Woolshed Press, 2014. ISBN 978857984739
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Disability. Cancer. Twins. Journeys.
Canada. Using their inheritance for a trip to Vancouver with her
twin brother, Justine opens her father's diary to read on the plane.
Her brother is in his seat on the other side of the aisle, and as
she reads, we hear of the moments that built up in their parent's
lives, causing her mother to leave when they were five.
From the opening pages we see for ourselves the strain of caring for
Perry, his inability to get past the security gates, his carrying a
seismic monitor everywhere, his awkwardness with people. Justine has
a patter which she trots out to new people about Perry, and even
Perry reprises it on occasion to explain his behaviour.
On their trip, the big questions eat away at them both. Their father
had investigated sheltered accommodation for Perry before he died,
and Perry feels that he must be able to give Justine her own life,
and wants her to tell him she will cope without him. Justine on the
other hand thinks Perry wants to be independent, but neither can be
truly honest about how they feel.
Perry's literal view of life is sometimes very funny, often
poignant, and sometimes hits a cord with people he is dealing with.
I reread the sequences at the security gates at the airport and the
boat trip on the lake to further understand Perry and his view of
the world. He eventually plans to disappear for a while, which from
his perspective, will scare Justine for a while, but make her
realise that she can live without him and that he can cope on his
own.
When they meet their mother in Seattle, tension builds. An
earthquake lands Justine in hospital, and events move along quickly
as Perry's ability to cope with this situation saves her life.
I loved this tale of the journey taken by these two marvellous
characters. Perry is never given a label, he is as he is, and his
part of the story is a knockout. The book is divided into several
sections, three from Perry's point of view, three from Justine's and
all interspersed with dad's diary. Justine's boyfriend, Marc, is
concerned about their trip and causes Justine's anger to boil over,
while her mother too gives an edge to Justine's feelings. Through it
all is the love shared by the twins, forced to look out for each
other by their mother's desertion and later, their father's death.
This would be a great class set for middle secondary kids. Extensive
teacher notes can be found at the publisher's
website.
Fran Knight
Plenty by Ananda Braxton-Smith
Black Dog Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742032429.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Journeys. Moving house. Refugees. When ten
year old Maddy is told by her parents that they are moving to the
small country town called Plenty because her grandmother is becoming
less able to cope by herself, she is furious. Her best friend,
Sophie-Rose and she have always done everything together, even
sharing their birthdays every year in their back yard, sleeping in a
tent and watching the stars.
Maddy knows stories about the stars, the Greek names for some of the
constellations and Aboriginal stories about the movement of the
stars.
But leaving Melbourne is not what she expected, and her behaviour
over the next little while reflects that. But as she comes to know
her grandmother better, and goes out into the scrub with her looking
at the native orchids which grandma and her friends propagate and
plant, she develops more understanding about her parents'
decision. At school she meets Grace a refugee from Sudan,
learning her story of moving. And she hears her grandmother's story,
of being forced out of their home in Cyprus, of moving to Australia,
and comes to realise that her mother's odd behaviour has been shaped
by her own trauma at being forced to move...
This is a many-layered story of refugees, of finding a place to call
home, a place of safety. Through the stories Maddy hears, she is
better able to accept her change and dislocation, as well as learn
more about her own family.
Fran Knight
Warrior heroes: The viking's revenge by Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781472904492.
Recommended.(Age 10+ for good readers; or 13+ for those who struggle
to read. Will be enjoyed by male readers, does not patronise young
readers.) Vikings. Quest fiction. Adventure. Historical fiction.
Time travel.
This is the first book I have read in the Warrior heroes
series, and I can see that they will be immediately enjoyed by male
readers (as an easy read) and could easily be promoted to young male
readers who would normally avoid reading or who struggle with
reading. The two main characters are time travellers who are tasked
with the restoration of problems of long-dead warriors from various
cultural backgrounds by the ghost of their great-grandfather. The
haunting of the Warrior Museum by these trapped ghost warriors
creates the impetus for the time travel adventures. Fortunately one
of the brothers was an avid keeper of information on the warriors
which aids them in their own survival as they travel to lands far
removed from their own modern existence. His brother is more prone
to action first and thinking later, a trait which gets them both
into trouble.
This book is set during the time of the Vikings and involves the
restoration of a mighty fighting sword lost by the Viking ghost
warrior. The author throws the reader immediately into the action
after the brief introduction. The two young adventurers end up
captured and then in conflict, rewriting history and rescuing a
community with sword, axe and bow and arrow fights. The fights are
integral to an understanding of the Viking culture as well as being
appealing to a masculine readership! Also valuable to the reader are
the notes, from the younger of the time travellers that were taken
during his discussions with his great-grandfather and his visits to
the Warrior Museum. This information about the Vikings is integral
to understanding the background to the warriors and their life and
adds a great non-fiction interlude to the drama of the quest.
Carolyn Hull
Construction by Sally Sutton
Ill. by Brian Lovelock. Walker Books Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781922077301
Young readers will love this onomatopoeic picture book that takes
them on a journey filled with construction as a library is being
built. From the award-winning duo Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock,
this book is filled with bold visuals and rhyming text. If children
love anything to do with machinery and tools, then they are sure to
be interested in this book. The book ends with facts about
construction machinery and tools to introduce readers to non-fiction
features of texts. A great book to read aloud; the sound words will
entice young readers to join in.
Stephanie Bell
Oi frog! by Kes Gray
Ill. by Jim Field. Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9781444910865.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Picture book. Rhyming words. Animals. Idioms.
'The cat sat on the mat' is a very familiar refrain, and in this
book, Kes Gray takes that wellknown phrase a little further,
applying a rhyming word to a multitude of animals, in response to a
frog not wanting to sit on a log because it is splintery. The frog
challenges the cat about each animal including lions, goats,
weasels, moles and gorillas. Each line is hilariously reflected in
the wittily detailed illustrations by Jim Field. Watch out for the
gloriously unhappy gorilla on a pillar, or the wonderful gathering
of foxes sitting on boxes, and the large family of gophers sitting
on a sofa, while the stork on a fork, the understandably unsafe
looking seal on a wheel and the full mouthed ape sitting on grapes
all add to the humour of the story.
The endpapers add more fun as Field has given the reader
an array of zany frogs to look at.
A fun way to look at rhyming words and add to the presence of poetry
in the home or classroom, as well as just a very funny book to share
and read out loud.
Fran Knight
Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743319437.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Sydney 1932. Crime. Ghosts. Gangs.
Prostitution. Hungry, homeless Kelpie believes the ghost, Tommy,
when he tells her that there are apples inside the room in the old
boarding house. But breaking in, she finds a recently killed man,
Jimmy, blood everywhere, his girlfriend standing by his bed, a card
in her hand. Hearing the police hammering at the door, the pair take
off, ending up sheltering under the bed at Darcy's house, with
Jimmy's ghost in tow.
So begins this amazing story, set in the Darlinghurst, Surry Hills
area of Sydney in 1932, a time when gangs used razors to maim and
kill their enemies. Chromo Dymphna was Jimmy's girlfriend and is
known by one and all as the Angel of Death, as her boyfriends never
seem to live long. But Jimmy's death is different. People think that
the killer is after Dymphna too, and with Kelpie involved, the two
must join forces to survive.
Dymphna wants to protect Kelpie, not realising that streetwise
fifteen year old Kelpie is close to her own age, but seeing in her a
child like her own dead sisters who she was unable to protect from
their murderous father.
They are told to go and see Glory, Dymphna's boss, the woman who
runs one of the two main gangs. Kelpie is torn, Jimmy's ghost keeps
telling her not to go there but she feels drawn to Dymphna. Standing
in front of Glory, Kelpie can see there are hidden meanings in the
conversation between the two women, and wonders what will happen
next. It is a day unlike any other.
The evocation of the streets of Sydney in 1932 is deft, with its
prostitution, power lust and gangs all forming the background of
this engrossing tale of one day in the lives of these two young
women.
The characters of Dymphna and Kelpie are marvellously drawn, both
doing whatever they can to survive in this seedy world. Layers of
interest will spellbind the readers, keeping them wondering how the
two will survive, but also how the gangs will work out their
differences, how the ghosts will impact on the women's lives, how
the young Kelpie will avoid the profession which has entrapped
Dymphna.
Based on meticulous research of this crime ridden time in Sydney's
history, Larbalestier has sprinkled her writing with idiomatic terms
from the era, giving the reader cause to stop and reflect on
language and its meanings.
The crime scenes are bloody and indiscriminate, the chase scenes
breathless, the tension heart stopping. I enjoyed every word.
Fran Knight
My dog doesn't like me by Elizabeth Fensham
University of Queensland Press, 2014. ISBN 9780702250170.
(Ages: 8+) Recommended. Dogs. Pets. Responsibility. Eric's dog does
not like him, and he wants to do something about it. He feels
rejected by the pet given to him by his family when he was eight,
and since then the dog, Ugly, loves his Mum and Dad, and his
grandfather even his sister, Gretchen. But not Eric, and as the tale
unfolds, it becomes obvious why the dog does not like him. Many
people give advice on how he should be treating the dog, but he pays
little attention, preferring to blame the others in his family for
his problem.
This is a wry tale, watching Eric make many attempts at getting Ugly
to like him, from changing his name, to drawing up a questionnaire
at school, to gathering other people's opinions of the problem,
while all through the solution to the readers is obvious.
Eric's grandfather talks to Eric one day about the possibility of
giving Ugly to a family which can really look after him, and this
spurs Eric into action. His grandfather calls in a friend who trains
dogs and the lessons she gives Eric change Eric and Ugly for the
better, all the while, Eric realising that he is the problem not the
dog.
For younger readers, the lessons about dog training spill over into
Eric's life as he takes on more responsibility in the house where
everyone is busy.
Fran Knight
Outside by Libby Hathorn
Ill. by Ritva Voutila. Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781921894688.
(Age: 3 to adult) Recommended. Picture book. Gardens. Exploration.
Imagination.
Moving from couplets to stanzas, using half rhymes and full rhyming
words, Hathorn gives the reader, child and adult alike a series of
entrancing words, designed to beguile the reader into the summer
scenes in a garden where two children play. The beckoning refrain,
'under fluttery leaves
in the magical breeze
in the summery sun
outside'
appears on most pages, giving a compact image to the reader as they
read. The words beckon the reader and the children, as we see them
experiencing different aspects of the garden: the cat on the stairs,
the chime bells up high, the tickly green grass, with descriptive
phrases added to the refrain. They explore and wonder at the magical
experiences in the garden.
Eventually the smell of dinner lures them inside, and the garden is
there for tomorrow.
If the words dazzle and beguile, the digitally produced
illustrations mesmerize, filling each page with colour, the eyes
taking in every detail.
Reminiscent of the scrap book days of yore, where children collected
sheets of cut outs and stuck them into a book, the doll-like
features of the children and the mother peer out. They are
surrounded by a myriad of detail, some looking like wallpaper some
like rug designs, adding to the feeling of nostalgia.
Children will pore over the pages, reading the words aloud, gaining
an impression of the world outside where no electronic device can be
seen. For classes, this book is a fascinating introduction to the
ideas of a garden or outside space. Fran Knight
Warrior heroes: The knight's enemies by Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781472904393
Recommended. (Age: 9+ readers, or as a book suited for struggling
readers 13+). Medieval times. Adventure. Quest adventure. The main
characters are not identified as being of any age, but one would
assume they are young teens based on the skills in archery that they
display, but they are always referred to as 'boys'.
In this series of books two boys, Arthur and Finn, are given the
opportunity to release haunted warriors from the torment that they
faced in their life, at the instruction of the boys' own
great-grandfather, who is also a ghost! This essential information
is given in a brief introduction to the rest of the narrative.
In The knight's enemies, Arthur and Finn are involved in
changing the course of history in medieval times. The quest they are
sent on involves rescuing the daughter of the Knight Warrior. He
also appears in the story before his untimely passing and we read of
Arthur and Finn's bravery as they are involved in fighting off the
enemy attack on the castle and then thwarting the attempts of the
unlikeable, traitorous young Knight who is ready to 'steal' the
Knight Warrior's daughter and has plotted against the Warrior
Knight.
This is an exciting and action-filled story suited to boys who enjoy
armed conflict adventure stories. Older readers who struggle with
reading could also enjoy this series because it is not complex, but
is not unlike a John Flanagan quest adventure like The ranger's
apprentice and Brotherband series, but much shorter
and simpler. Included in the book is some background information (as
notes taken by Finn from the Hall of Heroes Museum).
Carolyn Hull
Sylvia and Bird by Catherine Rayner
Little Tiger Press, 2009 ISBN 9781845068578
(Age: 4-6) Recommended. Picture book. Friendship. The shimmer-shiny
dragon called Sylvia is all alone. She cannot find any other dragons
to be her friend. But one day, feeling very lonely she sees a
bird on the branch beneath her. Bird was building a nest, so Sylvia
helped. They became friends and spent all of their time together,
doing things that friends do. But when Bird went away to join his
other friends, the birds, for a chat, Sylvia was left all alone
again. She thought to herself that perhaps there were dragons on the
moon, so decided to fly there. Bird knew that Sylvia was unhappy so
went with her on her flight to the moon, but it soon became obvious
that Bird could not cope with the cold and height of their travel,
so she plummeted back to earth, caught just in time by Sylvia.
And so they stayed on the ground, content with each other, friends
for all their days.
This charming story, superbly illustrated by Rayner, with soft
swathes of watercolour across the pages, will delight younger
readers, and teachers will be able to use the book to discuss what
being a friend means with the class.
Fran Knight
Apple and rain by Sarah Crossan
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408857717.
Recommended for readers 12+. Much was expected from this fresh and
innovative novel. I felt a strong sense of enthusiasm to read this
book and to be introduced to Crossan's writing whom I wasn't
familiar with. When I came to the end of the story, my initial
reaction was a feeling of relief as I had quickly grown tired of the
storyline. Although once I thought more about the story, I realised
that I expected too much from the young year eight old girl. Apple and
rain does have the potential to grow into a well-liked coming
of age story that could sit upon every thirteen year old's
bookshelf.
The story is narrated by almost-teen Apple, whose first name is too
hard to pronounce, and is unabashedly naive. Her tale begins when she
recounts a night like no other on Christmas Eve when her mother
leaves her safe haven and never returns. Despite the fact she
absolutely hates the season, Apple foolishly hopes that her mother
will one day return. Of course, it never happens so Apple is left
celebrating the season with her Nana, father and her much hated
stepmother.
Under the molly coddling and tough love of her Nana, Apple leads a
sheltered life. So when she finally meets her mother after eleven
years, she can't believe her luck. Despite her Nana's scepticism
about her mum, Apple wants to spend as much time with her as
possible and soon grows accustomed to her mother's wild lifestyle.
When life at home with her Nana begins to fall apart, Apple decides
to live with her mum and her not so perfect home. But when Apple
finally recognises that her life isn't all that it seems to be and is
slowly dwindling, it is only Apple's choice if she wants to fix it
or not.
This sad yet hopeful story is one for the ages and is truly
inspiring for young pre-teens who may be stuck in life. Apple is a
young girl whom girls her age can relate to as she is willing to do
whatever it takes to keep her mother happy. Apple goes from a life
of being closely monitored by her grandmother to becoming an adult
of the house and all the responsibilities it embraces. This is a
tale that I would most definitely recommend to readers aged 12+ as
it embraces unconditional love and the strength of a young girl
willing to do whatever it takes to keep her family happy. A book
similar to this is The first third by Will Kostakis and I
recommend this book to any avid reader who wants more from this
style of books.
Samantha May (Student)
Lucas and Jack by Ellie Royce
Ill. by Andrew McLean. Working Title Press, 2014. ISBN 9781921504662.
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Family. Grandparents. Nursing homes.
When Mum visits her grandfather, Lucas stays outside in the garden
and waits for her. One day, while hoping that she will hurry up,
Jack talks to him. Jack is his Pop's best friend in the nursing
home, and they sit down on the garden seat together. Lucas, unsure
of what to say, asks Jack what he did before, and Jack tells him
that he was a farmer. This land was once all his. He points to
several other people in the garden: the man in the wheelchair, Leo,
was a great detective, the woman over there was a ballet dancer.
Lucas asks Jack what he misses most about being in the home, and
Jack tells him that he misses his dog. The two discuss their dogs
and the next time Lucas comes to visit, her brings his dog and a
connection is formed between the boy and the older men at the home.
This is a lovely tale of generations coming together, of seeing
beyond the wheelchair and wrinkles, of not judging books by their
cover. The soft illustrations have a gentleness that underlines the
spring and autumn ages of those in the story. It is a lovely well
illustrated story that will have many great uses in the classroom
where age, the passing of time and infirmity are under discussion.
Fran Knight
Bugged: how insects changed history by Sarah Albee
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9780802734228
(Age: 11+) Non fiction. Insects. History. One hundred and sixty
seven pages of information of how insects played a part in
historical events will be a thrilling read to those people who love
the minutiae of history, those who love to winkle out fascinating
little bits of facts, those who find themselves a spot in a library
on cold days and love browsing for the oddest of books to read and
gather together information to share with friends.
I always seemed to have a library full of such people, mainly boys,
at lunchtime and this would suit them admirably. It will however
need to be sold to them as the cover and presentation of the book
may not have the panache of a Guinness book of world records to
entice them to open the pages.
Looking inside can be found chapters called 'The Horrible Histories
of Human Hygiene' and 'The Earliest Epidemics and Twentieth Century
Pox', and inside each oddly alliteratively named chapter can be found
details within that framework.
One I enjoyed reading was 'Travel Troubles'. Within this short chapter can be found details of the American slave
trade, the landing of the Mayflower, and information about yellow
fever, dengue fever and the like.
Published in the USA, this book is mainly about events which
affected that country, and will be fruitful for those who love
collecting odd bits of history, if only to share with friends and
family. It will prove to be a mine of information, but the purple
and green illustrations do not add to its marketability.
Fran Knight
On my way to school by Sarah Maizes
Ill. by Michael Paraskevas. Walker Books, 2014. ISBN 9780802737007.
(Age: 5-7) Recommended. Picture book. School. Journeys. A wonderful
book about Livi and the attempts by her parents to get her out of
bed and on the way to school, and her attempts to thwart them at
every turn. Readers will love seeing the two stories on each page:
Mum calling from beyond the page, giving instructions about getting
out of bed or reminding her to take everything with her, while Livi
dreams her dreams of a different life altogether.
Just as in On my way to bed (2012) and, On my way to the bath (2013)
the girl, Livi is headstrong, knowing all there is to know and so
just not needing to go to school. The illustrations move the tale
along as well as giving voice to Livi's dreams, resulting in a very
funny, evocative and most appealing story.
Her imagination runs wild as she sees an elephant as she brushes her
teeth, or becomes a famous chef when eating breakfast, or an
explorer when its time to pack her backpack, or flies with the
lemurs in the school bus, and is a movie star getting from the bus
to the classroom on the red carpet. All day long her imagination
works overtime, until when it is time to go home, maybe she will be
a teacher.
Livi is unstoppable, and readers will love to read of her exploits,
seeing some of their own tactics in dealing with the instructions
given in the morning. Livi has been at school a hundred times so
does not need to learn any more but while at school, she does learn
that being a teacher may be fun.
Fran Knight
The worst girlfriend in the world by Sarra Manning
Atom, 2014. ISBN 9781907411014.
Recommended for readers 13+. Sarra Manning's The Worst
Girlfriend in the World was a fresh and fun novel that
delivered the right touch of humor and wit. This book relinquished
an exciting tale that any teenage girl could relate to. I found
myself sighing and giggling at all the right places and repeated as
if a mantra, 'I would have done that to!'.
The tale follows a sixteen year old college girl named Franny, or
adoringly dubbed Franny B and her heart-breaker best friend, Alice.
Although her best friend has been titled as, 'The Worst Girlfriend
in the World', Franny is a one-guy type of gal who has been
obsessively pining after hopeless rockstar, Louis for what seems
like forever. The drama begins when Alice sets her sights on Louis
and his tousled hair which immediately causes a bitter rivalry
between the best friends. Determined to win Louis's heart, Franny
spots an easy advantage named Francis, or nicknamed 'Sneering Studio
Tech' but what she didn't know that friendship would spark between
them. Before long, Franny second guesses her cosmic love for Louis
and the strength of her friendship with Alice.
As each chapter begins, we are met with Franny B's cleverness and
enthusiasm for everything fashion. Franny had truly turned out to be
a loveable and comical character that any girl could connect to. The
author grants us innovative and refreshing characters that literally
could bounce off the page and become reality.
Teaching this novel to the class will provide lessons on the ideas
of 'don't judge a book by its cover' and understanding that there
are two sides to a story, not one. This book can be compared to the
likes of Rainbow Rowell's novels Fangirl and Eleanor and
Park and Sarah Crossan's standalone Apple and Rain.
Samantha May (Student)
