EJSpy School series. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN: 9781921931659
Susannah McFarlane's EJ Spy School early chapter books
follow EJ10's adventures as she trains to become an agent.
In Hide and Peek, young Emma Jacks is ready to join her best
friends in a class excursion to visit Christmas Town and the big
Giving Tree in the centre of her city. Just as she places her bag in
the lockers, EJ10's spy watch beeps and she is called away on
another mission. Shadow Agents are planning to steal all the
presents for the needy families from underneath the Giving Tree.
First EJ10 decodes the secret message, keys the answer into the
laptop, then she can enter the secret lab to receive her
instructions. She is equipped with a special backpack filled with
Christmas disguises and is instructed on how to use the special
green button on her watch. Her costume changes and keen sense of
observation help to save the day.
These stories use age appropriate words, short chapters, lager text,
with simple concepts and familiar themes to build reader confidence
and engagement. Dyani Stagg's cartoon style illustrations complement
the text and bring EJ10's adventures to life. This series is a great
introduction to the loved agent EJ12.
Rhyllis Bignell
There was an old bloke who swallowed a present by P. Crumble
Ill. by Louis Shea. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743625255
(Ages: 4-6) Christmas. In the now familiar format of I know an
old lady who swallowed a fly, P. Crumble's latest Yuletide
tale takes the old bloke on another adventure, consuming some not so
pleasant Christmas treats. The story begins when Santa visits to
drop off a present that bounces off the old bloke's rather large
belly and into his wide open mouth, mid-snore. In quick succession,
he devours, a card, a gingerbread man and a not so perky turkey. The
final treat is a large wooden sleigh and two reindeer, of course,
this sets off the usual eruption and creates an unusual Christmas
display. Children love to listen to these fun stories, quickly
picking up on the rhyme and repetition.
Louis Shea's bold, brightly coloured illustrations once again add to
the excitement and enjoyment of this picture book. The lenticular
cover shows what happens when the old bloke attempts to climb a
stack of presents. The scene of the swirling stomach juices is
humorous with the choir still singing and the angry gingerbread man
flinging snow at the turkey.
Rhyllis Bignell
Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Stories ill. by Andrew Grey
Based on the Winnie-the-Pooh works by A.A. Milne & E.H. Shepard.
Chirpy Bird/ Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014. ISBN 9781760122997
This is a collection of three Christmas stories starring Pooh,
Piglet, and all the other favourite characters brought to life by A.
A. Milne.
In the first, Pooh's Snowy Day, Pooh and Piglet decide to
build Eeyore a new house. But something goes awry, as usual. In the
second, Pooh's Christmas Adventure, Pooh find himself snowed
in. He uses his honey pot to dig himself out and then realises he is
out of honey. Perhaps his friends will have some. But they too are
snowed in and so it becomes a very busy afternoon, culminating in
them all building a magnificent snowman. The third story in the
collection is Pooh's Christmas Letters. Pooh is stumping
home through the snow from Christopher Robin's house, humming a
little hum, when he has an idea. Next day, Piglet, Christopher
Robin, Kanga, Roo, Tigger, Eeyore and Owl all receive mysterious
letters telling them to go to the North Pole at luncheon. Piglet is
very worried that Pooh has been kidnapped by Hostile Animals or a
Heffalump so they all go to see Rabbit for advice. But Rabbit also
has a letter, and, appointing himself in charge, he leads them off
to the North Pole where they find . . .
Illustrator Andrew Grey has captured the essence of Shepard's
original illustrations and this colourful interpretation is a
wonderful way to introduce yet another generation to the timeless
tales of this delightful bear and his friends. Perfect for being one
of the traditions of the Christmas season.
Barbara Braxton
Everything I need to know about Christmas I learned from a Little Golden Book by Diane Muldrow
Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780553497359
Christmas is coming and there is so much to do: Cooking, cleaning,
battling the crowds, making decorations, going carolling . . . but
there's another side as well.
This is an unusual book, if not unique. Diane Muldrow has captured
the lead-up to Christmas perfectly, but the charm of the book comes
in its illustrations. For each page is a page from a classic Little
Golden Book of the past. Favourite characters such as the Pokey
Little Puppy, The Gingerbread Man, and many others, offer valuable
seasonal advice for having a happy holiday. Each is referenced to
its original source - a story published between 1942 and 1964 - and
takes the reader on a wonderful nostalgia trip (if they're my
vintage) or suggests a story that younger readers might like to
explore, perhaps with their parents or grandparents who are more
likely to be familiar with them.
If nothing else, it gives younger readers a glimpse into a previous
time, the stories enjoyed then and the lifestyle led.
Barbara Braxton
John Williamson's Christmas in Australia by John Williamson
Ill. by Mitch Vane. Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9780670077724
It's December in Australia which means Christmas is close, Everyone
has gathered; the tree - a native pine - is decorated; turkey and
ham are organised and Santa's on his way in the back of Jacko's ute.
So it's time to take the traditional family photograph. But the task
of getting everyone in the frame at the same time is proving very
difficult. Will it happen?
There are many books about Christmas in Australia but this one based
on the lyrics of John Williamson's iconic song is one of my
favourites. As I read I could 'hear' him telling the story (if
you're not familiar with it go here )
capturing all those images that we associate with the celebration
under the sun. I love that the focus is the family getting together
rather than giving and receiving presents - in fact with the
exception of the endpapers where a cheeky kookaburra is guarding an
array of socks and slippers on the line, there is no sign of gifts
anywhere. Mitch Vane has captured the imagery perfectly adding extra
life and humour that captured the attention of a group of Year 4
boys for ages. Each page was turned really slowly because there was
so much for them to see and point out and laugh at! The scenes were
clearly familiar to them. Christmas in Australia offers lots of scope for
compare-and-contrast activities as we are bombarded with imagery
from the northern hemisphere which can set up investigations into
the science of the seasons, but it can also suggest a probe into why
so many of those old traditions remain. A southern Christmas is so
very different from that known by our northern hemisphere ancestors
so why did they feel it so important to cling to what they knew? But
it is also an opportunity to look to the future. Have the children
think about who would be in their family photo this year and what
they would tell their own children about them. Also have them think
about the other things they do on this special day and which of
those they would ensure they pass on to their own children and
grandchildren. Maybe they could investigate the origins of those
things that are unique to their family so they know the stories
behind them. Even though there is some concern that commercialism is
taking over the Christian aspect of this celebration in Australia,
perhaps it is an opportunity to find out why it is evolving into the
most significant celebration of family that we have - in a way that
Thanksgiving is to the USA - and why we feel the need to connect to
each other in this way.
Even without using this book as a springboard for those sorts of
investigations, this is a wonderful addition to your Christmas
collection - one that would be a must-wrap-and-read for the
Christmas Advent Calendar.
Barbara Braxton
Where are Santa's Pants? by Richard Merritt
Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781921541506
Santa has been on a diet - perhaps he has been paying attention to all the messages about healthy eating - and now he's so trim his pants have fallen off!! Shock! Horror! Christmas cannot have a Santa with no pants and so the readers are challenged to find them hidden in these brightly-coloured, strikingly-detailed, double-spread pictures that cover a variety of locations from the North Pole to the Post Office. Each pair is a different colour and pattern so they blend in well with the background. There is also a lucky sixpence (the UK equivalent of Australia's 5c) as well as eight reindeer to be found, adding to the puzzle as well as the shareability of the book - each child can search for something different. And as they search within particular contexts, there is much to see and talk about.
In the style of Where's Wally?, this Christmas title proved a winner with Year 3-4 on Friday! Given over 30 brand new books to choose from, this one created the most interest and the person who 'won' was so engrossed in the puzzles that she didn't get around to doing the review. That says it all to me. If you're engaged with a picture book for over 45 minutes, then it is offering something special.
Puzzle books of this nature intrigue younger readers (even Year 6s like the challenge, and, in this case, even adult eyes were tested) and they all contribute to the development of the child's visual acuity - the ability to see fine detail and essential for writing, spelling and information literacy as they examine pictures for clues. This is a new, seasonal addition to your Pick-a-Puzzle section that will delight a new audience each year.
Barbara Braxton
The Falcon Throne by Karen Miller
Orbit, 2014. ISBN: 9781841499598
(Age: 16+) Recommended. The Falcon Throne is a high fantasy
novel which successfully follows the lives of a multitude of
characters across three bordering countries, Clemen, Arden and
Harcia.
The novel shows the escalating antagonism between Clemen and Harcia
after Clemen's Duke, Harald, was overthrown by his bastard cousin,
Roric. The seizing of Harald's duchy was unnecessarily bloody
and Roric, who is nothing like his cousin, grieved the loss of his
infant nephew for many years after the supposed slaughter. Roric had
intended only to be a caretaker duke until Liam came of age. Soon
after becoming Duke Roric showed his independent streak to the
duplicitous lords of counsel and unintentionally offended Arden and
Harcia, as well as the Prince Regents. While Roric becomes entangled
in politics, years pass and Liam grows in secret. He was spirited
away the night of the coup by his wet nurse, Ellen. She found
shelter in a Marcher pup called The Pig Whistle and whispered his
story to him each night, encouraging Liam's sense of entitlement and
determination to take back Clemen from the bastard Roric. Living in
the Marches Liam bears witness to the animosity between Harcia's
heir, Balfor, and Clemen's Marcher lords and is forced to choose a
side when his home is destroyed. It soon becomes apparent to Liam
that Harcia is preparing for war with Clemen and he is just where he
wants to be.
With witches, jousting, hunting and court drama, this medieval
fantasy is full of colour, description and believable characters. I
would highly recommend to lovers of fantasy above the age of
sixteen. One of the things which I loved about this book is that it
is has a very distinct feel of Shakespearean drama. Similar to Game
of Thrones it is a massive story which follows more than ten
characters across three different countries, yet it does deter the
reader, only enthral him/her more. I cannot wait to read the next
instalment in The Tarnished Crown Series.
Kayla Gaskell
A bean, a stalk and a boy called Jack by William Joyce
Ill. by Kenny Callicutt. Simon and Schuster, 2014. ISBN
9781471123795
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Picture book, Folk tale, Water. Water
is at the heart of this story which turns the old tale of Jack
and the Beanstalk upside down. The countryside is bereft of
water, no crops grow, no rains fall, the wells and rivers have dried
up, but above all else the king's pinky is dirty. To wash his little
toe, he orders his minions to cry, using their tears to wash his
toe. But the embarrassed princess goes to the wizard to find a
better solution, and he gives her a magic bean. Soon in the hands of
Jack, the bean is planted and he climbs the vine to the giant's
house in the sky to see what he can find. In doing so he finds out
why there is no water and fixes the problem to the satisfaction of
all.
A funny take on the old tale of Jack and the Beanstalk,
readers will enjoy the extras the author has added to the story. The
twists on the tale are enchanting, as is the language used.
Contractions of words often heard but rarely seen in print add
another level of humour, as do the fabulous illustrations, evoking
an older style of pictorial work, but using different touches to add
intrigue. I love the bubbles going across the pages, and the
different fonts and sizes of fonts used for definition. Readers will
enjoy following the paths of many of the background objects, the
cow, the bird, the rubber ducky, the magician and so on. A fabulous
story to read aloud and discuss with the audience, A bean a
stalk and Jack will keep everyone tickled pink.
Fran Knight
Mix it up! by Herve Tullet
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781760110956
(Age: 3+) Warmly recommended. Painting, Colour. Interactive does not
only apply to computers, as here is an interactive book to keep
children amused for ages. Mixing colours by pressing on each page
will enthrall, delight and inform as kids turn the pages of this
book with solid covers and shiny paper filled with colour inside.
The reader is asked to tap the first dot, and on turning the page
finds a few coloured spots have appeared. Over the next few pages
the reader is asked to tap again and more coloured spots appear.
Then a hand outline covers the spots, and the readers will not be
able to resist putting their hand on the page. Over the page again,
more coloured dots appear and the reader is asked to mix them, each
time finding a new colour appears after mixing one or two colours.
Not only is the child having fun with the pages of the book, but
they are learning how colours mix to make other colours. A fun time
will be had reading through the book, and imagination soar as they
see the possibilities beyond the pages. Paper and paint will need to
be available at the end to reading for them to further explore what
they have leant and wish to discover.
The interactive nature of the book will enthrall younger readers,
who without knowing it will absorb the names of colours and the idea
of mixing colour to create another, and at the same time, follow
instructions, a skill which is very handy for young people to learn.
Another book by Tulet, Press here! (2010) is just as fascinating in
teaching children that books can be interactive and using this book
will again encourage them to follow instructions.
Fran Knight
The Book of Days by K. A. Barker
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2014. ISBN: 9781742614175
Recommended. The Book of Days written by Brisbane author
K.A. Barker brings a new, fresh and different contribution to the
young adult fantasy world. 16 year old Tuesday awakes from a 10 year
long sleep to find herself in The Unreality House left with nothing
but basic human functions, a letter from her past self and a man -
Quintalion - whom she has no recollection of to watch over her.
Tuesday soon finds herself confronted by her past horrors which she
still has no memory of. Her 'old self' told her to let go of the
past. She was told to use the chance she had been given to start
again, but when the head of the Daybreakers shows up accusing her of
things she can't remember doing, she sets out on an adventure to
discover what it was that left her with no hope all those years ago.
The novel will constantly keep you on your toes and won't let you
put it down. It's impossible to predict what's coming next and each
chapter brings a new bit of adventure. The book is expertly written
with characters that are easy to relate to. The people are well
rounded with believable back stories and lovable personalities. K.A.
Barker did an amazing job bringing realistic characters into an
enchanting fantasy word. The Book of Days is a fun, captivating and exciting fantasy
book that people of many ages will fall in love with. The story is
thrilling, original and I cannot wait to see what else K.A. Barker
has in store for us.
Jude Mills (Student Year 9)
Once a shepherd by Glenda Millard
Ill. by Phil Lesnie. Walker Books, 2014. ISBN 9781921720628
(Age: 7+) Recommended. War, Kindness, Loss. The shepherd tends his
flock with love and care, and marries Cherry, his childhood sweat
heart. When he is called to war, she makes him a greatcoat to keep
him safe, sewn together with love. But it cannot keep him safe and
an enemy soldier stays with him as he dies, taking his greatcoat
from him to return it to his wife.
The bare bones of the story ring of the futility of war, of the
conflict that makes people takes sides, even though they are the
same beneath the uniforms. Love and kindness will prevail despite
what nations do to each other. It is a salutary message in these
times of hatred between groups within our societies and the story
offers hope to the young children who read it.
The circle of life, shown through the making and the return of the
greatcoat and its making and then remaking as a child's toy,
reiterates the theme that life endures, no matter what is thrown up
against it. Again, a positive idea for children to absorb.
Millard's verse, perfectly distills these ideas into a seamless
narrative, evoking sympathy for the soldier called away from his
family to war, to the family left at home, then the soldier from the
opposing forces returning to console the grieving mother and her
child.
The endpapers with their woollen cloth, speaks volumes of the amount
of material needed to clothe soldiers at war, and the needle and
thread in the corner too speaks of the ties that bind us. The soft
watercolour illustrations are evocative of the family and its life
and the life taken away.
Fran Knight
The Bloodhound Boys: The Monster Truck Tremor Dilemma by Andrew Cranna
Walker Books 2014. ISBN 9781922179326
This action packed graphic novel is the second adventure for The
Bloodhound Boys, Rocky Werewolf, Vince Vampire and their sidekick
Snake. They enter a monster truck race along with competitors like
'Evil Knievel Weevils' 'Zombie Slugs' driving 'Spitball' and 'Dwayne
the Brain and his Minion Monkeys'. The prize is a cup of 'truck
blood' (otherwise known as oil) but to win, the competitors have to
race through the bottomless 'Ouch Ravine'. The Bloodhound Boys
survive sabotage, a near death crash and being saved by a pair of
giant underpants, only to encounter their owner. They escape the
giant but nearly starve to death before encountering the earth
eating Worgon consuming everything in its path. The story is
certainly action packed and the dynamic black and white
illustrations keep our attention firmly on the page. The language is
playful including puns and jokes while the underlying message of the
importance of friends and working together is so embedded that
everyone ends up understanding one another better; no bad guys, just
the misunderstood. Primary students ready to expand their reading
will enjoy the clever language while the great illustrations move
the story on to its gripping conclusion. Andrew Cranna is a teacher
and artist based in Sydney and his monsters subtly reinforce a range
of very human values. Rated 9/10 by a nine year old reader, I
enjoyed it too.
Sue Speck
My real children by Jo Walton
Constable & Robinson, 2014. ISBN 9781472119728
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Jo Walton has written a number of
fantasy and sci-fi novels, as well as role-playing scenarios. This
novel, about Patricia/Patsy/Pat/Trish, shows the influence of
role-playing in the plot, but is otherwise a realistic look at the
possible lives of women in the decades from 1930's to this century.
The strongest writing describes the childhood and youth of Patricia
Cowan, a bright and devout little girl who grows up in a sheltered
working class home loving her father and the annual seaside holiday.
The war years bring all that to a close. The loss of loved ones as
well as the deprivation of that time is clearly captured. A
scholarship to Oxford offers a bright future and her engagement to a
talented scholar, Mark, seems to promise happiness as well. At this
point the author suggests two possible futures to Patsy, one as the
wife of a teacher, one as an unmarried teacher herself. As in Lionel
Shriver' Post birthday world this divergence allows an
exploration different lives and social forces. The married Patsy
finds her husband has little interest in sex, which is fortunate as
he does not believe in contraception. She has very painful
experiences in childbirth and several life-threatening miscarriages.
Her husband is a bitter and demeaning man who has no understanding
of or interest in her life. After the four children have grown she
discovers that he is a homosexual and they divorce. She makes a life
for herself as a teacher and a busy committee woman. The unmarried
Patsy becomes a passionate scholar of the Italian Renaissance and
writes guidebooks to Italian cities. She loves a woman and with the
help of a friend they have several children. Her life is successful
and happy, but she suffers from the lack of legal support for single
woman and for gays. The reader is given glimpses of political
and social changes in the backgrounds to both stories. For some
reason the background to the difficult life is as it happened, the
Cuban missile crisis is resolved and so on. However, in the
background to the happier life world events take a dark turn.
Thousands are killed in various missile blasts, and a number of the
main characters die from cancers. The stories are brought together
in the nursing home where Patricia, now with dementia, ends her
years remembering both versions of her life. Both stories move
quickly and are successful in capturing the social milieux of those
years and the diverging roles of women. The novel could be compared
with the Post birthday world, and On Chesil beach by
Ian McEwan.
Jenny Hamilton
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir who got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe by Romain Puertolas
Random House Australia. Vintage Australia, 2014. ISBN: 9780857983503
(Age: Suitable for senior students and adults) As you may guess by
the rather unusual title, this is a rather difficult book to define
except to say that it is wildly hilarious, totally improbable and a
fabulous read. If you mashed up some Monty Python, some Borat and
some Mel Brooks and turned them all into some kind of Marx Brothers
escapade, you'd be getting close.
I've been reading this for the past week while supervising exams and
so on at the end of the term and found it perfect for shorter
periods of time - reading a chapter or two in a sitting.
To give you some idea of the crazy plot, we start with a very bogus
Indian fakir arriving in Paris with a counterfeit 100 pound note and a
borrowed suit because he wants to buy a new bed of nails - which he
had seen in an Ikea catalogue back in his home village. His plan is
to be in Paris for 24 hours only - just long enough to buy the bed
and go home. After misguidedly hoaxing a Gypsy cab driver with his
fake money, he ends up in Ikea fascinated by its offerings - which
for him include a smart Parisienne woman who buys him lunch and
indicates she would also love dessert - of a kind. He declines this
overture - regretfully and not without some deliberation but is
intent on his mission. Having no actual money he certainly can''t
afford a hotel so decides to stay the night in the bedding
department at Ikea. Cue ensuing chaos as the Gypsy cab driver alerts
Ikea staff to the possibility of a bogus Indian in their store and
Asjatashatru, the fakir, leaping into a wardrobe to evade night
staff and the game is on.
The story unravels with the wily Indian being transported - one way
or another all over Europe at a pace that takes his (and the
reader's) breath away. Along the way meeting friends and foes,
having uncanny good fortune and some narrow escapes, the Indian
finds himself examining his life, his misdeeds, his growing feelings
of love for his Parisienne Marie and the 'universal desire to seek a
better life'.
A rollicking romp of laughs all the way.
Sue Warren
Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day by Judith Viorst
Ill. by Ray Cruz. Simon and Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781471122873
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Picture book, Family life, Bad hair
days. This is one of those books that is still on the shelves even
though it looks like a dog's breakfast, with turned down corners,
pages missing, scribble over some or it, and simply well used and
loved, because it has been a favourite since being first published
forty years ago. Alexander wakes to find that the gum in his mouth
last night is now in his hair, the skateboard is under his feet as
he gets out of bed, and he has dropped his jumper into the sink. He
knows it's going to be one of those days. And yes, as we read all
the things that could possibly go wrong, do. He is forced to sit
between the children in the back seat, he forgets the number sixteen
in maths class, his best friends tells him he is now his third best
friend, and Mum forgets to add dessert to his lunch box. And on it
goes, a long list of things that go wrong, ruining Alexander's day,
but enabling the readers to laugh out loud at his perception of his
bad day.
Readers will love hearing of the things that go wrong in Alexander's
day, sharing stories of their own bad days, laughing with their
class members at their misfortunes, recognising the things that
happen to Alexander. It will remind children that everyone has bad
days, and short of emigrating, there is little that can be done,
except grin and bear it, knowing that the day will end and tomorrow
will be much better.
The first edition has been republished, but Alexander has been
rendered in colour, making him stand out within the detailed line
drawings. Children will love comparing the old and new editions and
wonder at what will be in the film, as this publication is a film
tie-in.
Fran Knight
