Ill. by Robert Ingpen. Wombat Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925139259
(Picture book) In 1875 Ernest Giles is determined to cross Australia
from east to west and he knows that camels are the key to his
success. Sir Thomas Elder of Beltana Station set in South
Australia's Flinders Ranges is charged with supplying the camels for
this new expedition providing the impetus for this award-winning
story about an Afghan camel driver's son, a protected English girl
and a small but determined camel named Mustara. Every day Mustara
and Taj look out "onto a sea of yellow-red dust and stones. The sand
rolls and shifts. Taj's father says it is like the waves of the
ocean and the spinifex bushes are little boats blown about by the
wind." Taj really wants to go with his father on the expedition and
is determined to prove that both he and Mustara are capable of
undertaking the arduous trip across the desert. However when a
sandstorm blows up, he finds himself drawing on all his resources to
keep Emmeline and himself safe.
An Internet search will yield both background
and teachers'
notes for this new paperback edition of the original published
in 2006 that will introduce a whole new audience to the remarkable
stories of the Afghans and their camels and their place in
Australian history. Perfectly illustrated by the masterful Robert
Ingpen, it has to be included in your collection for this year's
Book Week theme Australia: Story Country because it is part of the
story of our country.
Barbara Braxton
Love you, Mum ill. by Karen Hull
Lothian Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9780734414441
(Ages: 1-3) This is a simple and short rhyme, perfect for bedtime.
Each page features a different Australian animal mother and baby set
in an Australian landscape portrayed with soft colours. The animals
themselves are presented in a realistic way. Each page has a
different time of the day and shared activity (morning, when we sing
together, when it's just you and me, in the evening) and follows a
chronological structure from morning until night. Each page states,
'I love you . . . ' followed by something the mum says at that time
(eg. 'Wake up sleepyhead', 'Hold on tight'). It ends with a reversal
of who is speaking; whereas throughout the rest of the book the
mother is speaking to the child, on the last page the baby animal
says 'I love you, Mum'.
This is a simple story that captures the special times shared
between mother and child.
Nicole Nelson
Hattie helps out by Jane Godwin and Davina Bell
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781743435434
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Humour. Birthdays. Families.
Grandparents. This delightful story shows Hattie helping her
exhausted mother on the day of Dad's birthday party. While Lottie
sleeps, Hattie helps Mum cook the cake, after she has lugged in an
enormous pile of washing. She explains the work she still must do to
prepare for the grandparents' arrival for the party, but Hattie must
have her sleep. Hattie insists that Mum lie down with her as well,
but in so doing, Mum falls into a deep sleep.
Hattie then does the chores Mum said were necessary to do before the
party and with hilarious results. She takes her mother literally and
puts flowers through the house, sticks the biscuits together, puts
berries on top of the cake, and tidies the house.
Freya Blackwood's illustrations are simply divine, showing a loving
family doing the most ordinary things with a wonderfully astute
attention to detail. The looks on the grandparents' faces as they
peruse what Hattie has done are priceless, but Mum's face is full of
love and joy with her daughter's efforts.
Closer inspection of the house reveals the strain Mum is under
caring for her two offspring, while what Hattie does underlines the
importance of the family over a neat and tidy house.
Readers may expect one of the adults to be a little cross, but the
ending brings the story to a lovely conclusion as Mum wakes and
thanks her daughter for a lovely job.
Blackwood's illustrations done from many different vantage points
are full of interest as they reveal a domestic scene that children
will recognise instantly, sympathising with the mother as she gets
things ready despite her overwhelming tiredness, and the child
wanting to take some responsibility and help her mother.
Children will readily respond to this situation and it being a
birthday party will entreat them even more.
Fran Knight
Coco Banjo has been unfriended by N. J. Gemmell
Coco Banjo series. Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780857987358
(Age: 7+) Recommended. School. Friendship. Bullying. Canberra. Coco
is thrilled to be going on an excursion to Canberra with her best
friend and the rest of her class. But Coco is blamed by her teacher
for a series of incidents on the trip, making her friend unfriend
her. The cool group on the bus trip claim her friend and Coco is
devastated. She must do something to overcome the bullies and get
back her friend.
At time Coco is a little too good to be true, trying to think only
the best of people, but common sense takes hold and she is able to
show the bullies up for what they really are.
In between times, the book deals with nits, a hidden pet rat, the
Prime Minister and a touch of feminism. And a tour around Canberra
is an added bonus. All in all an easy but entertaining read for mid
to upper primary girls. This is the second book in the series.
Fran Knight
Finding Winnie: The true story of the world's most famous bear by Lindsay Mattick
Ill. by Sophie Blackall. Little Brown, 2015. ISBN 9780316324908
Cole asks his mother for a bedtime story - a true one about a bear.
And it just so happens that his mother, Lindsay Mattick, is the
great-great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn, a Canadian vet who, in
1914, was conscripted to join the war effort to look after the
soldiers' horses. On his way to the training ground far from his
native Winnipeg, the train pulls into a station and Harry spies a
baby bear on a rope held by a trapper who is unlikely to raise him
and love him as Harry did all animals. After a lot of thought,
twenty dollars changes hands and Harry finds himself back on the
train with the bear cub and a lot of curious mates and one
astonished colonel. But the bear whom Harry has named Winnie after
his home town, wins over the troops and she soon establishes herself
as the regiment's mascot. Winnie travels with the soldiers to
England, but when it is time for them to embark for France, Harry
knows Winnie cannot go with them. So he leaves Winnie at The London
Zoo where she is loved by hundreds of children including a certain
little boy named Christopher Robin Milne - and from there a whole
other story begins.
2016 winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most
distinguished American picture book for children, this is a charming
story that has that intimacy of a story shared between mother and
child. Beautifully illustrated by Sophie Blackall with meticulously
researched details in muted watercolour and ink colours which
reflect the mood and emotions, it also contains photos of Harry with
Winnie and other memorabilia that demonstrate the authenticity of
the tale. The conversations between the narrator and her son which
are interspersed throughout the story not only add to its reality
but also make it more than just a non-fiction recount. With its
undertones of A. A. Milne's writing, and the final pages that trace
the lineage of Harry Colebourn to Cole, this is a very personal
account that is as engaging as it is interesting.
Because she is telling the story to her own young son, there are
several occasions where she chooses her words very carefully so he
will not be upset and this then makes it suitable as a read-aloud
for even the youngest of listeners. As the centenary of World War 1
continues, there are many stories commemorating the contribution
that a whole range of creatures made to the conflict, but this one
with its direct ties to the beloved character of Winnie-the-Pooh
which all children know, is one that will linger in the mind for a
long time.
A first-class addition to your collection commemorating World War 1,
and, if you are lucky, you might also be able to pair it with the
movie A bear named
Winnie with Stephen Fry and Michael Fassender.
Barbara Braxton
What pet should I get? by Dr Seuss
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008170783
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Humour, Pets, Decision making, Families.
Children will be surprised at seeing an unfamiliar Dr Seuss and
adults will wonder whether they remember this book from their
childhood. This is a new publication of a story found long after Dr
Seuss' death in 1991. Originally put aside by his wife, it was
rediscovered by his former secretary and taken to a publisher who
saw the links between this and several others of similar quality and
theme. So it is now published for a new generation of children
excited by the idea of looking for a pet, wondering through the text
what sort of pet would suit them and making a decision about what to
get. All of this is envisaged by the sparse rhyming text so familiar
to generations of children.
The rhyming lines lead the children to predict the word which will
rhyme, to learn some of the lines to repeat when the book is read
again, which will happen often. The energetic illustrations sweep
the story along, with the siblings looking at all the animals in the
pet shop. A myriad of animals is presented to the children, each
having different qualities and things to consider, until they come
to being called out of the shop by their parents and must make up
their minds. The cliff edge question is left up to the reader, and
will engender lots of discussion amongst classes, or at home.
On the last few pages, an outline of Dr Seuss' life and body of work
is given, as well as a summary of how this book came to be. It adds
a level of information to the book and gives background information
which may inspire others to let their imaginations soar.
Fran Knight
Room 13 by Robert Swindells
Rollercoasters . Oxford University Press, 2015. ISBN
9780198328933
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Horror, School trip, Holiday, Friendship. A
reprint of Swindell's award winning book first published in 1989, Room
13 is scary enough to enthuse any younger reader, having a
class group going on a school camp to a seaside hotel. Swindells, a
former teacher has written a wonderful tale, the horror story aside,
of teachers herding their charges onto the bus, fussing about rules
and dormitories and suitcases, until I breathed a sigh of relief
that school excursions are a thing of the distant past for me.
Swindells has written a background that is just so real, I sweated
for the staff.
The students are all allocated to different rooms on the three
floors of the hotel ('but I wanted to be with...') and odd things
happen right from the start. Fliss in Room 12 sees that there is no
Room 13 but a door marked with that number is only a closet, and
wonders. But at the stroke of midnight on their first night there,
Fliss sees her friend, Ellie-May wandering the corridors and going
through the door marked Room 13. The next day Ellie-May denies this
but is acting very strangely. So Swindells builds the tension in
this little horror tale sure to intrigue upper primary and lower
secondary readers.
This is one in a series of books called Rollercoasters, aimed for
children between 11 and 14 with more challenging subject matter,
written by well known authors and suitable for class texts. They are
supported with free and down loadable teacher
and student notes which are comprehensive and extensive.
Fran Knight
New boy by Nick Earls
Penguin, 2015. ISBN 978114330839 3
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. South Africa, Isolation, Language,
Change, Bullying, Racism. Herschelle has read all he can about
Australia and in particular the differences in the language to his
home in South Africa. He thinks he has it all covered, but makes
mistakes from the minute he steps into his new school in Brisbane.
He notices differences too: the lack of security, the sea of white
faces looking at him, the efforts by the teacher to help him fit in,
the nerd he is given as a buddy to show him around the first day.
With nods to They're a weird mob (Culotta, 1957)
Herschelle's attempts at using Australian words and phrases learnt
from the web are embarrassingly funny, causing hilarity amongst his
peers when he uses phrases he has read, and he has equal difficulty
in understanding them.
The language references will cause laughter amongst the readers, but
the story of his fitting in is one most will recognise as a
sometimes tortuous experience. And behind the problems his family
encounters, with Dad working at a mining camp miles away, are hints
of what happened in South Africa to make them move to Australia.
Herschelle is targeted by a group of bullies, their leader taking
personal interest in him because of his accent. When his mother
invites his buddy, Max and his family to a barbecue, she serves some
South African food, but this causes further embarrassment at school,
with Max bullied into giving them some ammunition, until finally
Herschelle and the bully come to blows.
A resolution of the problems occurs with Herschelle giving a talk
about his home town to the class, and when an opportunity is given
to include the bully in their game of handball, he accepts.
This is a story which reflects the concerns of every child moving
school, but compounded when Herschelle looks and sounds the same but
his accent is something to be derided. A wonderful twist sees
Herschelle and Max being buddies to a new boy in school the
following term, a refugee from Somalia.
The book has layers of interest to hold the reader: not only an
engrossing story of fitting in, of being accepted, but one of
bullying, of difference, of racism and prejudice.
The reasons the family left South Africa leads the author to explain
the path that country is taking to heal the wounds of Apartheid, and
readers will be shocked by the differences Herschelle sees in
Australia. A nice contrast too is evoked when he skypes his friend
back home. And the food Mum prepared was so interesting that I
needed the internet.
I think this book would make a great class set for upper primary
groups, introducing racism and bullying as topics to discuss,
reviewing what happened in South Africa under Apartheid, the efforts
made to end it and its legacy in the twenty first century.
Nick Earls gives a fascinating explanation of just how his own
experience as a new boy from Northern Ireland led to the writing of
this book, another level of interest which an astute teacher could
use with a class.
Fran Knight
Diary of a tennis prodigy by Shamini Flint
Ill. by Sally Heinrich. Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290887
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Sports, Humour, Tennis. The ninth in the
series of book by this author and illustrator, the diary format
suits the story well, with its emphasis on action and doing things
rather than pages of text explaining what is happening. For boys
particularly the format is a winner, allowing the more reluctant to
easily read the book, engaging in its sports focus and short snappy
dialogue accompanied by a plethora of funny illustrations.
Nine year old Marcus has a huge problem, his father refuses to
believe he is not a sports prodigy. The previous eight books saw
Marcus being trained at a variety of other sports all with hilarious
results, but the same outcome: he is just no good. but his
determined father wants him now to try out a tennis, and we see the
poor lad being coached by a McEnroe look alike coach still stuck in
the eighties, trying to teach a boy who has not coordination at all,
and all he wants to do is sit in front of his computer games.
The basics of tennis and its rules are given, as Marcus is prepared
for his first big match with Tennis the Menace.
A fun filled easy read which will please all comers, but
particularly boys who are a little averse to reading.
Fran Knight
Glass sword by Victoria Aveyard
Red Queen Book 2
Orion, 2016. ISBN 9781409159353.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. If there is one thing that Mare
Barrow knows, it's that she's different. And that she's not the only
one. Her blood is red - just like the common folk - but has an
ability that should only be possible to the Silver blood. Her power
to control Lightning has turned her into a weapon that the royal
Court wants to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a
fake, and she's on the run being pursued by the Silver King, her
friend who betrayed her. Mare sets out on a mission to find and
recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join the cause and fight
against her oppressors.
Victoria Aveyard captivates her audience with the action packed
adventure that Mare and her group face. I couldn't put it down and
when I did I could not stop thinking about the book, even after I
finished the book. Glass sword runs on a crazy roller
coaster of emotions. Aveyard writes in such a way that you feel all
the emotions that Mare deals with and understand her anger and pain.
I definitely recommend this series to anyone, and it is definitely a
series for those who enjoyed The hunger games or Divergent.
Cecilia Richards
Lulu Bell series by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Random House, 2016. Lulu Bell's fantastic holiday fun by Belinda Murrell. ISBN
9781925324372 Lulu Bell's amazing animal adventures by Belinda Murrell.
ISBN 9781925324358
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Humour. Family. Adventure. The Lulu Bell
books, a most popular series of books about Lulu and her family and
the adventures they get up to, are now published in two volumes of
four stories, ready for readers to take a bundle of them away for
their holidays or have a glorious weekend of reading about their
hero. Lulu Bell's amazing animal adventures has four stories, Lulu
Bell and the birthday unicorn, Lulu Bell and the cubby
fort, Lulu Bell and the pyjama party, and Lulu
Bell and the tiger cub, while Lulu Bell's fantastic
holiday fun includes four other stories, Lulu Bell and the
koala joey, Lulu Bell and the pirate fun, Lulu Bell
and the sea turtle, and Lulu Bell and the circus pup.
Each story has a straightforward plot, easy to remember characters,
Lulu Bell as its main character, an engaging heroine, and familiar
settings. Each is about ninety pages long and has copious
illustrations and larger than usual print, making them ideal for
middle primary girls. Putting four stories into one volume makes for
a large tome, but fans of this character will not mind, and it may
be a draw card for those wanting something which looks more
substantial. Single titles have already been most favourably
reviewed on Readplus.
Fran Knight
It's a little baby by Julia Donaldson
Ill. by Rebecca Cobb. Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9781447251811
(Age: 0-3) This is a lift-the-flap rhyming story/song aimed at very
young children. The hardy board book with thick flaps perfect for
little fingers will withstand some rough treatment. Unlike many
other song/story publications, this one works well both read and
sung because of its simplicity and its ability to be sung with
multiple tunes. It is about babies and for babies and encourages the
reader to find the baby on each page by lifting the flaps. In
addition, it speaks directly to the child and gives them an active
part in the story by asking them to do the actions (point, clap,
wave, etc). Don't expect a long Julia Donaldson rhyming story; this
is a predictable, repetitive text ('Somebody's hiding. I wonder who.
It's a little baby and she's... at you. Can you... ? Can you... ?
Can you... too?'). The illustrations are soft and almost childlike
in their scribbly-ness and show babies hiding in places familiar to
most children (in the washing basket, in the shopping bags, in the
toys, behind the tall grass, behind the sandcastle). At the end the
entire song is printed on one page and another page says 'it's your
turn!' and again encourages the reader to do the actions. This is
great for young babies as it includes some of the first visual
language they engage in. The song, also performed by Julia
Donaldson, is easy to access via the QR code printed on the cover of
the book or by going to the website,
but it is also easy enough to make up a tune and sing along.
Overall, this is a simple and enjoyable high-quality production.
Nicole Nelson
Fiction gems: Recommended fiction lists for Upper Primary and Lower Secondary students by Fran Knight and Pat Pledger
Pledger Consulting, 2016. ISBN 9781876678456 Teacher reference. What a great resource for those charged with
purchasing or recommending reading material for Upper Primary and
Lower Secondary students. The Middle School aged reader can have
specific interests or reading demands and keeping on top of current
and favourite books can be very difficult without some help from
trusted reviewers. This book lists Fiction recommendations within a
number of categories; some books are indicated for more mature
readers, but most are well-suited to the 10-15 aged reader.
Each book is summarised with a 1-2 sentence brief overview, so it is
easy to peruse for suggestions for readers. More complete reviews
are accessible via the ReadPlus review blog index.
This is a book that would be a good resource on the Librarian's
shelf.
Carolyn Hull
Angel of Storms by Trudi Canavan
Millennium's Rule :Book 2. Orbit Books, 2015. ISBN: 9780356501147
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Following Thief's Magic and with
years between, Angel of Storms follows the increasingly
dangerous adventures of both Rielle and Tyen throughout the many
worlds. Despite their paths finally crossing at the very end of the
novel, Canavan has woven their lives together well through shared
events and common relationships such as those with Raen and
Traveller run-away Baluka.
With the return of the Raen, the worlds are thrown into turmoil as
the dangers of magical communities increase. Setting off from his
school, Tyen warns his friends of the Raen's return. There is
already a resistance forming. Tyen is lost. With a magically poor
home world, he has little choice but to join the resistance or the
Raen. When Raen catches him between worlds, he discovers Tyen's long
kept secret, he intends to free a Vella, a woman who was trapped
inside a book by a previous ruler of the worlds. Raen offers to help
Tyen, in exchange for his services as a spy within the resistance,
thinking that he can use his position to prevent conflict between
the two parties.
Meanwhile, Rielle's work as a tapestry maker is interrupted by the
arrival of the angel, Valhan, come to take her to his heavenly
realm. Overcome by awe, Rielle does not question the angels she
meets, even when thrown into the desolate desert of a dead world.
Fortunately, before she can die of dehydration, she is discovered by
Baluka, a traveller with marriage on his mind. Things go array
however when the Raen discovers she is alive. He steals her away
leaving Baluka heartbroken and furious.
While the separation of the two main characters, Rielle and Tyen, is
at first confusing, Angel of Storms provides the perfect
melding of two stories. Both highly moral characters, Rielle and
Tyen present excellent role models for young adults; they are both
smart, independent and always do what they feel is right. I would
recommend this novel for young people aged twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell, (University student, aged 20 )
Tashi series by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Allen & Unwin, 2015. Tashi and the giant squid. ISBN 9781925266993 Tashi and the golden jawbone. ISBN 9781925267020
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Fantasy, Adventure. It's always fascinating
to see an established book produced for television then another book
produced from the animated series! It's a bit circular, and the end
product is not quite like the original. But it does promote a good
book to a wider audience.
I love the original Tashi books by the Fienbergs. They are
original and funny, smart and enchanting. To make them into an
animated series took them to another audience, and the plethora of
people needed to do this is staggering. Flying Bark Studios employed
a further writer and designer (Zoe Harrington and Fin Edquist along
with Penny Black Designs) Then to produce this book, the novelisaton
was once again done by the Fienbergs and as this book has word
games, puzzles and activities, another name appears in the growing
credit list, Meredith Costain. What a crowded office.
But what the heck, kids reading it will love the little character,
and if they have seen the television show, will read it with gusto,
or if new to the series, will look for them at their library. Tashi and the giant squid involves a young boy entering a
fishing competition, but when the trophy is stolen he and Jack must
work out how to catch the thief. The story is told within thirty
pages and is copiously illustrated, making it an accessible chapter
book for beginning readers, and with a similar number of pages
devoted to games and puzzles, make this an ideal book to fill some
hours of the day.
Similarly the next book, Tashi and the golden jawbone,
involves Tashi in the village storytelling competition, but there is
more happening than he expected.
Good reads, entertainingly produced and presented, this series of
books lives on in another form and will find a place within
libraries of all kinds.
Fran Knight
