Reviews

Cinderella's sister and the big bad wolf by Lorraine Carey

Ill. by Migy Blanco. Nosy Crow, 2015. ISBN 9780857633132
Once upon a time (although quite recently in this version), Cinderella lived with her stepmother Mrs Ugly and her three stepsisters. But this isn't a traditional or even a flipped story about Cinderella. It's about the youngest Ugly sister, Gertie. Unlike her mother and sisters who lived up to their name, Gertie was kind and gentle and very hard-working. While Cinderella lazed around and did nothing, Gertie did all the chores of the original story.
Gertie's niceness was the cause of great shame and despair in the Ugly family and so she was hidden away not allowed to go anywhere with them. So when an invitation comes to attend the Grand Ball, there is no question of Gertie going - unless she can prove that she can be bad and mean. But to be bad and mean will take lessons so she is sent to the Wicked Queen who is on her way to deliver a poisoned apple to Snow White. Unable to help herself, just as Snow White is about to accept the apple, Gertie warns her that it is poisoned. The Wicked Queen is furious and immediately sends Gertie home to her very angry mother. Gertie's pleas for a second chance see her protecting Hansel and Gretel from the Wicked Witch and again, sent home in disgrace. It is not until she meets the Big Bad Wolf who is determined to eat Little Red Riding Hood that her chances of going to the ball improve.
This is an hilarious twist on a range of familiar fairytales with a most delicious ending. The bright, trendy illustrations bring it into the 21st century and into the world of today's young reader. They will delight in revisiting characters they've already met and seeing a whole new side of the Cinderella they know and love.
Apart from being fun to read for its own sake, this would be an ideal story to use as part of an investigation into perspective because not only is the story told from a different character's point of view, bringing it into modern times offers a range of new possibilities too. Thus it will have a broader appeal than just the very young who are fairytale fans.
Barbara Braxton

New Year surprise! by Christopher Cheng

Ill. by Di Wu. National Library of Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780642278838
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Chinese New Year, Responsibility, Family, Celebrations, Festivals, China, Inclusivity. This beautiful book shows the reader many customs and traditions surrounding the celebration of New Year in Northern China. In a small village the New Year is almost here. Little Brother is told he is too little to help with the adults or older children, but Grandfather tells him that he has a special job to do. He is eager to find out what this is.
Each few pages shows the village preparing for the festival, with Little Brother wanting to help, and wondering whether this is hie special job. Through him we see the variety of preparations needed to celebrate new Year in the village: Sister and Mother spend lots of time making dumplings, Father hangs the banners and red lanterns, Brother and his friends go and fly their kites, Father chooses the duck from the hawker, the relatives come for special tea, and so on until finally it is time to get the Dragon ready. Little Brother hopes he will be included but is told he is too small. Father then appears with the Pearl of Wisdom to carry before the dragon. But he has two, one is for Little Brother and the two carry their Pearls of Wisdom before the dragon to bring luck to the village for the following year. Everyone sleeps well that night.
This beautiful book not only tells the story of how New Year is celebrated within a tale of inclusivity, but the illustrations will astound and astonish as well. Di Wu once a farmer in Northern China used traditional rice paper on which to do his illustrations using brushes and traditional colours to ensure its authenticity. His achievement is breath taking. Each page draws the eyes to its colour and movement, as the small child watches what is going on, desperate to be involved. Each page shows a range of activities and readers will love looking at its variety and vivacity.
A wonderful addition to any school or home library, the book has explanations at the back which are most informative as well.
Fran Knight

Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Bodley Head, 2015. ISBN: 9781782300533
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Anna and the Swallow Man tells of the heartbreaking search of a little girl for meaning after her father, a professor of linguistics, disappears in Poland nearing the end of 1939. The country is in turmoil and bears and wolves are everywhere, determined to maintain control of the nation while Germany's forces expand. The story centres on Anna, whose life is about to change forever. A little girl with nothing more to lose, and everything to gain.
Having been left in the care of a German shopkeeper, Anna expects her father to return at any moment. When he doesn't return, Herr Doktor Fuchsmann refuses to have her in his shop any longer. Ever the good girl, Anna respects his wishes, waiting outside of the shop. Instead of her father appearing, Anna is approached by a tall, slender man in fine clothes and a red neck tie. Curious about her, he begins asking her questions, switching from language to language, unaware that she can understand them all. United by their multi-lingual talents, Anna follows the man out of town; hence, her new life begins.
Life is hard. Days are spent walking, foraging and avoiding patrols. Like her father, the Swallow Man is incredibly knowledgeable. He teaches her about the birds in the wetlands and how to be deceptive. He shows her how to get what she wants, what she needs, from people without ever having to ask. He teaches her how to survive. He has become everything to her. A friend. A mentor. A father. But can he maintain such a relationship when even her real father could not? Like her Swallow Man, she must do all that she can to stay alive, never to give in.
Already, this novel has been said to sit together with The Book Thief and The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas. I would highly recommend it to all readers above twelve. While being set among very real events, the story possesses qualities of magical realism and enough intrigue to keep a reader guessing.
Kayla Gaskell (age 19)

The bad guys episode 2 by Aaron Blabey

Bad Guys series. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760154127
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended, Humour, Animals, Black humour, Caged animals. The four animals from Bad guys episode 1, Mr Wolf, Mr Shark, Mr Piranha and Mr Snake led by the wolf, strive to overturn the poor image each of them has. Each is cursed with negative characteristics and Mr Wolf is determined that they been seen as the good guys. To this end he devises a break in of a top security prison, Sunnyside Chicken Farm. Surprised at the level of security surrounding this place, he enlists the help of Mr Spider whose dexterity is unsurpassed with his eight appendages. He is an expert hacker and his skills are a vital component to breaking in to this facility. But once in they discover a room full of laser beams. Here Mr Spider's ability comes to the fore and he is to deactivate the lasers before releasing the chickens, but hilariously leaves one stage out.
With the thrills of an exciting spy thriller, the animals make good their promise to release the chickens, but in so doing engage the wrath of the owner of Sunnyside Chicken Farm, ensuring that they will appear in a third book in the series.
Excrutiatingly funny, readers will laugh out loud at the antics of the animals, giggling at the black humour, chortling at the parodies of spy behaviours, taking in the hilarious illustrations used to augment the text. Mr Shark's attempts at disguise will make them roll in the aisles, especially when the chickens see him as their mother hen.
A funny series for all primary people, this continues the hilarity begun with number one, and hopefully subsequent stories will be published.
Fran Knight

Kakadu Sunset by Annie Seaton

Pan Macmillan, 2015. ISBN 9781743535011
(Age: Adult - 16+) Recommended. Romantic suspense. Ellie Porter loves her job as a helicopter pilot, especially as she is based in the beautiful Kakadu National Park. When she spots some strange excavation works where they shouldn't be, she decides to investigate, but new co-worker, Kane McClaren, proves to be a distraction and she plunges into danger.
Ellie is a determined and feisty character and when she decides to find out just what is going on with the extensive excavations she doesn't give up until the truth is revealed. Kane also has secrets in his past which he has to lay to rest and these provide an edge to his character. Secondary characters are well rounded, and the villain is sinister indeed.
Seaton has given the story a lift with the vivid descriptions of Kakadu from the air. People who have visited the area will be thrilled to read about what they have seen and others will be lured to put Kakadu on their must-visit list. The background information about the skills required for flying a helicopter and running search-and-rescue missions in the Park, the descriptions of crocodiles and everyday life of guides will also intrigue.
But what really makes this romantic suspense novel stand out is its topical theme of corruption around mining and the environment. The mix of big business and political power and the ways people can be exploited made a fascinating story. The suspense is built up very skilfully as politicians and Aboriginal leaders are manipulated to give their votes to a mining consortia.
Combined with the glorious setting of Kadadu National Park, a chilling theme of fear of crocodiles running through the book and a blossoming romance, this eco-thriller will be a hit with anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
Pat Pledger

The words in my hand by Guinevere Glasfurd

Two Roads, 2016. ISBN 9781473617865
(Age: 14+) Recommended. The Words in my Hand is an interesting historical fiction about Dutch maid, Helena Jans, and her time with the philosopher, Descartes. At the time however, Descartes lived a life of danger, continuing to write and publish against the wishes of the church. Because of this, their affair had to be suppressed, least the church seize the sin and campaign against him.
The story follows Helena and her journey to her first placement as a maid, in the house of Mr. Sergeant. The only one willing to have a literate maid, Mr. Sergeant decides to test Helena's literacy by offering her a quill and ink and instructing her to write. Finding her severely lacking after their first session, Mr. Sergeant dismisses her and leaves her to the usual duties of a maid. Determined to better her writing, Helena hoards old quills and boils beetroot to make ink, for paper, she used her body, scrawling words by night, and covering them by day. Despite the hard work, she lived a comfortable life . . . until Descartes arrived. Their affair began innocently enough with conversation, but quickly progressed. She first became his student, leaning to write and perform arithmetic in secret. She learned of science, of French, and of love. But for Descartes, she was all alone in the world and her life would never be the same again.
This is the story of a scandal and of the imagined life of Helena Jans, pieced together through a variety of records. Glasford works hard to make her Helena a real and believable character who most women could relate to. Unfortunately some of the French in this novel goes untranslated, and so might challenge readers, however I would still recommend this novel for girls aged fourteen and up with an interest in philosophy and history.
Kayla Gaskell (University student)

From the mixed-up files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Faber Factory, 2015. ISBN 9781782690719
Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler wishes to change her will and is writing to her lawyer Saxenberg to explain her changes and the reasons for them. To make things perfectly clear, she then writes the story of Claudia and James Kincaid, two children from Greenwich who are never going to enjoy the sort of wealth she has but who cross her path after a series of intriguing adventures.
Claudia is tired of being the eldest of four and decides she will run away to make her parents take more notice of her and she chooses her middle brother Jamie to go with her, not only because she likes him the best but he is the one with the money - mostly gained from cheating at a card game with his school mates. They complemented each other perfectly. She was cautious about everything but money; he was adventurous about everything but money. Deciding that hiding in plain sight is probably the best option Claudia chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and armed with $28.61 they set off on their life changing adventure.
All goes well for them until Claudia is struck by the mystery surrounding a new statue that is drawing huge crowds to the Museum. Is it really by Michelangelo? Determined to solve the mystery while still maintaining their daily routines like putting on clean underwear, Claudia and Jamie have to use all their wits, intelligence and money-sense to remain undiscovered until Claudia decides to visit the statue's previous owner Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler, a somewhat eccentric old lady who seems to understand both children very well.
Originally published in 1967, it won the Newbery Medal the following year for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children and has become a modern classic for independent readers. Not only that, the Museum gets so many questions about the book that they have devoted a whole issue of the Museum Kids newsletter to it; there is a movie made of it and the Internet is sprinkled with lesson plans, reviews and other guides. Regardless of perhaps appearing to be a little old-fashioned for today's readers, nevertheless it is an engaging story that those who are ready for and wanting a solid read. I'm glad I left it till I had time to give it its due.
Barbara Braxton

The bitter season by Tami Hoag

Kovac and Liska, bk 5. Orion Books, 2016. ISBN 9781409151999
(Age: Adult - 16+) Recommended. Detectives. Murder. Kovac and Liska return in this chilling murder mystery. Nikki Liska has moved to the cold case squad, in the hope that the transfer will give her more time to spend with her two sons. Kovak has a new young detective, who he has to train. Then Liska's cold case, involving the murder of a sex crimes detective 20 years earlier, intersects with a gory killing of a university professor and his wife that Kovak is investigating, and both have to use all their skills to solve the murders and evade danger.
In a gripping story Hoag has intertwined the two cases in a way that keeps the suspense at a high level. She also introduces a young woman, Evi Burke, who was in and out of foster homes as a child and who has managed to drag herself off the streets, marry and have the life that she could only dream of when she was a child. Her back story and the danger from the past that is stalking her is compelling reading.
Hoag's characters are fully realised: The way that Liska's manages her ex-husband behaving like a teen, her love for her two boys and the stresses of being a single parent, give a depth to her personality. Foster homes and foster children are also a theme for Hoag, and the fact that Evi has managed to put her past behind her makes for an involving story. Kovak too is at his best, putting the young detective through his paces.
Although the 5th in the series, this can be read as a stand-alone novel, and readers new to the series will probably want to go back and read other stories with these two detectives.
Not for the faint hearted, The bitter season is an intense and gripping read, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing to the end.
Pat Pledger

Super sports stories for Kids by Patrick Loughlin

Ill. by James Hart. Random House, 2015. ISBN: 9780857989673
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Themes: Sports, Teamwork, Soccer, Swimming. Author Patrick Loughlin enjoys writing about sports, he has written the popular Billy Slater Rugby League and Glenn Maxwell cricket series. These twelve stories are amusing slices of sporting life, surfing with a shark, the curse of the wooden spoon and racing against a swooping magpie. They explore the range of emotions experienced in a variety of games, Alex's anguish when his Speedos fall off during a swimming competition, Alice's determination to win the pink belt in karate or best friends competing as netball rivals.
Written from different points of view, these short stories are exciting, funny and easy to read, with relatable characters. Imagine poor Eric's dilemma when he is too afraid to use the haunted toilets before the footy game. On the winning siren, his team is not sprayed with Gatorade to celebrate, it's a another yellow liquid! When Ben accidentally sticks a knife in the toaster, he passes into heaven, gains his wings and joins the Pearly Gates Archangels where he plays an epic football game.
This book is just right for reluctant readers, as a class read aloud novel and as story starters for narrative writing. James Hart's black and white sketches capture the dramas in each story, especially Alex's toes bravely gripping his fallen Speedo cords during the swimming race.
Rhyllis Bignell

Australia to Z by Armin Greder

Allen & Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760113186
(Age: Yr 5 +) Australia to Z is Armin Greder at his uncompromising, most confronting best. From the creator who brought us The Island which really turned a spotlight on our treatment of newcomers, comes this totally different alphabetical look at Australia which is just perfect for getting students to have a look at what it means to be Australian. While 'soft' investigations focus on icons, anthems, heroes and food, Australia to Z takes a much tougher look starting with the A for Aborigine looking out and seeing a First Fleet ship on the horizon to the deliberately juxtaposed B for Boat People showing more recent arrivals.
This is political commentary brought into the lives of children so they need to think and investigate. Why has Greder chosen 'calories' for C, 'Ikea' for I, and 'Rupert' for R? But there are flashes of humour to lighten it too, with K being for the kangaroo that springs from nowhere in the night to take out the front of your car, and the ominously raised finger of the umpire for O for Out! And finally, there is Z for Zoo but the illustration is not what you would expect - but is perhaps the most poignant of all. This really is Australia under the microscope as the title page image suggests.
The choices make us think about how others see us, and with Greder being a Swiss immigrant, his perception may be sharper than others. But the inclusion of Advance Australia Fair almost as an appendix is a masterstroke - how different are the words we sing to the life we live?
Often in an 'alphabet book' the illustrations are more important than the text itself, but in this one the two are interdependent. Yes the text is biting but it is the powerful illustrations that accompany it that add the extra punch. Why are Rupert's eyes blank? What does the picture of the Digger represent? With bold black strokes and a minimal palette, each image says all it needs to say and leaves a lasting impression long after the page has been turned.
Working in a highly multicultural school which has a significant population of children who come to learn English for the first time so they can work comfortably in their neighbourhood schools later, it never ceases to amaze me how these kids get along and understand each other so well without a common language let alone skin colour. There are many quotes and memes online that state "Children are not born racist - they learn to hate" and that is certainly my experience. Using Australia to Z in a focus on identity and belonging would be a most powerful way to raise issues, investigate and discuss them because knowledge leads to understanding, understanding leads to tolerance and tolerance leads to acceptance. Maybe this year's Year 5 and 6 students will be a turning point as they create their own with the theme "what could be" . . .
Barbara Braxton

This raging light by Estelle Laure

Orchard Books, 2015. ISBN 9781408340271
(Ages 14+) Recommended. Mild coarse language. "How is it that one day Digby was just my best friends twin brother and then the next he stole air, gave me jitters, and twisted my insides up?" (Publisher). Dad's gone, mum's missing, bills to pay and there is Wren to look after. Now in my senior year everything is happening.
There are mysterious Angels delivering gifts to the house, gifts Wren and I greatly need and I have no clue who is giving them to us. Digby has a girlfriend but I can't stop thinking about him or having feelings for him.
When I started this novel it was hard. The writing style was confusing and difficult to keep track of, but after a few chapters I realised that is exactly what it is like inside the mind of teenage girl's mind who is in love and in a hopeless situation and after that it was really amazing to read. Halfway through and towards the end it is just one big crazy roller coaster. I really wanted to know who the 'Angels' were and wanted to know why they were helping Lucille and Wren when Lucille hadn't told anyone other than her friends about what was happening. At the end I was emotional but a bit confused, but definitely a recommended book.
Cecilia Richards

Recipes for love and murder, a Tannie Maria mystery by Sally Andrew

Text Publishing, 2015 ISBN 9781925240092
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended, Crime, Domestic violence, South Africa, Recipes. When Tannie Maria is told that her recipe column in the local newspaper has been cut and she is expected to do a personal column, she deftly entwines her recipes with her responses to people's problems.
But the letter which enrages her more than any is one from a woman wanting a recipe to cook for her husband who regularly beats her. Memories of her own abusive husband crowd in on her but unable to do anything for this woman she gives recipes for a meal which will keep him happy. Another letter from the woman's friend underlines the seriousness of the situation but before Tannie Maria can go any further, the abused woman is killed.
There follows a detective story as Maria and the investigative journalist in her office, Jessie, try to help the police with their enquiries.
Often sad and poignant, carefully crafted and very funny, this story of a brutal marriage is addictive, as Andrew rolls out the tale of Martine and her husband and her friend, Anna.
The background, living in the Klein Karoo, a semi desert area in Southern Africa forms an impressive part of the detail of the book, and Andrew expects that the reader will work out some of the Afrikaaner words for themselves while some sent me to an online dictionary. The hum of life for Tannie Maria and her friends is riveting, her recipes (offered in an appendix at the end of the book) mouth watering and methods of detection sublime as she garners the smallest of details to help the detective solve the case. And he also provides an unexpected romantic interest for the lonely Tannie Maria, as every time they meet she notices the gulf between his bahviour and that of her abusive husband.
This is the first in a series of stories starring the wonderful Tannie Maria. Comparisons with Alexander McCall Smith smother some reviews, but this writer stands on her own presenting stories which reflect life in South Africa. Stunning scenery, a host of small animals and plants, hints of racial divides, a touch of history and romance all add up to a most satisfying read leaving the reader with an appetite for book number two.
Fran Knight

Pony School Showdown by Meredith Costain

Ella Diaries bk 6. Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Scholastic, 2016, ISBN: 9781760157166
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Horse Riding; Friendship; Diaries
Ella is convinced by her BFF that horses are the best things ever, despite the fact that fashion is actually her passion. Then she needs to convince her parents that she deserves a horse. Ella and her best friend Zoe hatch a plan to get her involved in Pony School. Ella of course thinks this will lead to owning a pony too! At Pony School Ella also encounters some mean girls - one she knows well, and another who seems even meaner. (Do all Pony schools have mean girls?) Ella has a unique view of everything she encounters, but she is also a good friend and is open and honest.
The entire story is told through Ella's diary entries which include her creative word inventions eg 'exciterating', 'worserer'. Small humourous cartoon-style illustrations are also part of the appeal of this book.
Recommended for independent female readers aged 7+. (I hope they realise that she is a word inventor!)
Carolyn Hull

The extraordinary adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

Talk under water by Kathryn Lomer

University of Queensland Press, 2015. ISBN 9780702253690
(Age: Teens) Recommended. Will and Summer meet online and strike up a friendship based on coincidence. Summer lives in Will's old hometown, Kettering, a small Tasmanian coastal community. Both Will and Summer are missing a parent and needing a friend.
Summer isn't telling the whole truth about herself, but figures it doesn't matter if they never see each other in person, right? When Will returns to Kettering, the two finally meet and Summer can no longer hide her secret. Can Summer and Will still find a way to be friends? (Publisher)
Witnessing Will and Summer meet for the first time in person was certainly not what I had anticipated at all, although it was very entertaining. The blossoming rollercoaster relationship between Will and Summer was incredibly beautiful and so sweetly unique; how much Will was doing for Summer by learning sign language and Summer being able to open herself up to someone about her father.
Both characters were beautifully created and continued to develop in a realistic manner whereas many books rush the character development. Will and Summer caused the readers to feel their emotions, but not exaggerated emotions; realistic emotions.
The storyline was one that I have not seen before but it was very interesting and adventurous as it was mostly based around the Tasmanian coast. The cover gives the reader almost a sense of wonder through Will and Summer being underwater but also the sea creatures added to create that feeling of being underwater.
I also adored how the author incorporated the explanations of some sign language words, it got me trying them out myself; plus the sign language alphabet at the back of the book has me very intrigued!
I would recommend this book to readers 16+ who love a book that will make you think and allow you to not only to discover a whole new language but also to witness what online meetings can turn into when you meet in person - the person isn't always as they seem.
Jemma Hadley (Student)