellent job of creating a teen edition of his book Kokoda. The text reads like a novel yet there are no fictional elements and the work does justice to the amazing exploits of those 'ragged bloody heroes' without the inclusion of content inappropriate for teens. The stunning performance of a poorly trained, inadequately supplied militia, who fought to the death to stop a ferocious enemy, whilst grossly outnumbered, sickened by tropical diseases and suffering malnutrition, is the main focus of this book.
As an Australian who is proud of those who gave military service to our country, I am simultaneously conscious of the need to avoid any hint of glorification of war in literature. Fitzsimons shows unashamed reverence for those who endured almost impossible conditions in the New Guinea jungle as he recounts the courage shown by military units and the almost unbelievable bravery of individuals. Whilst doing so, he emphasises terrible suffering, almost unimaginable fear and the trauma, both physical and mental, which affected those soldiers for the rest of their lives.
The exploits of these soldiers have become legendary in the Australian mindset and it is important that we are reminded of the historical facts, to help us remain grounded, avoiding myth and imaginative dramatisation. In explaining the significance of the 'chocolate soldier' militia and the enormous respect that the 39th Battalion earned, Fitzsimons does not shy away from acknowledging the fact that the 53rd Battalion largely failed its military objectives and did not serve with distinction. Importantly, the author notes that these servicemen had completely inadequate training and suffered from terrible organisation and planning in the early stages of the operation. Similarly, Fitzsimons is to be commended for having the courage to openly criticise the Australian General Blamey for his arrogance, ignorance and incompetence during the campaign. Further, the author is also bold enough to voice that General Douglas MacArthur was similarly incompetent and that many Australian and American lives were wasted due his idiotic orders influenced by an inflated ego and an unawareness of reality due to being nowhere near the action. This is important, given that MacArthur was accorded heroic status by a tame press and film industry.
I recommend this book to teenagers of 12+ years and to adults who will enjoy it whilst learning a great deal.
Rob Welsh

Artie and the grime wave written and illustrated by Richard Roxburgh

Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760292140
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Ok, so Richard Roxburgh is a talented actor and director in both theatre and screen and of course the star of 'Rake'. Now he's added writing and illustrating to his portfolio in a very successful way. I mean to say, he's good looking as well? Talk about take out a jackpot! Anyway, I digress, so on with the review.
For your kids who love the rambunctious humour of the likes of Andy Griffith, Tristan Bancks, or Aaron Blabey and get the hysterical giggles over a few fart mentions this is perfect.
Artie and his friend Bumshoe are not the most popular kids in town. One is skinny, has lost his dad which has sent his mum into a deep depression, and the other is a chubby one-of-many in a pretty 'relaxed' family.
When these two discover a Cave-of-Possibly-Stolen-Stuff they realise that the dodgy Mayor Grime is somehow involved with this gang of thugs. There have been so many thefts around town that everyone is on high alert yet no one wants to believe the two boys. Artie in particular is determined to rescue his lovely neighbour Gladys' pet tortoise which has apparently been pet-napped with many other creatures. But the two boys lack a serious amount of luck when it comes to finding a solution to the problem and end up in all sorts of trouble - including being almost eaten! An eccentric old lady who dabbles in high-tech inventions although continually coated in talc, a mum who rouses herself into tigress mode at exactly the right time and the stalwart support of good friends and neighbours saves the day.
Artie is no hulking hero but he stands up for what he believes and stands up to the bullies - and that's an important message for any reader.
Any kid will love the part when one of the thugs has his bum bitten by the gang's savage guard dog while enduring the world's worst wedgie and will certainly love Aunty-boy's invention the Fartex 120Y.
Highly recommended for readers who like to laugh out loud - from around 9 years old upwards.
Sue Warren

Amazing animals of Australia's national parks by Gina M Newton

NLA, 2016. ISBN 9780642278883
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. National parks (Australia). Animals. Habitat. With a stunning array of photographs, easy to use maps and fact files, every page is a treat and will be a sort after reference and non fiction read for middle school people.
Divided into Woodlands, Arid lands, Forests, Mountains, Wetlands and Coasts, the diversity of Australian animals is shown. Contents pages at the start of the book direct readers to the various pages of animals, while the index at the back will be well used. Included with the index is a good glossary of terms, several pages of references and an acknowledgement of the source of the photographs.
Each section is further divided into sub headings, Birds, Monotremes, Placental animals, Fish and Reptiles, for example. One section which interested me is the Arid Lands. In this can be found several pages of information about arid lands and photos which will pinpoint how they look for the younger reader. The following pages show a range of reptiles: Thorny Devil, Gecko, Perentie and Shingleback, followed by a Brown Snake, Water Holding frog, several birds and animals like the Bilby, Red Kangaroo and Chokka. Each page has a large picture of the animal, a small map pointing out where it lives, a fast fact box with information about its size and weight, and a Question/answer style of presentation to give the reader facts about that animal. All adds up to an inviting and detailed examination of the animal pictured, and will intrigue and inform the readers.
On each page is the scientific name of the animals, a traffic light telling the reader about the conservation status of the animal, along with a code which indicates which habitat it lives in, and its national park. It is well worth perusing the guide pages (8 and 9) which give readers a hand to interpreting the pages of information.
Fran Knight

Ella by Nicole Godwin and Demelsa Haughton

Tusk Books, 2016. ISBN 9780994531407
(Picture book) Ella is a baby elephant with a broken heart. Taken from her mother at a very early age to become part of the tourist attractions in Thailand, she is shackled by a large chain, poked with a bullhook to be the centre of tourist photos and expected to paint pictures and be the drawcard at weddings. Always hungry, her only friend is a scrawny chicken but her greatest wish is to see her mother again and be reunited with her. Wherever she goes she is on the lookout for her and follows every lead that she hopes will be successful, particularly when she sees her future in the eyes of an old and broken elephant saddled with a howdah and expected to enjoy carrying tourists with a need to say they have ridden an elephant.
One night during a fierce storm Ella is sure she has found her but just as she is about to meet up, she is hit by a car and left on the side of the road. But all is not lost, for Ella is picked up and hauled into a truck that drives away to a... sanctuary.
Written to give a voice to elephants and all other creatures held captive for the tourism market, this is a touching story that tugs at the heartstrings as the reader is given an insight into what really happens behind the scenes of what seems like an innocuous activity. Despite the charming illustrations that suggest a story for the very young, the front cover gives a clue that this is not a happy, sweetness-and-light story and despite its uplifting ending readers are bound to have questions they want answered. Some of these are provided on the final pages of the book while others might need some research. Along with Elizabeth Stanley's The deliverance of dancing bears and Katherine Applegate's The one and only Ivan it would make an ideal springboard into the use and treatment of animals as tourist attractions and spark a lot of debate about the ethical issues and changing attitudes towards animals in captivity.
Thought-provoking and worthy of a place on the library's shelves.
Barbara Braxton

Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children by Ransom Riggs

Quirk Books, 2016. ISBN 9781594749025
(Age: Young adult) Recommended. This is a quirky fantasy tale of a young boy's quest to uncover the story behind his grandfather's dying words in very unusual circumstances. The fantasy tale reveals a community of very peculiar children locked in a time loop, and their struggles to overcome an attack from an unusual source.
The story is very readable once you get past the first few chapters where the main character is undergoing psychological struggles and treatment. The book also includes some very bizarre photographs (set in 1940's).
There is nothing unsavoury in this story but it is most unusual and I can recommend it for young adult readers.
Carolyn Hull

Home in the rain by Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406368239
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Families, Relationships, Rain, Home. This story of family and home replicates themes Graham has always used, ones which are persistently asked for by readers of all ages, ones picked up eagerly when seen in the library, classroom or shop. My now 35 year old son was not a reader, but when a book seller came to town and set up his display, my son ran to the Bob Graham books, recognising their familiarity, grabbing them with a please buy these for me look to his parents, and sitting down to read in the shop.
This will be just as eagerly sought by younger readers, as Francie and her mum and only just showing new baby sister drive home from Grandma's house in the teeming rain. They are caught between huge lorries plying the motorway, one of which pushes their little red car onto the verge. In the parking bay they take a rest from the incessant rain and traffic, and eat the lunch that grandma made for them. After drawing her family's names on the windows Francie asks her mum about her new baby sister. She is interested in what this new baby will be called. Mum tells her that no name has been chosen, but when an idea comes she will know. They go on their way, with the rain and then hail still making their journey difficult. At a service station, mum has an idea about a name, and so Francie is able to write that name on the car's window, just as she did with her own and her parents.
Bob Graham has the ability to make a small moment one of significance and portent. A child and her mother deciding on a new name for a baby sister is full of significance for this small family, with their father working away from home and grandma also living far away. It will not have been noticed by any other person but for this family, it is remarkable. And this is reflected in the beautiful drawings, as the sun comes out guiding their way back home.
Graham uses his masterful technique to bring the feeling of their journey to life, as they are squeezed between the many trucks on the highway, slowed by the rain, shown in large white lines across most of the pages. Their small car is diminished by the stream of trucks, but it stands out in the sea of grey, while the edges of the pages and the highway are tinged with blackberry bushes and small animals, bringing the countryside into view. Each page offers a perspective to think about: the highway signs pointing to home, the sweets found in the car pockets, mum kicking off her shoes to rest, the other people at the service station, the view of the oil rig out to sea, perhaps showing us where dad works. I love every page and all who pick up this book will too.
Fran Knight

The road to winter by Mark Smith

Text, 2016. ISBN 9781925355123
(Age: secondary) Recommended. Thriller, Dystopia, Survival, CLimate change, Virus. After sheltering a girl he finds on the beach, Finn must work out a way of surviving with another person who relies on him. But a group of enraged men comes searching for her. 90% of women have been killed by a virus after climate change has caused untold damage along the coast. Finn was prepared when he and his father locked away goods and equipment, and now with both parents dead, Finn has a safe place. But the girl, Rose, adds another level of complexity to his survival, and while getting to know her, each reveals a little of their background and what has happened to Australia.
A dystopian novel bringing in themes of future climate change, refugees, survival, the story is a classic thriller, with two people trying to evade capture by a group of men who resort to appalling violence to get what they want. Finn unexpectedly finds another group of survivors, but who can he trust? Some of this group does not trust him, others see a young man who can work on their farm, others reveal their humanity, but the extreme views within the group concern him. Only when Ramage shows up with his gang does Finn take action and leave, but this time with two more girls in tow.
He returns to find that Rose is missing and with her baby due anytime, they set out to find her and what happened to her in the safe place.
A real page turner, the book grabbed me from the start, impelling me to find out what happens, driven along with the theme of survival and all it entails living away from any vestige of law and order.
Behind the story is the thread of what has happened to these two sisters, Rose and Kas, asylum seekers with electronic tags, sold to the highest bidder to work on people's farms, or worse, treated as slaves. This part of the story will certainly have readers thinking about the possibilities of what happens to refugees the world over, encouraging a more humane approach to their plight. Teacher's notes are available at the publisher's website.
Fran Knight

The Hello Atlas by Ben Handicott

Ill. by Kenard Pak. Wide Eyed Editions, 2016. ISBN 9781847808493
(Age: Primary) Recommended. Theme: Language; Social Atlas.This is a language atlas that can be read - but it is also linked to a child-friendly free downloadable App that 'speaks' basic phrases in each of the languages that is highlighted in the pictorial Atlas.
The book is organised by Continents, highlighting the array of languages that are spoken and gives basic information about the 'age' and features of these languages. Following this main page are picture pages with basic phrases used by each language. (Used in conjunction with the App, a child could also learn how to pronounce each phrase as well as see it written - a valuable feature for a book about language.) Even Antarctica has languages highlighted - for the researchers and scientists who are stationed there. Note: Only a small number of Aboriginal languages are highlighted in Australia, but it does mention that there are more that exist.
The text also indicates where languages are at risk of extinction and why, and also why it is good to retain an original language. For children just learning that their own language is not the only one in use in the world, this book makes a delightful resource, particularly when used in conjunction with the App (easily downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.)
Recommended (Particularly as a School Library resource for Primary Schools)
Carolyn Hull

One half from the east by Nadia Hashimi

HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780062572196
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Afghanistan, Gender roles. The idea of Bacha Posh is very new to me in the context in which it is presented in this page turner of a book. Girls who dress as boys in some Muslim countries have done so to earn money for their families when there are no men, as presented in Deborah Ellis' book, Parvana (2002) but in this book it has a different tack, with one of the youngest girls in the family dressing and behaving as a boy because the family has no sons, and apart from saving face, the myth is that if a daughter dresses in this way then their next child will be a boy.
Obayd learns to love his new role as a boy, playing games, having no chores to do, going to school, but when his friend, Rahim is taken out of school and engaged to be married, then Obayd is distraught because he knows that his friend, another girl like him does not want this to happen. They have both hoped for a miracle to happen allowing them to stay male for the rest of their lives. Obayd does the impossible, visiting twelve year old Rahim in the compound where she has been sent to marry and knowing of her plight, he then treks to the mountains to find a rainbow, believing in the old legend that this will change him for good.
His family is distraught and Obayd's mother does the only thing she can, she changes his clothes and replaces them with his female dress. Back to her real name, Obayda is terribly upset, knowing that being a boy gives her privileges, opportunities and status that girls will never have and seeing Rahim's plight is frightened something similar will happen to her.
This is a fascinating story and will give readers the opportunity to explore their own ideas about gender roles and stereotyping at length. In a class the discussions would be most fruitful.
Fran Knight

The giant's necklace by Michael Morpurgo

Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406357127
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Coming hot on the heels of my review of Michael's Such stuff is this absolutely beautiful short story/novella which is both poignant and thrilling. And of course, now I also want to know the 'prompt' for this particular story.
A family is on their annual summer holiday on the Cornish coast in the same cottage in which they always stay. As usual the secluded little beach is all theirs and for the entire stay, Cherry, the youngest in the family, has been vigilantly collecting perfect pink cowrie shells and stringing them into a 'giant's' necklace much to the amusement of her four older brothers.
On the last day of the holiday Cherry is short of her target by only about a hundred shells and knows that she can achieve her goal. Knowing the child is safe on the beach the family go back to pack up ready for the next morning's departure leaving Cherry with her fixation.
But when the weather turns bad and the sea turns worse Cherry is cut off from her usual path home. At first she is frightened but realises she should be able to climb the cliff to safety. A strange light from a cave attracts her attention midway and she finds herself in an old copper mine where two old-fashioned Cornishmen are working away. They sense her distress, warm her and comfort her and eventually the younger man leads her to the surface and she is able to find her way home.
No spoilers here - to find out the twist in the tail/tale you will have to read it for yourself.
Beautifully presented in a small hardback with stunning illustrations and delicious glossy pages, this is a treat for the senses.
Highly recommended for readers from around nine years up.
Sue Warren

A first book of animals by Nicola Davies

Ill. by Petr Horacek. Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406359633
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Animals. Poetry. A large format, hard-covered book filled with glorious illustrations of a vast variety of animals on our planet, accompanied by poems of varying styles and length, each of which talk about their habitat will be pored over by younger readers. They will read the poems out loud or share them with friends, laughing at the antics of the animals presented, but also taking in a great deal of information.
Entitled A first book of animals, it is not what most would expect, a tome with lots of pictures and a catalogue of information in a non fiction style, with perhaps maps and a fact file. Instead we find poems of varying length and style, some blank verse, others with rhyming lines or stanzas, some almost like limericks, but all readable and accessible for younger readers. The illustrations give the pages pizzazz with most colourful and engaging pictures, covering the whole double page. Younger readers will love searching out the various things in the background of each page against which the animal is set.
I loved the pages on the zebra and the camel, and can now work out the difference between the one humped and two humped camel.
The contents pages show the book is divided into five sections: Big and small, Colours and shape, Animal homes, Animal babies and Animals in action, and each section contains about a dozen animals to consider. Younger readers will learn about using a contents page and be able to select which animal they wish to look at in detail.
Fran Knight

Triple crown by Felix Francis

Jefferson Hinkley Bk 3. Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471155482
(Age: 15+) Crime. Mystery. Horse racing. Jeff Hinkley is back, this time taking the reader on a ride to the US, behind the scenes in the American racing industry. Jeff Hinkley has been seconded by the US Federal Anti-Corruption in Sports Agency (FACSA) as an outsider to see if he can find the mole in the organisation, who is letting corrupt trainers know when they will be raided. He is able to set up some structures for this to happen, but on a raid at the Kentucky Derby, things go wrong and a trainer is shot dead. Going undercover as a groom, Jeff faces danger as trainers go for broke, in the hope of winning the coveted Triple Crown.
The theme of drugs in sport came to the fore in this novel, and it was fascinating to read how Jeff had to contend with the problem of new ways of drugging horses. There were a few surprises and some thrilling action in the last part of the book that kept me reading to the end.
I have been a big fan of the novels by Dick Francis and enjoyed Refusal and Damage by Felix Francis, but this one fell a little flat for me. Even though the information about the American racing scene and life as a groom was interesting, at times it felt as if it was more important than the mystery and suspense, for which both Felix and his father Dick Francis have been known. Nevertheless, as I did really enjoy Damage, I will pick up any Jeff Hinkley novels in the future, hoping that there is more character development and a faster paced plot for him then.
Pat Pledger