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
Rapture by J.R. Ward
Fallen Angels series. Piatkus Books, 2013. ISBN 9780749957155.
(Age 18+) (sex scenes, language) This is the first J.R. Ward book
that I've read, and I'm already wondering what I'm missing out on
due to the creativity and dark world building in Rapture, the 4th
book of the Fallen Angels series.
The paranormal romance series is about a war between Heaven and Hell
as Jim Heron, a fallen angel must save the souls of 7 people from
the seven deadly sins. His opposition is Devina, a gorgeous, evil
demon that has a hold over him. Each book focuses on a different
person, and Rapture is about Mels Carmichael, a reporter who
one day runs into Matthias, an amnesiac with supreme fighting
skills.
As a typical alpha male, Matthias wants to protect Mels from the
assassins that seem to be after him, but she's also a strong heroine
who carries a hidden handgun and is trained in black belt skills.
Mels is inextricably drawn to Matthias due to his broken soul, and
they begin investigating a string of murders caused by the evil
demon Devina. Unbeknownst to them, the murders are part of the power
play between Jim Heron and Devina, who are battling it out to see
whether Heaven or Hell will prevail. Each book will record a win or
a loss against each side.
While I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, Rapture
is relatively easy to follow (aside from the start) as we're slowly
putting the pieces together for who Matthias he is and what he's
done in the past. I do feel like some references are lost on me, for
example the revelation between Dog and the significance of Sissy,
but still enjoyed the title as a standalone.
J.R. Ward breathes new life in the angels and demons theme, with the
angel struggling to resist the pull of the seven sins and the demon
as an evil, gorgeous demon who is seeing a therapist for her OCD. I
enjoyed the theme of salvation within Rapture, and look
forward to reading the rest of the series.
Jeann Wong
I made lattes for a love god by Wendy Harmer
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN: 9781742379913.
Recommended for ages 12 and above. Elly Pickering is an ordinary
teenager whose family includes her eighteen year old sister, Tilly,
her mum, Libby, who runs a PR company named Regal Events and Dad,
always there supporting the family, without ever seeming to rock the
boat. Things change when Regal Events wins the contract to do the
public relations for a film which is to be made in their town,
starring Elly's major heart throb, Jake Blake. When she invites her
best friend Carmelita to stay, the two excitedly audition as extras
in the movie. Although Carmelita wins a part, Elly fails to do so.
Thanks to Dad's persuasive powers, Libby gives her daughter the
opportunity to act as her assistant. Sadly, things again go wrong;
Elly quickly loses her job and is demoted to work with a class mate,
Rosie Di Masi, in the catering van owned by Rosie's family. Despite
Carmelita appearing to have dumped her best friend in favour of
another of their old class mates, Rosie shows her 'Pollyanna' nature
and vows that everyone will end up wishing they could have as much
fun as the girls could have in the van. Suddenly, things begin to
improve!
Harmer has created a winning formula with her two teenage books
about Elly and her friends. Although the protagonist comes across as
being somewhat self-absorbed, there is nothing about her that is not
typical of most teenagers today. From her desire to meet her
favourite celebrity, about whom she knows so much, to her mixed
reactions toward her best friend's acting career and the changes in
her attitude toward Rosie and her catering job, most readers will be
able to understand her motivations exactly. This is another
thoroughly enjoyable read.
Jo Schenkel
Pirate Gold by Michael Salmon
Ford Street Publishing, 2013. pbk., 32pp., ISBN 9781921665691. RRP
$A12.95
hbk., 32pp. ISBN 9781921665684. RRP. $A19.91.
The pirate ship Hogwash is home to the Piganeers, led by Captain
Porker. After several successful raids on Spanish galleons, Captain
Porker orders his crew to weigh anchor off a little tropical island,
a regular stop on the voyage home because his treasure is buried
there - but his treasure map is missing. How will he find his
loot without it? Luckily for his crew, who were at risk of
being turned into bacon burgers, he finds it ... but not where he
usually hides it. Could someone have found it and worked out
its secret? Midnight sees him setting out alone, rowing to the
island, but after a night of digging, daylight dawns and his fears
are confirmed. His treasure is not there. But who is
responsible for stealing it? Younger children will enjoy
joining Captain Porker on his hunt to find the culprits with its
quirky twists and turns.
Pirates are a perennial favourite with young students and this
rollicking adventure adds to the plethora of stories with this theme
that have lasting appeal. Michael Salmon's style is
eye-catching, engaging and easily recognisable as this is the latest
in a long string of books and other child-centred ventures which
began in 1967. His cartoon style with his bright colours captures
the eye and the imagination, and this book, a re-release of one
published in the USA in 1998, is sure to attract a new generation of
fans.
My experience has been that whenever I lead young boys,
particularly, to the Michael Salmon section, that they are hooked
and the word spreads very quickly. Perfect for reading aloud or
reading alone by those on the cusp of independence, and coupled with
his interactive website
Salmon has a formula that is a winner. So much so, that the
ACT Government commissioned a statue of Alexander
Bunyip (of The Bunyip that ate Canberra fame) to stand outside
their new Gungahlin Library in 2011. This title deserves its
place in your Salmon collection.
Barbara Braxton
The promise by Derek Guille
Ill. by Kaff-Eine. One Tree Hill, 2013. ISBN 978 0 9873139 6 6.
(Age: 8+) Picture book. World War One. Remembrance. When Derek
Guille accompanied the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on a recent tour
to France, as journalist, I cannot imagine that he would have dreamt
of the emotional pull that trip would have on him and the others who
made up the small band, the Melbourne Villers Bretonneux Brass
Ensemble. Formed with the aim of playing several pieces of music at
the town where the leader's grandfather had fought against the
Germans, the band spent a day away from Paris at the town, meeting
local residents and children. Here they were struck with the town
that bears the names Melbourne and Victoria streets and the school,
Victoria School, proudly flies the Australian and French flags.
A little know story of WW1, Villers Bretoonneux always remembers the
heroism of the Australian troops in defending their town, to such a
degree that when bushfires ravaged Victoria, they fundraised money
to send back to Victoria, just as the Victorians did after WW1, in
helping rebuild the town where many of their sons had died.
This is a fascinating tale of the day spent at the town by the brass
ensemble, and beautifully dovetails the picture book published last
year, Do No Forget Australia, (Sally Murphy, Walker)
Fran Knight
Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-4088-2997-4.
Vanessa Alder is living every girl's dream: she is a dancer, but not
just any dancer she is a ballerina.
When Vanessa made the choice to attend the New York Ballet Academy
she had only one thing in mind. Finding her missing sister Margaret.
But things aren't always as simple as they seem. After being cast in
the lead role of the school ballet production The Firebird
Vanessa and her friends discover a pattern of disappearances, each
missing girl had been cast in the lead role in The Firebird.
In between learning the impossible La Danse du Feu (the dance of
fire) and worrying over her tenuous relationship with Zep (the male
lead) Vanessa finds herself putting her mission to find Margaret
second. But when a crazy ex ballerina finds Vanessa and warns her to
get away from the school Vanessa and her friends investigate further
into the notorious school's past in order to discover what happened
to her sister.
The novel is aimed at young adult readers with an interest in the
paranormal and gives the reader just a taste of what it is like to
be studying to become a dancer without skipping over the realities
of the blood, sweat and tears which come with it. I absolutely loved
the tone of the first half of the book but it raised my expectations
too high as the last half was a bit of a let down. The introduction
of the paranormal to this novel seems to be unnecessary; if it had
been more obvious all of the way through it could have been a
fantastic novel. If I could I would recommend only the first half of
this novel as it begins as an excellent story however I don't think
that the ending fits the beginning as well as it should.
Kayla (age seventeen)
