Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781742974620
(Age: Preschool - Yr 2) Audrey is so much bigger than she was
yesterday - so much bigger in fact that her dad's house is too small
for her now. So she needs a house of her own. The dog kennel is too
small; the garage is too big; and the tool shed too crowded. So her
dad built her the most amazing house in a tree. It had a staircase
with a bannister to slide down; a swinging bathtub for snorkelling;
a cupboard, a bed and some chars for guests; even a stove for making
cakes! It is a very high house, almost as high as the sky but Audrey
is much bigger than she was yesterday. However, as dusk starts to
fall and Dad heads down the staircase back to the warm, cosy house,
Audrey begins to have second thoughts...
This is a charming story that celebrates the love between fathers
and their daughters and captures that special relationship they have
as well as the struggle encountered when crossing the bridge to
independence as Audrey moves from confidence to a touch of anxiety
as her 'tummy turns over' to relief as she realises she will always
have a dad and a home no matter how big she is.
The beautiful, imaginative illustrations by Jonathan Bentley provide
much to explore - every child is going to want a suspended bath to
swing in - and the colour choices cleverly reflect Audrey's changing
moods. Bright and bold to start with, softening as dusk creeps in
and then the warm, welcoming lights of home at night. It would be a
perfect kick-starter to a design and build unit as students put
their imagination into gear to design their own treehouse!
Barbara Braxton
Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders
Allen & Unwin (Faber & Faber) 2015. ISBN 9780571310951
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. World War One, War, Comic fantasy.
Sequel to Five Children and It by E. Nesbit. When E
Nesbitt's Five Children and It was published in 1902, it was
widely acclaimed. Two sequels soon followed, The phoenix and the
carpet, and The story of the amulet, tracing the
adventures of the five children and their friend, the last sand
fairy on earth, the Psammead. Parents are rarely seen, an old nurse
watches over them, and a dinner gong calls them for tea, recalling a
time where children were left to their own devices, a time for
picnics and baskets of food, of private schools and governesses, of
parents who were mysteriously absent for a period of time, allowing
the children even more freedom.
This sequel, a further story about the five children set ten years
later when war threatens their lives, has their old companion
reappear. He is thousands of years old, and knows what will happen
to them all. He can grant wishes, although his powers are strangely
diminished, but he is there to farewell Cyril as he heads off for
war on the Western Front.
I found I kept reading this with a smile on my face as the children
and Sammy wriggled their way into my consciousness. Sammy is a
wonderful character funny, forthright and assertive, his needs
overriding the children's as as he makes continuous demands.
Like ET, the Psanamead simply wants to get home, so the children
take him to the British Museum to see if he recognises any of the
ancient exhibits. In the Sumerian room are images that look just
like him, and they bump into Ernie, a soldier who loves ancient
things. Surprisingly they are all friends of the professor, Jimmy
and go to his house where they plan to help Sammy.
Like a detective story, the children search for Sammy's real home,
and if the signs are to be believed, he must learn things about
himself before he can return. In wishing for things, the children
are transported to various times and locations: the Kaiser in 1939,
Cyril in the trenches during the war, all designed to give the
readers some insight into war and its aftermath, while being a model
for Sammy to truly regret his past actions and feel compassion as
they do.
The intriguing story will give avid readers an introduction to the
stories of the Great War, showing how people were involved on all
fronts and enlist their sympathies as they see the impact of war
upon the family. Robert is blinded, Ernie loses his leg, friends are
killed in action, Jane wants to be a doctor, the parents are shocked
when Anthea wants to marry someone outside their circle, and so on,
each designed to reflect the impact of the war on attitudes and
society of the time, while questioning the need for war.
Comic fantasy for middle to upper primary, this is a wonderful read
a loud, charting the progress of Sammy from a ruthless god and ruler
of the ancient world to someone who empathises with those around
him. The many incidents serve as exemplars for the impact of war on
the community and would serve as a wonderful introduction to the
theme of war in class. The plaque outside one of the cemeteries, Now
Heaven is by the young invaded, could serve as a telling sub title
for this engrossing story and an introduction to the work done in
class.
Fran Knight
Editor's note: This has won the 2014
Costa Children's Book Award.
Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
Puffin Classics, 2008. ISBN 9780141321615
In this time of making New Year's resolutions, it's worthwhile
revisiting this classic from 1902 with its strong message of 'Be
careful what you wish for.'
Cyril (Squirrel), Anthea (Panther), Jane (Pussy), Robert and the
baby (known as Lamb) move to a new house in the Kent countryside set
between a chalk quarry and a gravel pit. As in all such stories, it
is not long before their mother and father are out of the picture
and the children are left in the care of Martha the maid who has
much to do including caring for Lamb, and so the children are left
to their own devices for the summer.
Exploring the gravel pit, they discover the Psammead, a sand-fairy
of prehistoric times left stranded when the seas retreated. The
Psammead's job is to grant wishes, one a day, and so the children
take advantage of this. But after a couple of disasters when they
wish themselves to be 'as beautiful as the day' and rich beyond
dreams they learn that sometimes when wishes come true, they can
lead you into a whole lot of trouble . . . Even wishing for wings is not
as straightforward as it seems.
This is the original story from the author of The Railway
Children and despite its rather pedantic manner and cautionary
advice as the author inserts herself into the story, it is
nevertheless an engaging read that will capture the imagination of
those who are ready for a longer novel set in another time. The fact
that this book remains in print and C.S. Lewis has credited Nesbit
with influencing his series about Narnia is testament to its
popularity and quality. It would also make a useful read-aloud as
each chapter is self-contained.
Nesbit wrote two other books about the children - The Phoenix
and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet - but it is
their reappearance together with the Psammead in a new novel Five
Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders that is
revitalising interest in the original. But that is another review
for another day. Right now, Miss 8 has been waiting for me to finish
this one. She will be delighted I have.
Barbara Braxton
Minton Goes! by Anna Fienberg
Ill. by Kim Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760111960
(Age: 4-7 years) Recommended. The collaboration between Anna
Fienberg and Kim Gamble has produced the popular Tashi
series. The Minton picture books have also been popular as
individual titles and stand the test of time in this collection of
seven of the Minton adventures with the addition of The Hottest
Boy Who Ever Lived originally published in 1995.
Hector lives beside a volcano on the edge of the world with his pet
salamander, Minton. Hector is lonely and craves human companionship,
a cuddle or a hug even from a boa constrictor, but he is just too
hot to handle. When a storm comes, Hector and his pet are washed out
to sea clinging to a tree. Their adventure really begins as they are
rescued by Gilda and taken back to her frozen Viking home. Hector
finds acceptance and love whilst Minton returns home.
The rest of the stories follow the adventurous Minton and his new
friend, the cautious Turtle as they explore the world in vehicles
Minton makes by recycling household containers and other items.
First he makes a boat and while the friends intend to sail around
the bay they are blown away and find a new friend Bouncer the
acrobat. She misses the circus where she bounced too high and landed
on a far away island but can't bounce back. Minton decides to help
and makes a plane in which they manage to find their way back to the
circus. Minton and Turtle explore the city in the car Minton
constructs and they find employment on a building site when Minton
makes a dump truck. Eventually the sea and their island home calls
and Minton makes a submarine and the return journey begins. They
visit Hector who provides the hot air to power the balloon Minton
makes for the final leg of the journey.
After each episode there are simple but well illustrated
instructions on how to make Minton's vehicles, including a complete
list of items needed. According to Fienberg these were all developed
and constructed at her kitchen table, in collaboration with Gamble,
and enthusiastically tested by her young son. Hopefully this will
inspire parents to help their offspring to also have a go at making
these vehicles.
The full colour illustrations remind us that each chapter was a
standalone picture book, bringing the setting and characters to
life. The cautious and sad looking turtle is a great foil for the
ever enthusiastic Minton, reminding him to take safety measures and
seeing the danger in every new form of transport, but remaining the
faithful friend.
Sue Keane
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Don Tillman Bk 2. Text, 2014. ISBN 9781922182104
(Age: Adult-Senior Secondary) Recommended. Don Tillman continues the
story that was begun in The Rosie Project. This time he and Rosie
are based in New York when Rosie drops a bombshell, saying that she
is pregnant. The pregnancy proves to be a big challenge for Don, who
as usual over compensates by reading many books and sourcing advice
from his friends, a therapist and the internet. This often has
hilarious consequences, but leads to much misunderstanding and
threatens his marriage.
I found this a touching and very humourous read. Don finds himself
questioning whether or not he is suitable for fatherhood. With
Simsion making a few cynical and very funny pokes at the nature of
therapy, and taking Don to witness the live birth of a calf to give
him practical experience of childbirth, the reader gains much
insight into the feelings of a new father to be and empathises with
both Rosie and Don as they face this new challenge in their lives. I
loved the references to BUD (Baby Under Development) and the charts
that Don drew on the wall showing the growth of the foetus.
Don of course triumphs over all the adversity and manages to help
out his friends while he wades through a maze of mix-ups and trials.
On the way he demonstrates that he is capable of showing empathy and
that he is not just a logical person.
Like The Rosie Effect, this book is satisfying and funny and leaves
the reader feeling good.
Pat Pledger
Jake in space: Robot games by Candice Lemon-Scott
New Frontier Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781925059120
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Jake in Space: Robot Games is
a quick moving mystery set in space. Our main character, Jake, and
his friends have arrived at the Robot Games. One of Jake's friends,
Henry, is a cyborg. His systems start failing in the middle of the
Games at the same time there are problems with the robot
competitors. Is there a connection? The robot competitors take over
the arena and imprison all humans. It is now up to Jake and his
friends to save Henry and the whole human population. Can they solve
the mystery in time? Jake in Space: Robot Games is an easy to read novel aimed at
boys who tend to be reluctant readers. The text is descriptive and
the space setting, robots and sports will be appealing to readers
aged 9+. Highly recommended for those reluctant readers.
Kylie Kempster
The beach they called Gallipoli by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Angus & Robertson, 2014. ISBN 9780732292263
(Age: Yr 3-Yr 12) Outstanding book. On April 23, 1915 on a beach on
the Gallipoli Peninsula, seagulls swooped as fish flapped silver in
the nets ... a peaceful, tranquil scene. It was the last day of peace
for that Turkish beach for a long time for on April 24, 1915 the
ships came. And less than twenty four hours later, blood-stained
foamed fringed the grey waves of a grey sea under a grey sky. For
eight, long tragic months the conflict lasted as more ships brought
more men and took away the broken bodies of the wounded, but leaving
many more than they took who would never leave this beach and its
sentinel cliffs. 'A land with few names had new names now: Anzac
Cove, Quinn's Post, Rhododendron Ridge, The Apex, Farm and Lone
Pine.' Names etched into our history along with the courage, the
compassion and the comradeship that we associate with them.
On December 21, 1915 the beach was silent and empty. And the waves
rolled in onto the beach, just as they had done for months, years,
decades, centuries. But months, years, decades, a century on we
remember . . . Lest We Forget
Among the plethora of publications being written and released to
commemorate the centenary of the events of April 25, 1915, this is a
standout. By focusing on the place, Jackie brings range of
perspectives about the people - the fishermen, the many
nationalities who fought and those who defended. The blood that was
shed mixes and mingles into a story of a battle with no heroes or
winners - just people and the futility of war.
Superbly illustrated by Bruce Whatley with collages of photos,
paintings, drawings, diagrams, artefacts, symbols and flags, it is a
masterful insight into the campaign - its before, during and after.
The sounds and sights and smells are brought to life through the
skilful selection and arrangement of the vignettes that emphasise
that while the place shaped the events, it is the people who created
and encountered them and their consequences. There is no favouritism
- it is written and illustrated as though the landscape is the
observer witnessing men from everywhere trying to master it
While such rich imagery leaves little to the imagination, it
inspires the imagination. This was not the remote-control driven
warfare that invades television news bulletins today - this was
face-to-face conflict of a type that breeds the legends that have
endured for so long. And all the while, the waves lap on the beach.
Jackie French and Bruce Whatley, as author and illustrator, are a
match made in heaven. This could be one of their most important
collaborations yet and I predict it will be high on the awards lists
this year. It is an essential resource in your commemoration
collection.
To find out about the reasons behind the book and the research that
went into it go here.
To follow up on the events within it, use the Department of
Veterans' Affairs publication Investigating
Gallipoli.
Barbara Braxton
Mouse Mansion: Sam & Julia at the circus by Karina Schaapman
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781760112028
The Mouse Mansion series is a doll house and child's
imaginative play with their small mouse family coming alive in a
picture book. Karina Schaapman has brought her ideas to life in an
oversized book with 17 chapters and 66 pages. Each page is presented
with photographs of created scenes within a miniature world setting.
The intricacy and detail applied to each scene is amazing and must
have been an incredibly time consuming process.
Overall Mouse Mansion: Sam and Julia At the Circus is a long
read and a several nights bed time read for most young kids. The
font is big and the chapters are very short. The language at times
is stretching for the average vocabulary of a young reader. In a
time where a lot of mass produces children's books are bright and
colourful, flashy and glittery and often lacking in a story with
depth Mouse Mansion definitely defies the trend. Sam and Julia at the Circus is a sweet and innocent story
that revolves around two mice who are best friends. They don't have
a lot but share everything they have with each other. When reading
and looking at the pictures you can imagine the cute little woollen
mice coming to life and having the conversations and living through
the story they are a part of.
This is not your average picture book and would be very popular on
any library shelf.
Steve Whitehead
Tashi and the Wicked Magician and other stories by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg
Ill. by Kim Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743315088
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Jack and his magical friend Tashi
return in four exciting, new adventures. With evil magicians, fiery
dragons, an escape from a burning building and protecting an
endangered orchid from thieves, Tashi and his friends and family are
kept busy. He is brave, daring, creative and courageous.
These stories spark the reader's imagination and provide wonderful
opportunities for class engagement. They are a wonderful stimulus
for creative writing and oral language. It's hard to recommend year
levels or readers' age range because the children who grew up with
Tashi since 1995 are now parents introducing the stories to a new
generation.
Anna and Barbara Fienberg's creative storytelling brings Tashi's
family and community to life. He has close friends and fierce
enemies. In The Magnificent Magician, Ah Chu and Lotus
Blossom help Tashi stop the evil Magi's plans, save the Baron's
treasure and face an angry alligator. While Jack and his family
enjoy a camping holiday, Tashi becomes involved in a dangerous
mission to stop the fire-breathing Red Whiskered Dragon who is
destroying the villager's homes.
Kim Gamble's marvellous illustrations are beautifully detailed and
richly coloured. They complement the Fienbergs' stories and bring
Tashi to life. After the young hero bravely scrambles up the vain
dragon's spine, Kim brilliantly captures this moment when their eyes
meet in the mirror.
Highly recommended for Tashi fans of all ages and independent
readers from 7+. There is a website for the
series.
Rhyllis Bignell
Animas: Legacy of the Claw by C.R. Grey
Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781471401299
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Hal breathed in deeply, as if to
steel himself against the words. He leaned in close to Bailey's ear.
Then he said them, the words that hurt Bailey like a physical blow,
like nothing but the truth could do: 'You have no Animas.'
Twelve year old Bailey Walker is different to every other kid at
Fairmount Academy: He is the only one with no Animas. He thinks he
is nothing special. A nobody.
But when the late King Melore's daughter, Princess Viviana, starts
to threaten the safety of Parliament and the people, Bailey and his
Professor Tremelo, team up with each other and discover
life-changing secrets and revelations that could threaten Viviana's
power and throne.
C.R. Grey has done a spectacular job of capturing the character's
thoughts and feelings without writing in first person. As Legacy
of the Claw is her first book I am positive her future in the
world in writing will be a great one.
I would recommend this novel to people of any gender, 12 and above
as there are some scenes where violence is used. I would also
recommend this book to people who enjoy fantasy novels and The
Golden Compass as the theme is very similar.
Jazmin Humphries, Year 7
My Happy Sad Mummy by Michelle Vasiliu
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. JoJo Publishing, 2015. ISBN
9780987358684 My Happy Sad Mummy is a first in my experience; a picture
book specifically written to explain bipolar disorder for a
pre-school audience. Written to fill a need the author herself
discovered, whilst searching for an aid to explain her own mental
illness to her young children, this book will be an invaluable
resource for families living the same experience.
Written from the point of view of a young child whose mother has
days when she is so happy, talkative and active that she doesn't
want to stop, and other days when she cries all day, sleeps and does
not interact with the enthusiastic child. Dad explains that Mum is
ill and sometimes needs medication and other times, needs to go to
hospital to be looked after. When that happens, Grandpa and Grandma
come to help look after her.
The text is easy to read, factual and to the point;
'Sometimes Mummy's very happy. Sometimes she is very sad.
Sometimes Mummy's in hospital. Sometimes she's at home.'
The muted full page illustrations add more layers of meaning to the
story as we see the child worried and anxious, but also witness the
mother's highs and lows. The joy shown by both in the final
illustration gives hope for a positive future.
In the forward by Professor Phillip Mitchell, director of the Black
Dog Institute, we are reminded that as bipolar disorder ' . . .
usually begins in late adolescence, or during the twenties, many
with this condition will be young parents.' To have a resource
available which so simply and sympathetically, portrays the illness
can only be an advantage to both families and the wider community in
de-mystifying this particular mental illness.
Sue Keane
The Book of Storms by Ruth Hatfield
Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781471402982
(Age: 9+) Recommended. The night around him begins to burn with
lightning; he closes his eyes and buries his face in the crook of
his arm. Everything will be all right in the morning. His parents
come back, and he eats breakfast with them and laughs about how
silly it is to be scared by a thunderstorm. However long the night
and thick and the darkness, however loud the roaring storm, the
morning always comes.
Danny O'Neill's parents are storm chasers, and one morning they
don't come back.
The only thing that the storm left behind is a charred branch from
an old sycamore tree. A taro. With this stick Danny has the power to
communicate with all of nature.
But an ancient and powerful man of darkness will stop at nothing to
prevent Danny from finding his parents and will do everything in his
power to silence him.
Danny must uncover the secrets of the Book of Storms and set off
alone to save his parents - and the whole human race.
Ruth Hatfield's, The Book of Storms, really made me wonder
if that is how we really do see things.
I would recommend this novel to children 9 and above as the
storyline may be confusing to children any younger than that. This
novel would also be a good read for families as it talks about the
importance of family.
Jazmin Humphries, Year 7
Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
Puffin Books, 2014. ISBN 9780143308591
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. This amazing series of book is still
going strong and number 9, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,
- still gets readers engaged and eager to read. The children in my
Year 4/5 class saw this in the group of books I had to review and I
had to quickly put it away. They were busy deciding who would read
it first! The Heffleys are on a family road trip. Road trips are
meant to be fun, aren't they? The first problem is packing the van
and fitting in everything needed. Next, Mum pulls out the Spanish
CDs, the car games and the 'Mommy Meal'. No fast food stops on this
trip? What about the runaway pigs? What about car crashes? This
story has it all and more. The Long Haul is full of funny, descriptive events as seen
through the eyes of our main character Greg. His view of events
turns out to be hilarious and engaging and the accompanying cartoons
only add to the hilarity of it all. This book (and all of the others
in this series) is highly recommended to independent readers aged
9+.
Kylie Kempster
The Royal Babysitters by Clementine Beauvais
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781408850770
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. The Royal Babysitters is a fun
story which is also quick moving and full of hilarious antics. Anna
and Holly need money for the holiday of a lifetime and so they
accept the job as the Royal Babysitter. How hard can it be to look
after a baby prince? Well, six princes and an invasion by the King
of Danland really means a very tricky day for the girls.
Highly recommended for readers aged 9+. They will laugh at all the
effort the two girls and their new friend, Prince Pepino, get up to
as they lose babies, find babies, fight robot mermaids and defeat
kooky kings. The events are descriptive and the addition of black
and white cartoons only adds to the readers' understanding and the
comedy included by the author.
Kylie Kempster
Wrath of the Lizard Lord by Jon Mayhew
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408826324
(Age: 7-12 years) Recommended. This is the second offering by Mayhew
in the Monster Odyssey series and continues the story of the
Indian Prince Dakkar, his mentor Oginski and a cast of characters
including giants and monstrous man-eating reptiles with a strong
resemblance to dinosaurs. With more than a passing nod to Jules
Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth and 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea, readers of this offering could be
encouraged to try these classics in an attempt to compare.
Beginning on the Isle of Elba in 1815 with a meeting with Napoleon
and a glimpse of a reptilian monster, Dakkar and Oginski escape in
their submarine, the Nautilus, having to evade giant shark like
creatures and make their way to England. Unfortunately Oginski is
severely injured and is cared for in Lyme Regis leaving Dakkar to
his own resources.
Dakkar meets Mary Anning, fossil hunter, to ask about the claw he
found in Elba. Mary tries to evade him after a rockfall and he
pursues her, only to find himself deep within the earth with no
visible way out. Pursued by giant reptiles, rescued by friendly,
giant humans and discovering the stronghold of the evil Stefan
Oginski, Count Cryptos, one of the brothers who are bent on
conquering the world, Dakkar is determined to return to the surface
and defeat Stefan.
Dakkar and Mary go from one life threatening situation to the next
in this fast paced improbable adventure where being eaten is a
continuous threat and ingenuity and a sound knowledge of explosives
a must. Another submarine, a giant squid, not to mention another
Napoleon and participating in the Battle of Waterloo, all add to the
chaos.
By searching for aspects of Verne, a spot the dinosaur game and
researching the historical references, readers can gain more from
this book than a fantastic adventure story.
Sue Keane
