Lunar chronicles, Bk 3. Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9780141340159.
(Age 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Fairy tales retold.
Survival. Imagine that Rapunzel is trapped in a satellite, with no
way out, and no way to cut her long hair. That is what has happened
to Cress, who has been imprisoned on a satellite since she was a
child, spying for the Lunar Queen, Levana. She has exceptional
skills as a hacker and has been told to find Cinder and Captain
Thorne, who are accompanied by Scarlet and Wolf. In a daring bid to
rescue Cress, Cinder and her crew's plans go astray and the group is
separated.
The Lunar Chronicles, first Cinder, then Scarlet
and now Cress, are a highly imaginative and compelling set
of books that combine all the ingredients to make readers want to
finish them in a hurry. Cress is no exception: it has a
heroine that the reader will want to embrace as she awkwardly tries
to work out the real world after her incarceration and comes to
grips with her infatuation with the handsome and cunning Thorne. The
action is nonstop as Cinder and her company attempt to rescue Cress
and evade the lunar queen, who will stop at nothing to gain control
of Earth through her machinations to marry Emperor Kai.
Humorous and witty dialogue lifts the tension and believable
characters that involve the reader make this a most enjoyable read.
Meyer has brought together many of the strands of the series as she
describes how Kai is being manipulated, the terrible use of
technology on children and the horror of what it is like to live
under the rule of Queen Levana.
This is one of the best series that I have read and it comes highly
recommended for its originality, strong female characters who are
happy to play with technology and wonderful world building. I can't
wait for the next in the series.
Pat Pledger
Monkey and Me by David Gilman
Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143308232.
(Age: All) Thoroughly recommended. This wonderful, heart-warming
story of a young boy who befriends a very nervous, bewildered, but
highly intelligent chimpanzee, is one of the most enjoyable
children's books I have read. Patient leukaemia suffer,
philosophical nine-year-old Beanie, is quite desperate to 'prove'
himself, to be accepted as a full member into his older brother's
gang.
Desperate to save the Sweet Dreams Sweet Factory (that makes his
favourite sweets) from demolition, he dangles a banner from a fourth
floor fire escape and narrowly escapes falling as the structure
pulls away from the wall. Gifted with a wacky sense of humour,
Beanie's good-natured dad, rescues the boy, without reproof.
Exploring the haunted house Black Gate with the gang, Beanie becomes
lost and after being terrified out of his wits, encounters the
hungry chimpanzee who he names Malcolm, in the overgrown greenhouse.
Beanie quickly wins the chimp's trust, bringing him food and reading
to him. He realises, to his astonishment, that Malcolm can 'sign'
certain messages. Not understanding sign language, the lad has to
engage (with a dubious promise of full gang membership) the help of
deaf girl Tracy.
She is able to interpret the chimpanzee's signing and Beanie is
overwhelmed when told Malcolm signs that he loves the boy.
However, baddies Potato Face and Comb Head are out to capture the
chimp and Beanie must save his little friend, especially as the
Police and RSPCA are also searching for the animal.
With his brother's help, Beanie brings Malcolm home overnight, with
disastrous results. Ever resourceful, Beanie conceals the chimp in
the Postie Bag on his father's bike. A crazy ride ensues until the
pair hide out in a trucking yard and stow away clandestinely in a
King of the Road cab, travelling some distance, completely unbeknown
to the driver.
A Roadhouse CCTV is their undoing, the truck is halted and the weary
pair removed from their hiding place. Beanie is relieved to learn
that clever Malcolm is taking part in a Research Programme in Animal
Communication and is in fact well looked after.
Written entirely in the first person, Monkey and Me is
hilarious, thought-provoking, droll and I thoroughly recommend it
for children of any age.
Joan Kerr-Smith
Behind Enemy Lines by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Infinity Ring bk 6. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9780545387019.
The Infinity Ring series continues, with this 6th book, to
encourage primary students to enjoy a variety of adventures and
learn something about world history as they follow Dak, Sera and Riq
through time. The mission of these Hystorians is to fix the errors
in history which have allowed SQ to take over, leading to the
cataclysm which is engulfing their world of the future.
The book opens with its usual bump as the three heroes land in
Aberdeen, Scotland during World War 11 in the middle of a German
bombing raid. Unfortunately their local contact and SQuare, the
device which advises them, are victims of the bombs. Sera and Dak
return to their own time, thanks to the Infinity Ring to pick up a
new SQuare only to be almost captured by Tilda, an ambitious and
ruthless leader of SQ. In their haste to escape Tilda unfortunately
returns to 1943 with them.
Their mission to ensure the Allies win the war involves helping the
British convince the Germans that they are to invade Greece rather
than the heavily guarded Sicily in what was known as Operation
Mincemeat. For the first time the trio split up. Dak heads to Berlin
and finds work as a kitchen hand in the German headquarters. Sera
lands in Spain in time to help convince local spies that the secret
documents the dead Major Martin is carrying are the real deal. Riq
stays in London as a contact but is soon captured by Tilda who is
determined to own the Infinity Ring and ensure the only winners are
the SQ.
Fortunately the mission is successful and Tilda's efforts are
largely disrupted.
Whilst I learnt something about this little known segment of war
history, though it was the basis of the movie The Man Who Never
Was, I felt that there were elements throughout the story
which had me questioning the characters, plot and ultimately the
writer. Whilst that might be an adult's view point it is the first
book in this series that has left me feeling disappointed and not
looking forward to continuing the adventure.
Sue Keane
EJ Spy School - The Test by Susannah McFarlane
EJ Spy School series. Lemonfizz Media, 2014. ISBN 9781921931529. EJ Spy School - The Test is a short novel style book aimed at
girls aged 7+. It uses large text and black and white images making
it ideal for the reader who isn't quite ready for larger novels but
wants more independence and 'grown up' books. Children will relate
well to the theme - worrying about a test - and it would also link
with the Child Protection Curriculum and the experience of changing
or mixed feelings.
The main character is Emma and she loves school but not tests. Who
knew, however, that a test could lead to something even more
exciting - 'Spy School'.
The easy to read, quick moving story keeps the reader engaged and
creates a strong female role model for young girls.
Kylie Kempster
10 Smiley Crocs by Ed Allen
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742836355. 10 Smiley Crocs incorporates rhyme, counting and great illustrations
to engage readers of all ages. Sing along to the tune of 10 Green
Bottle as children count backwards from 10. Young children will
enjoy counting the crocs on each page and discussing the rhyming
words.
It would be a great book for developing observation skills and
memory skills. It will be a good read out loud book and older
children could use it as a model to create their own number rhymes.
Kylie Kempster
Pirouette by Robyn Bavati
Penguin Books, 2014. ISBN 9780143569374.
Well recommended for Middle secondary. A fascinating insight into
the world of twins, one who loves ballet and wants to dance as a
career, the other, a beautifully talented ballet dancer who doesn't
want to dance but has a prestigious place at a dance academy. Simone
and Hannah were born in Brazil where their parents died in a car
crash. Their Mother danced with the Paris Opera and thanks to a
caring nurse, who couldn't bear to see them separated over
continents swapped one baby and so they were both adopted and sent
to Australia. There they lead very different lives and when they
finally meet by chance at 'Candance' for a holiday ballet school
they agree to swap roles. Complications arise as they both like
different boys who find their behaviour unsettling and confusing.
The teachers too, observe the differences but stay silent to the
girls. The dialogue between the girls is intimate and well- drawn.
They send away for their DNA and are delighted to find the positive
result. Their individual characters are very different but also very
engaging. The final outcome is cleverly contrived and very happily
resolved. The final chapter brings the story to a complete
conclusion back in Brazil. It's a very engaging novel with family
relationships strong and supportive. A delightful book for those who
love ballet and developing relationships with boys, family and
friends. Ballet terms are used throughout so there is an
authenticity about the text.
Sue Nosworthy
Winger by Andrew Smith
Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN: 9781442444928. Winger is the most honest and raw book I have read in a while. Set
in an elite boarding school, the novel takes the reader inside the
mind of a teenage boy, (which is undoubtedly a scary place to be,)
but does so with an honesty and vulnerability that is absolutely
endearing.
Ryan Dean West is intelligent, young for his grade, part of the
rugby team, and stuck in 'Opportunity Hall,' the residence of boys
who are being punished for various school misdemeanours. He's also
in love with his best friend Annie. Winger is written as a running commentary of Ryan Dean's life; his
thoughts, his insecurities, his fantasies and his battle to find his
identity, manhood and self-respect in the chaotic and tumultuous
time that is adolescence and high school.
The novel is written in very colloquial style, with copious run-on
sentences, intermittent drawings and cartoons and language that
makes us privy to Ryan Dean's innermost thoughts. It's an easy read,
without being simplistic. As a character Ryan Dean (Winger) West is
multi-faceted, honest and very well constructed. It is unlikely that
there would be any young man who could not find some common ground
with him.
Chapters are short, but powerful. I found the first quarter a bit
slow, but it soon picked up pace, and by the end I couldn't put it
down. The novel deals with love, identity, bullying, sexuality and
relationships, and works to expose the honest truth that even the
toughest and most popular people have their inner insecurities.
The plot is engaging and often surprising, and puts the reader
through a full range of emotions from laughter, to grief,
understanding to disbelief.
While I was disappointed with the frequency of coarse language and
sexual/fantasy references, this may well be the type of book that
could change a young man's life, offering him hope, guidance and the
sense that he is not alone in his struggles. I would recommend this,
in particular, for boys who are struggling with various aspects of
life and also those who are struggling to engage with other novels.
Sarah Rose
Editor's note: Winger was on Publisher Weekly Best Books 2013 and YALSA Top Ten
Best Fiction for Young Adults 2014
Marmaduke the very different dragon by Rachel Valentine
Ill. by Ed Eaves. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408836781.
(Age: 6+) Dragons, Humour, Difference, Being yourself, Friendship.
Marmaduke with his orange body and sticky out scales is very
different from the smooth skinned, purple dragons usually seen in
the kingdom where every princess has a dragon as a minder. Marmaduke
longs for a princess of his own, but is rejected because he will not
open his wings to fly.
But far away a row of pretty princesses, all with neat hair and
pretty dresses, sitting tidily, look upon Princess Meg with some
disdain. She is so different, hair a mess, clothes dirty, and
certainly not attuned to sitting neatly. None of the dragons want
to protect her, but not minding a bit she goes into the forest where
she runs into the sad dragon, Marmaduke. They join forces, Marmaduke
finally having to open and show his wings to fly her home.
A neat resolution brings both their problems to an ending suitable
for both who wish to remain different and be themselves, not what
the others want them to be. In a classroom, this book will not only
serve as a humorous book to read aloud, but could be the springboard
to discussions about being yourself.
Fran Knight
Sports Carnival by Yvette Poshoglian
Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella and Olivia series.
Scholastic Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781743620526.
(Age: 5-7) Sports Carnival is the latest addition to the
growing list of titles in the Ella and Olivia series which
is squarely aimed at 5-7 year old girls moving into chapter books
and independent reading. The larger font and short simple sentences
support the reader whilst the line drawings and embellishments as
well as the lacy page borders add interest to and break up the
written text. Sports Carnival centres on that yearly school event, Sports
Day. The winning team will spend a day at Slip and Slide Water Park
so sisters Ella and Olivia are in training to be sports champions.
The whole family, including the dog join in by supporting the purple
team and training with the girls after school.
The Saturday of the Sports Carnival arrives with the school oval
awash with streamers, banners and stalls, running tracks and a
winner's podium all set up. They all participate in different events
contributing to the team score but the final event of the day, the
Tug-of-war will decide the winning team.
In a departure from the expected happy ending, the purple team comes
second so there is disappointment and no trip to the Water Park for
Ella and Olivia. Dad, however, comes up with a clever plan and the
family enjoy their own day of fun.
This book could serve as a way to introduce juniors to a tabloid
sports day and the concept that you do not have to win to enjoy a
reward for effort.
Sue Keane
Chequered Lives by Iola Hack Mathews with Chris Durrant
Wakefield Press, 2013. ISBN 9781743052587.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended reading. Chequered
Lives is the engrossing biography of a pioneer Quaker family
from England, who arrived in South Australia in 1837. Specifically,
it tells the tale of John Barton Hack, his younger brother Stephen
Hack and John Barton's wife Bbe Hack. However, it also tells some of
the story of the Society of Friends (the Quakers) and of early South
Australia. As such it's worth noting that the National Library of
Australia has catalogued this book in South Australian history.
On arrival the Hack family quickly erected a small cottage by the
lagoons at Glenelg beach before the city of Adelaide was created.
Over time and from this simple beginning John Barton became a
merchant who owned a 3000 acre estate in the Adelaide Hills, as well
as ships, a whaling station and the first vineyard in South
Australia. Stephen became a grazier and explorer. He was the first
person to overland cattle from New South Wales to South Australia.
Their business and grazing interests had many ups and downs and the
title of this book Chequered lives represents these times very well.
The author, Iola Hack Mathews is John Barton's great,
great-granddaughter. Much research has gone into uncovering her
family's beginnings in South Australia. I particularly enjoyed the
accounts of the development of Quakerism in England and South
Australia, of which I knew very little.
This book is finely written with great detail but also lightly
written in a style that is easy to read eg "Nick Vine Hall, the
Australian genealogist, said that after sex, the number one area of
research on the Internet was genealogy, 'and oddly enough the two
are sort of related.' " p.8
Included are Sponsors and Acknowledgements with a clear explanation
of the painstaking research process and in particular the use of
primary sources; and a lengthy Introduction.
At the end of this history/biography is an Appendix with details of
John Barton's 8 sons (his 6 daughters all died young) including Iola
Hack Mathews' great-grandfather Theodore Hack and details of
Stephen's 2 surviving children (his daughter died in infancy); Notes
(chapter by chapter); and a comprehensive Index.
There are also photographs, artworks, a family tree, maps and
diagrams.
The predominant audience for this book is adult, but it would be
useful for Senior secondary students of Australian History and
Religion Studies, as well as for Research Projects investigating
genealogy topics.
Margaret Strickland
The Afghanistan pup by Mark Wilson
Lothian, 2014. ISBN 9780734415325.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Picture book, Afghanistan, Animals.
When the pup is born in Afghanistan, it has no control over its
welfare, so one day when its mother goes out in search of food, she
never returns. The pup and his siblings must fend for themselves in
this city under siege. Luckily for him a young girl finds him,
emaciated and weak, and takes him home. She cares for him, leaving
him in the corner of her room when she goes to school. One day she
takes him too, and insurgents bomb the school, leaving the pup alone
again. An Australian soldier helping to rebuild the school finds the
pup and takes him home, caring for him. The pup goes with him as he
works, but one day when the soldier goes out to battle, he does not
return. The pup goes back to the school and is reunited with the
girl.
This is a moving tribute to the strength and courage of the children
of Afghanistan as they struggle on to school, despite the war which
surrounds them. Girls particularly are not encouraged to be educated
and so it is common for schools to be bombed, and sometimes the
girls beaten or shot.
In this story we see the plight of the children at the school,
desperate to receive an education despite what happens to them, the
girl returning to the school when it is rebuilt by the Australians
after she is released from hospital. The pup neatly connects the
two, the brave girl and the courageous soldier, both fighting
against ignorance.
Wilson's illustrations magnify the spare story, adding texture and
layers with his line drawings, water colour images and copies of
newspaper articles. The multi-media approach which has worked so
well with his other books, Vietnam Diary, My Mother's
eyes and Angel of Kokoda, works again, giving the
younger reader a glimpse into the lives of children in Afghanistan,
a little of the various work expected of soldiers, and the struggle
they all have to stay alive.
Fran Knight
Boys don't knit by Tom Easton
Hot Key Books, 2014. ISBN 9781471401473.
Highly recommended for early adolescents. This is an unexpected,
(considering the title) quirky and cleverly contrived novel set in
Ben's last year of secondary school in England. The inauspicious
title draws the reader's curiosity for knitting is not commonly
connected to boys. Written from Ben's viewpoint, his adolescent
worries about girls, acceptability from mates, a crush on his
English teacher and bullying are threaded through the storyline.
Initially forced to do community service after a confrontation with
a lollipop lady, (school crossing lady) Ben lands in the knitting
class thinking that Miss Swallow (on whom he has a crush ) was
taking the class. But he had that wrong. And so began a weekly saga
of knitting lessons. Ben found he actually enjoyed creating patterns
while talking to the rest of the group. Except for his Dad. How
could he tell him when he was a staunch Chelsea soccer fan? Mum is a
stage magician and travels but agrees to keep Ben's knitting a
secret from Dad. So, what with his mates making clever puns on
knitting, 'she certainly stitched you up' p228, he knits a sweater
for Miss Swallow's soccer star boyfriend, wins the local then state
championship amidst the bullying boys from his class who try to
sabotage the meet. Dad and Mum turn up as well as the lollypop lady
whom Ben has befriended.
Humour flows through the story with a young person's frustrations
ever present. This is a wonderful example of turning adversity into
a happy and positive experience along with lots of laughs and
chuckles. The language is vibrant and expressive, belonging to a
young person but with a maturity all can relate to. A most enjoyable
read.
Sue Nosworthy
Airlock by Simon Cheshire
A&C Black, 2014. ISBN 9781408196878.
Recommended for Upper Primary, easy read for lower secondary. Short
and pithy, this futuristic novel sees four students and their
teacher Mr Snodbury, land on 'Berners-Lee' orbital Platform in a
shuttle, in space. 'George and his friends were going to stay on the
station for a week. This had been their reward for getting the best
results in their year's science class'. p.13. George, Amira, Josh
and Dwayne, (a troublesome classmate) are all year 6 students. They
are shown around by two technicians. There are rivalries between the
two companies manning the station. The children were wearing logos
from the opposition and when the Commander sees this, he is incensed
and orders the children away. But George notices an unusual problem.
Chaos reigns and the culprit who causes the massive damage is the
teacher, lured by money! The shuttle hurtles to earth with the
probability that they will burn up. But, the children work out a
solution.
There are many technical terms which would appeal to young readers
and perhaps they dream of doing what this group have done, without
the disaster! A short read for young readers wanting to think about
space travel and what it entails. The text is well spaced and not
very long. George, Amira and Josh are well drawn and believable but
the teacher, sadly, rather poorly portrayed and the bully Dwayne no
different. The three children are resourceful, thinking children who
work out, firstly the problem and then the answer. It's sad the
adults are characterised as bombastic and unable to think clearly in
a crisis!
Sue Nosworthy
Tank boys by Stephen Dando Collins
Random House, 2014. ISBN 9780857981301.
(Age: 12-16) This highly-charged story is about three teenage boys,
actively engaged in the historic first battle between tanks, in WW1
France. Seeing the enemy up close and mates slain before their eyes
was a very sobering and emotional experience for likeable
Australians Frankie & Taz, who lied about their ages to enlist,
and German boy Richard, who grew up in the USA.
Assigned to the massive German tank Mephisto as an artillery
loader, Richard's job in hot, cramped conditions, was to feed the
deadly shells into the firing cylinder of the hulking machine as it
lumbered across the picturesque Villers-Brettoneaux countryside. The
16 yr-old felt sickened at the thought of the formidable war vehicle
firing enormous guns at the enemy, towards whom he felt no
animosity.
British and Australian troops fought valiantly side by side against
the Germans in the smaller Whippets, much less powerful than their
immense German counterparts. However the German vehicles were
difficult to manoeuvre and many, including Mephisto, broke
down or floundered in craters left by the barrages of shelling. Mephisto
became hopelessly stuck in this manner and its crew abandoned the
machine to shelter in a nearby crater, fearing the allied forces
would attempt to destroy the tank. Ultimately all were killed,
except Richard, who was eventually discovered by and surrendered to
Frankie & Taz. Tank Boys is an engrossing, but at times distressing story of
courage, mateship, innocence and heroism. Boys aged 12 to 16 would
revel in this superbly crafted story, composed with a mix of plenty
of amiable, youthful humour.
Joan Kerr-Smith
Prank Alert by Felicity Carter
Ill. by Louis Shea. Double Trouble series, Book 1.
Scholastic Australia, 2014. ISBN: 9781742838564.
This fun series is suitable for readers from 6-7 years of age.
Themes: Twins, Families, Fun, Schools. Felicity Carter's Double
Trouble series is written for emergent readers who are just
beginning to engage in chapter books. Louis Shea's humorous
illustrations add fun to this story.
Identical seven-year old twins Tommy and Coop love to play practical
jokes on their family, friends and classmates. From the moment they
wake up they begin their plotting. They hate being woken up at seven
each morning, so they set out to cause mayhem at home. With Mum and
Dad busy the twins set every possible clock and timer to trigger
their alarms in staggered intervals, causing their parents some
difficulty in finding the devices and turning them off.
The day progresses with the punishment of Tommy and Coop having to
practise their recorders for one hour after school. They manage to
record their music teacher's perfect recorder playing to foil their
grounding. At lunchtime an incident with Ballistic Bouncer balls
from their favourite joke shop also causes problems.
Rhyllis Bignell
