Ill. by John Kelly. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408858677
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Caleb Krisp's quirky heroine returns in Somebody
stop Ivy Pocket. She is now the adopted daughter of Ezra and
Mother Snagsby, owners of a thriving business that offer generous
discounts for pre-measured coffins. Ivy's role is to read a
suitable, sombre funereal poem for the nearly departed and leave
her parents to complete the transactions. Ivy is still guilty over
the loss of her friend Rebecca and is helped by mysterious
librarian, Miss Carnage, in her quest to find her whereabouts. Ivy
must also protect the Clock Diamond from the evil Miss Always, who
seems to be skulking around every corner!
Ivy's conversations are filled with irony, sarcasm and witticisms;
she marches through her difficult life with aplomb. Being locked in
her room is not a challenge, just the start of another adventure.
She meets problems head on and always seeks to find the truth, even
searching for the Snagsby's long lost daughter Adelaide. When the
beautiful heiress Estelle asks Ivy to investigate the mystery behind
her brother's death, of course she accepts the challenge.
Here is another fast-paced plot, filled with spies and villains, set
against the backdrop of Victorian England, with dusty drawingrooms,
solitary graveyards and a workhouse where Ivy is locked up. Magic
and mystery abound, fate and fortune follow the brave heroine. This
second book draws closely upon the threads of the first book Anyone
but Ivy Pocket; they must be read in order. This narrative takes a
little longer to engage with and is suited to a more confident
reader who is happy to be drawn into the multi-layered plot.
John Kelly's fun black and white cartoons add a depth and insight
into the difficult situations and quirky characters that Ivy Pocket
faces.
Rhyllis Bignell
The square root of summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Macmillan 2016. ISBN 9781509808281
(Age: Adolescent) Grief. Love. Quantum physics. Time travel. Family.
Gottie's mother died when she was born and she lives with her German
Dad and older brother, uni student Ned, in a small seaside village in
Norfolk. Her charismatic grandfather, Grey, had been the one to hold
the family together until his sudden death and 17 year old Gottie
has found it difficult to adjust, becoming withdrawn and isolated.
'...ever since the day Grey died, talking exposes me. As though
I'm the opposite of invisible but everyone can see right through me'
For Grottie maths and physics offer answers to fundamental
questions she has about the world and she starts to research
spacetime, black holes, and wormholes for a pre-university essay
suggested by her teacher. Trying to figure out quantum physics
combined with a wish to wind back time to before her grandfather
died starts to have some disconcerting effects. In revisiting last
summer she gradually puts together a new perspective on the events,
including falling in love and having sex with her brother's best
friend Jason who rejected her when she needed him most after Grey's
death. Working through her memories, reconnecting with her friend
Sof and the reappearance of her childhood best friend Thomas who has
been living in Canada, helps her to properly grieve, to fall in love
again and to grow closer to her family. The narrative weaves
together past events and alternate realities which can be confusing
but Gottie's relationship with the other characters builds
continuity and ultimately it all seems to fall into place
organically resolving a complex story of grief, growth and love.
Essentially a first love romance, it will appeal to adolescent girls
looking for a bit more complexity. Marisha Pessl's Special
topics in calamity physics has similar appeal.
Sue Speck
Who's next? Guess who? by Anton Poitier
Ill. by Sophia Touliatou. The Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN
9781760403133
(Ages: 3-5) Recommended. This is another search and guess book
similar to the previous Five Mile Press publication Who's had a
poo? However, this one has softer, more detailed
illustrations, and is more pleasurable and appealing than the other
offering. The structure of the book is a little I went walking,
with a new animal joining the group on each page; however, on each
page one of the animals also leaves the group. The reader is told
who joins the group each time ('A silly seal came next, with a
scaredy-spider') but is only given clues (you can see a portion of
the animal at the side of the page) about who has left and who will
come next. Each page prompts, 'Who left? Guess who came next?' So,
in this way, the group grows until a crocodile comes along. Who
left? Everyone did! As with Who's had a poo?, all the
animals are also labelled and pictured on the final endpapers, so
children can name them. This is a simple, but effective interactive
book for parents and children to share. It encourages conversation
and careful observation, and will test the memory and concentration
of parents as well as children!
Nicole Nelson
Coffin Road by Peter May
Quercus, 2016. ISBN 9781784293093
(Age: Senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
Scotland, Bees. Washed ashore on the island of Harris, a man has no
idea of who he is or why he is where he is. He can recall being in
the sea and knows that he has a head wound, but beyond that,
nothing. He struggles up the beach and heads towards a cluster of
houses, and realises that one is his. Here he searches the place for
some clue of his identity and finds nothing. A woman who comes into
his house and later into his bed, obviously knows him intimately and
when they follow the dog the next day up the hills from his house,
they stumble over a group of beehives. He finds small pieces of
information grabbing his attention but none is able to create a
proper memory of who he is and why he is there.
When a body is discovered on the island off shore, an island he has
been seen at, DS Gunn takes him in for questioning, but he stalls,
not willing to say that he has no memory. Meanwhile in Edinburgh, a
young girl works out that her father, believed to have suicided two
years ago, is alive and sets out to search for him. She knows that
his research student is near Harris and thinks she may be able to
find her father through him. Along the way she meets her father's
old friend who tells her about the research that her father was
involved with before his 'suicide'. He and several others were
researching the effect of neonicotinoids used in crop sprays upon
the bee populations around the world, linking their decline to the
effect of these sprays on their memories. Without remembering where
to find pollen, the bees die, which means that the pollination of
our major food sources will not occur and so we will die.
This research is being undermined by the global spray manufacturers
and so several men, after losing their positions in laboratories
funded by these companies, have decided to do the research in
secret.
Karen in searching for her father stumbles into the secret research
and so the strands come together, of Karen looking for her father,
of the secret research, of the death on the island.
DS Gunn is a wonderful ploy to the amnesiac, asking questions,
liking the man but aware that he could be a killer, giving him the
opportunity to work things out. The exciting last chapter where all
the threads come together on a bleak night off Harris, is
mesmerising as May's description of the weather and the surrounds
grabs attention. His presenting of the theme of the suppression of
data by big companies is mind boggling, and a short trawl using
Google will add to the readers' knowledge.
Fran Knight
This hungry dragon by Heath McKenzie
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760151508
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Dragons, Food. This hungry dragon simply does
not know when to stop. First he eats the little owl in the tree,
then the fox, on to the pig and then the bear. Each time he gorges
on another meal, the animal he eats is bigger than the last.
Children will laugh out loud seeing the dragon get bigger as the
book progresses, the lovely rhyming stanzas prompting them to
predict what the rhyming word will be. And the colourful
illustrations work beautifully, reflecting the cheeky very hungry
dragon. His large frame fills the cover inviting readers to open the
book to see why he is so huge.
When he becomes the size of a house and feels a little unwell, he
determines to call in the doctor whose x-ray of the dragon's stomach
is most revealing. Children will laugh out loud at all the other
things dragon has eaten and wonder how the doctor will escape with
the other animals inside dragon's stomach. But the doctor comes up
with a cunning plan and they are expelled, the dragon learning a
lesson he will not forget.
This is a delightful tale, well told in rhyming couplets and
beautifully illustrated leading to much discussion about eating.
Fran Knight
Play School: The Useful Book illustrated by Jedda Robaard
ABC Books, 2016. ISBN 9780733334016
(Ages: 3-6) It is 50 years since Play School first went to air and
37 years since the first edition of The Useful Book. Times
may have changed, but Play School is still a program beloved by
children and parents around the country and The Useful Book
is just as relevant: filled with ideas for play using common
household items. The book is aimed at parents of preschool children,
but some older children will also enjoy flicking through and picking
out craft and cooking activities. This book will appeal to parents
who struggle to think of creative activities to do with their
children and don't know many songs or nursery rhymes, as well as
those just looking for fresh ideas for a rainy day. The book has
pictures, but they are in black and white, so will not appeal
greatly to young children. There are some activities suitable for
children from one year of age, but most suit three and four year
olds, who will enjoy flicking through with a parent, singing and
finding creative play ideas. The text itself talks directly to
parents and gives ideas about what things children may be able to do
independently. Although it sometimes mentions the educational
aspects of the activities, it mainly focuses on children's
enjoyment, which is refreshing. Perfect for big and little Play
School fans.
Nicole Nelson
This is where the world ends by Amy Zhang
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780062417879
(Age: 14+) This is where the world ends by Amy Zhang is a
vibrant and brilliant novel full to the brim with relatable emotions
and situations. Although the novel has some more sombre themes to
it, there are many aspects of this book that speak to teens and how
they are coping with everyday life and any tragedy within their
lives. It is a story about Janie and Micah and their nearly opposite
personalities. They are best friends and have been since they were
children, even as they grew up and apart, they still had a strong
connection to each other.
The story is not set in the traditional linear fashion of novels,
but rather, each character tells the sad story from their own stance
in the timeline, all to unravel the truth of what really happened
one deep dark night (just like in the setting of one of Janie's
fairytales) and the outcome of such a sad event. The story line of
the novel follows both Janie and Micah in their everyday experiences
separate to each other at school and at home and includes their
inner-monologues and thoughts about themselves and each other. Amy
Zhang has included another way of telling the thrilling and powerful
story by including excerpts from The Journal of Janie Vivian. These
pages include drawings and designs relevant to the character and
display another means of character expression throughout the novel.
This book would be better suited to readers 14+ due to sexual and
violent themes found within the story. This is where the world ends is a strong and fierce novel
that captivates readers, relates to readers and gives them another
perspective on life through the collective eyes of Janie and Micah,
two very strong and memorable characters.
Sarah Filkin
Steve goes to carnival by Joshua Button
Ill. by Robyn Wells. Magabala Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925360219
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Gorillas, Zoos, Rio de Janeiro, Jazz,
Friendship. An array of animals lives in the zoo in Rio de Janeiro.
The jaguars pace in their den, the elephant stretches out his trunk
for an ice cream, the howler moneys do what they are known for, the
sloths sway gently, the anteater eats its dinner and the lion licks
his lips. But the gorilla called Steve simply waits for the keeper,
Antonio to appear. They are the best of friends, and share a love of
jazz. Antonio often sits with Steve in the evening listening to the
radio. One night Steve misses Antonio and lifts the latch of his
cage to search for him. Outside the zoo he finds a wide-brimmed hat,
the perfect disguise. He catches the yellow tram into the city and
sees and hears the sights and sounds of Carnival. Hearing some
familiar music he enters the Blue Jaguar Jazz Club and spies Antonio
playing his saxophone. They greet each other fondly and Steve takes
the hand of a dancer and sways to the music. But his hat falls from
his head revealing who he is. Without missing a beat the beautiful
dancer picks up his hat and places it on his head and they resume
dancing, twisting and turning into the night.
What a wonderful story, rich in meaning, giving information about
Rio through the writing in a splendidly subtle way, and reflecting a
contemporary illustrative technique which grabs the attention of the
readers.
Younger readers will thrill to the images of Carnival in Rio,
reflecting on the city that is shortly to host the Olympic Games.
Portuguese words dot the text and pictures, introducing the reader
to the words they may well hear during the Games. Some of these
words appear in a short glossary at the end, and readers will have a
great deal of fun after reading this story finding other words and
working out their meanings, particularly those reflecting Brazil's
food and festivities.
This is an enchanting story, impressive in its detail of life in
Rio, allowing readers to assimilate information about Rio and its
lifestyle without feeling they are reading a text. The background of
head dresses, trams, favelas, people and buildings all form part of
the vividly drawn streetscapes for readers to linger over. The
vibrant pictures will easily grab their imaginations as the
illustrations stretch and sway, move and meander across the pages.
Joshua Button is a descendant of the Walmajari people of the
Kimberley, and lives in Broome. His first picture book, Joshua
and the two crabs was released with acclaim in 2008, and he
worked with Robyn Wells on this book starting at her kitchen table
in 2006. And I hope he has more work in progress.
Fran Knight
The mystery of the clockwork sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
The mystery of the clockwork sparrow bk. 1. Egmont, 2015.
ISBN 9781405276177
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Mystery. Thriller. Fabulous for fans of
mysteries and adventure this sparkling story set in the beautiful
rooms of a gorgeous new department store will tantalise with its
plucky heroines, brave young boys and evil villains. Sophie and Lil
both work in Sinclair's which is going to open with a grand fanfare
and a wonderful collection of jewellery and artifacts, including a
clockwork sparrow that plays tunes at random. When it is stolen,
suspicion falls on Sophie and with her friends Lil, Billy and Joe,
she sets out to find who has stolen it.
This is a ripping adventure story, with some breathtaking moments
as the four friends face the most dastardly villains in London. The
setting of the Edwardian store Sinclair's, with its clothing
departments and restaurants, courtyards and basements, provides a
grand background for the youthful sleuths to track down clues and
face enormous danger.
This is a fun and compelling read, and is sure to please readers who
want some excitement and adventure in their reading or those who
enjoyed Murder
most unladylike by Robin Stevens. It is
followed by The mystery of the jewelled moth, and I am sure
our intrepid detectives will once again face the danger of the
criminal underbelly of London.
Pat Pledger
Miss Mae's Saturday by Justine Flynn and J. Yi
Random House Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780857988584
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Grandmothers. Imagination. Oh no - it's
raining and Miss Mae is dismayed to find that she won't be taking
one of her trips out with her grandmother. Instead they will have to
stay inside. Then Grandma comes along with a big, empty cardboard
box and things start to improve.
Grandma is smart and knows that a cardboard box can take you
anywhere if only you use your imagination. She swoops them off to
Africa where they see a lion and a rhino. They soar into the air in
an aeroplane and fly to Korea in springtime, partaking in a
beautiful tea ceremony, and then they zoom off in a space rocket to
make a rocky landing on the moon.
The illustrations show an exuberant Grandma and Miss Mae having the
time of their lives as well as depicting the majesty of Africa and
the beauty of spring in Korea.
Both the story and the illustrations would be a great springboard at
home and in the classroom to get children to use their imaginations
and plan where they would like to go on a rainy day. They could even
write about their adventures.
Pat Pledger
The pony show by Kate Welshman
Ill. by Heath Mackenzie. Pine Valley Ponies series; bk 3.
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743624326
(Age: 7+) Horse-riding. Gymkhanas. Friendship. Overcoming
challenges. Maddy is back with her pony Snowy and they are having
fun getting ready for the local gymkhana. She is rather apprehensive
about it and is doing her best to get the skills that she needs to
show off her pony in his best light and as her mother says, to have
fun while she is doing it.
Readers who are fascinated by horses will find much to interest them
in this chapter book. There are lots of tips about riding and the
events in a gymkhana are described as an integral part of the story,
as well as in a glossary at the back of the book and the big message
of the story is that there are 'different horses for different
courses' as Maddy and her friends work out what competitions they
and their horses are best suited for.
Friendship plays another important role in the story and this time
Maddy finds that Alita is not as stuck up as she thought. In fact
she is very helpful and teaches Maddy how to plait Snowy's mane and
give him rosettes and a perfectly groomed tail. Of course Snowy is
not a pony who likes looking perfect - he prefers to roll in the
mud! Heath Mackenzie's illustrations have captured his personality
and appearance in a very humourous way that adds to the appeal of
the book.
This series is a perfect choice for a newly independent reader who
likes horses. Although the third book about Maddy and Snowy it was
very easy to pick up the story and characters without having read
the earlier books, and this is a bonus for children who want books
about horse riding.
Pat Pledger
The Pain, my mother, Sir Tiffy, Cyber Boy and me by Michael Gerard Bauer
Omnibus Books, 2016. ISBN 9781742991504
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Adolescent. Family relations.Michael
Gerard Bauer is one of my favourite authors and once again he has
produced a highly entertaining and positive book that is sure to
appeal to his readers. Maggie Butt is faced with the Pain, the man
her mother is dating. She is determined that he won't take over
their lives and finds it very hard to put up with his weird sense of
humour. Then there's the formal that she needs a date for, the geek
Cyber Boy in the library and old Bert Duggan at the nursing home
that she has to talk to and life seems pretty dismal. Add a
bedraggled cat named Sir Tiffy and things begin to move along.
Laced with humour, puns and Macbeth quotes, this novel lifts the
spirits as Maggie Butt navigates through the stormy waters of
adolescence, gradually moving from being very self absorbed to
gaining an understanding of the needs and emotions of those around
her. Written in the first person, the reader gets to know Maggie
really well as she describes her life at home, and her encounters
with the Pain. Her attempts to strike up a conversation with Bert, a
very difficult man at the nursing home, are very amusing as are her
attempts not to become attached to the cat Sir Tiffy, the origin of
whose name will bring some wry smiles when it is revealed. I read
this book in one sitting, enjoying the light hearted way that it was
written. It would be a thought provoking and fun book to use as a
class novel or literature circle novel.
Pat Pledger
Introducing Teddy: A story about being yourself by Jessica Walton
Ill. by Dougal MacPherson. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781681192116
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Diversity. Gender identity. Young Errol's
life is filled with enjoyment, together with his best friend Thomas
the teddy, they ride their bike, plant vegetables and share lunch in
the tree house. One sunny day Errol wakes up ready for another
play-filled day. Thomas, however, is feeling very sad, and even
swinging at the park doesn't help.
Errol and his teddy, Thomas, are best friends who do everything
together. Whether it's riding a bike, playing in the tree house,
having a tea party, every day is enjoyable. The mood changes when
the teddy gathers enough courage to share his deepest feelings. 'In
my heart, I've always known that I'm a girl teddy, not a boy teddy.
I wish my name was Tilly, not Thomas.' Errol's heartwarming response
is one of acceptance, he just wants his teddy to continue to share
playtimes together and continue to be his best friend.
Author Jessica Walton's easy to read narrative was written from her
personal family experiences. Her father transitioned into becoming
Tina, and she saw the need of writing a story to help her young
son develop an understanding of gender identity and the process of
transitioning. Dougal MacPherson's ink-and-watercolour illustrations
are emotionally engaging, the stark grey playground asphalt adds to
the mood of the story. The teddy's transformation cleverly drawn
with the bow-tie transitioning into a hair bow. Light and shade, the
important use of white space, background washes of blue and yellow
draw the eye to focus on the engaging Errol, Thomas/Tilly and their
friend Ava at play.
Accepting diversity and gender identity are the key messages in
Introducing Teddy.
Rhyllis Bignell
Editor's note: There is a Friendship
Activity pack available.
The truth according to Arthur : a book about fibbing by Tim Hopgood
Ill. by David Tazzyman. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408864999
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Lying, Honesty, Accidents. With the sub
title, a book about fibbing the reader knows from the start
that this book will be educative. But it does so in a highly
entertaining way. At first a little reluctant to read a didactic
tome, I was surprised at the way the story is presented and the
illustrations serve a level of humour which is infectious, and the
layout of the book, with its different sized fonts, made the reading
a pleasure.
Arthur has ridden his brother's bike, something he has been told not
to do, and as a result, scratched his parents' car and damaged the
bike. He is at a loss to decide what to do. He practises many
stories on his friends: he tries bending the truth, and stretching
the truth, of hiding the truth or just ignoring it. Each attempt at
not telling the truth leads him to another mess which is not
believed by his friends. The truth, a gray blob that accompanies him
but is often ignored, stands by him, reminding him of what he should
do. When the time comes he owns up to what he has done, and now the
truth and Arthur are the best of friends. Mum's predicted response
was not what he expected and telling the truth gained him admiration
not punishment.
The line and colour wash illustrations are deceptively simple,
adding humour to the story. Readers will laugh out loud at the
consequences of Arthur's attempts at distorting the truth,
recognising their own efforts at covering their tracks. This book
will initiate much discussion within classes and with children at
home.
Fran Knight
Remade by Alex Scarrow
Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781509811205
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. 'It hasn't liquefied all of this
person yet.'
This book is a real seat of the pants ride through the unthinkable.
'Replication was the highest priority. Very soon it had 'fathered' a
copy of itself, and now both of them were working hard on
replicating again.'
Are you intrigued?
'He poured out his Weetos and drenched them in milk, little realising
that this was going to be the last 'normal' breakfast time he was
ever going to experience.'
Alex Scarrow has crafted a book that has the reader compulsively
turning the pages, hoping that what looks to be happening will
somehow not happen on the next page. The writing creates an
atmosphere of tension, dread and horror that make this book
impossible to put down.
The scene is a previously unidentified virus erupting in several
locations across the world at the same time, and then taking hold of
the planet. At each stage the reader is lead to feel hope that
disaster will be averted.
What sets this book apart from others is Scarrow's skill in expertly
releasing this virus into the world. The story unfolds in such a
believable way, the reader can feel as if this event is actually
unfolding. The scenes between Leo, his younger sister Grace and
their father are poignant. Despite the distance that separates them,
there is an overwhelming drive to help each other. Leo's courage in
taking on the virus and working to save his family has the reader
urging them on to safety.
This is not a book to read right before going to sleep, and haunts
the reader well after the book has closed for the last time.
Linda Guthrie
