Simon and Schuster, 2015. ISBN: 9781471118807
(Age: 16+) Recommended. This book is an enjoyable read and while it
follows on from the first book The Accidental Life of Jessie
Jefferson it can be successfully read as a stand alone.
Jessie is in High School and, following the death of her mother, has
recently found out she is actually the daughter of a famous rock
star. We see Jessie coming to terms with this new information and
adapting to the disruption this causes in her life and relationships
as the paparazzi learn of Jessie's existence.
This is a fabulous book about relationships. We see Jessie's
relationship with her stepfather (Stu), her biological father
(Johnny), and her Stepmother (Meg) mature and stabilise through some
lively misunderstandings and challenges. Jessie has heartbreak of
all kinds as she negotiates the changes in her friendships as she
becomes more famous. She discovers some friendships are not as solid
as she had imagined, and her romantic interests are not all they
appear to be. The characters lead the reader to think about the art
of forgiveness and the part it plays in forming our lives and
determining our path through life.
Importantly we see Jessie coming to terms with growing up in the
world of social media, where every mistake can be broadcast across
the world. While some of her exploits in LA are a little predictable
this book is a great read that leaves the reader with plenty to
think about.
Linda Guthrie
The Erth Dragons: The Wearle by Chris D'Lacey
Orchard Books, 2015. ISBN 9781408332481
(Age: Upper primary - Lower secondary) Recommended. Chris D'Lacey is
well known for his dragon series, The Last Dragon Chronicles.
This is the first of a new series of books about 'The Wearle', a
community of dragons who come to Erth to discover why a previous
dragon colony had disappeared. The Wearle are a highly structured
society with designated leaders and jobs for each dragon.
The story begins with young Gabriel's quest to partner Grystina and
father her newly born young. Gabriel, a blue dragon described as
young but impetuous, battles with the white dragon G'vard, a bold
and noble competitor.
Gabrial has trouble competing with G'vard but it is when he uses
i:mage, the art of projecting images, that tragedy occurs. Grystina
is killed and only one of the two young dragons are found alive.
Gabrial is blamed for Grystina's tragic death and in disgrace is
sent away to become a sweeper.
Erth has been divided into two sections by a scorch line, a dragon
marker to show a border that no human should cross. Gabrial's job is
to police or sweep the border.
Ren is a young boy who is fascinated by the dragons or as his people
call them, Skalers. His longing to be connected to the Wearle
involves him crossing the scorch line and he becomes involved with
Grystina's death and the newly born male dragon.
Dragon politics and intrigue determine the action and treachery that
occurs in the Wearle community. The mystery strengthens when it
becomes apparent that not all the dragons are on the same side and
that maybe the supposed enemy, Ren is one of the dragon community's
strongest friends and supporters.
I enjoyed watching the deception unfold and guessing which dragon
might have ulterior motives and was surprisingly shocked at the
ending.
Interestingly, a compound the dragons mine called Fhosforent,
impacts on their minds and behaviour and like drugs has a negative
effect on their conduct. I feel this substance will feature strongly
in future books.
I was thankful for the character list at the beginning of the novel
as I was often confused about characters in the first chapters. A
glossary also aids understanding of the new vocabulary.
I recommend this book to upper primary and secondary students.
Dragon lovers will enjoy this new series and I look forward to the
next book in the collection.
Jane Moore
Hello, goodbye, and everything in between by Jennifer E. Smith
Headline, 2015. ISBN: 9781472221032
(Age: 15+) Recommended. 'One last night together. One life-changing
decision. One last list'.
Clare made a list as she always does, but this one is different.
This one is for Clare and Aidan's last night together and this list
is going to help them decide their future, together or apart. This
list is going to take them to the places of all their important
moments, their first hello is science class to the first
conversation at a pizza joint, their first kiss at the beach to
their first dance in a darkened gymnasium, everything up to their
last night together. It will be a night of laughs, new hurts and
last-minute kisses. But ends in an inevitable goodbye. But what will
it be? Goodbye for now, or goodbye forever?
This novel is definitely a rollercoaster for the emotions.
Seriously, I couldn't put it down. It was such a sweet read and
relatable to couples finishing school or even to the closest of
friends. You just can't help falling in love with Clare and Aidan
and wanting a happy ending for the two of them. It is a great read
for those that want a quick, fun read to change things up a bit
between reads. If you are after a fun, cute and light read this is
the one you will want to pick up.
Cecilia Richards
Super sports stories for kids by Patrick Loughlin
Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857989666
(Age: Primary) Recommended. Patrick Loughlin begins his collection
of 12 short stories by confessing he wasn't very good at sports and
explains that some of the stories in the novel are based on his
personal experiences. Super sports stories for kids contains a variety of tales
ranging from losing your Speedos while competing in a swimming race
to being harassed by a shark while participating in a surfing
competition.
There are even spooky incidents such as The Ghost of Barry Keen
involving a haunted change room and a full bladder or Marco's
Magic Gloves where a mystery man hands over magic gloves to
help Marco's goalie skills.
The children in the stories are competitive and want to win, but
fair play and maintaining friendships is paramount. The Pink
Belt demonstrates the importance of being magnanimous in
winning and Rachel and Claudine remain friends in Game On
even though they are fierce competitors on the netball court.
This collection of stories has a variety of sports and both girl and
boy protagonists therefore appealing to a wide range of children.
Each story is entertaining and told in under 20 pages of easy to
read text. Illustrations by James Hart are scattered throughout the
book and his cover artwork is attractive as it features many of the
stories characters in determined or precarious situations.
Children from 7 to 12 years will enjoy reading this book and
teachers could read aloud one of the stories any time they have a
spare 5 to 10 minutes in the classroom.
I recommend this book to primary aged students.
Jane Moore
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Orbit, 2015. ISBN 9780356502120
Adults only recommendation. Anyone who has travelled in the Southern
States of America would know that the large cities that sprout in
the deserts must have a supply of water to keep them alive amidst
the cacti. In The Water Knife we see the future when water
becomes such a source of power within the States dependent on the
might of the Colorado River that the supply and absence of water
leads to major catastrophic social conditions. Southern States
become destitute without a regular supply of water and terrorism and
the manipulation of power and the subsequent refugee crises go hand
in hand. The 'water knife' is an expression to describe the violent
'right hand man' of one of the Power wielders holding onto to water
and keeping it from the ordinary people. He is the enforcer, the one
who clears the way by any means, to ensure that ultimate control
remains in the hands of one ruthless power-wielding water mogul
based in Las Vegas.
Only those with power and money (those from rich water-controlling
regions including California; and the Chinese whose technological
skills have been utilised) can survive in the harsh deserts. Money
is not always legally obtained (imagine gangs and thug standover
tactics, combined with drug cartels). The moneyed few can buy into
the artificial micro-climate facilities (arcologies) that enable
almost total recycling of all water. Technologies to enable
recycling of all body fluids keeps the poor from total desiccation.
But the horror of living in this parched existence, with some
excluded from easy access to any water, leads to a lawless world,
and kindness and compassion are casualties. In the midst of this we
see the lives of several survivors - ordinary people who need to
make a living by any means to escape the extortion of local
power-lords, and a Journalist who won't let a story go. These
stories become linked amidst assassinations, violence, corruption,
prostitution; and this is all woven into an amazing story that is
powerfully compelling, despite the horror of the descriptive work of
Bacigalupi. This is not a book for the faint-hearted or the
squeamish. The violence is horrid . . . as is the view of the world
that is possible where moral rule seems to have lost its influence,
and where dollars rule. Trust is the first casualty, closely
followed by compassion.
This is an astonishing and gripping thriller and is very much an
adult book. It is a potential map of an apocalypse waiting to come.
America beware! Abusive language, extreme violence - including
sexual violence including horrific rape, all described in graphic
detail – no holds barred - make this an impossible choice for a
school library, but it is a compelling book with an author who
wields the plot and descriptions of the people enmeshed in the
disaster with complete mastery. This book is shocking and yet its
window into a potential and disastrous future is so compelling it is
difficult to turn away.
Carolyn Hull
The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408868041
(Age: 7-10) Miss Petitfour loves baking and her 16 cats. Yes, that's
right 16 cats. They travel together by flying, using a tea-party
tablecloth that catches the breeze. All the cats hang on to each
other's tails and take off on a new adventure or shopping trip,
depending on how the wind blows.
There are five chapters each describing Miss Petitfour's exploits
and the local village with its unique and quirky residents.
The cats are introduced early and are repeatedly named in order
throughout the book. There is Minky, Misty, Taffy, Purrsia, Pirate,
Mustard, Moutarde, Hemdela, Earring, Grigorovitch, Clasby, Captain
Captain, Captain Catkin, Captain Clothespin, Your Shyness, and
Sizzles.
Miss Petitfour and her cats enjoy their whimsical life and each
other's company. Children will love reading these warm and gentle
stories and many will be able to recite the cat's names.
The accompanying illustrations by Emma Block suit the story
beautifully. The colours and design remind me of 1960's children's
picture books.
This novel will certainly delight cat lovers and will appeal to
children aged 7 to 10 years. The Adventures of Miss Petitfour
would be an excellent book to read aloud to a class.
Readers are invited to upload their own cat photos to #Miss
Petitfour.
Jane Moore
Donald Doing's house of verbs by Marianna Shek
Rock on Kitty Publications, 2015. ISBN 9780994266613
Donald Doing owned a shop called the 'House of Verbs'. It dealt with
action and people came to Donald for help as each box in his shop
had a new action word or verb for them. Mr. Neverthere catapulted
through the air, Delly spiraled out the door but little Nora had
difficulty finding just the right box with just the right word.
This story could be used for teaching verbs in the classroom. In
fact, there are writing (and drawing) activities at the end of the
story to encourage children to continue to use imaginative words.
I found the ending both unsatisfying and abrupt and I am unsure
children would select this story themselves to read.
The illustrations are vividly coloured and highlight the actions in
the story.
I would recommend this book as a teaching tool in primary school.
Jane Moore
There was an old mozzie who swallowed a lady by P. Crumble
Ill. by Louis Shea. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743623831
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Another in the series based on the familiar
rhyme, There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, in this
one Crumble turns the tale on its head and has the mozzie swallowing
the old woman. The mozzie then swallows a horse to chase the old
woman, then a girl guide to ride the horse and so on until he
finally swallows a toad that explodes the lot and all happily sit
down to tea.
This is an exuberant tale that will have pre-schoolers jumping in
delight with the strange humour and guessing what will be swallowed
next. The exploding ending of course will have them in stitches.
The illustrations by Louis Shea are very funny too - the old lady
have very purple wavy hair, the girl guide had a wonderful time
galloping on the horse and the glow from the bug zapper is gorgeous.
This is a great story to read aloud and children could have fun making up
their own rhyme based on the story. Reluctant readers will also
enjoy the humour and illustrations.
Pat Pledger
Sister heart by Sally Morgan
Fremantle Press, 2015. ISBN 9781925163131
Teachers and librarians know that reluctant and struggling readers
will sometimes be tempted by verse novels which have a rhythm and
structure and typically present more limited text on an open page. I
hasten to emphasise that this verse novel will have a broad, general
readership, however I see it having value in engaging students who
might resist prose.
Anyone who reads this book will be moved to empathise with and
understand the trauma felt by a young Indigenous girl whom we come
to know as Anne, when she is forcibly removed from her family and
community to be transported to a "Government place". The institution
she finds herself in is run more like a prison than a care facility
and appears to exist only to ensure that the children do not have
access to their families before they are deemed old enough to work
for Europeans.
The conditions portrayed are harsh and the treatment by some staff
members is cruel, revealing an attitude that the Aboriginal children
were a problem, were second class and must be detained at the least
cost and with the minimum concern for their welfare.
The notion of "Sisterhood" is a critical element within the
narrative. Anne misses her family desperately and finds solace in
the company of Janey who adopts her much like a sister, immediately
offering advice, friendship and comfort with no expectation of
anything in return. Janey's highly developed sense of responsibility
to ensure the welfare of her own brother Tim, by constantly looking
out for him and lovingly protecting him, underscores her role as a
sister. Nancy, an older girl, soon to be sent to employment, gruffly
guides the younger children in the ways of the facility, much like
an older sister whose mild annoyance with her siblings belies her
love for them. Importantly, Anne also has much to contribute as a
sister as the story develops.
Family and kinship ties are shown to be enormously powerful within
this story and we are shown that despite having wildly different
geographical origins, a common background and a shared need to
survive forges different kinds of sibling relationships.
Dates and specific locations are absent from this narrative and the
real names given to Anne and Janey by their families are never
revealed. The sisterly trust held by Anne and Janey enables them to
eventually share their "secret names" but this is too precious to be
revealed in the text.
All we know is that Anne is forcibly removed and taken by ship to
the "Government place" where the children are known as North
Westerners or South Westerners. The fact that Anne suffers terribly
from the cold implies that she was transported from the North of
Western Australia to the South where Winters would have been much
colder.
Avoiding mentioning particular dates and times appears to me to be
highlighting that this was the common experience for several
generations in many places throughout Australia. However, having
recognised this, I feel that an explanatory foreword may have been
useful for younger readers who might benefit from learning about the
Stolen Generation history.
Rob Welsh
The rest of us just live here by Patrick Ness
Walker Books, ISBN 9781406331165
(Age: 12+) Patrick Ness has an amazing following with readers so
enthusiastic about his Chaos Walking Trilogy. Reviews have
been very positive about his latest title, The Rest of Us Just Live
Here. Mikey and his group of friends are eagerly awaiting their
graduation from high school. Their small town has experienced
vampires and the undead, and it now faces the threat of the
Immortals. The Indie kids, also attending school, are chosen to
fight the invaders. Patrick Ness focusses on the real story and
places the fantasy element on the sidelines, the action being
summarised in short chapter headings. Even though the world around
them is a frightening and disturbing place, the teen friends are
tackling friendship and family issues, some more unusual than
others. As with his other stories Ness is concerned less about
providing answers to what is happening out there, and more about
learning how to handle the questions. The back story is elusive and
puzzling but the main story remains unexpected, challenging and
imaginative. The reader is right there with the characters,
experiencing the fear when the Immortals emerge from the forest, the
confusion over the characters' feelings for one another, and the
loss that comes with friends going their separate ways. Mikey's
connection with family is strong: he has a caring relationship with
his sister and grandmother and tries to understand his mother more
as she seeks a political appointment above all else.
The language is slick and clever, with a great contemporary feel,
and perfect touches of humour. This story will have great appeal
though I suspect not with the same impact as Ness' previous work.
It is interesting to note that the award winning Chaos Walking
trilogy is about to be made into a movie, and Ness has just signed
up to create an eight part Doctor Who spin-off for the BBC.
Julie Wells
Gabriel-Ernest and other tales by Saki
Ill. by Quentin Blake. Alma Books, 2015. ISBN 9781847495921
(Age: 15+) Hector Hugh Munro's stories are satirical vignettes of
English society life before World War 1. In this compilation by Alma
Classics, nine of the best tales have been republished. Saki (Hector
Munro's pen name) was an observer of life, who used his acerbic wit,
pithy social commentary and mastery of the vernacular of the late
Victorian era to write these short tales. Each one has a twist,
something to shock or surprise the audience, a sting in the tail.
One of his most familiar characters is Gabriel-Ernest, a feral
teenager who lives in the woods and loves to eat flesh, especially
human flesh. When Mr. Van Cheele meets the sixteen-year-old
sunbaking nude near a forest pool, his decision to bring the
adolescent home leads to an unfortunate ending. Quentin Blake's ink
sketches capture the quintessentially English settings, the era and
the cast of characters. Gabriel-Ernest is drawn a gentle character
with none of his darker nature shown.
Another tale with a disturbing ending is Sredni Vashtar, where
Conradin, an ill ten-year-old boy who lives with his strict
guardian, secretly hides his pet polecat-ferret in the garden shed.
He idolises the animal and performs religious ceremonies in front of
his cage. When evil Mrs. De Ropp punishes him by removing his pet
Houdan hen, the young boy pleads with the ferret to avenge this
cruel act.
Other tales explore magic, revenge, secrets and hidden rooms,
upper-class English society and their way of living and comments on
the role of children and their education. At the conclusion,
information on the author, his characters and other masters of short
stories are included. Gabriel-Ernest and Other Tales is for the discerning reader
who enjoys period settings, Dahlesque humour and social
observations. Alma Classics recommended reading age is 9+, however
owing to the macabre content this story collection is better suited
to an adolescent audience.
Rhyllis Bignell
Wolf Boy by Peter Sykes
Harbour Publishing House, 2015. ISBN 9781922134585
(Age: 8+) This slim book is well published, with attractive cover
art and good paper quality throughout. Eleven short chapters
encapsulate the life of Altan, a young Mongolian boy, who finds and
nurtures a wolf cub, largely against his family's wishes as it is
believed that the danger lies with the wolf cub, Suld, attracting
other wolves to the community camp. This little story provides a
valuable insight to the transient lives of the Mongolian people, and
how a wild animal has a life changing effect on a young boy's life.
A few photos scattered throughout the text add authenticity but a
map at the beginning of the book could have been more detailed. The
language is simple and straightforward but, sadly, there are
spelling errors in the book including a mistake on the back
cover. Wolf Boy, however, has its place in the library
collection for developing readers.
Julie Wells
The First Christmas by Jan Pienkowski
Random House Childrens, 1984. ISBN 9780385755184
Regardless of one's religious beliefs or lack of them, I believe
that it is an important part of our role as teachers to enable
students to understand the origins of a time of year that claims our
attention like no other. This book which uses the text from the King
James version of the Bible is the perfect introduction. Superbly
illustrated by Jan Pienkowski using silhouettes against the most
stunning backdrops, it portrays the story in a unique way that does
not interfere with any preconceived, more classical images the
reader might have.
The illustrations bring the text to life, giving it meaning where
there may have been none because of the unfamiliar syntax of such
long-ago words. Pienkowski has interpreted the text in his own way
with much detail that even being in silhouette form evoke emotion
and movement and intrigue. And there is whimsy such as the two small
figures on the poop deck of the Wise Men's ship, who are pointing in
different directions and plainly arguing about which way is East. As
well as the exquisite illustrations, the pages are embellished with
all sorts of delightful touches that make the reader feel they have
one of those illuminated books of old in their hands.
This is the perfect book for beginning the Christmas Countdown - as
classic as sharing 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on
Christmas Eve.
Barbara Braxton
Counting lions: portraits from the wild by Katie Cotton
Ill. by Stephen Walton. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2015. ISBN
9781847807212
(Age: all) Recommended. The cover art of this large format picture
book is quite striking as the large head of a lion stares out at the
reader. Illustrated in charcoal, every feature of this magnificent
creature is beautifully drawn with whiskers and mane almost moving.
Virginia McKenna, famous for rearing Elsa, provides the foreword to
this book, speaking of the wonderful drawings of the animals but
also of their declining numbers in the real world which is part of
the reason for it being a counting book from one to ten. As the
reader turns each page another animal is highlighted, accompanied by
words of observation in bold orange text, which fades somewhat to
explain the threatened nature of these species. Throughout, the
astounding drawings dominate each double page spread. To close the
book Katie Cotton has added a paragraph of useful information about
each of the animals, followed by notes and further reading. This is
a very special book to be shared by any age group.
Julie Wells
Mr Darcy and the Christmas pudding by Alex Field
Ill. by Peter Carnavas. Mr Darcy series. New Frontier, 2015. ISBN
9781925059397
(Age: 3-6) This is the paperback version of the hardback Mr Darcy
and the Christmas pudding that came out in 2014, and follows
others in the series all named after characters in Pride and
Prejudice, which will delight adult readers. Mr Darcy is a
little duck, who wears a top hat and is busy celebrating Christmas.
When he gets a ladder to put up some mistletoe over his front door
at Pemberley Park, he spots the cat Mr Collins eyeing off his friend
Maria, a tiny mouse. He rescues Maria and together they gather all
the ingredients to make a Christmas pudding and Caroline, Bingley,
Lizzie and her sisters arrive for Stir-up Sunday when they all have
fun stirring the mixture. Poor Mr Collins initially isn't trusted to
come inside, but Lizzie takes pity on him and they make him promise
not to hurt Maria.
This is a charming tale that looks closely at the Christmas tradition
of stirring the Christmas pudding on Stir-up Sunday, that according
to the last page 'takes place five weeks before Christmas ... Every
person in the household, including the children, takes a turn to
stir the mixture and make a wish."
It also emphasises the importance of forgiving a friend for
transgressions and allowing that friend to become part of the fun.
Pat Pledger
