Girl v the World series. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. ISBN
9781742971834
(Age: 12+) Recommended. LGBT, Friendship, Grandparents. When Leni's
friend, Anya tells them all that they will be competing in a kissing
competition to see who can have that first kiss amongst the group,
Leni is at a loss. She asks Leni to seek out how her best friend,
Adam views her, but Leni does not feel comfortable with this,
especially after Adam kisses her one evening after their track
training. She is confused.
But with her Nana staying in the house and making comments about how
she looks and deriding her training, home is not the place it used
to be. She feels separated from those she loves and finds some
solace with friend, Jo, the new girl in town, one with two mothers.
This easily read story about one girl finding her way in life as she
enters high school will have wide appeal. One in the series, Girl
v the World, this book shows some of the choices which await
young people. Her relationship with her Nana used to be far more
important but now, it is strained and hard to take, so she must work
out what to do. When Jo and she kiss practising for the kissing
competition, Leni is surprised at how deeply she feels this kiss,
unlike the one with Adam. She now must explore her sexuality and a
frank discussion with Mum displays her feelings and anxieties.
A cleverly told story all coming to fruition at the athletics
carnival, middle school readers will take Leni's dilemmas to heart.
For such a short book, I felt I knew the characters quite well, the
brief outlines of the people involved revealing their personalities
with ease.
Fran Knight
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
Allen and Unwin, 2009. ISBN 9781741758344
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. LGBT, Coming of age, Sexuality,
Schools. Ava is unsure about what she wants in life but feels the
need to be pink, even if only for a while. She is drifting at her
state school, not wanting to stand out out by being serious about
her work, and applies for a scholarship to the Billy Hughes School
for Academic Excellence, much against the wishes of her parents.
Here she hopes to be challenged and encouraged to do better
academically, as well as wear pink, a colour she loves but has
forever been banned by her parents as gender stereotyping. But she
is unsure about what the change it will mean for her relationship
with Chloe her first love, and is even interested to see what it
will be like having a boyfriend.
Arriving at the school sees her fitting in immediately with a group
of girls she calls the Pastels. She is seduced by their girly talk,
their boyfriends, their aimless chatter, going shopping but is taken
aback by their single-minded view of their future selves. One girl,
Alexis insists on pairing Ava with a boy in the musical, but as she
is only part of the stage crew, the Screws, feels she hasn't a
chance. The reader can see from the start that her efforts at
fitting in will be difficult, the vacuous lifestyles of the private
school people she has befriended are very different from her own
aspirations and because she is keeping secrets, trouble is sure to
follow. And she has Chloe to contend with, and along the way a
growing admiration for the Screws develops. Many misunderstandings
later, the night of the musical performance is under way but by now
Ava has sidelined all who love her.
This is a funny, sharply observed look at one girl's attempts to be
one of the new crowd and her need to be different, if only for a
while. She is still unsure about her sexuality and wants to be able
to try different things. The book underlines the fluidity of
adolescence where all things are possible but eventually your own
sense of worth and integrity develops and is able to shine through.
Wilkinson always writes an intelligent book, and this one revealing
Ava's tussles with who she is, is also about loyalty, friendship,
love and sexuality.
Published in 2009, I am sorry I missed it then, but it is just as
relevant now and holds its own in the small but growing number of
LGBT books available for teens.
Fran Knight
Interview with Michael Grant
ISBN: 9781405283410.
Bestselling YA author Michael Grant is in Australia and New
Zealand to promote Front
Lines, the first book in his blockbuster new YA
series, Soldier Girl.
Welcome to ReadPlus, Michael.
Q: Do you write with a particular audience in mind?
A: I have had the great advantage as a writer of having paid my dues
down in the trenches, by which I mean writing work-for-hire jobs for
packagers. Packagers are middle-men who manage long-running series,
or at least that's what they were when we (my wife Katherine and I)
worked for them.
So, long before I sat down to write books that were purely mine (or
ours) I'd co-authored something like seventeen Sweet Valley
Twins, a bunch of Girl Talk books, all kinds of Disney
projects involving Mermaid, Aladdin, Duck and
Mouse and a bunch more stuff I barely remember.
All of that happened before Katherine and I sort of declared our
independence from packagers with Animorphs. Animorphs
was huge. It ended up running to 60 books, with more than 30 million
sold. So we were 'overnight sensations' who'd already written 50 or
so books. Animorphs was the first time Katherine and I had complete
control, so we had to think about the potential readers. We had a
lot of experience but still, we collected all the scientific
evidence we could find, summoned experts, and. . . Nah, none of
that. Our idea of the audience was, 'Whoever reads Goosebumps.'
On the theory that, 'That's a lot of kids.'
Many people have, over the years, written about how dark and
disturbing Animorphs was, how it snuck in philosophical
themes and moral gray zones and frequently questionable heroes.
Nothing about Animorphs was age-appropriate. It was a dark
concept, and being true to character and story took us to dark
places. So we went.
We didn't care then about 'appropriate,' and I don't care now. The
notion that Kid X at age Y can read A but not B, is bizarre to me.
Don't we all want kids to read? Do we think the best way to
accomplish that goal is by snatching the books that interest them
out of their hands? Kid X can and should read whatever Kid X wants
to read. If it's too much, Kid X will stop and go read something
else.
When I was 9 years old I was reading Ivanhoe and Oliver
Twist and Hardy Boys and Tom Swift and my
dad's Playboys and I turned out. . . well, okay, bad
example. But these are books not heroin. This is a good addiction.
We all want people of all ages reading, right? So, let's let them do
that.
As to whether I'm writing for male or female readers my first
reaction is puzzlement. I mean, I'm a guy but I read Little
Women when I was a kid. I don't recall feeling any less
masculine as a result. I read Nancy Drew, too, along with Hardy
Boys and Tom Swift and classics like Ivanhoe
or Oliver Twist. Was I not supposed to read Anna
Karenina because it's about a girl? Did I breach gender
protocol by reading Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters?
You know Frankenstein? Written by a woman. So. . . girl
book?
I mean, other than as a marketing concept, what does any of that boy
book, girl book thing even mean? The rough working definition of
Young Adult literature is: books where major characters are under
the legal drinking age. But I think even drawing sharp lines there
is wrong, let alone further subdividing by gender. 'They kiss.' Girl
Book! 'They explode.' Boy book! Really?
I feel sometimes a need to check my calendar to make sure I haven't
fallen into a wormhole and re-emerged in the 1970's.
Look, I've written or co-written 150 plus books. From Animorphs
and Gone and BZRK I've gotten letters from readers
thanking me for exactly the stuff that some would have called
inappropriate. I've lost track of how many now-grown readers have
written to say that because of Animorphs they became human
rights lawyers or scientists. Thousands of letters and Tweets saying
I used to hate to read, then I found Gone. You know what
letter I've never gotten? The one that says I was traumatized by
your books. Or the one that says, I'm a boy and I was horrified to
discover there are girls in your books.
Basically, when I write I have a story to tell. I have characters. I
will be true to my characters and my story and if the results are
not quite right for this demographic niche or that slice of
audience, well, too bad, I guess. They can go read some other book.
Do I write for girls? For boys? For parents? For teachers? For
homeless people who pick my book out of a trash bin? Yes. And also,
no. Because while I'd love everyone to read every single word I ever
write, (I believe that's the Fifth Circle of Dante's Hell) I'm not
writing for anyone. I'm not even writing for myself. I'm telling a
story I made up, about some people I made up, because I like doing
that, and they pay me.
The war that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Text Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925355642
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Disability. World War 2. Children in
war. Winner of many awards (Newbery Honor (2016), Schneider Family
Book Award for Middle School (2016), Odyssey Award (2016), Dorothy
Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2017), Goodreads
Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade and Children's (2015)) The war
that saved my life is a moving and uplifting story of Ada, a young
girl with an un-repaired clubfoot, who overcomes incredible odds, in
her fight to save her life. Living in poverty in London, with a
cruel and neglectful mother who hates her for her clubfoot, Ada is
not allowed outside and sees only the small world that is available
to her from the upstairs window. She looks after her little brother
Jamie, and slowly and painfully teaches herself to walk. When war
threatens and children are evacuated to the country to be safe, Ada
and Jamie go to live with Susan, a grieving woman who doesn't want
them. There Ada teaches herself to ride Butter, the pony living in
the paddock belonging to the house, and gradually Susan and the
children begin to trust each other and love grows. She learns to
read and watch for German spies, but there are many difficulties to
overcome - not the least the mother who may take them away again.
Worthy of all the awards that it has won, this book is an uplifting
read of one girl overcoming incredible odds. The reader is carried
along by the story of Ada's trials and triumphs, not just the
physical ones of teaching herself to walk and to ride a horse, but
her emotional ones of learning to trust adults and making friends.
Set against the story of World War 2, the author subtly gives the
reader an insight into the life of poor people in the 1940's, their
attitude to physical disabilities, class, children who favour their
left hand, as well as the bombings, the evacuation of children, food
rationing and watching for spies. The content and the flowing
narrative would also make it a great read-aloud as a class novel.
Beautifully written, this book has wide appeal with its themes of
overcoming adversity, adventure, history and family and coming of
age.
Pat Pledger
Goodnight, mice by Frances Watts
Ill. by Judy Watson. Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780733335303
(Ages: 1-5) Recommended. Board book edition. This is a board book
edition of the CBCA 2012 Notable Book and winner of the Prime
Minister's Literary Awards 2012. Goodnight, mice is a
rhyming story that follows three mice as they get ready for bed with
help from their mother and father. Even the youngest of children
will be able to relate to the mice's bedtime routine. There are
touches of gentle humour that young children will find funny, such
as father getting all wet at bathtime. The relationships between the
mice are warm and affectionate and the illustrations and text
highlight the joys of simple time spent as a family and portray the
warmth and cosiness of a happy, loving home. A board book edition is
apt for this title, as even the youngest children will enjoy the
easy listening rhyme and the colourful illustrations make it
appealing for independent exploration. The flow and rhythm of the
story cannot be faulted and is a joy to read aloud. A perfect
bedtime story.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Did you take the B from my -ook? by Beck and Matt Stanton
Books that drive people crazy! series. ABC Books, 2016. ISBN
9780733334832
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Another entertaining read-aloud
picture book from Beck and Matt Stanton is ready to delight the
reader and their audience - Did You Take the B from My -ook?
What happens when your favourite letter b disappears from your
story, after an enormous sneeze?
Now it is time to trip up the adult reading aloud. Each tricky
statement about things that are loved is missing the beginning
letter: ed not bed, all - ball, ull - bull. Each is followed by
questions that demand an audience response; they will love the
repartee paired with the simple visual cues, especially the large
capital B running away. The large white text placed on the solid
colour backgrounds is accessible to a whole class or group; wait for
their laughter and reactions. Expressive reading and change of tone
assists with their engagement.
Excitement builds in the second half when the individual animals and
objects come back, stacked up on the bed and balanced precariously.
The final demand is almost at fever pitch - 'Come back B!' and the
story ends brilliantly. Bravo!
A wonderful resource for educators, useful as a lead in to writing
stories with alternative missing letters or sounds, alphabet books
and phonics lessons, for drama and oral presentations.
Rhyllis Bignell
Listening by Lisa Kerr
Cheeky Monkey manners. The Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN
9781760402679
(Ages: 2-5) This is another in the Cheeky Monkey manners
series (Please, Thank you, Sorry, Excuse
me) and one of many in the Cheeky Monkey series. The
small board book format is suited to preschool and early childhood
and is a fun way to springboard discussions about manners - what
they are, and when to use them. As with the other Cheeky Monkey
books, the colourful illustrations are visually appealing and large
without great amounts of detail; Cheeky Monkey is the main element
on each page with a secondary focus on the other animals and their
facial expressions. There are, however, many additional small
animals (frogs, birds, mice, butterflies, etc.) which will enable
younger children to retain focus, give them things to search for and
foster discussions about the illustrations.
Cheeky Monkey is not really cheeky; he just hasn't learned how to
listen properly yet. When his mother asks him to listen carefully
and fetch some things from the shop, Cheeky Monkey only really hears
the 'buy yourself a little treat' part. Needless to say, he ends up
bringing his mother all the wrong things and has to go back to the
store without his treat. Cheeky Monkey promises to listen more
carefully in the future. Social skills books such as these can often
be overly didactic, but this one is understanding of children and of
how hard it is to listen properly. It lets them know that it is okay
to have trouble listening sometimes, but highlights the
importance of trying hard. It also maintains a sense of fun and
children will giggle about what Cheeky Monkey mistakenly brings back
for his mum! The text manages to successfully tell an engaging
story, get a message across and remain concise. With only five
double-page spreads this book will keep young readers interested
until the very end. Overall, it is a fun, simple way to introduce
the idea of taking turns and learn some strategies for how to listen.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Meet . . . Don Bradman by Coral Vass
Ill. By Brad Howe. Penguin Random House, 2016. ISBN 9781925324891
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Cricket. Meet . . . Don Bradman is
the latest in the popular Meet . . . series and showcases
the famous cricketer in a meaningful way that will delight children
and provide extra information about his life and times. Coral Vass
has written an engaging book that brings Don Bradman to life. The
book starts off with his early life when he loved to practise
cricket using a golf ball and a cricket stump for a bat. After
watching Australia play England in the Ashes he was determined to
one day play on the Sydney Cricket Ground. At the age of 14, he left
school but was too young to join the local cricket team. Instead he
played tennis successfully, but cricket was his first love and when
he was 16 he joined the cricket club, making 234 not in less than
three hours. He then went on to become a very successful cricketer,
thrilling the crowds and giving heart to Australia during the Great
Depression.
Brad Howe's often comical illustrations have great appeal, as he
shows Don Bradman emerging from a very young boy to the older great
cricketer, at the same time giving a good impression of the life of
the times, with drawings of the type of clothes that were worn, food
that was eaten and lifestyle of the people.
An historical timeline at the rear of the book details Bradman's
career and is a great way to culminate the book and give the reader
the opportunity to go over his life, reflecting on what he achieved.
This is an enlightening and entertaining read that is sure to have
great popular appeal.
Pat Pledger
Tiny Timmy makes the grade by Tim Cahill and Julian Gray
Ill. by Heath McKenzie. Tiny Timmy bk 2. Scholastic
Australia, 2016. ISBN 9781760273644
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Soccer, Sports, Teamwork. Tim Cahill,
Socceroos superstar has co-authored a series of sport-based junior
novels filled with likeable characters, tips and fun facts that are
easy to read. His goal is to foster a love of reading amongst young
sports fans.
Follow your dreams is the underpinning theme for Tiny Timmy makes
the grade. With hard work, dedication, plenty of backyard and after
school practices, young Timmy is chosen for the Rep Team. His
special skill is combining a turbo-powered jump with a header to
shoot straight into the net. Even when Studs and Hacker, two
bullies, taunt him, call him names and play pranks on him, Timmy is
not fazed.
When Timmy spends time week after week on the bench, Coach Roach
offers Timmy some wise advice - to be the best Super Sub he can be,
researching soccer skills online; playing fun family matches
sometimes even Rugby games with his cousins and brothers.
The simple to read narrative engages the reader's interest by
incorporating different sizes of font, words in bold, graduated
sizes, animated words and bigger spacing. Heath McKenzie's line
drawings are snapshots of the trials and triumphs of Timmy, his
family and his team. There are humourous scenes throughout -
backyard disasters - when his brother Kyah's science experiment
explodes and great soccer moments. This series is great for
high-interest, lower reading age students as well.
Rhyllis Bignell
Tiny Timmy: Soccer Superstar by Tim Cahill and Julian Gray
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781760158880
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Soccer, Tim Cahill, Bullying,
Achievement. Tim Cahill gives an outline his early life in short
easy to read chapters, using different fonts and illustrations for
the younger reader to develop an idea of the commitment it takes to
be a good sports player. Gently humorous details are given to
introduce the range of skills it takes to be a soccer star.
Tim is known as Tiny Timmy, his stature overlooked by many when he
tries out for the soccer team. Older kids make rude remarks, and
even girls are chosen before him to be part of the team. Used as the
orange boy, he is determined to prove his worth and keeps practising
all the time. He asks all those around him how he can become taller,
with some very funny results. Readers will chuckle at these attempts
to change his size. The coach sees his efforts and suggests that the
only way he can make the team is by continuous practice, and
practice he does in every spare minute through the day. And one day
in trying to escape a vicious dog, he realises just what he can do
with his feet. The following week he becomes the spare, and when
called to the field, he uses his newly learnt skills to save the
day.
This is a lovely story of striving to achieve your goal, and will
appeal to the fans of Tim Cahill and soccer in middle primary
school. The characters are clearly defined, the story simply told
using a variety of techniques to make some words stand out, with
illustrations by Heath McKenzie used to break up the page. The theme
of bullying lies within the story, as part of the background against
which Cahill strives to be better, but the emphasis on doing your
best is more important and will be the idea taken away by the
reader.
This is the first in what should prove to be an excellent and
inviting series of books introducing the game of soccer to a wider
audience by Socceroos legend, Tim Cahill, and Julian Gray.
Fran Knight
The Widow by Fiona Barton
Bantam Press, 2016. ISBN 9780593076224
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Psychological mystery. Secrecy, Journalists.
Missing children. When the police begin to ask questions, Jean
Taylor defended his husband, refusing to believe that he could have
committed the crimes he was accused of. Then their was no reason to
keep quiet - but what did she really know about the man who was
accused of kidnapping and paedolphilia.
Told from the point of view of five people, Glen, the accused man,
Dawn the grieving mother of an abducted child, A reporter Rose, the
policeman who won't give up the search and Jean the widow, this is a
rivetting mystery that keeps the reader biting their nails as the
story unfolds.
Not only does it explore the life of a woman who is down trodden,
isolated and trusting, it also explores the exploitation that the
popular press makes of the victims and the trials of the police
trying to solve a really difficult case.
To write more would give away too much but The widow is a
great thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and one
definitely recommended for who those who like psychological
mysteries.
Pat Pledger
Chook Doolan: the newest pet by James Roy
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781922244949
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Pets. Friendship. Problem solving.
Chook Doolan's real name is Simon, but he is called Chook, because
he is not very brave. When the teacher tells the class that it is
Pet Day at school, Chook is happy because he has Bruce the goldfish
to bring along, but his friend Joe doesn't have a pet. Together they
come up with all sorts of ideas to get him one, but none of them
work. When Ricky finds a solution to the problem will Chook be brave
enough to take that pet to school?
The second in the Chook Doolan series, following Rules
are rules, this is a wonderful book that will engage newly
emergent readers with its funny text and relatable characters.
Everybody is fearful at times, but Chook acknowledges that fear and
tries to overcome it. He is also a very caring friend, knowing that
it is very important that Joe is not left out on Pet Day. The
friends generate lots of ideas to try and provide Joe with a pet,
and there is much humour around the final solution.
The black and white illustrations are very appealing and the
portrayal of all the animals that the children bring to school is
delightful. Big, clear print, short chapters and an engaging plot is
sure to make this series a winner for children who are just
beginning to become independent readers.
Pat Pledger
Go home, cheeky animals! by Johanna Bell
Ill. by Dion Beasley. Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760291655
(Ages: 3-7) Recommended. This is a sequel of sorts to Bell and
Beasley's previous collaboration, Too many cheeky dogs,
which itself stemmed from Dion Beasley's cheeky dog brand of
t-shirts. There is a wonderful story behind the cheeky dogs project
(see the website )
and the series provides many teaching opportunities beyond the text
itself. This sequel uses the same textual techniques, same
illustration style and the same setting as Cheeky dogs. It has a
story map in the endpapers as well, this time showing where all the
cheeky animals did their cheeky business! The rough pencil
illustrations that look like they have come straight from a child's
drawing book are not highly technical, but they are effective and
children will relate to them.
As with its predecessor, this book has been created with an
indigenous audience in mind but will appeal to children of all
backgrounds. It also has the potential to kick start a discussion
about feral animals in Australia (goats, camels, etc.) and the real
problems they create. Children will love the humour in the
illustrations (the animals drink from milk cartoons, and push their
babies in trolleys and prams) and the crazy antics of the cheeky
animals (eating grandpa's pants, stealing the lunch). Mum tries
shooing, Dad tries yelling at them, Uncle stamps his feet and Aunty
waves a big stick. But even the police can't help when the cheeky
animals are on the rampage! This is great fun and will be a big hit
with fans of Cheeky dogs.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
There's a magpie in my soup by Sean Farrar
Ill. by Pat Kan. Big Sky Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925275674
(Age: 3+) Humour. Australian animals. There's a magpie in my soup.
His wings have started to droop.
He's black and white.
And sure gave me a fright.
There's a magpie in my soup.
Not only is there a magpie in the soup, there is a big black snake
in the cake, a cockatoo in the loo, a blue tongue lizard in the
lunch, and many other crazy animals in strange situations,
culminating in a tease about a giddy goanna who had gout.
This is a very funny rhyming story that young children will love to
listen to when it is read aloud and could appeal to the newly
emerging reader. Lots of alliteration and similes bring the book to
life and one of the rhymes makes the reader think - what is that
marsupial in the milk?
The illustrations by Pat Kan are very funny and clever. The image of
the cockatoo emerging out of the loo, armed with a knife and fork
and asking for food is one of many that catch the imagination and
tickles the funny bone.
Celebrating Australian animals, this light-hearted picture book is
enjoyable and entertaining.
Pat Pledger
Chook Doolan: Rules are rules by James Roy
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781922244932
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Courage. Rules. Independence. Chook
Doolan is afraid to walk to school by himself. His father tells him
the special 'Walking to School' rule - no talking to anyone until he
gets through the school gates and insists that RULES ARE RULES.
Chook walks along the familar path to school, where he meets Mrs Pho
from the bakery, Eddie Two-Hats the busker and Mrs Holston the
lollipop lady. He knows them but refuses to speak to them or
acknowlege their greetings and even though he knows he has hurt
their feelings, he believes what his father said about rules being
rules. Chook has to make a plan to ensure that these people won't
hate him, so with the help of his friend Joe, comes up with a
solution that means he doesn't break his father's rule, but
apologises and stops their hurt feelings.
This is a feel good book that will appeal to children who are just
becoming newly independent, not only in their reading, but in the
things that are expected of them. Chook is very frightened of lots
of things and it is a big achievement for him to walk to school by
himself. What is just as important though, is the way that he and
Joe problem solve and work out how to smooth over the ruffled
feelings of the people that Chook ignored on his way to school.
The short sentences, easy text and clear print will be a boon for
newly emerging independent readers, and the black and white
illustrations by Lucinda Gifford give contextual clues as well as
portraying a brave and caring Chook Doolan. Rules are rules is sure to be a winner with its targeted
audience because of the themes of becoming independent, facing fear
and seeking help from friends, are ones that they will be able to
relate to easily. There are guided reading program teacher's notes
available for the series.
Pat Pledger
