Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012. ISBN 9781408825808.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. West is unable to move after a bike
accident that puts him in hospital. While there he meets Olivia,
she's the girl in the ward next door. She is beautiful, mysterious
and the girl of his dreams. For his recovery she has done more than
anyone else. But she might not even be alive.
Olivia and West become friends and most nights she sneaks in to
West's room to talk to him. She is the only person that knows what
he is thinking about even though he has never spoken a single word
to her. When West starts having nightmares he is certain that she is
connected to them, but he just doesn't know how. Blink Once is an Amazing book. Written from a teenage boy's
point of view, it has both love and loss, and some supernatural
elements. I would highly recommend this book as it is just so
amazing. It is original and will hold your attention till the very
end.
Tahlia Kennewell (Student)
Dragon Frontier by Dan Abnett
Penguin, 2013. ISBN 978-0-14-134296-2.
(Age: 12+) Dragon Frontier by Dan Abnett is a Wild Western fantasy
full of adventure and mystery. Young Jake Polson and his family set
forth, beginning a much anticipated journey when upon their trek
mysterious fiery disaster spontaneously occurs and the result of
this is Jake being left alone and unwell. Young Jake is taken in by
the friendly, English speaking Nimi'ipuu Native American tribe where
he is healed and well cared for by Tall Elk and White Thunder until
his sickness is too much for them to handle. Down from the hills and
into a small prospector settlement called McKenzie's Prospect Jake
is taken by Yellow Cloud and that is where he is nursed back to
health in the welcoming home of Pius Garret and his family. Jake
finds a uniquely odd mark upon his arm reminds him of legendary
creatures he saw throughout his delirious fever. The people at this
home are kind, gentle, relaxing and easy to relate to. Some of the
other inhabitants of the small town are not quite so gentle but all
are kind enough. Although it is a comfortable place for him to be it
makes Jake more eager to find his Native and mysterious rescuers, or
better yet, his family. The mystery becomes increasingly difficult
to solve as Jake continues his quest to find his family, identify
the marks on his arm and to understand his Native carers.
This novel is written with a language that is aimed at teens. It is
a fantastically written book with pronounced character
personalities. The supporting characters are amazing; they each have
a deep background story that adds emotional value to the novel. The
plot and story line keeps the momentum of the book in force, urging
the reader to keep going and find out what the answer is but the
plot line is very well hidden, stopping over-eager readers from
guessing what happens next.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
Miss Understood by James Roy
Woolshed Press, 2012. ISBN: 9781864718607. 288 pages RRP: $16.95
(Age: Mid-Upper primary) Highly recommended. Meet Lizzie . .
. who is Betty to her dad, Elizabeth to her kindly neighbour -
and to those in charge at Our Lady of the Sacred Wimple, a
troublemaker of the highest order. With flair reminiscent of Robin
Klein's Penny Pollard, Lizzie seems to continually blunder into one
scrape after another, usually with dire results, yet always with the
best of original intention. When she accidentally sets fire to
Sacred Wimple, Lizzie is politely asked to leave the school and so
begins a new experience of being homeschooled by her teacher mum.
While this is not quite the ordeal Lizzie was expecting, she does
run into some disturbing situations - the mystery of the unoccupied
house next door, her father's erratic behaviour and the trial of
being abandoned by her best friend. However, through a new approach
to important aspects of her young life, Lizzie begins to make some
advances in thinking responsibly with visibly improved results.
James Roy continues his deft touch for young readers with this
light-hearted novel, which delivers a topical and timely message
about a common mental illness - depression. Lizzie's family is a
very normal and recognisable one, living in suburbia - parents
working hard to maintain a very simple lifestyle, sometimes
struggling to do so. The relationships between Lizzie and the
adults in her life are handled with humour and realism.
Eminently suitable as a read-aloud, this novel is recommended highly
for children in mid to upper primary.
Sue Warren
Happy Valley by Patrick White
Text Publishing, 2012. ISBN 9781921922916.
(Age: Mature secondary - adult) Highly recommended. Appearing on
best-books-of-the-year lists, the new publication of Patrick White's
Happy Valley brings it back into print after a seventy year
hiatus. White was apparently concerned about charges of racism and
so limited its availability during his lifetime. It is a significant
work, not just because it is White's first novel; and it could form
a fascinating partnership with White's final, unfinished novel, The
Hanging Garden (Random House) for senior English study. Both
novels exude verdant symbolism as an atmospheric meter of emotion
and incident. Both novels validate the feelings and insights of
children and feature a friendship between a vulnerable boy and girl.
In Happy Valley, school-girl Margaret Quong is the enigmatic
daughter of an Anglo-Chinese father and Australian mother. Set in
the early 1930s, a tired, small-town racism exists, but hostility is
also easily turned onto anyone who destabilises the currents of the
ironically named Happy Valley. Newcomer, farm overseer, Clem Hagan,
emits a dangerous, hard sexuality. White skilfully introduces him
and then turns his focus onto a range of other town inhabitants.
Even though the lives of the other characters are gripping, we know
that Hagan's character is waiting on the edge, changing the dynamics
and likely to precipitate a tragedy.
Two of the featured families, the Hallidays and the Moriartys, seem
to be dissimilar; apart from teacher, Ernest Moriarty's asthma and
Hilda Halliday's consumptive cough but their spouses' affairs with
others make them incongruously alike. It is the children, Margaret
and Rodney Halliday, who recognise truth first. The adults must
later choose their own futures.
Patrick White's writing is laden with experimental devices. He
judiciously (some may disagree) uses stream-of-consciousness,
repetitions, unconventional word order in sentences and perfectly
formed and injected images. The writing techniques alone deserve
study and critique.
Joy Lawn
Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster by Jacqueline Harvey
Series: Clementine Rose. Random House Australia, 2013. ISBN:
9781742755434. 160 pages.
Recommended for 6-8 year olds. This is the second book in Jacqueline
Harvey's series about Clementine Rose a five year old orphan who was
delivered in the back of a mini-van, in a basket of dinner rolls.
She now lives in warm loving home filled with colourful characters:
her mother Lady Clarissa Appleby, Digby Pertwhistle the butler (more
like a loving uncle), Lavender her teacup pig and Pharaoh, Aunt
Violet's Sphinx cat.
With such high hopes for her first day of school at Ellery Prep,
Clementine Rose wakes up at four o'clock, gets dressed and makes her
own breakfast. She knows she'll learn how to read, tell the time and
do numbers by the end of this day!
Of course things don't quite turn out as she expected. To Clementine
Rose's chagrin, her kindergarten teacher is Mrs. Ethel Bottomley, a
martinet with high standards, strong views on discipline and class
management. The teacher's grandson Angus Archibald is placed next to
Clementine and continually bullies her during lessons.
The novel culminates with all the dramas of Pet Day. Forgotten
clothes for the teacup pig, helping Aunt Violet with her runaway cat
provide opportunities for Clementine Rose to show her strength of
character.
This book is recommended for confident readers from ages 6-8 years
of age, who enjoy school and family stories. Jacqueline Harvey is
also the author of the Alice-Miranda series that also
follows a female protagonist and her boarding school adventures. J.
Yi's black and white line drawings enhance the reader's enjoyment of
the novel.
Rhyllis Bignell
A week in winter by Maeve Binchy
Orion Publishing Group, 2012. ISBN 978 1 4091 1400 0. 361
pages
Highly recommended. Stone house has been turned into a Hotel and I
can just see it now set high on the cliffs on the west coast of
Ireland, overlooking the windswept Atlantic ocean with its big
dining room where the guests enjoy wonderful home cooked meals and
huge log fires to keep them all warm and cosy.
Each chapter reveals a little about the guests who spend a week in
winter at Stone house. The characters are very real we read that
Henry and Nicola are burdened with a terrible secret, while cheerful
nurse Winnie finds herself on the holiday from hell. John has
arrived on an impulse after he missed a flight at Shannon; eccentric
Freda claims to be a psychic - and a part-time hairdresser. Then
there's Nora, a silent watchful older woman who seems ready to
disapprove at any moment.
Sadly I read that A Week in Winter is Maeve's last novel,
completed days before she died in July 2012. Her husband, Gordon
Snell, agreed that publication should go ahead in the hope that all
her readers will enjoy seeing her weave her magic once again. We
have lost a wonderful story-teller, but her books will always be
with us.
I found this feel good novel a very easy read and certainly enjoyed
the characters. Maeve has such a wonderful way with words whereby
one can visualise the characters and the beautiful scenery. Highly
recommended: no wonder it is the number one bestseller.
Gabriela Weber
Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Chronicles of Nick Book 3. Atom Books, 2012. ISBN:
978-1-907411-55-7.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fantasy/Paranormal. The Chronicles of
Nick series has developed a legion of fans since the
publication of the first volume Infinity in 2010. Nick Gautier and
the Dark-Hunters take readers on another journey into the world of
the Netherworld and dark evil creatures. To all outward appearances,
Nick is a fairly average teenager with a group of friends who hang
out together. But Nick has discovered that he is the Malachai, a
demon of immense power - in fact, the most powerful being of all
such creatures, of whom only one can exist at any time - born to be
the instrument of great evil but conflicted by the human side of his
nature. His father, the unremittingly evil elder Malachai, is
somehow still alive and relentlessly plotting to kill him. His
mother is completely unaware of the demonic nature of either her son
or his father, believing the father to be mentally unstable and
always alert to any signs that Nick may be also affected. His
closest friends are, in fact, his protectors - themselves ancient
creatures from the Netherworld with their own powers and abilities,
all cloaked in the guise of ordinary teenagers.
The dichotomy of Nick's nature means that either he will be the
ultimate downfall of the world or the greatest hero in history but
before he reaches that point he must battle both new and old
enemies, risking his own life before he has even attained his full
strength of Malachai powers.
Kenyon has a real flair for conveying drama and excitement in Nick's
dilemma and neatly juxtaposes this with wit and humour. Readers
easily relate to the authenticity of Nick and his friends in both
their regular and demonic aspects. While the abundance of characters
can make reading a little tricky for readers new to the series, the
story itself loses none of its impetus through this.
Sue Warren
Infinity Ring : A mutiny in time by James Dashner
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9780545386968.
Recommended. Mutiny in time is book one in this new series from
Scholastic. In keeping with the previous series, The 39 clues, the
book is linked to a website and game available across all devices,
engaging young readers in a multi-media experience with a history
focus. Dashner is the creator of the overall concept and writer of
the first episode. Future episodes in this series will feature a
range of other authors.
Dak Smyth and his best friend Sera Froste live in a time when the
earth is on the brink of a global catastrophe. Natural disasters,
blackouts and food shortages are all too common, whilst the SQ, the
all powerful rulers have the people believing that all will be fine.
To cheer Sera up, Dak allows her to go into his parent's lab, through
all 197 locks, and they discover the Infinity Ring, a time travel
device, his parents have been secretly working on. Whilst Dak has an
overwhelming interest in history, Sera is more interested in quantum
physics and solves the last puzzle to make the ring work.
After some testing where Dak's parents are lost on their return to
the present from being caught as spies in the American Revolution,
Dak and Sera are introduced to the Hystorians. This group is
dedicated to fixing the The Great Breaks in History. That is where
history has gone wrong through time allowing the SQ to rule the
world.
Thus begins the adventure as Dak, Sera and Riq a language expert,
are sent on their first mission involving Christopher Columbus and a
mutiny led by the Amancio brothers.
A rollicking adventure with plenty of tension, both between the main
characters, and as the plot to overthrow Columbus comes to a
conclusion, this will appeal to the more adventurous children with
the added benefit of investigating some significant events in
history, with other titles to come.
Sue Keane
Red Fox by Sandy Fussell
Samurai Kids. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781922077509.
While en route to India on board the Sea Dragon, the ship belonging
to Yuri's uncle, disaster befalls the group and Niya wakes to find
himself alone on a deserted beach. Even the voice of his Sensei,
with whom he can usually communicate in his head, has ceased to
exist for the boy. For the first time ever, his disability seems to
be a major hurdle for Yuri and the weight of loneliness threatens to
crush his spirit. Soon, however, he is re-united with Chen, a mixed
blessing for the two as they realise that their friends may not have
survived. Thus begins their trek to find out what fate has befallen
the rest of their group.
Having now read each of the books in the series, I share an
understanding of the strengths and hopes of the various characters
and can only guess where the final instalment will take them. This
book seemed to be somehow slower or filled with less adventure than
some of the previous titles. I can only wonder now if it is
Fussell's way of preparing us for the breaking up of the group and
the sad demise of their much loved Sensei? Themes of independence,
the celebration of our unique talents and differences and the care
and concern for our friends would seem to be the main continuing
themes which make the series stand out.
Jo Schenkel
The Hunters by John Flanagan
Brotherband Book 3. Random House, 2012. ISBN 9781742750620.
Highly recommended for ages 10+. Continuing in his role as skirl,
Hal has to lead the crew of the Heron in their quest to find the
pirate, Zavac, and his ship the Raven. The aim of Hal's crew is to
retrieve the Andomal and return it to the Oberjarl, thereby
restoring its own good name. In doing so, they face many obstacles
as not only are they travelling way behind the pirate, he creates
multiple diversions and problems to slow their progress en route.
Not everyone they meet proves to be trustworthy but, again, some
useful alliances are formed.
As with the Ranger's Apprentice books, Flanagan has found an eager
group of readers, keen to devour as many adventures as he can
create. This initial trilogy needs to be read sequentially to enable
the reader to develop an understanding of the strengths and
weaknesses of each of the characters and the aspects which make them
humorous and likeable in their own ways. Flanagan again uses similar
themes throughout the series. Friendship, loyalty, persistence, team
work, individuality and the acceptance of the skills and interests
of others as well as pre-conceived notions about them are all themes
which are considered in this book. The concept of one of the boys
knitting had me falling about laughing (as did his crew mates) until
Flanagan revealed the purpose for the inclusion of this hobby. These
breaks with traditional stereotypes add to the enjoyment of the
story and lighten the tension throughout. I continue to look forward
to each new book Flanagan releases.
Jo Schenkel
Eddie Pipper by Janeen Brian
New Frontier, 2012. ISBN 9781921928215.
(Age: 7+) The somewhat forgetful Eddie Pipper loves penguins and is
desperate to own a real one. Unfortunately, he has not yet been able
to demonstrate that he is capable of taking care of his sister or to
organise himself with bus tickets and the like. Because his parents
feel he is incapable of caring for an animal of any kind, he
endeavours to make his own papier-mache version of a penguin. Even
then, his task is not without its problems. Taking it to school for
pet day could also be filled with its own set of issues... how
will it be received by his class mates?
Released as part of the Little Rockets series for children aged
seven and up, this title is a gentle and easy read. With much
emphasis on penguins and Eddie's love of them, there is enough
information about the animals to keep younger readers interested.
With the introduction of the dog, readers can only guess at the
ending and hope that Eddie will realise his dream of having a pet.
This is aimed at newly independent readers and, with the double
spaced text and coloured illustrations interspersed throughout,
would seem to cater well for the target audience.
If this were to be used as a class read aloud with younger children,
it could perhaps highlight themes such as personal
responsibility, organisation and pet care.
Jo Schenkel
Digger to the rescue by Mandy Archer
Ill. by Martha Lightfoot. Busy Wheels series. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN
9781742835099.
Tractor saves the day. Busy Wheels series. Scholastic, 2013. ISBN
9781742835129.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Picture book. Machinery. There are four books
in the series, Busy Wheels, which show machinery on a building site
involved in situations where the driver uses the machinery to rescue
or save someone or something in trouble. Each book uses simple
sentences, with new words that apply to the building site and the
machines in bold print, allowing a reader to mull over the word, its
spelling, its look, it meaning and pronunciation. The illustrations
are outlined in black, with bold primary colours featuring the
machinery and the users. At the end of each book, several pages take
a closer look at the piece of machinery used in that story, allowing
the reader again to become more closely acquainted with the machine
and its parts, both pictorially and with the words used to describe
it.
In Digger to the rescue, the foreman and the builders and their
machinery are building an adventure playground, and the first half
of the book outlines what the workers are doing, in preparing the
playground. But a kitten is stuck in the tree, so work stops while
the digger and its bucket is used to rescue the animal.
In Tractor saves the day, a similar scenario is given. The tractor
is shown doing the work on a farm, and when a tree falls down across
the road, it is the tractor and the farmer who haul the tree out of
the way. Both books are easy to read, will teach the reader about a
piece of machinery they may not know about, and tie it together
within a very simple story.
Fran Knight
Fairy wings by E.D. Baker
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408831946.
This is not a fairy story for the younger brigade! Recommended by
the publishers for the 9-11 age group, it certainly is not for
sensitive souls as it features goblins and other strange and
frightening creatures as well as fairies.
Loosely based on the aftermath of Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night
Dream, we meet Tamisin ordinary school student with an
extraordinary desire to dance in the moonlight, pointed ears and
spreckles (shiny freckles) and the ability to see goblins. When she
sprouts fairy wings she finds out she is adopted.
Meanwhile Jak who has just enrolled at school invites her to a
Halloween party at his place. Jack unbeknown to Tamisin is a
halfling, half human and half cat goblin, and we discover he has
been sent to the human world to convince Tamisin to come with him
through the Gate to the land of the fey. Jak has had a hard time
growing up with his uncle Targin and vicious cousin Nihlo but is
prepared to help the family.
Of course things don't go as planned, and attempted murder,
kidnapping and a war ensues as Jak and Tamisin try to understand
what is happening. Tamisin meets her mother Tatiana, Queen of the
Fairies, and discovers her true history, saves Jak and intervenes at
last between Tatiana and Targin with the help of her new friend Lou
the Lamia a huge and scary snake-like creature.
Romance blossoms between Jak and Tamisin who return to the human
world but the story continues as the first chapter of the next book
Fairy Lies reveals at the conclusion of the book.
This book is definitely designed to fill the gap between the junior
fairy stories and the older vampire stories and requires some
concentration as all the characters are brought into play and the
various goblins are described.
Sue Keane
Nanny Piggins: The daring rescue by R.A. Spratt
Random House Australia, 2012. ISBN 9781742754970.
Recommended for its humour and subversive behaviour. Nanny Piggins
fans will welcome this, the 7th book in the series featuring the
World's Greatest Flying Pig in more outrageous adventures. The title
refers to the daring rescue of her employer, Mr Green, in true Nanny
Piggins style, with panache, humour and a liberal supply of
delicious cakes.
As with all books in the series each chapter is a story and each
story is a stand-alone story, which as Rachel Spratt suggests is
great if the dog eats the first few chapters. It also makes the
books highly accessible to younger independent readers who may find
a whole novel challenging and what better way to end a school day
than another dose of mayhem with Nanny and her young charges.
Nanny Piggins is always at hand to help. She secures
employment at a radio station for Percy, the World's Greatest
Talking Parrot, has Boris the dancing bear, who lives in the back
shed, teach Mr Green to tap dance in order to secure a promotion and
is a super secretary for Mr Green when the efficiency experts are
bought in to audit the office. Of course as with all Nanny Piggins
adventures, results are not necessarily as expected and often
outrageous, but always accompanied by chocolate, cake and icecream
and interspersed with episodes of 'The Young and the Irritable'.
Now, I'm afraid, it is time to take some of Nanny Piggins advice, so
off I go to make a chocolate cake and practice some 'transencakeal
meditation'!
Sue Keane
Hot blooded by N. Holder and D. Viguie
Random House, 2012. ISBN 9780857530721
(Age 13+) Paranormal Romance. Hot blooded, the sequel to
Unleashed, is the second volume in the Wolf Springs Chronicles. In
Volume one, Katelyn was bitten, and upon the full-moon... well
you know how it goes... lots of howling and hunting. The central
problem that begins Hot blooded, is Cordelia's banishment from the
werewolf clan for failing to report Katelyn's bite. The two girls
had been searching for a silver mine, guarded by the legendary Hell
Hound in the midst of a spate of fatal wild animal attacks in the
area.
For the most part, Katelyn seems to be to distracted from finding a
solution, considering she is the cause. Daily, Katelyn's new
werewolf urges draw her to Justin, who has been commanded by the
pack leader to train her in the ways of werewolves. Her desires are
only just reined in by her human side which remains truly smitten by
Trick, her human boyfriend. It is no wonder Katelyn has little time
to address Cordelia's intermittent pleas for rescue from a rival
pack, where she sought sanctuary.
With more dismembered tourists turning up and the Werewolves
vouching for each other, it seems there really is a Hell Hound.
Katelyn's nightmares recur and somehow hold the key but in this tome
there is more than one dropped thread, hopefully to be picked up in
later chronicles. There's certainly a lot of jealousy from the
'born' werewolves when Lee Fenner, the omnipotent pack leader,
realises Kat's exceptionality - her immunity to silver. After Fenner
refuses to forgive Cordelia, a violent feud threatens to decimate
the pack and a cliffhanger ending ensures that we'll have to read
volume three for a final body count.
Deborah Robins
