Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella Diaries. Scholastic, 2016.
ISBN 9781760159580
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Christmas; Humour; Friendship. This
Christmas tale from the Ella Diaries series is quirky, cute
and contains creative moments!! Including creative spelling! Ella
gets bad news that means that Christmas this year will not be the
same - and Ella's Mum will be the sadderest. So Ella, with her
friend Zoe, make plans that will bring joy but there is always
mischief and mayhem when they make plans. But will there be snow? In
addition the girls have to contend with end of year parties, Kris
Kringle and missing out on an invite to Peach Parker's Christmas
Party! Ella has wonderful intentions, but sometimes she does not
always think through the consequences, even if she has the most
ingenious ideas. But all works out well in the end!
Written in diary format, in Ella's voice (and with her creative
spelling and thinking) and with McDonald's naive cartoon style
illustrations on display, this will be loved by young female
devotees of the Ella Diaries series.
Carolyn Hull
Christmas in the barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Ill. by Anna Dewdney. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780062379863
First published in 1952, but reprinted with new full-colour
illustrations, Christmas in the Barn is a retelling of the Nativity
from the perspective of the barn animals. As dusk comes and night
settles, and the animals take up their usual places and positions
two people come into the barn and before long, without fuss or fear,
Mary gives birth. The star shines, the shepherds and the Wise Men
arrive and the baby is laid in a manger, no crib for a bed.
Told in rhyme this is a charming retelling of the traditional story
that underpins the celebration of Christmas that is quite secular in
its interpretation, making it perfect for sharing and explaining
what is behind the images and imagery that is common at this time.
While some schools and communities have bowed to political
correctness and taken the story of the Nativity out of the
curriculum, I believe that given the widespread celebration of
Christmas in Australia, all children should know its origins so they
can understand the importance placed on it, just as they should know
the stories and understandings behind the commemorations and
celebrations of other religions. Because this version makes no
reference to God - indeed neither the people nor the baby are even
named because the emphasis is on the warmth, safety and harmony of
everyone and everything in the barn - it is perfect for introducing
very young children or those unfamiliar with Christmas to the basis
of the beliefs of those who celebrate.
Barbara Braxton
Emily's Bush Christmas by Jackie French
Ill. by Bruce Whatley. HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780732286934
It's Christmas Day in Shaggy Gully and all the animals are doing the
things they do best - the kangaroos are bouncing, the echidnas are
prickly, the emus are peckish, koalas are relaxing and the bats and
wombats are just hanging about. The Shaggy Gully chorus are sharing
their Christmas carols - the cockatoos and kookaburras are giving it
their all while Emily tries to keep in tune with her tuba. Suddenly
the ambiance is shattered by a ghastly groan coming up from the
creek.
"ooooogggggghhhhhh! I'm mad and I'm mean!
I'm the BUNYIP ooooogggggghhhhhh!."
In response, Emily Emu's tuba echoes the same ghastly sound! The
bunyip's moan makes her tuba groan. But Emily decides that everyone,
including bunyips, should be happy at Christmas and so she sets
about trying to change the bunyip's mood. But no matter what she and
her friends do, the bunyip stays mad and mean! Until he discovers
Emily's tuba . . .
You just know that a Christmas story from Jackie French and Bruce
Whatley is going to be Australian and it's going to be good. And so
it is with this tale which is uniquely Australian and which will
bring a smile to the face of little ones (and bunyips.) They will
love to see what their favourite creatures get up to in the bush on
this special day - even Ringo the Dingo is there - as Jackie always
weaves a wonderful story that is worth reading over and over,
especially if you play them this sound clip
so they can hear the sound of the tuba and why it is so perfect for
a bunyip! This team always produces the best - and this is no
exception.
Barbara Braxton
Penguin's Christmas wish by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408882566
Pumpkin really wanted a Christmas tree this Christmas but there are
no trees on the ice where penguins live. But Penguin had an idea and
after loading up the sled and going on a long journey with little
brother Pumpkin, his friend Bootsy and Grandpa, they found
themselves in the middle of a forest where Pinecone had grown into a
magnificent tree. The penguins decorated Pinecone with all the
trimmings they had brought on the sled and it was so beautiful that
Penguin wanted to share it with everyone.
That night a storm blew up and a blizzard shrouded the tree and the
landscape. In the morning there was nothing to be seen. Penguin is
very sad but Grandpa tells him Christmas is about love not presents
and decorations. So Penguin goes off into the snow and shares what
he has learned. And when the snow begins to melt, he finds that
wishes do come true.
The sixth in this series about Penguin, this is a charming story for
young readers about family and friendship and sharing and finding
magic in unexpected places. The simple shapes, bold colours, and
thick, black outlines that are distinctive of Yoon's illustrations
will appeal to young readers in their simplicity, and while the
penguins all look the same she has given each a distinctive feature
so littlies can distinguish them and know who's who. And Penguin's
ingenious Christmas presents will help them understand that gifts
don't have to come in rich wrapping and cost a lot of money. Perhaps
they will use their imaginations and give those they love some
really personal, unique gifts too.
Barbara Braxton
Five little elves by Dan Yaccarino
HarperFestival, 2016. ISBN 9780062253385 Five little elves sitting on a sled,
The first one said, "Where's the man in red?"
With the concept of Elf on a Shelf gaining such ground in the homes
of those with little people - the perfect spy for Santa - this
timely release of this traditional rhyme in board book format is a
perfect addition to the Christmas stocking of the very young. With
its rhyme and rhythm and bold, bright illustrations it is definitely
one for sharing over and over, helping even the tiniest ones start
to learn the nuances of our language and the joy of story. At the
same time, being a board book, it is sturdy enough to be placed in
those tiny hands and survive the explorations that they and teeth
will make.
Board books are an ideal way to introduce children to the love of
reading as having heard the story in a safe, loving relationship,
their format allows them to be handled and sucked and chewed as the
little one begins to exercise their own power over the story. Even
though they might not yet be able to read the words for themselves,
may even be too young to join familiar rhymes and stories, being
able to handle and manipulate the book itself is a huge step in that
early reading journey.
Barbara Braxton
Jack and Mia by Robert Vescio
Ill. by Claire Richards. Wombat Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925139730
Before Mia moved in next door, Jack was lonely. But Mia brought
rainbows, jungles, concerts and lots and lots of giggles. Even their
mums thought they were 'two sides of the one coin' and 'fit together
like a puzzle.' Mia's amazing imagination took them on adventures
that Jack had never dreamed of and when they both got sick at the
same time, they were each given a book about making and doing,
make-believe and play that allowed them to continue the fun from
their beds.
When they were better they kept using their books, snipping, gluing,
taping and tying a magnificent cardboard castle. They each wore
crowns and royal robes and ruled over their kingdom with wisdom and
kindness. They were as close as the materials that held that castle
together. Until one day Mia moves far away with her family and Jack
is back into the isolation and desolation that he felt before Mia
entered his life. Nothing was the same any more.
Across the sea, Mia had also given up. She was missing Jack just as
much. But then Jack found Mia's book in his toybox and...
There is nothing like the deep friendships forged in childhood where
there are no distractions beyond deciding what today's fun will be
about. Jack and Mia is a charming story that focuses on such a
friendship and how it can continue even after separation has
intervened. It will resonate with children who have moved away from
familiar surroundings and friends and show them that there are
plenty of ways of keeping in touch to relive old memories and make
new ones. The technology of today gives them so much more than that
of previous generations and the world can come to you with just a
few clicks.
The illustrations enrich the storyline as Jack and Mia do not share
the same skin colour but neither notice - it's all about who each
child is, how they connect and the fun that can be had when kids get
together, just as it is in any playground. In fact, I'd proffer that
the readers will not even notice the difference. Racism and all that
it entails is very definitely a concept learned from adults.
Heartwarming and positive.
Barbara Braxton
Cobweb Christmas: the tradition of tinsel by Shirley Climo
Ill. by Jane Manning. Harper Collins, 2001. ISBN 9780060290337
Tante is so little she has to stand on a stool to climb into bed and
so old she can't count all the Christmases she has seen. She lived
at the edge of a pine forest in Germany in a tiny cottage with her
canary, her cat and her dog. Beside the cottage was a barn with a
donkey, a goat, a rooster and a hen - so she had all she needed.
Usually Tante wasn't too fussed about having a spic and span house
but at Christmas time when the days were short and the nights long,
she cleaned her house from top to bottom and corner to corner
sweeping even the tiniest cobwebs and their inhabitants from the
rafters. She would chop down the best Christmas tree she could find
and decorated it with sugar cookies and gingerbread and put special
presents under it for her animals. She invited the village children
in to see her tree and share its goodies - there was something for
everyone including her animals, except the spiders who had all been
swept out the door.
But still Tante wasn't really happy - all her life she had heard
about the marvellous things that happened on Christmas Eve like
animals talking or bees humming carols. So she sat down to wait for
the Christmas magic but soon fell asleep so she never knew whether
it happened or not. She certainly did not hear tiny little voices
begging to be let in out of the cold - but Kriss Kringle did so he
opened the door a crack and in went all the spiders who had been
swept outside.
And the next morning Tante woke to find that Christmas magic had
really happened...
Based on an old European folktale, Shirley Climo and Jane Manning
have brought this story to the 21st century in a superb retelling
with charming illustrations. Tinsel - originally shiny strands of
brass or copper - has been part of traditional Christmas decorations
since the end of the 19th century as people tried to bring light and
sparkle into their homes at a dark time of the year in the northern
hemisphere. Anyone who has seen a cobweb dipped in dew in the early
morning and gleaming as the sun catches it can easily make the
connection between the spiders' work and the sparkly loops of foil
we use today.
This is a story worth tracking down to add to your Christmas
collection - well-written and adding just a bit more to the story of
this special time, it will be one to read every Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Christmas songbook by Sam Taplin
Ill. by Richard Johnson. Usborne, 2016. ISBN 9781474921244
In certain countries and to certain generations, the images of carol
singers going door to door at this time of the year sharing their
music is not far from the mind. More recently, the school-based
Carols by Candlelight was always a sign that the festive season was
here as neighbourhoods joined together to herald this fun time in
song, sentiment and a sausage sizzle. Classes practised those
traditional songs in preparation for the annual Christmas concert
and there were few who did not know all the verses of 'Away in a
manger' and 'Silent night'.
So to find a new illustrated volume of these well-known tunes
arranged for voice, piano and guitar is a delight as yet a new
Christmas season is here and another generation needs to know the
music that binds this time. Some are very familiar, others not so,
but each is presented on a clear double page spread with all the
verses and music as well as an illustration that makes this more
than just a book of sheet music. Even the extra original verses of
'Jingle bells' - nothing to do with Batman or even a rusty Holden
ute - are there right alongside 'I saw three ships', the first song
my sea-loving grandfather ever taught me!
Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music
Bowl remains one of the most watched television broadcasts on
Christmas Eve - how wonderful if our children could fully
participate because the tunes are familiar and the words are known!
A perfect addition to both your private and professional collection.
Barbara Braxton
All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey
Ill. by Colleen Madden. Doubleday, 2015. ISBN 9780399551390
It is more than 20 years since Mariah Carey wrote and released the
song in 1994 but it wasn't until December 2015 that the song peaked
at 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it its highest peak since its
original release. Now it is one of the most iconic tunes of the
season.
So it seems fitting that it become a picture book with bright bold
pictures, all the lyrics and a special twist at the end that makes
it particularly suitable for young readers although the clues are
there in the pictures from the beginning. The little girl's wish is
clear for the astute to find because she manages to drop her hint
into every part of the Christmas preparations. Making cookies and
decorations, hanging stockings, even out playing in the snow she
clings to her dream. Then, amidst all the presents for all the
family, there is one special gift... one that so many little ones
wish for!!! This video is an
interpretation that will make this a favourite in your family too -
and you will have an earworm for the rest of the day!
Barbara Braxton
The cat who ate Christmas by Lil Chase and Thomas Docherty
Little Brown Books, 2016. ISBN 9781510200821
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Christmas, Chapter book, Family, humour.
Written for younger readers new to chapter books, the story of
Jingles, the cat and his escapades at Christmas time is highly
entertaining, with every page having a wonderfully Christmassy
illustration to pore over.
On Christmas Eve, Rose attempts to tie a piece of tinsel to Jingle's
tail. This results in the tipping over of the Christmas Tree and
from then on, things happen in the most unexpected ways.
The family wakes the next morning to find that the cat has pulled
apart all the gifts left by Santa, and taken down all the
decorations. But when Mum takes the turkey out of the oven and
leaves it on top of the stove, while they collect Grandma, they
arrive home to find the turkey almost eaten.
It's no wonder the cat cannot be found, but the next day at the
supermarket Jingles is found again, all is forgiven and Christmas is
what it should be, full of fun and family being together.
This lovely story subtly detailing the customs of Christmas, is
wonderfully illustrated, bringing a close family feel to every page.
Each page has between a few lines and a paragraph of two and with
the illustrations makes this a fabulous read for newly competent
readers who can tackle chapter books. The last few pages contain
some truly awful Christmas jokes which will cause huge laughter
amongst the target audience, a recipe and an angel to make.
Fran Knight
Beck by Mal Peet with Meg Rosoff
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406331127
(Age: Adults - senior secondary). Highly recommended. Warning:
Violent sex scene. Reading this novel is like being plunged deep
into a maelstrom. The writers take us back in time to the
devastatingly poor world of the early 1900s. Here a woman and a man
come together briefly, she using her body simply to make enough
money to feed her child and herself, he a lonely sailor in a foreign
port. This is unflinchingly told - as we learn that she is not a
prostitute, but her body was the only means left to enable her
survival.
This is a bald tale, as the writers establish from the start. After
his mothers death and his horrifyingly harsh early years, Beck is
put on a boat that will take him to Canada, for what reason he is
utterly unaware. The Catholic brothers, who take in the orphans, are
apparently generous and kind, feeding and clothing the boys in
readiness for their going out into the world to find work. At this
point it seems to be a world of some degree of decency. However, the
one scene, so vividly described it feels like one is watching it on
stage, and indeed plays back in the mind like one - reverberated in
the days following my reading. The child Beck, with little knowledge
of anything in the world, is treated so horrifyingly that it stayed
vivid, coloured by deep emotions, disgust and anger.
The scene is left as a dread noose that colours Becks life. Yet,
bravely told, this tale, of the potential for immense human cruelty
and indeed of disdain for others, is a new genre of a literary story
that leaps away from the heart-warming story genre into the reality
genre. The writers lift the story up from this point, and draw
vividly, the dark world of early European settlement in the wilds of
Canada, where the struggle to survive is hard enough, while to do
more, to thrive, seems an impossibility, especially for a young
black boy who is utterly alone in the world.
This novel is a tale of a harsh world, offering almost no hope for
the protagonist, but somehow the writers manage to keep us
entranced, desperate as we might be to find a glow of goodness that
is not fake, and indeed keep us reading with hope through to the
end. Our hero's life begins, towards the end, to be turn, and indeed
the end is a balm for the bruised spirit.
I could not recommend it for young readers. It is far too brutal,
too shocking in its revelations of our human capacity for evil, for
young readers. It took me days to stop replaying some of the scenes,
and I ached for days afterwards in thinking about the characters and
the world of this text, its absolutely grueling severity and the
harsh struggle to survive. As I write I notice that Canada and the
northern US states are plunged into another polar vortex, with
temperatures of up to minus 20C. I have been in that part of the
world in minus 45C - in the modern world this is bearable, but back
in the days of this novel, it would have been almost impossible to
survive. It is a book one lives through and it is worthwhile,
perhaps transformative, in the end.
Liz Bondar
Signal loss by Garry Disher
Inspector Challis bk 7. Text Publishing, 2016. ISBN
9781925355260
(Age: 15+) Recommended. The seventh book in the Inspector
Challis series, set on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria,
sees Hal investigating not only the spread of the drug ice, but the
reason that two hit men from Sydney are found in a burnt-out
Mercedes after a bushfire. Meanwhile Ellen Destry, head of the sex
crimes unit, is investigating a serial rapist who breaks into the
homes of young women.
It is not necessary to have read all the previous books in the
series to enjoy Signal Loss - although of course, a reader would
have a fuller picture of the background and personalities of the
main character if the books had been read. Disher is a master of the
written word and he fleshes out his detectives very well even for a
newcomer to the series.
The reader will find plenty of complexity and interest as each of
the detectives investigates the difficult situations that confront
them. Detective Constable Pam Murphy has to confront her beliefs as
she gets to know one of the suspects in the drug case. The dangers
of the ice trade and how it is conducted are frightening and the
reader becomes aware of the problems surrounding sex crimes.
Excellent descriptions of the people, the landscape and emotions
provide a great background to the tightly written plot, and the
reader is left wanting to read more novels about Hal and Ellen and
the police force on the Mornington Peninsula.
A must read for people who like crime novels.
Pat Pledger
Sachiko: A Nagasaki bomb survivor's story by Caren Stelson
Carolrhoda Books, 2016. ISBN 9781467789035
(Aged 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: War; Conflict; Resilience;
Peace; Nagasaki. If war was only about winning and losing, we would
not know this story. Sachiko's story is the story of loss, of
finding a voice in the face of incredible difficulty, of survival
despite the overwhelming weight of the impossible cloud of despair
and it is a story of resilience. Sachiko is one of the few who
survived the Nuclear holocaust that resulted when the nuclear bomb
was dropped on Nagasaki. Why she survived is a mystery considering
how close she was to its epicentre, but the opportunity we have is
to hear her words and wisdom, and to grow in our understanding of
the personal cost at the individual level when war is waged against
nations. Sachiko's tale is a painful yet uplifting story of her
personal growth in the face of adversity, of the consolation and
wisdom she gained from her family and the words of Gandhi, Dr Martin
Luther-King and even of Helen Keller. These influences infiltrated
her own response to the tragedies that did not just touch her, but
swamped her life in ways that defy our ability to understand. It is
our responsibility as we hear her story to consider our own response
to world issues and to ponder how we can protect other children from
the devastation that conflict brings. Sachiko took a long time to
find her voice after the events of 1945 . . . it is a story that is
worth hearing. It is also a testament to those that did not survive.
Caren Stelson has written this book as a narrative non-fiction, with
Sachiko's story told with historical excerpts and analysis scattered
alongside the personal accounts. These non-fiction accounts are
well-referenced, and written with simple clarity to make this
history accessible for a younger reader, as well as interested
adults. Stelson has used transcripts from Sachiko's memories and
added her own research to confirm details of the events of this
time. Sachiko (through Caren Stelson) is an honourable contributor
to the history of World War II and its conclusion, and her accounts
are worthy of our respect. Current younger readers and students
could read this book alongside the well-known story of Sadako
and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. This book
contains excellent photographs including some from Sachiko's own
personal history.
Carolyn Hull
The great barbie disaster by Tania Ingram
Ill. by Christina Miesen. Mates series. Omnibus, 2016. ISBN
9781742991245
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Humour. I love the Mates series
of books, giving newly independent readers short easy read chapters,
copiously illustrated, with some words in a different font to mull
over.
In this funny tale, Dad is one of a long line of do it yourselfers,
and when it comes to the backyard barbie, he wants to try out his
skills. But he is not like his brothers who are legendary in the
things they build. In this tale, Dad tries three different ways to
build a barbie,but each attempt ends in disaster.
Readers will laugh out loud at his various attempts and the results
of his dubious carpentry.
His first attempt uses an old metal box which he attaches to a old
table. The barbie ends up in flames. His second attempt uses some
old tyres and most children would be able to predict what happens
when tyres accidentally catch alight. His third attempt sees him
using an old wheelbarrow, and so convinced is he that this will work
that the family is invited around the next day. But of course an
amazing series of events sees this barbie end in chaos, and without
drawing breath, Dad is planning the next. A very funny look at
families and how they interact forms the background of this tale.
Fran Knight
Island of Glass by Nora Roberts
The Guardians trilogy, bk. 3. Piatkus, 2016. ISBN
9780349407906
(Age: Adult) Romance. Fantasy. The third in The Guardians series
see Roberts return to Ireland as her setting where Doyle, the
immortal, must come to grips with his past when he finds that the
house they are living in has been built on the exact spot where he
grew up centuries before. As they begin to search Irish history and
landscape for the final star and the Island of Glass, both Doyle and
Riley must come to grips with the attraction that they feel towards
each other and be courageous enough to admit their love. Island of
glass is not a stand-alone novel, readers should read the others in
the series, Stars of fortune and Bay of sighs,
before reading this.
Roberts' love of Ireland is evident in her telling of this tale. The
soft landscape, misty mornings, green fields and ancient monuments
provide a background to Doyle and Riley's story. The other four
protagonists - Annika the effervescent mermaid, Sawyer the time
traveller, Bran the Irish sorcerer and Sasha the seer, all play an
important role, but it is Doyle and Riley who dominate the story in
Island of Glass. There are dramatic moments, action packed incidents
and a beautiful fantasy island for the seekers of the stars and
readers will be swept along for the quest.
Fans of Roberts will be very familiar with the way she pairs off six
people, giving them a seemingly impossible task to perform, while
finding love on the way, but her novels always provide a great deal
of escapism and ease of reading that brings fans back for more.
Pat Pledger
