Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743319048
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Zoos, Animals, Wombats. The twelve students
in a class known as the Wombats go to the zoo with their teachers,
Mrs Nott and Miss Anabel. The endpapers show the reader the
children's favourite animals with the reasons the animals are so
well liked while adding a few extra bits of information such as
collective nouns, the scariest animal and their task for the day.
Each outline reveals some of the children's characteristics. I
particularly liked Ava with her predilecton with the apostrophe,
exposing its misuse which will be enlightening for some and
hilarious for others.
Harvey's wonderfully detailed illustrations allow the readers to
discover the students' personalities, quirks and abilities as they
find their way into the exhibits of the animals they like. Double
page spreads are devoted to each of the twelve students, with an
illustration of their favourite exhibition space for their animal,
and funny details of what happens there, along with information
about the animal and the students. A list of the information each
child collects is given, while now and again, one of the students
writes a poem of their experiences.
Reading aloud each page and thoroughly exploring the minutiae of the
illustrations will keep readers amused for some time, and along the
way learn some interesting facts about the animals, models for their
own poetry writing and a few hints about what to do and not to do
when going to the zoo.
Fran Knight
Funny homes by Dr Mark Norman
Black Dog Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922179982
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Animals, Habitat. The habitats of two dozen
animals ranging from rock wallabies to crabs, cactus wrens and
moles, a ray and a sea cucumber, each is given a spectacular
photograph to show its environment as well as its place of
residence, and a paragraph of information suggesting why it lives in
such a place.
So we see the sloth, hanging from its favourite branches in the tree
tops by its amazing claw, so well adapted that it has difficulty
walking on the ground, or the oxpeckker, a bird which lives on the
zebra's back, picking off the fleas, or the two animals without eyes
that lives far beneath the surface of the ocean. Readers will love
reading of these odd creatures finding a home which suits them best.
And the stunning photographs will draw them to look more closely at
the animal and its place of residence.
At the end are two pages with information about eleven of the
animals mentioned, giving their correct name and where they are to
be found in the world, followed by a brief glossary and serviceable
index.
The third in the series by Dr Mark Norman, this book follows Funny
bums and Funny faces, and will be eagerly sought out in libraries
and classrooms where animals are under discussion. Dr Mark Norman is
a marine biologist who works at the University of Melbourne and
Museum Victoria, and has won significant acclaim for his books for
younger readers. The Great Barrier Reef book : solar powered won the Environment
Award for Children's Literature from the Wilderness Society in 2010,
amongst others.
Fran Knight
River Boy by Elizabeth Frankel
Ill. by Garry Duncan. Jane Curry Publishing, 2014. ISBN:
9781922190864
Recommended. Picture book. Themes: Sustainability; Environmental
change; Australia - Geography; Family Relationships. The River Boy
is taken for a camping trek on the River Murray in a tinnie, camping
on the river banks and living from the produce that the river
harbours. His grandfather shares the changes that have occurred over
time and the delights of living carefully in partnership with the
River that is the lifeblood of Australia. The boy's connection to
the river grows as his grandfather shares his own love of the place.
The absolute delight of this wonderful picture book is in the
illustrations by Garry Duncan. The boy and his grandfather are
realistic drawings superimposed on the stunning impressions of the
River Murray, shown with an incredibly accurate portrayal of the
changing light and colours. These illustrations take this reviewer
on her own memory journey down the Murray. They are spectacular.
This book is recommended.
Carolyn Hull
Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman
Faber & Faber, 2014. ISBN 9780571313693
(Age: 12+) In a past world not unlike to ours, Emmeline carries a
burden and a title that has stuck with her since the day of her
birth. Winterkill is coming and while the walls surrounding her
village are supposed to make her safe, Emmeline can't help but feel
apprehensive about those around her. Feeling like an outcast,
Emmeline trudges through her not so eventful life until one day, she
hears whispers from the trees in the woods and at that moment, her
life will never be normal again. So when Emmeline begins to discover
secrets hidden within the woods, will she risk it all to find out
about her history?
Kate A. Boorman's Winterkill delivered a creative plot and
an intriguing mystery into one novel. When reading the book, my liking
for the main heroine, Emmeline grew as she was a character that I
could admire and relate to. The writing is of good quality, with
great imagery and similes included throughout, especially from a
first-time author. But did this book fulfil my desire for story that
will leave me wanting more? Sadly, it did not hit the mark with me
regardless of the imaginative plot.
An aspect of this tale that I did enjoy was the surprising plot
twist nearing the conclusion as well as the secrets and hidden
agendas. The author delivers well-written characters that I either
loved to hate or simply liked.
Samantha May
Romeo & Juliet retold by Jim Pipe
Ill. by Penko Gelev. Graffex series. Book House, 2014. ISBN :
9781906714406
If, as I have just experienced, you have students who struggle with
Shakespeare, this series could prove a valuable complement to your
collection. My Year 10 boys have just done a unit on Romeo &
Juliet and while we steered clear of reading the play in full,
instead selecting passages, watching the film, live performance from
Grin & Tonic and so on, many still had some problems.
I took this slim graphic volume in for them to look at, and several
commented that they now understood a particular part or made notes
using the book.
Firstly, the graphic format breaks the play down in a storyboard
type format which is easy to follow. Secondly, while the 'speech' is
still Shakespearean, there are footnotes to 'translate' into modern
day language. This running glossary is probably the most beneficial
aspect of this version. Additionally there are several pages at the
back with information about Shakespeare, his work and his times plus
an index. A useful page as a frontispiece, pictures the characters
with their names and relationship to Romeo and Juliet.
The only disconcerting note for me is the illustrator's tendency to
have the characters look like muddy-faced trolls - Juliet is far
from attractive as she scowls with her troll-face to swallow her
potion. In fact, they all look very unpleasant - whether they are
the good guys or not!
That being said I think this would be very handy for those students
who need a simplified version and visual connection to help them
grasp the main ideas and themes of Shakespeare. Others in this
series included A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Julius
Caesar and The Merchant of Venice. There are also
other classic stories published in the same format - see the
publisher's page here.
Sue Warren
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014. ISBN 9781742978307
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Melissa Keil has written a lively
narrative of a vibrant community in country Victoria. She has set
her heroine as a feisty, intelligent, artistic young woman who is
torn between keeping things as they are in her home town, and
leaving to study in Melbourne. This tension informs the action but
there is a second challenge to the people of the small community!
In an online post, Original Ned predicts the end of the world and
the centre of the co-ordinates for its implosion is Alba's town. The
arrival of hundreds of doomsday 'followers' creates havoc in the
town, but also enlivens the townspeople's businesses and lives.
Keil's protagonist is quirky, deeply concerned for everyone's
well-being, loyal, artistic, and relishing the possibilities of life
after Year 12. The disruption of this is the core of the narrative,
and we witness her challenges, discovering whether she is ultimately
still attracted to the third member of their primary school trilogy,
Daniel, currently starring in a hit television show. Grady, the
other 'third', seems to be waiting for Alba to really 'see' him, and
this awakening is watched avidly by all of their young friends, and
her mother.
Delightfully true to the vernacular of her characters, yet able to
capture and retain an audience of any age, Keil's writing is
wonderfully uplifting, touching as it does on adolescent angst, how
to find out who you are, and how to find out if someone actually
does really love you. Writing with an honesty and attention to
detail, capturing a warm sense of the goodness of the characters,
particularly the lovely Alba, who, after all, is the 'cinnamon girl'
of her comic strip, Keil has written an uplifting story that leaves
the reader with a deep sense of well-being.
Coming-of-age novel, fairly sophisticated interactions, and language
appropriate for 14, years and older. Not limited to adolescent
readers!
Liz Bondar
The Monster who ate Australia by Michael Salmon
Ford Street, 2014. Hb. ISBN 9781925000542. pbk. ISBN 9781925000559.
(Age: Pre-school - Yr 3) 'The boggabri is an extremely rare
Australian mammal. Like its cousin the bunyip, it eats a lot and is
very shy. But, unlike the bunyip, it has peculiar teeth that grow
longer each day. To keep them trimmed, the boggabri chews rocks and
other hard objects . . .'
Burra the boggabri lives peacefully at Uluru with nearby Kata Tjuta
providing nice tasty rocks to eat that kept his teeth in shape. But
as the tourists come in threatening his peace of mind and food
supply, he is driven out looking for new fodder. And so begins his
quirky journey around Australia, beginning with eating the America's
Cup in Perth and continuing on to some of the nation's most
recognisable man-made landmarks, unaware of the havoc he creates.
Finally trapped in the thick gooey mud at the bottom of Sydney
Harbour, trapped and placed on display in the elephant house at
Taronga Zoo, Burra is viewed by many more tourists than those he ran
away from . . .
This is the 30th anniversary edition of this Michael Salmon classic
and it maintains all the appeal of the original as it takes its
readers on a journey around Australia, introducing them to places,
familiar and new. Michael Salmon recently visited Miss 8's school
and she was so excited and engaged that she still tells me about it.
You can imagine her thrill when she discovered that I had a
collection of his books right here on the shelf and she spent hours
reading them and immersing herself in the illustrations that are
such an integral part of the stories, a reaction I often see when I
suggest his stories to younger readers. Then I showed her his website
which has always been my inspiration, and kerpow!!! My next surprise
is to take her to the statue of Burra's cousin, Alexander Bunyip,
who now stands outside the Gungahlin Library in Canberra after
having eaten all the other city landmarks in The Monster that ate
Canberra in 1972!
Michael Salmon's stories and artworks have delighted children for 40
years and I'm thrilled that publishers are re-releasing titles like
The Monster who ate Australia so that yet another generation can
enjoy them.
Barbara Braxton
Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer
Elementals Bk 5. Allen and Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743318621
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Paranormal. Earth. Fire. Air. Water.
Michael Merrick has been looking after his brothers for years after
the death of his parents. He is an Elemental, who has the power to
control Earth, but who can also destroy if he doesn't get it right.
He has needed to be the steady brother, the one in charge, the one
who takes care of things. Hannah his girlfriend, is a single mum,
and her job as a firefighter puts her at risk as well. When an
Elemental Guide comes to town hoping to kill the Merricks, Michael
is put under enormous pressure.
Michael has been my favourite of the brothers in this very good
series. His sense of responsibility and fairness, his ability to
help and communicate with his siblings has made him a standout
character and Sacrifice is his story as well as the final in
the series. The reader is taken on a roller coaster ride as the
unknown Guide creates havoc and death all around the Merricks, who
are separated by the chaos. Michael seems to lose everything, but
still manages to retain his sense of justice and right under very
difficult circumstances. Hannah's sense of self too is tried as she
watches what is happening around Michael, and her relationship with
her father becomes even more difficult as he carries out his job as
Fire Marshal. Michael gradually comes to realise that the people
around him are there to help and that it is not always his job to be
strong. Sacrifice is a very poignant final book in the series and its
title says it all. Michael has sacrificed his life as a young man,
giving up what others would have had: study, college, a job, parties
and girlfriends, all to look after his brothers. But others make
sacrifices too, and there are a few tears to be shed in this book as
Kemmerer brings the series to a close.
Fans of the previous books won't be disappointed. I read this is a
single sitting and was engrossed for all of it.
Pat Pledger
Once upon a Dork: Tales from a not-so-fabulous life by Rachel Renee Russell
Dork Diaries Bk 8. Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781471122781
(Age: 8-11) Nikki Maxwell is back in the eighth installment of this
much-loved series, a fan favourite right across the globe. Nikki
records her life openly and at times is a little too honest, her
diary is filled with cartoons, exclamations, emoticons and funny
incidents.
Nikki attracts trouble. Imagine Brianna her sister's lunch - a
peanut butter, jelly and pickle sandwich adhered to her new sweater
on display on the first day of school. Even Sassy Sasha perfume
can't remove the smell. When Nikki's class play Dodgeball for P.E.
class of course she is the target, Mackenzie the mean girl, hits her
hard in the face. Instead of waking up in a familiar
environment, Nikki has a wild dream all her friends, classmates, her
crush Brandon and Mackenzie have turned into fairy tale creatures.
As Nikki travels through Fairy Tale Land she encounters all the
Rogues, Renegades and Regals. She meets characters from the Wizard
of Oz, hinders Goldilocks, is chased by the bears and attends
Cinderella's ball - of course Brandon is the handsome prince.
Some of the funniest scenes are Nikki's encounters with Rapunzel,
Snow White and Sleeping Beauty who are tired of being
princesses and want to escape their fairy tale lives.
Rachel Renee Russell has created a likeable character whose crazy
family, friends and school life provide great enjoyment for fans
from 8-11.
Rhyllis Bignell
Grug the Superhero by Ted Prior
Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN: 9781925030501
Highly recommended for 1-5 year olds and fans!Ted Prior's Grug
series has been a much loved part of early childhood reading since
1979, now parents and grandparents can share a new Grug adventure
with their young ones.
When Grug wakes up, he decides he wants to be a superhero. Using his
imagination he makes a stick sword and a simple cape and mask. Cara
his best friend dresses up as well, making their costumes from
scraps of material and yarn. Superheroes need a super car and the
friends make over the Grugmobile, turning it into the Zoom Zoom Car.
Cara informs Grug that superheroes need to save someone, so the
friends zoom off to look for someone who needs help. Unfortunately
the Zoom Zoom Car zooms them down the slope and into a tree. Who
needs to be rescued now?
A great new addition to the Grug series, simple, colorful
illustrations, easy to read text and an activity that families could
participate in together, making superhero costumes and building a
simple go kart.
Rhyllis Bignell
Alfie in the Garden by Debi Gliori
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781408839515
(Age: preschool) Theme: Imagination. This is a very simple story for
pre-schoolers with a little rabbit called Alfie who leaves the side
of his mother to explore in the garden. Imagination gets a
chance to play, and Alfie is shown playing in the garden in
simplified illustrations, with toys and insects as companions. A
fold-out page is also used to demonstrate the wider world that Alfie
is entering via his imagination.
The language used is uncomplicated with a smattering of onomatopoeia
and occasional rhyme and assonance.
Carolyn Hull
The Bear Said Please by Jacque Duffy
Wombat Books, 2014. ISBN 9781921632945
(Age: preschool) 'Growl,' said the bear. 'Growl,' said his tummy.
'Hmmmm,' thought the bear. I need some honey. ' And so he sets out
to find some through a series of rhymes whose meaning is made clear
through clever text positioning and delightful watercolour pictures.
Eventually he finds what he is looking for, but it is guarded by
angry bees for Bear has forgotten his manners.
Getting little ones to say please and thank you is a struggle known
to all parents and this sweet story is a great way to demonstrate
what might happen if you forget. You certainly don't get what you
want! But apart from that, it's also a great book to engage our
youngest readers because the rhymes make it a predictable text which
makes it so easy for them to join in in a shared reading session,
and then, together with the clear, engaging pictures encourage them
to try reading it to themselves. Even the size of the book (23omm x
200mm) is just right for their hands as they start to learn about
the joy of story, concepts about print, and early reading
behaviours.
I can't wait to share it with Miss 3.
Barbara Braxton
Malini by Robert Hillman
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743312551.
(Age: Yrs 5-8)
'Malini watched the Tamil Tiger intently. She was standing with the
other students under the six hemlocks that had been planted by the
British half a century earlier. 'This year', the commander said,
'the war will be won. The soldier-martyrs of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam will tear the hearts from the chests of our enemies.
In fire and blood, our homeland will be born. And you will play your
part.' He extended his hand towards a group of six boys standing
together under one of the hemlocks, the youngest, Malini knew, just
eleven years old. 'Come to me', he said. After some hesitation, the
six boys walked to the front of the gathering and lined up beside
the commander. He only ever took six boys at a time..Tears found a
path down Malini's face. She would never see these boys again. They
would fight the enemy and they would die.'
This is not the first time that Malini has seen this and so when the
soldiers come to her home at dawn and order the family outside, they
go, knowing that to disobey will mean they will be killed. They are
to be part of a human shield protecting the defeated soldiers as
they make their way to the coast as this war between the Hindu
Tamils and the government-backed Buddhist Sri Lankan Army winds down
after 30 years. But on the march, Malini's father sees an
opportunity for Malini and her sister Banni to escape and, pushing a
mobile phone into her hands, shoves them into the forest and urges
them to make their way to their grandfather's village in the
north-east away from the fighting.
And so begins a remarkable tale of danger, adventure, hardship, and
friendship as Malini, at just 14 becomes 'mother' and protector to
Banni as well as a rag-tag crew of others as they make their way
across a landscape which poses enough problems without the added
peril of being caught by soldiers of either side or wandering into a
village where culture dictates they will have to stay.
In an account that is balanced between Hindu and Buddhist
perspectives, as well as Tamil and SLA, the author provides an
amazing insight into the life of children in a war zone that, at the
very least, should help our students appreciate what they have here.
Malini is a strong protagonist but even she buckles at times, giving
her a real personality that make her credible and the reader is
compelled to read on to find out whether she will reach safe haven.
Malini is the latest is a series called Through My Eys
which 'invites young readers to enter the fragile worlds of children
living in contemporary war zones' and includes Shahana set
in Kashmir; Amina in Somalia; Naveed (Afghanistan);
Emilio (Mexico); and, in March 2015, Zafir set in
Syria. While it is tragic that conflict continues to engulf the
children of the world so that there is always a story to be told,
nevertheless the stories do have to be told and our students need to
read them.
There is an interview with and information about Robert Hillman as
well as
teachers' notes for 'Malini' at the publisher's website. The
book itself offers a brief history of the war and a timeline of Sri
Lankan history as well as links to sources for more information.
Teachers' notes and other resources for the entire series are
available through the main website.
When Malala Yousafzai was asked which book she thought everyone
should read, she replied Parvana (also available through
Allen & Unwin) but I believe she would also recommend this
series if she knew about it.
Barbara Braxton
One Minute's Silence by David Metzenthen
Ill. by Michael Camilleri. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN
9781743316245
(Age: Yr 5+) One minute's silence is the traditional way of
honouring the memory of those who have died, particularly military
personnel. And during that one minute's silence, we are urged to
think about those who have fallen and the sacrifice they have made
for their country. But what do you really think about? Are you like
the bored, disinterested Year 12 students who open this story? Do
you think about the feats and fears of our soldiers and what they
did? Do you ever think about what it was like for those on the other
side of our bullets and bayonets? For, in this powerful picture
book, we are encouraged to do just that, to consider what it was
like both for those who made that fateful landing on the shores of
Gallipoli in 1915 and those whom they were fighting against.
'In one minute's silence you can imagine the grinding in your guts
as the ironbark bows of the Australian boats bumped the stony shore
of Gallipoli on the twenty-fifth of April 1915, when twelve thousand
wild colonial boys dashed across the shivering Turkish sand in the
pale light of a dairy farmer's dawn lashed with flying lead. But can
you imagine, in one minute's silence, lines of young Turkish
soldiers from distant villages, hearts hammering, standing
shoulder-to-shoulder in trenches cut like wounds.firing on strangers
wading through the shallows intent on streaming into the homeland of
the Turkish people.'
This remarkable retelling of the events that will form the focus of
the centennial commemorations in 1915 starts with a picture of that
group of senior students who have been asked to observe one minute's
silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -
Remembrance Day in Australia. Their expressions of
here-we-go-again-we've-been-doing-this-for years have been captured
perfectly in the pencil strokes of Michael Camilleri and one might
wonder what this book has to offer that has not been done before.
But then the narration begins and as the events unfold the students
are drawn into them, gradually realising the youth and ordinariness
of those who were embroiled in this conflict 100 years ago. These
were kids just like them. They can put themselves in the picture, as
Camilleri has. However, not only do they see themselves in the
Australian uniform, but their attention is also drawn to the youth
and the ordinariness of those on the other side and their
perspective. They are no longer just a faceless enemy responsible
for the deaths and maiming of these students' bygone family members.
The futility of war is apparent.
Barbara Braxton
Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett
Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9781926428611
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Sonya Hartnett has crafted a story
that glistens with sunlight, like the 'golden boys' of the title,
yet behind the light is the dark shadow that lingers over the town
with the arrival of a new family whose swimming pool, toys, and
luxurious home, is the envy of the locals. Yet it is the smiling,
glossy father who weaves his way sinuously into the lives of the
locals, the man who showers his children with toys that are so
enticing to the local boys, who is the most disturbing.
Amidst a story of boys, Hartnett focuses on Freya, the clever
adolescent daughter of the Kiley family: who is lost in admiration
of the glorious Rex; who sees him only as the foil to her drunk
father; who beats her mother and throws his dinner plate at the
wall; who fails so badly that his daughter wants to die to avenge
his existence. She cannot see anything but Rex's silken charm, so at
odds with her own father, and in her fearful belief that she is at
the heart of her family's misery, she blames herself for their
lives.
Garrick, the tough boy whose family we never see, except for his
gentler brother, Avery, is the one who wants to exact vengeance for
Rex's actions. Both Colt, who knows what his father is, and lives in
sustained dread, and Bastian, who does not want to know anything,
who has sought refuge in a world of eternal child-like innocence,
are to be punished too.
Set in the sleepy indolence of a country town, this Australian story
brings no solace - only an underlying sense of dread and disquiet,
handled with the sure deft touch of the writer, who does not let the
tension slip for an instant.
It is not a pleasant story, but it is one that soars above the
mundane narrative that suggests all is well with the world. Hartnett
addresses questions that most fear to raise, and above all, sadly,
suggests that finding the answer is even harder. Other than
Garrick's answer, there is no release from the issues with which the
characters live, and no answers to the children's questions.
I would recommend Golden Boys for older adolescent readers,
but with caution, because it is a deeply disturbing novel, revealing
truths that could be deeply disturbing, and vibrating with the
tremulous whirr of summer insects that seem harmless but sting
painfully.
This is not a novel to be read and lightly forgotten. Sonya
Hartnett's characters simmer and her narrative resonates with
emotion, as we anticipate and sense their responses with empathy and
awe.
Liz Bondar
