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)
Wayfarer by Lili St.Crow
A Tale of Beauty and Madness bk 2. Razorbill, 2014. ISBN 9781921880209.
(Ages: 14+) Recommended. In the stunning sequel to Nameless,
things have improved for Camille, however it's her friend, Ellen
Sinder who's in trouble now. With the death of her father and her
abusive stepmother pushing her to her limits, she's desperate to
escape Perrault Street as soon as she can, raking in credits by
charming for people on the streets. Of course, the plan to escape is
easier said than done, and with the return of Avery Fletcher, the
son of a successful charming clan, the introduction of her shabby
step-sister, and her step-mother's increasingly violent behaviour,
Ellie's left with the terrifying decision to run or face her fears,
and must face the consequences of her actions.
Ellie is a strong and realistic character who is easy to empathise
with. The emotions and decisions she makes are understandable,
considering her situation. Over the course of the novel, she
develops and faces challenges she would not have been able to had
she encountered them at earlier stages. The romance did not drive
the plot, which was quite refreshing, however it was still sweet and
solid with a natural flow. Wayfarer continues to explain the complex
world Ellen and her friends live in, with vivid imagery and settings
that seem to pop off the page. The novel deals with themes of abuse
and trust, highlighting the importance of support. There is some
strong language, and some scenes are quite horrific and dark,
however Wayfarer is an enrapturing read.
Wayfarer is a dark and saturnine retelling of Cinderella in a
dangerous fantasy world. Despite the slow pacing, Lili St. Crow's
unique and poetic writing style ensnares readers in the unique and
twisted world she has created while showing the importance of
support and trust between family and friends. Anyone who enjoys dark
retellings of fairy tales and complex worlds will love the second
instalment in the series, A Tale of Beauty and Madness, Wayfarer.
Ruby T. (Student)
Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy, bk 3. Hodder &
Stoughton, 2014. ISBN 9781444722734.
(Age: 15+) Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a thrilling end to
an amazing book series. It starts off really strong by introducing a
completely new (yet very important) character, Eliza. This helped to
create a mysterious feel that continues through the book until we
find out who Eliza actually is. The multiple twists and turns make
for a nice, thick plotline. I must admit I was getting worried when
I had reached the Epilogue and certain things hadn't happened but
that was all part of the breathtaking scheme Ms Taylor has created.
The battle between good and evil intensifies in this last book, and
in true YA fashion the evil is not the original evil we thought it
was going to be. The Misbegotten Seraphs and Chimaerae must work
together to combat the evil using good to the best of their
abilities. Laini ups her game in this book and it is more organised
than the others. It is broken down into multiple sections with
nursery rhyme like paragraphs. The sections titles Arrival + #Hours
creates an effective timeline to show that so many things can happen
in such a short period of time. There are so many more perspectives
in this book, which leads to a well-rounded story, we hear from lots
of different characters with enough clarity to determine who it is.
The language barriers between humans and Seraphs and humans and
Chimaerae provide just the right amount of comedy in this book. The
stupidity of humans makes a nice entry in this book and the ideas of
religion are questioned in this book. The happy 'middle' ending
creates a nice bittersweet ending to this epic series. I thoroughly
recommend this series for older teens; there are some interesting
concepts that are not really acceptable for younger readers to be
reading.
Azriel P.
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy, bk 2. Hodder, 2012. ISBN
9781444722703.
(Age: 15+) Thoroughly recommended. I am so very glad that I did not
need to wait for this book to be published, as I don't think that I
would have lasted long on that cliff hanger. The characters are so
easy to latch onto that it becomes simple to feel their pain and
emotions as they progress through the story. This is the part of the
story where the YA genre comes into obvious play with an orphaned
child who loves a creature she shouldn't because he killed her
'family'. She must save her people by using the skills she was
taught by her foster-father. Although most of the characters are
pretty cool, there are a couple pesky ones that don't seem to want
to leave the story. There are things in these books that I had never
even imagined a YA author would try and do. A love triangle is added
in this book but it's not a choice between two men, it's Romeo or
Paris (if Paris was an angel-blood wanting white wolf). The
different third person perspectives are really cool and they provide
a very detailed and non-biased story telling.I really enjoyed the
pain felt by the characters, it is so heart wrenching that there are
times where you almost with you could reach into the page and
comfort them. In my opinion, the first book set a high standard and
this second one has met that standard and excelled. I thoroughly
recommend this book (just maybe not for younger audiences).
Azriel P. (Student)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Hodder & Stoughton, 2011. ISBN 9781444722635.
(Age: 15+)Thoroughly recommended. It is not often that I can say that I have read a truly original concept. This book is full of amazing ideas and thoughts I have never seen from any other author. The whimsical style of writing, coupled with the third person telling of the story really sets up a cool beginning to an undoubtedly amazing trilogy. With just the right amount of human stupidity and freaky introductions to lovable characters, this book sets the mood perfectly. Karou with blue hair and a killer sense of 'otherworld-ness' enjoys messing around with both her appearance and her pesky ex-boyfriend with wishes that she receives from doing errands for her monster of a foster-father. These wishes tend to come in handy at times when Karou needs them, and provide just the right amount of comedy to a somewhat sad story. The names of the chapters in this book are perfection. They give subtle hints to the story while being short and concise. The thing I love the most about this book is that the story is told in two ways, the first through the detailed third person thoughts of our two main characters (Karou and Akiva). The second through little nursery rhyme like paragraphs at the beginning of different sections of the book. This creates a well-rounded story told from a unique point of view. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read the occasional book about the war between Seraphs (angels) and Chimaerae (demons) with humans stuck a little less than halfway in-between.
Azriel P. (Student)
Nameless by Lili St. Crow
A
Tale of Beauty and Madness series. Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9781921880193.
(Ages: 14+) Nameless is the first novel in the dark A
Tale of Beauty and Madness series, retelling the story of Snow
White in a fresh yet twisted way. The story focuses on
sixteen-year-old Camille, orphaned into the rich Vultusino family at
the age of six with only the scars on her body to tell her of her
past. Over the course of the novel, she begins to discover the
horrors of her past while struggling to fit in with her
surroundings.
The characters in Nameless are solid and believable. Cami
suffers from a stutter, and it is easy to feel her frustration as
she tries to be heard by those around her. Her two friends,
fascinating twists on Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, have minor
roles, however they felt well developed with their own stories to
tell. The romance between Cami and Nico Vultusino was slow but
endearing, and the pace worked well with the characters. St. Crow
was able to convey the time and importance of the relationship as it
was tested to the limits through her poetic and vivid prose. There
is some swearing, particularly in the dialogue, which may turn off
some readers, however it all felt quite realistic, considering the
characters and situations. Each character has a distinct way of
speaking with natural dialogue that sets them apart. Nameless
is set in the city of New Haven, where mutilated Twists and Jacks
often cross paths with mere-humans and sophisticated Charmers. The
world building is quite complex and well thought out, though a lot
of terminology goes unexplained, making the story difficult to
follow at times, however Lili St. Crow's writing style is absolutely
gorgeous, with eloquently written emotions and vibrant environments.
Nameless was a slightly confusing dark and winding fantasy
set in an alternate reality, and will make for a very entertaining
and addictive read about finding one's identity to anyone who enjoys
twists on classic fairy tales.
Ruby T. (Student)
Cress by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles bk 3. Feiwel and Friends, 2014. ISBN
9780312642976.
(Ages: 14+) Highly recommended. Science Fiction. Cress considers
herself the definition of a damsel in distress. She's been stuck
alone in a satellite for years against her will, spying on Earthens
for Queen Levana of Luna. If only Carswell Thorne - handsome
spaceship captain and wanted criminal - would come to her rescue. In
exchange, she has a lot of dirt on her dangerous queen that Thorne
and Cinder, Lunar cyborg princess-in-hiding, will want to know.
First of all, Emperor Kai should not marry Levana, even if she's
willing to exchange her hand in marriage for the antidote to Earth's
deadliest virus, because Levana wants to rule over all of Earth and
Luna herself (cue maniacal laugh). Finally, Thorne's ship responds
to Cress's call and docks on her satellite, but the rescue goes down
in about as tangled a mess as Cress' crazy-long hair. Between
kidnappings and crash-landings in the Sahara, how on Earth and Luna
are they supposed to stop Kai and Levana's wedding on time?
In Cress, it does take almost 500 pages for Cinder and Kai to see
each other again. And in Scarlet poor Cinder was stuck with Captain
Thorne the whole time while Scarlet and Wolf got to have their
romantic story line. Luckily, with the introduction of Cress, the
500 pages is worth the wait. She's the most naive character readers
will find themselves rooting for. It must be something about her
amazing hacker skills. And somehow Thorne ends up a lot a lot more
likeable when he meets Cress.
Marissa Meyer's great characters will draw readers in first, and
they'll stick around for all the impossible situations: the
characters rescuing Cress, saving Wolf from a bullet wound, stopping
a royal wedding. What'll be next? Saving the world/worlds? Yup, it
looks like that's what's in store for Winter (2015).
Joanna B. (Student)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles bk 2. Feiwel and Friends, 2013. ISBN 978
0312642969.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. Science Fiction. Scarlet's
grandmother is missing and she'll do anything to find her - even
enlist the help of a fist-fighting drifter named Wolf. He claims to
have abandoned the gang that took her, but not before learning what
big secrets Grandma is hiding, such as her ties to the Lunar
Princess Selene. Meanwhile, Princess Selene - Cinder - has her own
problems. Escaping prison and a death sentence are just two of them.
Luckily, her fellow fugitive, the vain Captain Thorne, has his own
stolen and untraceable space ship, and the Earth's orbit makes the
perfect place to hide. But she can't hide forever. The
mind-controlling Lunar Queen is furious about Cinder's escape and
threatens now-Emperor Kai (Cinder's deserted prince at the ball)
with an invasion by her own soldiers. Cinder must be found in three
days or there'll be hell to pay.
Scarlet is a rare sequel that improves upon the first, especially
with the introduction of characters Scarlet and Wolf and a whole new
fairy tale to jauntily reference. Emperor Kai is stuck in the
palace, harassed by the Lunar Queen, so the Cinder love story
fizzles. Poor Kai ... And poor Cinder, stuck on a ship with a
conceited 'captain' - though it's quite fun to watch Thorne and
Cinder butt heads.
Scarlet and Wolf pick up the fairy-tale-romance angle nicely, and
without a dull moment in their relationship. Author Marissa Meyer
really ups the action this time, making Book 2 hard to put down,
especially when Scarlet and Wolf get to Paris and all the 'wolves'
get restless. Readers will be very restless for the next book in
this four-part series.
Joanna B. (Student)
Figgy in the World: All you need is a plan and courage by Tamsin Janu
Omnibus Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742990453.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes Ghana - Social life and
customs, Optimism, Family life. Figgy and her per goat Kwame live
with her Granma Ama in a Ghanaian village. She has obstacles to
overcome, abandoned by her mother, blinded in one eye at the age of
two and living with her unusual name Figgy. Her outlook on life is
optimistic as she loves to think about and explore her world. When
her grandma falls ill and the much loathed doctor is called, the
course of Figgy's life changes. She overhears the doctor
discussing the best medicine is available in America and Figgy
determines to travel half way around the world to help her grandma.
Along the way the travellers meet ten year old orphan Nana whose
survival skills help them on their quest to buy medicine in the
United States of America.
Tamsin Janu's debut novel is a rewarding read. To write this
engaging story she has drawn from her experiences working with
children in Ghana. Figgy's optimism carries the story, despite her
difficult circumstances the love for her grandma carries her
through.
Highly recommended for independent readers from 8 years. A fantastic
read aloud for a class novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
Scary night by Lesley Gibbes
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Working Title Press, 2014. ISBN
9781921504631.
(Age: 4+) Recommended, Picture book, Ghosts, Graveyards, Birthdays.
Hare with a hat, Cat with a cake and Pig with a parcel creep through
the night on their way to who knows where. The unknown destination
will keep puzzling readers as they follow the trio of friends
through the scariest of places in the moonlight.
Through the dark woods, through a cave, over the mountain, past the
grizzly bears, avoiding the crocodiles and on they gp. In rhyming
lines, accented by the refrain of the trio of animals, the verses
lead the reader on, enticing them to read the story out loud, with
emphasis. Through the graveyard, where they scream, but they don't
give up. Then finally up the stairs to their destination.
The pen, ink and brush illustrations show the trio of friends
creeping through the night, each with large scared eyes, bulging at
the possibility of what might be around the next corner. Shadows
cower above them, bats fly through the air, branches seem to grab
for them and all is accented by the large full moon shining
overhead. Each page has yet another layer of scary things to pick
out and excite the younger reader.
The surprise at the end will bring gales of laughter and relief. And
calm reigns.
The illustrations add to the fun of the book, with an array of
things planted in the background to besought out, and marvelled
over. This is a lovely book to share with young and old, to read a
loud, to reproduce King's zany illustrations, and perhaps act out in
the classroom.
Fran Knight
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN: 9781743626535.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Grief; Genius; Family
Relationships; Overcoming difficulty. Life takes an incredibly
tragic turn for the main character, Willow Chance, when her adopted
parents die in a vehicle accident. To lose two sets of parents
within her 12 years of life is exceptionally cruel. She is
quirky, eccentric, odd, unconventional and a genius with a flair for
gardening, medical issues and counting by 7s. (Although not
mentioned, one would assume she fits on the high-functioning end of
the Autism Spectrum.) Her rescue from disintegration comes via
unlikely means when she is brought home by her incompetent school
counsellor and two of his recalcitrant clients, who seem to have
issues that he can neither help nor understand. The Vietnamese
family to whom she connects in the midst of unfathomable grief are
disarmingly well portrayed with their own idiosyncrasies.
Willow herself is an amazing character and she manages to change the
people and the environment around her in subtle but positive ways.
This is both charming and heart-warming and would work well
alongside The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time or The
Year of the Rat as a companion text. Despite addressing deep grief,
it is a remarkably uplifting book and Willow shows amazing
resilience. There is a surprising injection of humour because of the
characters she meets and their own odd ways of dealing with the
world.
Carolyn Hull
Lone Wolf by Robert Muchamore
Cherub Series 2, Hodder Children's Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781444922653.
(Age: 15+) Themes: Drugs; Vengeance. This book is entrenched in the
mire of the drug world and the violence, murder and corruption that
are associated with it. It is not clean, neat or pleasant, and could
justifiably wear an MA-rating for its violence, drug references and
language. The book wears a 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' tag.
This is part of Muchamore's Cherub Series which incorporates the
young British Secret Service professionals from the Cherub campus in
tension-filled action. These young highly trained 12-18 year olds
infiltrate in areas where no one would suspect that a child was
involved in an undercover mission. The Cherub agency is called in to
infiltrate into the Drug world and its conflicts to uncover the
supply chain and those responsible at the top end of the mess that
is the drug world.
Fay, the central character in this drama, is introduced to the book
as a 13 year old who, in conjunction with her aunt, is wreaking
rough justice on a Drug Lord who was responsible for her mother's
death. Her violent vengeance eventually leads to her
incarceration in a Secure Training Centre, where her tactics for
survival lead her to gross bullying of others, and her release
leaves her with no transformation of her desire for retribution. One
of the Cherub agents connects with Fay who is still determined to
carry out her plan for her own brand of revenge, and another is
enmeshed into the world of drug-running and the associated lies and
violence. Together they uncover the truth of the tortured and
inherently dangerous domain of drug-running, which eventually leads
to legal justice.
Although this is a fast-moving and head-strong rush into action, it
lacks a clear ethical compass. The world of the drug runner is
portrayed with all its violence, and Fay is not an endearing main
character either; her actions are seldom wise. I would hope
that any 15+ reader would be horrified that this world exists and
would be able to discern the horrors of the abuses of power that are
portrayed . No one seems to be transformed positively through
the course of the story, and the Cherub agents get drawn into this
world at the risk of their own lives!
Carolyn Hull
