Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright by Chris Riddell
Goth Girl bk 3. Macmillan, 2015. ISBN 9781447277897
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Humour. Lord Goth is holding a
Literary Dog Show at Ghastly-Gorm Hall and literary contestants are
bringing their dogs along, hoping to win. There is Plain Austen with
Hampshire Hound, Homily Dickinson and her Yankee Poodle and Georgie
Eliot and Flossie, as well as other literary figures, including the
judges Countess Pippi Shortstocking and Hands Christmas Andersen.
Ada and her friends from the Attic Club as well as the Vicarage
sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Anne are all in attendance. But
something is going on at Ghastly-Gorm Hall; there are chewed shoes
and howls in the night. Can Ada and her friends solve the mystery?
This is a fantastic book. I loved the first, Goth Girl
and the ghost of a mouse and this is even better. It has the
same gorgeous appearance, black hardback cover decorated with gold
metallic skulls and foliage and a lovely picture of Ada and the
literary dogs on the front and Ada and a cheeky monkey on the back.
The illustrations inside are brilliant, with each literary figure
coming to life and Lord Goth looking particularly saturnine and
handsome in his Regency garb. ;
There are so many hilarious allusions to literary works that older
readers and adults will really relish, but at the same time there is
enough plotting about the Dog Show and the mysterious howls in the
night to keep younger readers enthralled. The misadventures that;
occurred when the train designed by Charles Cabbage carrying the
elaborate dinner to the guests came off the tracks is; Even a flick
through the book, looking at the pictures is totally engrossing.
This is such a feel-good book, one that will be enjoyed by readers
of all ages and certainly one to treasure.
Pat Pledger
Dreams come true by Meredith Costain
Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella Diaries. Scholastic, 2015.
ISBN 9781760153045
(Age: 7-9) Highly recommended. Themes: Diaries, School Stories,
Friendship, Girls, Celebrities. Ella absolutely loves pop star Cassi
Valentine, her lyrics are fantabulously fabulous, her funky music is
easy to sing along to when doing chores, her dance moves and
fashionable outfits amazing. A true fan, Ella's bedroom walls are
covered in posters, she has the lunch box, drink bottle and tote
bag, even Bob the dog has a Cassi bandana.
When Miss Weiss their teacher announces a Cassi Valentine
competition - a free lunchtime performance for the school with the
best performing arts video, everyone is excited especially for
Cassi's number one fan. Excitement builds with Ella and her
classmates. Ella and her friends brainstorm some fabulous ideas for
the video performance; they are super excited and can't wait until
Monday lunchtime to share their suggestions. Of course Precious
Princess Peach Parker bulldozes the meeting, sharing her ideas about
the video performance, and unfortunately her idea is exactly the
same as Ella's!
Meredith Costain's Ella Diaries captures both the excitement
and the ups and downs of a young girl's life, sleepovers, friends,
school dramas, music and family life. The quirky style of writing
with hearts dotting the letter 'i' and 'j' add to the cuteness of
the diary entries. Danielle McDonald's lively sketches - all tinted
red this time, showcase the dramas and delights of Ella's life.
A fun and exciting junior novel for girls from 7-9.
Rhyllis Bignell
Jack versus Veto by Jim Eldridge
Wrestling Trolls bk 5. Hot Key Books. ISBN 9781471402678
(Age: 7-9) Themes: Fantasy, Adventure. The Wrestling Trolls have
travelled to Bun to participate in the Great Bun Wrestle Smackdown,
with two rounds of fighting - Big Rock versus Block and Princess Ava
the Masked Avenger up against the Fighting Pink Fairy.
Unfortunately, during the match their rather grumpy talking horse
Robin has been stolen by ruthless rustlers. The Village Marshall
sends Milo, the manager and the wrestlers off to Badlands Valley,
where the horse-meat gang has hidden the stolen horses. There they
confront Hard Harry and his cross-bow wielding thugs and with
Blaze's help, they set the animals free from the corral. Blaze's
ability to shape-shift into a dragon helps the Wrestling Trolls
family as the battle continues.
In the second story, Lord Veto and his Chief Orc have vanished
leaving this castle deserted. Jack sees this as an opportunity to
return to the castle kitchen and retrieve a special ring he'd left
behind. Of course multiple dangers lurk as the troop use the secret
tunnel to gain access, giant rats, spiders and a huge hypnotic
snake. What Jack discovers about the origin of the ring and his
family members is extremely surprising!
Jim Eldridge's Wrestling Trolls series has all the fantasy
elements rolled into one rollicking adventure ably complemented by
Jan Bielicki's larger than life cartoon characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
River Riddle by Jim Dewar
Scholastic Australia, 2015. ISBN 9781760150518
Picture book. 'Tis the age-old quandary! If Jack leaves Dolly the
sheep and the hay together on one side of the river, Dolly will
munch it all while he's fetching Frank, the fox. If Jack leaves
Frank and the sheep together, while he fetches the sack of hay, poor
Dolly will surely become a meal for Frank! What to do?
Jack has to get to market, but the market's on the other side of the
deep, wide river. The little boat is not big enough for Jack, two
animals and the hay, all together. Jack must come up with a plan.
Clever Jack manages to solve his predicament, without the hay or
Dolly being consumed, but all that paddling has left him quite
exhausted. Did he reach the market on time? River Riddle is a rollicking rhyming book, with candid,
colourful illustrations, sure to appeal to children everywhere.
J. Kerr-Smith
Underneath a cow by Carol Ann Martin
Ill. by Ben Wood. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781742990880
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Animals, Farms, Safety. When Madge the
cow notices a huge dark cloud over the farm, she invites the rabbit
to shelter beneath her as the first large rain drops begin to fall.
The farm dog passes by and takes shelter as well, then the mother
hen and her chicks, while later an echidna rolls under her as well.
Each addition causes a little mayhem at the start, but all settle
down to shelter from the rain. When the rain stops Madge is
presented with some flowers as a thank you and she tells them that
what is important is that they are all in a safe place, while
sometimes we are the safe place.
This is a charming story about safety, about putting aside
differences to take shelter, to work together to be safe, and will
encourage younger readers to discuss their safety within this
carefully worded text. Martin uses repetition in some parts of the
text which will encourage younger readers to predict what is
happening next. The song she presents could be used as a learning
tool to recite when this book is brought out for rereading.
I love the illustrations, Wood using mixed media and digital means
to draw his characters, giving them amazingly human expressions. I
adore Madge's udder which seems to leave the dog a little
nonplussed, and figures a little more prominently when Spike crawls
beneath her. What an introduction for parents and teachers to
discuss where milk comes from, as few, if any, picture books show
this important part of a cow's anatomy. Discussions too could evolve
concerning the farm portrayed, comparing it with other picture books
where Australian farms are drawn, and perhaps even discussing why
Spike's animal status is not named. Perhaps this book is being aimed
at an American market as well?
Whatever group of kids reads this, they will ask for it again and
again as they absorb the playful humour of the farm animals
sheltering beneath Madge the cow, make up their own song to go with
the words and contemplate how they keep themselves safe.
Fran Knight
The Doubt Factory by Paolo Bacigalupi
Little, Brown & Company, 2014. ISBN: 9780316220750
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Whistle-blowing; Big Business &
Corporations; Fraud; Terrorism; Family relationships; Belief and
doubt; Science & Truth. The teenage protagonists in this story
have become caught up in the world of big business and the
introduction of doubt to protect wealth. The teens were victims
before they became involved in a plot to sabotage the Public
Relations team who protect the money-making foci and motivations of
big business by obfuscation and spin. The teenagers hatch a complex
plan involving computer hacking, creative use of their own insurance
wealth and intelligence, rats and kidnapping. Their intention is to
bring truth into the open and to remove the influence of the PR
'Doubt Factory'. Their kidnap victim is the daughter of the chief of
the PR company and she herself is transformed in the process.
This complex plot is exhilarating and adult in its focus, and yet
because of the age of the participants it reads like a compelling
adventure for intelligent teenagers. The consequence after reading
the tale is to doubt anything that Big Business is involved in, and
to question science and the law as a means to purvey truth.
I can recommend this to an older Teenage audience - Aged 15+.
(Note: there is a language warning: 'F' bomb sprinkled through the
text, and although it is not surprising - in keeping with the
language use of teens - it may influence purchase selections for
some.)
Carolyn Hull
Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro & Daniel Kraus
Ill. by Sean Murray. Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471405273
(Age: 13-15) Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus have created a dark
underworld inhabited with hungry trolls whose favourite food is
children! In the late 1960's in San Bernadino, California, nearly
two hundred children disappear, never to be seen again. On Jack
Sturges's birthday, he's out for a ride on his new bike with his
younger brother and forgets his parents' warning to be home before
dark. As they ride near the Holland Transit Bridge, a terrifying
creature catches Jack and young Jim has to race for home narrowly
escaping from the monster with black fur, horns, claws and massive
teeth.
In the present day Jim has grown up to be a paranoid father, living
in a house with steel shutters, ten locks on the front door, flood
lights and security cameras, protecting himself and his fifteen year
old son, James Sturges Jr. - Jim. His middle school life is filled
with issues, first crush, bullying, problems with Math and
friendships. One night, he's dragged through a hole beneath his bed
and into the troll underworld. He meets his lost uncle who is still
as young as the day he disappeared and is drawn into a mighty battle
against multiple species of the grossest, dirtiest, most frightening
trolls lead by the fearsome Gunmar. Trollhunters is suited to the fans of fantasy adventure
stories where the underdog saves the world, aided by the nerdy
sidekick and of course save the damsel in distress. The dark complex
illustrations by Sean Murray add to the rich descriptions of the
troll's kingdom. The novel is takes time to set up and needs
commitment to finish, middle school life is stereotypical whilst the
fantasy underworld is much more rounded and exciting.
Rhyllis Bignell
Afterlight by Rebecca Lim
Text, 2015. ISBN: 9781925240498
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. This book grips the reader and
doesn't let go until after it has been read. Rebecca writes so well
and the reader is drawn in to such an extent that the characters
(from bikies to drag queens) are so real you can almost touch them.
We meet Sophie as her life has been shattered by the death of her
parents in an accident. Bullied at her last school, Sophie begins a
new chapter of her life in a new school after moving in with her
Gran (who owns a pub).
Almost immediately Sophie is visited by Eve. Eve is a persistent
ghost who has Sophie tying up the loose ends of Eve's life. The
missions become more dangerous and soon involve another student at
the school - Jordan Haig. His special abilities and care for Sophie
are integral to the fast paced and dramatic ending to this great
book.
The actions of Eve have Sophie excluded from school and sent on a
journey that is life threatening and life changing.
Rebecca Lim's writing of Afterlight sprang from a shooting
that occurred in the Melbourne CBD. A bikie and a tabletop dancer
were involved and innocent people on their way to work were
critically injured or killed. Those who know Melbourne well will
find themselves inside the environments Lim creates so evocatively.
Linda Guthrie
Hard Nuts of History series by Tracy Turner 
Ill. by Jamie Lenman. Bloomsbury, 2015. Play the Game. How Hard are You? ISBN 9781472910974 Ultimate Quiz and Game Book - Know your Hard Nuts. ISBN
9781472910967
(Age: 8-12) Tracy Turner's Hard Nuts of History series
showcases the tough men and women of history - Ancient Greeks,
Warriors, Travellers, Kings and Queens and those in Myths and
Legends. To accompany these fact-filled books, two quiz books have
been released. Play the Game is filled with sheets of cards with perforated
edges, once they have been removed from the book they are dealt to
two or more players. Instructions for the Battle of the Hard Nuts
are given and as each round continues points are given for cunning,
courage, survival skills and ruthlessness. Each colourful card has a
border to indicate where they came from or what the Hard Nut did. The Ultimate Quiz and Game Book is packed full of fun facts,
quizzes - Name that Viking, Heroes of Myths and Legends and games -
Mummy Making! For the ancient weapons quiz objects such as the
chakram, arbalest and tessen are sorted into how they are used -
bash, chop, throw or fire. Women have led battles, explored darkest
Africa and led revolutions - The Trung Sisters, Zenobia, Queen of
Syria and Boudica, who ruled the Iceni tribe.
With bold cartoon caricatures, these two books provide fun and
entertainment. They are great for the history buff, overflowing with
fun facts, games and quizzes.
Rhyllis Bignell
Pieces of Sky by Trinity Doyle
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112486
(Age: 15+) Themes: Death & grief; Teenage romance; Coming of
age; Relationships. Trinity Doyle's debut YA novel gives an insight
into the world of grief. Lucy and her parents have been shattered by
the drowning death of Cam - the wild-child brother and son. His loss
has carved great chasms into their lives, and they are all at risk
of plummeting to the depths. Lucy was a champion swimmer, but now
can't even face the water; her mother has succumbed to the darkest
of depression, and her father has thrown himself into the world of
work, and is maintaining a blinkered finger-tip hold on his
threatened business to the detriment of his connections in his
family. Relationships for Lucy are also strained under the weight of
grief, and a mystery girlfriend from her brother's past who keeps
texting his phone, sends Lucy in many directions as she tries to
find solid ground. A romantic interest gives Lucy hope and an
opportunity to feel something other than the pain of grief.
The road to recovery after a tragedy is seldom smooth and as each
character deals uniquely with their own grief we see the ripple
effect of the tragedy played out in their community. The friends of
Cam are also grieving, and their life choices reflect the 'live now
and don't consider tomorrow' lifestyle of the young.
Because of the topic and the inevitable sadness that we must feel
deeply in order to understand the slowness of recovery, this book
should only be recommended to those who are emotionally mature
enough to deal with the topic of death in a family.
(Note: references to drug-taking, possible suicide, sexual
encounters that are begun, but uniquely ended before regret wins
over. Some swearing.)
Carolyn Hull
Splinter the silence by Val McDermid
Little, Brown, 2015. ISBN 9781408706893
(Age: secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Crime fiction,
Stalking, Trolls. This latest crime story involving Dr Tony Hill and
Carol Jordan has both of them in limbo. Carol has resigned from the
police, distancing herself from friends, particularly Tony, drinking
heavily and rebuffing overtures of friendship. One night she drives
home only to be stopped by the police and arrested for drink
driving. With no one else to turn to she rings Tony to take her
home. He insists on staying the night and taking her problem in
hand; a hostile Carol wakes the next morning to find he has emptied
all her bottles of booze. His determination to stop her drinking is
paramount.
Meanwhile, she has been touted as the head of a new department in
the north to coordinate major crimes, but this arrest causes
problems for the hierarchy. But when Tony senses something is not
quite right in a suicide report he convinces Carol and her new team
about the veracity of his suppositions and together they work on
using digital footprints to find the killer.
Again a wonderfully engrossing story, the characters are multi
layered and impel us to watch their movements against the backdrop
of women's rights, trolling and cyber bullying. McDermid takes us
into the brain of this man, warped by experience and environment to
see women as not really knowing what they should be, making his
killings look like suicides to wake them up to the reality of being
a wife and mother staying at home.
And McDermid introduces a moral uncertainty which is just as
engrossing as the crime story, with Carol's drink driving charge
being dropped. And with Tony moving into Carol's finished barn, the
next installment of their relationship could be even more prickly.
This is a great read, showing how impossible it is to hide in this
cyber world, how even the most meticulous planning can come unstuck,
and how things that have happened in the past can have unexpected
repercussions.
Fran Knight
The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781471132988
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Philippa Gregory's love of history
underpins The Taming of the Queen. Kateryn Parr was the last
of King Henry VIII's six wives: portrayed in this narrative as
passionate, intelligent, devout and independent, she was once named
Regent during King Henry's absence in France. Philippa Gregory's
gripping perspective honours Kateryn's importance as a reformer, and
vividly suggests the minutia of her daily life at court, once she
accepted King Henry VIII's command that she marry him.
This intimate portrait of Kateryn's life as wife to the King of
England examines the bond that developed between them, and how she
brought together a family that would see Henry reunited with his
children. During her marriage to King Henry, Kateryn simultaneously
immersed herself in her study, writing and reformation activities.
However, in the darker, final days of Henry's life, the focus of
this novel shifts to the ever-growing dangers faced by Kateryn as he
turned his dangerous attention upon her, and her reformation work.
Although The Taming of the Queen is a work of historical
fiction, Gregory has created a believable interpretation of the
inner workings of this royal marriage; of Henry's court with all its
loyalties, rivalries and scheming; of naval battles, and the
intrigues of Kateryn's relationship with Thomas Seymour.
In her concluding summary, this accomplished author comments that
the days surrounding Kateryn's arrival at court were 'alive with
debate about the Bible: English or Latin, about the Mass: bread or
flesh, about the Church: reformist or papist.' Recognising her as
the first woman to publish in English using her own name, Philippa
Gregory's narrative pays homage to this woman 'who dared to write
original material in English.' Kateryn published three books that
still survive today. The Taming of the Queen is an
entertaining and historically exciting perspective on this
protestant woman's life. It is recommended for adults interested in
this period of Tudor history.
Colleen Tuovinen
Pockety: the tortoise who lived as she pleased by Florence Seyvos
Ill. by Claude Ponti. Pushkin Press, 2014. ISBN 9781782690252
(Age: Newly independent readers) Pockety is a tiny tortoise who
leaves home at a very young age to live like a grown up. She meets
Thumb who has also left home to live like a grown up and they build
a hut together so they can. But one day, Thumb is killed by a stone
and although Pockety laughs at first, when she realises she has lost
her dear friend for good, she is devastated. And so her grieving
begins.
This is a quaint story translated from the French original Pochee,
which traces Pockety's grieving process which is very similar to
that of a human. She's in denial, angry, bereft, wanting company and
wanting to be alone. It's sensitive and gentle and the reader's
emotions follow Pockety's journey hoping she will eventually find
peace and comfort.
This is a gentle, sensitive story that will appeal to newly
independent readers who are looking for something a little bit
different. Pushkin developed this series so they could bring the
stories of the world to young children in the hope they will open
new doors and gateways to a whole new world of stories. Pockety is
an excellent example of the success of their goal.
Barbara Braxton
Dearest by Alethea Kontis
Woodcutter Sisters bk 3. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.
ISBN 9780544074071
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Fairy tales retold. The third in the
Woodcutter Sisters series, following Enchanted
and Hero
is a delightful retelling primarily of The wild swans, but
with some other fairy tales incorporated into the tale. This is
Friday's story, the loving and giving child of the old rhyme: Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is blithe and bonny and good and gay.
After a huge ocean has devastated the kingdom, Friday is working
with refugee children at her sister's palace. She stumbles across
seven sleeping brothers in a tower and when she lays eyes on
Tristan, knows that he is her true love. But the brothers have been
cursed - each day they turn into swans.
What is so good about this series is the fact that the book is a
companion volume. The reader does not have to have read, or even
remember, the other books, to fully enjoy this one. Friday lives up
to her description of being loving and giving, helping the homeless,
working out ways to feed many people and giving each child a sense
of worth. However she is also very clever and she manages to work
out a way around the curse, using excellent problem solving skills
and organising everyone to help out.
This is a very rewarding series to read. The heroines are all
intelligent and capable and the fairy tale roots are woven so
cleverly that they bring a fresh outlook to a familiar story. Dearest
has an engrossing narrative and an enticing romance. It is sure to
appeal to anyone who enjoys the retelling of fairy tales.
Pat Pledger
The iron claw by Paul Collins and Sean McMullen
Ford Street, 2015. ISBN 9781925000948
(Ages: 10+) Fantasy. This easy to read fantasy series again begins
where the previous book, Dragonfall Mountain, left off.
There is no recapping of the story to detract from the action which
makes the series highly attractive to those students who are keen to
get on with the story or devour a series by borrowing the books in
order with no break.
The dragon Stormvaud returns to Dragonfall Mountain where King
Lavarran and his Army have been waiting guarded by the other
dragons, bringing the bodies of two palace guards which demonstrate
that forbidden magic is being practised in the city. To avert
complete disaster Latzar reveals himself to the dragons as a secret
agent and Velza as the Iron Claw investigating Calbaras her father
and perpetrator of the magic.
Meanwhile Dantar and Marko are lost in the sewers where they meet
Merikus a talking rat who they enlist to guide them through the
sewers to the docks. The repartee between Dantar and Merkius
provides for some light hearted relief as their situation becomes
more threatening, especially when they meet what appears to be
Dantar's identical twin Avantar. But is he really a human or another
example of Calbaras's magic.
Both Velza and Dantar find themselves in precarious positions again,
locked in prison as Velza continues to seek out her father and
Dantar and companions escape to Merk only to be set upon by thieves
and arrested.
The plot continues to twist and turn as Calbaras evades capture and
plots to become a Dark Hand and as powerful as the dragons while the
dragons call a council meeting to try to solve the mystery of the
dragon chick they sense. Short chapters which alternate between
following Velza and Dantar and occasionally the Dragons, keep the
readers on their toes and make for a fast read.
Sue Keane
