Barrington Stoke, 2015. ISBN 9781781124345
It is 1906 and following the death of their mother, 12-year-old Bert
finds himself in a Catholic orphanage in London with his younger
brother Frank. Life is tough, hard and cruel with the boys living in
fear of both the bullies and the priests. One day, not long after
they arrived, they are summoned to Father Murphy's office - a place
where a visit never ends well. As they go in great trepidation, Bert
tells Frank that no matter what he will take care of him - words
that come to haunt him for a very long time.
However, instead of being in trouble the boys are informed that they
are being shipped to Australia as part of a scheme where British
orphanages provided boys to work on the farms of Western Australia.
The voyage to this new land is pretty much without incident and
lifelong friends are made, but, to their dismay, on their arrival
the boys are separated. Bert eventually discovers that Frank has
been sent to New Zealand but because "a clean break' is seen as the
best way to cope with the separation he is not allowed to know where
Frank is and cannot contact him. Throughout the harsh years that
follow, he tries to find him but is thwarted at every turn. When he
turns 16 Bert receives a letter summarily dismissing him from the
care of the orphanage and is completely left to his own devices,
unwanted as the farm labourer he has been because there are plenty
more free boys where he came from.
Still determined to find Frank, he heads for Perth and is soon swept
up in the recruitment of men for the war. Meeting up with other
mates also dismissed from the orphanage, this big new adventure
beckons and before long Bert is on his way to Egypt where he meets a
New Zealand soldier - one who wants nothing to do with him until
they confront something bigger than both of them.
Bradman has taken his inspiration for this story from the words of
the classic, haunting song And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
by Eric Bogle bringing it to life in a very different way. It is
written in such a way that the reader gains a real insight into what
life was like for many young lads at the time and why going to war
was such an enticing alternative but which became a horrible
reality. Throughout there is a sense of hope that the brothers will
meet again and reconcile but within it there is a strong tale of
growing up, maturing and learning who you are. And being able to act
on that when push comes to shove and your brother's life is on the
line.
Specifically written and produced to fit within the publisher's
parameters of 'dyslexic friendly', it will appeal to a wide
audience and is a most worthy addition to any collection focusing on
the 100th anniversary of this important event in Australia's
history.
Barbara Braxton
The nutcracker by Hoffman, retold by Margrete Lamond
Ill. by Ritva Voutila. Little Hare Books, 2015. ISBN 9781742977782
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended, Classic tale, Friendship, Christmas.
When her parents' good friend, Mr Drosselmeier gives Marie and her
brother a nutcracker for Christmas, Marie loves the little figure.
Her impatient brother throws it in the corner when one of his big
teeth is cracked, but Marie cradles him and puts him in the special
place with her other toys.
Unbeknownst to her, Mr Drosselmeier has given the figure to Marie
for a reason, one he cannot tell anyone. He once built a mousetrap
so well that all the mice in the town had been trapped and removed
from the place. The mice then cursed his nephew and only he knows
what can take away that curse.
When Marie is about to go to bed, mice invade the room with her
toys, demanding she feed them or they will eat up her nutcracker.
She complies but when she runs out of food, she turns to see the
nutcracker and the other toys lined up to defeat the mice. A
grateful nutcracker leads her up the stairs where he disappears.
She wakes the next morning, confused and upset to see that her
nutcracker has gone. But Mr Drosselmeier returns that day with his
nephew and Marie realises who he is and takes him as her friend.
This beautiful story of friendship is complemented with Voutila's
magical illustrations, representing a rich Victorian scene with an
amazing array of fabrics, furniture, food, toys, jewelry and
wallpaper to take in. Each page is covered in little things to pick
out, each page adds a sumptuous background to the tale.
This is a beautiful story to read at Christmas, reminding children
that love and friendship are precious and will outlive all the toys
they are given, although the wonderful illustrations will have
children astonished at the range of presents given these children.
Fran Knight
The Christmas Peg by Cameron Williams
Ill. by Matthew Martin. Viking/Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780670078363
Every child knows that Santa has a Naughty and Nice list, but even
that didn't deter Wal from being naughty. Time and again he got
himself into trouble and when Santa found him on his Naughty List he
had to dive into his sack and take the helicopter that could really
fly that Wal was going to get out and give it to someone else.
Imagine Wal's disappointment as he raced downstairs before the sun
to discover that his Santa Sack held only a wooden peg.
The next year wasn't much better. Even though he tried to be good
all year, it was impossible and once again his name was on THAT
list. So while his big sister Laura rode her shiny new bike, Wal had
only a picture of a peg. Angry and sad, the following year he gave
up even trying to be nice and when Santa saw his name for a third
year in a row, he was really angry too and this time there was
nothing in Wal's sack at all! Can Wal learn his lesson? Can he
redeem himself?
This story was created by Channel 9 personality Cameron Williams as
a cautionary bedtime tale for his daughter but when his neighbour,
illustrator Matthew Martin, heard it he urged Williams to turn it
into a book. The result of the collaboration is a charming story
that will resonate with children who are trying to be good as
Christmas approaches as they realise that Santa really is watching
and he does check that list.
Barbara Braxton
The Little Book of Australia's Big Things by Samone Bos
Chirpy Bird, 2015. ISBN 9781760125547
Australians love road trips and as much as they love road trips they
love to visit the phenomena of BIG Things. From the Big Banana at
Coffs Harbour to the Big Merino in Goulburn, to a ginormous
sculpture of Ned Kelly in Euroa, this is an entertaining book that
will provide young readers with a list of must-visit destinations.
Each icon has a three-page spread that provides quick facts about it
as well as craft activities and a pop-out model. For example the Big
Trout in Adaminaby, NSW suggests that the reader makes some fish
bait from cheese, bread and breakfast cereal or even salmon eggs,
corn and marshmallow! Must get hubby to try that next time we are
there at Lake Eucumbene - it may attract what usually eludes him
with more traditional lures!
With its lively illustrations, this is a celebration of Australiana
and the inside of the book jacket brings them all together
perfectly. It's a perfect introduction to this country of ours as
many of the children will connect with some of the places and want
to share their experiences. Different and fun!
Barbara Braxton
The Bad Guys Episode 1 by Aaron Blabey
Scholastic, 144pp. ISBN 9781760150426
(Ages: 8+) Highly recommended. Humour. Adventure. Animals. You
cannot help but notice that the baddies in this book have dark
glasses, formal titles and drive a limousine rather like many
bad guys in film noir of the past. But with animals as the
protagonists. Mr Wolf gathers his friends together, not to do some
stealing, but to try and mend their tarnished reputations.
He sees them all as being able to do good deeds and so become
heroes.
They arrive at Mr Wolf's door, complaining about the impossibility
of the task because people will only see their past reputations, Mr
Shark and Mr Piranha are always on the lookout for meat, while Mr
Snake is hungry for a mouse to eat.
Optimistic Mr Wolf allays their fears and they go out in the
limousine to find a cat to rescue. Of course the result is hilarious
and Mr Wolf, pleased with their good deed, searches for something
else to rescue. This time it is the dog's home, where Mr Wolf
intends to use his friends' abilities to release all the animals.
This is very funny as Blabey uses the inherent characteristics of
his animals to add layers of humour to the task at hand. Their
dialogue is uproarious, the situation they are in belying their
natural instincts uproarious and the illustrations marvelous. Seeing
Mr Shark donning women's clothes to go unnoticed, or the group
sitting down to afternoon tea with cups and saucers, adds hilarity
to the short easy to read chapters.
And this is the first of a series!
Fran Knight
Tinder by Sally Gardner
Hachette, 2015. ISBN: 9781780621487
(Age: 17+) Highly recommended. This story is inspired by Hans
Christian Andersen's fairy tale Tinderbox, published in
1835. Sally was inspired by the fairy tale and the stories of
soldiers returning from current frontiers of conflict. She set this
tale in the time of the Thirty Years War in Europe (1618-1648) and
doesn't hold back on the graphic details of war and the associated
atrocities that can occur.
18-year-old soldier, Otto Hundebiss, makes a deal with death itself
and flees the battlefield. In mysterious circumstances he is nursed
back to health and provided with dice that will direct him in his
journey to safety. The language is evocative and the imagery is
powerful - taking us back to the original feel and intention of
fairy tales.
The illustrations from the book, by artist David Roberts, are dark,
frightening and add menace to the tale. This book has all the fairy
tale favourites: magic, a princess, werewolves, a sorceress ('The
Lady of the Nail') and a host of interesting characters (Mistress
Jabber, Head on a Plate).
This is a story of great love and great loss. It calls into question
our capacity to be in charge of our lives and the influence of good
and evil. The ending brings questions for the reader, such as 'Does
great power bring us what we desire?'
Linda Guthrie
Cockatoo, too by Bethanie Deeney Murguia
Five Mile Press, 2015 ISBN 9781760401047
(Age: 4-8) Highly recommended. Humour, Birds, Numbers, Word play.
This is a laugh from start to finish as two cockatoos play with the
words, 'too' and 'two'. Suddenly two more cockatoos fly down,
wearing tutus. So the joke continues with too, two and tutu. Just
when the readers think they have it all sorted, a parcel arrives
with 'to cockatoos' on it, giving a different 'too' to play with,
say out loud and think about. Happily dressed in their tutus, the
four cockatoos see four toucans arrive, dressed in their tutus ready
to can can.
The playful look at familiar words and their meanings will have
children laughing out loud as the story is read. The gentle use of
the word 'too' in many different ways will expose the readers to
different meanings and sounds of the same word. And the addition of
can at the end rounds off a neatly presented word play picture book.
I love the vibrant illustrations, with the water colour recreating
the jungle background and deft strokes adding a few flowers. The
cockatoos and toucans have distinctive features inviting readers to
think about their differences, and the endpapers will intrigue the
readers wanting to seek out the almost hidden features.
A wonderful read a loud, the tongue twisting emphasis on the word
'too' will delight readers, impelling them to have a go. What a
wonderful way to introduce the English language with its sometimes
confusing words to a young audience, using humour and illustration
to great effect. A New York author/illustrator, more about Bethanie
can be found here.
Fran Knight
Timmy Failure: Sanitized for your protection by Stephan Pastis
Walker Books, 2015. ISBN 9781406363494
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Timmy Failure: Sanitised for Your
Protection finds our main character, Timmy Failure, heading to
Chicago with his mum. They are helping her boyfriend move and have
planned a short holiday with Molly and her family after the move.
The car breaks down, Timmy heads to Chicago with Molly and her
family and according to Timmy, Molly is the biggest felon around.
She is his prime suspect in the stolen money case he is working on.
Molly confesses to stealing the money and hands it back but not
before forcing Timmy to dance with her. He is not impressed. Will he
survive the trip to Chicago? Will his polar bear ex-business partner
spend all of their hard earned money on chocolate? Did Molly really
steal the money or is there another suspect? Timmy will do his best
as he is the best detective for the job.
This is the third instalment in the Timmy Failure series and
like the others is hilarious. It will really appeal to all readers
but is highly recommended to reluctant boys aged 9+. They will
giggle at Timmy's comments and antics as they follow the easy to
read text and accompanying cartoons. Timmy is not your regular hero.
He speaks his mind and saves the day. Readers will be kept wondering
through the whole story about his polar bear partner - is he real or
make believe?
Kylie Kempster
The Cleo stories: A friend and a pet by Libby Gleeson
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743315286
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Chapter book. Family. Friendship.
Pets. Two more enchanting stories from the award winning duo,
Gleeson and Blackwood, will be certain winners with the newly
emerging independent reader who wants something a little more than a
picture book.
In Cleo makes a friend, Cleo is very bored. It is raining
outside, her friends are away and her mother wants her to tidy her
room. All the scenes are very familiar, and will resonate with young
readers who will be able to identify with Cleo, whose friend
Isabella has told everyone that Nick was her boyfriend when he is
only a friend. Eventually after making Mum cross about using her
make-up Cleo goes to the garden and there she discovers a friend.
In Cleo wants a pet, Cleo is desperate to have a puppy like
Nick's but Dad comes up with lots of reasons why a puppy would be
too much work. Cleo finally comes up with a satisfactory solution to
her problem.
Beautifully illustrated by Blackwood, this is the second book
featuring Cleo, following The necklace and The present and is
outstanding both in the narratives and in the delightful
pictures that bring the little girl and her family alive.
Pat Pledger
Star! Stable! Saviour! The Christmas Story in S by Cameron Semmens
Ill. by Rod Allen. Wombat Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925139600
(Age: Pre-school - Yr 2) If you like to start the festive season
with a story about the story behind the celebrations, then Star!
Stable! Saviour! could be a great choice. Drawing on the
traditional elements of the Wise Men (scientists) and the shepherds
seeing a star and following it to the stable where they find Baby
Jesus the story is told using as many words as possible starting
with the sound of 's'.
'See - a star!' stated a slightly stunned, smart, snazzy scientist
to several similar smart, snazzy scientists.
These scientists from The South Saudi Sands, Sudan (or somewhere
similar) searched the stars for signs.
This strange star was certainly a sign.
See it shine!'
With bright, clear illustrations which capture so much movement and
expression, the story is told in alliterative format which brings
new life to it so even those who have heard it every year about this
time will get a fresh perspective and enjoy it again and again.
Originally published under the title The Star, The Stable and
The Saviour it's been repackaged and republished by Wombat
Books in time to bring a new version to the traditional Christmas
literature fare in a quirky but respectful way.
This will be read on Day 2 of the Christmas Countdown at my school,
following The First Christmas in which Jan Pienkowski has
illustrated the original text from the New Testament so those
children who may be encountering the story for the first time can
consolidate what they learned from that experience. Told without a
religious editorial, it gives those students for whom Christmas is
not a religious or traditional festival an understanding of what it
is we celebrate at this time of the year, the meaning behind many of
the symbols they see and why it is so important to so many.
Barbara Braxton
The light that gets lost by Natasha Carthew
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408835869
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Trey is no Harry Potter, even though his
English parents were murdered in front of him as a small child. This
story is set 8 years later and there's no sugar coating the events
that shaped the orphaned teenager in foster homes, which bring him
finally to a reformatory. Trey's hard luck story has led him to
arson and finally to incarceration with other young offenders, at
Camp Kernow, which is managed by the infamous preacher. Some of it
has been deliberate - Trey's plan to exact revenge on his parents'
murderer if not society in general.
Among the jailers and inmates, Trey finds both bullies and comrades
but he confides in no one. Lamby, his unlikely side-kick,
deliberately takes a beating requiring medical attention, in order
to blow the whistle on the illegal activities of the cult running
the camp. When the preacher and his cronies flee, the camp becomes
almost dystopian under the thug, Wilder, Preacher's illegitimate
son.
Trey and his band, united by their inner strength to do what's right
despite their circumstances, must escape when it becomes clear that
the outside world, itself in decay, is not coming to their rescue.
The geeky Lamby and Trey's love interest, the very level-headed Kay,
prove calming influences. Through affecting imagery, Carthew
captures the inner turmoil that besieges a protagonist conflicted by
hatred and intent on reprisal. With few rays of hope in this dark
narrative, young adults will appreciate how events and characters
can influence us in negative ways unless we fulfil our destiny in
service of others.
Deborah Robins
Wordburger by David Astle
Allen and Unwin, 2015 ISBN 9781760113575
(Age:9+) Highly recommended. Wordburger is an engaging look
at the world of words. Children will become word acrobats as they
reorganise letters to make new words. They can read chapter 7 to
find word origins and investigate words with double meanings. Wordburger
will engage any reader who enjoys words and it will be a good book
for parents and children to read and talk about together. It is a
good book to keep in the car for long road trips or to add to the
collection on the toilet windowsill. I have a friend with an
eclectic collection of books on her toilet windowsill who would love
this one for her collection! It would also be a good book to read to
students due to the variety of different chapters and topics. This
is highly recommended for anyone who loves finding out about words.
Readers aged 9+ will be able to negotiate the different topics
easily as it is clearly set out with titles and subtitles, images,
captions and little challenges for the readers to complete.
Kylie Kempster
Pivot and win by B. Hellard and L. Gibbs
Netball Gems series. Ill. by Cat Macinnes. Random House
Australia Children's, 2015. ISBN: 9780857987686
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Netball, Teamwork, Family Life.
Netball Gems is a junior fiction series written in collaboration
with Netball Australia. Authors and sisters Lisa Gibbs and
Bernadette Hellard are experienced A-grade level netball players and
supported the sport as coaches and umpires. Each of the books
introduces one Marrang Gems player and focuses on her family life
and skill development. Hot tips, drills and a player profile are
included at the end of the novel.
Twelve year-old Lily Scott's family is passionate about netball, she
dreams of playing for the Diamonds in the future. One problem she
faces is her height; will she ever be tall enough for a professional
team? Her mother Janet coaches their team and she provides great
support for all the players, her daughter as well. Lilly and her
team mates practice the pivot and super-pivot move, while passing
the ball smoothly down the court. 'Catch, spin, pass,' the girls
repeat as they work on their game plan.
At home, Steven, a typical thirteen-year-old brother, is up to his
usual tricks, playing pranks on Lily and hiding her things. Lily and
her friend Phoebe work out a plan to settle the score that involves
frozen tennis shorts!
This fun series is just right for netball fans, who are keen to
learn more about the sport. Black and white graphic drawings by Cat
Macinnes display Lily's netball moves.
Rhyllis Bignell
Glenn Maxwell: State Showdown and World Domination by Patrick Loughlin
Random House, 2015. ISBN 9780857988881
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Glenn Maxwell: State Showdown and
World Domination is two books in one and both books are about
cricket. In State Showdown, the main character is Will, an up and
coming Victorian cricket star who has made it to the Youth Team. He
is very skilled and very confident. He is very supportive of all his
team mates but his constant reminding of how to play better cricket
is not going down well with his team. Will his confidence be his
downfall? Can Will learn from his team instead of trying to tell
them how to play? In World Domination, Will makes it to the
Australian Youth team and is off to compete in England. The team is
made up of players Will has played against before so relationships
aren't great and when he is made captain of the team these issues
become more real. Can the players all learn to get along and become
a winning team or will their rivalry turn them into enemies instead? Glenn Maxwell: State Showdown and World Domination is highly
recommended to cricket fans aged 9+. They will love the cricket talk
and the cricket action. The stories move quickly though short
chapters and the books themselves are approximately 100 pages long
with a good sized font supporting them as an easy read. It is a
great book for readers who are just starting to read novels.
Kylie Kempster
Ugly by Robert Hoge
Hachette Australia, 2015. ISBN 9780733634338
(Age: 10+) It has taken me a while to get to review this Younger
Readers' version of Robert Hoge's successful memoir. My Year 8
students have been working on an English task which was to research
and write a feature article about an inspirational hero and one of
my young ladies had chosen Robert because she had started reading
his memoir. I had just received this review copy so handed it to her
in case she might find it helpful as well. Not only does the book
come with her recommendation, she was so delighted that Robert
responded to her email to him and she has been able to ask him
questions directly. What a generous human! Thank you Robert - you
provided this wonderful young girl with an amazing learning
experience!
Today I spent a very pleasant hour or so reading this funny and
moving, honest and courageous recollection of growing up as the
'ugly' kid. Robert's story is by now pretty well known to many
adults who have either learned about his life via the book or the
media but this new edition will bring his inspirational story to a
whole new readership.
When Robert was born with severe physical problems including a large
facial tumour, his family's life changed in many respects but not in
the most important aspect. They were still a loving, supportive unit
who when faced with a challenge rose to it with an admirable and
enviable ease.
But let's not make light of this. This is an incredible story - of
not only a wonderful human being but an exceptional family.
Do yourself a favour and read it. Better still put this on your
shelves! The Younger Reader version is eminently suitable for
readers of around 10 and up.
Check out Robert's website
here and teaching notes here.
Sue Warren
