Macmillan Children's Books, 2013. ISBN: 9780330529761. Goddess by Josephine Angelini is a fantasy novel that is the
third and final book in a trilogy about the extravagance of the
Greek gods. Helen is a young woman who is a daughter of the powerful
Zeus and sister of the beautiful Aphrodite with powerful friends
both on earth and on Olympus, Helen is a very powerful young woman.
But when she gets flashbacks from the lives of other Helens
throughout history and sees her friends playing different roles
through time, Helen becomes torn when her one true love in every
other life is her cousin in this one! Along with this new
revelation, Helen is more powerful than herself and others fathomed
due to the accidental combination of the different houses bloodlines
with her two closest friends and torn affections, Orion and Lucas.
This is a long prophesised occurrence and Helen soon learns
something life changing from her uncle Hades about this new
development. The world is in danger from the gods and goddesses of
Olympus and she is both the cause and the saviour. Helen must
quickly find a way to save the man she loves and resist him at the
same time while saving the world and her semi-mortal family from her
immortal one. Goddess is a faced paced action novel that draws the reader
in with curiosity and mystery, slowing the pace only to allow the
timeless romance of forbidden love. This novel is well suited to
older teens due to the action and romance themes as well as people
who have read the other books in the series. Drawing you in with
mythology, Goddess isn't a book that you can put down
easily.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
The first voyage by Allan Baillie
Puffin, 2014. ISBN 9780143307679.
Set in the Stone Age, this novel considers how ancient people were
able to migrate to the land mass referred to as Sahul (comprising
Australia and New Guinea), the coastlines of which extended much
further and which have significantly altered with the passing of the
Ice Age.
In Timor, the violently aggressive Crocodile tribe seek to drive the
small Yam tribe from the island by opportunistically killing members
and trying to provoke battles. Left with nowhere to run and hide,
the Yam tribe is doomed unless new territory is discovered and the
leader, Eagle Eye chooses to follow migrating birds to a new land.
The tribe must find materials and learn how to build and provision
rafts for what would have been a terrifying voyage into the unknown.
Told from the perspective of young adolescent warrior Bent Beak, the
story cleverly mirrors the experience of present day refugees who
are prepared to risk their own and their children's lives on a
perilous journey in order to escape violence and death.
Bailey has a considerable freedom to imagine the circumstances and
actions of these ancient people and he writes with a great deal of
humanity, prompting the reader to deeply consider the plight of
desperate people. The nature of leadership is revealed, with Eagle
Eye having almost no power to change anything whilst saddled with
the responsibility of choosing the best outcome for his
people. Ingenuity, group cooperation, roles and relationships
are features of this tale which helps us to visualise the enormous
task faced by those who came to inhabit our land.
This is a good book for young teenagers yet many will struggle to
understand the massive geographical change which made the journey
possible. The book's blurb is confusing, stating that it is set
30,000 years ago which does not seem to match the setting or title
given the existence of Homo Sapiens in Australia for a minimum
40,000 years. However the 'first voyage' may refer to people
venturing from this particular region. Similarly some readers may
not comprehend the author's depiction of megafauna including a
diprotodon which does not fit the era. The novel would have
benefitted from a comprehensive foreword with better diagrams and
information than are provided in the brief postscript. This
may help young readers to visualise the arrival of ancient ancestors
from various regions, joining others already here, by means of
island hopping taking place over a huge time scale.
Rob Welsh
Jonathan! by Peter Carnavas
Ill. by Amanda Francey. New Frontier Publishing, 2014. ISBN 9781921928611.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Humour. Jonathan loves to dress up and scare
his family. He tries his dad and mum and his sister, but they all
tell him the same thing, 'Not scary, Jonathan'. Disappointed, he
leaves the house only to find a dinosaur. The dinosaur comes home
with him and scares the family so much that they run away. A clever
twist brings the story back to reality, as Jonathan learns that
there are ways to scare people after all.
The seemingly simple story is augmented with witty illustrations,
showing Jonathan as he tries to scare his family. The soft water
colours suit the foursome, as they go about their daily tasks and
activities, the warmth of the colours enveloping a loving family. I
love the shadow of the dinosaur creeping over the house, and I love
its stance at the door, waggling its hands around waiting to scare
the family inside. Kids will love watching Jonathan's antics as
well, recognising the stances he takes when disappointed.
In a classroom where different tales about being scared are under
discussion, or attempts being made to make scary costumes, or a neat
tale of a family, this book will suit a range of activities. And
teachers and parents will make use of the repetition within the
story to encourage listeners and readers alike to join in.
Fran Knight
How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara Eglington
HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780732295189.
(Age: 13+) How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You by Tara
Eglington is a fantastically relatable novel that deals with issues
such as cyber bullying, heartbreak, insecurity, romance and
friendship. The way Tara Eglington writes this inspirational and
striking sequel to How to keep a boy from kissing you helps
the reader become engrossed in this misshapen fairy tale of a love
story and keeps the reader thoroughly interested from start to
finish. This novel is suited very well to both younger and older
teenage girls who like to read about romance and friendship.
Aurora is a teenage girl who has finally, after testing trials,
found her perfect fairytale prince and is working to make her dream
relationship become a reality. After a handful of unfortunate
occurrences - some that leave her dream boy Hayden in the emergency
department - Aurora's dating confidence deflates considerably. Amid
this sea of misfortune and uncertainty Aurora's good friend Jelena
has started campaigning to become student school captain and plans
to include Aurora's Find a Prince/Princess Program as one of her
feature campaign points. And, with her alternative dad trying to
find love for himself, Aurora tries to find some balance in the her
suddenly chaotic life, the fates decide to test her willpower as she
keeps calm and fights her way through with warrior princess
strength.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
My first book of baby animals by Mike Unwin
Ill. by Daniel Howarth. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408194645.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Animals. Baby animals. Within a question and
answer format on each double page, this book shows many animals and
their offspring. The first few pages give information about animals
growing up, and how many babies some of the animals have, from an
orangutan having just one baby at a time, to a turtle which lays
more than one hundred eggs at a time, followed by an introductory
'Who is it?' which is replicated on every right hand page after
that. After that the format begins, with the left hand side of the
double page showing an animal and its baby, with some information
and the right hand side page asking the question, 'Who is it?'
From tigers to giraffes, to polar cubs to puppies and kittens, the
layout will draw in the reader wanting to know more about these
familiar and not so familiar animals.
On the second to last page is a glossary of words, followed by a
neat index, giving a picture of the baby animal, in alphabetical
order with a reference page number.
Northern hemisphere it might be, but most of the animals are known
and seen by children in the south, if not on television, then in
zoos, and presented in this way, gives an easy introduction not only
to that animals, and its offspring, but uses the correct terminology
and introduces using a contents page, glossary and index.
Fran Knight
The Giggle Gum Tree by Juliet Williams and Elizabeth Botte
IpKidz, 2009. ISBN 9781921479182.
Lily and Amanda live in a very tall house made of purple bricks - it
is so tall that it sways in the wind! Each day, they walk to school
through the park and the path passes beneath a tree with beautiful
draping branches that makes them giggle and puts them in a good mood
for the day. They call it the Giggle Gum Tree. But not everyone
likes the Giggle Gum Tree - Mrs Pritchet gets tangled in the
branches and Mr Glumper trips over the roots that have broken the
path. So they complain to the Tree Police and the girls are dismayed
to discover a sign which says that the tree is to be chopped down in
five days. They are no longer giggling. Quite by accident, they
discover a plan that might save the tree and also the problem of
their too-tall house - but will they be able to persuade the
grown-ups to accept it?
Although the font is quite small, Miss 7 enjoyed reading this one
and although she figured out what the girls' solution might be, how
they achieved it brought a smile to her face.
The colourful illustrations are inspired by those in children's
books of the 1950s and Miss 7 commented on the way the expressions
of both people and creatures had been so well captured.
This is a story that really lends itself to a problem-solving
exercise if you stop at the page with the sign and ask, 'Is chopping
the tree down the only way to solve the problem?' Students will have
fun letting their imaginations roam wild to find solutions and then
comparing them to the answer that Lily and Amanda propose.
Barbara Braxton
The brothers Quibble by Aaron Blabey
Penguin Viking, 2014. ISBN 9780670076000.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Sibling rivalry. Family. All children
will see through the antics of Spalding as he tries to deal with the
advent of a new brother, Bunny. Spalding has been the only child for
quite some time, used to getting his own way from his quiet,
unassuming parents, a real 'King of the Castle', complete with
cardboard crown. He swings his mighty sword upon his mighty stead,
that is, until, Bunny is introduced.
From then on, pushed aside by his doting parents, he decides to
cause mayhem, until he is sent to his room. His war footing however,
is softened when his brother grows, as babies do, and he calls
Spalding by name.
The change is slow, but change does occur. The reader will chortle
as Bunny tells Spalding that he loves him, using a ladder to get up
to Spalding's room when he is given time out, nestling his head upon
Spalding's lap. All of these endearing ways wriggle into Spalding's
heart, and as Bunny grows, their relationship changes again, and
they are pictured arguing and Bunny hits Spalding with his ugg boot,
just like all kids. Brothers at last.
The delectable illustrations from Blabey's brush add to the fun
showing the glowering Spalding softening as Bunny becomes endearing,
but then Bunny's face in using the ugg boot reflects Spalding's at
the start of the book. Blabey's illustrations are just wonderful and
add to the general humour and mayhem produced by the two boys.
Fran Knight
Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan
Penguin Books, 2013. ISBN 9780141348872.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Spells. Homosexuality. New York. Stephen is
used to being invisible. Even his parents couldn't see him. Living
alone in a flat in New York, he manages to survive. Then new tenants
move into the apartment upstairs and he discovers to his amazement
that Elizabeth can see him and that he wants to be with her. But a
world of spells and curses separates them, and together with
Elizabeth's gay brother, Laurie, they try to come up with a way to
break the spell that his grandfather the curse maker has put on him.
The writing team of two well-known authors for teens makes for a
powerful story that combines the issues that young people face with
a thrilling story of terrible curses and spells. When the three meet
Millie, a spell seeker, she recognises that Elizabeth has abilities
as a spell seeker and begins to train her. Elizabeth has to work out
if she is strong enough to take on Stephen's grandfather, who has
had no qualms about cursing his daughter and grandson.
The New York setting is vividly described, especially as Stephen
goes about the streets and park, with no one the wiser. This brings
the story to life as it is fascinating for the reader to imagine the
trio making their way around New York as their quest develops.
However it is the in-depth characterisation that makes this story
stand out. The isolation of Stephen, his relationship with his
father, who is content to pay his bills and leave it at that, makes
a poignant contrast to how he feels when suddenly there is someone
who can see him. Laurie, who had been bashed at his last school for
being gay, is a resilient character and Elizabeth is a believable
spell seeker.
Told from 2 viewpoints, that of Stephen and Elizabeth, this is a
story that will appeal to both fans of Levithan and Cremer, and will
give readers the opportunity to wonder what it would be like to live
an invisible life.
Pat Pledger
Mr Wuffles! by David Wiesner
Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781849397803.
(Age: All ages) 'Look, Mr Wuffles, a new toy!' But with that look of
disdain that cats have, Mr Wuffles stalks past the new toy and all
his old toys - his mind is focused on playing with a tiny spaceship
he has spotted! Turning it this way and that determined to find out
what's inside, he doesn't realise that it is inhabited by teeny-tiny
aliens and he is causing them a great deal of distress and damaging
their precious machine, not to mention scaring the daylights out of
them as his eyes peer in the slit. The aliens eventually escape and,
taking parts with them, seek refuge under the radiator where Mr
Wuffles can't reach to try to regain their equilibrium and repair
their craft. But there are other inhabitants behind the walls of the
house - a menagerie of bugs who, thankfully, are friendly and who,
having had their own 'adventures' with the cat which are cleverly
depicted as 'cave paintings', understand the aliens' plight and help
repair the spaceship in ingenious ways. Sneaking hurriedly back to
the craft, narrowly avoiding those nasty claws, the aliens escape,
leaving Wiesner to create the most delightful ending imaginable. You
don't need words to know what Mr Wuffles is thinking. He is a cat
with attitude which is why the title is followed by an exclamation
mark.
This is another remarkable masterpiece by triple Caldecott Medal
winner (awarded for the most distinguished children's picture book).
Creator of such wonderful stories as Tuesday, The Three
Pigs and Flotsam (his three Caldecott winners), the
story behind the creation of Mr Wuffles is a story in itself
beginning 20 years ago when he created a cover for Cricket magazine.
In that, he depicted the landing of aliens in a sandbox, and he
'liked the idea of the relationship between the child who found
these little guys in his sandbox, and how they could get along even
though they spoke different languages.' The concept stayed with him
and had various incarnations over the years but nothing worked to
his satisfaction until one day while waiting for his daughter at
music class . . .
While it is almost wordless if you are looking for words in English,
there is a great deal of conversation between the aliens and then
between the aliens and the bugs, all meticulously crafted on a
formula based on fractions and devised in collaboration with a
linguist. 'The words Wiesner's little green men speak resemble what
might be inadvertently produced by someone typing rows of numbers
with the shift key left on'. The bugs have their own language too -
testament to the attention to detail that has gone into this book.
Wiesner even followed his own cat (ironically named Cricket which is
where the story started) around his home with a camera on a long
pole so he could get a cat's eye-view of things.
There is nothing that I can say about this book that hasn't been
said already by reviewers of much greater standing than I, and an
Internet search will bring up many, as well as YouTube clips,
activities and a host of other references including the story behind
the story
and an article
or just watch Youtube.
This book is one for preschool to secondary - it is so full of
riches. Beyond the story itself, there is the story of unusual
friendships; the debate about being on the cat's side or the aliens'
side; the opportunity to develop secret language codes; the
examination of perspective to create and influence meaning . .
. it is a treasury of visual literacy opportunities.
Not being a 'cat person' I thought this review copy would be one I
would pass on to a more welcoming home, but no. It will become an
essential tool in my teaching kit.
Barbara Braxton
Bailey beats the blah by Karen Tyrrell
Ill. by Aaron Pocock. Digital Future Press, 2013. ISBN
9780987274045. ebk ISBN 9780987274052.
Bailey has moved to a new school and he HATES it. He drags himself
around the house getting ready feeling worse and worse as the time
to leave gets closer. He has a real dose of the blahs. Even his dog
can't cheer him up. But this isn't just a case of Monday-itis -
Bailey is lonely and isolated and he thinks all the other kids are
laughing at him and whispering about him. How can Bailey change his
blah to ha-ha-ha? It seems impossible until Miss Darling introduces
another new boy to the class . . .
Author Karen Tyrrell has taken a very common situation and turned it
into a story that will resonate with Baileys (and Barbaras) across
the nation at this time, as school starts to get into full swing.
There will be many children in new schools who are trying to find
their feet in a new environment and create new friendship groups
amongst kids who seem to have too much in common to share that they
don't notice the outsider. For many, there is no hope that they will
ever break the code of friendship and even though they are not
bullied, they beat themselves up and drive themselves down into what
can develop into childhood depression.
There is a strong message in this book, not the least of which is
hope, and scope for discussion about how we can make newcomers
welcome particularly in situations like school where there is no
choice about attending. It's a wonderful opportunity to start
helping students develop empathy and compassion and the skills to
reach out warmly to newcomers, embracing them rather than isolating
them. There is also the opportunity to help students start to look
within themselves for their own strengths and how they might use
these to build their self-worth and help others. Tom teaches Bailey
how to dribble a soccer ball, Bailey helps Tom build a rocket - it
shows you don't have to rely on common experiences to have
friendships; you can build new ones on new experiences.
A visit to her website
shows that she is a strong advocate for kids' mental health and in Bailey
Beats the Blah she shows how a sensitive and astute teacher
can subtly intervene before a small thing becomes a huge thing.
Having travelled her own personal path of a psychiatric illness
after being so harassed by parents she could take it no longer, she
is now making mental health a focus through her writing. A
percentage of the profits of the book are going to Kids Helpline.
Aaron Pocock's cartoon-like illustrations are very appealing and the
perfect complement to the text. He makes Bailey's anxiety palpable,
bringing it to life in a way that text, no matter how well written,
can. There's a real sense that this character could be Any Child at
Any School.
This would be a very timely purchase for a school collection to be
drawn to teachers' attention so they can touch base with all their
new students and see how they're settling in, and, like Miss
Darling, intervene if necessary. It is aligned to the Kids Matter
program, a national mental health and well-being framework for
primary schools and early childhood education and care services.
Barbara Braxton
My two blankets by Irena Kobald
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Little Hare, 2014. ISBN 9781921714764.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. A perfect tale of acceptance, sees
Cartwheel coming to Australia from Africa, where she and her Aunt
were unsafe. In her new country she often hides under her old
blanket, a large, warm blanket that reflects her home, full of
recognisable words and feelings, a place of shelter and refuge, a
metaphorical blanket which wraps the child in its familiarity.
Outside their house she cannot understand the waterfall of words, or
cope with the new that crowds in on her. At a park where she and her
aunt go, another child waves and smiles. She is not there the next
day but soon after she sees her again, and this time she is invited
to share the swing. Over a period of time, the new girl shares some
words with Cartwheel, so adding a small new blanket to her old one,
and as they become better acquainted, the new blanket grows and
grows, with new words added and practised and learnt. Friendship
helps her accept the new world and the mammoth change to her life.
Blackwood's illustrations are just wonderful. The soft warm colours
of Australia contrast with the bright sun filled colours of Africa,
colours that Cartwheel and her aunt bring with them. I love her
trees, with the art deco feel, and the drawings of the machinery of
cities, the factories, the trains, contrasting vividly with the
smallness of life for the women, time spent at the park, the
gentleness of that space contrasting again with the overwhelming
body of people on the streets. On other pages contrasts are given,
watch out for the size of Cartwheel and her aunt in the crowd, or
the things drawn into her new blanket, common words found and learnt
as she becomes more confident in her friendship, and acceptance of
her new life.
This is a wonderful book, giving more each time it is read, showing
more as the illustrations are admired and dwelled upon, revealing
more about the people coming anew to our shores and the welcome
offered to them. And Frey Blackwood's website
offers insight into the way she approached the story.
Fran Knight
Meet Daisy by Michelle Hamer
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl. Puffin, 2014.
ISBN 9780143307631.
(Age: 8+) Australian History, Depression, Poverty, Melbourne. When
Daisy's widowed father loses his farm, he must send his girls to
Melbourne to live with their Aunt May and Uncle Berty, while he
searches for work. But things are tough, and once in the city, Daisy
finds that instead of a loving aunt she has a cross, ill-natured
one, who barks orders and is riddled with expectations. She
threatens the girls with being kicked out of home if their father
does not send any money, and tells Daisy that she is of an age to go
to work.
Daisy is appalled at the state of affairs in her relative's house
and determines to make things better. But in doing so she offends
Aunt May to the point where she is kicked out of their house. She
must now survive in a hostile new city without any support.
This story will appeal to readers of this series, the author has
given a background which will augment readers' knowledge of the
poverty felt in Australia in the 1930's. The story moves from the
country to the city, exploring the way people made do in such
circumstances, Daisy with her dress sewn from a flour bag, the twins
next door wearing only one shoe for half a day then swapping, lines
of people waiting for the possibility of work. While Aunty May is
drawn heavily, readers will love the difference between the two
adults, and read on to discover how Daisy makes it alone.
Fran Knight
The big dry by Tony Davis
Angus&Robertson, 2013. ISBN 9780732297633.
(Age: 12+) Recommended, Drought, Future, Dystopia. With the world a
dust bowl and everyone taking shelter as soon as the siren warns of
a coming dust storm, George and his small brother don their dust
masks, and go to the bathroom, the most secure place in the house,
waiting for their father to return. He left some some time before in
search of food to augment their dwindling supplies but has not
returned, and George must keep Beeper hidden lest the authorities
take him away. Survival is paramount.
Suddenly a girl appears in their hallway and with the oddest of
attitudes, asks questions, and Beeper, though warned not to, tells
her of their situation. When they go out in search of their father,
they see things which underlines their plight, wanderers picking off
the vulnerable, authorities taking children, dust closed
hospitals. But going home after helping the rabbito when he
has been attacked by the wanderers, they find Emily has returned.
The relationship between the three struggles between dependence and
suspicion, as the brusque Emily wants them to join forces, but
George cannot trust her, and despite all evidence wants to stand
alone waiting for dad.
This is a grim allegory for our time, when water is traded, drought
has ravaged everything in sight, the sun is hot and dangerous, and
people are bent on survival, their own. Children are taken by the
authorities, neighbours are suspicious and reclusive, and dreams of
a better life, the green places fill their sleepless nights.
Readers will compare their own situation with that of George, think
about their own survival in such a place, and open their minds to
the thoughts that many are in this situation today, it is not a just
a dystopian story set in a possible future.
Fran Knight
Spying by Henry Brook
Ill. by Staz Johnson and Adrian Roots. Usborne, 2013. ISBN
9781409550143.
(Age: 9+) Recommended, Spies, War. Chapters about spying in all of
its forms, are given in this easy to hold, easily read book. From an
historical perspective to the modern day, reasons why nations and
people spy upon each other are given. Told from a British
perspective, the MI6 headquarters is one of the first of many
illustration in the book. Chapters about ciphers, how to spy, secret
messages, how spies work during war and so on are enough to whet the
appetite to keep on reading. A double page tells the reader about
Francis Walsingham, the famous spy who worked for Queen Elizabeth 1,
then over the page we hear about Pinkerton and the detective agency
he set up in the USA, T. E. Lawrence, and Mata Hari.
The world of course is changing and so is spying, so allegiances
change. The last part of the book showcase the new inventions which
help spying. So we see sections about drones, about the Enigma
machine used during World War Two, many short stories outlining
incidents during war and the Cold War, all fascinating and very
readable.
A neat overview of a very messy business, maps and lots of photos
and diagrams will keep the readers intrigued all the way to the end.
A two page glossary covers many of the new words to do with this
area of society and a more than adequate index brings the book to a
close.
Fran Knight
Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff
Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780141344034. (Age: 12+) Recommended. Mila has a gift. She can read people and
rooms like novels, and she can tell if you're upset, or hiding a
secret, or if you're pregnant.
When Mila and her father go on a holiday to America to catch up with
her father's old friend, Matthew, all seems well. But then Matthew
disappears, and suddenly it's up to Mila and her father Gil to help
solve the mystery. But soon the real mystery becomes not where
Matthew has gone, but why he left in the first place.
Fans of the recent BBC Sherlock series will see something
familiar in Mila: a slightly odd, yet incredibly perceptive genius
who loves solving mysteries. Yet Picture Me Gone is unique enough -
and Mila a strong enough character - that any doubts about the
excellence of this short novel will soon be assuaged.
At less than 200 pages, Picture Me Gone is a brief but
detailed snapshot into a hectic week of Mila's life. This is a
mystery novel, but it is also a novel about friendship, love,
secrets, and self-discovery.
Young girls may not be able to relate to the genius and wit of
Mila's character, but they will certainly be able to relate to the
friendship troubles she experiences with her best friend. It was
certainly a good idea of Rosoff to add this small side plot with
Mila and her friend, to let some of the younger readers empathise
with the main character.
As far as mystery stories go, Picture Me Gone was fair, but
not brilliant. There is a great build-up of tension throughout the
novel, but the ending (which I won't describe for spoiler's sake) is
somewhat of a letdown. And besides, the mystery of this novel is not
even as important as Mila's journey of self-discovery, which remains
the true focus of this book. And what a wonderful journey it is.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
