Ill. by Amanda Francey. New Frontier, 2016. ISBN 9781925059533
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Bedtime. Prevarication. Family life. Bedtime
for many families cause some headaches, as the child works all sorts
of tricks to forestall going to bed. Many books have been published
which give a lovely story of the process of going to bed,
culminating in a final goodnight, encouraging the listener to see
the action of going to bed as part of their routine.
This book takes a different tack, using the excuses offered by the
child in a funny way to get him finally off to bed. The very tired
child asks Mum to take anyone but him. He offers his dog, Red, the
baby, Seb, the cat, Fred, his older brother, Jedd, his toy, Zed, even
Ned, the next door neighbour, until finally Mum uses the bear, Ted
as the reason for the child to go to bed.
This lovely rhyming story has the same line at the end of each
couplet, encouraging the child to join in and predict what the next
words will be. The simple rhyming of words with 'instead' gives
scope for predicting of people's names which rhyme, adding another
layer of interest for the reader. The funny illustrations of a
family at bedtime enhances the text and gives things for the child
to spot and laugh about. Mum's lovely slippers, the tired look on
many faces, and the final page with everyone in the bed, not quite
going to sleep.
All will intrigue and delight younger readers and the book adds to
those to read at bedtime to encourage that routine.
Fran Knight
Brave Bess and the ANZAC horses by Susan Brocker
HarperCollins, New Zealand, 2010. ISBN 9781869507916
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Subjects: New Zealand. Army -
History; Cavalry - History, World War; 1914-1918 - New Zealand. When
the call to arms came in 1914, young New Zealand lads bravely joined
up to support their King and Country. In the early stages of this
epic war, 3700 horses were also dispatched to support the troops in
the battlefields. Between 1914 to 1916, 10328 horses were sent on
treacherous sea voyages with the Mounted Rifle Brigade into the
Middle East. Only four horses returned to their home soil after the
war, one of these was Brave Bess. New Zealand author Susan Brocker's
historically accurate and insightful account is narrated from this
jet-black mare's point of view. Her style of writing with rhythmic
and alliterative descriptions, drives the fast-paced narrative,
empathetically dealing with the harsh realities of war both for the
soldiers and their horses. Told in chronological order, each chapter
begins with a brief account of the location, battle and engagement,
followed by Bess's story fighting against her natural instincts to
flee from the noisiest and most frightening of situations. The
lesser known battles in the Bible lands of Palestine, at Beersheeba,
Jaffa and Moab, fighting the Turkish Army, provide the reader with
further understandings of the spirit, courage and dogged
determination displayed by the ANZAC soldiers, their horses, camels
and their supporters.
Black and white photographs taken from trooper's albums, add further
insight into this story that celebrates the important role
undertaken by these warhorses. An excellent historical resource for
Upper Primary and Lower Secondary students.
Rhyllis Bignell
The beach they called Gallipoli by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9781460752265
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. World War One, Gallipoli, War,
Environment. Kitted out with army uniform, great boots and a
bayoneted rifle, fifteen year old Alec Campbell stares out at the
reader from the front cover of Jackie French's latest picture book.
People who have read about this war will know that he was one of the
underage boys who enlisted, but unlike many others, he survived.
Reading this book the reader can only wonder how anyone survived
this particular battlefield. Each page has French's brief
words, encapsulating what happened at Gallipoli on the dates
highlighted. Pared down to sentences, phrases, and sometimes single
words, these give an account of the events that occurred on this
beach and in its hills. The background, first appearing on the
cover, of the low hills of Gallipoli beach, begins with the
villagers who fished there prior to the outbreak of war. Their use
of the sea and the beach is in stark contrast with what happened
only a few months later, when thousands of soldiers were landed with
orders to take the high ground where the Turkish Army waited. On
each page, Whatley has a drawing of the scene in the top left hand
corner, then drawings and photographs on what appears to be torn
paper, underlining the transient nature of the engagement. The mix
of different media, makes the reader search out each picture, taking
in the detail and the message underpinned by the image. Maps,
artifacts, images of dead soldiers, munition, trenches, headstones,
animals and barbed wire cover the pages, leaving readers in no doubt
about the changes made to this little beach. French takes us forward
to the beach today, a place of rest for the nearly nine thousand
Australians killed (and 80,000 Turks, 44,000 Allies, 2,700 New
Zealanders), a site of pilgrimage for many, a place where everyone
can reflect upon the utter futility of war.
This review is for the hardback edition published in 2014, and still
stands for the new paperback edition.
Fran Knight
Forward march by Christobel Mattingley
Ill. by David Kennett. Omnibus, 2016. ISBN 9781742990804
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. War, Anzac Day, World War One and Two,
Vietnam. The panorama of Australia's involvement in war is shown in
its entirety in this handsomely produced, beautifully illustrated
homage to the marchers on Anzac Day. Mattingley's spare prose
introduces the marches, held each Anzac Day all over Australia, in
every town and city, remembering the people who gave their lives in
these wars: fathers and grandfathers, sons, mothers, grandmas and so
on. And all remembered by a diverse range of people as large numbers
march by.
Using a photographic style of illustration Kennett presents a sombre
vision of men waiting, ready for the slaughter ahead. And then on
the battlefields, using an increasingly sophisticated range of
weaponry and machines designed just for war.
At the start, Matttingley tells us of the marches around Australia,
marches where people remember those who served, her minimalist prose
listing the work men and women did at the various theatres of war.
From the predominance of horses and cavalry at the Boer War, to the
use of submarines and camels in the First World War, motorcycles and
airplanes in the Second World War, ships, tanks and helicopters in
the Vietnam War, we come around again, back to the marchers
remembering the dead. The picture book begins and ends with the
marches, recalling the lives lost at war, the marchers recalling
their lost comrades, friends, family. And the last double page zooms
in on the graves, the rows and rows of graves so evocative of the
sacrifice made by these people, now buried in foreign fields, marked
out for their contribution to our nation.
This is one of those books that will have readers thinking about the
act of remembrance at Anzac Day when Australians come together no
matter where they are to spare a thought for those who fought for
their country.
Fran Knight
The Obsession by Nora Roberts
Piatkus, 2016. ISBN 9780349407760
(Age: Adult) Recommended for fans of Nora Roberts and the romantic
suspense genre. Naomi Bowes was just a young girl when she followed
her father into the woods one night and discovered that he had a
young woman trapped in the cellar there. She waited until her father
left and then freed the woman and struggled with her to the police
station. She now lives under the name of Naomi Carson and is a
successful photographer, who has finally decided to settle in
Sunrise Cove where she meets Xander Keaton who disturbs her
solitude. Pursued by the notoriety of her infamous father, she is
afraid that her past has caught up with her when women begin to
disappear and bodies are found.
I am a big fan of Nora Roberts and The obsession is another
entertaining suspenseful romance. It starts out with a disturbing
and vivid description of the life that Naomi has led with a weak
mother who has been totally dominated by her husband, who turns out
to be a serial killer. Even at a young age, Naomi is a morally
strong child, who knows that her father's actions at the root cellar
are wrong and with great courage she manages to rescue the young
woman that he abducted and then tell the police about it. She also
looks after her younger brother. Roberts always find a new
occupation for her heroines, in this case Naomi is a photographer.
The information given about her work and the different ways that she
makes a living from it also make for interesting background to the
character.
As an adult, Naomi has not settled down either into a location or
into a relationship, but when she finds the house at Sunrise Cove,
she knows that this could be a home for her. The residents of the
small town are friendly and she finds that not only is she spending
lots of money on having her house renovated but has become the owner
of a dog and has the persistent attention of Xander. The gradual
easing of the emotional constraints that she has imposed on herself
contrast with the growing terror of the murders that start happening
very close to her.
Reading a Nora Robert's novel is always like returning to an old
friend. Often the plot feels familiar and certainly the romance path
is very recognisable, but the background to the serial killer and
the feelings and plight of the family left behind by a serial
killer, gives The obsession a fresh feel. Fans of both Nora
Roberts and romantic suspense will not be disappointed with this
novel.
Pat Pledger
'Til death do us part by Amanda Quick
Ladies of Lantern Street, bk 3. Piatkus, 2016. ISBN
9780349409443
(Age: Adult) Recommended. Romantic suspense. Historical. Victorian
period. Calista Langley operates an exclusive salon where lonely men
and women from society are able to get to know each other. Her
business keeps her brother Jack and herself afloat in a time when it
is very difficult for women to earn a living. Trent Hastings, an
author of popular crime novels is convinced that Calista is taking
advantage of his lonely sister and doesn't trust her, but when she
asks for his help to find the stalker who is leaving her mourning
objects, he decides to help her. Together they plunge into a world
of danger and desire.
Quick is one of my favourite romantic suspense authors, whether
writing historical novels as Amanda Quick, contemporary stories as
Jayne Ann Krentz or paranormal tales as Jane Castle. 'Til Death
Do Us Part will not disappoint her fans. Right from the first
spine chilling chapters when the unknown stalker peers at her from a
small cage and leaves her frightening mourning objects inscribed
with her initials, the reader becomes engrossed in the fate of
Calista and the growing attraction between her and the enigmatic
Trent.
Quick always manages to draw spirited and intelligent female
characters, who no matter how difficult their circumstances, do
their best to overcome the odds. Calista is certainly one of these -
left with a large old house, no money for upkeep and a younger
brother to look after, she analysed her situation and strengths and
started her introduction agency, which has provided a living for
both of them. Trent Hastings is a crime writer and Quick gives the
reader lots of background information about the way he writes and is
treated as an author (probably from her own experience) as well as
the people that he has come to know through his investigations. The
spark between the two is inevitable, but the romance in the book is
balanced by the suspense of the creepy unknown villain and the
customs that the people of the Victorian era have surrounded
themselves with. The plight of the isolated governesses in this
society is also explored as some become prey to the deranged killer.
The suspense ensures that the reader won't put this book down
easily. It is certainly a great read for people who enjoy the
romantic suspense genre.
Pat Pledger
Darkness by Karen Robards
Hodder and Stoughton, 2016. ISBN 9781444797909
(Age: Adult) Romantic suspense. Dr. Gina Sullivan, an ornithologist,
has received a grant to study birds on the remote island of Attu,
Alaska. One day she is out at sea, when a small jet plane crashes
and she manages to rescue the sole survivor, Cal. Using all her
survival skills, she manages to get them to land and keeps them
alive through the freeing night. Warned by Cal to be careful she
finally reaches her base camp only to find terrible danger facing
her.
Lots of action in this novel makes it a gripping read. The suspense
is thrilling - not only do Gina and Cal face monstrous waves and
debilitating cold - but the people who are after the secrets that
Cal knows are totally ruthless. Gina has to use all her skills to
survive the storm and then must trust the gorgeous Cal, as together
they fight the elements and the pitiless hunters who have murdered
her colleagues and stalking them relentlessly. The action and
suspense are matched with the steamy attraction that Gina and Cal
feel for each other.
Robards ensures that the reader gets to know her characters well.
The reasons for Gina's survival skills and fear of flying are slowly
unveiled as the story continues, and Cal's background is fleshed out
well, particularly in the final chapters.
Fans of the romantic suspense genre will find much to enjoy in this
gripping adventure.
Pat Pledger
The pearl-shell diver by Kay Crabbe
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290474
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Australian history. Federation. Pearl
diving. Race relations. White Australia Policy. Sario lives
and works on a remote island in the Torres Strait. He dives for
pearl shell and sea cucumber, to sell at the markets so he and his
family can get an income. Unscrupulous lugger captains note his
ability and promise him more money if he goes with them to learn to
dive with a helmet. At first he refuses but the old men of his clan
push him to earn more money for the community, and when his mother,
once a diver, now with breathing problems, becomes worse and must be
moved to Thursday Island for treatment, he has no choice.
But the promises come to nothing. He is subjected to racism by the
white bosses and Japanese divers, his money taken from him on any
pretext, and made to work harder than he has ever worked before. He
misses his family, is bullied by a young Japanese diver, and
witnesses his friend lose his life to a shark, after the boss made
the boy stay underwater despite the threat of danger.
But along the way he learns a lot about the industry he works for,
and hears from others about the rules concerning pearl fishing, an
industry soon under threat, and about Federation, the amalgamation
of the states into the Commonwealth of Australia, soon to take
place. Readers will love reading about Sario and his life, and
adventures, but also learn about bullying and racism, the White
Australia Policy, Federation and the Torres Strait Islands, a
setting rarely seen in children's books.
Fran Knight
The incredible powers of Montague Towers by Alan Sunderland
Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760153649
Highly recommended. Superheroes. Crime fighting. Orphans.
Montague Towers is not a Superhero. He is an orphan with limited
freedom, some responsibilities and NO power! Due to his age he is
left in charge of the orphanage while everyone else goes on a
holiday. This is a joy and delight as he finally gets some 'alone
time'. An aging Superhero, the Cape of Justice, intrudes into his
peace and quiet and Monty becomes embroiled in a quest to restore
the credibility of the older Caped crusader and foil the plans of
his evil (and ridiculously overweight) nemesis. Monty becomes the
recipient of some temporary superpowers lasting only one day at a
time and he sets out on a chase to thwart the criminal mastermind
before he upsets the entire financial system. Both the Cape of
Justice and Montague Towers seem to be the comedic Superhero types
as they falter at almost every step in using their powers in pursuit
of justice. Will they be able to win the battle against the evil
tyrant and his henchmen?
This is a delightfully written book, and the slightly powerless and
quirky main character will win the hearts of many young readers as
he explores Superhero qualities. (I am assuming that Montague Towers
will be making further appearances in the future, as the book would
easily lead into another adventure.) The action is fast-paced, the
villains are easy to dislike and the main characters are
entertaining. And there are pastries! The Prologue begins with Day 3
of the Superpowers and is obviously placed to give younger readers a
taste of the action that is to follow and to encourage them to keep
reading past the orphanage beginning to explore the mystery of the
Superpowers. This was probably unnecessary as Chapter 1 has an
equally enthralling and endearing style that would hook a young
reader.
Recommended highly - as an entertaining read for young readers (not
as great literature).
Carolyn Hull
Anna Liza and the happy practice by Eoin Colfer
Ill. by Matt Robertson. Little gems series. Barrington
Stoke, 2016. ISBN 9781781125595
Anna Liza Madigan's mum is a psychiatrist - sye-kye-a-trist. She
talks to people who are very lonely or very upset until they are
better. Anna Liza thinks this is so important that even though her
mum tells her only grown-ups can be psychiatrists, she sets up her
own office in her mum's waiting room and wearing her stethoscope and
white coat from her 'Nurse Nancy on Duty' set, she does the rounds
of the waiting room every afternoon after school. She gets those
waiting water or a magazine, sometimes even cheering them up with
her version of 'Don't worry, Be happy'. But one day she meets Edward
who is seven point five years old, doesn't like sauce on his burgers
and is the saddest child she has ever seen. Even her 17 best
knock-knock jokes can't make him raise a smile. Determined to get to
the root of the problem, Anna Liza digs deeper and discovers that
Edward's sadness is because is his dad is sad because his mum has left
them.
So Nancy devises a plan to make Edward's dad's life go somewhere and
make him happy again. But will it be successful? Racing through like
a sequence from a cartoon, complete with illustrations that leave
much to the imagination, Anna Liza's plan can only end badly. Or
does it?
This is another title from the Little gems series that is
deliberately formatted to cater for readers with dyslexia but
regardless, it is just a rollicking good story written by the author
of the Artemis fowl series who knows what it takes to
entertain young readers. Despite its physical length, it is not a
long read and is full of humour and fun with a delightful twist at
the end that invites the reader to continue the story in their head.
And, of course, the whole thing invites a Knock-Knock Jokes Fest.
Funny, different, entertaining - I know Miss 9 will love this one.
Barbara Braxton
Ophelia by Jackie French
Angus and Robertson, 2015. ISBN 9780732298524
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Denmark, Betrayal.
French's re-imagining of the play, Hamlet, from the
perspective of his girlfriend, Ophelia will have wide appeal to a
young audience. French's Ophelia is a strong, wiley young woman,
aware of much of the machinations behind the scenes that beset those
in power. From her position as the young daughter of the Lord
Chancellor of the country, she not only runs her father's household,
but listens when he talks to her about his days' work. Neither
Ophelia nor her father, Polonius are the dupes portrayed in the
original play, but two hard working loyal subjects. So when Hamlet
returns from university to mourn the death of his father, only to be
greeted with his mother's marriage to her brother-in-law, Ophelia
grasps the desperation of the situation and does all she can to help
Hamlet, a man to whom she is attracted, and one who seems to be
attracted to her.
French cleverly uses the words of the play in their dialogue, giving
us a different emphasis that one usually shown. French makes the
'what might have happened' take place before our eyes.
Both of the main characters are beset by ghosts: Ophelia sees the
ghost of the king usurped by Hamlet's father, and Hamlet sees the
ghost of his father. Hamlet's father impels him to seek vengeance on
his brother for killing him, while Ophelia's ghost warns her that
vengeance only leads to more killing.
For those knowing the original play, Hamlet, this will be a
revelation as Ophelia takes centre stage, with other main characters
like Polonius, Hamlet, Claudius the king, and Queen Gertrude, taking
lesser roles. Hamlet loses nothing of his prevarication, his
indecision about Ophelia and his inability to make up his mind about
carrying out his father's instructions, and with Ophelia having a
much larger 'stage' presence, we see Hamlet afresh. This is a
wonderful read. and if it might get a little sentimental at times,
this will be quite acceptable to the target audience.
Fran Knight
The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780732296858
(Ages: 14+) Recommended. Five teenagers, five different lives and
one final year. The Loner, the School Captain, the Popular Girl, the
Newcomer and the MP's Daughter. Thrust together against their will
they need to work together to become their yearbook committee. Can
each student get past their problems and be able to work together
and make the year their own.
Each character deals with their own issues making the whole book
cover a wide range of different real life issues, from depression,
diversity, bullying and friendship. I absolutely loved that a group
of different people, with very different upbringings, were thrust
together and made to work together despite their differences. Ayoub
shows the pressure and emotions that young people experience while
growing up and they deal or cope with it all. Even with the heavy
themes Ayoub managed to still keep the writing light and enjoyable. The Yearbook Committee is one crazy emotional ride, I got so
wrapped up in the story and ended finishing it quickly. I just loved
how easy it was to transition between the five characters; it was
flawless reading each different character.
Cecilia Richards
About a girl by Joanne Horniman
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742371443
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Relationships, Same sex
relationships, Love, Depression. You know that feeling you have when
you come across a book so well written that you want to read it
again - straightaway? Well this is one of those, so I was very
surprised to turn to the publication page and see that it was first
published in 2010. How did I miss it?
Anna's father has left the family without warning, moving in with
his much younger lover, a girl to whom Anna is physically attracted.
This combined with the instability at home as her abandoned mother
tries to rebuild her life with her two daughters, reduces Anna's
belief in herself.
And then something happens which further undermines her confidence,
causing her to suffer a serious bout of depression. She drops out of
uni and finds a job in a bookshop in Lismore. Here she begins to get
her life back on some sort of even keel, and despite not looking for
love, finds it in Flynn. The story of their relationship is achingly
real, tender and all encompassing, as Anna slowly reveals her past
to her lover. But Flynn also keeps herself close, so much so that
Anna can never be sure that she will still be there, and when she
invites her to move in with her in her small apartment, Flynn is
forced to reveal her secret.
The girls share their lives, the stray cat that insists on sleeping
on Anna's bed when Flynn is there, the teapot called Lavinia, the
sharing of bathers when they go to the beach, the meeting of Anna's
mother and disabled sister when they visit. And when they split,
Anna is more certain, more sure that life holds meaning and a
future.
This is a wonderful story of two girls, their shared love and what
happens when love is gone and set against a background familiar to
many readers.
Fran Knight
Editor's note: This is still in print.
Shortlisted, 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, Young adult
fiction
Shortlisted, 2011 Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the
Year - Older Readers
Summer harvest by Georgina Penney
Penguin Books Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780143797081
(Age: Adult) Romance. Illness. Beth Poole is a dog trainer, whose
life has been turned upside down after a life threatening illness
and the desertion of her husband. Her grandmother, obsessed with
Australian soaps, sends her off on a holiday to Australia, but it is
not to the east coast of her TV shows, rather it is to Western
Australia. Beth decides to make the most of it and books an extended
holiday at Margaret River, hoping to rest but the Hardy clan make it
difficult for her to retreat and Clayton Hardy is the most
interesting of all. Can she overcome the doubts that her past
experiences have given her and learn to trust and love again?
This was a romantic story that flowed beautifully and was easy to
read. Beth's dilemma arising from her past illness grabbed at the
heartstrings as she gradually regained her self-confidence, started
to wear attractive clothes and broke her self-imposed isolation by
making new friends. Clayton Hardy is also an engaging character, who
has hidden depths and fears that he too has to overcome before he
finds his true love. Penney sensitively delves into the ways that
people cope with serious illness and how buried grief can affect
relationships.
The setting of Margaret River, the beach, the wineries with their
delicious sounding wines, the food and moments set in the vineyards
under the moon, brought back memories of a lovely holiday spent
there. Penney's description of the area will certainly give readers
who have never visited the area a desire to do so.
This is an engaging romance that is sure to entertain with its
romance and family bickering, and its underlying serious theme will
also engage the emotions. It reads well as a stand-alone, and people
who enjoyed it will be pleased to know that Penney's previous book,
Fly in Fly out, also features the Hardy family.
Pat Pledger
Goblin mafia wars by DC Green
Ford St Publishing, 2016. ISBN 9781925272208
(Age: 12+) You would think that as a royal hume dude your life would
be one of complete luxury not to mention stressfree. Think again! PT
(Prince Thomas of Monstro City) and his Dead Gang friends are
embroiled even deeper in nasty situations and deadly - or is that
undeadly? - circumstances; their quest to find the eggs of the last
dragon, Kalthazar, as well as trying to avert complete goblin civil
war and annihilation of all other species, thwarting the evil plans
of the horrendous Dr Franken, removing the usurper Prince Robbie and
just a few other issues.
Following the toxic altercation at Fire
Mountain with the goblins' attack and Kalthazar's limping
escape to the Isle of Giants, the Gang minus friend Zorg begin a
trek which first of all sees them navigating through the Dead Zone.
Yowsers! This is one extremely bogus territory where even monsters
like the Dead Gang are in very real danger of being exterminated
not least of all by their erstwhile compadre Scarab, the
super-strong mummy gal. She's kind of ticked off about Zorg and
decides that PT in particular is totes responsible.
Surviving this and then a very unnerving train ride back to Monstro
City, the Dead Gang faces yet more monstrous mayhem. While PT
manages to conduct some very delicate negotiations and some highly
skilful bluffing with the rival goblin factions (think Sopranos
style goblins!), his plans are sabotaged by the appearance of a
chocolate popcorn gobbling older/younger idiot savant (without the
savant) brother Prince Robbie. Rumour has it he has been
cryogenically preserved by famous Dr Franken for the past ten years
and not in fact stolen by the Vampire Queen. Looks like vampiric
Stoker is not PT's brother after all... or is he?
And just what is Dr Franken's dastardly involvement with the goblin
factions and the mentally deranged Prince Robbie? How did he get
that dragon egg? And what the web is with all those freaky arms?
Trapped in small cages in the evil doctor's 'hospital' things look
grim for this grimmest - and often grimiest - of gangs, with no
apparent hope of escape. Spoiler alert - yet they do along with an
about-to-hatch dragon egg!
DC Green has provided readers with another rip-snorter yarn about
these highly idiosyncratic monster teens who have their own methods
of solving problems. Their combined abilities and wacky take on
situations along with their staunch support of each other prove more
than a match for their adversaries. High humour rating and all the
excitement of fast-paced action will prove yet again to be a winner
with readers from around 12 and up. If you missed the first volume
you MUST go and get it! Can't wait for the next instalment - write
faster DC! *
Oh and PS completely buzzed about that quote on the back cover!!
Sue Warren
