Ill. by Evan Palmer. Scholastic, 2015. Hard cover with audio module.
ISBN 9781760150327
(Age: 4 - 8 years) Jurassic Farts author, P U Ripley has
been named 'Fartsperson of the Year' an impressive five times by the
Royal Fartological Society. He is widely acclaimed and lives
somewhere with his trained turtle Donald. Ripley shares his
extensive knowledge of dinosaurs in this engaging spotter's guide
that has been colourfully and creatively illustrated by Evan Palmer.
While the personal noises and habits of dinosaurs may not always be
dinner conversation, for every genuine, junior Jurassic spotter out
there, this book is a must. It combines fun, facts, and teaching
with creative imaginings, brilliantly - from the how-to's of
pronunciation, to the low-down on when and where dinosaurs roamed
and other exciting statistics, to its built-in audio module. The
gurgling sounds of many a dinosaur's bottom that emanate from the
push-button fart-machine brings these ancient creatures alive, and
while its hard cover pages will suit knock-about little spotters,
serious in-the-field spotters will appreciate having this tough
reference in their backpacks. 'Jurassic Farts' is colourful,
cheekily informative, and quite possibly close to the real deal. It
is indeed a compendium for every budding 'dinosaur fartologist' who
probably comes somewhere within the realms of 4-8 years old.
Colleen Tuovinen
Molly and Pim and the millions of stars by Martine Murray
Text Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781925240085
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Family, Environment, Friendship,
Herbs. Molly rarely talks about her mother at school with her best
friend Ellen, because she is so different from the other mothers.
Their house is like a gypsy caravan, and mama collects wild herbs
from the wood soon after dawn, mixing them for teas and infusions,
even relying on them for making an acorn grow into a tree in double
quick time. But an unexpected and magical outcome has Molly
perplexed about what to do. She feels she cannot tell her best
friend as she will not understand, but relies instead on Pim, the
boy in her class who is different from all the others. He offers
help without hesitation and together they work to get mama back
home. Time is of the essence however as the ugly couple next door
wants to chop the tree down, and when Molly finally goes to see
Ellen finds that she has been ill. Another complication arises.
This is a charming story of difference, couched in a quietly
fantastical story which will readily garner fans. Gentle home spun
philosophy can be found on every page as mama's practical no
nonsense attitude to life revolves around the natural things to be
found not the clutter that Molly initially craves to ensure that she
fits in.
While striving to get mama back she finds a renewed interest in and
respect for the things her mother loves, and learns the value of her
own unusual life. This is a book to be savoured.
At the end of the book is a section called Molly's notes, in which
the plants and animals used as chapter illustrations are outlined.
Information is given about each, for example, the page about
rosemary tells us that put under your pillow at night, it will
prevent nightmares. The sparkly front cover will attract the readers
to the book and the story inside will ensure they stay reading.
It would make a stunning class read a loud, full of digressions to
be discussed and thought over.
Fran Knight
The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly by Ted Sanders
Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471403590
(Age: 10+) The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly is a novel
aimed at readers aged 10+. While it is set in America, it is a
fantasy novel. It is a story of objects with unusual abilities and
The Keepers in charge of protecting them. Horace is a new Keeper and
his mystical object is a box that allows him to see a day into the
future. Chloe has been a Keeper for seven years without even
realising it. Together, they are protecting objects wanted by the
evil Riven, a group who will stop at nothing to get their hands on
these items.
This is a rich and descriptive novel and children will need to be
independent readers to understand and follow the events. They will
be introduced to unusual objects - both evil and good. They will
cheer for Horace in his battle to protect his mystical item and boo
for Dr Jericho as he uses his evil ways to track Horace and Chloe.
At over 400 pages long, it will keep readers engaged and immersed in
a new and unusual world.
Kylie Kempster
The lost daughter by Elena Ferrante
Trans. by Ann Goldstein. Text, 2015, 9781925240139
Recommended for Senior readers. The short novel, almost a novella,
The Lost Daughter is a powerful exploration of some of the themes
Elena Ferrante explores in her Neapolitan Novels series (to
be completed with Volume 4 in October). Set in contemporary Italy it
examines identity, motherhood and the nature of knowledge. When
Leda's adult daughters leave her to live with their father in Canada
she is surprisingly relieved. She pursues the academic career she
has persisted with through the years of child raising, dreads their
phone calls with the demands they always imposed and goes on holiday
alone. While on holiday, relaxing on the beach, she begins to review
her life as a mother, a process in part inspired by her observations
of a beautiful young woman and her demanding child. While lying on
her towel Leda notes the obsessive nature of the relationship, in
its physicality and emotional intensity, which is passed on by the
child to her doll. The doll is of course compliant and pliable and
thus is a more satisfactory child than a real one. Leda begins to
take notice of the pair's family, the mother's gross husband, her
demanding and flagrantly pregnant sister-in-law and a collection of
other relations, all Neapolitan and speaking the Napolese dialect
that still marked her own speech. Her mind turns to her escape from
Naples when she was 18 and her rejection of that part of her life
but which has left its mark on her own accented Italian. A sudden
storm on the beach allows her to steal the child's doll, which she
hides in her apartment, buys clothes for and gruesomely expels a
worm from its body, an act that is comparable to aborting a growth.
The doll is again an ideal child, unlike her own daughters, a child
that accepts attention but doesn't demand or distract, a child whose
sexuality can be controlled. Leda by chance becomes friendly with
the child's mother who expresses her admiration for Leda's learning
and grace, until she reveals the doll. Screaming in vicious dialect
the mother tells Leda that her books and learning mean nothing
before shockingly assaulting her. In the end an act of cheerful
acceptance, a sign of love, from her daughters restores balance to
Leda's life, and the reader is left with the understanding that this
love counts for more than the challenges that the children have
caused. Ferrante is concerned with the complexity of being a woman,
a mother and a daughter, and the power of upbringing, as well as the
limited effect of education. She asks how much can learning, reading
and knowing literature moderate the effects of the dilemmas of
motherhood? This powerful novel is recommended for older readers.
Jenny Hamilton
The Remedy by Suzanne Young
Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN 9781481437653
(Age: 16+) The Remedy is a dystopian romance with a dark
twist: it tells the story of Quinlan McKee, a 17-year-old,
relatively normal girl with a very strange job: she's a 'closer'.
She's an actor-of-sorts who takes on the persona of people who have
recently died, and brings comfort and closure to their families, in
an unusual form of grief counselling. But then she takes on the
assignment of Catalina Barnes, who died a mysterious death, and
uncovers secrets beyond what she thought possible. The Remedy is a prequel to Young's other novels The
Program and The Treatment, taking place in the same
universe, and in this way it works perfectly well. The story itself
is highly original and often very engaging - however, the writing
style is quite simplistic and far from literary. For some this may
be annoyingly plain, while for others it makes the story more
enjoyable, but this mostly comes down to personal preference. It's
worth mentioning that love triangles are often a point of contention
when it comes to teenage novels, and The Remedy is no
different. The love triangle here is quite well done - the only
problem being that it feels underdeveloped, and this remains one of
the major flaws in the novel. Because of this, and since the love
triangle is such a key part of the storyline, the novel would have
definitely benefited from being a bit longer.
Even though The Remedy is a prequel, it works quite well as
a standalone book - nonetheless, it is of course aimed at fans of
Young's other books, particularly The Program and The
Treatment, and it is they who will most enjoy it, along with
fans of teenage dystopian romance.
Rebecca Adams
Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen
Breaking Nova series, bk2.
Sphere, 2015. ISBN 9780751555356.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Drug abuse.
Nova can't forget Quinton, the
one who made her realise that an empty life is not what she
deserved. Nova has come to terms with her past and has started to
heal, while Quinton is out there getting worse and sinking deeper.
She is determined to find him and help him, even if he doesn't want
the help. Quinton believes that this is what he deserves, life
without Nova and a life of hopelessness and despair. He tries to
keep Nova away from his life to keep her safe, but Nova isn't going
anywhere.
Nova having been a drug addict herself and wanting to help Quinton
through his struggles while fighting her past, was astonishing; I
needed to keep reading to see if Nova would succeed in saving
Quinton.
Jessica Sorensen has done a marvellous job in portraying a
life in an addiction and how it affects others. The story pulled at
so many emotions and addresses personal issues that will have the
reader hooked.
Cecilia Richards
The Grimstones collection by Asphyxia
Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760113919
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Humour. Gothic stories. Ghouls. Beautifully
presented, this compendium of the four Grimstones stories will be a
welcome addition to any library, with its shiny paper, delicious,
inventive illustrations and easy to read chapters. Hatched, Mortimer
revealed, Whirlwind and Music school are collected in this one
volume for readers of this eerie set of Gothic tales. The first two
books in the series are reviewed in Readplus.
The diaries of the youngest member of the Grimstone family, Martha
will encourage all sorts of readers to peer into this book, as she
introduces her very strange family and investigates the death of her
beloved father, Mortimer.
With enticing pictures of Martha with her wan thin expression bathed
in black clothing, leading the reader to postulate how the
illustrator achieved the images, the pages turn to reveal diagrams,
notes, tips on how to do things, bold headings of frustration,
recipes, drawings, pages from other books, double page illustrations
and loads of little drawings that fill many nooks and crannies, all
designed to intrigue. At the end of the book Asphyxia gives a brief
summary of how she and her partner achieved the illustrative work
and she refers the readers to her website for further
information. I can imagine many readers poring over the pages to see
how the images are put together and try it out for themselves, and
as a result have many libraries and classrooms set up with Grimstone
puppets with ghoulish settings as a display.
The Gothic humour pervades the whole book and will capture a wide
audience.
Fran Knight
Two fearsome fairy tales from France retold by Adele Geras
Christmas Press, 2015. ISBN 9780992283841
(Age: 9+) Two fearsome fairy tales from France retell the
stories of Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard. The stories are
similar to what the children already know and would be great for
comparing with other versions as part of an English unit on
narratives. Children could also create their own versions of these
stories.
The text is accompanied by simple illustrations with an element of
another world, hundreds of years ago. The text is aimed at
independent readers aged 9+ but would be appropriate for adults to
read to less able readers as well. This is a great book to add to
any home or school library and a great way to investigate stories of
the past and other countries.
Kylie Kempster
Eve and the runaway unicorn by Jess Black
Keeper of the crystals bk 1. New Frontier Publishing, 2015. ISBN
9780957988415
(Age: 7+) Fantasy. Adventure. Environmental damage. Eve and
her friend Oscar discover a magical trunk in Eve's Grandma's attic.
The fantasy adventure follows as they enter a magical world
where animals are guardians of people that live in a desert created
as the result of the environmental plundering by a cruel ruler. Eve
becomes the answer to a prophecy that enables her to restore this
damaged world with the support of the magical unicorn who is her
guardian. This book is reminiscent of C. S. Lewis' The lion, the
witch and the wardrobe, with the transition from the present time
through an unexpected portal, however this is much more simply
written and the solution is far less complex (although perhaps a
little too easily contrived). The pink cover and female central
character perhaps cater for a young female audience, but the
conflict in the fantasy world could appeal to boys also.
The book will be enjoyed by readers aged 7+, and the fantasy world
is relatively simple to understand for the younger audience.
Carolyn Hull
The cat who came in off the roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt
Allen & Unwin. Imprint: Pushkin Children's Books, 2015. ISBN
9781782690368
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Have you heard of this author? No,
neither had I but the title intrigued me - I do like an interesting
title. Plus I'm a cat person. This charming novel held my interest
fully for the return trip to the city today.
Tibbles is a journalist - but not your average one. He is painfully
shy, he is an excellent writer but seems to find only stories that
are not 'newsworthy' and he is a cat lover. When his editor
threatens him with dismissal if there is 'just one more cat story',
Tibbles is at a loss. Then Minou appears - literally, 'treed' by a
ferocious dog in his local park and then later in the evening by
crawling through his attic window. A strangely attractive young
woman, Minou exhibits cattish behaviours - well, after all, she's
been 'treed' by a dog and now she is in Tibbles' kitchen gnawing on
a fish skeleton from his rubbish bin!
So begins one of the most delightful and original novels I have read
in a long while. Minou is in fact a cat, who has somehow become a
human, though not without her erstwhile tendencies as a feline.
Tibbles begins his ascendancy and redemption as a journalist when
Minou starts to bring him tidbits from the 'Cat Press Agency'.
Obviously the many cats of a small town would have insight into much
of the town's real news.
This is such a happy read - easy, light, almost - dare I say it? -
fluffy! I loved it! I urge you to read the love story of Tibbles and
Minou - with its unfolding drama due to the obligatory villain.
Having just recently revisited the 101 dalmations with the
wonderful 'twilight barking' sending of information, this truly
resonated.
From the publisher: 'Annie M. G. Schmidt was regard as the Queen of
Dutch Children's Literature and her books have been an essential
part of of every Dutch childhood for the last fifty years. (She
trained as a librarian!).'
I thank her for bringing some real reading joy to my life at the
moment.
Highly recommended for readers of around 12 and up!!
Sue Warren
Just the way we are by Jessica Shirvington
Ill. by Claire Robertson. ABC Books, 2015. ISBN 9780733331626
(Age: 4+) Families. Difference. Shirvington presents the young
reader with an array of different families. Each is introduced on
one double page spread, those who make up the family described and
shown in the illustrations, then the family is presented doing
something together on the next double page. The second double page
always ends with the refrain of the title 'Just the way we are',
underlining the similarities and differences between each family,
but also showing that each is just a family like any other.
The first family has a mum and dad with one child, and they all live
together with the girl's grandfather, so the girl is able to do some
amazing things with her grandfather while her parents are at work.
The next shows a family with one child and two dads, followed by a
family which lives in two houses, then a foster family where the
child no longer calls the guardians by their names, but Mum and Dad,
while the last family is a single parent family. Each shows the
family doing things a family does together no matter how it is made
up, and the illustrations underscore the basic needs of the child
being met within the family: love, care and belonging.
Early readers will enjoy reading of all the different sorts of
families and recognise that each is different but also the same.
Fran Knight
Summer spell by Karen Wood
Trickstars series. Allen & Unwin, 2015
ISBN 9781743319062
(Age: 8+) Family. Magic. Overcoming difficulties. The
trick-riding triplets are back! This is book 2 in the Trickstars
series, and in this book we view the action from the perspective of
the slightly anxious triplet, Lexie. The girls need to compete in a
trick horse-riding competition against old family rivals (also with
gypsy heritage) who are challenging them for the right to a valued
gold belt (with possible magical influence). The competing family
manage to use their own magical skills to give Lexie a rather
unusual olfactory experience which upsets her normal balance and her
ability to cope with pressure. The final competition requires all of
their horse-riding and performance skills to be put on show, in
order to overcome the spell-binding (pun intended!) skills of the
other team. The girls' grumpy Grandpa even has an unexpected role.
The magic in the book is really just mild fantasy, and mostly the
characters need to learn to hone their own strengths, rather than
rely on any external powers. This makes this a charming book for
young readers aged 8+.
Carolyn Hull
I heart pets by Meredith Costain
Ella diaries. Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9781760153038
(Age: 6-10) While reading the first few pages of Ella diaries: I
heart pets, I was quickly reminded of two of my current year 4
students. Ella, our main character, records her thoughts and
feelings in diary entries and these entries tell the story. She is
just like my two students - chatty, creative and dramatic - and so I
highly recommend this for girls aged 8+.
Ella and her friend Zoe love pets. Unfortunately, Ella's school
enemy sounds a lot more dedicated to animals and Ella is determined
to show she is more dedicated. Ella's first plan is to persuade her
parents that they need more pets so she has more animals to study.
Ella's parents don't agree. Her next plan is to become a pet minder.
Ella's parents don't agree of course. Ella's final plans are to
become a pet walker. As luck would have it, Ella's first job is to
mind a lizard and, after much persuasion, her mum allows it. Of
course, it can't be easy and the lizard escapes. Will Ella find
Lizzie the lizard? Why is her school enemy looking so suspicious?
Will Ella and Zoe figure it out?
This is a very cute and easy-to-read story. The text moves quickly
and it is descriptive. The small illustrations are engaging and add
to the detail of the story. It reminds me of other series that have
been set out in the diary format. Ella diaries: I heart pets
would be a great book to read to the class, especially during
an animal unit as it talks about creating animal fact files.
Children could create their own animal fact files based on a country
they are studying in Geography or when studying animal adaptations in
Science.
Kylie Kempster
Which way, Dude? : BMO's day out by Max Brallier
Ill. by Stephen Reed. Adventure Time series. Hardie Grant
Egmont, 2015. ISBN 9781760123208
(Age: 8-10) Adventure, Fantasy, Science fiction. This Choose your
own adventure repackaged to include the reader in all sorts of
activities apart from making life changing decisions about the main
characters, will draw readers in to the zany world as presented in
the series on the Cartoon network (TimeWarner).
Finn and Jake are plying their favourite game, Portender Defender
with their tiny robot friend, BMO, when a knock at the door rouses
them. It is Peppermint Butler and he has dreadful news. The princess
Bubblegum is in deep trouble and they must help him rescue her. So
follows a fast paced adventure story which has the reader electing
to go on different paths to find the princess. Along the way the
reader must pass through mazes, answer questions, finish puzzles, do
a word find and work out a code to find answers to the question of
just where is the princess.
With puzzles at the end of almost every chapter, and each short
chapter offering lots of little cartoon illustrations, younger
readers will find this an easy read, propelled along by the funny
story. Instructions are clearly offered in boxes on the pages, so
the readers will know exactly what they have to do to continue.
Boys in middle years at primary school will find this a funny book
to get their teeth into.
Fran Knight
Every move by Ellie Marney
The Every series, Bk 3. Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN
9781743318539
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Mystery. Crime. Sherlock Holmes. The
third in The Every trilogy brings this nail biting series to
a very dramatic conclusion. Rachel is still very uptight about the
events in London (Every
word) and Mycroft is not communicating with her. She
grabs the chance to take a road trip back to her old home in the
country with her brother, but is not so happy to see his friend
Harris, who always seems to make inappropriate comments to her. Back
in Melbourne with Harris in tow, things begin to become dangerous
with a series of murders that appear to have been instigated by Mr
Wild, Mycroft's personal Moriarty, and it becomes evident that
Rachel and Mycroft will have to do something to stop the carnage.
With the help of Harris they set things in place for a final
denouncement.
The addition of Harris as a major player in the third book added a
great deal of interest to the story. His background story of a
difficult family life which he hides by ill-placed humour give him
depth and the skills that he has learnt in the country are crucial
to the trap that the three make to capture Mr Wild. He also teaches
Rachel some basic self-defence moves and boosts her self-confidence.
There is action galore as the trio take on the very scary Wild and
his associates and the relationship between Mycroft and Rachel also
develops in a very satisfying way.
I loved this series, its fast paced action and its fascinating
characters and can't wait to see what Ellie Marney writes next.
Pat Pledger
