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
The new friend by Kim Kane and Jon Davis
Ginger Green, Play Date Queen series. Hardie Grant Egmont,
2016. ISBN 9781760127701
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Friends. Who hasn't faced the
difficulty of having a new friend visit, and being unsure of what to
do and talk about? In The new friend, Ginger has invited
Skye over to play. She met Skye at ballet class and being the queen
of play dates immediately wanted her to visit to play. But there is
a problem - Skye doesn't want her dad to leave and it is rather
difficult trying to play when he is around. What can Ginger do?
Another in this delightful series explores the notion of what it
takes to become comfortable with a new friend. Ginger tries lots of
different activities but it is not until she remembers the one thing
that both she and Skye have in common that her new friend feels at
ease and begins to have fun and is willing to let her dad go home.
Short chapters, large font and amusing illustrations make this a
very appealing book for newly emerging readers to tackle by
themselves. The joys and trials of making new friends is explored in
a very enlightening way and readers are sure to realise that when
they have friends over, they need to find something in common so
that their friends will enjoy their play date.
Pat Pledger
Zoo ball by Aleesah Darlison
Ill. by Australian children. Wombat Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925139433
Ned loves his big, bright bouncing ball. So much so, that he takes
it to the zoo and even though his parents warn him not to bounce it,
he just can't help himself. Everywhere he goes he bounces it, right
into the kangaroos starting a wonderful adventure for the animals as
they get in on the game and send it from one to the other, from
kangaroo to lion, to penguins to pelican, from tiger to toucan and
tapir too. Even into Ellie Elephant's poo!! Ned, his mum, dad, Aunt
Lucy and the zookeeper follow, trying to retrieve it but they are
always one step behind and all the while the ball is continuing its
journey giving animals and crowd alike fun and joy. Then Ned has an
idea.
This is a joyful story that bounces along in rhyming text providing
as much fun for the reader as it does for the zoo creatures. But the
unique feature is its illustrations. Wombat Books invited children
all over Australia to submit drawings to accompany the story to
provide them with an introduction to the world of illustrating and
the opportunity to be published professionally. Now, twenty aspiring
illustrators have their work included and acknowledged in a story
that will be very popular with young readers. Even the cover is by a
young illustrator, Alyssa Teoh, who also has an illustration in the
book.
However, as well as inspiring those who were successful to continue,
this book will also inspire other young artists. Sadly, children are
often only exposed to the 'perfect' artwork of adults and never
believe their own is quite good enough. We have all heard the
plaintive questions, 'Do you like mine, Miss?' and 'Is this good
enough?' as they seek reassurance for their efforts so this is an
excellent book to celebrate the beauty and worthiness of children's
art. It should be on hand to show them what can be achieved even by
children. That what they produce is valid, valued and valuable. One
of the young artists said, 'I entered the Zoo Ball Challenge
following Aleesah Darlison's visit to our primary school at the
beginning of 2014,' she said. 'Aleesah was really passionate about
her writing and I am really passionate about my drawing. I thought
immediately that this was the challenge for me.'
Aleesah's passion for writing comes through every story she writes
and to be able to inspire our students to read, write and draw as
she does, is a special gift to be treasured. You can read more about
how the project evolved in an interview with Aleesah on Kids'
Book Review. I hope this book is really successful so that
Wombat Books are inspired to host a similar challenge in future.
Barbara Braxton
Desert Lake by Pamela Freeman
Ill. by Liz Anelli. Nature Storybooks series. Walker Books, 2016.
ISBN 9781921529436
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, Desert, South
Australia, Animals. Within the realm of this wonderful series, a
story is told in which every word is true, set alongside a text
which gives the non fiction detail. This template has worked with
other books in this series, Big red kangaroo, Python
and Emu. And here the same format is used again to show the
reader the amazing life of a desert lake in South Australia, known
as Kati Thanda or Lake Eyre.
The story sited at the top of each page tells of the coming rains
which invigorate the eggs laid beneath the dry crust of the lake,
while at the bottom of each page in a different font, we read the
detail, that the rains only come every ten years or so, that the
eggs are buried deep in the earth often years before. Over the page
we learn that the rain falls many kilometres away that it takes a
long time to trickle south to the lake, that the water makes the
eggs quickly turn into tadpoles then frogs, ready to mate and die
before the desert takes over again. Thousands of birds fly north,
lizards come along to the water's edge, and each drinks and eats
until the desert begins to take over again. Plants grow, seed and
die and the water begins to dry up.
The story at the top of the page in larger font, uses a heavier font
to accentuate some of the words, like Rain falls, or emerge, and so
on, underlining the events which are happening at the lake. The
smaller font at the bottom of the page reads more like a text, but
one so interesting that it dovetails the words above, giving them a
wider meaning.
The illustrations are luminous, giving an image of that outback
place with its variety and colour for all readers to pore over. On
every page closer inspection is called for if only to look for the
range of flora and fauna included on that page. Small hints are
given of man's footprint on the land, a farmhouse and train line, a
windmill and train, but the overwhelming theme is of the natural
world in all of its glory, reviving with the intermittent rains,
bringing the once dry lake back to life, only to have it all gone
with months, if not weeks. The sheer amazement at this occurrence in
the north of South Australia is given full reign in this book, and
it will appeal to anyone opening its pages.
Fran Knight
The crazy friend by Kim Kane and Jon Davis
Ginger Green, Play Date Queen series. Hardie Grant Egmont,
2016. ISBN 9781760127718
(Age: 5-7) Highly recommended. Lots of fun in this book for emerging
readers! Ginger Green just loves having her friends over for a play
date, but sometimes things can become difficult. Today she is
playing with Maisy but Maisy is crazy! She is noisy and runs all
over the house; she sheds her clothes and races around nude but
worst of all she climbs onto the roof with mum's car keys. How will
Ginger cope with Maisy's bad behaviour?
This is a story that all children will relate to as the chances are
that a friend who seemed fine at school can be rather different when
they come around for a play date. The dilemma for a child is how to
persuade a friend to play by the rules that operate in their
household and also to play safely and not put anyone or anything at
risk. Ginger manages to get her friend off the roof and to find an
activity that will keep them both active and happy. This could
engender lots of discussion about playing safely and treating other
people's home in a respectful manner.
This aside, the story is a great one with lots of humour, easy
chapters, big font and the illustrations of little foxes by Jon
Davis are a delight. It will be perfect as a book for newly
independent readers.
Pat Pledger
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, rewritten by Terry Deary
Shakespeare Tales series. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN
9781472917775
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Shakespeare, Elizabethan times. As
with Macbeth, this story is told through the eyes of Molly,
a servant with a troupe of players who tour England presenting
Shakespeare's plays to whatever audience comes along. One of the
actors, Richard Armin, is the fool employed in many of the plays.
Molly tells us that Shakespeare even wrote comic scenes in some of
the sadder plays to include Armin. But she and Armin do not like
each other and he treats her badly.
The background tale of Molly and her place within the troupe is
lively and informative and will give readers an idea of just how
children their age survived in these perilous times. This book is
set in a Nottingham Market and readers will see for themselves the
lifestyles of the people in the town in Elizabethan times.
Against Molly's story is that of A Midsummer Night's Dream,
with a precis of the play given between Molly's tale. Deary gives
the reader a brief but satisfyingly ample outline of the tale with
the fairy Oberon making his wife love the first person she sees when
she wakes after being given a love potion. The comedy has her seeing
a donkey while the other characters, Hermia, Demetrius, Helena and
Lysander are also given the love potion and much confusion arises as
two of these people are supposed to marry each other and two are
planning to elope. Confusion ensues from all directions, but is it
all a dream?
The series of books now includes four plays, Macbeth, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth
Night, designed to bring Shakespeare to a new audience.
Fran Knight
Invisible mending by Mike Ladd
Wakefield Press, 2016. ISBN 9781743054079
(Age: 16+) Commencing with wry observations about Adelaide and
touching recollections of the lives of everyday people, Mike Ladd
tells his stories in both poetry and prose.
Warmth, compassion and affection are evident in short stories and
poems which reveal a lot of cynicism and even anger, sometimes
tempered by a humour which prompts the reader to giggle.
As someone who is reluctant to spend time deciphering hidden meaning
in unstructured poetry, I found the verse unpretentious, with a
clear message. Often the poems contain simple observation, but are
written in a way that the average reader can understand and
appreciate the theme.
I identified with the characters in the short stories very much. The
personal account of his family's friendship with a young refugee is
very touching for so many reasons, but mainly because the writer
emphasises that whilst these people are all around us, few of us try
to get to know them.
Men depicted having hospital treatment were drawn with great realism
and poignancy. I can imagine the writer mentally writing the piece
whilst sitting in the ward with his desperately suffering father,
over an extended period.
The style and theme of the works take an abrupt change as the author
writes about his life overseas in Malaysia and Chile. His experience
and knowledge give an insight on a range of topics. I particularly
liked the depiction of a smuggling operation with a calm
acknowledgement of what prompted various individuals, without
attempting to excuse the behaviour.
I was left feeling that this author has a great affection for the
world, despite being disappointed and sometimes distraught by the
behaviour of people. It was delightful to read his short story about
an impromptu catch up with a son who had been travelling and
surviving on nothing in South America for two years. I found it
affirming that the father was interested in alternate perspectives
and was open to learning from the younger man whilst trying to cope
with compressed time in a slightly surreal environment, unfamiliar
and undesirable to both of them.
Most readers will find something they enjoy in this eclectic book.
Rob Welsh
Fenn Halflin and the Fearzero by Francesca Armour-Chelu
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406363128
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. In Fenn Halflin's world, the sea has
been taking over for as long as he has been alive and before. The
landborn, who are lead by Terra Firma, hunt and banish the seaborn
from the land, keeping the safe, land areas for themselves. They
kidnap children to be slaves and to build walls around the land.
Fenn is 13 and has been hidden by his grandfather, hidden from Terra
Firma who are always looking for boys. Unknown to Fenn, he is the
lost child of two resistance leaders who were killed by Terra Firma.
One night, the warship is seen and Fenn's grandfather organises for
Fenn to leave. They are separated. Fenn is smuggled out on a ship
but halfway through the journey, fear encourages the captain to
abandon Fenn in a shanty town located in the middle of the sea and
from which, escape is impossible. Will Fenn and his new friend
escape this place of despair. A place where food is scarce and you
have to fight to survive. Fenn Halflin and the Fearzero is the first in a series about
the end of the world. The heroes are all children, showing readers
you can make changes and be brave no matter your age. The writing is
suspenseful in places, making it highly engaging. The author uses
descriptive writing to immerse the reader in the happenings in this
watery and scary world. Highly recommended for boys aged 10+ but
anyone who likes an adventure story will definitely be hanging out
for the next instalment.
Kylie Kempster
Macbeth by William Shakespeare, rewritten by Terry Deary
Shakespeare Tales series. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN
9781472917805
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Shakespeare, Macbeth, Elizabethan
times. In this lively series, a character is introduced who becomes
a narrator presenting the play within the confines of that person's
life and times. With Macbeth we meet potgirl, Mary as she cleans up
the blood on the stage after another performance of Macbeth. She
tells us about the pig's blood used for the killing scenes, and
between her talk about her life and work, the author presents the
play.
Mary is a sympathetic character, a young girl taken into the harsh
service of a tavern owner, a person who treats her badly, yelling at
her in front of customers, beating her when she does things wrong,
and paying her very little. She must take the jug of ale around to
the customers while they stand in the yard watching the play, and
she learns the play well. She talks to some of the actors, showing
the reader how these men exist going form town to town, and she
meets William Shakespeare. After one particularly nasty scolding
from her employer she hides in one of the stage baskets and gets
away, joining the troupe.
All the while the play is going on, and we read a summary of the
plot and characters in text designed for the younger reader. The
story is well written for a younger audience and the series will add
to the growing interest in Shakespeare's plays for this
audience. At the end of each book is given several pages of lively
information about the play.
Fran Knight
Circle by Jeannie Baker
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406338010
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Natural world. Birds. Inter
relationship. Environment. The circle of life is reprised on every
page in this beautiful new book from illustrator/author Jennie
Baker. Her story of the godwits, the birds which amazingly wing
their way from Alaska to Australia and back each year, will stun the
readers. The story itself is a powerful reminder that we are all
interrelated, that what humans do has an impact upon the rest of the
planet, and from the perspective of this one small bird, that our
interference with the coastline seriously degrades their habitat.
Linked with her glorious collage illustrations the book reflects the
environment in which we all live and makes a spine tingling
imperative that we do much more to protect it.
The life cycle of the godwit is shown through one bird, one with
white splashes on his wings, and we follow him throughout the book.
He flies from Alaska to Australia, a journey of 11,000 kilometres
and on the return journey he finds a mate, they build a nest
together and raise their chicks. Each arm of their journey is
fraught with danger as their environment is degraded, places they
once stopped to rest are gone, buildings dot the coastlines, land
clearance has put their feeding places at risk and foxes search for
their chicks.
Every page greets the inquiring reader, intriguing them with hints
of just how each picture is made, astonishing them with information
about this amazing bird, revealing just how we have made the
environment so difficult for these birds to survive. Each page
impels the reader to stop and think about why our earth is now in
such great peril. Our interconnection is repeated throughout the
book, no reader can miss the powerful message being offered.
The circle motif is repeated throughout the book with the curvature
of the earth shown in many of the illustrations. The reader cannot
escape the image of the reserve where the boy watches the birds at
the beginning of the book, compared with the reserve at the end:
degraded, overused, with industry encroaching on its borders.
Readers will easily spot the impact of man on this environment, the
lights of the city seen from on high as the birds fly north, the
increasing rubbish seen on the beach, the degradation of the
waterfront, the number of buildings seen in the background, planes
in the sky. Further inspection of each wonderful image will enhance
the readers' interpretation and awe. And readers will ponder the
image of the boy, at first disabled and in a wheelchair, dreaming of
flying, at the end leaving his crutches behind and running onto the
beach, and later still dreaming of flying with his crutches beneath
his bed. The bird and the boy have been on impressive journeys,
causing the reader to stop and speculate on each of them, and
wondering how the boy, a bird watcher, can use his knowledge to make
a change. This book throws the question back on the reader, and will
create much discussion in classrooms and libraries.
Fran Knight
Editor's note: Teacher's notes
are available at the publisher's website.
