Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408855409
(Age 14+) Recommended. Thriller. Science fiction. In a future when
soul fingerprinting has become a reality Alina Chase has been kept
confined on an island because her soul is supposed to have done
terrible things in a previous life, that of June Calahan a notorious
criminal. When she finally escapes from her confinement, helped by
Dominic and siblings Cameron and Casey, whose motives for rescuing
her are unclear, she gradually begins to discover that June has left
clues to what happened in the past. She desperately hopes that she
can clear her name and that her soul is not imprinted with former
mistakes. Secrets being to unravel as she treads in the footprints
of June, seeking the truth.
This is an exciting thriller with a very interesting premise at its
heart. The idea of having technology that would trace the origins of
a baby in a previous life is fascinating, and even more fascinating
is the question of whether the new soul would carry on the
attributes of a past life. In this case Alina has been kept on an
island for her own good as June reportedly had done bad things that
the government and the people did not want repeated. Alina is
understandably desperate to escape and grabs the chance when
Cameron, Dom and Casey offer it even though it is dangerous and
means that she is facing the unknown.
Alina is a strong, intelligent and resolute girl who struggles with
the notion of repeating mistakes made in an earlier life and is
determined to find out what really happened when June broke into a
large database. It is very easy to become involved in her dreams and
aspirations, her wish for a family, her memory of her mother singing
her a lullaby and her growing feelings for Cameron. She begins to
realise that not everything is black and white and that in the real
world it is easy to struggle to do the right thing.
The action is fast paced as Alina, Cameron and Casey try to keep
ahead of Dom and the government forces seeking them. Taking
sanctuary in a series of hideouts and travelling in stolen cars,
they manage to evade their pursuers while on the path of the strange
clues that June had left. The final climax and conclusion is
exciting and leaves the reader coming to grips with what really
happened to June and the question of past lives leaving a print on a
soul.
This is a compelling thriller that fans of Megan Miranda and those
who want a good stand-alone read, will love .
Pat Pledger
The crocodile under the bed by Judith Kerr
HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN 9780007586752
Matty is inconsolable. Instead of being able to go to the party to
celebrate the Queen's birthday, he is stuck in his bed, too sick to
go out. Not even being looked after by his grandfather placates him.
After everyone has left and it is very quiet as Grandpa reads the
paper, Matty hears a voice. 'Want to go to a party?' it says. And
from underneath the bed comes a large green crocodile complete with
pink pointy party hat.
And as Grandpa sleeps, Matty climbs onto the crocodile's back and
with a toot on his party blower they fly out of the window into the
big open sky. But they don't go to the Queen's birthday - they go to
the King's birthday - the king of the jungle! Led by Chimp, Matty
enjoys a party like no other with games that could never be had at
the Queen's birthday. There's the rip-roarer ride on the tiger's
back, the big bounce with gorilla and even the great serpentine
slide - with a special surprise at the end. Suddenly, it is time to
go - the Queen's birthday party has finished in a deluge and Matty
needs to be home in bed before his family get there.
Ever since author Judith Kerr wrote The Tiger who came to Tea
in 1968, this book has been on her drawing board and is finally in
the shape that she wants after 46 years and another 29 books! But
even at 91, Kerr knows what children want and she tells a tale that
will never date delivering a magical, whimsical book that allows
their imagination to take flight and soar. Her illustrations are
just as delicate with their soft colour palette and the storyline is
delightful - why go to a street party with all your neighbours when
you can go to a jungle party where you're the special guest?
This is a story for all ages of childhood - it's a lovely read-aloud
bedtime story for the very young but it is also a tale to intrigue
older children whose imaginations allow them to believe in flying
crocodiles and have rides on a fish called Fat Flapper and who can
probably think of similar adventures they would have if a crocodile
came out from under their bed.
Kerr has lost none of her touch nor her charm.
Barbara Braxton
Eat the sky, drink the ocean edited by Kirsty Murray, Payal Dhar and Anita Roy
Allen and Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743319789
(Age: 14+) Eat the sky, drink the ocean is collection of
short stories written in collaboration between Australian and Indian
female authors and illustrators. A few of the Australian authors who
have contributed to this book include Kate Constable, Alyssa
Brugman, Anita Roy, Margo Lanagan and Isabelle Carmody to mention a
few. There are eighteen short stories in at the sky, drink the
ocean including six graphic novels and one script. The stories
in this book all feature a sci-fi or futuristic theme with most
centering on a strong female character. Each of these stories are
inspired by the need to depict women in an empowered position
following prominent rape and violence cases in 2012, in Melbourne
with the rape and murder of Jill Meagher and similar incidents in
Dehli around the same time. Despite this common theme, each of the
stories in this book are very different, ranging from the graphic
novel story of a women's rite of passage, Swallow the moon
by Kate Constable and Priya Kuriyan to Margo Lanagan's Cat calls
about dealing with the sexual comments thrown at a group of school
girls. Other future possibilities are explored such as Manjula
Padmanabhan's Cool which describes the digital relationship
boy and girl teenagers have as part of the group of humans
travelling to colonies on Saturn.
The stories Eat the sky, drink the ocean at times stretch
the realms of possibilities in order to explore future worlds where
men and women are treated as equals. The reversal of our gender
balance is explored in a few of the stories where women are shown as
the dominant gender with men a fighting for equality. Some of the
analogies, imagery and abstract concepts presented in this book
would be best understood by older readers, as for example in Penni
Russon's What a stone can't feel explains how a girl morphs
herself into stone objects to move around her school and spy on
people. This is why this book would be best suited to readers 14
years or older but equally some of the stories, particularly the
graphic stories, might be suited to readers slightly younger.
Adam Fitzgerald
The complete guide to a dog's best friend by Felicity Gardner and David West
Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9780734415417
(Age: 4+) Dogs, Friendship, Responsibility. An older dog in a rescue
home tells the younger dogs just how to look after their best
friend, a human. Each double page offers a different scenario with
the dog doing something for the human. The reader can see the scene
from a human perspective, contrasting with how the dog sees what he
is doing to be helpful, but we know it isn't. So on one spread we
have the dog sitting on his master's face while he is asleep. The
boy will think this is terrible, being woken by the dog, but from
the dog's perspective, he is doing a great job of waking the boy. On
another page we see the huge dog protecting his friend from a nasty
garden gnome, being protective and responsible to his young charge.
The boy sees this as funny, contrasting with the facial expressions
of the dog. All through the book readers will see contrasting ideas
of just who is the friend, as the dogs see themselves as the best
friend of the child.
Children will love seeing the annoying things that dogs do, licking
the toilet bowl, leading the way on a walk, pulling the stuffing out
of a toy and so on, but couched in terms showing that the dog thinks
these things are great to do. They will laugh out loud at the Disney
style of illustrations showing a wide range of dogs. I love the
different breeds shown in the endpapers, giving children a chance to
learn about the different sorts of dogs.
Fran Knight
The darkest part of the forest by Holly Black
Indigo, 2015. ISBN 9781780621739
(Age: 15+) Recommended for fantasy readers. Faeries. Hazel and her
brother Ben live in the strange town of Fairfold. In the woods is a
glass coffin where a boy with pointed ears and horns on his head
lies. When Hazel and Ben were children they had woven strange
stories around the boy, hoping that they would be the ones to wake
him up, Holly as a knight and Ben with his music. No one can break
the glass and his resting place has become a party site for the
local teens, including Jack the changeling boy. Tourists come to
look at the coffin and wonder about the magic in the town. Hazel
still dreams of being a knight, but she is plagued by the nightmare
of what will happen to her because she has promised the Alderking
seven years of her life in exchange for a favour for her brother.
Then Severin the prince in the coffin is woken up and things begin
to happen.
Holly Black is a master of the faerie genre. The darkest part of
the forest appears to be a stand-alone and is not as dark as
her Modern Faerie Tales series, but it still portrays a
strange, dangerous and menacing world led by an evil fae king.
Although rather slow to start, the pace soon quickens as Holly is
forced to face what her promise might mean for herself and for those
she loves. Suspense is built up as the reader is taken on thrilling
trips into the woods at night to meet the court of the fae. At home
in Fairfold, suspense is also built up as Hazel tries to work out
the mystery surrounding the horned boy, and comes to grips with her
relationship with her brother Ben, his best friend Jack and the
horned boy.
The four main characters are well rounded. The reader gains a clear
picture of what home life was like for Ben and Holly when they were
small and their parents were living a bohemian life, careless of
their children's welfare. Jack is a changeling and never quite fits
in his family or at school although his brother Carter includes him
in everything and Severin the elfin prince has many problems to
overcome.
With a mystery to solve with clues around what Holly is doing at
night, a touch of romance and some scary moments, this will be a
treat for fans of Holly Black and readers who enjoy retellings of
fairy tales.
Pat Pledger
Emily Eases Her Wheezes by Katrina Roe
Ill. by Leigh Hedstrom. Wombat Books, 2015. ISBN 9781925139129
(Age: P-2) Emily the Elephant was so full of energy that she
scarcely stopped to take a breather. She would whizz around on her
scooter, leap and twirl like a ballerina and bounce on her
trampoline for hours. She loved to be active. But every now and then
she had to sit still and look on because her asthma made her chest
tight and her breathing difficult. At first her friends were
frightened of her coughing and wheezing but she reassured them that
they couldn't catch what she had. But it really irked her to sit and
watch but when she disobeyed her mum and joined in, she ended up in
strife and needed her puffer. Because Emily had asthma. Then one day
she discovered a sport that she could do, one which really helped
her strengthen her lungs and improve her breathing.
As the school year gets underway, there are going to be many like
Emily in classrooms - kids who can't join in because of this disease
and for whom all teachers must have training in how to deal with it
if they are presented with a child having an attack. Because 1 in 10
Australian children suffer from asthma and it is a common reason for
children needing emergency medical care, it is essential that we all
understand the potential seriousness of an attack and that students
and teachers alike know that it is something that cannot be ignored.
In this picture book written for younger readers, everyone learns
something. Emily learns that even when she thinks she's okay she
still needs to take it easy; her friends learn that it's not
something to be frightened of and they can help Emily; and the
reader learns that while this is a treatable and manageable disease,
a person suffering an attack needs to be taken seriously.
Children, particularly those in their first year of school who have
not had exposure to large groups of children where there is likely
to be an asthmatic need to know that while it might be scary it's
not catchy, and those who are sufferers will enjoy reading about
themselves in a book just like other "normal" children and will feel
less marginalised.
Leigh Hedstrom's charming illustrations lighten the message somewhat
- can you imagine an elephant using her bed as a trampoline?
There is also a comprehensive overview of asthma provided by a
leading paediatrician that the parent reading the story aloud will
find enlightening and reassuring.
Wombat Books have a history of publishing books that need to be
written and shared (Marty's
Nut Free Party; Happy Pants;
Coming
Home ) but which might not make the mainstream, big
publishers' lists and Emily Eases Her Wheezes is an
important contribution to this.
Barbara Braxton
Prince of Afghanistan by Louis Nowra
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743314821
(Age: 13+) When an American sniffer dog dies, a young Australian
Army handler and his dog are recruited to assist in the rescue of 3
hostages held in a remote location of Afghanistan. With the hostages
safely on the chopper, Prince's handler, Casey, is killed by an
Afghan rocket and the Doberman becomes his best mate's
responsibility. Without food or water, the injured duo attempt to
trek hundreds of miles back to base through an arid, war-torn
landscape. Encounters with villagers, drug growers and the Taliban
are interspersed with Mark's backstory in the rural town, where he
and Casey grew up.
There's a few near misses, hairy escapes and some authentic military
manoeuvres to keep us turning pages, but this is also a
multi-layered novel exploring multiple issues such as drug abuse,
the effects of war, terrorism, mateship, grief, family relationships
and of course, the bond between man and dog.
Boys will love this fast-paced war story which is meaty enough to be
read aloud and studied. In addition, Nowra's candour in describing
Mark's own drug problem, will certainly resonate with teens.
While not a graphic novel, every chapter is ingeniously prefaced by
a cinematic photograph to effectively orientate us and foreshadow
each new action event. At the title suggests, every obstacle or
issue is either resolved at a practical level or massaged, at least
in part, by the symbiotic relationship and loyalty which develops
between a man and his working dog. Perhaps the greatest writer of
true homages to man's best friend, Gary Paulsen, should have written
a foreword?
This is a powerful YA novel for the library shelves but a study
guide for junior secondary students proves a bonanza with
activities to engage the most reluctant class.
Deborah Robins
Rising Star by Scott Prince & Dave Hartley
Deadly D & Justice Jones, Book 2. Magabala Books, 2014.
ISBN 9781922142504
(Age: 10+) Scott Prince admits to his lack of interest in reading
until he picked up magazines devoted to NBA basketball and his
sporting hero, Michael Jordon. He explains in the foreword to this
book that this series is meant to engage the reluctant reader using
rugby league as a 'hook'.
Eleven-year-old Dylan has moved with his family to Brisbane from Mt
Isa. Life is a challenge for him at home and school but his
involvement in sport helps him greatly, particularly when it is
found that he has been cursed - when angry, he becomes like a grown
man. This is obviously a great asset to the game.
Told in the first person present tense, every detail of play is
given, along with some great observations about his team mates,
including a strong anti-bullying stance.
Home is important and Dylan notes the need to care for the natural
environment.
The language is rough at times, but this series has considerable
merit and it is worth consideration by teachers and parents.
Magabala Books has supplied Teachers'
Notes which are available from its website.
Julie Wells
All the bright places by Jennifer Niven
Penguin, 2015. ISBN 9780141357034
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. This contemporary read follows the
relationship between Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, an unlikely
pair who realise they need each other more than they thought. Violet
and Finch first meet at the top of the bell tower at school, where
one of them is planning to jump. One saves the other and their
beautiful yet intense romance starts from there.
Niven paints these two very different characters strikingly. Violet
is the once popular girl at school who has retreated from her
friends and her boyfriend following the loss of her older sister.
Consequently, she cannot wait until graduation when she can leave it
all behind. Finch however, does not care what people think about
him. He is crazy, free, and erratic, but he is on a downward spiral.
Finch comes from a broken home and is suffering silently in ways
that no one can understand; no one but Violet. Whilst Violet is
dealing with her sister's passing; Finch himself is fascinated by
death and explores all the different ways that he could die. This
pair of teenagers find each other when they need someone most, but
it is Violet who must fight to save Finch from his worst enemy;
himself.
In her debut novel, Niven explores the themes of loss, grief,
suicide, and issues surrounding mental health. Despite these topics
being delicate for young adults, Niven touches upon them gently, and
explores how mental disorders and loss can be overcome with help
from loved ones. Fans of John Green's The fault in our stars
and Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park, are bound to lovingly
devour All the bright places.
Emma Gay
The dogs by Allan Stratton
Penguin Books, 2015. ISBN 9780143572596
(Age: 13+) Child abuse. Family breakdown. Truth in
relationships. Mental health. Imagination. Ghosts. Horror. Local
history. Displacement. Cameron and his mother are on the run from
his dad who is violent... or is he? Is Cameron's mum paranoid,
imagining pursuit and the abuse? Leaving schools and friends behind
has for five years been part of Cameron's life and this time they
move to the small Canadian town of Wolf Hollow, renting a creepy old
farmhouse straight out of a horror movie, or Cameron's favourite
computer game 'Zombie attack', complete with a nailed-up
attic, a dark cellar and a legendary ghost. At school Cameron soon
finds out that the previous occupant of the house was killed and
eaten by his dogs. He is taunted and bullied so he retreats into his
own lonely world. When he finds a child's drawings in the cellar
suggesting an abusive father he sets out to find out more about
them. His research reveals a hidden murder which has haunted the
community for years. In Wolf Hollow, Cameron's mother finds a good
job and a caring relationship with Ken, her boss, who is sensitive to
Cameron's situation and they are both very supportive. Cameron
blocks out bad times and worries that he will become like his
father, a conflict which affects his mental health as well as his
ability to form relationships. Is he imagining things or is there
really a ghost boy looking out for him? Cameron misses his Dad and
eventually makes contact with him with disastrous results. The
denouement is horrific but quick, concentrating on positive
outcomes, vindication and the cleansing effect of the truth. Allan
Stratton has previously taken on some tough issues like rape and
terrorism in Chanda's secrets and Borderline; here
he looks at the repercussions when a child is fearful of a parent.
An intelligent and readable story, the first person narrative allows
us insight into a vulnerable, yet brave and determined boy's world
that middle school students would find engaging with much to
identify with.
Sue Speck
Run, Pip, run J. C. Jones
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743319222
(Age: 10+) Pip's origins are very unclear, even to her. She was
left in an apple crate on Sully's doorstep as a newborn and so he
named her Pip and raised her as his granddaughter. All goes well
until Pip's 10th birthday when just as he is presenting her birthday
cake, Sully has a stroke and falls, ending up in hospital. And
suddenly the police want to know about Pip's family so she can be
cared for while Sully is recuperating.
But Sully has filled Pip's head with stories of the sorts of people
who take in foster kids so there is no way she is going to let them
take her. And so begins an engaging story of how Pip lives on her
wits to keep herself out of their clutches, starting with finding an
empty house that is for sale where she can live in the luxury that
she has never experienced before. Living with Sully means she knows
her way around the local racetracks so she is able to get some money
- she's desperately trying to raise enough for Sully to go to rehab,
thinking it's one of those expensive places where famous people go
to dry out - and the story cracks along as she dodges the
ever-encroaching arms of Senior Constable Molly Dunlop. And then
Sully dies.
This is a story that I would put in the pile of the good, solid read
for those looking for something a little different, an appealing
heroine (who is more like a boy) and a fast-paced but realistic
adventure. It's about love, loyalty, friendship and courage as a
little girl tries desperately to cling onto what she knows and
believes. It is cleverly written so that the reader can understand
Pip's perspective of being independent and invincible but also
appreciate that the adults are trying to do what they know is best
for her - her current life is not sustainable.
If you're looking for a great read-aloud to kickstart Term 2, this
would be it.
Barbara Braxton
Circle, square, moose by Kelly Bingham
Ill. by Paul O. Zelinksy. Andersen Press, 2015. ISBN 9781783441860
(Age: Preschool - K) Books for preschoolers about shapes are not
uncommon but rarely are they as quirky and as much fun to explore as
this one. Each shape in the book is linked to an everyday item but
each explanation is invaded by a moose with a selfie fetish. The
narrator keeps telling Moose that he is in the wrong book but Moose
refuses to leave, even when Zebra tries to chase him away and causes
chaos as he does. The narrator tries valiantly to carry on but the
story is hijacked.
One of the hallmarks of a quality picture book is if you can hear
yourself reading it aloud as you read it alone and this is one of
those. Another hallmark is if you can imagine the child's reaction
as the pages are turned and this is one of those. This is a way of
teaching shapes that will remain with the child for a long time
especially if you encourage them to put themselves in the narrator's
place and get them to suggest and draw other items that could have
been used and how Moose might have got himself into them.
Early childhood teachers will love this one!
Barbara Braxton
Resonance by Celine Kiernan
Allen & Unwin 2015. ISBN 9781743313084
(Age: 14+) Recommended. A dark fantasy set in a remote Irish
village, Resonance is clearly not an everyday read. I would
recommend it to lovers of dark fantasy aged fourteen and over.
The story follows a case of mistaken identity as Joe, a poor cab
driver, is accused of being Mathew by a black man with ominous
glowing eyes. Joe is confident that he will never see Vincent
again, but then he reappears in the theatre district with Lord
Wolcroft. They are searching for performers for an extravaganza.
Meanwhile Mickey the Wretch beats Joe almost to death before Vincent
swoops in and saves him. He says that the only way for Joe to
survive is to return home. In no state to argue, Joe is bundled into
the carriage along with his friend Tina and her boss, Miss Ursula.
Watching all this and unable to stand by, Harry, an American
magician, jumps aboard the carriage, determined to help his friends.
It doesn't take long for Tina to discover Lord Wolcroft's dark
secret. Instead of an extravaganza, they are headed for a feast, and
they are the main course. The friends must work together to prove to
the two men that they are more than just food, and in the process
teach them that change can be for the better.
The book deals with change and the way people cope with it. Some
want it, while others abhor it. The novel is an incredibly detailed
piece and a great feat of the imagination with believable characters
whose determination to succeed is inspiring.
Kayla Gaskell
The toast tree by Corina Martin and Fern Martins
Magabala Books, 2015. ISBN 9781922142689
(Ages: 5-7) Recommended. Grandparents. Imagination. Magic.
Aboriginal family life. Corina Martin grew up in Broome, Western
Australia in the 1960s and used her childhood memories to create The
toast tree. Her grandfather would arrive home after work with
a special treat for Corina and her siblings - golden brown toast
from the toast tree! Fern Martins' watercolour paintings evocatively
capture the family scenes, the sense of wonder and magic described
in the simple story and the richness of the surrounding landscape.
This is a story that celebrates the power of the imagination. Every
night Grandpa brings Ella and Mia a special treat, golden brown
toast he's picked from the toast tree. He's the only one who knows
its secret location. The girls search the sand dunes and bush
without success; they discover one tree with yellow blossoms and
sweet nectar. Grandpa is clever directing the children to find
Grandma fishing near the shore, while he disappears into the bush
for more treats.
This is an uncomplicated gentle story that shows a simpler time,
when children believed in the stories of their grandparents and
their magic.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Palomino Pony comes home by Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow, 2014. ISBN 9780857633033
(Age: 10+) Fourteen year-old Georgia is like many girls of her
age - horse crazy. Her greatest joy is when she is caring for
Wilson, the show pony belonging to 17 year-old Sophie who's quite
willing to have the glory of the ribbons from riding well but would
prefer not to get her hands dirty with the stable stuff. So Georgia
willingly steps up spending all her time at the stables wishing she
could have a horse of her own but knowing that since her father
left, it is but a dream. Unfortunately caring for Wilson means
Georgia neglects her studies and she finds herself having to attend
summer school in Wales and not having Wilson to herself as she's
been promised.
But on a geography activity she spots a palomino pony looking
neglected and abandoned in a paddock next to a deserted house. And
so begins her relationship with this beautiful creature which has
run for its life from its cruel owner and which has spawned a new
series including The Palomino Pony wins through, The
Palomino Pony rides out, The Palomino Pony runs free
(due April 2015) and The Palomino Pony on parade (due
September 2015).
Even though she is 14, Georgia is a young 14 and while there is a
hint of romance with Dan, a fellow schoolmate also at summer camp,
this is a very suitable series for those upper primary girls who are
always on the lookout for new books about horses. There's plenty of
action and adventure and the characters are well-drawn. I know Miss
10 will be very keen to get her hands on this series.
Barbara Braxton
