Ladies of Lantern Street, bk 3. Piatkus, 2016. ISBN
9780349409443
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Romantic suspense. Historical. Victorian
period. Calista Langley operates an exclusive salon where lonely men
and women from society are able to get to know each other. Her
business keeps her brother Jack and herself afloat in a time when it
is very difficult for women to earn a living. Trent Hastings, an
author of popular crime novels is convinced that Calista is taking
advantage of his lonely sister and doesn't trust her, but when she
asks for his help to find the stalker who is leaving her mourning
objects, he decides to help her. Together they plunge into a world
of danger and desire.
Quick is one of my favourite romantic suspense authors, whether
writing historical novels as Amanda Quick, contemporary stories as
Jayne Ann Krentz or paranormal tales as Jane Castle. 'Til Death
Do Us Part will not disappoint her fans. Right from the first
spine chilling chapters when the unknown stalker peers at her from a
small cage and leaves her frightening mourning objects inscribed
with her initials, the reader becomes engrossed in the fate of
Calista and the growing attraction between her and the enigmatic
Trent.
Quick always manages to draw spirited and intelligent female
characters, who no matter how difficult their circumstances, do
their best to overcome the odds. Calista is certainly one of these -
left with a large old house, no money for upkeep and a younger
brother to look after, she analysed her situation and strengths and
started her introduction agency, which has provided a living for
both of them. Trent Hastings is a crime writer and Quick gives the
reader lots of background information about the way he writes and is
treated as an author (probably from her own experience) as well as
the people that he has come to know through his investigations. The
spark between the two is inevitable, but the romance in the book is
balanced by the suspense of the creepy unknown villain and the
customs that the people of the Victorian era have surrounded
themselves with. The plight of the isolated governesses in this
society is also explored as some become prey to the deranged killer.
The suspense ensures that the reader won't put this book down
easily. It is certainly a great read for people who enjoy the
romantic suspense genre.
Pat Pledger
Darkness by Karen Robards
Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN 9781444797909
(Age: Adult) Romantic suspense. Dr. Gina Sullivan, an ornithologist,
has received a grant to study birds on the remote island of Attu,
Alaska. One day she is out at sea, when a small jet plane crashes
and she manages to rescue the sole survivor, Cal. Using all her
survival skills, she manages to get them to land and keeps them
alive through the freeing night. Warned by Cal to be careful she
finally reaches her base camp only to find terrible danger facing
her.
Lots of action in this novel makes it a gripping read. The suspense
is thrilling - not only do Gina and Cal face monstrous waves and
debilitating cold - but the people who are after the secrets that
Cal knows are totally ruthless. Gina has to use all her skills to
survive the storm and then must trust the gorgeous Cal, as together
they fight the elements and the pitiless hunters who have murdered
her colleagues and stalking them relentlessly. The action and
suspense are matched with the steamy attraction that Gina and Cal
feel for each other.
Robards ensures that the reader gets to know her characters well.
The reasons for Gina's survival skills and fear of flying are slowly
unveiled as the story continues, and Cal's background is fleshed out
well, particularly in the final chapters.
Fans of the romantic suspense genre will find much to enjoy in this
gripping adventure.
Pat Pledger
The pearl-shell diver by Kay Crabbe
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290474
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Australian history. Federation. Pearl
diving. Race relations. White Australia Policy. Sario lives
and works on a remote island in the Torres Strait. He dives for
pearl shell and sea cucumber, to sell at the markets so he and his
family can get an income. Unscrupulous lugger captains note his
ability and promise him more money if he goes with them to learn to
dive with a helmet. At first he refuses but the old men of his clan
push him to earn more money for the community, and when his mother,
once a diver, now with breathing problems, becomes worse and must be
moved to Thursday Island for treatment, he has no choice.
But the promises come to nothing. He is subjected to racism by the
white bosses and Japanese divers, his money taken from him on any
pretext, and made to work harder than he has ever worked before. He
misses his family, is bullied by a young Japanese diver, and
witnesses his friend lose his life to a shark, after the boss made
the boy stay underwater despite the threat of danger.
But along the way he learns a lot about the industry he works for,
and hears from others about the rules concerning pearl fishing, an
industry soon under threat, and about Federation, the amalgamation
of the states into the Commonwealth of Australia, soon to take
place. Readers will love reading about Sario and his life, and
adventures, but also learn about bullying and racism, the White
Australia Policy, Federation and the Torres Strait Islands, a
setting rarely seen in children's books.
Fran Knight
The incredible powers of Montague Towers by Alan Sunderland
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760153649
Highly recommended. Superheroes. Crime fighting. Orphans.
Montague Towers is not a Superhero. He is an orphan with limited
freedom, some responsibilities and NO power! Due to his age he is
left in charge of the orphanage while everyone else goes on a
holiday. This is a joy and delight as he finally gets some 'alone
time'. An aging Superhero, the Cape of Justice, intrudes into his
peace and quiet and Monty becomes embroiled in a quest to restore
the credibility of the older Caped crusader and foil the plans of
his evil (and ridiculously overweight) nemesis. Monty becomes the
recipient of some temporary superpowers lasting only one day at a
time and he sets out on a chase to thwart the criminal mastermind
before he upsets the entire financial system. Both the Cape of
Justice and Montague Towers seem to be the comedic Superhero types
as they falter at almost every step in using their powers in pursuit
of justice. Will they be able to win the battle against the evil
tyrant and his henchmen?
This is a delightfully written book, and the slightly powerless and
quirky main character will win the hearts of many young readers as
he explores Superhero qualities. (I am assuming that Montague Towers
will be making further appearances in the future, as the book would
easily lead into another adventure.) The action is fast-paced, the
villains are easy to dislike and the main characters are
entertaining. And there are pastries! The Prologue begins with Day 3
of the Superpowers and is obviously placed to give younger readers a
taste of the action that is to follow and to encourage them to keep
reading past the orphanage beginning to explore the mystery of the
Superpowers. This was probably unnecessary as Chapter 1 has an
equally enthralling and endearing style that would hook a young
reader.
Recommended highly - as an entertaining read for young readers (not
as great literature).
Carolyn Hull
Anna Liza and the happy practice by Eoin Colfer
Ill. by Matt Robertson. Little gems series. Barrington
Stoke, 2016. ISBN 9781781125595
Anna Liza Madigan's mum is a psychiatrist - sye-kye-a-trist. She
talks to people who are very lonely or very upset until they are
better. Anna Liza thinks this is so important that even though her
mum tells her only grown-ups can be psychiatrists, she sets up her
own office in her mum's waiting room and wearing her stethoscope and
white coat from her 'Nurse Nancy on Duty' set, she does the rounds
of the waiting room every afternoon after school. She gets those
waiting water or a magazine, sometimes even cheering them up with
her version of 'Don't worry, Be happy'. But one day she meets Edward
who is seven point five years old, doesn't like sauce on his burgers
and is the saddest child she has ever seen. Even her 17 best
knock-knock jokes can't make him raise a smile. Determined to get to
the root of the problem, Anna Liza digs deeper and discovers that
Edward's sadness is because is his dad is sad because his mum has left
them.
So Nancy devises a plan to make Edward's dad's life go somewhere and
make him happy again. But will it be successful? Racing through like
a sequence from a cartoon, complete with illustrations that leave
much to the imagination, Anna Liza's plan can only end badly. Or
does it?
This is another title from the Little gems series that is
deliberately formatted to cater for readers with dyslexia but
regardless, it is just a rollicking good story written by the author
of the Artemis fowl series who knows what it takes to
entertain young readers. Despite its physical length, it is not a
long read and is full of humour and fun with a delightful twist at
the end that invites the reader to continue the story in their head.
And, of course, the whole thing invites a Knock-Knock Jokes Fest.
Funny, different, entertaining - I know Miss 9 will love this one.
Barbara Braxton
Ophelia by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2015. ISBN 9780732298524
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Denmark, Betrayal.
French's re-imagining of the play, Hamlet, from the
perspective of his girlfriend, Ophelia will have wide appeal to a
young audience. French's Ophelia is a strong, wiley young woman,
aware of much of the machinations behind the scenes that beset those
in power. From her position as the young daughter of the Lord
Chancellor of the country, she not only runs her father's household,
but listens when he talks to her about his days' work. Neither
Ophelia nor her father, Polonius are the dupes portrayed in the
original play, but two hard working loyal subjects. So when Hamlet
returns from university to mourn the death of his father, only to be
greeted with his mother's marriage to her brother-in-law, Ophelia
grasps the desperation of the situation and does all she can to help
Hamlet, a man to whom she is attracted, and one who seems to be
attracted to her.
French cleverly uses the words of the play in their dialogue, giving
us a different emphasis that one usually shown. French makes the
'what might have happened' take place before our eyes.
Both of the main characters are beset by ghosts: Ophelia sees the
ghost of the king usurped by Hamlet's father, and Hamlet sees the
ghost of his father. Hamlet's father impels him to seek vengeance on
his brother for killing him, while Ophelia's ghost warns her that
vengeance only leads to more killing.
For those knowing the original play, Hamlet, this will be a
revelation as Ophelia takes centre stage, with other main characters
like Polonius, Hamlet, Claudius the king, and Queen Gertrude, taking
lesser roles. Hamlet loses nothing of his prevarication, his
indecision about Ophelia and his inability to make up his mind about
carrying out his father's instructions, and with Ophelia having a
much larger 'stage' presence, we see Hamlet afresh. This is a
wonderful read. and if it might get a little sentimental at times,
this will be quite acceptable to the target audience.
Fran Knight
The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780732296858
(Ages: 14+) Recommended. Five teenagers, five different lives and
one final year. The Loner, the School Captain, the Popular Girl, the
Newcomer and the MP's Daughter. Thrust together against their will
they need to work together to become their yearbook committee. Can
each student get past their problems and be able to work together
and make the year their own.
Each character deals with their own issues making the whole book
cover a wide range of different real life issues, from depression,
diversity, bullying and friendship. I absolutely loved that a group
of different people, with very different upbringings, were thrust
together and made to work together despite their differences. Ayoub
shows the pressure and emotions that young people experience while
growing up and they deal or cope with it all. Even with the heavy
themes Ayoub managed to still keep the writing light and enjoyable. The Yearbook Committee is one crazy emotional ride, I got so
wrapped up in the story and ended finishing it quickly. I just loved
how easy it was to transition between the five characters; it was
flawless reading each different character.
Cecilia Richards
About a girl by Joanne Horniman
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742371443
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Relationships, Same sex
relationships, Love, Depression. You know that feeling you have when
you come across a book so well written that you want to read it
again - straightaway? Well this is one of those, so I was very
surprised to turn to the publication page and see that it was first
published in 2010. How did I miss it?
Anna's father has left the family without warning, moving in with
his much younger lover, a girl to whom Anna is physically attracted.
This combined with the instability at home as her abandoned mother
tries to rebuild her life with her two daughters, reduces Anna's
belief in herself.
And then something happens which further undermines her confidence,
causing her to suffer a serious bout of depression. She drops out of
uni and finds a job in a bookshop in Lismore. Here she begins to get
her life back on some sort of even keel, and despite not looking for
love, finds it in Flynn. The story of their relationship is achingly
real, tender and all encompassing, as Anna slowly reveals her past
to her lover. But Flynn also keeps herself close, so much so that
Anna can never be sure that she will still be there, and when she
invites her to move in with her in her small apartment, Flynn is
forced to reveal her secret.
The girls share their lives, the stray cat that insists on sleeping
on Anna's bed when Flynn is there, the teapot called Lavinia, the
sharing of bathers when they go to the beach, the meeting of Anna's
mother and disabled sister when they visit. And when they split,
Anna is more certain, more sure that life holds meaning and a
future.
This is a wonderful story of two girls, their shared love and what
happens when love is gone and set against a background familiar to
many readers.
Fran Knight
Editor's note: This is still in print.
Shortlisted, 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Young adult
fiction
Shortlisted, 2011 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the
Year - Older Readers
Summer harvest by Georgina Penney
Penguin Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780143797081
(Age: Adult) Romance. Illness. Beth Poole is a dog trainer, whose
life has been turned upside down after a life threatening illness
and the desertion of her husband. Her grandmother, obsessed with
Australian soaps, sends her off on a holiday to Australia, but it is
not to the east coast of her TV shows, rather it is to Western
Australia. Beth decides to make the most of it and books an extended
holiday at Margaret River, hoping to rest but the Hardy clan make it
difficult for her to retreat and Clayton Hardy is the most
interesting of all. Can she overcome the doubts that her past
experiences have given her and learn to trust and love again?
This was a romantic story that flowed beautifully and was easy to
read. Beth's dilemma arising from her past illness grabbed at the
heartstrings as she gradually regained her self-confidence, started
to wear attractive clothes and broke her self-imposed isolation by
making new friends. Clayton Hardy is also an engaging character, who
has hidden depths and fears that he too has to overcome before he
finds his true love. Penney sensitively delves into the ways that
people cope with serious illness and how buried grief can affect
relationships.
The setting of Margaret River, the beach, the wineries with their
delicious sounding wines, the food and moments set in the vineyards
under the moon, brought back memories of a lovely holiday spent
there. Penney's description of the area will certainly give readers
who have never visited the area a desire to do so.
This is an engaging romance that is sure to entertain with its
romance and family bickering, and its underlying serious theme will
also engage the emotions. It reads well as a stand-alone, and people
who enjoyed it will be pleased to know that Penney's previous book,
Fly in Fly out, also features the Hardy family.
Pat Pledger
Goblin mafia wars by DC Green
Ford St Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925272208
(Age: 12+) You would think that as a royal hume dude your life would
be one of complete luxury not to mention stressfree. Think again! PT
(Prince Thomas of Monstro City) and his Dead Gang friends are
embroiled even deeper in nasty situations and deadly - or is that
undeadly? - circumstances; their quest to find the eggs of the last
dragon, Kalthazar, as well as trying to avert complete goblin civil
war and annihilation of all other species, thwarting the evil plans
of the horrendous Dr Franken, removing the usurper Prince Robbie and
just a few other issues.
Following the toxic altercation at Fire
Mountain with the goblins' attack and Kalthazar's limping
escape to the Isle of Giants, the Gang minus friend Zorg begin a
trek which first of all sees them navigating through the Dead Zone.
Yowsers! This is one extremely bogus territory where even monsters
like the Dead Gang are in very real danger of being exterminated
not least of all by their erstwhile compadre Scarab, the
super-strong mummy gal. She's kind of ticked off about Zorg and
decides that PT in particular is totes responsible.
Surviving this and then a very unnerving train ride back to Monstro
City, the Dead Gang faces yet more monstrous mayhem. While PT
manages to conduct some very delicate negotiations and some highly
skilful bluffing with the rival goblin factions (think Sopranos
style goblins!), his plans are sabotaged by the appearance of a
chocolate popcorn gobbling older/younger idiot savant (without the
savant) brother Prince Robbie. Rumour has it he has been
cryogenically preserved by famous Dr Franken for the past ten years
and not in fact stolen by the Vampire Queen. Looks like vampiric
Stoker is not PT's brother after all... or is he?
And just what is Dr Franken's dastardly involvement with the goblin
factions and the mentally deranged Prince Robbie? How did he get
that dragon egg? And what the web is with all those freaky arms?
Trapped in small cages in the evil doctor's 'hospital' things look
grim for this grimmest - and often grimiest - of gangs, with no
apparent hope of escape. Spoiler alert - yet they do along with an
about-to-hatch dragon egg!
DC Green has provided readers with another rip-snorter yarn about
these highly idiosyncratic monster teens who have their own methods
of solving problems. Their combined abilities and wacky take on
situations along with their staunch support of each other prove more
than a match for their adversaries. High humour rating and all the
excitement of fast-paced action will prove yet again to be a winner
with readers from around 12 and up. If you missed the first volume
you MUST go and get it! Can't wait for the next instalment - write
faster DC! *
Oh and PS completely buzzed about that quote on the back cover!!
Sue Warren
The grumpy lighthouse keeper by Territzita Corpus
Ill. by Maggie Prewett. Magabala Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925360189
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Humour. Lighthouse. Beach. Broome. Sea
creatures. When the lighthouse keeper goes out to check that his
light is still shining brightly on a cold blustery night, several
animals crawl from the beach and into his warm snugly bed. As each
comes from the beach, the same format on each page is used,
encouraging children to predict the words that will follow as
another animal appears. Cassius the crab, Trev the turtle, Jacob the
jellyfish, Olena the octopus and Bruce the bluebone take their place
inside the lighthouse keeper's cottage.
The bright, vivid illustrations show the readers each of the animals
and will encourage the readers to try their own skills at
representing these sea creatures.
When the lighthouse keeper returns of course, readers again will
predict his possible response, laughing merrily at his insistence
that the animals leave his bed, then finding it too damp to now
sleep in himself. A solution is found however, although readers will
know that he has missed out on his comfortable bed on such a cold
night.
Readers will laugh out aloud at the antics of the animals, knowing
that a bed is probably the last place they would want to be but
seeing the humour in these creatures taking shelter. All the while
students are reminded of the sorts of sea creatures to be found in
Broome and the history of a local historical spot. I loved it.
Fran Knight
Out for the count by Anne Fine
Ill. by Vicki Gausden. Barrington Stoke, 2016. ISBN 9781781125076
(Age: Emerging readers) Like many children, Hugo would really like a
pet - in his case, a gerbil. He raises the issue again with his dad
just as he is finishing the repainting of Hugo's room. Even though
his father acknowledges that Hugo would probably look after it very
well, he is not a fan of keeping things in cages and so the answer
continues to be 'no'. However, there may be a compromise. Hugo works
out that the gerbil would only be in the cage for seven hours during
the time he is at school, so his father suggests that Hugo
experiences that by staying alone in his now empty room for the same
time.
Hugo accepts the challenge and at midday with just the newspaper
already spread on the floor, a snack, three chosen toys (a ghost
puppet, a bucket of bricks and a monkey on a stick) and his watch, he
enters the room to stay alone for seven hours. And even though he
also has what gerbils don't - an imagination - the time creeps by so
slowly it seems like it stands still. Will Hugo last the seven
hours?
This is an entertaining short story for emerging readers written
some time ago but repackaged for the Little gems series which is
deliberately designed to support students with dyslexia. The font is
'dyslexia-friendly' helping those who confuse letter shapes to see
them more clearly and spaced to minimise confusion; the pages are
tinted and the paper thicker so illustrations are not 'shadowed' on
previous pages; the stories short but engaging; and the book is just
right for small hands to hold and read alone. Plots are linear and
the language and its structure less complex than in other stories
for a similar age group. 'This process was developed by dyslexia and
speech and language experts in response to research and feedback
from thousands of readers on hundreds of Barrington
Stoke manuscripts over the years.'
Dyslexic or not, Out for the count is entertaining, witty
and wise and will spark lots of conversations about people's need to
confine animals to cages and the 'rightness' of this.
Barbara Braxton
Dreaming the enemy by David Metzenthen
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760112257
In what appears to be based on the Battle of Coral which took place
during the Vietnam War, Johnny Shoebridge, a conscripted Australian
infantryman endures unspeakable terror defending a 'Firebase' of
artillery and mortars. The Firebases enabled significant targets
such as supply routes to be shelled and also offered support to
infantry if powerful enemy forces were contacted.
When hordes of North Vietnamese soldiers and Vietcong guerrillas
attack a newly positioned and inadequately prepared Firebase on the
first night after it was set up, Johnny and his mates Barry and Lex
must fight desperately in their infantry units which were placed to
defend the guns.
I liked this story for many reasons, not least because the
reader is transported to a place where the gut wrenching fear is
almost palpable and the crescendo of explosions and screams is
overwhelming. Most important however, is the fact that this is
achieved without any glorification of war.
The story is told in a series of flashbacks in civilian life when
Johnny is trying to adjust to being an ordinary person after
returning from military service. The flashbacks not only recount the
experiences of Johnny and his mates but he also displays an acute
awareness of the service and suffering of the enemy in his dreams
about a wounded and traumatised soldier 'Khan'.
In trying to connect with people, Johnny has no control over the
memories and dreams which flood his waking moments, to a point where
at times he loses track of what is real. The theme of mateship is
omni-present in Australian war literature and the concept of
soldiers having a far greater fear of letting their mates down than
dying themselves is clearly very real. Metzenthen has created an
authentic story which I feel would meet with approval from those who
served, on the grounds that the detail is accurate, the humour is
realistic and there is a profound respect for the soldiers from both
sides which is unwavering even when pointing to the insanity of the
war itself.
The author emphasises that what the Australian, New Zealand and
American service men endured was so immense and significant that it
was literally life changing, often permanently and all too often
being terribly destructive in terms of physical and psychological
injury. Without insulting these individuals in any way however, the
author questions this terrible suffering against the outcome of the
war. Metzenthen also reveals the war and post-conflict experience of
the North Vietnamese people, who saw only that their country was
invaded. The unequal nature of warfare between lightly armed
guerrillas and the almost unbelievable might of Western firepower is
considered with great sensitivity. The reader is left with the sense
that after all the civilian and military deaths, all the injuries
and the unspeakable destruction and poisoning of the environment,
the outcome was pretty much the same as it would have been if the
war had not been waged.
Rob Welsh
Big hug books by Shona Innes
Ill. by Irisz Agocs. Five Mile Press, 2016. Worries are like clouds. ISBN 9781760400729 You are like you. ISBN 9781760400712
(Age: 4+) Mental health. Depression. Identity. Two more in the
series, Big hug books gives us a book about worrying and one
about identity. As with the others in the series, they aim to give
teachers and parents a starting point of discussion with a class or
children at home. Simply told, they are all obvious in their themes,
and clear about their aim. A page of information about how to use
the books appears at the end of each story. Worries are like clouds tells the reader that many days are
happy, filled with laughter and are carefree, while others are dark
and gloomy and sometimes they would prefer to stay in bed with the
bedclothes over their head. The gentle text tells the reader that
this is normal, that everyone has good and bad days, happy and sad
days, bright sunny days and days with clouds. It goes on to tell the
reader that there are ways to overcome these gloomy days and then a
number of pages are devoted to outlining strategies to deal with a
cloudy day. These would make a great discussion point in the
classroom. You are like you takes the same approach as the others in the
series, with half of the pages devoted to positive images of what
make you, you. Then a number of pages give the negatives sides of
life, people may annoy you, you may feel out of sorts, and so on,
and the author then gives strategies to overcome the negatives.
Again this provides a starter for discussion amongst children, in
the classroom or at home with a simple direct text and accompanying
illustrations.
Fran Knight
I went to the supermarket by Paul Howard
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408844700
(Ages: 3-6) This book is based on the popular memory game of the
same name (I went to the supermarket and I bought... ) and shows
a young boy and girl competing to remember everything they add to
the shopping list. However, they don't buy chocolate, chips and
chicken at the supermarket... they buy dancing aliens,
fire-breathing dragons and fearsome Granny pirates. As happens in
the real-life game, someone forgets an item and the game comes to an
end (in this case with a mountain of jelly going SPLAT!).
The sparkly, fantastical cover featuring a boy with underpants on
his head pushing a flamingo and a dragon in a shopping trolley will
draw children in. The larger-than-life, crazy illustrations inside,
packed with characters, colour and interesting and varied fonts,
will keep them engaged. This will stimulate the imagination of young
children, many of whom will love reading along and trying to
remember everything on the shopping list. It might even become a
favourite game for them to play themselves.
Nicole Nelson
