Ill. by Leigh Hedstrom. Wombat Books, 2014. ISBN 9781921632594.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Alzheimer's. Death. Grandparents. In this
heart wrenching but uplifting story, a young girl visits her Grandma
in her nursing home with her family. While her young brother plays
antics and makes the nurses and residents laugh, she brightens
Grandma's dreams by reminiscing with her. Important events in
Grandma's life are celebrated. Grandma loved singing so the young
girl sings her a song for her to dance on. She loves to brush her
hair and so did Grandma, so she brushes her hair, 'for her dreams to
dazzle on'.
Using the joyful illustrations by Leigh Hedstrom, the reader finds
out more about Grandma's life as a young girl when she was in the
war, got married, had children and then grandchildren. Each double
page spread has a picture of what is happening in the nursing home
and on the opposite side is a loving picture of grandma enjoying
life and then finally the family kissing her goodbye and she floats
off into the light to meet her husband.
This is a very moving book dealing in a most thoughtful way events
that many young children would be going through. It offers children
a way of coping with a beloved grandparent's slide into oblivion and
a way to rejoice a full and happy life. Proceeds from the sale of
this book will be donated to the Hazel Hawke Alzheimer's Research
and Care Fund.
Pat Pledger
Five Little Platypuses ill. by Karen Erasmus
Hachette Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780734414908.
Pre-school children and parents will enjoy this Australianised
version of the old and familiar story of the Five Little Ducks who
go out to play but fail to return.
In this case the five little platypuses go out over a puddle, creek,
lake, river and billabong, but when their mummy platypus calls,
Come back here!' less and less appear until Mummy is left sad and
alone.
It is only when she calls 'Please come home!' that the baby
platypuses come home one by one to give her a cuddle.
The muted colours of the illustrations are reflective of the
Australian environment. The rocky river bed seen through clear water
and the cute, chubby little platypuses are sure to elicit a smile
from the reader.
The use of coloured writing to highlight the number of platypuses
and Mum's spoken language offer cues for early readers to focus on
in a choral or supported reading setting. The varying water types
also give the opportunity to discuss the differences say between a
river and creek or a lake and billabong.
Sue Keane
Dead and Buried by Anne Cassidy
The Murder Notebooks 4. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408815533.
(Age: 13+) Murder. Assassination. Thriller. After the horrible
events in Butterfly grave, the third in the Murder notebook series,
Rose is keen to get on with her life. She makes a break with Joshua,
her stepbrother, but everything is disrupted when Police Officer
Henry Thompson calls to tell her that the body of a young girl has
been found buried in the bottom of the garden where she and Joshua
once lived. With her mother Kathy and stepfather, Brendan,
implicated in the murder, Rose once again joins forces with Joshua
to clear their parent's names.
This is a thrilling finale to the series as Rose and Joshua try to
work out who has murdered the girl who was buried in the garden. As
they follow clues to this murder, they also have to work through
their own complicated feelings for each other and the quest to find
their missing parents. Cassidy raises some interesting questions
about the morality of the actions of Kathy and Brendan, and whether
they and the other members of the group should go about
assassinating people, even if they are disgusting criminals.
There is plenty of action, a mystery within a mystery, and a clever
tying up of all the details. This is a satisfying conclusion to an
interesting murder mystery series and fans of the series are sure to
enjoy how it all ended.
Pat Pledger
How Cool are Your Parents? (or not) by Francoize Boucher
A&C Black, 2014. ISBN: 9781472904720.
Recommended for 9-11 year olds and any teenager who needs a reality
check about their parents, or parents who need to laugh a little at
their life.
What parent would not want their child to read this book! Not only
is it easy to read, the colours are bright and eye catching and the
cartoon like illustrations highly entertaining, it is an affirmation
of all things that make parents, well parents. And as every parent
knows, they are cool, (I do have to declare some vested interest
here). It's their kids that need reminding.
From reassuring the reader that all parents are pretty similar the
message is to listen to them and seek their advice because they
offer love unconditionally and are doing everything they can to
bring you up properly. Their good points, the things they do for no
return, love, accommodation, food, taxi and banking services, are
extolled in glorious fluro colours. Poor old Santa is seen as a
conman and couch potato for his one day a year input.
The bad news is also revealed. Super-Perfect parents don't exist.
However the reasons for their annoying habits, for example the
insistence on good manners, cleanliness, healthy eating and getting
a good night's sleep are all given space with illustrated examples
of a likely alternative outcome. The terrible parent diseases of
Severe Anti-trustitis and Fedupwithbeingadultitis are explored in
full.
The suggestions on how to make parent, child relationships better
are worth taking, however presents on Mother's and Father's Days made
of pasta was a step too far for this parent.
What an engaging and fun way for all ages to explore the important
relationships between children and parents and promote some
understanding and appreciation of the hard work parenting can be.
Sue Keane
The Finisher by David Baldacci
Macmillan Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 9781447263005.
Recommended for readers 11 years +. Themes: Fantasy, Adventure. The
Finisher revolves around the life of a 14 year old girl named Vega
Jane, and her life in the small village of Wormwood. Life in
Wormwood is portrayed as bleak for most of its residents and Vega's
situation is similar to reality for girls of her age in many parts
of the world. She is considered moderately well-educated having
attended 'Learning' until she was 12 at which time she secured an
apprenticeship in one of the village's few industries. At Stacks she
works as a 'finisher' who applies the final touches to luxury goods
intended for sale to Wormwood's few affluent residents. We learn
early in the story that Vega's parents have fallen into a mysterious
coma and are in a nursing home leaving her to support her younger
brother John.
Wormwood is surrounded by a wild land known as The Quag which is
inhabited by all manner of terrifying monsters. Entry in to The Quag
has been deemed so dangerous that it is illegal and this, combined
with an overwhelming fear of the monsters within, prevents residents
from ever trying to leave Wormwood. The Finisher opens with Vega witnessing her mentor at Stacks fleeing
into The Quag, pursued by village officials. He leaves her a number
of hidden items including a map and a journal which lead her to
believe that there are worlds beyond The Quag. This story has many
twists as more of Wormwood's mysterious past is revealed. Vega is a
strong female character whose resilience and determination elevate
her from the life of mundane factory worker to village heroine.
Author, David Baldacci, has published 27 novels but is famous
primarily for his adult works, several of which have been adapted
for film and television. David is also noted for his philanthropic
activities, in particular the Wish You Well Foundation established
by he and his wife to promote family and adult literacy in the
United States. The Finisher is an excellent example of fantasy/adventure genres for
children aged 11+ and while I have been unable to find any mention
of it being the first in a series, the open ending and a number of
unanswered mysteries lead me to believe that this is the author's
intention. Fans of the children's series Monster Blood Tattoo by
D.M. Cornish are likely to be equally as intrigued by The Finisher.
Nicki Paterson
Billy is a Dragon: First Bite by Nick Falk
Ill. by Tony Flowers. Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN
9780857983053.
(Ages: 9-11) Recommended. Billy is an ordinary, nearly 10
year-old boy to whom something amazing happens with hilarious
consequences. It starts with a trip to Benny's Pet Shop, and an
irresistible desire to pat a Drag-ON lizard.
When the lizard bites him on the finger pandemonium ensues, Mum is
furious and his sister Becky thinks he will infect everyone. Only
Bertha the dog shows him any sympathy. When his finger continues to
swell the next day, Billy disguises it from the family with
gardening gloves and heads off to school.
Things go from bad to worse at school as Billy begins to change into
a Dragon. He burps and sets fire to the teacher's hair before
escaping to the toilets where his transformation is completed. He
narrowly escapes through the window with the aid of his best friend
Jeanie who takes his transformation with remarkable aplomb, and
discovers the joy of flying.
After taking shelter at home in his sisters bedroom, he is captured
by his father who decides to sell him to the zoo. Chaos continues to
follow Billy and his only option is to return to Benny's Pet Shop to
try to find a solution, predictably provided by the bite from a
Drag-OFF Lizard, and some answers provided by Benny.
The hilarious, cartoon like illustrations by Tony Flowers add much
to the enjoyment of this book. The reader can not only follow the
story through the larger illustrations, including an anatomical
explanation of a bully and complex scientific representations of a
dragon, but the small cartoons around the edges will appeal to any
aged reader.
Like many modern books, there is an extensive use of different font
and lettering styles to highlight individual words, which not only
enhances the text but also serves to break up a continuous page of
writing which supports the less confident reader.
Sue Keane
Billy Slater presents: Try Time by Patrick Loughlin
Ill. by Nahum Ziersch. Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN
9780857982469.
(Age: 9-11) In the world of Rugby League Billy Slater is a star. The
Melbourne Storm player who has played over 250 games is in the best
place to act as mentor to junior players, the role he plays in this
new series obviously aimed at 9-11 year old rugby enthusiasts.
Josh Brown is about to begin playing his first season of league for
the West Hill Ravens Under 11 side, having spent all summer
convincing his mother to let him play. His footy mad grandfather
accompanies him to his first match as mum is busy with the baby and
Dad is away working. Josh's biggest problem is a severe case of
nerves, and an overly enthusiastic and vocal grandfather who only
wants to help. When he drops a crucial pass he feels that losing the
game was his fault.
Things go from bad to worse when granddad is involved in a fight and
is evicted from the sidelines. Josh's nerves on the field continue
to grow until the butterflies are elephant sized causing him to drop
the ball. The negative comments of his teammate Corey do not help
and Josh decides to give up footy altogether.
Billy Slater, Josh's all time footy hero, is recruited by the coach
to act as team mentor. He spends time at training giving Josh extra
passing practice and advice on how to overcome his nerves during a
game and enjoy the sport.
The forward at the beginning of the book by Billy Slater herald the
themes of the story, being involved, persisting when things go wrong
and enjoying the game. Scoring and winning isn't everything. The
player profiles familiarise the reader with Josh's teammates and
Billy's tips on Tackling and Catching a Pass, support the advice
given in the story.
Rugby enthusiasts will enjoy the game details and tips, though the
general advice can apply to any team game, but all students will
understand the pressure and disappointment Josh feels when his dream
start to footy is not realised and things do not work out quite as
he planned them.
Sue Keane
The Easter Egg Express by Susannah McFarlane
Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 9781742831695. The Easter Egg Express tells the story of Ellie and Erin, the Easter
bilbies in charge of delivering Easter Eggs. They are quite excited
until they realise just how many eggs they must deliver! What will
they do? The Easter Egg Express is a small picture book with accompanying
text. I love the repeated use of words starting with 'e' making it a
great book to discuss all the different sounds the letter 'e' makes.
It could be too small for a classroom setting but would be a great story
to read with your child or to have an older child read to a younger
one. The pictures are bright and colourful and I love the Australian
theme - echidnas, emus, bilbies, koalas and kangaroos celebrating
Easter together.
Kylie Kempster
Captain America -The Winter Soldier adapted by Allison Lowenstein and Tomas Palacios
Scholastic 2014. ISBN 9781743623824.
(Age: 9+) Captain America - The Winter Soldier is the book of the
film and I love having these on the shelf in my classroom library.
Previous experience has seen children watching the movie and then
devouring the book. This will be no exception. The first 2 chapters
of Captain America - The Winter Soldier recap the first Captain
America movie and the next Avenger movie before taking us to
Washington and introducing us to Sam Wilson and an encounter with
Steve Rogers aka Captain America. Steve is whisked off quickly to
help S.H.I.E.L.D. and the action begins. Captain America has old
school morals in a modern world and it looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. will
have him testing those beliefs.
The story moves quickly and the chapters are short, using
descriptive language and action to engage the reader.I would
recommend it to readers aged 9+ who are looking for a fun read,
enjoy super heroes and movies. It would also be good for those
reluctant boys who struggle to be engaged with reading anything!
Kylie Kempster
Totalgirl: The Style Files by Amanda Nichols and Rebecca Lim
Allen & Unwin, 2014 ISBN 9781743316542.
I had mixed feelings about this book. While it demonstrated how
wonderful good friends can be in helping you to achieve your dreams,
I had some nagging doubts about using fashion and magazines as the
basis for it.
The main characters are girls in grade 6/7 and we meet the first of
them, getting ready for her first day back at school, which is a
casual day, thinking about her fashion choices. We hear about
her friends who are 'total fashionistas', how they love to shop for
clothes, and the fashion rules they follow. This is followed up with
the first class assignment of making up a fashion magazine.
I like the way the girls in the story really go all out to follow
their passion.
But I have some concerns about how the stories might come across to
impressionable young readers, when there is so much misinformation
produced by the fashion world and magazines today, especially about
the way people look and dress.
The book is 511 pages long and contains six stories, all of the same
style.
Tiffany Boyer
Silver People by Margarita Engle
University of Queensland Press, 2014. ISBN 9780702253294.
(Age: Young adult) Recommended. Historical. Panama Canal.
Environment. Rainforests. Silver People is skilfully concise
and the characters have an intimate, personal feel. Written in
non-rhyming verse style Margarita
Engle, a Newbery Honour Award winning author, has woven a
superb story about the digging of the Panama Canal.
The labourers for the huge project were segregated by country of
origin or the colour of their skin, into specific work groups. Their
living arrangements were determined the same way. Toiling in
appalling conditions in searing heat, landslides and tropical
illnesses were a constant threat, whilst digging the Canal with very
basic tools. Many spoke languages other than English, making
communication difficult and following orders confusing.
Those in charge, white Americans, French and Dutch were paid the
most and lived in relative luxury. Secondary to them were the 'gold'
people, Spaniards, Greeks and Italians, and those considered the
'lowest' were paid a few pieces of silver. Thus they were deemed the
'silver' people, Jamaicans, Barbadians and Haitians.
Mateo is just such a boy. Born in Cuba, and Spanish-speaking, the
fourteen year-old escapes from his hopeless situation with his
violent father and joins a labour train, bound for Panama. He is
expected to work like a man for his measly wage. However, he
befriends Henry and the mysterious but sympathetic forest-dweller,
Anita, teenagers like himself. Augusto, an artist, takes an interest
in Mateo and encourages his budding sketching talent.
Surrounded by the beauty of the Panamanian forest, the howls and
screeching of monkeys and jungle birds, Mateo and his friends
eventually find much-craved peace and love in their new home. Silver People is a quick-read, with a strong visual layer
throughout the language Ms Engle has judiciously crafted.
Joan Kerr-Smith
Editor's note: Teacher's notes are available
from the publisher.
Noor Inayat Khan by Gaby Halberstan
A & C Black, 2013.ISBN 9781472900135.
(Age: 11+) This book will instantly draw you in, as it begins with a
rather confronting scenario of the main character being beaten by
her Nazi captors. For this reason I would be careful recommending
this book to children under 11 years, especially if they are
sensitive.
The book is based on the true story of a World War 2 heroine, Noor,
a British wireless operator. It begins with her secret flight into
Paris, where she joins the French Resistance. Nazi forces are
everywhere. I liked the tension and suspense the story creates, as
more and more of Noor's fellow spies are betrayed and captured by
the Nazi forces.
The best thing about the book, is the courage and bravery of many of
the characters, who repeatedly put themselves in danger, to help
others. It is clear that without these selfless acts of sacrifice,
many more people would have suffered and died. It is a good
reminder, especially to those of us here in Australia, who have
never experienced a life affected by war, that people are capable of
doing amazing things, especially in times of extreme hardship. It
certainly makes you appreciate that we have a stable government and
so, so much freedom, and how precious that is.
The other thing I liked about the book, is the honest way it deals
with the feelings Noor is experiencing, as she is desperately trying
to stay one step ahead of the Nazi forces, and prevent being
captured. Despite being afraid, tired and Britain's last wireless
operator in Paris, she finds it within herself to continue on. The
heart warming thing is, she is never quite alone, her fellow
resistors, her thoughts, the kindness of strangers, all help her
along her amazing journey.
Tiffany Boyer
Yirruwa Yirrilikenuma-langwa - When We Go Walkabout by Rhoda Lalara
Ill. by Alfred Lalara. Allen & Unwin and The Little Big Book
Club, 2014. ISBN 9781743314562.
Yirruwa Yirrilikenuma-langwa, amiyembena yirrirringka yirruwa?
When we go walkabout, what do we see?
The beautiful landscapes and fauna of Groote Eylandt are brought to
life in this unique dual-language picture book which introduces very
young children to their unique surroundings. There is the
frill-necked lizard - dukwululuwawa - on the big rock; the green
frog - dilyaburnda - in the billabong; the wallaby - yiburada - in
the scrub and many more right through to the dingarrbiya and the
yikurridangwa!! And then back home, after the walkabout is complete,
there is someone special - the person who first introduced the
author and illustrator to their environment and who inspired the
book because they want to be able to share the wonders with their
own grandchildren in time.
This is a remarkable book for many reasons . . .
Apart from the text written in both Anindilyakwa and English - the
two-way learning that is the best way for indigenous children to
become literate in both English and their mother-tongue - the
artworks which are a collaboration between the illustrator Alfred
Lalara and his wife Alice Durilla, are an integral part of passing
on knowledge embedded in traditional stories and thus a critical
part of the book as a whole. The stories of how Alfred and his wife
learned to paint in the traditional style, and Rhoda's motive for
writing When We Go Walkabout make fascinating reading at the
end of the book. Clearly it is one of those rare titles that
entertains, informs and persuades at the same time.
The book itself is the first of the Emerging Indigenous Picture Book
Mentoring Project, a partnership between the Little Big Book Club
and Allen & Unwin in which six previously unpublished Indigenous
writers and illustrators will have their work showcased in four
picture books during 2014. Each creator has been partnered with a
renowned mentor in children's publishing including Nadia Wheatley,
Ken Searle, Nick Bland, Ann James, Bronwyn Bancroft, Boori Monty
Pryor and Ali Cobby Eckermann to share ideas, techniques and
inspiration for their first published work. The project has been
funded by the federal government through the Australia Council and
it means that not only will our cohort of children's writers be
enriched but our students will have access to authentic texts that
will work towards the understanding and harmony between our cultures
that is at the heart of so many of the Australian Curriculum
outcomes.
Even though the publishers suggest this is a book for the 0-5
brigade, Miss Nearly 8 and I shared and thoroughly enjoyed it. It
sparked a discussion about how other Australian children speak
different languages and how much fun that could be and because we
live where we do, we see some of the creatures like wallabies and
cockatoos daily, we tried saying the new names we had learned. It
helped that we could listen
to Rhoda Lara read it to us. (There's a QR code in the back of the
book.) We also talked about how the story was written so the
language and knowledge could be passed through the generations on
Groote Eylandt and what she had learned from her grandmother (me)
and what of that she might pass on to her own children. That was a
fascinating insight and showed that getting children to talk about
such things is a critical way of helping them understand both their
family history and their place in it.
Usually I give my review copies to a local school, but Miss Nearly 8
asked if she could have this one. She wanted to read it again and
think about it some more - and then write a story for her
grandchildren!! The best stories always go beyond the lines, and
this has clearly done that.
Barbara Braxton
Meet Daisy by Michelle Hamer
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl. Puffin, 2014. ISBN
9780143307631.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. This is a very heart warming book, about the
courage and strength of a young girl, Daisy, during the 1930's. I
would recommend it for ages 8 and above.
It starts off in a delightful Australian rural setting, and you can
almost feel the wind through your own hair, as we join Daisy on her
farm, riding her beloved horse Jimmy.
It is heart wrenching, when her secure childhood is brought to an
abrupt end, and she finds herself being sent to Melbourne with her
little sister, to live with her resentful Aunt, while her widowed
Father sets off to look for work.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in what life was
like for those living in Australia in the 1930s, especially during
the Great Depression. It is also just a great story, and worth a
read in it's own right.
The book is filled with wonderful characters, and the narrative is
colourful and engaging. I read the book from cover to cover in one
sitting, because I was so taken with the story. There are also some
interesting historical facts and a great snap shot of what life was
like during the depression, at the end of the book. You even get a
preview of the next book, to whet your appetite.
What I like about Daisy, is her courage and determination to make
the best of any situation. Daisy is a great role model for children
today, as she shows great resilience in very difficult
circumstances. When you reach the end of the book, you really are
left wondering if and how Daisy will manage when she is kicked out
by her cruel Aunt. I certainly wanted to read the next book in the
series, to find out how this dear girl survives, hungry and
homeless. And I really wanted to know what happened to her Father!
He obviously loved his daughters very much, so why hadn't he made
contact with them and sent the Aunt money, as promised?!
Tiffany Boyer
Tigerfish by David Metzenthen
Penguin, 2014. ISBN 9780143568421. Themes: Poverty and Disadvantage; Violence; Friendship;
Perseverence; Hope and Hopelessness; Abuse. One of the values of
literature is that it gives the reader an opportunity to 'walk a
mile in the shoes' of a character and see the world through their
eyes. Tigerfish gives us the opportunity of walking in the
shoes of several young teens that live in a tough working class
western Melbourne suburb - in Western Bulldogs territory. Their view
of the world has limited horizons, and we see the impact of poverty,
social dysfunction, educational disadvantage and violence as the
characters look ahead to an uncertain future. Into this world
arrives Ariel, a victim of tragedy, and a resident of perhaps the
worst house in one of the worst streets, in a suburb that has one
shining light - a shopping Mall. Her strength despite her
circumstances, and her friendship with Ryan and Evan give a sense of
hope in what could be a very 'hopeless' setting. The school
experience of Ryan and Evan is both violent and yet mundane. A
fellow student causes them distress, but even here we gain
understanding of the terrible circumstances of this aggressive and
abusive antagonist.
The author reflects the language choices of this social environment
with common expletives (but with some restraint considering the
frequency that the 'f' bomb would usually be launched). What
Metzenthen has been able to do is reveal the motivations of those
who live surrounded by hopelessness. The romance with Ariel and
growing concern for her family, the loyalty within Ryan's family,
friendships that reveal caring attitudes and the bright moments when
people show that they can overcome the dark clouds of disadvantage
are powerful reminders of humanity at its best. This is a powerful
book, but very uncomfortable and confronting to read because of the
challenges of disadvantage that it reveals.
Carolyn Hull
