Messenger of Fear bk. 2. Electric Monkey, 2015. ISBN
9781405280778
(Age: Middle - Upper secondary) The Tattooed Heart is the
second instalment in Michael Grant's Messenger of Fear
series. Following on from the eponymous opening novel, this second
volume continues the violent game playing story in an often
compelling horror fantasy. The Messenger of Fear exists to punish
the bad, the evil, the truly wicked in this society and the book is
full of juicy examples, some topical others archetypal.
The twist in The Tattooed Heart is delivered by the
development Mara's character as she shadows The Messenger in his
grisly task. All the best novelistic fodder is here; life, death,
betrayal, redemption and big moral questions are posed. As Mara
becomes more intimately involved in the Messenger's work she starts
to question her own motives and desires. Ultimately striving to care
in a hate-filled world drives the (tattooed) heart of this clever,
thought-provoking novel.
There are of course clear dystopian tropes here and fans of Stephen
King and Richard Matheson will find much to entertain and ponder. It
is perhaps here that Michael Grant takes inspiration more so than
the most recent young adult dystopian stories. More Running Man
than Hunger Games; more I Am Legend than Divergent
or Maze Runner, The Tattooed Heart is suitable for
the middle to upper Senior School age group. Younger and more
sensitive readers beware!
Stephen Bull
All of the above by James Dawson
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404672
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. The small town of Brompton-on-Sea is
the last place on earth sixteen-year-old Toria expects much to
happen. But when she moves there, it turns out she experiences a lot
more than she bargained for, including but not limited to:
self-harm, one particularly attractive bass player, two chances at
love, eating disorders, a broken-down mini golf course, a very
unusual group of friends, and one statue of a disapproving seal.
There's one thing for sure - school will be the least of Toria's
worries.
One of the best things about All Of The Above is its
characters. While several of them are mildly stereotypical, e.g. the
overtly 'cool' rebel with pink hair, the flamboyantly gay friend,
etc., there are just enough subversions to the norm that the
characters feel fresh and real. Toria in particular is an excellent
narrator, witty and relatable without being too perfect.
Special mention should be given to Dawson's excellent treatment of
serious issues like eating disorders and self-harm, among others,
and also in his treatment of sexuality - it's rare to find a book
that approaches LGBT issues and characters as well as this. All of the above is actually quite long for a simple teen
novel, but it never quite feels that way. It's not like it roars
along at a quick pace, but it flows well and it's easy to read - not
just in the technical sense, but in the compelling way the
characters and the plot unfold. The humour helps too, smoothing over
what could be awkward scenes with Toria's sharp inner dialogue and
amusing references to popular culture.
It's hard to find a teen book as funny as this that has such great
characters and tackles such serious issues, but All of the above
succeeds - truthfully - at all of the above.
Rebecca Adams (university student)
What would Alice do? Advice for the modern woman by Lewis Carroll
Pan Macmillan, 2015. ISBN 9781447288527
(Age: 14+) Recommended. I personally quite liked What Would
Alice Do? Though it is a little unusual, the book is filled
with quick, handy hints for the 'modern woman'. Each piece of advice
comes with a quote from the Alice in Wonderland and Through
the Looking Glass books. The book itself is split into
sections such as: Alice on being inspirational, taking risks and
being brave.
All in all, What Would Alice Do? is a great little book of
hints and wisdom.
I would recommend this to girls from the age 14+ as some of the
language and wording is a bit old fashioned.
Rebekah A. (Year 8 student)
Jackdaw and the Randoms by Stuart David
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404696
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Blurb: 'Most people call me The Jackdaw.
If they don't, I tell them they probably should.
Meet fifteen-year-old Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawson, a young man with a
serious plan. Daydreaming in class one day, Jack is hit over the
head with an idea so blinding, so extraordinarily visionary and so
downright fantastic he knows it can't fail. It's his ticket out of
school - an app that will stop you from getting into trouble for
daydreaming in class (ahem . . . ) Fame, glory and tons of money
seem just around the corner - but then Jack runs into a few
problems.
First of all, his warring parents are determined to push him into
a career of their choosing (mum says office, dad says factory)
without much thought as to what Jack might actually want. Secondly
(and quite importantly) Jack doesn't know the first thing about
making apps, and the only person who does wants nothing at all to
do with Jack.
That is, unless he does her a favor... which leads to someone else
needing another favor, then another and another - until Jack finds
himself sat upon a very precarious pile of promises to a whole
bunch of random people. Can the Jackdaw complete his scheme, or is
this too much for even his superior brain to cope with?'
Publisher.
Review
'40% Scheming, 30% Hilarious, 20% Weirdos, 10% Genius.' A statement
that Jackdaw And The Randoms truly lives up to. There not
once was a dull moment throughout the story of Jackdaw and his
schemes, from million dollar ideas to Elsie Green and her weird ways
there is always something going on.
I went into this book a little unsure of how I felt as this
particular genre was not frequently featured on my shelf, however I
am so thankful to have received this book and had the time to read
it. The characters were quirky, original and true to themselves
throughout the whole story. The storyline was unlike any other I've
ever read before but it was indeed enjoyable. The cover art is very
amusing and oddly confusing if you have not read it yet.
Rating
Writing Style: 4
Characters: 3.5
Storyline: 4.5
I would recommend this book to 14+ readers who are looking for
something unusual and humorous.
Jemma Hadley (Student)
The Tapper Twins go to war (with each other) by Geoff Rodkey
Orion Children's Books, 2015. ISBN 9781444014983
Recommended 8-12 years. For readers looking for something a bit
different in form and construction than the usual narrative or
recount, the first of the Tapper Twins books combines the voices of
both twins in an oral history of their war. Included are examples of
text messages, photos, annotations and digital images from an
imaginary computer game, reminiscent of Minecraft, and chat logs
from another imaginary social networking site.
Whilst the record of the fight between the siblings is funny and
definitely entertaining, the issue of cyberbulling is seriously
portrayed. The moral of this story is clearly stated by one of the
characters 'mindless destruction and revenge don't solve anything'
and 'karma exists' so what you do has often unexpected consequences.
The Tapper Twins, Reese and Claudia live in New York and attend a
private school. According to Claudia the war began when Reese
embarrassed her in the cafeteria front of the whole sixth grade.
Reese says it started when Claudia ate his last toaster pastry in
the kitchen at home. Whatever the truth Claudia is determined to
seek revenge and escalates hostilities, putting a fish in his
backpack which everyone but Reese notices.
Reese retaliates with smelly cheese which is quickly discovered by
Claudia and returned. When Reese and his friend upload a video of
Claudia singing to social networking site Clickchat and she becomes
a victim of cyberbulling, the war has reached a whole new level on
Claudia's part despite Reese deleting the video and apologising.
When Claudia decides to defeat Reese in his favourite computer game
on MetaWorld, Amigo Planet, it is a battle to the death. Whilst a
truce is eventually called the consequences of the war are more wide
ranging than either Claudia or Reese expected.
An amusing and salutary lesson for those inclined to a bit of cyber
revenge in any form.
Sue Keane
Awesome animal stories for kids by Aleesha Darlison
Ill. by James Hart. Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857989680
(Age:6-8) Recommended. Aleesah Darlinson's collection of animal
stories is just right for the newly independent reader. Each short
tale is engaging and easy to read; there is a touch of magic, a dash
of fantasy, humour and wise advice from the animal and human
characters.
The author's country childhood experiences surrounded by native
wildlife, farm animals and a range of pets are reflected by two
stories. In Orphan Foal, the young owner learns the great
responsibility, the rewards and the difficulties involved in hand
rearing a horse. Swoop explores the raising of a baby magpie
and the struggle of knowing when to release it back to the wild.
Two tales with a seaside setting are fun to read. A crazy, creative
Labrador comes to Digby's aid when he enters his first Sand
Sculpture Competition. Holly's boring day at the beach turns into a
magical underwater adventure with Serena the mermaid.
Jack returns to cheer up Puff the Magic Dragon, a grandfather cat
spins a tale about brave King of the Felines - Alvarado and a
dinosaur fan turns into Dino-girl!
Illustrator James Hart's brings the stories to life with dancing
starfish, alien pets, winged ivory ponies and castles filled with
royal pig and a jealous pug dog.
An enjoyable junior novel just right for a class read aloud, to
introduce different genres and literary writing styles.
Rhyllis Bignell
Departure by A. G. Riddle
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780008156879
(Age: 15+) Recommended. When Flight 305 unexpectedly loses power and
crash-lands somewhere in remote England, the survivors have enough
trouble just staying alive in the unforgiving wilderness. But soon
enough, they realise they've landed in a different world - and five
strangers may just have clues to where they are:
Nick Stone, a mysterious man who soon becomes a leader after the
crash; Harper Lane, a writer about to make an important career
decision; Sabrina Schröder, a doctor who's spent far more time in a
research lab than treating wounded people; Yul Tan, a computer
scientist who seems permanently attached to his laptop; and Grayson
Shaw, the alcoholic son of a billionaire.
As more truths are discovered about what happened, it will be up to
Harper and Nick to unfold the mysteries surrounding their
whereabouts and the crash - and how their decisions will affect the
world.
After reading Departure, it comes as little surprise to
learn that it has already been optioned for film rights. After all,
a major strength of the book is its 'set pieces', so to speak - take
for example the opening plane crash and its aftermath, which manages
to be both utterly terrifying and breathtakingly real, and will
surely translate well to the screen.
Although Departure loses its steam slightly after the
opening scene, and again towards the end of the novel, it manages to
be a gripping science fiction story for the most part. The
characters are intriguing and have good development, although they
can be frustrating at times. The sci-fi aspect of it is very
well-done, and should please even the 'hardest' of sci-fi fans,
although this can also be a minor flaw - occasionally the
descriptions of technology are so complex and lengthy that they
become boring. However, in the grand scheme of things, these flaws
are small, and the book suffers little for it. Departure is an intense, thrilling story, perfect for sci-fi
fans in particular.
Rebecca Adams (University student)
How to fight a dragon's fury by Cressida Cowell
How to Train Your Dragon, bk 12. Hodder Children's Books,
2015. ISBN 9781444916584
(Age: 11-13) Recommended. How to fight a dragon's fury is a
fiction chapter book, about a boy named Hiccup, his dragons, Alvin
the Treacherous and his enemy, Dragon Furious.
Hiccup has to go on a treacherous journey to be crowned King of the
Wilderwest before Alvin. Can Hiccup also stop the Dragon Rebellion?
He is quickly running out of time, and after having a bump on his
head which made him forget his mission, how is it possible to beat
Alvin the Treacherous and his mother with the Excellinor?
Hiccup is the main character who goes through many difficulties,
such as when some sand sharks come and shoot poisonous darts at him
and his dragons Toothless, Woodensfang and the Hogfly. With Vampire
Spy Dragon hanging around like a vulture it seem impossible to get
out! Or is it?
The Hogfly flies up attempting to catch the darts but one hits him.
Instead of falling asleep, Hogfly swells up like a Balloon and the
dart bounces off him harmlessly, hits one of the sand sharks making
it fall asleep to its own defence system.
My favourite part of the book is when Hiccup and his enemy Dragon
Furious talk it up and Hiccup tries to stop the Dragon Rebellion.
Just as Hiccup convinces the great Dragon, Alvin and his mother try
to start the rebellion again. With some persistence Hiccup manages
to end the Dragon Rebellion forever and becomes King of the
Wilderwest!
I really enjoyed this book because it was full of mystery, adventure
and fear. The best part was that it seemed I was looking through
Hiccup's eyes and I think that is a great way to engage the reader.
I recommend this book for 11-13 year olds.
Amelie M. (Year 7 student)
Half wild by Sally Green
Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780141350882
(Age: Older teens) Half wild by Sally Green is the next
instalment in the exciting and enthralling story of Nathan Byrn, a
half code, half White Witch and half Black Witch, and his continuous
flight from the White Witch Council's Hunters who are out to capture
him and any other Black Witch they come across. As Nathan continues
to traverse the countryside, living off the land and being close to
nature, he carries out his search to find his one friend, Gabriel,
to assist him in breaking a curse and waking his childhood
sweetheart, Annalise. But not only has Nathan's love life gotten
more complicated, but so have both his relationships with his father
and the internal relationship Nathan has with his gift. With an
abundance of new allies, enemies and in-between, it's time to see
how much of his life Nathan can really control and if he can really
make a difference in the world of witches, will he risk what he has
already for the good of others? Half wild is a fantastic novel that places the reader in a
front row seat to the theatre of Nathan Byrn's mind and actions. The
characters in Half wild are all individual and relatable in
various ways as moral decisions are put on the table and are
discussed with emotion throughout the storyline. This novel is
suited for an older teenage audience as it can be quite graphic with
themes of violence and gore. Half wild contains many other
themes as well including action, adventure, fantasy and survival.
In conclusion, the journey of Nathan Byrn in the novel Half wild
is one many readers of action and fantasy themes would find
appealing and would be anxious and waiting for the third book in the
series to be released.
Sarah Filkin
Penelope Perfect: Lucky jars and broken promises by Chrissie Perry
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781760120269
Aiming for excellence is an admirable trait but perfection is a
little harder to achieve. Whilst Penelope wants everything to be
perfect she learns that people are most often not perfect and that
life can get in the way of the best laid plans and intentions.
Penelope Kingston is passionate about maintaining her family ties
which have been stretched by her father and are only held together
by weekly skype sessions. Penelope's father, a politician, lives
interstate with his new family, so when he plans to spend a weekend
with her and her brother Harry on the same weekend as the school
fete and Harry's Grand Final, Penelope is keen to have everything go
perfectly. Maybe so well that he would regret leaving them!
Organising the Lucky Jar stall, with best friend Oscar, becomes the
focus of her bid for impressing Dad, and the school Principal,
whilst the other members of her class are more interested on who has
a crush on whom, rather than making Lucky Jars.
When Penelope comes down with the flu she recuperates at Grandpa's
place where she is given a piece of advice: 'Sometimes the truth
needs to be spoken even when it is unpleasant.' Keeping that in mind
Penelope returns to school just in time to check on the stall and to
prepare for her father's visit.
Of course all does not go to plan when her father has work
commitments to attend to. Penelope is determined to be calm and not
have an 'outburst' but some 'unpleasant truths' need to be aired and
some of Penelope's own recollections straightened out.
The issue of split families is relevant to many children today who
will emphasise with Penelope.
Sue Keane
Maze of doom; The haunting of spook house by George Ivanoff
You Choose Flip Me series. Random House, 2015. ISBN:
9780857983862
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. George Ivanoff's You Choose Flip me
Books won a children's' choice YABBA Award in 2015. These chose your
own adventure style novels are fast-paced adventures set in a creepy
funfair and a haunted Spook House. Every choice you make determines
your fate; each decision is fraught with danger and tinged with
excitement. How long can you stay alive? is it possible to survive
the horrors that await you! Do you rush ahead at your own peril or
carefully consider each option, with a cause and effect, a brave,
bold move or a more careful one? The Maze of Doom is filled with shadowy corridors, a creepy
gatekeeper Soldeed and a teenage girl desperately looking for her
lost boyfriend. Along the way, there's an antique fortune telling
machine, are Madam Zoltar's chants worth listening to? Fiery
dragons, a treacherous drawbridge, a dense hedge maze, there are so
many dangers and obstacles to overcome. The Haunting of Spook House explores the creepy neighbourhood
house built by an archaeologist in the 1800s, who's wife came home
to find him turned into a mummy. Once again, every decision made is
surrounded by danger; there are spiders, a ghost hunter, time travel
and friends playing tricks. If you come to a disastrous end, there's
always a chance to start again.
Exciting fun and recommended for readers from 8-10.
Rhyllis Bignell
Secret sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
Piatkus, 2015. ISBN 9780349409368
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Romantic suspense. Jayne Ann Krentz is a
best-selling author of romantic suspense, both historical novels and
those set in the present. In Secret sisters she leaves the
series for which she is so well known, and in this stand-alone
novel, she brings together two young women Madeline and Daphne, who
had been friends and secret sisters when they were young. A terrible
crime at the hotel that Madeline's grandmother owned led to both
families leaving the island when they were children, and it wasn't
until her grandmother's death that Madeline has returned to the
island to wind up her grandmother's affairs. Once at the abandoned
hotel, Madeline uncovers secrets and feeling threatened and unable
to trust the local police, she brings in Jack Rayner, her security
expert, to lend a hand. With the assistance of his brother Abe, and
reunited with Daphne, the four face danger and uncover a long buried
mystery.
I enjoy romantic suspense and Jayne Ann Krentz never fails to write
a compelling and often amusing romance with lots of mystery thrown
in. The friendship between Madeline and Daphne is a highlight of the
story and the theme of secret sisters an interesting one. Add to
this two intelligent and capable young women, a dark and brooding
man and his geek brother and a murderer on the loose and the reader
has a great escapist read.
Good romantic suspense novels manage to have the mystery and
suspense complementing each other and Krentz actually manages to
have two romances: that of Madeline and Jack, and also Daphne and
Abe, while at the same time tantalising the reader with clues to the
mystery and keeping up the tension as one murder follows another.
Right from the very first creepy chapter, when a man is standing in
the shadows trying to decide which young girl he wanted to take, to
the dramatic and unexpected denouement in the final chapters, the
reader is taken on a compulsive ride, always wondering just what is
going to happen next.
This is a perfect summer or holiday read, just right for fans of
Jayne Anne Krentz, or those who love romantic suspense.
Pat Pledger
The birds of Bethlehem by Tomie de Paola
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012. ISBN 9780399257803
It is the morning of the first Christmas and the birds of Bethlehem
have gathered in the field to search for stray pieces of corn that
might have dropped from the harvest. But this morning they are more
interested in gossiping than eating as they talked about the events
of the previous day. According to the green birds many people had
been seen coming over the hills, while the yellow birds added that
the inn in the town was full, and the blue birds told of a man and
his wife being led to a stable. Even the red birds had a tale to
tell - of an angel appearing and talking to the shepherds who were
tending their sheep in the fields. The brown birds saw the sky
filled with heavenly hosts singing but the white birds tale was the
most interesting of all because they followed the shepherds. And so
all the birds decided they needed to see for themselves.
Using his signature illustrative style and folkloric telling of
stories, Tomie de Paola creates a new version of the Christmas story
using the birds of Bethlehem to explain what happened on that day
all those years ago. Using a warm palette, soft lines and a simple
background, the birds in their colours predominate just as they do
in the text. There is a sense of awe and anticipation as each couple
shares their observations leading up to all of them flying to see
what had taken place that had evoked such amazing sights. It's a new
look at an old story that will appeal to those for whom the story is
new as well as those who have heard it before - from a different
perspective.
When I asked my US colleagues for their essential stories to read at
this time, The Birds of Bethlehem was recommended by many.
It is easy to see why.
Barbara Braxton
Snow Bunny's Christmas Gift by Rebecca Harry
Nosy Crow, 2015. ISBN 9780857633507
(Age: Pre-school) One snowy morning just before Christmas, Snow
Bunny is playing with her friends in the forest. But each time they
decided on a new thing to do, one by one the friends head for home
as the cold creeps in and they would rather be indoors. Soon Snow
Bunny is left with on her own and as she ponders what she will do
she spies a shiny coin in the snow. That gives her an idea and she
hurries off to Mr Badger's shop to buy something special. And that
night in her cosy cottage she works on something that will be just
perfect for her friends.
Very young children will love this gentle story, illustrated in the
softest colours and tinged with sparkly silver to really bring it to
life. With its strong message about the value of friendship and
giving rather than receiving, it's a lovely way to reflect on the
true spirit of the Christmas season.
Barbara Braxton
Mango and Bambang: The Not-a-Pig by Polly Faber
Ill. by Clara Vulliamy. Mango and Bambang, bk 1. Walker
Books, 2015. ISBN 9781406361438
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Mango Allsorts is a clever girl who is
good at all sorts of things, not just karate and chess. She is kind
and helpful too and when she see a strange bump in the road she
realises that it is an Asian tapir and not a danger to drivers and
pedestrians. Patiently she helps Bambang navigate his way through
the busy city and they become firm friends, having some strange
adventures along the way and also consuming lots of banana pancakes.
The story is divided into four brilliant stories, perfect for the
independent reader or to read aloud, one at a time. The language
from Polly Faber is sophisticated, with new words and alliteration
(eg. Cynthia Prickle-Posset was positively purple now pg 107)
that the young reader will relish and the illustrations by Clara
Vulliamy are delightful and full of humour. The expressions on the
faces of all the characters will have the reader giggling aloud.
Mango is a wonderful little girl and the reader will be in awe of
the patience that she demonstrates when getting Bambang across the
street and out of danger. Bambang grows in confidence in the busy
city and he is able to help Mango with her clarinet playing when she
is frightened about playing in front of people. So together they
grow and develop each assisting the other as true friends do.
This is a perfect gift book, beautifully presented with a dust
jacket with purple stripes and gold embossing and it would also be a
great addition to any library.
Pat Pledger
