Even Before Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 9781922074553.
Boondaburra, the platypus, is different to the other Australian
animals that he meets. Because of this, he is teased and rejected by
them, retreating to his burrow where his mother placates him. She
tells him that he has been made as the Creator has chosen for him to
be; that he is unique and that diversity is an important part of the
world. Shortly thereafter, a massive fire destroys the bountiful
bushland of their home. His mother expresses her concern for the
other animals and together the two head off to offer help and assist
with finding food for the other survivors. When Bondaburra pokes his
head out of the muddy billabong, he sees an injured kookaburra.
Before he can offer assistance, the bird is threatened by a large
snake. Using his poison spur, Boondy drives the snake away and
provides food for kookaburra. As the other animals slowly return to
the area, some months later, they hear the tale of the brave
platypus. Immediately, they begin to accept him and value him for
his differences.
This book is published by Wombat books under the imprint of their
Christian publishing label. Despite its strong Christian messages of
love, caring, acceptance and diversity, this book could be used in
any setting as there is no reference to God but merely the Creator. The story of Boondaburra could be used to discuss not
just bullying and differences between people or groups but also the
Australian creatures and the effects of natural disasters. The
detailed realistic watercolour illustrations which use earthy tones,
as well as a clever page of jigsaw pieces which depict small parts
of a variety of animals, provide a wonderful backdrop to this story.
Jo Schenkel
Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made by Stephan Pastis
Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 978 1 4063 3980 2.
(Age 10+) Recommended. Timmy Failure is a humorous story revolving around the main
character, Timmy Failure, and his adventures as a detective. It is
similar to the popular series Diary of a Wimpy Kid and also
includes diagrams and illustrations to enhance the diary style text.
The chapters are easy to read and I would recommend it to boys, aged
10+, who are independent readers.
Timmy is a quirky young boy who works with a polar bear and dreams
of being a famous detective. At the moment, he works out of
his Mum's closet but he dreams of making it big and owning a fancy
office! Initially, Timmy comes across as a rather ineffective
detective but his outlook on life is quite funny. Readers will
giggle at his antics, wonder how he can work with a polar bear
and wonder how Timmy can't see the clues to help him solve a case.
Is Timmy cut out to be a detective?
Kylie Kempster
Killing Rachel by Anne Cassidy
The murder notebooks series. Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781408815519.
(Age 12+) When Rose receives a series of pleading messages from a
former friend, hurtful memories are aroused, prompting her to recall
a tormented friendship. Flashback episodes explain that Rose is
orphaned following the mysterious disappearance and presumed death
of her mother and her partner, both of whom were police working on
an important and secret case. Rose attended boarding school
following here bereavement and gradually became friends with Rachel,
a confusing and manipulative girl who delighted in melodrama and
attention.
After Rose learns of the drowning death of Rachel, a sense of guilt
and sorrow prompts her to revisit her old College, partly to
reconnect with staff and students, but also to try to understand the
circumstances of her estranged friend's passing. Joshua, whom Rose
considers a 'half brother' being the son of her late mother's
partner, drives her to the distant College, before detouring to
undertake his own investigation into matters relating to their
parents' disappearance.
Two separate mysteries are involved in this story, which is fine,
except that Cassidy assumes prior knowledge regarding the parents'
death from the previous book Dead time. The conveyance of the detail
to inform the reader is awkward and I think that a prologue
summarising the story to date would have worked more effectively
than trying to weave detail into the narrative, character's thoughts
and dialogue. Rose's jealous, romantic desire for Josh is an
uncomfortable incongruity, given the emphasis on her perception of
him as a half brother.
This is a good story when it comes together, however not much
involving Rose happens prior to page two hundred and I am not
confident that readers of 12 onwards to whom this is pitched will
have enough patience to get there. The pain and suffering of
adolescent friends quarrelling, reconciling and then destroying
their relationship is depicted beautifully, as are the volatile and
sometimes nasty aspects of adolescent girls' friendship groups and
exclusion practices.
The story is compelling as Rose and Josh stumble over clues about
their parents' demise and a remarkably coincidental connection with
Rachel can be forgiven in the context of the story line.
Whilst no extreme violence is depicted, thugs make some unpleasant
threats and the theme of people trafficking is referred to without
the exploitative details being discussed.
Rob Welsh
Princess Betony and the Thunder Egg by Pamela Freeman
Walker Books 2013. ISBN 978 1 921720 24 6.
(Age 9+) Recommended. Princess Betony and the Thunder Egg is
a cute story in a cute little hardcover book. it is the second story
involving Princess Betony and she comes from a land of magic. To
help celebrate the King and Queen's anniversary, the Wild Magic
gives them a gift but it is the Princess who must collect it. Betony
must travel to the Dark Forest. It is a great privilege but also
very scary! Can she retrieve the gift safely? How will she make it
through the forest of spider webs?
This small hardcover book is only 103 pages long and reminds me of
the types of little books little girls would have been given in the
'olden days'. The author, Pamela Freeman, has created a lovely
little story, like a fairy tale, and I would recommend it to girls,
aged 9+. Its small size also makes it great for travelling!
Kylie Kempster
The Trunk by S. Carey
Eeries series. Puffin Books, 2013. ISBN 978 0 14 330698 6.
(Age 10+) The Trunk is a spooky story and is part of a
series (or Eeries) of 13 books. It is a short Australian novel which
is great for those reluctant readers and it is a mystery to solve.
In The Trunk, young Charlie is facing a boring summer
holidays until new people move next door. Unfortunately, the new
couple are rather creepy-looking and Charlie's dog, Dexter, doesn't
like them at all. The mystery deepens as the odd couple carry a very
large trunk into the house. Charlie's imagination starts running
wild and you can imagine the crazy thoughts he starts to have when
he hears strange noises and then beautiful singing. Was there a
child hidden in the trunk? Is she really talking to him? Why has she
been hidden away? What has scared Charlie so much that he runs,
screaming, from her? The Trunk is a quick read and will engage reluctant boys (and
girls) aged 10+. Prepare to be spooked!
Kylie Kempster
My Easter egg hunt by Rosie Smith
Ill. by Bruce Whatley. Scholastic, 2013. Hardcover. ISBN
9781748377772.
(Age: 1-5) Recommended. In this beautiful book, with its Spring
sorbet palette and curious and cheeky faced critters, readers aged
1-5 will be swept up in the excitement of hunting for eggs at Easter
time.
Exploring position in an approachable and purpose driven way, Smith
is able to bring a mathematical concept to life in that canny way
adults have of teaching a concept without the child realising
they're learning.
Children are encouraged to search with the animals - to look over,
under, around and through. Each picture has a rabbit and another
animal, and there is a cheerful and rollicking rhyme to the story.
The reception teacher I shared the story with has welcomed it as an
addition to her classroom library, and this book comes recommended
by the both of us, for home or school libraries, or as a welcomed
Easter gift.
Freya Lucas
A ring through time by Felicity Pulman
Harper Collins, 2013. ISBN 9780732294885
(Age: 12+) Allie is newly arrived on Norfolk Island and proud
to be descended from one of the governors of the former penal
colony. However, she soon discovers that the convict past of this
island is strongly felt by current inhabitants and that her ancestor
is universally hated. Worse still, the person who has most reason to
hate her ancestor is Noah, the young man to whom she is
attracted. Could history really stand in the way of her modern
day romance?
For here we have two love stories linked across the generations: the
story of Allie and Noah intertwined with that of their ancestors,
Alice and Cormac. There is no doubting the emotional force of the
historical love story between Alice, the governor's daughter and the
Irish convict, Cormac O'Brien. Pulman's writing here is vivid and
compelling, she captures beautifully the time period and the
sweeping emotions of the young lovers. However, it is easy to forget
that this part of the story is being told in the form of Alice's
diary; it often seems more like a first person narrative.
Furthermore, the modern day love story pales by comparison. Alice
and Cormac had every reason to feel thwarted in their love: as a
member of the ruling class, Alice should have had little contact
with a convict like Cormac, socially or morally. Their future was
always likely to be bleak, even leaving aside Alice's cruel father.
By contrast, the divide between Allie and Noah seems a tad forced
and lacking in drama: we rarely believe that their family ancestry
is likely to be an insurmountable hurdle, if the two teenagers could
ever get around to being open with each other.
Nevertheless, Allie is an engaging character and Noah is a likeable
young man. Younger readers will no doubt find the fantasy
elements and the historical portions of the novel quite engaging
(and a sexual encounter is handled sensitively for this age group).
Older readers may find the modern love story a little lacking in
depth but the thwarted love story from the past may provide adequate
compensation.
Deborah Marshall
Letters to the end of love by Yvette Walker
University of Queensland Press; Queensland, 2013. ISBN 9780702249662
Recommended for adults and senior secondary readers. This novel,
written in the epistolary style, tells the stories of three couples
who write to each other memorialising their lives and their loves.
Caithleen and Dmitri live in County Cork, Ireland in 1969. They have
been together for a long time but are now faced with separation.
Dmitri, a painter who escaped from the Gulag in USSR, has a
life-threatening condition and both he and Caithleen mourn a lost
baby.
Lou and Grace live in 2011, and are separated by space and grief.
Lou, a bookseller, writes from Perth to Grace who, as a 'fix-it'
woman for the famous, is travelling. The letters explain their
separation, caused in part by the death of Lou's brother in Iraq,
and eventually promise a future.
John's letters, dated 1948, are to his lover David who has not
survived the Holocaust. His letters are prompted by a visit from a
fellow inmate who met David in the camp where he was sent as a
homosexual by the Nazis, and where, presumably, he dies. John's
letters recapture his affair with David and are a memorial to their
love.
The stories are linked by references to a Paul Klee painting that
serenely surmounts human conflict and grief. The letters are all
moving in themselves and the historical backgrounds feel authentic.
However, a difficulty with the epistolary form lies in the
introduction of other characters. How to explain these people to the
reader in a letter to someone who must know them perfectly well?
Also, unfortunately, the frequent expressions of love and regret
tend to wear thin at times. The story of Caithleen and Dimtri is the
most convincing and is beautifully written, the descriptions of the
bay and village where they live being immediate and vivid. The book
is recommended for adults and senior readers.
Jenny Hamilton
I funny by James Patterson
Young Arrow, 2012. ISBN 978 009956742
This book is about Jamie Grimm, a boy who has an ambition to win the
Planet's Funniest Kid Comic Contest. Basically this is an award for
a stand-up comic which presents an obstacle for Jamie as he is in a
wheel chair. As Jamie pursues his dream the reader learns more about
him and his background; his parents are dead as the result of a car
crash and he lives with his Aunt and her family. He also has
problems with the school bully who is his cousin Steve. Despite all
of this Jamie is determined to win the contest for the funniest kid.
The chapters are short and punctuated with cartoon-like pictures so
it provides an easy read and there are lots of jokes along the way.
I found the humour to be very American and wonder if many of its
intended audience would get the many references to American
comedians. However it does show how Jamie perseveres and achieves
his dream. I don't think it would have mass appeal but the cover and
cartoony images inside may just inspire some middle/upper primary
readers.
David Rayner
My book of knock knocks illustrated by Christina Bollenbach
Scholastic Australia, 2013. ISBN 9781742831640.
Knock, Knock. Who's there? Boo! Boo who? Don't cry it's only a
knock, knock joke.
Who hasn't enjoyed the traditional jokes and made up their own
as a child or adult to keep children amused. The repetitive and
interactive style of the jokes is usually a winner with young and
old.
Christina Bollenbach has taken a selection of jokes to illustrate
using a variety of stylised animals and birds as the main
characters. The bright colours add to the excitement and humour
which radiates from the book whilst the design of the text
encourages the reader to recognise the two voices in the joke.
Ensuring that the reader has to turn the page for the punch line
gives them the opportunity to create their own ending and interact
with the text.
Whilst this book is designed to appeal to the younger reader, like all
joke books it will be located in the 823 section of the library
opening up the literature section to more borrowers.
As a teacher this book will give me the opportunity to
investigate direct speech by using knock, knock jokes, adding
interest to and enlivening any grammar lesson. There is also scope
to investigate spelling and sound patterns which some jokes, like
the old favourite Teresa Green, rely on to be effective.
So, in conclusion,
Knock, knock. Who's there? Ike! Ike who?
Ike-an't stop laughing!
... or telling knock, knock jokes now!
Sue Keane
Rising darkness by Thea Harrison
Penguin, 2013. ISBN 9780143566885
(Age 18+) Recommended. In this richly intricate novel about
reincarnation, destined lovers, and an ageless enemy, Thea Harrison
tells a masterful story. Mary is a doctor who feels like something's
off, as voices appear in her head and vivid, disturbing dreams
overtake her life. As she slowly recovers her memories and realises
this plain of life is not what it seems, she meets Michael, a
hardened warrior who appears to be her salvation.
Reading Thea Harrison's novel is like a reader's feast for the Gods.
It's beautifully written, vivid and flows easily, and could easily
translate to a movie script. While the concepts covered within the
first half of the book are highly detailed, it is never too
difficult to grasp due to the easy prose.
Primarily an urban fantasy, the novel never really lets up as Mary
is subjected to drama after drama, physical, spiritual, and
psychological. Concepts such as reincarnation, psychic dreams, and
psychological trauma are covered with due brilliance, despite their
spiritual and subjective nature.
There's definitely a focus on romance too as she meets Michael, her
spiritual twin who has been searching for her for many lifetimes. As
their first meeting translates from a threat of danger, to
protection, to tenderness, I found myself rooting for the pair
despite complications from the past. The two are broken and need
each other like fire and water, and you can see the two slowly
regaining their strength when they're with each other. The sexual
tension and romance here is through the roof, so I would definitely
not recommend it for younger readers.
While I haven't read Thea Harrison's Elder races series,
I've picked up on the more dark, serious tone of this series
compared to the latter. Rising Darkness was a quick read for
me and I can't wait to devour the sequel when it comes out.
Jeann Wong
10 little circus mice by Caroline Stills
Ill. by Judith Rossell. Little Hare, 2013. ISBN 9781921894176. hbk.,
RRP $A24.95.
This is a delightful counting book with a difference because each
page focuses on the antics of all ten mice, but they are grouped
differently on each page. So while nine mice tidy their beds,
one somersaults; while eight cook, two juggle; while seven wash the
cups, three spin the saucers. Little readers will delight in
looking at the pictures and concocting the story to go with them as
well as finding and following the antics of their favourites as they
turn daily chores into fun and games.
While it could be used as a book to support early addition, it is
also very useful for helping early mathematicians develop the
concept of the conservation of number - that 10 is 10 is 10 no
matter how it is grouped - in an engaging and intriguing way.
There is a lot of research which suggests that stories have more
impact when they are supported by targeted, explicit activities and
this book lends itself very well to these. Having the children
make and decorate their own mice and then working with their peers
to create number stories, record these and then add text to describe
what they are doing is just one. Even though this might appear
on the surface to be just another in a long line of counting books,
it is, in fact, much more than that and is rich in possibilities to
help both literacy and numeracy development. Share it with
your kindergarten teachers - they will thank you for it.
Barbara Braxton
Bewitched by Colin Thompson
The Floods (12). Random House Australia Children's, 2013.
ISBN: 9781742755304. 240 pages. RRP $14.95
(Age: 9-12)Welcome back to the madness and mayhem that are the
family Flood. Colin Thompson takes the reader on another rollicking
excursion with the Addams like royal family of Transylvania Waters
as King Nerlin displays some rather bizarre symptoms. In fact, he is
behaving even more bizarrely than his normal state - clearly
bordering on Doolallyness. His family, afraid for his mental health,
seek the best treatment available to them - and visit the Old
Crones. With Queen Mordonna ably in charge and the rest of the
family to lend their expert assistance - as well as assorted talking
donkeys and imaginary friends - nothing could go wrong with this
plan.
After the revelation that Nerlin is definitely not suffering from
'celeriac or any other green vegetable' it appears that he is
actually infected by his imaginary friend Geoffrey-Geoffrey -
perhaps not so imaginary as Nerlin and his family believed. Cures
via fruit pulp immersion, kidnapping by crone, satellite tracking of
vengeful adversaries are just all part of the road to Nerlin's
restored good health.
Legions of young readers attest to the success of the Floods formula
and Colin Thompson's delightful word play and surprising insertions,
not to mention hilarious footnotes add to the crazy mix. Readers
delight in the twisted mirroring of real life - 'The Three Fake
Cooks', who actually had a printout off Gargle Maps... which is like
Google Maps PLUS it cures bad breath.
This volume is sure to be as popular as the rest of the series and
readers from 9-12 will particularly relish it.
Sue Warren
Black Mountain by Greig Beck
Macmillan, 2012. ISBN 978 1 7426 1086 3.
(Age: Middle-upper secondary) Alex Hunter is an enhanced human
through a secret program using a bacteria to create better soldiers
with increased abilities. Here he wakes up not knowing who or
where he is, but he is helped by a beautiful Israeli agent, who
knows who and what he is. This leads to a series of high
action adventures in which Alex's memory slowly begins to
return. This is juxtaposed with a series of brutal deaths in
the Appalachians' Black Mountain area. As Alex's memory
returns so does a desire to return to his home in the Black
Mountain, which leads to the ultimate confrontation with the
creature responsible for the deaths. There is plenty of action
and blood, so it is not for the squeamish. The chapters shift
backwards and forwards between the various elements of the stories,
but the author keeps control of the threads as the story moves along
at a fast pace.
I think it would appeal to middle/upper secondary boys who enjoy
Matthew Reilly or any other fast paced action adventures and are
looking for something similar. The graphic descriptions of
death would preclude younger readers.
David Rayner
What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound
Woolshed Press, 2013. ISBN 9781742757353.
Recommended - I love the Raven! I love his vanity as a
'bird of great distinction' and 'inborn ability', his grumpiness and
his good heart. I love his conversations with, and obvious love for,
the weatherhen who sits on top of the church spinning in the wind.
His ongoing relationship with 'the pigeon' is a source of amusement
and at times provides a bit of light relief. I also love the thought
that next time I see a Raven it may talk to me as this, it appears,
is a little known fact about Ravens.
The Raven resides in the crumbling bell tower of the church run by
Father Cadman. From there he patrols the local area and guards his
treasure from all who would steal it including, he suspects, the
weatherhen. His joy in life is listening to the hymns at mass and
singing with Father Cadman at the church organ.
He becomes entangled with a variety of other characters most notably
the ghost of a young boy Todd buried in his cemetery in the opening
chapter, and his grieving sister Mackenzie.
When the Raven tells Father Cadman that Barnabas Brittle has been
stealing from the collection plate, his life is changed. Father
Cadman no longer believes in him or sings with him. Then a storm
destroys his belltower, scattering his treasure.
Returning to the good graces of Father Cadman and proving Barnabas
Brittle guilty means the Raven also needs to extend his help to the
distraught Mackenzie, her friend Lucie and the persistent, caring
and ghostly Todd.
A story of loving and giving or as the scarecrow says 'There must be
showings of devotions before you get devotions back.'
Sue Keane
