A beginner's guide to bear spotting by Michelle Robinson and David Roberts
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408845554
Picture book. If, like the child in the story, you are planning on
going on a bear-spotting adventure, then this is definitely the
must-have guide to have with you. You mustn't venture into bear
country without knowing the difference between the black bear (ursus
americanus) and the brown bear (ursus horribilis); your backpack
full of anti-bear gear such as pepper spray and bubble gum; and your
trusty teddy for company. And as you are repeatedly told throughout
the story, you need to pay attention, focus, take note and heed the
advice. For only with it will you be safe.
Even though the chances of coming across either one or the other is
pretty unlikely, nevertheless it can happen and the strategies to be
applied vary depending on the species. Don't climb a tree if it's a
black bear because it can follow you, whereas a brown one can't.
Play dead if it's a brown one, although that might be an invitation
to dinner if you've confused them because black bears can be a
little bit brown and brown bears can be a little bit black.
This is a heart-warming adventure with beautiful illustrations with
exquisite line-work that bring all the characters to life and add
lots of humour so the reader can be brave and safe at the same time.
Little children love stories about bears, real or not, and this is
another one to add to the collection that will bring delight and
pleasure and reinforce the idea that stories and reading them are
fun. And the next time they go on a bear hunt they will be
well-prepared!
Barbara Braxton
Twinkle, twinkle, little star by Jane Taylor
Ill. by Mandy Foot. Lothian Children's Books, 2016. ISBN
9780734416872
(Ages: 0-3) Australian animals. Nocturnal animals. Stars. This is a
take on a traditional rhyme, of which Mandy Foot has done a few (This
little roo went to market, The wheels on the bus).
This one is an extended version of Twinkle twinkle with a
goodnight story vibe and an Australian touch. It starts with the
known rhyme and then continues almost as a love poem written to a
star, praising it for lighting the way for nocturnal Australian
animals. Accordingly, the setting is the Australian outback and
features a cast of Australian animals that are active at night
(fireflies, mice, gliders, owls, foxes, etc.).
The illustrations are sparse, which effectively highlights the wide
blue sky and the abundance of stars, sometimes contrasted with the
red, glowing earth. There is a story running through the rhyme (the
baby possum is guided back to his nest by the light of the star) but
it gets a bit lost and isn't immediately obvious. Unfortunately, in
some parts the rhyme seems forced and doesn't flow well ('When the
blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon').
Nicole Nelson
Wicked's Way by Anna Fienberg
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781743319901
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. In Wicked's Way, 9 year old
Will lives a carefree life with his mother and even though they are
isolated, Will has his mum and his skills walking the tightrope.
Will lives in a world of pirates and where young boys stay hidden so
they can't be stolen by the pirates. On day, Will's mum disappears
and despite being taken in by a caring family, Will is still
kidnapped by pirates - sent to get him by the pirate captain after
learning of his existence through Will's dying father. Life as a
pirate is not fun but Will's rope walking skills make him a valuable
asset and he soon becomes the favourite of the captain. His job is
to sit in the Crow's Nest, day in and day out - even as storms
thrash around them. After kidnapping a new group of boys, Will
develops a friendship with one of them and together they plan their
escape. Unfortunately, Will is betrayed. What will happen to Will as
he accepts pirate life and becomes Wicked the pirate? Wicked's Way is an easy to read novel set out in 2 parts -
the second being 5 years into the story. It is highly recommended
for boys aged 9+ as the pirate story and actions will keep them
engaged. The chapters are short and descriptive and the author has
created an exciting and original world for her readers to escape to.
Kylie Kempster
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Rebel of the Sands bk 1. Faber and Faber, 2016. ISBN
9780571325252
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fantasy. Desert. Western. Amani lives in the
desolate town of Dustwalk and she loves the desert sands. She is
convinced that there is more to life than the stifling attitudes to
women and marriage that her family practises and decides to enter a
shooting contest, disguised as a young man. When the contest falls
into chaos, she has the chance to run with a foreigner, but life is
full of danger and the Sultan's soldiers are on the prowl.
Hamilton has used an intriguing combination of the Western genre,
with its sharp shooting and wild frontier and desert life, where
nomads struggle to bring camel laden supplies across the desert. Add
mythical half human and half magic people with amazing powers, a
rebel prince who is trying to bring peace and prosperity to his
people and some amazing adventures and the book is a winner.
Amani is a wonderful protagonist. Told in the first person she
brings a wry commentary and vivid descriptions of the landscape and
the main characters. Her wry sense of humour is very engaging and
her amazing skill as a sharpshooter grabs the reader as she
struggles to better her life, while engaging in thrilling adventures
- including a battle on a moving train and fights against a magical
creature. Jin, the foreigner, is also very appealing, and the slow
burning romance is sure to be popular. Rebel of the sands ends with a satisfying conclusion, but
there is plenty of scope left for more in the series, and I look
forward to reading them.
Pat Pledger
The Fairy Tale Matchmaker by E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781619638006
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Themes: Fairy Tales; Adventure;
Relationships. This is a delightful and simple Fairy tale for older
readers who like the addition of a little 'essence of romance' in a
magical story that has fairy tale characters that are beyond school
age and finding their way in the world. The story begins with Cory
recognising that she cannot continue in her work role as Tooth Fairy
any longer as it brings her no joy, and not much income! She thinks
that any job is better than a job she despises, despite being raised
and trained to fulfil the role. The family tension this creates is
nothing compared to the forces that are unleashed by the Tooth Fairy
Guild as they seek to return her to their fold. Cory has a wonderful
cohort of interesting friends, and as she seeks to explore new
career directions she meets an abundance of quirky and recognisable
characters from the world of fairy tale and nursery rhyme. She also
moonlights as a drummer in a band that is experiencing growing
success! The increasing attempts of the Tooth Fairy Guild to return
her to the role from which she has resigned unleash a flurry of
disastrous events. Amidst this drama, she also begins to take on the
role of Matchmaker for her friends and acquaintances, attempting to
fix their dating life while also discovering her own future and the
power of a kiss.
This can be recommended for readers who like more grown-up Fairy
Stories. Suited for readers aged 11 - 14. This is an exciting, but
gentle adventure that allows the reader to rediscover affection for
Fairy tale characters in an uncomplicated narrative. In some ways
this is not unlike Emily Rodda's Rondo series in the way it weaves
the back stories of traditional fairy tale and Nursery Rhyme
characters into an adventure. The cover image tends to suggest this
book is for a child, yet the inferred age of the characters is that
they are post-school age. The simplicity of the narrative though
will make it accessible for readers who are just beginning to
consider a future beyond childhood.
Carolyn Hull
Yogscast: The Diggy Diggy Book
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781407163994
(Ages: 9-12) For those unfamiliar with the gaming world, Yogscast
create and broadcast videogame walkthroughs via their YouTube
channel. They have a huge worldwide following. This book is not
about a certain videogame, nor does it give game tutorials. It is
about the Yogscast itself (profiles of each creator) and includes
funny content based on their popular videos. This book is not likely
to be understandable to anyone who is not a Yogscast fan (don't be
misled by the Minecraft references). It has a very specific target
audience but based on their large following, that target audience is
probably very large. While the Yogscast videos are not targeted
specifically at children, the book definitely is and so it is child
friendly in content and appeal. It contains lots of colourful
artwork with textual elements often on the minimal side. There are
also a few activities for children to complete. Young fans of
Yogscast will love this, but it is most definitely a fad book with a
time limit on its popularity.
Nicole Nelson
The way we roll by Scot Gardner
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290399
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Drugs, Friendship, Family, Shopping
centres. Will has run away and now lives beneath a bowling alley,
surviving on the money he earns collecting trolleys at the local
shopping centre. Here he meets a variety of other young men, all
rough and tough 'Westies', taken aback at the well mannered,
privately educated person in their midst. One trolley boy, Julian is
intrigued and looks more closely, eventually taking him back home
where his mother and girlfriend welcome him. Julian is an amazing
character, solicitous, undemanding and accepting of his new friend,
but equally incredulous that Will wears a Rolex watch and collects
trolleys.
Will is unused to such acceptance and initially on edge, but
gradually reveals the reason he has left home. His father, a
charismatic TV sports guru has been sleeping with his girlfriend,
Claire, and Will has taken footage of their relationship on her
mobile phone. Distraught at their betrayal, Will has left, taking
the mobile phone with him, but his father and girlfriend want it
back.
Gardner always writes an intelligent, soul searching story, layered
with incidents and characters at once familiar and yet just out of
reach. In this case, he presents a group of young men seen by us
all, but ignored and often dismissed by the shopping centre users.
Gardner gives them a voice, confronting us with their stories,
taking us into their world. Gradually we see Will opening up to his
new family, his impeccable manners a source of constant amusement.
But Julian wants a different life to being a 'Westie', and asks the
homeless Will for advice. He is taken aback, with his posh accent,
finely tuned manners and private school background he promises to
help. But it is Julian who helps Will more, as we see his common
sense often come to the fore when Will reveals his predicament. When
Will's father appears at their door, Julian encourages Will to 'grow
some balls' and resolve the situation but this happens only after a series of
very funny events involving Julian's father, Sandy and the people
sent by Will's father to get the phone, along with a goat and much
chasing around the suburbs.
Meanwhile, the boys' boss at the shopping centre Joanne has to move
away and so offers her job to one of the boys, with Julian as his
offsider, but she tells both Will and Julian that they should do
something else, not just trolley collecting. She encourages them
both to see an alternate path.
I loved this story as I do all that Gardner writes. His characters
are always sharply observed, the setting most credible and real, the
situations tangible. While not patronising those he writes about he
presents them with a dignity and humanity that is breath taking. The
themes of family and friendship run deeply through this most
fascinating story of two young men from diverse backgrounds finding
common ground.
Fran Knight
Witch Switch by Sibeal Pounder
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408852675
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Witch Switch is book 2 in the
Witch Wars Adventure series. It starts with a recap of the
previous stores so readers who are new to the series can catch up.
In book 2, readers will find the main characters, Tiga and
Fluffanora, holidaying until they hear about Peggy, the ruling
witch, leaving her position and leaving two gruesome witches in
charge instead. Surely Peggy would not abandon her witch friends.
Did she really go away with the fairies? Tiga and Fluffanora try to
sneak into the capital city but due to unforseen circumstances and
the appearance of gruesome witches, they are discovered. As the
witches find shelter, they discover other witches are also starting
to disappear. Why are these witches disappearing? Who would need
them? It is up to Tiga and Fluffanora to discover the truth. Witch Switch is a quirky novel about an amazing make believe
world of witches. It is highly recommended for girls aged 9+. They
will giggle at the spells and behaviours of Fluffanora and enjoy the
adventure as the truth is uncovered. The text is descriptive and
easy to read, encouraging readers who are new to novels. The
chapters are also short and quick moving and the black and white
cartoon-style illustrations only add to the quirkiness of the
characters in this witch world.
Kylie Kempster
Spot and stripe by Anna Shuttlewood
Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760401405
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Friendship, Difference. Spot and Stripe are
the best of friends and do lots of things together: looking at the
stars, picking flowers, lying on their backs at night looking at the
moon, and making up stories out of the clouds they see. Stripe is a
zebra and Spot is a leopard, giving a lovely opportunity for parents
and teachers to talk about these animals and their differences,
where they live and their lifestyles. But they do wonder what it
would be like if each was same as the other. They spend the next day
teaching each other how to live like they do. So Spot shows Stripe
how to chase birds, and Stripe shows Spot how to eat the berries
form the bushes, Spot shows Stripe how to swim, and then how to
climb a tree to rest for the night.
Each watercolour illustration adds to the story as it shows a
variation fo the story being told. Stripe climbing a tree ends in
disaster, while Spot eating berries is not what he can do easily.
Each picture underlines their differences to the reader. The two
happily conclude that their efforts have resulted in them being the
same, but when they stop for a drink and see their reflections in
the river, they are shocked to see they are still the same as
before. An idea is played out by both, but when they realise that
they miss the stripes and spots, they conclude that they can still
be friends while being different. The message will not be lost on
the reader and will encourage class discussions of difference and
acceptance of difference.
Fran Knight
A tangle of gold by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Colours of Madeleine bk 3. Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN
9781743533239
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Magic. Colour. Coming of
age. After a short stay of only two weeks in Cambridge, Elliot is
swept back into the Kingdom of Cello with his father. He is taken
prisoner by the Hostiles and Princess Ko and Samuel and Sergio have
been arrested and face execution. Cello is facing a crisis and
bitter colour storms are raging through the land.
Back in Cambridge, Madeleine is increasingly lonely. Her nose bleeds
often and her mother is not well. She has lost communication with
Elliot and fears that when the remaining Royals are sent back to
Cello she will lose him forever.
This is a stunning conclusion to a truly unique, clever and
memorable trilogy. There are many unexpected surprises and twists
and turns as Madeleine and Elliot try to work out the mysteries in
Cello and bring back equilibrium to their country. Ably assisted by
Keira, Princess Ko and the other fully realised protagonists, the
reader is swept along on a mighty adventure that is sprinkled with
references to Isaac Newton, the science of colour and the poetry of
Lord Byron. Some philosophical ideas and some heartbreak all made an
appearance to complete a wonderful story.
This is an outstanding series with a superb final book that weaves
all the tangles together in a creative, complex and utterly
satisfying way. I highly recommend all three books for both upper
primary and secondary readers and all who love fantasy.
Pat Pledger
Little lunch: triple the treats by Danny Katz
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Black Dog Books, 2016. ISBN 9781925126907
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Humour, School, Recess time. Three
stories in one volume is what awaits those kids hooked on the
television series, Little lunch, along with those already
familiar with the books released since 2001.
This volume includes The milk bar, The cake stall
and The grandparents day, all concerned with the six
students in Mrs Gonsha's class pictured on the cover. The hilarious
stories will bring gales of laughter as recognition sets in. Each is
simply based around everyday happenings of children at school:
forgetting to pack your lunch, having to invite your grandparents to
school or being concerned about homeless animals. Each story is easy
to read, about forty pages long and copiously illustrated by Mitch
Vane and designed to bring a smile and laugh to every reader.
Photographs of each of the students and teacher at various positions
around the school add to the fun of reading the tales. The milk bar
across the road from the school beckons when Atticus again, forgets
to pack his lunch. Of course the milk bar is out of bounds but he
and his friends develop ingenious methods of getting there
un-noticed, that is unless Deborah the dobber doesn't dob. Grandparents day is an annual day in the life of this school,
one that last year turned out to be a disaster. This year Battie has
a huge problem. His grandfather is not coming but Mrs Gonsha has
knitted the man a lime green scarf. He devises a series of plans all
of which come to nothing and he must confess. The cake stall shows Melanie baking cakes for a cake stall to
raise money and awareness of the plight of homeless puppies. Each
story is well illustrated and uses different fonts and print size to
emphasise main points, while the stories, although brief always have
a neat resolution which can teach the readers something about how
they interact with other people. All in all a very satisfying group
of stories, nicely presented which will have wide appeal.
Fran Knight
Me, Teddy by Chris McKimmie
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760291334
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Family, Dogs. A delightfully eclectic
picture book from McKimmie will readily engage all those animal
lovers and owners and those who would wish to be from the first
page.
Teddy introduces himself to the reader when a pup, one which gets
into all sorts of trouble chewing up the wrong things: flip flops,
top of the range sandals (but only one!) and a chocolate cake. He
has as a result, become a large dog of forty kilos and the pictures
of him sprawled across the pages will be readily identified by those
who have had a labrador, a chewing machine, a vacuum of all he sees.
The wonderful illustrations, full of intriguingly different styles,
colours and medium, cause the eyes to wander the pages, checking out
the differences, looking for things known and unknown.
The range of illustrators and contributors adds to the eclectic
nature of the text, making it a treat for the reader to pick out
which is by Chris and which by members of his family. What fun they
must have had choosing which bits to add, and the whole forms a
model for classes to follow when they complete the book.
Teddy's days are fun filled, right down to an exhausted climb up his
mattress into his king sized bed. But when the suitcases appear,
Teddy knows he will be left, but a page of instructions for the
live-in carer will delight the readers.
The large sized publication is easy on the eye, attractive in its
depiction of Teddy eating a flip flop on the cover, enticing readers
of all ages to open the book. The dog's expressions are delightful,
particularly the pained look on the last page when his family
returns from holidays. This is a most accessible story of the place
of a dog in one family's home.
Fran Knight
Waer by Meg Caddy
Text Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781922182210
(Age: 12+ ) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Quests. Coming of age.
Werewolves. Good and evil. Loyalty. Loss. Love. Shortlist Text
Prize. Lowell Sencha is out in the forest when he discovers a young
woman almost dead on the riverbank. She is human but she is also
waer - able to take on the form of a wolf. Lycaea has run from the
cruel tyrant Daeman Leldh, who has tortured her and who despises
anyone with waer blood. Lowell's family takes her in, tending her
wounds and helping her to recover, but Daeman is determined to find
her, and his arrival in the valley leads to death and destruction.
Lycea and Lowell, helped by the healer, Moth and her husband Dodge
Derry, embark on a quest to bring down the tyrant and regain the
Valley.
With a dramatic introduction, sure to grab any reader's interest,
Caddy vividly describes a world where a young woman is hunted by
ruthless soldiers and where waers exist. In the Valley, the waers
have lead a peaceful life, worshipping their gods and helping each
other. Daeman brings that to a terrible end and Lowell finds himself
leaving with Lycaea, who is struggling with her past and her
unwanted waer blood. She is determined to get to the city of Luthan,
where she believes she will find help in bringing the tyrant down.
Told in alternating chapters, the reader sees the journey through
the eyes of Lycaea and Lowell, but also Kaebha, who was the one who
tortured people when commanded to do it by Daeman. Lycaea has many
hard decisions to make and for her, this is a coming of age story.
Lowell has to be one of my favourite male characters in young adult
fiction - sensitive, caring and strong and is a perfect foil for
Lycaea.
Both young people, Lycaea and Lowell, overcome many obstacles on
their path to right the wrongs that Daeman has inflicted on the
land. There are major themes of good versus evil, peace versus
warfare, loss, grief, loyalty and the betrayal of trust, all of
which are handled sensitively by Caddy, and give much for the reader
to ponder on. There is also plenty of action as the party travels
across the land evading danger.
This would make a good class novel or literature circle novel, with
many themes to discuss. Teacher
notes are available at the publisher's website.
Pat Pledger
The selected adventures of Bottersnikes and Gumbles by S. A. Wakefield
Ill. by Desmond Digby. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9781460751923
Deep in the Australian bush, in rubbish heaps along dusty roadsides
live the Bottersnikes. They are extremely lazy and so rather than
building nests, digging burrows or even looking for hollows in trees
for shelter, they just cover up with the detritus of the rubbish
heaps that are so often found along country roads. Much of the time
they just sleep, blending into the landscape with their green
wrinkly skin, cheese-grater noses and long pointed ears that go red
when they are angry. But should something need doing, they would
rather spend their time trying to catch the cheerful Gumbles to do
it for them than do it themselves.
The Gumbles are polite, always ready to lend a hand but also rather
naive so they are perfect prey for the indolent Bottersnikes. The
adventures begin when one morning when a thistle growing through his
watering can wakes the King of the Bottersnikes but instead of just
pulling it out, he roars for someone to open the door of a nearby
rusting car so he can move into that. Being who they are the Gumbles
who were passing by agree to help, and the King realises that they
could be very useful servants in the future. So he orders the other
Bottersnikes, who have been woken by his roaring to grab them. And
when they do, they discover that Gumbles can be squashed into any
shape without being hurt, even flattened to pancake thinness, but
they can't return to their regular shape without help. By squishing
them into the empty cans that are lying around, they can be kept as
slaves, on hand for whenever there is something that needs doing!
Trapped and forced to work for these odious creatures was not what
the Gumbles had planned but unable to get out of the cans, their
future looks sealed. But the King did not see a little Gumble -
Tinkingumble, a wise little creature who has 'tinks' which come to
him with the sound of a spoon tapping a glass, who was fiddling with
a can-opener and worked out how to free his friends. So when the
Bottersnikes went to sleep for the night, the Gumbles escaped
although their giggling nearly thwarted their plans.
While they do escape successfully and free themselves of the cans,
which they neatly put in an official rubbish bin, the Bottersnikes
are now aware of them and their potential and so the book comprises
a series of discrete, complete stories of Bottersnikes vs Gumbles
that have delighted the children I've read them to over the years.
The stories are a wonderful springboard for environmental studies
focusing on understanding the effect of our actions on the
environment and how we manage and protect resources as well as an
excellent basis for collaborative mural-making project as the
children create their own Bottersnikes using Wakefield's description
and junk materials and Gumbles by stuffing and stitching pieces of
old stockings. Each day we collected the rubbish scattered in the
playground and added it to the mural and after just one week we had
a powerful statement to present to the rest of the school that had a
significant impact on the litter problem. With a recent television
series and movie (sneak peek)
which give great scope for exploring the interpretation of the same
story through different media, this story, which has been out of
print for some time, is now firmly back into the lives of our
younger readers.
Barbara Braxton
Count on me: Practise your counting by Jeannette Rowe
The Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760068844
(Ages: 3-6) This is part of a Giggle School range of
preschool and early learning activity books for parents to use with
young children. This is one of the first in the series - the other
is Animal Alphabet. The books contain big, bright
distinctive illustrations by Jeannette Rowe and were developed in
consultation with an international education consultant. In the back
of each book are some fantastic quick tips for parents about ways to
support their child's early learning. There is a lot of variety in
the activities throughout the book, which will help to keep children
interested. It starts by explaining in appropriately simple language
what numbers are for ('Numbers are for counting') and what they look
like ('Numbers are both digits and words'). This is followed by lots
of activities involving counting, recording, number recognition and
counting in mixed groups. There is a page about digit formation
where children are asked to trace over the numbers with their finger
and then practise writing them but it seems inappropriately placed
close to the back of the book rather than earlier on.
Most children will love the 'I Spy' type pages that have a full-page
colour illustration and list things to be found within (eg. 3
striped fish, 1 octopus). A marketing point of these activity books
is that they are full-colour, but this seems somewhat wasteful for
books that may be used once and then discarded. However, if used
well by parents, this could be a worthwhile tool (able to be used
more than once), especially for basic counting skills and number
recognition.
Nicole Nelson
