Ill. by Bacham Ibatouline. Candlewick Press, 2013. ISBN 0 7636 4601
1.
(Age: 5+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Immigration. With a
finely detailed illustrative technique, Ibatouline enhances the
story of one man's journey to the United States of America. With his
family he left impoverished Italy, going to join their father in the
USA, who had gone ahead. They wanted to provide opportunities for
their children, opportunities they would not have had staying in
Italy. His story is retold to his granddaughter, but not through a
diary but through the match boxes, each of which has an object
inside which elicits a story from the old man. Unable to read or
write he collected objects from his old life, his journey, his home
in the USA and his eventual success. Inside the old cigar box
are dozens of match boxes, each with a story to tell.
We hear of the olive pip, given by his mother to suck to alleviate
the hunger pains in the children. A small brooch fell from the upper
deck on the ship bound to Ellis Island, and this was kept to remind
him of the voyage with its separation of rich and poor. In another
is a ticket to a baseball game, a sport they did not understand at
first, but went along to better fit themselves for their new life. A
tale is told of suffering, of privation, of finding a home and
success in their new home. With hints of prejudice, the family
succeeds.
The almost monochrome illustrations cover the pages, drawing the eye
to the amazing amount of detail, and supporting the text
beautifully, colour coming into the pages when the man is with his
granddaughter, passing on the family stories to her.
The setting of the USA and its post war migration is a different
slant on the theme of new arrivals and one which will find a home in
schools where migration, immigration and new arrivals is a topic to
be discussed. The pages where prejudice is shown to the family will
resonate with many who have left their home to come to a new land,
and will too be a discussion point in classrooms. The award winning
author and artist duo have produced a book which will be picked up
by students in the library and taken to classes where these themes
are discussed.
Fran Knight
In the wings by Elsbeth Edgar
Walker, 2013. ISBN 9781922077325.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Acting. School productions. Ella Jamison has
always wanted to act but she really suffers from stage fright.
Instead she works backstage for the school play, A Midsummer
Night's Dream , and watches the new boy Sam and her friends
play out their parts. At home things are difficult as her actor
grandfather has moved from London and is staying with them. He is
flamboyant and strange but her friend Jeremy really seems to like
him as does Sam who forms a bond with him. However all is not well
with Sam and he may put the whole production into jeopardy.
Ella is a girl whose caring character is easy to like. Although she
has stage fright she is prepared to work behind the scenes and comes
up with interesting and original ideas for the sets. She gradually
comes to accept her grandfather and is prepared to learn from his
acting experience and begins to trust his advice and to believe that
eventually she may be able to perform on the stage. Sam's reasons
for being aloof are handled very well and the gradual romance will
appeal to girls.
The reader is left with the opportunity to think about some big
issues in the context of an engrossing story. There is the theme of
forgiveness and tolerance as Ella's mother begins to know her father
again after he left here as a very young child. The frailty of old
age is explored very well as is the idea that people can make very
bad mistakes but can also be forgiven for them by both young and old
alike.
This is an easy to read story that will delight its readers,
especially girls and those who are interested in acting and stage
production.
Pat Pledger
The snake who came to stay by Julia Donaldson
Scholastic Australia, 2013. ISBN: 9781742837093.
Another fantastic read for the younger students and definitely one
to share with Miss Small - who is crazy about all animals but
especially reptiles! I can easily imagine her doing exactly
the same as Polly, the main character in this delightful story about
a very entrepreneurial young lady who opens up a Holiday Home for
animals - much to her mum's consternation. Guinea pigs, a mynah bird
and the goldfish next door are all a bit stressful in their own
ways, but when Polly takes on her best friend Jack's snake Doris,
Polly's mum really starts to get agitated. As you can easily
imagine, Polly realises that looking after other people's animals is
not always smooth sailing - and when Doris goes silently missing,
she has to do some very fast problem-solving. Fortunately, all has a
happy ending - with a safe return of all the animals to their owners
- plus a few extras in the case of the guinea pigs!
Another great addition to your shelves for your 'easy reading'
fiction titles - and a very funny read aloud.
Sue Warren
Vocal Violet by Susannah McFarlane
Ill. by Lachlan Creagh. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74283 788 8.
Unique Una by Susannah McFarlane
Ill. by Lachlan Creagh. Little mates. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN
978 1 74283 739 0.
(Age: 3+) Australian animals, Alphabet. Another two books in this
series of stories about Australian animals, each book concentrating
on one letter of the alphabet, will add to the 19 already published.
All of the books are listed in the back cover of each title, adding
to the idea of the collection of the whole set. Within a classroom
or pre school, the whole set would make a neat introduction to the
alphabet, and even at home, parents could use the books in this way.
At $4.99 each, the cost makes buying the set within reach. Their
presentation makes them sturdy with the harder cover of the small
paperback books, and the fold in ends adding to their long life .
Each book, Unique Una and Vocal Violet uses
alliteration to emphasise the letter under consideration. So Una the
caterpillar has several friends, Usher, Ursula, Ulrik and Ulla who
are all unusual, Una wearing Ugg boots. Eventually the four
caterpillars grow up to be the most beautiful Ulysses Butterflies.
While with Vocal Violet, the most vocal vampire bat in
Victoria, attempts are made to curb her voice. With a preponderance
of 'v' words, younger children will be excited by the little bat
trying to understand why her voice is like it is.
Fran Knight
Diary of a rugby champ by Shamini Flint
Ill. by Sally Heinrich. Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74237 359
6.
Diary of a taekwondo master by Shamini Flint
Ill. by Sally Heinrich. Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 978 1 74237 360
2.
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Sport. Humour. 9 year Marcus Atkinson
writes his diaries about his sporting prowess, but it is his father
who thinks he is good at sport. Marcus knows he is not. He has
already tried and failed at soccer and cricket, proving to one and
all that sport is not his thing. In the previous two very funny
books, he made this abundantly clear, but his Dad still wants him to
give it a go, with cliches coming from his mouth, like, 'seize the
moment' or 'you are what you believe son'. Marcus records each
sporting disaster in his diary with each page covered with simple
line illustrations. Many of the misunderstandings are a play on
words, such as 'duck' in cricket having Marcus imagining the bird.
And in Diary of a taekwondo master, of course, having to
wear pyjamas leads to all sorts of jokes, while Diary of a rugby
champ delivers on the idea of the opponent actually aiming to
hurt you. Surprisingly in all books, Marcus does have some wow
moments and manages to succeed in the end. This is light hearted fun
and an easy read for 7 to 10 year olds. Children who have enjoyed The
Diary of a Wimpy Kid and books by Geoffrey McSkimming will
pick up to this series readily. The diary format is always popular
and the four books published will no doubt grow into a larger set.
The appealing cover will also help this series be easily recognised
by young readers.
Fran Knight
The Apothecary by Maile Meloy
Text, 2012
Recommended. For this reader The Apothecary is an old fashioned yarn
and quite 'old school' which is in no way intended to undermine its
charm and the sheer pleasure of the story. The story is set in
1952 and the action recalled by Janie who has had the memories of
this year in her life erased for many years.
Prompted by the return of her diary from this year she recollects
her time in London where she moves to with her parents when she is
fourteen from Los Angeles. There she meets Benjamin at her new
school, he is the son of the Apothecary and she is a little keen on
him. The action starts quickly when the Apothecary disappears
and Janie and Benjamin are left with the precious Pharmacopoeia
which a host of unsavory characters are seeking.
Magic, spells and spies are involved and a cast of eccentrics, as
Benjamin and Janie seek the truth and begin their journey which
takes them to the wild seas off the Arctic Circle where the Russians
are about to ignite a nuclear bomb. Using the powers from the
Pharmacopoeia and showing great bravery Benjamin and Janie fight the
spies above the wild seas, the action being worthy of any Hollywood
blockbuster.
There are many bases covered in this 'fish out of water' story which
features a blossoming romance between Janie and Ben, some great
eccentric characters and is a wonderful adventure with a twist of
fantasy. The reader needs to take care reading the 'note to
the reader' and like me go back and read it again when they have
finished this very enjoyable story.
While it may need some promotion I recommend this title for those
who enjoy a good adventure story with a twist of young romance.
Michael Jongen
Editor's note: The Apothecary was a ALA Best Fiction for Young
Adults 2012, CILIP Carnegie longlist 2013, E.B. White Read-Aloud
Award - Middle Reader
The Debt. Instalment one: Catch the Zolt by Phillip Gwynne
Allen & Unwin, 2013.
At last - an exciting, adventure series for teenage boys, set in
Australia. Phillip Gwynne would have to be considered as one of
Australia's pre-eminent authors for young adults. He experienced
enormous success with Deadly Unna in 1998, which was made
into a landmark movie Australian Rules. He has subsequently
written a number of books which have been similarly well received,
with 'a confetti of prizes'falling his way.
In this new series of 6 titles, Dom Silvangni, an elite athlete with
dreams of success in running marathons, discovers a sinister family
secret that dogs the male members of his family. It is, in fact, a
debt to a secret Calabrian society 'like the Mafia, but not as
nice,' and this debt requires six payments. As Dom learns his family
history on attaining the age of 15, he discovers the reason for his
grandfather's prosthetic leg - failure to complete his 'debt
repayments'. It is now up to Dom to maintain his family's honour -
and both his legs.
This series is a roller coaster of impossible tasks and improbable
situations with many twists and turns. With some skill, more luck
and the help of a few friends, Dom builds friendships and completes
his task, but never in the manner anticipated. Cleverly written,
with heavy doses of irony to keep readers amused, Phillip Gwynne
creates a very authentic voice for his main character in a
recognisably modern setting. Dom's sister is a teenage-hacker and
his target uses Facebook to send coded messages. Evil characters are
satisfyingly mysterious and evil and the young characters are nicely
rounded and complex. This book is fresh, entertaining and very
current. It is sure to be a hit particularly with young,
particularly male, readers who are already reporting online that
they are hooked early on and find it difficult to put down.
Diana Warwick
10 hooting owls by Ed Allen
Ill. by Simon Williams. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781 74283 698
0.
10 silly wombats by Ed Allen,
Il. by Simon Williams. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781 74283 638 6.
(Age: 4+) Picture book. Verse. Numbers. Humour. You feel like
singing along with both these books, modelled on 10 green bottles,
as the owls and wombats are counted from ten to one, with lots
of silly things happening along the way to keep the readers amused
and engaged.
10 hooting owls are reduced as one eats a smoothie while watching a
movie, another gets chicken pox while knitting winter socks, one
goes down the wrong trail while delivering the mail, and so on until
only one is left. The humour is infectious and I am sure the person
reading the book to a younger audience will be able to get them to
sing along as well. The strongly coloured illustrations too will
intrigue the readers as they ponder just where the owls might be in
some of the pages.
10 silly wombats are reduced in the same way with each wombat doing
something silly. One makes a fuss getting on the bus, another has
too much fun eating his bun, while another forgets to peek while
playing hide and seek, counting down until only one wombat is left.
For teachers and parents introducing the idea of counting one to ten
and back again then these little books will be useful. And the
emphasis on Australian themes and animals is good to see. Fran
Knight
The moon and more by Sarah Dessen
Penguin, 2013.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Luke and Emaline have been together all
through high school and Emaline knows that not only is Luke
gorgeous, he is kind as well. But when Theo arrives in town with a
documentary film maker, she starts to wonder if Luke is the perfect
boyfriend. Theo is different and sophisticated and understands just
how smart Emaline is. Her absentee father too believes that Emaline
should have a larger life than Colby, a seaside town, offers.
However she is deeply attached to her mother, stepfather and sisters
and somehow must find a balance between the familiar and the
inevitable change that going away to college will bring.
Dessen consistently writes stories that are appealing and
interesting to read but which explore issues that are very important
to her teen protagonists and to her teen readers. In The moon
and more Emaline is trying to work out who is the perfect
boyfriend - someone that she has known forever, or someone who has
seen and done much more than she has. She also has to come to terms
with the behaviour of her absentee father, who promised to finance
her to a prestigious university but changed his mind without telling
her why. Emaline is clever and astute but she has a lot of issues to
work through as she uses her organisational skills in the family
business.
A keen exploration of the family ties that keep people together,
whether it is overbearing siblings or a loving mother and the messy
nastiness of divorce and its effects on children provide the
background to Emaline's coming of age against a background of small
town politics and employment.
Dessen's characters are wholly believable, each with strengths and
weaknesses. Her descriptions of Emaline's father and his awful
behaviour paint a picture of a man who can only communicate through
emails. Her little half brother Benji comes alive on the page, and
her best friends, Morris and Daisy are wonderful characters. Theo
has moments of real empathy and others of being crass and unfeeling.
However it is Emaline's voice that come through really strongly and
kept me engrossed in this story set in one summer.
Pat Pledger
Clementine Rose and the perfect present by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, 2013. ISBN 9781742755458
Recommended. Children's fiction. Fresh and original. Clementine Rose
is a 7 year old girl and is extremely curious about everything. So
when an immense tent appears in her backyard she just has to know
why it is there. When she finds out that there is going to be a
wedding, Clemmie is thrilled because a wedding is just the thing her
mother needs to help pay for a much needed roof for their house. She
wants to help the workers but she is not allowed, so she goes and
watches them, she even sings to them! But amidst the excitement, her
Uncle Digby falls ill and an invitation goes astray. To everyone's
horror (especially Clemmie's), Aunt Violet is left in charge. All
the presents gave Clemmie an idea, but will she find the perfect
present in time? Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present is a finely written
story. Jacqueline Harvey's fable illustrates Clementine and her pet
pig Lavender as two lively friends always on the lookout for
mysteries. Clemmie's Aunt Violet does not approve of such
excitement, but when Uncle Digby falls ill and an invitation goes
astray Aunt Violet simply gives in and lets Clemmie figure out the
puzzling mystery. Over all I think that Clementine Rose and the
Perfect Present is a fantastic story and every school in South
Australia should have a copy of this book in their library.
Amelie Meinel (student)
Destroying the joint edited by Jane Caro
UQP, 2013. ISBN: 978 0 7022 4990 7. Paperback, 295 pps.
RRP: $29.95
Highly recommended. Jane Caro has gathered a thought-provoking
assembly of Australian women's responses to Alan Jones's comment on
August 31, 2012 that 'women are destroying the joint'. The
collection consists of essays, analysis, social comment, memoir and
fiction combined with a healthy dose of humour.
Carmen Lawrence takes issue with destruction of the environment,
arguing that it is fair to file responsibility with the 'privileged,
powerful, Western white males' who across history have made crucial
economic and societal management decisions.
Entertaining and engaging examples includes Jenna Price highlighting
that Destroy the Joint put feminism on the front page,
Catherine Fox protesting against the paucity of women in executive
roles and Wendy Harmer's short and scathing description of how women
are excluded from the radio industry joint. Other contributors
present the perspectives of a teenage girl, parenting in a
patriarchal society, and a nine year old trying to understand the
abortion debate.
Covering double standards, oppression, a letter to a feminist (from
a man who knows better) and the misogyny debate with the sombre
words of Penny Wong, 'my realisation yet again that we still have so
much more to do', this book provides much socio-political commentary
for Women's Studies students to discuss and analyse. Highly
recommended.
Cate Telfer
Lick by Matthew Van Fleet
Simon & Schuster, 2013. IS 9781471116254.
(Age 2-5) Recommended. Board book. Read aloud. Matthew Van Fleet has
created a fun interactive book that is perfect for young children.
All sorts of tongues and what they can do are explored in this very
sturdy board book that is sure to please toddlers and amuse the
adult who is reading to them.
Starting with the front cover, the book grabs the interest of the
child with its easy-to-grip pull tab that has a bear with a pink
tongue enthusiastically licking honey. From then on there are
tactile experiences like a scratchy tiger tongue and a sticky frog
tongue, as well as more pull tabs, culminating in a final one where
a baby tiger's tongue makes a razz with an accompanying sound.
The language is great to read aloud, with lots of alliteration and
humour interspersed throughout:
'Daddy tongue tickles,
Teasing tongue Nyah!'.
Cartoon like characters, coloured in warm tones, have a range of
funny expressions that will delight the child who likes to examine
details as well as manipulate tabs. Not only will young children
experience the senses of taste and feel when reading this book they
will also learn about the very different tongues that animals have.
Pat Pledger
The fearsome, frightening, ferocious box by Frances Watts and David Legge
ABC Books, 2013. ISBN 9780733328916.
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Humour. Poetry. A box
falls fromm a truck and is left on the roadside, where a variety of
animals comes and inspects the box, saying that they would look
inside. But as each animal comes by, bragging that they will not be
frightened, they are. First a monkey looks inside and hears the thing
inside moan and tell a little tale of its life. The following double
page shows the area in which it lives, and the reader is invited to
search for the six things hidden on the two pages. Then a crocodile
happens along and he hears the thing inside groan with a similar
poem over the page inviting the reader to find the six things hidden
this time in an arctic landscape. And on it goes, each animal being
scared off by the thing inside and the reader invited to find six
things in a different environment, until finally the lid of the box
is lifted.
This fun involving story, with things for the reader to do on each page,
will entertain those who pick up the book. Legge has successfully
shown each animal in distress as it peers inside and the
environments shown with their hidden animals will entice younger
readers to be involved.
Fran Knight
Big Nate flips out by Lincoln Peirce
Harper Collins, 2013. ISBN 9780007478279.
(Ages: 10+) Highly recommended. Big Nate flips out is a
funny, comic-style novel featuring two friends, Nate and Francis. It
includes text and comics to tell the story and is funny and
engaging. Reminiscent of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid,
Nate tells his story with a lot of humour and the author uses
descriptive language to help engage the reader. I would highly
recommend it for boys aged 10+.
Nate and Francis take over the Yearbook Committee and as usual,
Nate, the messy one, gets his best mate, Francis, the organised one,
in trouble. Nate has lost the camera? Nate needs to fix it and to
fix it he needs to change. How? With hypnotism of course! Nate
becomes a tidy freak overnight while another friend investigates the
missing camera. But, is being neat all the time going to help him
get his friendship with Francis back on track? Who knew being so
neat could be so boring!
Kylie Kempster
Too many elephants in this house by Ursula Dubosarsky
Ill. by Andrew Joyner. Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780670075461
(Age: 4+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Humour. Problem solving.
Eric has simply too many elephants in his house. There are some in
the kitchen, some in the hallway, the bathroom and his bedroom. He
plays hide and seek with them, the one in the bathroom helps him
brush his teeth at night, and the one in the kitchen is an excellent
toast maker. One night Mum tells him that there are too many
elephants in this house and that they must go. So Eric has the
problem of moving his friends out of the house, and he tries a few
different methods to do just that.
The joyous illustrations will make readers smile as they recognise
the friendship between Eric and his playmates. The elephants peering
out of the windows on the cover are enough to entice any reader to
open the book and look inside, and then the parade of elephants will
keep their interest as Eric's problem is finally solved.
The idea of imaginary friends will take hold of the readers as they
recognise the ideas behind the story and puzzle with Eric on just
how to consolidate the elephants in the house. His neat solution
will appeal to the readers. A great book to read aloud, I would
imagine that some teachers and parents will be able to use the idea
to begin discussions with their charges about imaginary friends.
Fran Knight
