Headline, 2014. ISBN 9781472206299.
Well recommended for upper secondary students. A cleverly contrived
plot where the main characters are able to express their inner
thoughts, which closely ally a reader's own view of the situation at
the time. Lucy lives on the 24th floor of an apartment in New York
and when the power goes out on an incredibly hot day she meets Owen,
who lives in the basement, not that Lucy is aware of that. They get
stuck in a lift and talk. This leaves each of them with a yearning
to see more of each other. Owen's mother has died and he and his
father are trying to sort out their lives and so after an
unsuccessful stint at mending the pipes in the hotel they set off to
'drive out west, find some place better suited for them, a place
with more sky and fewer people. Maybe, in that way, Owen would be
able to say goodbye too' p78. They do. Lucy's rather casual parents
finally insist she joins them in Paris and onto Scotland. And so
starts an exchange of irregular postcards to each other. The genuine
feelings each expresses about their relationship is heart-warming,
amusing and tender as first love blossoms. It's an engaging easy to
read story of young people finding their voice and creating a world
where they can share their thoughts and hopes. The font is clear and
well-spaced. It focuses on young people's fragile relationships
while learning about each other.
Sue Nosworthy
Running on a Patchwork of Earth by Jonny Zucker
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781472905345.
(Age: 8-11) It is not often that a sport such as middle distance
running features in novels for 8-11 year olds. We may have to thank
the Olympics for sparking the idea and giving us an insight to this
sport and the reality that change brings new opportunities if you
are willing to take the chance.
AK attends a boy's boarding school in Iten Kenya where the best
runners are trained and mentored by the best running coach Brother
Colm. As an aspiring 800 m Olympic runner AK relishes the
opportunities he has to train and learn. In fact he feels running is
his destiny and devotes all his energy and time to it despite his
parents and teachers urging him to focus as fully on his school
work.
AK's immediate focus is on trials for the school Athletics Team and
just as he makes the cut his father arrives and announces that the
family are moving immediately to London for at least a year due to
his work as a scientist. Naturally devastated AK finds accepting his
new life difficult despite making friends with two girls in his
form. His dreams of becoming a great runner are shattered however as
athletics training is not available at the school and the local
clubs are not open to new members.
Eventually AK begins running alone at the local park and attracts
the attention of Frank, the unkempt, depressed and out of work
father of the school bully. Frank was destined to have a future as a
runner when he broke his leg and his career prospects were over.
Frank offers to train AK who accepts, despite some misgivings, and
they both gain from the experience.
This is a story about acceptance and adapting to change. Taking
responsibility for his own training opens a new opportunity for AK
whilst Frank makes changes to his own life and relationships moving
on at last from his past disappointments.
Sue Keane
Adorable Alice by Cassandra Webb
New Frontier Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781921928017. Adorable Alice is a beautiful picture book highly recommended
for children aged 3+. Whether reading it with an adult or trying on
their own, children will wonder at Alice, a young girl who explores
her house by using her different senses. A great book to support
learning the days of the week, who is in a family and our different
sense and how we use them.
The pictures are detailed and colourful and I like how the author
doesn't explain Alice's reasons for acting like she is. This means
there are a lot of chances for discussion and interpretation.
Kylie Kempster
Howler by Michael Rosen and Neal Layton
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408846179.
(Age: Pre-school - Year 2) Have you ever considered what it must be
like to follow a pregnancy through the eyes of the family pet? In
this very funny take on a common situation, Dog introduces us to his
pet girl, Rover and her family and provides a running commentary of
the changes he notices in Rover's mum as her tummy gets bigger and
bigger. It takes him a while to realise it's not just because she's
swallowed a big dinner and he doesn't understand why he can't sleep
in the big new basket Rover's dad brings home or gets into strife
for trying to catch the animals hanging from the mobile on the
ceiling. Finally, it becomes clear when a very small human appears
on the scene although he is puzzled when Rover tries to eat it and
it tries to eat Rover's mum. He calls the baby Howler because that
what it does, yet no matter what he does he is ignored or in BIG
trouble.
So he starts to spend time with the dog next door, Ruff-Ruff and
it's not long before she starts to get bigger and bigger . . . and
gradually his understanding of the phenomenon develops.
This new edition of this story by the author of We're Going on a
Bear Hunt is very funny and gives a totally new take on that
classic pre-school theme of a new baby joining the family. Neal
Layton's illustrations appear to be quite simple but they convey so
much meaning and expression that they are the perfect accompaniment,
creating a fresh, lively and entertaining story. As well as showing
the young child who is also awaiting a new brother or sister that
'someone' empathises with their bewilderment, if can also that can
be used to help them understand the concept of perspective and our
view of an event depends on our position within it. Discussing the
book from the point of view of rover, her mum her dad, even
Ruff-Ruff's owners, would all enrich and enhance the experience.
Barbara Braxton
Waterfire saga: Deep blue by Jennifer Donnelly
Hodder Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9781444921182.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Deep Blue is the first thrilling instalment
in the Waterfire saga which follows the perilous adventure of six
teenage mermaids are they endeavour to save their ocean home from an
unknown terragogg enemy. The story starts by following princess
Seraphina as she prepares her songspell for her dokimi, a coronation
and betrothal ceremony. The ceremony is interrupted however and her
homeland of Miromara is laid waste by enemy mermen from Ondalina.
With the sea-people preparing for war Seraphina's life and that of
her betrothed's cousin, Neela, are in danger. The girls must do all
that is in their power to get away, even if that means stepping into
the mirror realm and facing down dangerous terragoggs. Drawn
together by dreams of river witches and a terrifying monster the
girls must choose to embrace their talents and either fight or take
flight from their enemy, for they are the descendants of the six
greatest mages who ever lived.
A full blown fantasy with rich details and a portrayal of everyday
environmental concerns for marine life and pollution, this novel is
the perfect fantasy for the modern girl. I would highly recommend
for girls ages eleven and up who love fantasy. The novel is filled
with strong female characters, in a matriarchal setting, who are both
beautiful and smart. The reader is thrown into an enjoyably foreign
new world with a multitude of historical and mythological
references. The novel deals both directly and indirectly with issues
of teenage rebellion, body image, trust, the importance of obedience
and of facing one's problems.
Kayla Gaskell (Student)
Chu's first day at school by Neil Gaiman
Ill. Adam Rex. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408847039.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Picture book. School. Anxiety. A sequel to
the highly successful, Chu's day, this book has the little bear
going to school for the first time. He is anxious about making
friends and fitting in. He is worried that the others will not like
him. His parents try to reassure him but he is still concerned.
We see him in the classroom where he meets his teacher who has a
friendly face. She shows them where the toys are and gets them to
sit in a circle and tell each other what they can do. Several of the
others do this, the giraffe can lift things down from high places,
the monkey can climb trees and the parrot can sing, but Chu cannot
think of anything and so stays silent.
But suddenly he does show them what he can do. A gigantic sneeze
erupts and throws the roof off the school, sending the classroom
into chaos, upturning desks and chairs, throwing everyone around the
room. He can do something, and is very pleased with himself, and the
others think so too.
He goes home happily.
The bright illustrations follow Chu's story throughout the day,
drawing in the background to the story, showing the kind teacher and
the range of animals in the class. The standout images of the
children doing the things they can do are wonderful as are the last
few pages showing the results of Chu's sneeze. This will be a
comforting and funny story to read out loud to new arrivals in a
classroom or those about to go to school.
Fran Knight
Fossil by Claire Ewart
Walker, 2014. ISBN 9780802737373.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Picture book. Fossils. Archaeology. First
published in 2004, this is a handsome picture book. Claire Ewart
once lived near a lake which had been dredged from a stream bed, so
uncovering a myriad of pieces of brachiopods, mollusks and corals,
each a fossil.
This story relives all the excitement of finding a fossil, that once
was a bone. The story imagines the life of the bird, a pterosaur, as
it lives its life cycle. Flying freely in the pale blue skies,
scooping squid from the seas below, wearily heading for home,
feeding its young from the food it has partly digested, then folding
its wings around the young to sleep. The next day sees the same
routine until, one day, its living days over, it becomes bones in
the sand, buried beneath many millions of days to become a fossil,
which is then found.
Beautifully told in poetic words, the story tells smaller children
the life cycle of these ancient dinosaurs, talking about their lives
form birth to death, showing through the illustrations that they
were simply birds, and followed the same life cycle as all of them,
finally becoming a fossil for a child to uncover. This celebration
of the science that tracks down these fossils and explores them for
our better understanding, is an amazing book. Its illustrations in
watercolour depict the animal's day from flying high to catching
food, avoiding predators and bringing up its young.
I was surprised that I was given two books at the same time. One,
Fossil, and the other, Edward and the great discovery (Rebecca
McRitchie) deal with parallel topics, one finding a fossil and
imagining that animal's life story, the other, following the story
of a family of archaeologists. Each compliments the other, and could
be well used in a classroom where science is under discussion, and
introducing fossils, dinosaurs, endangered species, or archaeology
could be done using these books as a starting point. But all that
said, Fossil is a wonderful introduction for younger readers
of a rich part of our lives.
Fran Knight
Nowhere boys by Elise McCredie
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2014. ISBN 9781760120160.
Recommended for middle years readers. Nowhere boys, which has been
serialised for television, tells the story of four very different
boys in Year 10 who become friends in difficult circumstances. Felix
is a punk songwriter, Andy an Asian science nerd, Jake a bully with
a disadvantaged background and Sam the all-round popular sports
hero. When the four are thrust together on a school excursion it
seems unlikely that there will be a productive outcome. However,
Felix, who feels responsible for his brother's paralysis and hopes
to invoke the help of supernatural powers to reverse the past,
manipulates the situation so that he can make contact with forces in
the forest. The boys become lost and do attract the attention of
otherworldly powers. When they make their way home they find that
they are 'nowhere'. They either do not exist or have been replaced.
Their parents do not recognise them, their homes have changed, even
their girlfriends have moved on. Tired, hungry and unhappy they are
forced to look after themselves, while trying to find out exactly
what has happened. When Felix borrows a spell from Phoebe, the owner
of the local magic shop, their troubles worsen when the supernatural
powers are antagonised even more. The boys are attacked by swarms of
bees, then crows and finally dogs. Specific humans seem to respond
to them manically, and it becomes clear that a demon has become
disturbed and is attempting to destroy them. Felix realizes that a
talisman borrowed from Phoebe can protect them if all four are
present. Each of the four represents either earth, fire, water or
air, and all four elements are needed. The boys realise that,
despite their differences, they do need each other, and they develop
a grudging respect for all their different talents. They are
restored to their former lives with the help of the talisman, but
there are clearly more adventures to follow as the temporarily
defeated demon reappears in a new form on the last page. The story
is quite simply written though the plot has a number of
complexities. The characters are believable, even though each of the
boys represents a 'type' and the minor characters are also
stereotypes. It is recommended for middle years readers.
Jenny Hamilton
Big pet day by Lisa Shanahan
Ill. by Gus Gordon. Lothian, 2014. ISBN 9780734412416.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. School. Animals.
Each of the children in the class brings their pet to school for Pet
Day. They are all excited, especially knowing that their principal,
Mr Fisher will come in and judge whose pet is the best.
Mrs Dalton is a little flustered when Glen's ferret escapes his box,
and is a little perturbed when Jodie's horse does a poo just outside
the classroom door. After all, she is trying to keep the classroom
neat and tidy for Mr Fisher's visit.
Lily has brought along her dragon, and each behaviour shown by the
other pets is one that her dragon does not do, as she delights in
telling the class. But Courtney always has the last word, telling
them all that dragons do not exist. As the day wears on, the
illustrations show Mrs Dalton becoming more and more flustered,
cleaning up the horse poo, trying to keep the ferret in its cage,
stopping the children feeding the puppy red cordial at recess time.
When they assemble back in the classroom, a nice calming activity of
drawing their animal occurs while after lunch the children line up
with their animals for Mr Fisher's scrutiny.
Of course, chaos reigns and it is up to Lily and her dragon to save
the day, a lovely resolution to a delightful story which will
intrigue and engage younger readers. All the fun of being at school
with your peers is shown, with a hint of some of the snide remarks
made by one of the children. School is presented so clearly, the
frazzled teacher having to use all of her skills to make the day
successful for everyone, the principal strolling in at the end,
unaware of the chaos that has reigned during the day, the little
cameo sketches of the classmates: all is charming, heartwarming and
very real.
The wonderful illustrations by Gordon enhance the story, showing a
group of kids having fun with their Pet Day. He has used a range of
media to create his illustrations for the book, including line
drawing, crayon, cut-outs and watercolour. All is engrossing as I
loved looking at all the detail on each page, working out how each
page was done, as I am sure younger readers will as well.
Fran Knight
While we run by Karen Healey
When we wake Bk 2. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743435458.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian. Following
When we wake, this story looks at what life was like for Abdi Taalib
and Tegan Oglietti, the girl who had died in 2027, frozen and then
brought back to life, a 100 years later. The Government has a
cryonics project that is experimenting with young refugees and the
pair are forced to be the public voice for Project Ark. Forced
apart and closely supervised by their cruel handlers, Diane and Lat,
Abdi and Tegan's feelings for each other are manipulated and each is
tortured to ensure that the other complies with their demands.
While When we wake was told in Tegan's voice, this is narrated by
Abdi, a young man who had won a music scholarship to Australia. The
reader is pulled through the awful plight of the pair as their
handlers torture them to ensure that they comply with the
Government's publicity demands. They can only see each other on a TV
screen and have no way of knowing if either has completely given
into the Government's belief system. Healey pulls no punches here,
the torture is explicit and it is all too believable that a
political party would resort to torture to ensure that they get what
they want.
Healey brings a diverse set of characters to the stage, ranging from
the evil Diane who sexually abuses Abdi to Lat, who threatens to
rape Tegan, but who is painted as less evil than Diane. Abdi and
Tegan's friends, Bethari and Joph, feature again in this book each
bringing their own unique personalities and skills to the movement
to stop Project Ark.
The themes of the ethics of regeneration of frozen children, the
plight of refugees, of destruction of the planet and the hope of a
new life are all dealt with in a thought provoking way that make
this an outstanding book for teens (and adults). There is plenty to
think about and the cleverly constructed plot, exciting sequencing
and fabulous character studies make it a stand out read.
Pat Pledger
Calypso Summer by Jared Thomas
Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142122.
(Ages: Mature senior secondary students) Kyle Summer is a young
Nukunu man who lives near Henley Beach in Adelaide. He's known to
all as Calypso because of his dreadlocks, love of Bob Marley
and reggae music and the West Indies cricket team. His Rasta persona
masks his own insecurities. After leaving school and failing to get
his dream job in a sports store, he is at a loss and spends a lot of
time smoking dope and not much else. Then things start to look up,
he ends up with a job in a health food store and really has a knack
for it, gets on well with his boss and starts to turn his life
around. He moves out of home and into a little flat and feels
proudly independent. The blight on this is a cousin, Run, moving in
to bludge. When his boss suggests getting some native bush
remedies to sell as products in the store, Calypso's mother directs
him to his mob in the Southern Flinders Ranges and this urban Indigenous
man begins to develop an affinity with his country and culture.
Ensuing troubles with some less than welcoming cousins, and the
deadbeat Run, who is thieving and dealing dope, result in some major
drama for
Calypso, but the support of his new girlfriend, a smart Ngadjuri girl
who happens to share his passion for cricket, and the newly found
family circle, prove the right medicine for his woes.
Winning the State Library of Queensland award in 2013 Black &
Write competition, Jared Thomas has tried to provide a realistic
view of the struggle for young Indigenous people and their conflicts with
cultures.
Personally I found the novel a bit hard-going at times and found it
difficult to connect with the characters or be sympathetic. I have
Koori and Murri family and friends, have spent years teaching Indigenous
kids, young adults, and adults, and worked in Indigenous units and
while lots of these friends use the word 'deadly' their vocabulary does also
embrace other adjectives. There was a point when I thought if
I read the word 'deadly' one more time I might just scream.
The novel seemed rather heavy-handed in its heaping upon the reader
every conceivable Indigenous issue.
That being said, I believe that young people would relate to it and
non-Indigenous readers would gain some understanding of the
challenges facing Indigenous culture.
The novel is marketed as YA but I would suggest that it is only
suitable for mature senior students. The frequent profanity and
emphasis on drug usage would make me hesitate about making it
generally available.
Sue Warren
The edge of the water by Elizabeth George
The edge of nowhere bk 2. Hodder & Stoughton, 2014. ISBN
9781444720013.
(Age: 14+) Mystery. Thriller. Supernatural. The sequel to The edge
of nowhere finds Becca hiding from her stepfather in a location in
the woods which Seth her close friend has helped her find. She has
to keep the hideaway secret from everyone she knows, including
Derric the Ugandan orphan with whom she had formed a close
relationship. Meantime strange things are happening on Whidbey
Island, centred around a coal black seal named Nera that returns to
the same place each year and a mute girl who has appeared on the
island.
George has put together an intriguing mix of realistic crime and the
supernatural in this gripping thriller. The first chapter, Cilla's
World, introduces the reader to the strange girl, Cilla who reports:
'I don't speak. I only walk and point and observe. I get along by
doing what I am told. But I fear things that other children don't
fear' pg 3.
As would be expected from such an experienced author, George
immediately gains the reader's attention and fear for the fate of
the abandoned Cilla, and this suspense is kept up right to the final
denouement in the closing chapters with the reader desperate to know
the fate of the girl and the black seal.
The character development of several adults in the story and the
clever dialogue all combine to make a well-rounded whole. Jen
MacDaniels, introduced briefly in The edge of nowhere, a girl
who hates Becca because she destroyed her friendship with Derric, is
a main protagonist in this story. George brings to life the poverty
that Jen faces every day, and her intense desire to make it into the
All Island Girls Soccer team and a chance to leave the island.
Teenage sexuality is a minor theme and is handled very well. Jen's
relationship with Squat Cooper makes her think about her sexuality
while the character of Derric too is developed as he works through
his feelings for Courtney, the very popular teen.
While the mystery of the seal is resolved neatly, it is the
combination of mysteries and secrets of many of the characters, both
teen and adult, an environmental thread and the issues that face
teens all the time that made this a very satisfying book to read.
Pat Pledger
Edward and the great discovery by Rebecca McRitchie and Celeste Hulme
New Frontier, 2014. ISBN 9781925059007.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Dinosaurs. Archaeology, Dodo.
All Edward wants to do is make a big discovery. After all his
parents and grandparents have all made discoveries in their lives as
archaeologists, and he expects to follow in their footsteps. But try
as he might, digging holes in the garden, he does not find anything
of significance. But one night he digs up an egg. He loves his egg.
He wraps it up and cuddles it in bed, and eventually it hatches. It
is a bird, but not like any bird he has seen. He examines it closely
and realises that its wings are not quite right. He is despondent,
he feels his discovery is broken.
He goes to his favourite place, a museum of ancient things and there
finds himself in a room devoted to birds. He spies a dodo, and
reading about it shows him that his bird is special. He has indeed
made a great discovery, one which warrants his photo on the family
wall.
For a class being introduced to a unit of work on archaeology and
dinosaurs this is a wonderful opener. The back endpaper jumps out at
the reader with images of all the things that Edward needs to ply his
trade. Kids will thrill at the work Edward does in digging up his
garden, and will watch eagerly as he finds out what his bird really
is. Adults will be able to discuss the demise of the dodo and easily
open the discussion about what we have done to kill off so many
species around the world, and discuss just how the dodo evolved and
why it was so precarious when it came to be threatened. This
beautifully illustrated book will lead the class in a whole range of
discussions and research into topics such as science and
environment. The illustrations are fascinating, with a myriad of
things to look for in the background, all redolent of the nineteenth
century when archaeology was world news.
Fran Knight
There's a lion in my cornflakes by Michelle Robinson
Ill. Jim Field. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408845608.
(Age: Preschool-Yr 2)This book starts in a most unusual way - a
warning to ignore any messages the reader might see about collecting
cereal packet coupons! And the warning is based on experience
because after making umpteen trips to the supermarket and spending a
whole year's pocket money, and even though it meant they had to eat
cornflakes for breakfast lunch and tea until there were no
cornflakes left, Eric and his brother Dan finally had enough coupons
to qualify for the lion on the packet. Oh, the things they could do
with a free lion... if it ever arrived! They waited and waited and
waited and even though it seemed everyone else had received theirs,
by Sunday they were still waiting.
Come Monday, it looks like their waiting is over - but it is just
the start of the problem!
Told from Eric's point of view, this is a very funny story that
really amplifies the meaning of 'Be careful what you wish for.' Who
knew that something as innocent as collecting coupons and cards
could have such an outcome! Accompanied by illustrations that are as
wacky as the text, this went from a first-read to a favourite with
Miss 8 and Miss 3 (who are avid collectors of supermarket cards)
literally overnight! They loved the punchline at the end, and then
went into hoots of laughter when we turned the page and saw what was
happening!! Miss 8, who is now such an avid reader that she will
even read the cornflakes packet, asked me if I had any other stories
by the same author so we checked out the website and now
have some on order!
Barbara Braxton
The Bow by Catherine Mayo
Walker Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781925081015.
(Age: Year 8+) Recommended. Themes: Ancient Greece; Historical Epic
drama; Adventure. Catherine Mayo has allied Ancient Greece with its
Gods and heroes to a story of conflict, family honour and drama that
is compelling even for readers that know nothing of the Ancient
Greek realm. The main character Odysseus faces many challenges as he
attempts to recover the family wealth from under the nose of a
powerful potential thief and then protect it in order to return it
to his father, Laertes the King of Ithaka. The young man proves to
be a worthy and honourable son, and his coming to maturity in this
adventure is epic.
Young readers who have discovered the ancient world from reading
Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson adventures, and those who have
loved the John Flanagan Ranger's Apprentice and Brotherband
series will equally enjoy this story. The quest and adventure,
combined with the physical combat required in the face of threats to
life and friends makes this an exciting read. (And there is even a
little romance included for female readers!)
(Note: Includes violence and references to attempted rape, and
female servants sexually abused, but in the context of the
historical Ancient world.)
Carolyn Hull
