Spirit Animals: Against the Tide by Tui T. Sutherland
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743620021
This is book five of the Spirit Animals series and, as there
are only a few books left, the plot thickens as the 'mole' is
revealed and we gain some sense of the deadly, ambitious Gerathon
and meet Kovo the giant gorilla, fellow conspirator in the conquest
of Erdas.
The four heroes and Tarik, The Greencloak, are sailing towards the
Hundred Isles to find Mulop the octopus, the only one of the great
beasts to be keen to meet with our heroes as indicated by Conor's
dreams. There is suspicion and distrust amongst the youngsters as
they contemplate who the traitor amongst them could be. However the
appearance of the Conqueror's fleet and giant sharks, which attack
the whales towing the boat just as the islands come into view,
forces them to focus on survival assisted by Kalani, Queen of the
Hundred Isles, and her aquatic friends.
To meet Mulop they need to overcome some major obstacles, both
mental and physical, evade the Conquerors, and find the reclusive
octopus. No mean feat for a group of children with or without their
guide and mentor, Tarik. The revelation of exactly who the traitor
is and why they have been aligned with the enemy will come as a
surprise to fans of the series as will the events that follow.
The setting in such an island paradise and the gentleness and good
will of Kalani and her people, the quirky wise man Tangaroa and his
orang-utan not to mention the refreshingly gentle, questioning and
helpful Mulop, give some respite from the always aggressive enemy
and their animals. They also bring a bit of light into what is
becoming an increasingly dark story that could deter some readers
from continuing to follow the series.
I look forward to the final two books as I am starting to view all
animals with suspicion these days and am especially wary at the
beach, after Conor's experience with a random malevolent seagull.
Sue Keane
We love you Hugless Douglas! by David Melling
Hugless Douglas series. Hodder, 2015 (c2013) ISBN 9781444920772
(Age: 3-5), Warmly recommended. Board book, Friendship. A lovely
book to hold and share, this one tells of the further adventures of
Hugless Douglas as he searches for a best friend. Everyone around
seems to have one close friend, and he seems to struggle to find one
for himself.
The lumbering bear is always on hand to help others: he helps
Flossie the sheep down from the tree, he joins Cow and her friend
for a smoothie, looking under the table for Flossie's last friend.
He is bombarded with flying bunnies as they play on the trampoline,
and is directed to the Baa Baa bush to search for Flossie's
friend. When Flossie and her friend are reunited and wander
off together, he is bereft and wonders why he hasn't got a friend,
but a surprise is waiting for him.
This will be a hit with the targeted audience, full of incidents
which underline the things friends do together (reprised on the last
double page spread) stressing the impact of friendship on their
daily lives. With Douglas not having a friend, children will
sympathise and offer suggestions, marveling at the positive
conclusion of the story. The illustrations reflect some funny
incidents as Douglas helps others in his clumsy way and the whole is
a lovely read aloud. First published in 2103 it is now republished
as a board book.
Fran Knight
Starry nights by Daisy Whitney
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781619634367
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Julien loves spending his free time at the
art museum, looking intently at all of the art pieces created by the
great impressionists. However one night a peach falls out of a
Cezanne and Degas Ballerinas dance and rolls across the floor.
Julien knows that he is not hallucinating. The art works in the
museum are reacting to a curse placed upon them; this same curse
trapped a beautiful young muse, who goes by the name of Clio. She
has been kept in a painting for over a century in a private home and
she has not seen anyone in that century until she is moved to the
museum. Julien begins to fall in love with her and soon
realises that he is the only one who has the power to free her from
the curse. Although soon after he realises he has this ability, the
other paintings in the museum begin to bleed and are disappearing
forever. Julien must save Clio before her painting too, is lost
forever. Starry Nights is set in modern day Paris, and centres around
a teenage boy, Julien, who is an artist whose talent is only limited
to certain things. He loves all forms of art including music,
paintings and also sculptures using different kinds of mediums. His
mother runs a Parisian art gallery, where he conducts tours of the
gallery for people visiting. This gallery is also the place where he
first notices the paintings coming alive and where he first meets
the lovely Clio.
The main themes that were present throughout the book were romance,
mystery, and fantasy. The novel was written in first person, and
from the point of view of Julien. I enjoyed that Daisy Whitney wrote
this novel in first person, but from the perspective of Julien. I
would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys art, mystery or
fantasy.
Emily Madden
The Kaboom Kid: The big switch by David Warner
Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781925030785
(Age 5-12) Highly recommended. Put simply, if you have a young boy
who is an emerging reader and loves cricket (or actually just thinks
cricket is OK) then this is a book that should definitely be on your
list. The Kaboom Kid is a book full of hilarious moments, realistic
friendship issues for a child and tonnes of cricket. First the
reader will meet Davey (Warner), the star of our story, the cricket
team and Davey's dog Max, a ball catching and silly mid-on expert.
The journey then begins at the start of the new school year when
young Davey finds out that he and his group of friends have Mr Mudge
as their Year 6 teacher. Mr Mudge despises cricket and goes out of
his way to rid the school of cricket and anything cricket related.
The teacher isn't Davey's only problem as the school bully Mo
Clouter also hates cricket.
How are Davey and his team mates going to get the practice they need
done with so much against them and detention punishments being
handed out for the simplest indiscretions? The boys must come up
with a plan fast if they are to beat their biggest rivals and keep
their place on the cricket club ladder. The Kaboom Kid reminds me of the Specky Magee series
of Australian Rules books for kids although slightly more comical. A
young reader will love Davey Warner's daily rollercoaster ride of
antics that is written with an easy to read language, larger font
and short chapters. A reader will need to be armed with a deep
knowledge of cricket language or quickly investigate their meanings.
Sayings like bowl it down leg, middle order crumble, tail wagging
and square leg may bamboozle the uneducated cricket mind.
With the amount of students in Australia that play cricket aged from
5 to 12 this book is an absolute must for any library collection and
young sporting stars book shelf.
Steve Whitehead
The Kaboom Kid: Playing up by David Warner with J.S. Black
Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781925030808
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Great selections of books are being
written for sport-minded boys and The Kaboom Kid: Playing up is
another one to add to that selection. These books take the action of
a sport, a popular player, add a storyline and a few images and
create an engaging novel for those reluctant readers who would
rather be outside playing. Australian cricketer, David Warner, adds
his name and experience to this story and the main character is
little 'Davey Warner'. He is 11 years old and is a cricket crazy kid
who just wants to play cricket. I'm pretty sure every teacher has a
similar student, the one who talks nothing but cricket (or football
or soccer). This book is for them.
Davey has just lost his lucky bat, Kaboom, after using it in class.
It has been confiscated by his grumpy teacher. Davey can't play
cricket without his lucky bat and there are local cricket selectors
coming to observe him play. Plan? Get Kaboom back no matter the
consequences! Will Davey get his bat back in time or should he
listen to his older brother's endless and annoying advice and start
getting used to different bats? The Kaboom Kid is a quick moving novel with easy to read,
descriptive text. It is full of cricket lingo and is highly
recommended for boys aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster
My Hiroshima by Junko Morimoto
Lothian, 2014 (c1987). ISBN 9780734416025
(Ages: all) Highly recommended. War. Hiroshima. World War Two.
Nuclear bombs. Survival. Cancer. Death. First published in 1987,
this book received worldwide acclaim, and is used extensively in
classrooms where Peace is under discussion. A tale of the impact of
war upon families, particularly children, this memoir is as potent
today as it was when first published. Junko's recollections of that
day, August 6, 1945, are told with few words, the images revealing
the horror of the attack and its aftermath, its results causing
death for decades to come. Drawings that reprise the subtlety and
intimacy of Japanese watercolours, line drawings reflecting aspects
of families' lives, images emulating photographs span the pages
highlighting the effect on the city's children. No bomb had ever
been dropped like this one, no devastation was as overwhelming, no
city so completely laid bare. And all this is reflected here.
The central images of the bomb falling from the plane overhead, so
far removed it can barely be seen, divide the book into two parts.
The first shows the gentle activities of the families, going about
their daily lives, unaware of the danger above. The bomb falls,
turning them upside down, leaving people shocked beyond belief,
their skin falling from them in sheets, children searching for dead
parents, people whose bodies are still burning hours and days after.
The images after the falling of this bomb are heart-wrenching, and
will initiate much discussion in classes where this book is
presented.
At a time where war is being commemorated over the world with
anniversaries of the beginning of World War One, the travesty of
Gallipoli and seventy years since the dropping of the bomb on
Hiroshima, this is a timely reprint, one which will take centre
stage in class discussions and units of work, reminding children
that those who are most affected by war are people like them, the
innocents, the children, those who have taken no part in it at all.
This is a book to be cherished and revisited time and time again as
our world still tumbles into war, sweeping all in its path.
Junko says in her afterword, 'It is our responsibility to teach our
children to respect human life and value nature,' and this is
reflected in every word and image in this timely republishing.
Fran Knight
Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, book burglar by Emily MacKenzie
Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781408843130
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Books. Libraries. Crime. When Arthur
notices that some of his favourite books are missing from his
bookshelves, he decides to do a little sleuthing. He loves his
books, his bookshelves are groaning under the weight of his
favourite fairy tales and picture books, but sometimes he finds a
half eaten carrot on the emptying shelves. He sits up one night,
torch in hand, Teddy for company and when he hears a noise shines
the torch and sees the thief. It is a rabbit. The Police are no help
at all, and Arthur is sure he can hear laughter down the telephone
line. But one night, Ralfy burrows into the wrong house in his
search for books, that of PC Puddle, the laughing policeman and so
is caught. A clever test reveals which rabbit is the culprit and a
clever twist sees both avid readers happy.
This is a charming homage to books and reading, to reading being a
pastime of many children, and the role of libraries in our lives.
Along the way it reveals the role of police officers, and shows some
of the methods sleuths use in their detective work. Children will be
intrigued with the variety of things Arthur uses to catch his thief
and the methods he uses.
The illustrations are very cute, with books to be found on every
page, reinforcing the theme of the story. The lists of favourite
books parodying famous book titles will cause a ripple of
recognition with the adult reader, adding to the humour as the story
is read aloud. Younger children will be introduced to titles of
classic books which they will come across in their reading lives or
maybe one the adults will read them aloud to them.
Fran Knight
The Corduroy books by Don Freeman
Corduroy. Penguin, 2014 c1968. ISBN 9780140501735 A Pocket for Corduroy. 1978. ISBN 9780140503524
Voted in the Top 100 Books for Children in the National Education
Association 2007 online poll, and again in Top 100 Picture Book poll
2012, School Library Journal, and still not only in print but
becoming available in various formats, Corduroy was
initially rejected by Freeman's publishers, Viking Press. What a
loss it would have been had they not reviewed their decision at
their second opportunity. Freeman's story of the endearing teddy who
wants a home and the little girl Lisa, who sees in him a special
friend, has remained a constant favourite for children around the
world for almost forty years.
Corduroy is a little bear on a shelf in a department store and longs
to go home with someone special. When Lisa and her mother come in to
do some shopping, Lisa desperately wants to be that someone special
but her mother (as mothers do) says she has already spent enough
money and that besides, Corduroy is missing a button from his
overalls. Corduroy is very sad and spends the night roaming the
department store searching for a button, having some minor
adventures and finally being thwarted by the security guard.
Undeterred by her mother's negative response, Lisa goes home and
carefully counts out the money in her piggy bank and triumphantly
returns to the store the following day to buy her little bear.
Taking him home to his new room and his very own bed, Lisa sews a
button onto Corduroy's overalls and cements the beginning of their
friendship and hugs.
As a passionate arctophile
(a condition inherited from my Father Bear) this was always one of
my favourite titles to share with small people. In my Year 1 classes
years ago, our introduction to information report genre writing was
centred around literary offerings about bears and this title and its
followup were always warmly received. Later in the library, I have
continued to use this whenever doing a compare-and-contrast current
picture books with classic ones. The story has never had a negative
response from my audience. The story was successfully made into a film version
by Weston Woods in their valuable series - do spend a few moments to
relive the magic by following the link.
You may also enjoy these comments by Don Freeman about The
Story About Corduroy. I am personally very excited to see that
the Puffin Storytime book and CD series include both the titles and
they are already on their way to my shelves.
Sue Warren
Max the Brave by Ed Vere
Penguin Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780723286691
Coming hard on the heels of Small and I cooing over a very small,
very playful black kitten at the pet shop on Saturday, we shared
this absolutely gorgeous book from Ed Vere.
'This is Max.
Max is a fearless kitten.
Max is a brave kitten.
Max is a kitten who chases mice.
But what does a mouse look like?'
Max is the sweetest tiny black kitten with loads of personality. Off
he goes to discover Mouse because after all how can he bravely hunt
an animal if he doesn't know what it looks like?
Children will just love Max's quest as he comes across the various
animals trying to discover Mouse.
I was not familiar with Ed Vere's work until seeing this book but
just adore his illustrative style and will certainly be looking out
for more. This one is a keeper as we are very much 'kitten' folk!
Big and small people alike will enjoy this clip of Ed
demonstrating how to draw one of his popular characters.
Sue Warren
Outlaw Pete by Bruce Springsteen
Ill. by Frank Caruso. Simon & Schuster, 2014. ISBN 9781501103858
(Age: 12+) Picture book for older readers. USA Wild West. Cowboys.
Springsteen's Outlaw Pete is an amalgam of the stories he
heard and loved as a young boy. Cowboys and Indians, the Wild West,
the story of Brave Cowboy Bill his mother used to read to him, the
spaghetti westerns he watched, are infused with the stories from
Native Americans and filtered through Springsteen's considerable
abilities to produce this picture book for older readers.
Cowboy Pete is a tragic figure, sometimes poignant, but always
brave. His past looms over him but he is determined to put it behind
him, burying the fact of his outlaw deeds: robbing banks,
terrorising communities and killing those in his way. He rides as
far west as he can, marrying a Navaho woman and settling down with
their daughter. But his past catches up to him when a bounty hunter
arrives. Before he dies, the hunter tells Pete that he can never
outrun his past, and so Pete moves on, never to be seen again, his
daughter calling for him through her days.
This is a mesmerising story, reminding readers of all the tales they
have heard of outlaws who are desperate to redeem themselves. Pete
is an example of someone searching for sanity after a wild youth,
but unable to disentangle himself from the life he has led. It is a
salutary tale, a cautionary tale of past sins catching up, of regret
and the need for absolution.
The illustrations are blazingly different and just as mesmerising,
causing the readers to stop and look closely at what is before them.
The different techniques used, line drawing, crayon, water colour,
wash, oil, daubs of thick colour and pages of one colour, all add to
the interest in this book, as each page uncovers a surprise, forcing
the reader to think about the story and the juxtaposition of the
media used by the illustrator.
The refrain, I'm Outlaw Pete is scrawled across the pages as
he throws away his youth, but as the story continues, the refrain
changes subtly, reflecting his need for redemption and forgiveness.
This is certainly well worth looking past the cover to find the
layers of meaning inside.
To hear Springsteen's song, go to Youtube.
Fran Knight
The sleeper and the spindle by Neil Gaiman
Ill. by Chris Riddell. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408859643
(Ages: All) Highly recommended. Fairy tales. Adventure. Magic. A
highly inventive and throughly enjoyable repositioning of two well
known fairy tales is the basis for this offering from Gaiman and
Riddell. It will hook readers from the start, as they recognise
hints of various stories, following the different trails taken by
the characters, some of whom are known and easy to spot while others
take a little more liberty with the original stories. But all is
fascinating, tantalising and highly readable as the Queen leaves her
bridegroom on the eve of her wedding to free the neighbouring
country from the sleeping plague which has descended. Along with
three dwarves who have asked for her help, they shoulder the
mountains, cross the moat and brave the thorny rose bushes
encircling the castle. Once inside the princess's room, things take
unexpected leaps as Gaiman turns the stories inside out. This is a
captivating read, one sure to add a loyal band of followers to
Gaiman's books, and encourage readings of other versions of fairy
stories to compare it with. No teacher encouraging the reading of
fairy tales should be without this book as it shines a new light on
those stories half remembered, giving several a more modern tweak
and adding different layers of meaning and interest along the way.
The story, enhanced with an array of lustrous illustrations showing
all sorts of gargoyle-like creatures, along with the very alluring
Queen and Princess, will enthrall the readers. Panels of
illustrations line some pages while others cover a double page,
framed with designs sure to draw in the many pairs of eyes already
rivetted to the tale. The juxtaposition of both story and
illustrations is mesmerising and I defy anyone not to take away a
need to reread some more of Grimm's fairy tales.
Fran Knight
Beetle Bottoms and the sticky situation by Sarah Hill, Madison Holroyd and Fiona Whyte
Visible Love Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9780987595904
Highly recommended for repeated read-alouds. Visit the website here
and find out much more about Beetle Bottoms!
The Beetle Bottoms and their adventures have become firm favourites
around here, especially with Miss Mouse (5 years old).
In this new episode, the big kids - Nut, Thorn and Petal - fly off
on their tiny birds for an outing, leaving little Pip behind as she
is too small yet to fly.
Pip, like a lot of littler playmates, is pretty peeved about the
whole situation so decides she will follow them on her dad's bird,
Bill. As one might expect, this turns out to be a VERY BAD idea!
When Bill is startled, he tumbles Pip off and she falls down, down -
into a wormhole, very dark and very slimy. The bigger Beetle Bottoms
try their hardest to get her out, first making a rope of grass,
without success. How will they save her before the worm comes back
along its tunnel and crushes her?
Thorn's brilliant idea is to sneak up on Fang, the local scary and
very grumpy spider, and 'borrow' some spider web. Like many bright
ideas, this one is a bit of a disaster when both Thorn and Petal
fall into the spider web and are stuck fast. With the sticky
situation looking pretty grim as Fang realises he has two intruders,
Thorn's bird swoops them away in the nick of time!
However, luckily, the pair do have enough spider web clinging to
their legs to rescue tiny Pip - but oh oh! Here comes the worm!!
The entire concept of these story-play books is fantastic and the
mother and daughters team do a superb job - not only producing the
books but other imaginative play items for young children.
At the end of this book there are lots of interesting 'facts' about
the Beetle Bottoms, their homes and their lives. As always, exploring the garden and looking carefully for any Beetle
Bottoms that might be hiding there.
These are delightful read-aloud books for your little people, which
will fire up their imaginations and their interest in their natural
environment. If you haven't been to the Beetle Bottoms website yet,
you really should go and visit - it's a joy!
Watch the trailer here.
Sue Warren
Aussie wildlife poems for kids and the young at heart by John McColgan and Becky Roberts
Self-published by Becky Roberts, Clontarf, 2014
It gives me the greatest pleasure to share this delightful
'home-grown' book with you. That's right, direct to you from
Paradise aka the beautiful Redcliffe peninsula; a father and
daughter team have produced this tribute to our native fauna,
especially for smaller humans. They are, respectively, the granddad
and mum of a lovely bubbly young friend with whom I taught here some
years ago - and they are a very talented and creative family.
When John McColgany's children were young, he wrote some poems about
Aussie animals for them, wanting to share his love and respect for
our fauna. He hoped to have enough for a little book some day but
grew discouraged by his efforts and gave it up. Fast forward to
fifty years later when his artist daughter, Becky, persuaded him to
have another go. The result is a quite lovely collection of original
poems which share the author's fondness for our native creatures, of
all types, and a respect for their attributes, with just a little
information, some humour and even warning about some dangers. All
beautifully illustrated with Becky's skilled and imaginative
watercolour (and ink) paintings.
As well as koalas and kangaroos, quolls and quokkas, Tasmanian
devils and dingos, little fellas like the Bleating Tree Frog are
included (I have the most gorgeous big one who lives on my patio!) -
and there are two wonderfully whimsical poems about the Yowie and
the Bunyip - plus (yes, I know you want more!) a final piece about
'weather warnings' from various animals.
Small and I both enjoyed looking at the pictures and sharing some of
the poems. Of course, with her new baby blue tongue curled up in her
arms, her stand out favourite is The Blue-Tongue Lizard, which
begins:
A well-known sight in Eastern states
Is our Blue-Tongue Lizard friend
He's only seen in warmer months
Well after winter's end.
You'll often find him warming up
Basking in the sun
He might look savage, but he's not
He's friends with everyone! ...
We also both love The Pelican, as these birds are so
synonymous with Redcliffe and we love to play our game of 'count the
pelicans' as we drive across the bridge, to or from the other side
of town.
I believe this is a worthy addition not only to your home bookshelf
but for the school library where I can see it being well used for
those units focused on Australian Animals. Children will enjoy the
rhymes as well as the illustrations and could 'springboard' to
writing some poems of their own around their animal of choice.
Well done to both John and Becky on a great collaboration!
Find the book:
On Etsy
On FaceBook
On Becky's website
PortfolioPics
P.S. I might add that John is about to celebrate his 84th birthday -
what a great way to celebrate with a newly published book!
Sue Warren
A house of her own by Jenny Hughes
Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781742974620
(Age: Preschool - Yr 2) Audrey is so much bigger than she was
yesterday - so much bigger in fact that her dad's house is too small
for her now. So she needs a house of her own. The dog kennel is too
small; the garage is too big; and the tool shed too crowded. So her
dad built her the most amazing house in a tree. It had a staircase
with a bannister to slide down; a swinging bathtub for snorkelling;
a cupboard, a bed and some chars for guests; even a stove for making
cakes! It is a very high house, almost as high as the sky but Audrey
is much bigger than she was yesterday. However, as dusk starts to
fall and Dad heads down the staircase back to the warm, cosy house,
Audrey begins to have second thoughts...
This is a charming story that celebrates the love between fathers
and their daughters and captures that special relationship they have
as well as the struggle encountered when crossing the bridge to
independence as Audrey moves from confidence to a touch of anxiety
as her 'tummy turns over' to relief as she realises she will always
have a dad and a home no matter how big she is.
The beautiful, imaginative illustrations by Jonathan Bentley provide
much to explore - every child is going to want a suspended bath to
swing in - and the colour choices cleverly reflect Audrey's changing
moods. Bright and bold to start with, softening as dusk creeps in
and then the warm, welcoming lights of home at night. It would be a
perfect kick-starter to a design and build unit as students put
their imagination into gear to design their own treehouse!
Barbara Braxton
Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders
Allen & Unwin (Faber & Faber) 2015. ISBN 9780571310951
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. World War One, War, Comic fantasy.
Sequel to Five Children and It by E. Nesbit. When E
Nesbitt's Five Children and It was published in 1902, it was
widely acclaimed. Two sequels soon followed, The phoenix and the
carpet, and The story of the amulet, tracing the
adventures of the five children and their friend, the last sand
fairy on earth, the Psammead. Parents are rarely seen, an old nurse
watches over them, and a dinner gong calls them for tea, recalling a
time where children were left to their own devices, a time for
picnics and baskets of food, of private schools and governesses, of
parents who were mysteriously absent for a period of time, allowing
the children even more freedom.
This sequel, a further story about the five children set ten years
later when war threatens their lives, has their old companion
reappear. He is thousands of years old, and knows what will happen
to them all. He can grant wishes, although his powers are strangely
diminished, but he is there to farewell Cyril as he heads off for
war on the Western Front.
I found I kept reading this with a smile on my face as the children
and Sammy wriggled their way into my consciousness. Sammy is a
wonderful character funny, forthright and assertive, his needs
overriding the children's as as he makes continuous demands.
Like ET, the Psanamead simply wants to get home, so the children
take him to the British Museum to see if he recognises any of the
ancient exhibits. In the Sumerian room are images that look just
like him, and they bump into Ernie, a soldier who loves ancient
things. Surprisingly they are all friends of the professor, Jimmy
and go to his house where they plan to help Sammy.
Like a detective story, the children search for Sammy's real home,
and if the signs are to be believed, he must learn things about
himself before he can return. In wishing for things, the children
are transported to various times and locations: the Kaiser in 1939,
Cyril in the trenches during the war, all designed to give the
readers some insight into war and its aftermath, while being a model
for Sammy to truly regret his past actions and feel compassion as
they do.
The intriguing story will give avid readers an introduction to the
stories of the Great War, showing how people were involved on all
fronts and enlist their sympathies as they see the impact of war
upon the family. Robert is blinded, Ernie loses his leg, friends are
killed in action, Jane wants to be a doctor, the parents are shocked
when Anthea wants to marry someone outside their circle, and so on,
each designed to reflect the impact of the war on attitudes and
society of the time, while questioning the need for war.
Comic fantasy for middle to upper primary, this is a wonderful read
a loud, charting the progress of Sammy from a ruthless god and ruler
of the ancient world to someone who empathises with those around
him. The many incidents serve as exemplars for the impact of war on
the community and would serve as a wonderful introduction to the
theme of war in class. The plaque outside one of the cemeteries, Now
Heaven is by the young invaded, could serve as a telling sub title
for this engrossing story and an introduction to the work done in
class.
Fran Knight
Editor's note: This has won the 2014
Costa Children's Book Award.
