Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN: 9781408864746
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended for a younger audience (aged 9+) for
its dramatic impact in a well-crafted exciting story. Themes:
Bullying; Friendship; Environmental issues. A book about bullying
and an environmental disaster! An unlikely combination in a book,
and yet it works brilliantly. The central character in this story is
in year 5 in an Academy school in America; she is quiet and a
'goody-goody two shoes'. The older boy she walks to school with has
become a target of the newly arrived bully to the school. A simple
decision to walk home via a different route to escape the bully's
threats leads them into 'Fuzzy Mud' and its life-altering and
potentially world-altering consequences. What started as a solution
to future energy needs, has mutated into a deadly organism capable
of world-wide destruction. The young pair's timidity is also
challenged, and they discover strength and friendship they didn't
think was possible.
Sachar, author of Holes, cleverly intertwines this
child-centred tale with its school-focussed issues with the record
of Interview in a Senate Inquiry following the incident and the
record of the mathematical explosion of a binary fission organism.
Carolyn Hull
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay<br>
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN: 9781925081701
Highly recommended for age 11+. (Note for younger readers: Information
about birthing is veiled; significant deaths occur, but only basic
detail is given). Themes: Bravery; Society Rules; Matriarchal rule;
Fantasy; Defying authority. Jena is a very successful harvester of
the valuable wealth that is locked deep within the mountain
crevices, a mountain that also locks them into their valley and
community. A significant earthquake from the past has kept the
community from any attempt at escaping their circumstances, and so
they must learn to survive. Collectively, they control their society
rules to cope with their restricted freedoms. They particularly
manipulate their young girls by binding them or readjusting their
bone growth so that they remain slender and lithe and flexible
enough to creep inside the mountain cracks in order to seek out the
mica that becomes their winter fuel. This claustrophobic searching
creates a tension for the reader as we too travel with the very
young girls as they twist through the fissures within the mountain
in the search for potential warmth for their community.
The complication for the story comes when Jena discovers that the
older Matriarchs in the community have been giving pregnant mothers
'tonics' that effectively create early births, and then potentially
smaller daughters. Her journey of discovery to reveal the myths of
her community and to unearth the dangers of their practices is
almost like a journey through a labyrinth of societal secrets.
I can highly recommend this book. It is a fantasy tale, but is
really an exploration of what can happen when the struggle for
survival, combined with isolation from outside influences, causes
guidelines to be created that can eventually undermine the fabric of
the society. It takes a brave soul to question the status quo. This
book contains predominantly female characters, with few male
characters.
Carolyn Hull
The race to the beach! by Anna Shuttlewood<br>
The Five Mile Press, 2015.
(Ages: 3-7) The watercolour illustrations of this book are stunning
and the accompanying story of the zoo animals and their day at the
beach is great fun! Although they find lots to do (munching on
watermelon, building sandcastles, dozing in the summer sun) it isn't
long before long the animals are getting a tad bored of the beach.
Seal's idea, a swimming race, is met with great enthusiasm. Except
for Giraffe that is . . . he didn't seem that interested in the sea
at all. But when Crocodile, who is leading the race, needs help, it
is Giraffe and his long legs to the rescue. The zoo animals still
aren't sure whether giraffes can swim, but he is declared the winner
of the race anyway.
This is a good story to kick start a discussion about what qualities
really are important. Is it more important to be the best at
something or to be a great friend? Giraffe is a bit of a quiet
achiever, who doesn't brag about his abilities, but when there is a
friend in need, he shows great bravery.
Nicole Nelson
I don't like koala by Sean Ferrell
Ill. by Charles Santoso. Koala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781742761497
(Age: 5-8) Adam smiles widely, his arms opened wide, ready to
receive a beautifully wrapped box. Blue and white striped box now in
his hands, he eagerly sits down and unties the long red ribbon. With
bated breath he quickly lifts the lid to reveal . . .
Adam does NOT like what he sees. He thinks Koala is the most
'terrible terrible' with terrible eyes that follow him everywhere he
goes. He tries to explain to his parents his aversion - the scary
eyes, the big ears, the scratchy claws. But they don't understand.
Wherever Adam goes, Koala is there. Adam simply cannot get rid of
him. He tries everything but no matter what he does Koala will not
leave him alone. It isn't until something worse than Koala comes
along that Adam realises Koala isn't so terrible after all.
The dark humour of this title makes it suitable for a slightly older
picture-book audience who will understand Adam's attempts to rid
himself of Koala, and his eventual love for Koala. While not exactly
scary, Koala is a little disconcerting and the dark, dreary and
muted colours add to the gloominess of this quirky text. The
illustrations themselves are done in pencil and are wonderful in
their crispness, leaving lots of white space and adding a fitting
shadowiness.
It may take a couple of reads but just as Koala grows on Adam, this
picture book will grow on you. Overall, this is a quirky, humourous
tale about the comforting friendship of a stuffed toy. While it may
be too obscure for some children, it is a wonderful example of the
dark comedy genre and contains fantastic illustrations.
Nicole Nelson
The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
Atom Books 2015. ISBN: 9780349002132 The Girl at Midnight is a rich fantasy which incorporates
both dragon and phoenix mythologies in order to set the parameters
of a new world within the world we know.
Echo is a destitute orphan and a thief. It looks like her life will
be nothing but trouble until she is discovered in her library home
by an Avicen woman who calls herself The Ala. The Ala finds Echo a
place between the worlds and teaches her the values of her people,
in particular; to fear the Drakharin. While thieving a present for
The Ala's birthday, Echo stumbles upon a dangerous secret, a secret
that could bring peace to the warring Drakharin and Avicen. But can
she live long enough to find it? It will be the most dangerous
adventure of her life and Echo is prepared to fight the Drakharin
Dragon Prince himself if need be, and she may have to.
While the concept behind this book is undoubtedly engaging for
fantasy lovers, it draws too much on the paranormal romance genre.
It limits itself to an audience of boy-crazy teenage girls. One of
the major issues with this book is that it seems to be more about
Echo's hormones than the conflict between the two magical races,
which is clearly more interesting. While this would be the perfect
fantasy, these aspects compromise the book and I wouldn't recommend
it unless you're a boy-crazy teenage girl who loves fantasy novels.
Kayla Gaskell (Age nineteen)
My name is Lizzie Flynn, a story of the Rajah Quilt by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Lizzy Newcomb. Black Dog Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179913
(Age: 8 to adult) Highly recommended. Australian history. Convicts.
Needlework. My brain went into overdrive reading this fabulous book
about a quilt made by women aboard a convict ship headed for Van
Diemen's Land. As an ex history teacher and teacher librarian, my
mind skipped from convict ships to the loathsome voyage to
Australia, the reasons so many were sent out, the role of women,
what they would have found when they got here, and so on, a whole
unit of work about Australia's early history set around one
beautiful book. And then if visiting Canberra, it can actually be
seen. It's on my list.
Leaving Woolwich in 1841, the 180 women aboard the Rajah were given
cloth, scraps of material, scissors, thread and needles, along with
Bibles, to keep themselves occupied on the horrendous voyage across
the world, by reformer, Elizabeth Fry and her committee.
In this picture book, a taste of life aboard the ship is given, with
accounts of bullying, industry by some, death and storms being shown
in the compact and precise writing. Lizzie is unable to sew and
watches the other women, all the while moving the fabric around to
make patterns. Eventually she does learn to sew and this becomes her
refuge, especially after her friend, Molly dies. Once landed, the
future looks hopeful as Lizzie is taken to the laundries to work,
clutching the quilt.
This is a wonderful book showing hope in the future despite an
appalling start in life.
Several websites offer more information about this episode in
Australia's history; The National Gallery which now owns the quilt
has an outline of the
work and its history, while there is a passenger
list of those aboard the ship, Rajah. This wonderfully
illustrated book gives readers an insight into the perils of being
sent to Australia, and the industry of some in making the best of
it, as well as a taste of what some of our forebears endured in
making the forced trip.
This is an outstanding example of the ability of Black Dog Books to
produce high quality informative nonfiction picture books, with its
story and illustrations taking us with Lizze as she comes to
Australia, while two pages at the end show the real quilt along with
an explanation of the finished product.
Fran Knight
Teddy took the train by Nicki Greenberg
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760112134
(Age: Junior primary) Recommended. Resilience. Imagination. Courage.
Loss. Melbourne. When Mum and Dot go to the market they have a great
time. Mum blows the steam from her coffee while Dot picks out a bun
and Teddy chooses the cabbages. But unexpected rain means a rush for
the earlier train, and squeezing into a window seat, Dot shows Teddy
all there is to see, the sights and sounds of a bustling city. When
they get off at their station, Dot realises that the train has taken
Teddy. She speaks to the railway guard, and he explains that perhaps
Teddy took the train, after planning his escape for a while. He has
joined his friends at Bear Bend and gone there to have a picnic.
When Dot goes home she explains this to her other toys, and during
the day she imagines him trying to get back home to her, overcoming
the many obstacles that may lie in his path. After tea and her bath
and about to get into bed, someone is at the door and a surprise
awaits.
In imaginative stanzas, Greenberg outlines her story about Teddy. Is
he lost on the train, left by Dot when she scampers off with her
mum, or has he planned this getaway? In delightful rhyming lines,
the story unfolds of Teddy's adventure but with a tinge of sadness
as Dot imagines what may have become of him. Teddy's resilience at
finding his way home underlines Dot's as she waits all day for him
to return.
Children will love this story, deciding if Teddy has run away or
been left by Dot in the train, wondering what will become of a lost
teddy, working out their own concerns at being lost, marveling at
the kindness of the train guard.
Greenberg's distinctive illustrative technique makes this a book to
read over again, looking for small things in each picture, looking at
the different way things are represented, spotting images of
Melbourne in the background. I loved Dot's hair replicated in the
wallpaper, and the images of people on the train, as well as Mum in
a wheelchair, and the bustling market scene.
Fran Knight
The dogs by Allan Stratton
Penguin, 2015. ISBN 978014357296
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Child abuse. Domestic violence.
Bullying. Crime. When Cameron hears the stories at his new school
about the person in his house torn apart by a pack of dogs, he
begins to hear them, but investigating his new surrounds further, he
finds children's drawings in the cellar and he begins to hear the
voice of missing child, Jacky. Cameron and his mother have moved
again. She has seen his father's car parked near their house, and
felt the fear creep back in. This small town is a new start, her job
one where she has not had to give employment history or reasons for
her moves, and the rent on the small farmhouse is cheap.
But Cameron must deal with the school bullies, intent on
intimidating him, using the history of his house as a control. While
Mum is becoming warmer towards the real estate agent for whom she
works, Cameron mistrusts him and despite all his attempts, repels
the advances he makes to smooth the water between them. The farmer
next door drops hints about the boy, Jacky, once his best friend,
and his presence causes Cameron a great deal of concern. But Cameron
keeps on investigating, led on by the voice of Jacky showing him
places where the truth may lie. A school project on the history of
the farm proves an ideal subterfuge to his delving, and when he is
suspended from school, he researches the history in the local
newspaper and the real estate agent is able to provide other
information about the farm and who owns it.
All comes together in a very neatly plotted ending, where the father
eventually catches up with his family, using Facebook as a tracking
device, with the stories of abuse in the past colliding with Cameron
and his family, using the bullies from school as the link. This
story of domestic violence, at once shocking and violent is easily
read and will appeal to many lower secondary readers. The setting is
a part of the furniture of the novel and Stratton uses it to mould
the characters, none of whom is one dimensional. I particularly
enjoyed the build up of tension about those people around Cameron.
Who do we trust? And I was pleased that the relationship his mother
forms with her boss is born out of their past unhappiness and
Cameron is included in the decisions. Not all people who pursue
single mothers are suspicious.
Fran Knight
Two unhappy fish by Bingbo
Ill. by Gumi. Starfish Bay Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9780994100269
Everyone is different, everyone is special. And so it is with fish.
In deep crevices in the coral reef two unhappy little fish hide
themselves away and watch, with envy, the other fish playing and
darting by, believing they are too ugly to join in.
Then, WOOSH!!! Their world is upset and they come face to face, with
startling results.
Accepting our peers, however they look, is the key to friendship.
This beautiful book, multi-coloured in an ocean of swirls and
cute-faced fish, would suit younger children aged under 10 years.
J. Kerr-Smith
Various titles by Bingbo
Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2015. The cowardly lion. Ill. by Jianming Zhou. ISBN 9780994100238 The moving house. Ill. by Huanying. ISBN 9780994100252 The pear violin. Ill. by Gumi. ISBN 9780994100245
(Age: 7-9) Chinese Fables. Kindness. Courage. Peace.
Harmony. Friendship. Animals. One of Starfish Bay
Publishing's core goals is to raise children's cultural awareness.
They have chosen to present a very popular Chinese author's stories
to a new audience. Bingbo is a children's literary specialist with
more than 370 books written. In these picture books, he gives his
animal characters human characteristics and uses descriptive
language to illustrate his fables. The moral is inferred;
friendship, overcoming problems, finding peace and harmony are core
values. The cowardly lion. Telulu the cowardly lion looks fierce and
powerful, however, when confronted by another ferocious animal he
shrinks. When faced with a tiger, he becomes as small as a leopard
then seeing a leopard he decreases to a wildcat, then to a mouse.
Both mouse and lion are fearful of each other, their solution to the
problem makes them a united force. With the forest animals cheering
lion on, he faces his fears and returns to normal size with the
mouse still his closest friend. The moving house. Squirrel's decision to build a new house on
a big rock leads to a new adventure. Each night he falls into a deep
sleep and awakes in a new place, near the sea, then near the
beautiful mountains. Squirrel is happy with the change of scenery
until he wakes up with his house sinking in a lake. Tortoise comes
to rescue him and they decide to be upstairs and downstairs friends. The pear violin. Bingbo's story celebrates the power of music
to bring together a community of forest animals. Squirrel finds a
large pear; after eating half, he makes a pear violin using his
whiskers as the strings and small twigs as the bow. His music
carries into the far reaches of the forest, causing the fox to stop
chasing the chicken and lion to stop pursuing rabbit. All the forest
creatures are amazed and gather to hear him play. When a seed falls
to the ground and a magic pear tree springs to life full of special
fruit, the animals make all sorts of stringed instruments and join
together for a moonlight concert.
Chinese illustrators bring Bingbo's anthropomorphic stories to life,
through the use of paint, ink and pencil.
Rhyllis Bignell
Defy by Sara B. Larson
Defy bk 1. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9780545695466
(Age: 13+) Fantasy. Romance. After her parents have been brutally
killed, Alexa Hollen is forced to disguise herself as a boy so that
she will not be taken by the King's army. She is an excellent
fighter and soon earns a spot on the prince's elite guard, but even
her skills are not enough to prevent a sorcerer from abducting her,
Prince Damian and Rylan, her companion guard. Forced together as
captives it soon becomes apparent that she is not the only one
hiding a secret.
This fantasy is sure to appeal to young girls who enjoy the idea of
a heroine who has the ability to fight for the welfare of the
country that she loves while having to subdue the feminine side of
herself to avoid the king's wrath. Of course there is a love
triangle and that too will have immediate appeal to the target
audience. What young girl wouldn't want a prince to fall in love
with her? Defy, the first in the series, (followed by Ignite
(2014) and Endure (2016)) is an easy to read book that could
be offered to readers who want something similar to The Hunger
Games or the Divergent series.
Pat Pledger
Zoo train by Sally Sutton
Ill. by Darron Parton. Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922179876
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Zoos. Animals. Trains. A wintry day at the
zoo and everyone's rugged up with hats, coats and scarves, ready to
board the zoo train. The picnic bag is filled with juice, popcorn
and cake ready for a stop by the lake. Off they go with a
repetitious refrain, chugga chugga choo choo in the open carriages
of the train. First stop and everyone watches as the zoo-keepers
take a wheelbarrow filled with mucky straw from the monkeys' cage.
Oh no, the cage has been left unlocked. As the little red engine
takes the carriages through the zoo,the visitors see the tiger and
lion dozing on their platforms while the giraffe pokes his head out
from his tall home.
When the rhyme and refrain are read aloud, the audience will soon
join in with the train noises. A keen observer will also notice the
monkey antics. Food and clothing start to go missing and on reaching
the lake stop, the young boy shouts:
'Where has all my lunch gone?
Where's my lovely juice?
There's no hat or scarf here!
Yikes! My pants are loose!'
A fun zoo adventure for preschoolers and kindergarten children.
Rhyllis Bignell
Jackaby by William Ritter <br>
Algonquin, 2014. ISBN 9781616203535
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Mystery. Paranormal. Historical.
YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults. Abigail Rook
arrives in New Fiddleham, New England in 1892; and answers a strange
help-wanted ad that warns 'Do not stare at the frog.' She begins to
work as assistant to R.F. Jackaby, who has the ability 'to see truth
where others see the illusion - and there are many illusions.' He
investigates the unexplained and the unusual and Abigail finds
herself in the middle of chasing down a serial killer. The police
don't believe Jackaby when he is convinced that a non-human is the
murderer and it is up to the pair with the help of a handsome young
detective named Charlie Cane to find out what is going on.
This book has lots going for it. Written in the first person by
Abigail the prose is descriptive, intelligent and often brimming
with humour and wit, which makes it a delight to read. The setting
of the late 1800's is fascinating and Ritter seamlessly takes the
reader on a journey through the streets, police stations and old
homes of the time.
All the characters are complex and multi-layered. Abigail is clever
and determined to have the grand adventure that has been denied to
her by her parents back in England. Her open minded approach to the
strange occupants (including a ghost) of Jackaby's house and her
observant nature of the commonplace make her an ideal companion for
the strange but charismatic Jackaby. The investigations of the chief
police detective Marlowe and the obnoxious Commission Swift, as well
as Charlie Cane, are a perfect foil for the way that Jackaby hunts
down clues.
The humour in this mystery makes it a worthwhile read, while those
who loved the City of Orphans series by Catherine Jinks and
Lockwood & Co. books by Jonathan Stroud, as well as the Sherlock
Holmes TV series, will be in for a real treat.
Pat Pledger
Dear Mum, I love you by Ed Allen<br>
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781743626320
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Dear Mum, I Love You is a
story book featuring letters and amazing images. Each letter tells
us something the child loves about their mum. Each illustration
shows animal babies and their mums together. Remove the letter or
lift the flap to read about great mums. A lovely book for parents to
read with their children! Giggle at the little bunnies busily making
their mum a cake. Smile at the puffer fish as it tells its mum how
she makes it feel safe.
The book is aimed at young readers but is highly recommended for all
readers - no matter the age. Give it to your mum for Mother's Day.
Read it in the class and have students create their own letters.
Kylie Kempster
If you find this by Matthew Baker
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471404528
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Bring together 3 misfit boys and 2
grandfathers (who have escaped from the retirement home) and you
have yourself an unusual bunch searching for treasure. Nicholas's
dad lost his job and this means they have to sell their house. In
the backyard is a tree. This tree was planted when his brother died
and Nicholas is determined to save his home from being sold. When
his grandfather is released from jail and starts muttering about
lost heirlooms worth a lot of money, Nicholas's plans are set in
place. With the help of Jordan and Zeke (2 very unlikely
classmates), Nicholas searches for the tattoo clues and the map that
will lead him to the treasure of all treasures and a way for all of
them to save something in their lives.
This novel is highly recommended for boys aged 11+ . The first pages
set up the mystery and the events will have readers engaged as the
boys face bullies, are rejected in their school life and fight for
things that mean something more than themselves. The text is easy to
read and moves quickly. Children will relate to being different, be
exposed to music terms (Nicholas loves Maths, music and the language
of music) and hopefully see that being different is special.
Kylie Kempster
