Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781408839515
(Age: preschool) Theme: Imagination. This is a very simple story for
pre-schoolers with a little rabbit called Alfie who leaves the side
of his mother to explore in the garden. Imagination gets a
chance to play, and Alfie is shown playing in the garden in
simplified illustrations, with toys and insects as companions. A
fold-out page is also used to demonstrate the wider world that Alfie
is entering via his imagination.
The language used is uncomplicated with a smattering of onomatopoeia
and occasional rhyme and assonance.
Carolyn Hull
The Bear Said Please by Jacque Duffy
Wombat Books, 2014. ISBN 9781921632945
(Age: preschool) 'Growl,' said the bear. 'Growl,' said his tummy.
'Hmmmm,' thought the bear. I need some honey. ' And so he sets out
to find some through a series of rhymes whose meaning is made clear
through clever text positioning and delightful watercolour pictures.
Eventually he finds what he is looking for, but it is guarded by
angry bees for Bear has forgotten his manners.
Getting little ones to say please and thank you is a struggle known
to all parents and this sweet story is a great way to demonstrate
what might happen if you forget. You certainly don't get what you
want! But apart from that, it's also a great book to engage our
youngest readers because the rhymes make it a predictable text which
makes it so easy for them to join in in a shared reading session,
and then, together with the clear, engaging pictures encourage them
to try reading it to themselves. Even the size of the book (23omm x
200mm) is just right for their hands as they start to learn about
the joy of story, concepts about print, and early reading
behaviours.
I can't wait to share it with Miss 3.
Barbara Braxton
Malini by Robert Hillman
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743312551.
(Age: Yrs 5-8)
'Malini watched the Tamil Tiger intently. She was standing with the
other students under the six hemlocks that had been planted by the
British half a century earlier. 'This year', the commander said,
'the war will be won. The soldier-martyrs of the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam will tear the hearts from the chests of our enemies.
In fire and blood, our homeland will be born. And you will play your
part.' He extended his hand towards a group of six boys standing
together under one of the hemlocks, the youngest, Malini knew, just
eleven years old. 'Come to me', he said. After some hesitation, the
six boys walked to the front of the gathering and lined up beside
the commander. He only ever took six boys at a time..Tears found a
path down Malini's face. She would never see these boys again. They
would fight the enemy and they would die.'
This is not the first time that Malini has seen this and so when the
soldiers come to her home at dawn and order the family outside, they
go, knowing that to disobey will mean they will be killed. They are
to be part of a human shield protecting the defeated soldiers as
they make their way to the coast as this war between the Hindu
Tamils and the government-backed Buddhist Sri Lankan Army winds down
after 30 years. But on the march, Malini's father sees an
opportunity for Malini and her sister Banni to escape and, pushing a
mobile phone into her hands, shoves them into the forest and urges
them to make their way to their grandfather's village in the
north-east away from the fighting.
And so begins a remarkable tale of danger, adventure, hardship, and
friendship as Malini, at just 14 becomes 'mother' and protector to
Banni as well as a rag-tag crew of others as they make their way
across a landscape which poses enough problems without the added
peril of being caught by soldiers of either side or wandering into a
village where culture dictates they will have to stay.
In an account that is balanced between Hindu and Buddhist
perspectives, as well as Tamil and SLA, the author provides an
amazing insight into the life of children in a war zone that, at the
very least, should help our students appreciate what they have here.
Malini is a strong protagonist but even she buckles at times, giving
her a real personality that make her credible and the reader is
compelled to read on to find out whether she will reach safe haven.
Malini is the latest is a series called Through My Eys
which 'invites young readers to enter the fragile worlds of children
living in contemporary war zones' and includes Shahana set
in Kashmir; Amina in Somalia; Naveed (Afghanistan);
Emilio (Mexico); and, in March 2015, Zafir set in
Syria. While it is tragic that conflict continues to engulf the
children of the world so that there is always a story to be told,
nevertheless the stories do have to be told and our students need to
read them.
There is an interview with and information about Robert Hillman as
well as
teachers' notes for 'Malini' at the publisher's website. The
book itself offers a brief history of the war and a timeline of Sri
Lankan history as well as links to sources for more information.
Teachers' notes and other resources for the entire series are
available through the main website.
When Malala Yousafzai was asked which book she thought everyone
should read, she replied Parvana (also available through
Allen & Unwin) but I believe she would also recommend this
series if she knew about it.
Barbara Braxton
One Minute's Silence by David Metzenthen
Ill. by Michael Camilleri. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN
9781743316245
(Age: Yr 5+) One minute's silence is the traditional way of
honouring the memory of those who have died, particularly military
personnel. And during that one minute's silence, we are urged to
think about those who have fallen and the sacrifice they have made
for their country. But what do you really think about? Are you like
the bored, disinterested Year 12 students who open this story? Do
you think about the feats and fears of our soldiers and what they
did? Do you ever think about what it was like for those on the other
side of our bullets and bayonets? For, in this powerful picture
book, we are encouraged to do just that, to consider what it was
like both for those who made that fateful landing on the shores of
Gallipoli in 1915 and those whom they were fighting against.
'In one minute's silence you can imagine the grinding in your guts
as the ironbark bows of the Australian boats bumped the stony shore
of Gallipoli on the twenty-fifth of April 1915, when twelve thousand
wild colonial boys dashed across the shivering Turkish sand in the
pale light of a dairy farmer's dawn lashed with flying lead. But can
you imagine, in one minute's silence, lines of young Turkish
soldiers from distant villages, hearts hammering, standing
shoulder-to-shoulder in trenches cut like wounds.firing on strangers
wading through the shallows intent on streaming into the homeland of
the Turkish people.'
This remarkable retelling of the events that will form the focus of
the centennial commemorations in 1915 starts with a picture of that
group of senior students who have been asked to observe one minute's
silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -
Remembrance Day in Australia. Their expressions of
here-we-go-again-we've-been-doing-this-for years have been captured
perfectly in the pencil strokes of Michael Camilleri and one might
wonder what this book has to offer that has not been done before.
But then the narration begins and as the events unfold the students
are drawn into them, gradually realising the youth and ordinariness
of those who were embroiled in this conflict 100 years ago. These
were kids just like them. They can put themselves in the picture, as
Camilleri has. However, not only do they see themselves in the
Australian uniform, but their attention is also drawn to the youth
and the ordinariness of those on the other side and their
perspective. They are no longer just a faceless enemy responsible
for the deaths and maiming of these students' bygone family members.
The futility of war is apparent.
Barbara Braxton
Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett
Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9781926428611
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Sonya Hartnett has crafted a story
that glistens with sunlight, like the 'golden boys' of the title,
yet behind the light is the dark shadow that lingers over the town
with the arrival of a new family whose swimming pool, toys, and
luxurious home, is the envy of the locals. Yet it is the smiling,
glossy father who weaves his way sinuously into the lives of the
locals, the man who showers his children with toys that are so
enticing to the local boys, who is the most disturbing.
Amidst a story of boys, Hartnett focuses on Freya, the clever
adolescent daughter of the Kiley family: who is lost in admiration
of the glorious Rex; who sees him only as the foil to her drunk
father; who beats her mother and throws his dinner plate at the
wall; who fails so badly that his daughter wants to die to avenge
his existence. She cannot see anything but Rex's silken charm, so at
odds with her own father, and in her fearful belief that she is at
the heart of her family's misery, she blames herself for their
lives.
Garrick, the tough boy whose family we never see, except for his
gentler brother, Avery, is the one who wants to exact vengeance for
Rex's actions. Both Colt, who knows what his father is, and lives in
sustained dread, and Bastian, who does not want to know anything,
who has sought refuge in a world of eternal child-like innocence,
are to be punished too.
Set in the sleepy indolence of a country town, this Australian story
brings no solace - only an underlying sense of dread and disquiet,
handled with the sure deft touch of the writer, who does not let the
tension slip for an instant.
It is not a pleasant story, but it is one that soars above the
mundane narrative that suggests all is well with the world. Hartnett
addresses questions that most fear to raise, and above all, sadly,
suggests that finding the answer is even harder. Other than
Garrick's answer, there is no release from the issues with which the
characters live, and no answers to the children's questions.
I would recommend Golden Boys for older adolescent readers,
but with caution, because it is a deeply disturbing novel, revealing
truths that could be deeply disturbing, and vibrating with the
tremulous whirr of summer insects that seem harmless but sting
painfully.
This is not a novel to be read and lightly forgotten. Sonya
Hartnett's characters simmer and her narrative resonates with
emotion, as we anticipate and sense their responses with empathy and
awe.
Liz Bondar
Monster chef by Nick Bland
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742838250
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Monsters, Cooking, Humour. With his
most unmonsterish name, Marcel, this monster has a problem. He has
the normal attributes of a monster: he is lumpy and grumpy, hairy
and of medium size with crochety horns and googly eyes, but he fails
to scare the children, which after all, is his purpose in
life. Perhaps his horns with balls on the end to prevent
anyone being gored, or allowing kids to kiss or hug him gives
readers a clue as to why he is so unsuccessful as a monster. In four
line rhyming stanzas we follow him in the evening as he catches the
bus with other monsters to go to work.
The humour is doubly reflected in the illustrations as Marcel sets
about his night time employment. He lurks in wardrobes, climbs in
windows, creeps down hallways, but the kids he is supposed to scare,
treat him like a friend, giving him a hug and playing with his
horns. A failure again, he trudges off home after an uneventful
nonscaring night, and cooks his favourite things. Every reader will
make appropriate noises at the combination of cockroach, bat and
slug that he cooks up in his wonderful kitchen.
But when one night his lunch is found by the children, they are
finally really and truly scared. He has found the answer.
This is an enormously delicious story about a monster whose job it
is to scare children. He is morose at not fulfilling his aim, but
finds another way to achieve his goal. His confidence grows so much
that he opens a restaurant with gruesome menu choices, the worst of
which gives a surprise ending which many children will relate to.
Gouache, pencil and water colour are used with great effect, giving
Marcel an almost sloppy look and his facial expressions are
hilarious. I love the image of him sitting in the bus stop with his
red lunch box, and the array of nasty crawly things in his kitchen
will have the readers squeal with delight.
A wonderful readaloud, this clever rhyming story with its engrossing
illustrations will be a hit with everyone who picks it up, and who
could resist its enticing cover.
Fran Knight
The 52-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Treehouse Series: Book 4. Pan Macmillan, 2014. ISBN 9781742614212
Highly recommended for 7-10 years.Andy Griffith and Terry Denton's
new addition to the Treehouse series is another winner. Their
imagination is boundless, their energy and enthusiasm infectious and
their ability to engage even the most reluctant of readers is
encouraging.
There are thirteen wonderful new storeys with a watermelon-smashing
level, a wave machine and a life-size snakes and ladders game - yes
with real ladders and snakes and a rocket-powered carrot-launcher.
The high-tech detective agency comes stocked with an extraordinary
array of equipment - moustache disguises, crim-catcha net, a
weaponarium even a clue detector. These tools prove to be extremely
important because Andy and Terry have a case to solve - the mystery
of Mr Big Nose's disappearance.
The adventurers are drawn into a Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, unable
to wake Jill up from a deep slumber, they must ride to the vegetable
castle to break the spell. They carry a talking caterpillar who
consumes their fried egg car and an amazing variety of obstacles
along the way including two steamrollers and giant mutant spiders.
With the help of Vegetable Patty, who rescues the adventurers from a
hot and dangerous situation, Andy and Terry are finally free to
enjoy the new storeys in their treehouse and celebrate Andy's
birthday.
Students at our school actively engage with these stories, we have a
class set of both The 13-Storey Treehouse and The
52-Storey Treehouse. They provide stimulus for story writing,
art, design and technology and engagement with reading.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Duties of a Cat by Jenny Blackford
Ill. by Michael Robson. Pitt Street
Poetry, 2014. ISBN 9781922080240
(Ages 10+) Poetry. Jenny Blackford's poems capture the
quintessential feline nature, the sensory overload, the joy of
ownership that is a cat's life. She has an almost secret
understanding, eloquently portrayed through her carefully chosen
stanzas. In The duties of a cat Jenny draws the audience in,
as they identify with the contrary nature of the beast. A cat's furry belly is irresistible.
Demand a tummy-tickle,
then claw them when they dare.
Michael Robson's soft sketches echo the poet's thoughts. In Forests
of Fur Jenny portrays the seasonal changes of the long haired
cat's coat - the thin silk suit of summer and the forests of fur
that spring long and lovely and lush over the cat in Autumn.
Read these poems aloud and the ailurophiles will smile.
Rhyllis Bignell
Return of the Padawan by Jeffrey Brown
Star Wars: Jedi Academy Book 2. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781743625842
(Ages: 9-12) Author and illustrator Jeffrey Brown's Star Wars Jedi
Academyhas proved to be a highly successful graphic novel
appreciated by fans from 9-12 years of age. The diary format with
personal information, insights and illustrations is an extremely
popular format with preteen readers.
This time around Roan Novachez is faced with a new set of middle
school challenges at the Jedi Academy. His summer holidays were
enjoyable, he flew the Corellian Run with his friend Pasha. This
year Roan faces a variety of new challenges and friendship issues.
Roan's school life is recorded in cartoons, diary entries, letters,
sketches and e-mails (holomails). His days are filled with alien
poetry tests, dodge ball accidents, food fights, problems in flight
simulation class, field trips and light saber duels.
Typical middle-school issues arise as Roan experiences all sorts of
trouble, friendships, bullies even trouble with his crush Gaiana. He
continues to learn about the Force, undertakes pilot training and
unfortunately learns that there are consequences for starting down
the path of the Dark Side.
This is another exciting adventure for Star Wars fans as Brown
captures the ups and downs of life at the Jedi Academy.
Rhyllis Bignell
Counting Aussie animals in my backyard by Bronwyn Houston
Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142542
(Age: Pre school) Recommended. Picture book, Counting, Australian
animals. With the luminous style of illustration found in Bronwyn's
previous books, Staircase to the moon, and My home Broome, this
counting book will find a place in schools and libraries as well as
homes. It not only helps children become acquainted with their
numbers, it also teaches about common Australian animals that can be
found in their backyards.
Each double page is alive with large images of Australian plants to
be found in the north of Australia, plants with bold bright colours,
edged in white, giving the impression of batik or crayon drawings,
encouraging the reader to imagine they are there. The number written
numerically and in letters, teaches the reader the difference
between each way of denoting that number, and draws their eyes to
find the number of animals displayed in the picture. Younger readers
will get a thrill from finding the animals to make up the number and
enjoy the counting out on each page, building up to the number ten.
The book contains animals they will recognise whether they be in
Broome or other parts of Australia, and will get a thrill at how the
number ten is depicted.
The book begs the question of finding the animals in their own back
yard, be it at school or at home, and will encourage younger readers
to look outside and in the garden. This will be a glorious addition
to the number of counting books available for younger readers and
will find a home in all pre-school libraries.
Fran Knight
The minnow by Diana Sweeney
Text Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781922182012.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Text Prize for YA and Children's
Writing (2013). After a devastating flood which claimed the lives of
her parents and sister, Tom has been living with Bill down by the
lake. But it is time for her to leave because Bill hasn't been
treating her properly. Her grandmother is in a nursing home and so
she goes to live with her friend Jonah, who too is a flood survivor.
In her grief Tom talks to fish. There is Oscar, a large carp in the
pet shop who is always right. A little catfish called Sarah could be
her drowned sister and there is a turtle at the hospital, as well as
the Minnow. At first, this beautifully crafted story is confusing,
as it is not always clear just who Tom is talking to, but this is
part of the wonder of the tale. It is a book that begs to be read
before the reader starts looking at reviews or analysis of what
happens as working out just what is occurring really adds to the
reader's enjoyment.
The gradual unfolding of the story showcases Tom's growth as a
resilient young woman. She is surrounded by caring people who help
her with her grief. With the aid of James Wu, a teacher, Jonah her
friend helps her get back to school, while Jonathan his grandfather
is non-judgmental in the assistance and support he offers. Her
grandmother gives wonderful advice and Hazel, the nursing home
administrator is there for her. Sergeant Griffin is calm but doesn't
push her in ways that she can't tolerate. This care from a close
knit community is uplifting, although Bill is certainly not a person
to be near and the reader is left wondering why Tom was sheltering
with him.
The quality of the writing, the strangeness of the story, the
poignancy of the grief of the flood's survivors made this an
outstanding read for me. The minnow deserved to win the Text
Prize and it is a very memorable and unique book. It would lend
itself to discussion in a Literature Circle, preferably after
everyone had read it. Teacher's
notes are available.
Pat Pledger
Lulu Bell series by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Random House, 2014 Lulu Bell and the Tiger Cub. ISBN 9780857983015 Lulu Bell and the Pyjama Party. ISBN 9780857983039
(Age: Yr 1-3) There was great excitement at my house recently
because Miss 8 came to stay and discovered in my review pile the two
latest additions to the new series by Belinda Murrell for young
girls who are verging on being independent readers and looking for a
novel which features a young heroine just like them. Lulu Bell is
just eight, the practical one in a family that includes her
six-year-old sister Rosie, who loves wearing angel wings and sparkly
shoes; her three-year-old brother Gus who always wears his superhero
suit; her dad, a busy vet and her mum, an artist- not to mention a
menagerie of pets. Miss 8 really enjoys this refreshing series of
stories about characters she can relate to, particularly Lulu as the
strong, sensible level-headed lead, and there were no
'just-five-more-minutes?' at bedtime because she was so keen to curl
up and read them.
In i>Lulu Bell and the Tiger Cub, Lulu and her friends go on a
class excursion to the zoo. Given a treasure hunt of questions they
need to answer, Lulu and her friends and the reader learn all sorts
of unusual facts about the animals, such as the meerkat being able
to eat scorpions because they're immune to the venom. But it is
because the zoo's vet is one of her dad's best friends that they
have a remarkable experience with Berani the tiger cub and make it a
zoo trip to remember.
In Lulu Bell and the Pyjama Party Lulu has an exciting time
as Molly and Sam and Ebony sleep over. But instead of games, snacks,
stories and whispering and giggling far into the night, they are
needed to help Dad at the vet hospital as he has one of his busiest
nights for years.
Based on the author's own experiences of growing up in a vet
hospital, this series has an authenticity that really appeals to its
target audience, particularly as that is the age when so many of
them dream of living the life themselves. Each new adventure is
greeted warmly by Miss 8, who delights in being able to read them
for herself, and I know she has introduced her friends to Lulu Bell
because she told me her school's teacher librarian was wondering
when the latest episodes would be available. She was delighted when
I told her that there would be a special Christmas one available in
November. So for a read of the more traditional kind that really
speaks to this age group, this series should be on your library's
must-have list. If it's already part of your collection, then look
for these new titles and tell the students they can find out more at
the author's website.
Barbara Braxton
A-Z of convicts in Van Diemen's Land by Simon Barnard
Text Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781922079343
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This encyclopedia is a wonderful book
that brings to life the history of the convict period in Tasmania
from 1803 to 1853. The 73,000 convicts who arrived in the colony,
lived lives that were largely hidden from us till now. Simon Barnard
has used his wonderful drawing skills to bring to life and
faithfully depict the people, their suffering, achievements,
activities and the buildings, where they lived and worked.
Each alphabetically listed item, starting with 'absconder' has
detailed, accurate and fascinating details of the convicts. I was
especially drawn to the many three dimensional drawings of
buildings, and activities. The artist-author used primary documents
such as convict personal records and building plans to illustrate
each facet of history. A drawing of a 'hulk' for example, is
accompanied by personal stories, the daily routine, hardships on
board, the role of staff, and the construction of the vessel. A
whole page, the pages are very large, is devoted to 'leg irons' and
demonstrates how they were constructed, the various parts, their
use, and peculiarities. There are also double page illustrations of
a 'penal station', 'shipyard', and 'treadmill'. Each page is filled
with curious related facts and stories, and even includes a brief
description of my convict ancestor, William Westwood, who managed to
escape past the Eaglehawk Neck dog-line.
This rich and fascinating book is an extremely valuable addition to
the historical knowledge of convict Australia.
A map, glossary, index and bibliography are included at the end.
Paul Pledger
The beach they called Gallipoli by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN 9780732292263
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. World War One, Gallipoli, War,
Environment. Kitted out with army uniform, great boots and a
bayoneted rifle, fifteen year old Alec Campbell stares out at the
reader from the front cover of Jackie French's latest picture book.
People who have read about this war will know that he was one of the
underage boys who enlisted, but unlike many others, he survived.
Reading this book the reader can only wonder how anyone survived
this particular battlefield.
Each page has French's brief words, encapsulating what happened at
Gallipoli on the dates highlighted. Pared down to sentences,
phrases, and sometimes single words, these give an account of the
events that occurred on this beach and in its hills. The background,
first appearing on the cover, of the low hills of Gallipoli beach,
begins with the villagers who fished there prior to the outbreak of
war. Their use of the sea and the beach is in stark contrast with
what happened only a few months later, when thousands of soldiers
were landed with orders to take the high ground where the Turkish
Army waited.
On each page, Whatley has a drawing of the scene in the top left
hand corner, then drawings and photographs on what appears to be
torn paper, underlining the transient nature of the engagement. The
mix of different media, makes the reader search out each picture,
taking in the detail and the message underpinned by the image. Maps,
artifacts, images of dead soldiers, munition, trenches, headstones,
animals and barbed wire cover the pages, leaving readers in no doubt
about the changes made to this little beach. French takes us forward
to the beach today, a place of rest for the nearly nine thousand
Australians killed (and 80,000 Turks, 44,000 Allies, 2,700 New
Zealanders), a site of pilgrimage for many, a place where everyone
can reflect upon the utter futility of war.
Fran Knight
The Books of The Raksura series by Martha Wells
Night Shade Books, various dates. The Cloud Roads. 2011. ISBN 9781597802161 The Serpent Sea. 2012. ISBN 9781597803329 The Siren Depths. 2012. ISBN 9781597804400
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Fantasy. Belonging. Moon has been
hiding all his life. He has the ability to shape shift into a winged
creature that can soar into the air. He has been unable to find
anyone others like him and has done his best to fit in with the
groundling communities where he attempts to live. When Stone, a huge
shape shifter, finds and rescues him and takes him to the Indigo
Cloud community, he discovers that there are others just like him
but it is not easy to fit into a group where he is unfamiliar with
the rules and traditions. The Fell, the Raksura's deadly enemy, is
also on the warpath, and Moon, together with Jade his queen and
other colleagues, are in for the struggle of their lives to preserve
their species.
This is one of the most original and interesting worlds that I have
read in the fantasy genre. Wells has an exceptional ability to write
about an alien world and an alien species in detail, making both
completely believable and utterly fascinating. Her non-human
characters come alive and it is so easy to empathesize with Moon,
who desperately wants to belong. However he finds it difficult to
fit in and is very cynical about whether he is wanted or not. It is
this universal need for everyone to fit into a group and to be loved
that permeates the series and makes it such a good read. In addition
to exceptional world building and characterisation, Wells' action is
very fast paced and the adventures that face the Raksura in all
three books are original and exciting.
This series was so absorbing that I read each book quickly and then
just as quickly looked up to see others that Wells had written. Readers
who like action with feel good stories, likeable characters and
wonderful world building are sure to enjoy this series, as are
readers who enjoy books by Sharon Shinn and Lois McMaster Bujold.
Pat Pledger
