Reviews

The last thirteen (series) by James Phelan

Scholastic, 2014.
The last thirteen 2. ISBN 9781742831954
The last thirteen 1. ISBN 9781742831961
(Age: 9-15) Highly recommended. 13 Books 13 Nightmares 1 Destiny.
In The last thirteen 2 (Book 12) the Dreamers are spread across the globe from Antarctica to Egypt, each being drawn into dangerous situations and confrontations with their enemies. Sam escapes from Solaris' clutches in Melbourne and travels with Eva and Jabari to search for Alex lost in the frozen Antarctic. Meanwhile the Professor sends Poh, Phoebe, Maria, Cody and Xavier to the supposed safety of Dr Dark's residence. Xavier is disturbed by his father's appearance and mental state as they are led deep underground into a maze. James Phelan's action-packed adventure continues to deliver unexpected twists and turns as each Dreamer is drawn into the race for the final revelation.
With The last thirteen 1 (Book 13) the much anticipated conclusion to popular The last thirteen series has finally arrived. As the Dreamers gather in Egypt to see the prophecy fulfilled, Sam and Solaris are drawn into a life-threatening battle. James Phelan keeps the reader enthralled right up to the final scenes, as the gears are connected and the last battle between good and evil occurs.
The series is very popular at school, they appeal to readers who enjoy technology, action, adventure and mysteries.
Rhyllis Bignell

The complete guide to a dog's best friend by Felicity Gardner and David West

Lothian Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9780734415417
Recommended for 3-6 year olds. In this funny picture book, an older dog shares his wisdom about human owners with young, rambunctious puppies of all shapes and breeds. He knows everything there is to know about being a best friend - it's your job to wake them up, to cheer them up and lead the way.
Each double page spread has the simple words of advice emphasized in large, bold text - make sure you eat up the treats quickly, and when they arrive home, greet them straight away. The illustrations are bold and full of life, each of the dogs is a comical character, there's the handbag Yorkie, hot dog dachshund, the embarrassed puppy in the plastic collar and the poor Old English Sheepdog suffering in the bath.
Young dog owners will enjoy engaging with the text and pictures.
Rhyllis Bignell

Storm Clouds by Bronwyn Parry

Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9780733633294
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Romantic suspense. Murder. Cults. National Parks Ranger Erin Taylor is appalled when the body of a woman is discovered in the home of her colleague, Simon, the man to whom she is attracted. She is shocked to find out that the dead woman is Simon's wife, a wife that he has never mentioned and hasn't seen for fourteen years. She has belonged to the Community of Bliss, an alternative life-style group and Erin must use all her skills to learn about the group and its secrets and lies. Together with Simon, she races to uncover the truth and rescue the children who are facing danger from the charismatic leader of the group.
Although Parry has written other novels featuring the National Parks team, this can easily be read as a stand-alone and is exciting enough to ensure that other novels by her are picked up by the reader. The mysteries surrounding the backgrounds of both Erin and Simon are as diverting as the actual murder and the introduction of an evil cult makes for a compelling read.
Erin's bravery and her determination to help the members of the cult bring both her and Simon into danger and there are thrills galore and plenty of action as they work together to find the murderer and unravel the secrets that surround the Community of Bliss.
Bronwyn Parry brings to life the national parks and small towns of northern NSW, while serving up a most enjoyable romantic suspense novel. With its beguiling mix of Australian bush, appealing characters and light romance this is an enjoyable novel that will appeal to mystery lovers.
Pat Pledger

Riddle of the Sands (abridged) by Erskine Childers

Retold by Tony Evans. Ill. by Sarah Wimperis. Real Reads, 2013. ISBN 9781906230685
(Age: Yr 4+) Following Germany's victory over France in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian war, the rivalry and lack of trust between Britain and Germany that eventually led to the First World War continued to grow. Britain was particularly concerned as Kaiser Wilhelm II declared that he wanted to make the German Navy as strong and as large as that of Great Britain sparking fears of a German invasion. Many were worried that Britain did not appear to be doing enough to protect it shores, and it is within this atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty that Childers wrote this compelling mystery at the turn of the 20th century.
Foreign Office official Carruthers agrees to spend his holidays aboard a friend's yacht, but rather than being on board some magnificent vessel cruising the seas and enjoying the sunshine, he finds himself on the Dulcibella, a 30-foot yawl navigating the fog and channels of the sandbanks of the islands in the North Sea off the northern coast of Germany. The skipper is intent on mapping all the banks and the passages between them convinced that something is going on and this belief deepens as they get involved with those on board the Medusa another vessel that seems to share their interest in the area. The plot thickens when Clara, the daughter of the owner of the Medusa, abruptly cuts short a social call to the Dulcibella and Carruthers and Davies are determined to find out why.
In this abridged version, available through INT Books, Tony Evans has crafted a solid story from the original that tempts the reader to seek out the original but is also satisfying in itself as a mystery for the young reader. Here is a story that shows that the tensions between the two countries were building long before war was eventually declared and provides a plausible plot that shows that Britain should have had cause for concern and prepared more fully - something a number of writers like Childers did not believe they were doing.
Adding this version to your collection will not only offer students access to what is now considered a classic piece of writing, but it will add depth to your collection about World War I - a collection which is sure to receive extra attention this year, particularly.
Barbara Braxton

Forest of Bones by David Kennett

Omnibus, 2014. ISBN 9781862919884
(Age: 10+) Recommended. This is well-known illustrator, David Kennett's, first graphic novel. It is set in 9CE and is based on the defeat of the Roman Army in Teutoburg forest.
For those with a passion for history there is much to learn in this realistic telling. It provides the reader with a clearer understanding of the size and nature of the Roman Empire and its army as it documents the campaign seasons and the effect the Romans had on a conquered peoples. Their passion for order is no more clearly expressed than by Ursus who worries that, 'sometime in his future he would look up an find the night sky had been ordered in the Roman way, its magical lights in neat rows and the moon a white square.' p. 141
On the other side are the Germanic Cherusci people who cling to the mythology of their past where they are capable of shape shifting and worship the bones of bears hung in the forest trees.
For those who love a good story this book also has a lot to offer. The action largely revolves around the friendship which develops between Ursus, who has a deep seated hatred of the Romans and Canus, 'the dog boy' who is a slave to the Roman Governor, Vanus. Through their shared love of animals the boys become friends and bond strongly over their dual ownership of the wolf cub, Hercules. It is through this friendship that Ursus discovers that 'things were never straightforward the way his grandfather had promised they would be if he just hated the Romans. They were like a forest that entangle everything' p. 132 and 'spending time with the Romans and getting to know them was dulling the blade of his hatred'. p. 151
The uneasy peace which pervades much of the story is spectacularly disrupted when the Cherusci gather their forces to reclaim their land. The resulting thrilling climax is a brutal, frenzied battle which Kennett illustrates with evocative accuracy.
Barb Rye

Good enough for a sheep station by David Cox

Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781743319031
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Station life in Australia, Coming of age, Country life. With the pared back humour of an Australian bushie, Cox tells the story of his early life, growing up on a sheep station in Central Queensland, surrounded by animals. He adores being with his father, the station manager, as he teaches his young son the many skills necessary for life in the bush. He learns to ride from an early age, drive a truck, mend fences, taken mustering and then working in the shearing shed, while inside he receives lessons from the Queensland Correspondence School supervised by his mother.
In spare words and detailed illustrations, Cox outlines the routines of station life, each page giving the reader insight into the tasks needed in such a place. Living through drought and rain, being sent away to boarding school, his first interest in girls, life is revealed with the lightest of touches and deceptively simple line and watercolour illustrations.
His father's death means that now he must earn his own way and he takes a job on a station further west. When the train stops at the old homestead where he grew up, the new manager hands him his father's old saddle, a touching reminder of the man he knew and the skills he passed on to his son.
The theme of change runs through this lovely tale of a boy becoming a man. Through the stories told by the old stockmen and his father, we are made aware of the contrast with their lives, and we know that the boy's life on a new station will be different again. Cobb and Co, is replaced by the train, life moves on as his father dies and he must carry on the skills he has been taught. The kindness of the men he has worked with lives on, the old man telling his stories, the new manager handing over the saddle, reiterating the strengths of bush life in Australia.
Fran Knight

Circus of the Unseen by Joanne Owen

Hot Key Books, 2015. ISBN 9781471401145
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. If we haven't already guessed from the cover design, the moment we begin the prologue we are aware that something strange and fantastical will happen in this story. Owen does not disappoint. The main story of Rosie's descent into a macabre, carnivalesque world is interwoven with the retelling of the Russian folktale of Vasilisa and Baba Yaga.
Rosie's adventure begins with a seemingly ordinary visit to her Grandmother's cottage and it is ironically this ordinariness and that 'everything was as it should be' p7 that alerts the reader to potential for the extraordinary. Rosie's strong relationship with her grandmother is established and we are introduced to the mystery of her past life in Poland about which Rosie knows nothing. It is in her quest for answers that Rosie, like Alice, falls down the 'rabbit hole' into a strange and eerie place.
She initially finds herself on a Carousel festooned with wild creatures and even odder, a 3 faced lady. She is then transported to an old time circus with 'flaming torches, flickering lanterns, ropes and wires, giant seesaws, high boards and tanks of bubbling water.' p63. But it's the people she meets who become integral to Rosie's stay and ultimately her decision about her own future.
There are Lola and Coco (the little girl grannies) Scarlet, Fabian, Accordienka and many others all of whom have extraordinary abilities in their chosen act. But it is Mother Matushka who holds all the power in this strange place: the power of night and day, the power to control the birds, the power to keep her 'children'. But does she have the power to keep Rosie?
From the beginning Rosie's, and the reader's, mind are abuzz with questions and it is the desire to find the answers that keep the pages tuning.
Owen makes many allusions to traditional fairy tales and effectively creates a world of swamps, craters, mist and strange horseman, but amongst it all is the touch of humanity that is the keystone of all good fairy tales.
Barb Rye

Henry Lawson Treasury ill. by Oslo Davies

Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780857985132
Ask about Australia's best-known authors and poets and Henry Lawson's name will be amongst the list for sure. Born in 1867 and a contemporary of A.B. (Banjo) Paterson, he has been dubbed 'Australia's greatest short story writer' and the 'poet of the people'. Certainly his stories and poems have endured through the generations and in this collection, illustrated in a fitting style by Oslo Davies, many of his best-know pieces are brought together and made accessible to a new generation. From Up the Country to The Bush Undertaker to The Loaded Dog readers can enjoy his mastery of the language, his laugh-out-loud humour, and gain an insight into life of late 19th century Australia. Given that Banjo Paterson's Clancy of the Overflow is a personal favourite, I really like Lawson's response in The City Bushman.
Written with humour, description and an eye and ear for the sights and sounds of the landscape, mature and independent readers will welcome the opportunity to become acquainted with Lawson's work and understand why his work has survived the test of time and technology. His ability to bring to life the spirit of the people of the bush through their success, failures, loyalty, comradeship, pragmatism continues that stereotypical picture of the laconic, laidback larrikin that typifies the city image of the country.
This is the perfect edition of Lawson's work to introduce upper primary or lower secondary learners to his portfolio. As we commemorate the centenary of World War I, a display of literature that portrays life at home at the time would be appropriate and help students understand the greater impact of the hostilities.
And perhaps even spark an investigation into what, if anything, has changed.
Does the stereotype still exist?
Barbara Braxton

The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart

Allen & Unwin, 2015. ISBN 9781760113308
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Humour, Boarding school, Relationships, Secret societies, Gender, Power. At fourteen, Frankie is small, under developed and a bit geeky, but over the summer, boys begin to notice her and in her second year at the prestigious boarding school, Alabaster, she attracts the attention of one boy, senior Matthew Livingstone, and joins his group. But has she? This tongue in cheek story has her being with the group in the cafe, going on clandestine excursions with them, but curiously simply part of the wallpaper. Biting commentary on the rich and famous at this school kept me reading as some like Matthew go to great lengths to never mention their wealth, but it shows all the same. Their lives are laid out for them: a very exclusive school, then on to Harvard, later taking over the family firm. The smugness of Matthew and many of his male friends reflects the power that only the rich can command, and Frankie comes to realise that she wants to be part of it. But the girls are simply there as window dressing to do as expected. But not so Frankie. The more she becomes involved with Matthew, the more the reader can see how one sided the relationship is: his friends come before Frankie, a phone call from Alpha means Frankie is left - immediately, Matthew has no interest whatsoever in her friends, home and family, and breaks dates with her without explanation.
Made of sterner stuff, she sets out to infiltrate their secret society, one that her father mentioned, The Loyal Order of Bassett Hounds. She inadvertently saw one meeting in progress, and resenting her lowly position within the group, decides to spy on them, a skill for which she finds she has some talent.
Frankie infiltrates the all male group, using Alpha's name to send out plans that are carried out religiously. She causes mayhem on the campus, setting up audacious pranks, the dogs wagging their tails to her bidding. She finds the original book for the Loyal Order and things come to a head when she sees that people still think Alpha is pulling the strings.
A funny and biting look at the society within the elite school, Frankie's character is wholly entertaining as she develops her powers, both within herself and over the boys' secret society. A fabulous addition to the growing chick-lit stable of great literature, replete with discussions about societies, gender, words and power. Frankie's interest in secret societies injects the background of this story as does her interest in words and their derivations and usages, all adding to the humour of the tale.
Fran Knight

Withering-by-Sea: A Stella Montgomery Intrigue by Judith Rossell

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Hodder Children's Books, 2015. ISBN 9781444921922
(Age: 15+) Follow the Rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love. The world that I have come from is in ruins. There are so few of us from our time. But if we don't follow the Rules, everything that matters will be gone. Friends. Families. Dreams. Love. Ethan can never know my secret. That I am not from another place but that I am from another time.
I am always intrigued with time traveling books and have always enjoyed them. But I really struggled with the Here and Now as it didn't have the thrill of adventure that the blurb screamed. It was a slow going novel but it was an easy story line to understand. Ann Brashares description was helpful and made reading the novel easier, she did leave out information of the future timeline that was hinted at but this made the storyline much more interesting. Prenna, the protagonist of The Here and Now, evolves within the story and tries to save her timeline.
Cecilia Richards

The third chimpanzee for young people: On the evolution and future of the human animal by Jared Diamond

Oneworld Publications, 2014. ISBN 9781780746043
Recommended (Age: 14+) As his title suggests, Jared Diamond sees human beings as the product of evolution, and of its guiding principle natural selection. To this Pulitzer Prize-winning Professor of Geography, evolution raises more questions than it answers. His hypotheses provide some challenging insights into human behaviour. Having traced the ascent of humankind, Diamond turns his attention to its impact on the planet. After considering climate change, the extinction of species and the loss of Indigenous peoples, he concludes that the negative effects of the growth of human power have the potential to overturn the balance of nature. Despite the threat that humanity poses to its own existence, Jared Diamond declares that he is 'cautiously hopeful' because people can learn from the past.
Rebecca Stefoff's adaptation of Jared Diamond's original work explains complex concepts clearly and concisely. Subjects such as sexuality, death, self-destructive behaviours and genocide are examined in a frank, detached, informative manner that combines scientific inquiry with the sweep of human history. Occasional flashes of emotion are revealed when the author reflects on the disappearance of a species or culture. Scientific terms are defined with elaboration rather than avoided or simplified, and their meanings are clarified further in a useful glossary. Black and white illustrations and photographs enhance the text.
There are at least two reasons to read The third chimpanzee. The first is to find out how a scholar can interpret evidence drawn from a broad knowledge of the human and natural world. The second is to share a thought-provoking contemplation of the evolution of humanity and civilisation. Whether or not readers agree with Jared Diamond's interpretation of life on Earth, they may find themselves pondering the issues raised, long after they have finished reading the book.
Elizabeth Bor

Hush by Karen Robards

Hodder, 2014. ISBN 9781444797862
(Age: Adult) Romantic suspense. Thriller. Riley Cowan discovers her ex-husband's body hanging from a staircase. It looks like a suicide but Riley is convinced that Jeff would not have killed himself. He had been on the trail of people who were trying to find out where his father had hidden the millions that he had ripped off investors and Riley believes that someone has murdered him. Snatching his phone, she leaves the building, knowing that she and her in-laws could be the next victim of an unscrupulous gangster out to retrieve the money. Her path crosses that of FBI agent, Finn Bradly, sent to investigate the case, and sparks fly as they try to find out who the murderer is and who is sending hit men after her.
Robards is a New York Times best-selling author well known for her romantic suspense novels. With Hush she delivers an easy to read thriller that packs enough punch to keep the reader entertained and uncertain about what is happening. There is plenty of action for the adrenaline addict as suspense is built up with the killer stalking, threatening and kidnapping. A few unexpected twists and turns keep the reader glued to the page and the sizzling romance between Riley and Finn adds to the enjoyment of the book. The relationship between Riley and her ex's mother and sister also gives depth to the story. It rounded out Riley's character and made the reader very sympathetic to her point of view as she, coming from a poverty stricken background, has the skills to look after them as they struggle to live without money since all their assets have been taken by the government.
This is an ideal summer holiday read - enjoyable and not very demanding - with likeable characters and lots of action. The narrative flows along at a cracking pace which ensures that it is quite a quick read. Some explicit sex scenes make it a book for adults.
Pat Pledger

The Icicle Illuminarium by N. J. Gemmell

Random House Australia Children's, 2014. ISBN 9780857985675
(Age: 9-12) Continuing the story of the off-the-wall crazy but courageous Caddy kids, Kick, Bert, Scruff and Pin, The Icicle Illuminarium takes up the story after Dad has returned safely but beset with illness from his war stint in the jungles. And joy of joys, their faithful dingo dog Bucket is back as well!
But when Dad is sent away to recuperate, the children are devastated - until a clue from their favourite butler leads them to hope that perhaps their mother is also still alive.
Following a string of clues, the intrepid bush kids set off on a madcap adventure, but are unaware that the strange Lady Adora has other plans in mind for them. Kidnapped and captive in the 'coldest, loneliest and most falling-down place' in England, this quartet is undeterred and determined as always. Receiving help from unexpected sources and willing Bucket to help Uncle Basti to find them, the Caddy kids once again prove their resourcefulness and indomitable spirit.
If you are looking for a book to grab your readers around 9-12 this might just fit the bill - don't forget to pick up the first in the series The Kensington Reptilarium (which I reviewed in October 2013) as well! These books would also be a good fit for literature circles for Upper Primary students so do keep that in mind as well.
A fast-moving adventure story with some definitely kooky characters and some strong family and personal values, this is one for the readers looking for something out of the ordinary!
Sue Warren

Banjo: The man who wrote Waltzing Matilda by Paul Terry

Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743317976
(Age: Upper primary - Secondary) Marking 150 years since the birth of one of Australia's iconic writers in 1864, Paul Terry has written the biography on A.B. (Banjo) Paterson. As we focus on his time in our history as we commemorate World War 1 (Paterson was a war correspondent for the Boer War and served as a remount officer in WWI despite already being 50 at its outbreak) Terry not only examines Paterson's life but also the people and the circumstances that influenced him. It is these encounters which formed the backbone of his writing, producing the bush ballads that are part of the Australian psyche.
This is a very readable biography which looks at the man, his family and friends and his life rather than more common literary criticism of his work, yet still clearly showing the factors that influenced his writing. Students who have discovered The man from Snowy River, Mulga's Bill's bicycle, The bush christening and Clancy of the Overflow and who want to know about the man behind the words will love this.
Barbara Braxton