Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 9780802737380.
(Age: 16+) Derek is ostensibly a 'bad boy' who has just been
expelled from his exclusive Academy (for a fairly harmless prank).
The reader soon realises that beneath the 'bad boy' exterior (and
his dazzling good looks) is a good boy's heart, all too ready to
fall for Ashtyn, his step-mum's sister. In the tradition of all good
romance novels, on first meeting, Derek and Ashtyn can't stand the
sight of each other. For at least half the novel, they attempt to
keep their distance despite the inevitable pull of attraction.
Ashtyn is the only female player on her school's football team,
happily dating the star quarterback until he loses the captaincy to
her. Whilst Derek is all too willing to step in and 'save'Ashtyn,
she remains staunchly independent, insisting that she doesn't need
saving and adeptly keeping Derek at bay. She exudes a tough exterior
but of course, this is simply to cover her grief and loss: not only
did her mum and sister leave home years ago but at much the same
time Ashtyn's father seemed to lose interest in her football career.
Of course, if Derek is to emerge as a worthy partner for Ashtyn, his
bad boy image needs to be expunged and when his backstory is
revealed, including the burden of guilt that he carries, most female
readers are likely to swoon all over again.
Simone Elkeles allows Derek and Ashtyn to take turns to tell their
side of the story, which allows plenty of room for the reader to
witness their attraction and mutual misunderstanding. Despite their
stunning good looks and amazing football talent, both romantic leads
seem credible for the most part, although Derek's penchant for
calling Ashtyn 'Sugar Pie' tends to grate and the novel's rousing
ending seems a bit too movie-like and rather cliched.
This is a romance novel with plenty of crackling sexual tension.
Whether that means it is recommended reading for school library
shelves is perhaps another matter. More sexually charged than the Smitten
series, this novel seems intended for older readers.
Deborah Marshall
Herman's Letter by Tom Percival
Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN: 9781408836750.
Herman Bear and Henry Racoon had always been the best of friends,
doing everything together. When Henry moved away and left Herman
behind, problems arose. Herman felt lost, lonely and abandoned:
something no amount of letters from Henry could fix. Instead of
writing back to his friend, Herman became more and more jealous as
Henry wrote about his new life which was made to sound better than
was really the case. When Henry finally admitted just how much he
still missed his friend, Herman was galvanised into action. With the
post office having just closed for winter, how would he get his
reply through to his best friend?
This is a delightful book about friendship, jealousy, loneliness,
resilience and problem solving as well as the dying art of letter
writing and communication. The illustrations are bright and
colourful cartoon style using a variety of different page layouts.
Many spreads contain full page illustrations while others have
either comic style boxes to illustrate a string of activities or, on
other pages, the illustrations are divided into horizontal
bands with two or three different sections to show a journey or the
passing of time. Not only is this a delightful book to use as a read
aloud, it contains some great messages about being honest with our
friends and friendships being able to survive despite the physical
distances between people.
Many books containing letters are not especially durable in a
library collection as parts tend to quickly go missing or get torn.
In this title, however, the letters are simply in a lift-the-flap
format so would be better suited to regular borrowing by many
children.
Jo Schenkel
Kangaroo for Christmas by James Flora
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781742972770.
Recommended. Quaint and retro by today's colourful illustrations,
language and style. Originally written in 1962, a kangaroo called
Adelaide would have been an exotic and wonderful Christmas gift from
Uncle Dingo in Australia, especially in America. The style is very
dated with every second double page in colour and the other black
and white. It's a fun story with Adelaide causing utter chaos as she
is frightened first by a dog then leaps with Kathryn on her back
through the traffic, a home, the grocery store, the bakery until
they come to grandma's place. Adelaide steps in grandma's taffy
(toffee) lands on her car and that's how they return home. Santa
Claus bought boots and birch leaves for Adelaide and a pogo stick
for Kathryn so she would never have to ride on Adelaide again.
Historically, the story is well written and detailed showing what
life, machines and people were like but a child reading the story
today may not be interested and find the idea and pictures dated.
The end papers and the cover have a good feel to them. It's a story
to read aloud for there's much to discuss and ponder. Many boys
still love Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Make
Way for Ducklings so there's a place for these old fashioned
styled books especially when read aloud.
Sue Nosworthy
The swap by Jan Ormerod
Ill. by Andrew Joyner. Little Hare, 2013. ISBN 9781921541414.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Sibling rivalry, Humour, Family.
Despite Mama Crocodile's best efforts at increasing daughter
Caroline's interest in her new baby brother, she fails at each fence
post. Giving a long sentence of similes which expound his virtues,
Caroline can only respond that he smells. Mum alludes to his lovely
scaly skin and sharp claws, but Caroline can only see how much room
he takes up on her mother's lap. She decides that she should swap
him, and goes to the baby shop where she is able to exchange the
baby for something new.
Each time she does this, the differences between her baby brother
and the animal she choses, stand out. Taking a panda, she is
embarrassed when he begins to eat the cane furniture at the cafe,
and the elephant she takes hops into the town fountain breaking it.
Each time she realises that perhaps her baby brother is not as bad
as she thinks, and so learns a lesson that will be obvious to all
readers.
Illustrated with wonderfully lively drawings of the array of animals
that live in the town will delight the readers who will see far more
each time they venture inside. I love the main street with its
different shops and shop windows with flats on top displaying a
variety of styles, I was intrigued with the details within the shops
the girl entered and loved the picture of Mama Crocodile and her two
offspring on the last page, displaying all the love and affection
that exists between the three, and no child will miss the humour of
how Caroline learns to love her brother while Mama is shopping. The
production of the book with its strong library binding makes it a
pleasure to hold and open. A wholly entertaining experience, made
all the more poignant by Jan Ormerod's death earlier this year.
Fran Knight
All the truth that's in me by Julie Berry
HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780732298067.
(Age: Older teens) All the truth that's in me is a poetic
and thrilling fiction book. This novel teaches the reader that
overcoming difficulties and obstacles is not unmanageable. The
impossible can become possible if hope is kept alive. This also
shows that people are more than skin deep when unexpected
friendships occur in unexpected circumstances and with unexpected
people. This novel is set in the early history of America close
after a war for its independence.
Judith Finch was a sweet young girl who had a few friends but none
closer to her than her best friend Lottie (Charlotte), when both
girls go missing mysteriously in the middle of the night, their
small town is in an uproar and search parties flood the surrounding
landscapes for months. After a short time, the body of Lottie is
found in the river and two years later, Judith returns as a mute.
Over time Judith becomes considered and shunned a witch when she
talks and is sentenced to silence for fear that she bring shame to
her family. Her life-long object of affection, Lucas, is to be wed
to a life-long acquaintance and this news drives Judith a little
further into her solitary world. Until news of ships come from the
ocean patrollers and the small town prepares for an invasion. Judith
must choose between going back to her tormenter to get aid before
her townspeople die, or stay silent and continue attempting to live
in a life almost not worth living.
This novel is written in such a poetic style that is unusual and
catches the reader's eye and communicates the story just as well, if
not better than any other novel that is aimed at the target audience
of older teens. Overall, this novel has a certain hooking quality
that keeps readers attached and needing to find out the answers to
its well-kept mystery.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
Puppy playtime by Celeste Walters
Ill. by Adele Jaunn. Little Hare, 2013. ISBN 9781742977164.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Picture book, Dogs, Counting book. A counting
book with a slight variation from most, with the numbers being
counted form one to ten and then back to one, will help younger
children become acquainted with counting numbers one to ten with
ease. The pictures of the playful puppies dotting every page will
make the task of counting them to align the picture with the number
presented an easy task for the reader.
The premise of the bitzer trying to find his bone in the park is a
task younger children can easily follow, enticing them to count the
dogs as well as seek out the bone as they read. In rhyming lines too,
the readers will be encouraged to predict what the next word will be
that rhymes with the last word on the previous line.
Using watercolours, Adele Jaunn creates a soft rendering of the
playful dogs, leaping, scratching, whining, frisking and howling
across the pages.
Each dog has different characteristics and verbs accrue to each
separate dog, while at the end of the story the bone is found,
posing a question for the readers to start reading and looking all
over again. And I'm sure they will all be happy to do this.
Adele Jaunn has recently illustrated Baby Bilby's question and
Bernard's plane trip (as well as being the author).
In a classroom or at home, this lovely book will not only encourage
children to count, and watch for the different characteristics of
dogs, especially when the lines contain many words signifying the
different breeds of dog, and to search for clues hidden in the
illustrations.
Fran Knight
The voyage by Murray Bail
Text Publishing, 2012. ISBN 9 781921 922961.
(Age: Sophisticated secondary readers) This book is known to be
about an Australian who invented a piano and took it to Vienna to
promote and hopefully sell. The title is the key to the novel,
however. It is set during Frank Delage's boat voyage home, and this
journey also provides the opportunity and frame-work to relate his
past and present experiences and thoughts.
Delage is a fascinating figure whose naturally introverted and
self-centred character is unpeeled like a multi-wrapped
'pass-the-parcel'. Secrets, insights and fantasies are disclosed at
every layer. His conversational strategies of pausing, stating the
obvious and deflection show author, Murray Bail's skill in
constructing both a unique protagonist and perhaps also subtly
revealing some of the mechanics of his writing.
The structure also allows the merge and morph of Viennese mother,
Amalia and daughter, Elisabeth, with both of whom Delage has
affairs. Why would these women be interested in him? How reliable is
his telling?
Australia is also a symbol in this novel. Questions are raised about
its place in the New and Old Worlds, perhaps epitomised by Delage's
brown (rather than black) piano and his vision of painted eucalypts
on their lids. This, of course, is a reminder of Bail's seminal
work, Eucalyptus but The Voyage, with its fine,
literary writing and vision, is also an exceptional Australian
piece.
Joy Lawn
The bouncing ball by Deborah Kelly
Ill. by Georgia Perry. Random House Australia Children's, 2013.
ISBN: 9780857980045.
Highly recommended for Prep to Year 2/3 children. What an absolutely
super first picture book offering from Deborah Kelly! Miss Small and
I shared this a couple of weeks ago and both just loved it.
When a small boy finds a ball and bounces it on its way, the story
is off and most definitely bouncing . . . along, against, between,
down and more, until . . . the ball bounces away and another child
finds it, and off we go again. The lovely circular pattern is
just right for young readers and we very much enjoyed the
speculation of the next possible adventure at the end of the book.
Georgia Perry's vibrant illustrations add to the immense sense of
real fun about this book.
Teachers will love the opportunity this book presents to explore
prepositions - instead of playing Where is the Mouse? a great game
of Where is the Ball? might well be on the cards!
This one is staying firmly on Gran's shelves for repeated readings.
Listen to Deborah Kelly talking about the book here.
Sue Warren
Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
Candlewick Press, 2013. ISBN: 9780763662806.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Themes include: Identity, Resilience,
Friendship, Coming-of-age, Family, Relationships, Romance. Living
with Jackie Chan is beautifully written with a very authentic
portrayal of a teenage boy coming to grips with the harsh reality of
his impulsive actions. Desperately keen to lose his 'virgin status',
Josh sleeps with Ellie, and of course she gets pregnant. All of this
occurs in a book called Jumping off Swings, which I haven't
read. I don't feel I missed much by diving straight into this one,
although I would be interested in the end, which must have been a
downer.
At the start of this book Josh is barely holding himself together.
His anger and self-hatred are powerful. Josh cannot stand to stay in
his home town after his irredeemable (in his eyes) behaviour, so he
moves to his uncle's apartment (about 4 hours drive away) to finish
his senior year and attempt to get into College. It takes ages for
Josh to really start to make peace with himself, and along the way
he comes to know a group of people who help him.
First and foremost is the Jackie Chan of the novel, Josh's Uncle
Larry. I tell you, this man is awesome. He is so upbeat, so funny,
and so gentle with Josh who he calls Samurai Sam. His significant
role in the book shouldn't be underestimated. He never pushes too
hard, but the one time he does push, Josh picks up karate again with
the girl-next-door, Stella.
Although their friendship develops during karate, Stella has an
extremely possessive boyfriend, and the tension this creates causes
much of the angst of the narrative. There is also the presence of a
baby in the upstairs apartment who wakes up crying almost every
morning at two. Josh is very uncomfortable and distressed around the
baby and it's only when he's forced to care for him that he can stop
the panic attacks. Josh's parents are their own problem and his two
best friends are party animals and not very helpful. These elements
intersect neatly to create a full picture of the extent of Josh's
issues.
My only niggle is that several of Josh's thoughts are repeated
unnecessarily throughout the story, sometimes using the same exact
words. For example, Josh tells us over and over that his parents
left it too late to show him they care. And the way he describes the
baby was repetitive. Sometimes this was quite obvious, and it threw
me out of the story.
I was really satisfied with the ending. It was positive and hopeful,
but not in a cloying or over sentimental way. It was realistic and I
appreciate authors who don't feel the need to sugar coat everything.
Trisha Buckley
Fearsome dreamer by Laure Eve
Hot Key Books, 2013. ISBN: 9781471400810.
(Age: Young adult) Recommended. Fearsome Dreamer is an
incredible debut novel for French author Laure Eve. Built on an
interesting idea and set between two 'worlds' this novel is a rich
fantasy portrayed beside a possible reality.
World is becoming too reliant upon technology and addictions to
'Life' are becoming more common, many mothers refusing to care for
their children. In World, anything in the physical world is a threat
- it stands to reason then that White's Talent was a danger to him
in World - before long he is fleeing to Angle Tar, the only
anti-technological country left. Perhaps there he would be safe. In
Angle Tar White finds himself in a school for Talented, and like in
any school there is a rivalry between the most talented and White,
the outsider, is clearly brimming with talent. Wren, his competitor
feels threatened and the ensuing drama causes Wren to flee to World.
White settles in World as a teacher, keeping himself mysterious and
isolated he continues to blame himself for Wren's disappearance. But
when a new student, headstrong young woman, Rue, begins to dream of
a boy with silver eyes White finds himself loosing control of his
life, his emotions and his future is thrown into a precarious
position.
Containing the traditional themes of belonging and the importance of
honesty this novel combines fantasy, romance and mystery all in one.
I would recommend for a young adult audience, it is a compelling,
easy to read text with shifting perspectives showing the reader the
bigger picture.
Kayla Gaskell (Student)
Empress Dowager Cixi: the concubine who launched modern China by Jung Chang
Jonathan Cape, 2013, ISBN 9780224087445.
(Age: 15+) Non fiction. After one hundred years and access to
China's archives, this revised and highly favourable biography of
Empress Dowager Cixi, attempts to alter existing perceptions of the
Manchu ruler of China. Jung Chang's scholarship brings to life the
story of a young sixteen year old concubine who was chosen as one of
the Emperor's numerous partners. When he died in 1861, their five
year old son succeeded to the throne. Cixi plotted a takeover
against the regents appointed by her husband and made herself the
real ruler of China, till she died in 1908. She made mistakes such
as supporting the Boxer Rebellion and was ruthless at times eg. she
committed a number of murders. According to the author, and contrary
to her existing reputation, she always acted with courage and
stateswoman like sincerity. During the time of her control Cixi
fostered the modern development of China, encouraged press freedom
and abolished feudal traditions such as foot-binding and death by a
thousand cuts. Her accomplishments are worth considering when set
against the forces she had to deal with including an entrenched
bureaucracy, invasion by foreign powers, court intrigue, and
rebellions.
Students of modern Chinese history will find this book to be a
useful introduction to the period. It covers the opening of
seaports, the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, the rising Japanese
influence in the region and the period immediately before the birth
of the Chinese Republic.The biography is accompanied by a large
number of fascinating photographs and vivid descriptions of life
inside Beijing's Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.
Paul Pledger
The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan
Ranger's Apprentice series. Random House, 2013. ISBN 9781864718195
(Ages: 8+). Highly recommended. Mediaeval fiction. The stunning
climax to a well-loved series, The Royal Ranger will have
you frozen to your seat from start to finish. A thrilling read, the
least expected becomes reality and the most likely goes up in smoke.
After Will's life is rocked by a horrible tragedy, he becomes
obsessed with bringing those responsible to justice. As such, he is
in danger of being revoked from the Ranger Corps. It is Will's
mentor Halt who suggests the solution; Will must take an apprentice.
But Halt's candidate breaks all the rules and goes against all
tradition. The Royal Ranger takes you back to the beginning with a new
student and a new adventure, along with a lot of the old humour
mixed in. This book is extremely well written and I highly recommend
it.
Jos Alcorn (Student)
Thunderbirds: The Comic Collection: A Gerry Anderson Production
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2013. ISBN 9781405268363.
'5 - 4 - 3 - 2- 1! Thunderbirds are GO!' It was a most
distinctive voice and a most distinctive introduction to a half-hour
of puppetry and special effects (known then as 'supermarionation')
as we watched Jeff Tracy, head of International Rescue - established
on a secret island in the South Pacific - and his five sons, Scott,
Virgil, Gordon, Alan and John, rescue people from incredible
situations using their futuristic specially-designed vehicles that
could cope with any situation on land, sea, air or space. Ably
assisted, when necessary, by Lady Penelope Creighton and the
chauffeur of her amphibious pink Rolls Royce, each week viewers were
treated to an adventure of life in 2065 where, just as in 1965, good
eventually triumphed over evil but with a G rating.
Now, in this glossy, full-colour, high-quality book, fans are
treated to more than 20 comic-strip adventures featuring the
original artwork from the series. The adventures are
interspersed with cutaway diagrams of the buildings and vehicles,
each labelled to show their unique components and special
capabilities, which will intrigue and perhaps inspire those with a
technical mind. Perhaps this book should be displayed with a large
box of Lego or Meccano on hand!
With the big-screen revival of many retro comic books heroes, and
the popularity of these, this book is an opportunity to engage and
enthuse another generation just in time for the release of Thunderbirds
Are Go, a remake of the series being broadcast in 2015, 50
years after the original. It will also create an opportunity for the
young and the little-bit-older to have conversations as they ask
questions and share memories. As well as the book, there is also a
separate pack of 100 postcards.
Barbara Braxton
Alice-Miranda shines bright by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, 2013. ISBN 9781742752907.
Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is the heroine of
another cracker series from Jacqueline Harvey, who seems to know
just what it is that primary girls like to read about. She's a
boarder at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young
Ladies and, in the tradition of all good boarding school stories,
there are friends to be made, mysteries to be solved, adventures to
be had and people to sort out. In this latest episode, the trend
continues. Alice-Miranda and her friends are now in Year 6 and
preparing for the big move to high school but there's a problem.
Jacinta is really out of sorts, and Reginald Parker disappears. Both
are tasks for Alice-Miranda to investigate. And that doesn't include
keeping the secret of what they've discovered in the woodlands near
the school!
This series began in 2010 with Alice-Miranda at School and
since then these have been Alice-Miranda on Holiday, Alice-Miranda
at Sea; Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead; Alice-Miranda
Shows the Way; Alice-Miranda in New York, and earlier
this year, Alice-Miranda in Paris. Each one is an engaging
read that has been eagerly awaited by some young ladies I know who
would dearly love to live the life! Won't they be thrilled to know
that hot on the heels of Alice-Miranda Shines Bright is the
Alice-Miranda Diary, a beautifully illustrated tome in which
they can not only record their daily doings and secret thoughts, but
there is a host of other things to do like quizzes and puzzles,
recipes to follow and even filling out the application form to enrol
in the Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young
Ladies. This is one to be adding to your list of recommendations for
Christmas gifts which parents value so much.
With her own blog
and soon to have her own website this is a young lady your young
ladies will delight in meeting.
Barbara Braxton
You don't even know by Sue Lawson
Black Dog Books, 2013. ISBN 9781922179715.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Alex Hudson is an ordinary, teenage
boy who likes playing water polo and has a part-time job. He's doing
okay at school. But then an awful accident happens, his world is
ripped apart, and he must slowly put the pieces of his life back
together. Waking up in hospital with a broken arm, broken ribs and a
fractured skull, he can't remember what happened to him. But with
the help of Paul, a kind psychologist, and Mackie, a fellow patient,
he can slowly face up to what happened. You Don't Even Know is a rare, powerful novel. With so many
teenage books circling around either paranormal romance or
futuristic action, it is very refreshing to read such an honest,
realistic novel. You Don't Even Know is a character-based drama, with nearly
all the conflict resulting from problems within relationships,
rather than outside forces. Fortunately, all the characters are very
well developed, realistic and unique, although not all of them are
likeable. Although it takes a little while to get going, You
Don't Even Know soon moves into a fast, engaging pace that
will have the reader feverishly turning the pages.
A sad, poignant teenage drama with strong, diverse characters, You
Don't Even Know weaves together a powerful, thoughtful story
that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.
I highly recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
