Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy, bk 3. Hodder &
Stoughton, 2014. ISBN 9781444722734.
(Age: 15+) Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a thrilling end to
an amazing book series. It starts off really strong by introducing a
completely new (yet very important) character, Eliza. This helped to
create a mysterious feel that continues through the book until we
find out who Eliza actually is. The multiple twists and turns make
for a nice, thick plotline. I must admit I was getting worried when
I had reached the Epilogue and certain things hadn't happened but
that was all part of the breathtaking scheme Ms Taylor has created.
The battle between good and evil intensifies in this last book, and
in true YA fashion the evil is not the original evil we thought it
was going to be. The Misbegotten Seraphs and Chimaerae must work
together to combat the evil using good to the best of their
abilities. Laini ups her game in this book and it is more organised
than the others. It is broken down into multiple sections with
nursery rhyme like paragraphs. The sections titles Arrival + #Hours
creates an effective timeline to show that so many things can happen
in such a short period of time. There are so many more perspectives
in this book, which leads to a well-rounded story, we hear from lots
of different characters with enough clarity to determine who it is.
The language barriers between humans and Seraphs and humans and
Chimaerae provide just the right amount of comedy in this book. The
stupidity of humans makes a nice entry in this book and the ideas of
religion are questioned in this book. The happy 'middle' ending
creates a nice bittersweet ending to this epic series. I thoroughly
recommend this series for older teens; there are some interesting
concepts that are not really acceptable for younger readers to be
reading.
Azriel P.
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy, bk 2. Hodder, 2012. ISBN
9781444722703.
(Age: 15+) Thoroughly recommended. I am so very glad that I did not
need to wait for this book to be published, as I don't think that I
would have lasted long on that cliff hanger. The characters are so
easy to latch onto that it becomes simple to feel their pain and
emotions as they progress through the story. This is the part of the
story where the YA genre comes into obvious play with an orphaned
child who loves a creature she shouldn't because he killed her
'family'. She must save her people by using the skills she was
taught by her foster-father. Although most of the characters are
pretty cool, there are a couple pesky ones that don't seem to want
to leave the story. There are things in these books that I had never
even imagined a YA author would try and do. A love triangle is added
in this book but it's not a choice between two men, it's Romeo or
Paris (if Paris was an angel-blood wanting white wolf). The
different third person perspectives are really cool and they provide
a very detailed and non-biased story telling.I really enjoyed the
pain felt by the characters, it is so heart wrenching that there are
times where you almost with you could reach into the page and
comfort them. In my opinion, the first book set a high standard and
this second one has met that standard and excelled. I thoroughly
recommend this book (just maybe not for younger audiences).
Azriel P. (Student)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Hodder & Stoughton, 2011. ISBN 9781444722635.
(Age: 15+)Thoroughly recommended. It is not often that I can say that I have read a truly original concept. This book is full of amazing ideas and thoughts I have never seen from any other author. The whimsical style of writing, coupled with the third person telling of the story really sets up a cool beginning to an undoubtedly amazing trilogy. With just the right amount of human stupidity and freaky introductions to lovable characters, this book sets the mood perfectly. Karou with blue hair and a killer sense of 'otherworld-ness' enjoys messing around with both her appearance and her pesky ex-boyfriend with wishes that she receives from doing errands for her monster of a foster-father. These wishes tend to come in handy at times when Karou needs them, and provide just the right amount of comedy to a somewhat sad story. The names of the chapters in this book are perfection. They give subtle hints to the story while being short and concise. The thing I love the most about this book is that the story is told in two ways, the first through the detailed third person thoughts of our two main characters (Karou and Akiva). The second through little nursery rhyme like paragraphs at the beginning of different sections of the book. This creates a well-rounded story told from a unique point of view. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read the occasional book about the war between Seraphs (angels) and Chimaerae (demons) with humans stuck a little less than halfway in-between.
Azriel P. (Student)
Nameless by Lili St. Crow
A
Tale of Beauty and Madness series. Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9781921880193.
(Ages: 14+) Nameless is the first novel in the dark A
Tale of Beauty and Madness series, retelling the story of Snow
White in a fresh yet twisted way. The story focuses on
sixteen-year-old Camille, orphaned into the rich Vultusino family at
the age of six with only the scars on her body to tell her of her
past. Over the course of the novel, she begins to discover the
horrors of her past while struggling to fit in with her
surroundings.
The characters in Nameless are solid and believable. Cami
suffers from a stutter, and it is easy to feel her frustration as
she tries to be heard by those around her. Her two friends,
fascinating twists on Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, have minor
roles, however they felt well developed with their own stories to
tell. The romance between Cami and Nico Vultusino was slow but
endearing, and the pace worked well with the characters. St. Crow
was able to convey the time and importance of the relationship as it
was tested to the limits through her poetic and vivid prose. There
is some swearing, particularly in the dialogue, which may turn off
some readers, however it all felt quite realistic, considering the
characters and situations. Each character has a distinct way of
speaking with natural dialogue that sets them apart. Nameless
is set in the city of New Haven, where mutilated Twists and Jacks
often cross paths with mere-humans and sophisticated Charmers. The
world building is quite complex and well thought out, though a lot
of terminology goes unexplained, making the story difficult to
follow at times, however Lili St. Crow's writing style is absolutely
gorgeous, with eloquently written emotions and vibrant environments.
Nameless was a slightly confusing dark and winding fantasy
set in an alternate reality, and will make for a very entertaining
and addictive read about finding one's identity to anyone who enjoys
twists on classic fairy tales.
Ruby T. (Student)
Cress by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles bk 3. Feiwel and Friends, 2014. ISBN
9780312642976.
(Ages: 14+) Highly recommended. Science Fiction. Cress considers
herself the definition of a damsel in distress. She's been stuck
alone in a satellite for years against her will, spying on Earthens
for Queen Levana of Luna. If only Carswell Thorne - handsome
spaceship captain and wanted criminal - would come to her rescue. In
exchange, she has a lot of dirt on her dangerous queen that Thorne
and Cinder, Lunar cyborg princess-in-hiding, will want to know.
First of all, Emperor Kai should not marry Levana, even if she's
willing to exchange her hand in marriage for the antidote to Earth's
deadliest virus, because Levana wants to rule over all of Earth and
Luna herself (cue maniacal laugh). Finally, Thorne's ship responds
to Cress's call and docks on her satellite, but the rescue goes down
in about as tangled a mess as Cress' crazy-long hair. Between
kidnappings and crash-landings in the Sahara, how on Earth and Luna
are they supposed to stop Kai and Levana's wedding on time?
In Cress, it does take almost 500 pages for Cinder and Kai to see
each other again. And in Scarlet poor Cinder was stuck with Captain
Thorne the whole time while Scarlet and Wolf got to have their
romantic story line. Luckily, with the introduction of Cress, the
500 pages is worth the wait. She's the most naive character readers
will find themselves rooting for. It must be something about her
amazing hacker skills. And somehow Thorne ends up a lot a lot more
likeable when he meets Cress.
Marissa Meyer's great characters will draw readers in first, and
they'll stick around for all the impossible situations: the
characters rescuing Cress, saving Wolf from a bullet wound, stopping
a royal wedding. What'll be next? Saving the world/worlds? Yup, it
looks like that's what's in store for Winter (2015).
Joanna B. (Student)
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles bk 2. Feiwel and Friends, 2013. ISBN 978
0312642969.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. Science Fiction. Scarlet's
grandmother is missing and she'll do anything to find her - even
enlist the help of a fist-fighting drifter named Wolf. He claims to
have abandoned the gang that took her, but not before learning what
big secrets Grandma is hiding, such as her ties to the Lunar
Princess Selene. Meanwhile, Princess Selene - Cinder - has her own
problems. Escaping prison and a death sentence are just two of them.
Luckily, her fellow fugitive, the vain Captain Thorne, has his own
stolen and untraceable space ship, and the Earth's orbit makes the
perfect place to hide. But she can't hide forever. The
mind-controlling Lunar Queen is furious about Cinder's escape and
threatens now-Emperor Kai (Cinder's deserted prince at the ball)
with an invasion by her own soldiers. Cinder must be found in three
days or there'll be hell to pay.
Scarlet is a rare sequel that improves upon the first, especially
with the introduction of characters Scarlet and Wolf and a whole new
fairy tale to jauntily reference. Emperor Kai is stuck in the
palace, harassed by the Lunar Queen, so the Cinder love story
fizzles. Poor Kai ... And poor Cinder, stuck on a ship with a
conceited 'captain' - though it's quite fun to watch Thorne and
Cinder butt heads.
Scarlet and Wolf pick up the fairy-tale-romance angle nicely, and
without a dull moment in their relationship. Author Marissa Meyer
really ups the action this time, making Book 2 hard to put down,
especially when Scarlet and Wolf get to Paris and all the 'wolves'
get restless. Readers will be very restless for the next book in
this four-part series.
Joanna B. (Student)
Figgy in the World: All you need is a plan and courage by Tamsin Janu
Omnibus Books, 2014. ISBN 9781742990453.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes Ghana - Social life and
customs, Optimism, Family life. Figgy and her per goat Kwame live
with her Granma Ama in a Ghanaian village. She has obstacles to
overcome, abandoned by her mother, blinded in one eye at the age of
two and living with her unusual name Figgy. Her outlook on life is
optimistic as she loves to think about and explore her world. When
her grandma falls ill and the much loathed doctor is called, the
course of Figgy's life changes. She overhears the doctor
discussing the best medicine is available in America and Figgy
determines to travel half way around the world to help her grandma.
Along the way the travellers meet ten year old orphan Nana whose
survival skills help them on their quest to buy medicine in the
United States of America.
Tamsin Janu's debut novel is a rewarding read. To write this
engaging story she has drawn from her experiences working with
children in Ghana. Figgy's optimism carries the story, despite her
difficult circumstances the love for her grandma carries her
through.
Highly recommended for independent readers from 8 years. A fantastic
read aloud for a class novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
Scary night by Lesley Gibbes
Ill. by Stephen Michael King. Working Title Press, 2014. ISBN
9781921504631.
(Age: 4+) Recommended, Picture book, Ghosts, Graveyards, Birthdays.
Hare with a hat, Cat with a cake and Pig with a parcel creep through
the night on their way to who knows where. The unknown destination
will keep puzzling readers as they follow the trio of friends
through the scariest of places in the moonlight.
Through the dark woods, through a cave, over the mountain, past the
grizzly bears, avoiding the crocodiles and on they gp. In rhyming
lines, accented by the refrain of the trio of animals, the verses
lead the reader on, enticing them to read the story out loud, with
emphasis. Through the graveyard, where they scream, but they don't
give up. Then finally up the stairs to their destination.
The pen, ink and brush illustrations show the trio of friends
creeping through the night, each with large scared eyes, bulging at
the possibility of what might be around the next corner. Shadows
cower above them, bats fly through the air, branches seem to grab
for them and all is accented by the large full moon shining
overhead. Each page has yet another layer of scary things to pick
out and excite the younger reader.
The surprise at the end will bring gales of laughter and relief. And
calm reigns.
The illustrations add to the fun of the book, with an array of
things planted in the background to besought out, and marvelled
over. This is a lovely book to share with young and old, to read a
loud, to reproduce King's zany illustrations, and perhaps act out in
the classroom.
Fran Knight
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN: 9781743626535.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Grief; Genius; Family
Relationships; Overcoming difficulty. Life takes an incredibly
tragic turn for the main character, Willow Chance, when her adopted
parents die in a vehicle accident. To lose two sets of parents
within her 12 years of life is exceptionally cruel. She is
quirky, eccentric, odd, unconventional and a genius with a flair for
gardening, medical issues and counting by 7s. (Although not
mentioned, one would assume she fits on the high-functioning end of
the Autism Spectrum.) Her rescue from disintegration comes via
unlikely means when she is brought home by her incompetent school
counsellor and two of his recalcitrant clients, who seem to have
issues that he can neither help nor understand. The Vietnamese
family to whom she connects in the midst of unfathomable grief are
disarmingly well portrayed with their own idiosyncrasies.
Willow herself is an amazing character and she manages to change the
people and the environment around her in subtle but positive ways.
This is both charming and heart-warming and would work well
alongside The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time or The
Year of the Rat as a companion text. Despite addressing deep grief,
it is a remarkably uplifting book and Willow shows amazing
resilience. There is a surprising injection of humour because of the
characters she meets and their own odd ways of dealing with the
world.
Carolyn Hull
Lone Wolf by Robert Muchamore
Cherub Series 2, Hodder Children's Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781444922653.
(Age: 15+) Themes: Drugs; Vengeance. This book is entrenched in the
mire of the drug world and the violence, murder and corruption that
are associated with it. It is not clean, neat or pleasant, and could
justifiably wear an MA-rating for its violence, drug references and
language. The book wears a 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' tag.
This is part of Muchamore's Cherub Series which incorporates the
young British Secret Service professionals from the Cherub campus in
tension-filled action. These young highly trained 12-18 year olds
infiltrate in areas where no one would suspect that a child was
involved in an undercover mission. The Cherub agency is called in to
infiltrate into the Drug world and its conflicts to uncover the
supply chain and those responsible at the top end of the mess that
is the drug world.
Fay, the central character in this drama, is introduced to the book
as a 13 year old who, in conjunction with her aunt, is wreaking
rough justice on a Drug Lord who was responsible for her mother's
death. Her violent vengeance eventually leads to her
incarceration in a Secure Training Centre, where her tactics for
survival lead her to gross bullying of others, and her release
leaves her with no transformation of her desire for retribution. One
of the Cherub agents connects with Fay who is still determined to
carry out her plan for her own brand of revenge, and another is
enmeshed into the world of drug-running and the associated lies and
violence. Together they uncover the truth of the tortured and
inherently dangerous domain of drug-running, which eventually leads
to legal justice.
Although this is a fast-moving and head-strong rush into action, it
lacks a clear ethical compass. The world of the drug runner is
portrayed with all its violence, and Fay is not an endearing main
character either; her actions are seldom wise. I would hope
that any 15+ reader would be horrified that this world exists and
would be able to discern the horrors of the abuses of power that are
portrayed . No one seems to be transformed positively through
the course of the story, and the Cherub agents get drawn into this
world at the risk of their own lives!
Carolyn Hull
Ancient Australia unearthed by Alethea Kinsela
Plainspeak Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9780980594737.
'One October day in 1984, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in
Canberra was advised by telephone, 'We have a first contact here.'
Located in the Gibson Desert, nine Pintupi people had been picked up
in a four-wheel-drive and taken to Kintore near Alice Springs. They
had never see a non-indigenous person, let alone cars and towns.
Wearing human hair belts and armed with spears and boomerangs the
Pintupi Nine quietly stepped out of the desert and into modern
society. They are believed to be the last people to have lived a
traditional Ancient Australian lifestyle.'
This beautifully illustrated and factually verified book uses
archaeology to track the lives of our indigenous peoples from those
ancient times of 50 000 years ago to modern day society in a
timeline format that makes it a perfect accompaniment to the
Australian Curriculum history strand for Yr 6+. Begun when its
English/History teacher author went to 'spruik the Young
Archaeologists' Program to the Head of Humanities' and continuing to
a blog Ask the
Archaeologist , this book has evolved with the help of
crowd-sourced funding to be a most important resource that fills a
critical gap in both our collections and our knowledge.
Drawing on all the elements of format and layout that attract
today's readers including photographs, maps, information in
manageable chunks, it also actively encourages readers to
investigate, to understand, to inquire and to create with explicit
suggestions. For example, students are asked to consider whether the
early journeys to Australia were accidental or deliberate; to
investigate whether 'firestick farming' is in use today and to
create a description and illustration of a first glimpse of a
kangaroo. There is a broad range of task embracing all levels of
Bloom's taxonomy that can kickstart the teachers' thinking as well
as that of the students. It might even inspire an interest in
archaeology.
Supported by its own website
and a trailer
this book has a place both in the library's general collection and
that of the history faculty.
Barbara Braxton
Gargoyle Hall by Angie Sage
Araminta Spook series, bk 6. Bloomsbury, 2014.
(Age: Junior novel) Themes: Ghost, Haunted houses, Boarding School,
Families
Araminta Spook lives in Spook House with her Aunt Tabby, Uncle Drac,
Wanda Wizzard her best friend and a house of crazy characters. She
is honing her detective skills and is on the hunt for mysteries to
solve at home. When her uncle returns from a holiday in
Transylvania, he brings back an unusual souvenir and barricades his
bats in the bat turret. Minty has fun collecting and building spider
pyramids, however, her mission is to solve all of the mysteries
going on at home. Trouble abounds when Araminta's around!
Unfortunately Araminta's final act of helpfulness results in her
being bundled off to boarding school on the weekend. Gargoyle
Hall lives up to its name, there are strange night noises, chains
that clank and two creepy head girls who are up to no good. Araminta
seems to be the only student, until she discovers a friendly
surprise in her trunk.
Annie Sage's enjoyable quirky characters and spooky settings all add
up to make this another fun junior novel. John Kelly's dark sketches
and spider web embellishments add atmosphere to the story.
Rhyllis Bignell
The last thirteen series by James Phelan
Scholastic, 2014. The last thirteen: 6. ISBN 9781742831916. The last thirteen: 5. ISBN 9781742831923.
(Age: 10+)The countdown is on with these next installments of James
Phelan's The Last Thirteen series. These stories deliver
more fast paced, almost frenetic action at times, with an array of
high-tech tools, devious enemies, evil plots and more globe-crossing
adventures for Sam. His quest for the Dreamers and the Gears
intensifies as reality becomes blurred in the battle for the
Dreamscape.
This adventure, 6 involves the Russian Dreamer Nikah and
includes settings in Moscow and Siberia as they fight with the enemy
who knows their every move. New villains, intense battles and the
loyalty of friends is questioned, as Sam seeks to find the Gears.
In 5 Sam travels to Japan with Tobias to meet the next
Dreamer, a professional gamer who is a tournament player. They
combine their skills to avoid the ever present enemy Solaris.
Unfortunately, Alex and Shiva are captives in New York with wrist
bombs set to detonate. As always, Sam and his friends are required
to use their cunning, ingenuity and scientific knowledge in the
fight.
James Phelan continues to keep the quest alive and the fans happy,
as they wait for the final four novels to be released.
For readers 10+
Rhyllis Bignell
Bully on the bus by Kathryn Apel
University of Queensland Press, 2014. ISBN 9780702253287.
(Age: 6-8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Bullying, Friendships,
School life. Seven year old Leroy is physically and verbally bullied
on the school bus each day. The bully D J's words spew out of her
mouth like volcanic lava, she's a high school student who takes
great pleasure in tormenting Leroy. He loves school, reading,
playing and being part of Mrs. Wilson's Superkids. His weekends are
filled with family activities, but he loathes the trips to and from
school, even his older sister Ruby doesn't help him.
This story is powerfully written in present tense and told from
Leroy's point of view. The author's use of alliteration, shape
poetry, metaphors, figurative language and imagery - my heart is
howling like a hyena, add richness and insight to the themes of
bullying, courage and empowerment.
The verse novel builds to a crescendo, however the resolution needs
more impact. As a class read aloud, students could write alternate
endings to help Leroy. Bully on the Bus is written for the newly
independent reader from six to eight years and can be enjoyed by
older readers. This book is an important new tool for schools to
utilise in their anti-bullying lessons.
Kathryn Apel's blog
and the UQP website provide additional information and teacher's
notes.
Rhyllis Bignell
Crikey and cat by Chris McKimmie
Allen & Unwin, 2014 ISBN 9781760110031.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Friendship, Creativity. McKimmie's abstract
drawings filled with colour, using a multitude of different
techniques and styles, media and fonts drag my eyes across each of
the pages, looking from one unusual image to the next, all the while
pondering the how, why and the what. It took me a few readings to
get into the why of the text, but this interest buoyed me along. It
always intrigues me to think about how kids view his work, but as I am no
longer in a school, this remains a mystery to me.
But I can imagine they will pour over the pages as I do, grabbing at
every clue, every word, every image, thinking about the plot line
and the end point. In this particular book, are two main characters,
Crikey the dog, and Cat. They are concerned that the stars have
disappeared and so their owner, Reg, drives to the hardware shop to
get some equipment. Cat goes home with Eve. Reg builds a ladder and
makes some stars, but a ferocious storm undoes all his work and
Eve's caravan is torn apart. Eve picks up all the fallen stars and
drives to Reg's place to give them back and he refixes them in the
sky.
The family is enlarged when Eve joins them, their friendship melded
through the creative use of the purchases from the all night
hardware shop. The image of the night sky, a brush of dark blue,
dominates many of the pages. Without the stars the night sky feels
cold and unfriendly and the fixing of the stars brings warmth to the
story.
The sparse words will make readers think about what is being said,
and ponder the characters making the stars, and their working
together to make this happen. The image of the storm, throwing
around everything in its path contrasts with the quietness of the
last page with everything in its place. I can imagine lots of stars
being made and placed around the classroom after reading this and
discussing it with a group of children, their imaginations roaring
ahead of the adult presenter.
Fran Knight
