There was an old lady who swallowed a meerkat by P. Crumble
Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781742836461.
Highly recommended for all ages. There Was An Old Lady Who
Swallowed A Meerkat is a fun book full of gorgeous, bright and
funny illustrations, telling the traditional story of the old lady
swallowing unusual things. In this version, it is a trip to the zoo
that inspires the author to write about this lady's unusual eating
habits. Imagine the images in a child's mind as they picture this
little old lady swallowing a giraffe or a hippo! Hilarious! A great
way to introduce animals in a Science lesson, help with choral
reading with repetitive text or to create images as a reading
strategy. There is a whole series of these books which are sure to
have children of all ages laughing.
Kylie Kempster
Wombat's birthday surprise, ill. by Lachlan Creagh
Hachette, 2013. ISBN 9780734413932.
(Age: 3+) Picture book, Australian animals, Birthdays. Another in
the series of verse stories from Hachette, which includes Wombat
went a'walking and Wombat went a' dreaming, the three
are illustrated by Lachlan Creagh but there is no author stated.
The verse carries the tale along of Wombat sleeping while all his
animal friends bring together the ingredients for an array of party
treats. Koala makes pavlova, goanna brings the sprinkles for fairy
bread, echidna is making party pies and magpie the sausage rolls.
Each page shows these animals and the work they are doing for the
party.
For children this will be a treat, going through the delicious foods
needed for a children's birthday party, with some words in a
different colour helping them to learn new words.
The stress on the differing things made for the party will make it
way to teach some of the specifically Australian foods, and the
presentation of the animals of course, lends itself to stressing the
differing animals and their spellings.
This could be a a useful learning tool in an ESL class or junior
primary class where many children have had little exposure to rural
Australia.
Fran Knight
Chasing the Valley: Borderlands by Skye Melki-Wegner
Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN: 9781742759562.
(Age; 15+) Recommended. After destroying the tyrant king of
Taladia's plans to invade the safe haven known as the Magnetic
Valley, Danika and her crew of refugees cross uncharted lands that
none dare to tread to escape both the royal family as well as Sharr
Morrigan. Sharr and her band of hunters are in hot pursuit of the
crew consisting of the two scruffers, Danika and Teddy, two riche
twins, Clementine and Maisy and a disowned prince of the royal
family and Sharr's cousin, Lukas Morrigan. But things get even more
dangerous for the crew when sneaky bands of smugglers and a
gathering frontline of conscripted soldiers lie between them and the
Valley, them and freedom. These various groups of people are strange
enough but the peculiar actions of Lukas in the night and Danika's
Night proclivity gaining power makes things dangerous for the
refugee crew. As the crew struggles, they stumble across new
information that could bring their whole world tumbling down. Will
they be able to complete their dream of reaching the Magnetic
Valley? Chasing the Valley: Borderlands by Skye Melki-Wegner is an
epic sequel to the first novel, Chasing the Valley. Borderlands
carries on with the story seamlessly and makes the reader feel like
they never put the last book down. With themes of action, mystery
and mild romance, this novel suits older readers who enjoy reading a
good fight and tales of survival. This series is definitely, without
a doubt, one of my favourites.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
The lost sun by Tessa Gratton
United States of Asgard, book 1. Random House, 2013. ISBN
9780307977465.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Norse mythology. Fantasy. In the United
States of Asgard, ruled by Norse gods, 17 year old Soren is fighting
his berserker nature. His father had lost control of himself, going
berserk in a shopping mall and killing innocent people. He feels the
battle- frenzy and fever of the berserker, but tries to remain calm.
Isolated at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy he is amazed when the popular
Astrid Glyn, daughter of a famed seeress, tells him that she dreams
of him. When Baldur, son of Odin, fails to bring back the sun and
goes missing, Soren joins Astrid on a road trip across the States to
find him. Together they trace the missing god and find their own
powers and destiny.
This is an intelligent, beautifully crafted story based on the idea
that there is an alternative United States, a country governed not
only by the President, but by the gods. Gratton intertwines Norse
mythology and the fates of Soren and Astrid throughout the book in
such a way that the reader, even one unfamiliar with Norse legends,
is able to gain an understanding of the gods and how they operate.
The road trip across the United States of Asgard is a thrilling one.
What works exceptionally well is the struggle that Soren and Astrid
have with their feelings for each other and what fate and the gods
have determined for them. Soren is determined to fight his berserker
nature, while Astrid has to come to terms with the visions that she
sees. It was engrossing to follow Soren's story and to imagine what
it would have been like to be a berserker and to fear loss of
control and killing innocents. The themes of fatalism, faith, honour
and loyalty are explored in a sensitive, thought provoking way.
This was a compulsive read, which is much more thoughtful and
complex than many young adult novels. Fans of Neil Gaiman and Holly
Black will welcome The lost sun, and teens who liked the Percy
Jackson series by Rick Riordan could well enjoy this too.
Pat Pledger
Horizon by Alyson Noel
Soul seekers series, bk 4. Macmillan, 2013. ISBN
9781447206842.
(Age: Older teens) Horizon by Alyson Noel is an adrenaline
pumped book about a girl named Daire Santos. Daire isn't your
average teen, she is the last in a long line of seekers, a person
tasked with keeping the different worlds at peace. This job is made
all the more difficult when the evil Richter family are dead set on
ending the world as well as when Dace's - Daire's fated partner as
well as a Richter twin - soul is tainted with a bit of his brother's
darkness. This brings him closer and closer to his demonic side and
his demon filled family that he has hated for a long time.
Surrounded by her friends and family, Daire Santos fights to save
her one true love, her home and the worlds she is in charge of from
the Richters. Horizon, much like the previous books in the series, is a
fantastic, breathtaking, action-packed novel that makes you think of
thousands of questions that you want to find the answer to. This
book and its inspiring writing style keeps you stuck to the pages
and wanting to know more as the story blooms around the main
characters. Due to violent, romantic and emotionally traumatic
themes, I think this book is better suited to older teens because
they might have a better grasp on the mindset of the characters. An
interesting writing style that is unique and leaves you wanting
more, Horizon is a must have on your mystery and action
bookshelf.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
The twelve days of Christmas, ill. by Karen Erasmus
Hachette, 2013. ISBN 9780734414922.
(Age: 4+) Christmas, Picture book. Anyone wanting the music and
words to the old carol, will find this to their liking. The soft
watercolour images which accompany the text include an array of
children in modern clothes, many in school uniform, from a variety
of backgrounds. The two introductory children on the front cover are
on each page, as the number of animals and people swell, from a
partridge in a pear tree to twelve drummers drumming.
As with the original carol, counting is an integral part of the
rhyme, adding a new number of animals and people as the song goes
along, reinforcing the number as each line is sung.
I have seen few examples of this old carol being published more
recently for a younger generation, so it is timely. Younger readers
will know the tune and easily pick up the words as they sing along.
The simple one line melody at the end of the book can be easily
picked out on a piano for a beginner giving the tune to the
children.
Included in the book is a double page of illustrations for the
students, I was surprised that it did not follow the one to twelve
idea of the original carol, so ensuring that children would be able
to use this as an aid to learning to count.
But all in all, a useful book to have in the classroom for that time
of the year, to learn an older carol, unlike the ones heard in the
supermarket and department store.
Fran Knight
Dark satanic mills by Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick
Ill. by John Higgins and Marc Olivent. Walker, 2013. ISBN
9781406329889.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Graphic novel, Future,
Fundamentalism, Dystopian novel. With the hymn, Jerusalem,
sparked by the title, a trip to Google to find the whole poem by
William Blake is the first step in reading this dark treatise about
a near future London, where religious fanatics are taking over areas
north of the city. A strong dystopian theme runs through with
illustrations showing a near destroyed city, water lapping over
Trafalgar Square, the water level so high that the Portrait Gallery
is now a ferry stop. Shown with its bombed buildings and impassable
streets, the city shadows the images we see on nightly TV of war
ravaged cities in the Middle East, and when Christy is out after
curfew, she falls foul of the fanatics trying to exert their power
over the population.
So she must run for her life. Implicated now in a murder, she tries
to seek shelter from people she knows, but her presence imperils
them all.
This is a breathless read, stirred on by the black and white
illustrations, often using close up drawings to sharpen the impact
of the horror she sees. The readers will follow Christy's fight
eagerly, watching as gangs of bullies from the True Church
intimidate and beat up those who question. The parallels to today's
society are obvious, as Fundamentalists strike at the seat of power,
gaining credibility and prestige amongst those opting for a safer
future.
The road north brings Christy and now, Alex, into Birmingham with
its gangs of thugs, the Anti-Sci, feeding people's fears, burning as
witches the non believers, chaining men to ricks in the blighted
wilderness, heralding miracles to gain power. It is grim stuff, but
an enthralling read with many parallels to the recent growth of
fundamentalist groups within our societies. Readers will love the
illustrative techniques of the two illustrators, Higgins and
Olivent, as they portray a society's upheaval with panache.
Fran Knight
This way up by Kylie Dunstan
Windy Hollow Books, 2013. ISBN 9781922081223.
(Age: 5+) Picture book, Moving home. Moving can be a tricky issue in
some families, and those adults wrapped up in the concerns, may have
little time for a younger child feeling left out. This charming
picture book deals with a young girl moving house, returning home
after some absence. She is encouraged to sort out her cardboard
boxes, but finds it overwhelming. The surroundings are similar and
bring back fond memories, but everything seems so much smaller. Mum
seems to whizz around the house with piles of stuff, sometimes
dropping some in Grace's room with an encouraging 'why don't you
find a home for all of this stuff?' But Grace finds it hard to work
out which was important and prefers to hide in one of the empty
cardboard boxes in her room. That is until Grandma arrives. Then
Grace knows what is most important, and when other families arrive
the next day for a celebration, she feels at last that she is home.
This is a warm story about one child feeling sad at leaving and yet
wanting to be part of her old house. Her mother is encouraging and
supportive as she too must find a space for all the things in boxes.
When familiar people arrive, it is only then that everyone feels
settled.
Fran Knight
Paper Clips, an anthology of short stories about coming of age in Australia, edited by Yasar Duyal
Cambridge University Press, 2013. ISBN 9781107614208.
(Age: 11+) Short Stories, Coming of age. Stories by kids written for
kids in middle school is a request I keep hearing, so a book of
short stories by Australian youth should be just the ticket. This
compilation of stories from kids mainly in private schools sorted
into groups such as Adaptation, Childhood, Identity, Love and a
Sunburnt Country, with lengthy discussion notes at the end for
teachers to use in class could be useful as a text.
Some of the stories are wondrous, inviting, playful and inventive,
but many read like lectures or essays on the topic, 'what does it
mean to be Australian', with several of the short stories even
starting with that phrase.
Standouts include Stories of our suitcase by Karen Huong, Evacuation
by Ryan Harris, My own little Ponting by Milan Kantor, Home
by Catriona Cowie, It will all be worth it by Annie Rocasek,
and Darkness by Hugh Offor. These seemed to have original
ideas, were told from experience and used humour.
The layout and design of the book does not invite the reader into
the stories, it is so obviously a class text, that teachers may
choose this for their class. Other books of short stories which have
been recently published include, Hatched: Celebrating 20 years
of the Tim Winton Award for young writers (Fremantle Press,
2013), Short and scary, a whole lot of creepy stories and other
chilling stuff, edited by Karen Tayleur (black dog books,
2010) Trust Me Too, edited by Paul Collins (Ford St, 2012)
and its prequel,Trust Me edited by Pail Collins (Ford St,
2011), Things a map won't show You, stories from Australia and
Beyond, edited by Susan La Marca and Pam McIntyre (Penguin,
2012). For a teacher using short stories in the classroom, then a
selection of those above including the recent Paper Clips
could be advantageous, giving the teacher and student a range of
stories to choose from.
Fran Knight
Mystic by Alyson Noel
The Soul Seekers bk 3. Macmillan Children's Books, 2013.
ISBN: 9781447206835.
(Age: Teens) Recommended. Daire Santos is not your average girl, she
is a seeker. One of many in a long ancestral line in the small town
of Enchantment, Daire with the added wisdom of her grandmother
Paloma and the Elders as well as her unique collection of friends
fight the evil family that rules the town. They are the Richters, a family
full of demon transforming men and women with the spirit animal,
sneaky coyote. When a previously foretold prophecy is changed, the
effects have a significant effect on Daire and her friends as well
as her fated partner Dace. As a result Daire meets a new person from
the elusive Upperworld but is he a friend or an ally? Did the change
in the prophecy happen for a good reason? Mystic by Alyson Noel is a fast paced novel that is packed
full of mystery and action as the plot is revealed piece by piece
and the reader remains as in the dark as the main characters
throughout the winding and twisting plot. Mystic is the third book
in the breathtaking Soul Seeker Series of four (Fated,
Echo, Mystic and Horizon). This book is a
definite recommendation for any teen who likes magic, mystery and
action but it is greatly recommended that this series be read from
the first unlike some books in a series that you can pick up and
read regardless. This is a must have and a brilliantly entertaining
read.
Sarah Filkin
A girl is a half-formed thing by Eimear McBride
Text Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781922182234.
(Adult - Selected senior students) Reading Eimear McBride's debut
novel requires energy and emotional strength but far from being
difficult it seems to bypass intellect and speak directly to the
reader's emotions like good poetry. Central to the story is
the girl's relationship with her brother, the 'you' throughout the
novel. Affected by a brain tumour, she wishes he could be normal and
is protective and emotionally tied to him. At the same time she is
deeply affected by her mother's lack of affection, her father's
absence, poverty and the whole Irish catholic notion of guilt, sin
and the need to be cleansed. An uncle seems to offer her the love
she craves but guilt combined with her lack of self esteem leads to
confronting sexual abuse, self-debasing behaviours and self harm.
Not an easy book and there are strong sexual references, but for
adults and maybe selected senior students, worth the effort.
Sue Speck
Man made boy by Jon Skovron
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743315132.
It is almost inevitable that as our world becomes increasingly
dependent on technology, face-to-face communication will become less
favourable. This prophecy is more relevant now than ever, as we
constantly toil to advance ourselves in that field.
It is also inevitable that in some way teenagers will always feel
the social pinch and emotional punch of adolescence - this inherent
angst has been exhibited in all settings where associated hormones
are present.
Both our increased reliance on plug-in tools and our collective
experience of youthful trial-and-error, are themes prevalent in Jon
Skovron's Man made boy, although in story and style they are
much simpler.
From the circuit-board font on the cover and the very first
paragraph, this work exudes a tech-savvy and highly contemporary
style, obviously as a means of updating the literary source it
references so heavily: Frankenstein.
In its time, Mary Shelley's seminal novel was tech-heavy - nuts and
bolts, elaborate scientific structure and a re-animation technique
powered by good old fashioned lightning.
Now, we have a cyberpunk influence, with computer-age language
littering the text. Somewhat surprisingly, this does not overshadow
a very traditional writing style, but instead complements it.
In terms of story, Man made boy concerns an aptly titled
teenaged hermit named Boy, and chronicles his experiences forming
his own personality and coming to terms with other relevant
emotional hurdles. In addition, Frankenstein-esque deformities have
created a low self-esteem situation for Boy, preventing him from
real interaction and exiling him to behind a computer screen.
Skovron has intentionally stripped our endearing protagonist of a
proper name to comment on the teenager's inherent need to categorize
themself and construct their personal traits. He makes clever,
humorous and insightful commentary on the epidemic of
technologically adept and addicted youth, and the potential social
problems which arise.
Aside from the thought-provoking content, the narrative is thrilling
and charming (and of course, full of knowing nods in jest to classic
horror literature.)
This is Frankenstein updated for a new audience - its themes
of creation, identity, isolation and misunderstanding still intact.
Man made boy is full of heart - re-assembled, stitched together and
calibrated with a micro-chip - but heart no less.
Henry Vaughan (Student)
My island homicide by Catherine Titasey
University of Queensland Press, 2013. ISBN 9780702249716
(Age: 16-adult) Recommended.
With a play on the title of the Christine Anu song 'My island home',
Titasey conjures up the image of an island paradise in the Torres
Straits. And this is exactly what Senior-Sergeant Ebithea Dari-Jones
hopes it to be - a break from the stresses of her mainland job in
the Queensland Police Service and a broken relationship, and also a
return to her roots - rediscovering her mother's origins on Thursday
Island. She expects her new role as Officer-In-Charge on the island
to be a relaxed and uncomplicated life in the tropics. But on her
first day on the job, she finds more than she bargained for:
tensions and superstitions, a missing person - suspected homicide...
and an undercurrent of 'maydh', black magic.
There is lots to enjoy in this book. The character of Ebithea
herself is a break from the traditional heroine mould - she is 6
feet tall with a few too many curves, and a liking for fast food. We
can smile in recognition of the situation where she goes online to
purchase sexy new underwear after meeting with attractive Islander
fisherman Jonah, and the warm humour of the relationships with her
mother and her work colleagues. The writing style is easy to read,
the location and storyline are original and the mystery keeps you
guessing until the end, - as Ebithea discovers that perhaps the
lives of these island people are not as simple as first appears and
there is much more to the missing person case than even she, with
her astute detective skills, suspects. Readers will enjoy the
unusual characters, the gradual realisation of the threat of
'maydh', and the twist of the plot that still makes sense and has a
satisfying ending. This is a fresh new novel that leaves us hoping
for another in this style from Titasey, winner of the 2012
Queensland Literary Awards - Best Emerging Author.
Helen Eddy
Stories for boys
Random House Australia Children's, 2013. ISBN 9780857980885. Ebook
9780857980861.
Stories for girls
Random House Australia Children's, 2013. ISBN 9780857980861. Ebook
9780857980878.
(Age: 6-8) Highly recommended. Two delightful collections of short
stories aimed squarely at the 6-8 year olds. With many of
Australia's leading authors on board including Tristan Bancks,
Sophie Masson, Bill Condon, George Ivanoff, Janeen Brian, Martin
Chatterton, Claire Saxby and Jacqueline Harvey, little people who
are either newly independent readers or enjoy read-alouds will love
these engaging stories. Some silly, some serious, some adventurous,
some clever means something for everyone! Stories for boys is illustrated by Tony Flowers, whose work
will be known already by followers of the popular Saurus Street
series while Stories for girls is illustrated by J. Yi who is
particularly known for the Alice-Miranda series.
Over the weekend Miss Small (8) and I shared two of the stories from
the Girls book and her facial expressions, comments and laughter
affirmed that these will be a sure-fire hit with the smaller folk in
your reading circles. Arabella Button, by Grace Atwood was
particularly well received. After all, just the very image of a
giraffe doing ballet was enough to set us both in the right frame of
mind for a cosy happy snuggle before bedtime. We are both looking
forward to the next weekend sleepover to continue working our way
through the contents page.
For those familiar with the Stories for five, six, seven and eight
year olds series, the style of these two collections will be very
recognisable. Perfect for teachers wanting a quick story for a spare
five minutes or parents needing that brief before bed just-one-more
tale, both of these will appeal to the imaginations and humour of
the age group.
Highly recommended, both for the readings levels and interests, of
boys and girls from 6-8 years old
Sue Warren
Yoo hoo, ladybird! by Mem Fox
Ill. by Laura Ljungkvist. Penguin Australia, 2013. ISBN 9780670077304.
(Age: 2-6) Highly recommended. This little ladybird loves to hide
and finding just where she is hiding will delight young readers
immensely. And older readers who adore great end papers will also
love it!
Whether she is 'stuck on the stairs with a couple of bears' or
'outside the house with Chicken and Mouse' little people will have
great fun searching for this happy little bug amid some gorgeously
vibrant illustrations.
'I spy' for toddlers - with rhythmic rhyming text that is perfect as
a read-aloud - highly recommended for small ones 2 years and up.
Sue Warren
