Penguin Books, 2011. ISBN 9780143567516.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) All That I Am is an
Australian multi-award winning novel. It doesn't wear its learning
lightly. It tells an important story, based heavily on fact, about
the emergence of Hitler; the terrifying reach of the Nazis inside
Germany and further afield; and the refusal of Germany and other
countries to recognise, let alone curb, evil. The characters are
from history and fiction. Anna Funder uses the tools of the novelist
to embellish the historical figures such as playwright Ernst Toller,
particularly in the details of his everyday life, words and
feelings. There is much information to impart, which can make the
storytelling suffer, but the narrative devices of dual narrators
assist this. There are two character narrators, but four voices.
Ruth is an overlooked Jew who is glad she isn't beautiful because
she can observe others without being looked at herself. She is
married to handsome Hans and is Dora's cousin. We hear Ruth's voice
as a young woman escaping from the Nazis and working for the
Resistance in London. We also know her as an old woman living in
Sydney. Toller is the other narrator. We hear his voice both during
the turbulent events of the Nazi ascendancy and later, when he is
rewriting his memoirs.
I wasn't immersed in the book until halfway through, possibly
because of the changing voices. Once into the story, though, I was
absorbed. It's an authorial dilemma - provide information through
multiple narrators but risk not creating a strong enough character
to ease the reader into the story. Probably the main character,
certainly the heroine, is courageous, intelligent Dora Fabian - a
historical figure, who devoted her life to making other aware of the
truth.
Funder has wisely avoided the well-trodden paths of dwelling on the
physical escapes from Germany, including Ruth's. She has a political
and emotional focus.
As a supplement to modern history, this novel is very worthwhile;
it's just a shame many students will find it difficult to access.
Joy Lawn
Ruby Redfort: Take your last breath by Lauren Child
HarperCollins, 2012, 400 pgs., h/b. ISBN: 9780007334087.
(Age: 9-14) Recommended. Take your last breath is the second book in
the Ruby Redfort series, written by Lauren Child, bestselling author
of the Clarice Bean series. Ruby Redfort is an undercover
secret agent and a very smart 13 year old kid, who cracks codes and
solves puzzles. At the beginning of the book, Ruby is
attending a dive camp. During her training, Ruby finds she
struggles to hold her breath for very long which may prove to be
vital in this adventure which takes part on and in the ocean.
Strange things start to happen in Ruby's seaside town of Twinford.
Lots of unusual ocean activity, including sea creatures attacking
people and a secret agent diver washing up dead on the beach.
What is going on? Ruby and her team are on the case, along
with her loyal best friend Clancy, who is a good friend, but useless
in an emergency. One episode in the book was a little
unrealistic, otherwise an excellent mystery which was easy to
read. I would recommend this book in the Resource Centre for
9-14 year olds.
Michelle Thomson
Fire Engine is Flashing by Mandy Archer
Ill. by Martha Lightfoot. Busy Wheels series. Scholastic ISBN:
9781742835105.
(Ages: 3-6) This is a simple story of what happens at the fire
station before the alarm starts ringing right up until the point
where the fire engine and crew drive back to the station. The fire
engine is personified ('Fire Engine' rather than the fire engine)
and the story is lightened by containing cartoon foxes rather than
people. Told in a simple yet engaging fashion with an interesting
story Fire Engine is Flashing is great at introducing some
of the technical language and concepts of fire fighting in a fun
way. These terms are in highlighted print and the illustrations help
the reader to understand these new terms through clear, bold
pictures. The text uses proper terms that may be unfamiliar to young
children but which are used regularly in the everyday vernacular and
will quickly become meaningful in the context of their lives. They
also provide opportunities for rich discussions around synonyms with
the inclusions of words such as 'wail', for labelling things around
them such as 'hydrant' and for discussing the specific equipment
used by fire fighters such as 'air-tank'.
The story engages the reader by telling the story in a fast paced
way without detailed description or explanation. It also contains
lots of sounds that young children will love to mimic and strives to
involve the reader and get them to feel the emotion and harried pace
of the adventure by directing text at them such as 'Fire Engine is
ready to go! Hurry, hurry!' and 'There's not a second to lose!'. The
last few pages of the book contain a labelled diagram of Fire Engine
complete with terms such as 'breathing apparatus' and labelled
pictures of other emergency vehicles. While the illustration of the
fire engine is fairly similar to an Australian fire engine the other
vehicles are dissimilar. Overall a pleasant book that will delight
young children, especially the myriad who love machines and
emergency vehicles.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
School for princes by Jamila Gavin
Sub-title: Stories from the Panchatantra. Francis Lincoln Children's
Books, 2012. ISBN 9781845079901.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Imagine a collection of fables with a back
story. A king finds a wise teacher to guide his arrogant,
irresponsible sons to maturity. The old man recounts fables in order
to teach the young princes how to be responsible rulers who
understand that everyone is deserving of respect.
Jamila Gavin has chosen five stories from The Panchatantra, a
collection of fables from the Peacock City of Tamil Nardu in
southern India. Like the fables of Aesop and La Fontaine, these
stories have morals and focus on the interactions between animals.
However, unlike their pithy European counterparts, they are more
like short stories, rich in detail and emotion. The characters
engage in life and death struggles as they discover which values
enhance life and which lead to loss and destruction.
The teacher is Visnu Sarma, believed to be the originator of the
fables, but his patient tutelage of the young princes is fiction.
Jamila Gavin has written five stories of her own to explain how the
young men gain wisdom. Her creation of Preeta, a village girl,
assists the teacher in his task, as she provides the princes with
insights into the lives of their future subjects. The literary
device is so successful that many readers will overlook the
interweaving of stories created more than 2000 years apart. Although
the writing style is redolent of traditional tales the world over,
the powerful dialogues and vivid descriptions are the work of a
gifted story teller.
Bee Willey's illustrations for the narrative are lively, stylised
depictions of the people and their region, but the fables themselves
are accompanied with simple line drawings. Changes in the background
colours of the pages further emphasise the interweaving of the old
stories with the new.
Although School for princes provides a fascinating introduction to
the traditions of Tamil Nardu, the princes' learning journey is one
that will be recognised and enjoyed by readers from all cultures and
all walks of life.
Elizabeth Bor
There was an old bloke who swallowed a bunny! by P. Crumble
Ill. by Louis Shea. Scholastic, 2013. RRP $13.95. ISBN
9781742831602.
Recommended Reading Ages 2-6. This is another rollicking rhyme by P.
Crumble that follows the much-loved format of There was an Old
Lady who swallowed a fly. This time the old bloke is back on the
farm looking for another tasty meal filled with animals that are
quite hard to swallow. Each page ends with the cry of 'Crikey,
that's funny'. This is a great read-aloud encouraging young
readers from 2-6 to join in with the accumulative text.
Louis Shea's wildly colourful illustrations both in the farm
yard and in the bloke's tummy, add a great comic dimension to the
text. These include, the old bloke's one-tooth mouth, creative
disguises and devious determination to catch and consume a variety
of farm animals from a bunny to a cow.
This fun rhyming story adds to the collection of P. Crumble stories
including: There was an old lady who swallowed a star and There was
an old lady who swallowed a mozzie!
Pre-school and Reception students could use this as a model for
writing a class or individual texts. This is a good resource for
Drama and Poetry as well, a springboard into performing for Junior
Primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell
Media muscle: Body image and the media for guys by Lisa Cox
Wombat Books, 2012. 39 p.
(Age: teen) This is the second book by young Australian author Lisa
Cox and continues her interest in adolescents developing a positive
body image. Her first book Does my bum look big in this ad?
(2010) challenged stereotypes of female beauty in the media and
aimed to promote self-esteem among young women. Media muscle concentrates on an adolescent male audience. Its
goal is to tackle body image pressure on young males and to promote
in them a positive body image, in particular trying to combat the
unrealistic images of young men in magazine ads. As she states, it
is truly unrealistic what Photoshop can do! This book explains
simply how the media industry works in popular culture and suggests
ways to critically evaluate, what is being presented to the
reader/listener/viewer.
Having read both of Lisa Cox's books, I think that this one shows
clear development in her writing and presentation skills. She has
also consulted widely with psychologists, teachers and a health
professional to enhance the credibility of the content. Media muscle is a slight publication, which reads like a
pamphlet or blog. It is a paperback and strongly bound with quality,
glossy paper.
There are small, cartoon-like colour illustrations and a section
called 'Something to think about' at the end of 5 of the 7 chapters.
For example, at the end of Chapter Two: 'List three things you like
about yourself . . . if they are physical, why do you like those
parts of your body?'(p.17) Also included are Contents and
Acknowledgements, but no Index.
This publication would be suitable for a secondary school library or
the teen collection in a public library, as a useful resource to
develop media literacy and a positive body image in young people.
Margaret Strickland
Spinifex mouse by Norma MacDonald
Magabala. 2013. ISBN 978 1921248801
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Australian animals. Aboriginal themes.
Cheeky the spinifex mouse loves to party. He loves to display his
skills, whirling and twirling, somersaulting, and cartwheeling,
showing off his skills to his brothers and sisters who were not
nearly as agile as he. Each morning when his family returned from
foraging for food, he sneaks out to practise his skills, but in
moving further away from his burrow, puts himself in danger.
Both the brown snake and the eagle spy the little spinifex mouse as
their next feed.
Cheeky stops by the spinifex grass and eats some of the seed left by
the people who collect it to make damper, and while he is there the
brown snake comes closer. Slowed down by the seeds in his belly, the
mouse is almost taken by the snake, but the eagle swoops and has him
in his talons. Luckily he is able to escape both predators and
return to his burrow a wiser little animal.
The illustrations in line and water colour reflect the Australian
desert environment, and will be enjoyed by younger readers, although
several seemed oddly static.
The lessons taught by this parable are all too obvious and children
will duck with Cheeky as the eagle swoops and tell Cheeky about the
snake. They will love talking of near misses and what they should do
in similar circumstances. They will easily learn much about the
Australian bush and its occupants, and assimilate some lessons about
the Aboriginal people who use the land.
Fran Knight
My totally awesome story by Pat Flynn and Peter Carnavas
University of Queensland Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-7022-4947-1. My Totally Awesome Story was a great book to read. It was
like a Diary of a Wimpy Kid because the story lines were
very similar and would appeal to the same audience. It is about
Duane who plays football and likes motorbike riding. His best friend
are Meatbal and Chase who is a cute girl.
The story is about Duane in his English class where he is trying to
write a story for the teacher. This is where the title come from: My
Totally Awesome Story. The teacher asked Duane to do a writing
activity like Homework Journal. Pat Flynn the author has done
workshops with the kids all over Australia for the past ten years as
material to make up the story. It teaches them how to write their
own Totally Awesome story. Pat has slipped truckloads of writing
tips and ideas into the book. After playing around with some ideas
that were just a bit too polished, he made the decision to switch to
drawing with his left hand so it look like it was Duane's age - what
a great idea.
Tyson Brown (student)
Another life by Keren David
Frances Lincoln, 2012. 340 pgs., p/b. ISBN: 9781847802866.
(Age: 14+) Another life is the third and final book in a series
after When I was Joe and Almost true. This follow-up
takes you on an adventure through London's gangland and is told in
the first person mainly by 14 year old Archie, with additional first
person input by his 16 year old cousin Ty. Archie is sick of being
sent away to expensive boarding schools because his parents are away
a lot with work. So when he manages to get himself expelled from yet
another boarding school, he couldn't be happier to find himself back
in London with his old friends. Being in London also puts Archie
closer to his cousin Ty who he is worried about. Ty has been in
hiding since witnessing a murder by a big criminal family. Now Ty is
facing a 12 week sentence in a Young Offenders Institution for
carrying an offensive weapon and he is worried about who might be
waiting for him at the prison. After visiting Ty a few times in
prison, Archie decides to go on a mission to try and learn more
about his cousin. Did Ty have another life? Is Ty a traitor, a liar,
a murderer? Archie begins to learn surprising things about Ty's
past.
This is a well written book about gang culture which gets more
exciting as it nears its conclusion. Due to some instances of
violence, under age drinking and drug taking, I would recommend this
book in the Resource Centre for readers 14+.
Michelle Thomson
Eloise by Judy Finnigan
Little, Brown, 2012, 369 pgs., p/b. ISBN: 9781847445520.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Eloise died from breast cancer, no
big mystery there, or is there? Eloise is the debut novel from Judy
Finnigan, a television presenter, columnist and Book Club founder.
Cathy felt there was something wrong about her best friend, Eloise's
death. Although Eloise had been terminally ill with breast cancer
her death was still very sudden. She was well on the morning of her
death. However, as Eloise had been terminally ill with cancer there
seemed no need for a post mortem. Juliana, Eloise's mum, also thinks
her daughter's sudden death was strange. The two were very close and
Eloise would have wanted her mother with her when this happened.
Juliana also thought Ted, Eloise's husband was a gold digger. Eloise is set in Cornwall, England and it is only when she is
back in Cornwall that Eloise haunts Cathy. Cathy has disturbing
dreams and nightmares almost every night and in her dreams, Eloise
is begging Cathy to protect her 5 year old twin daughters. When
Cathy tells Chris, her psychiatrist husband about her suspicions, he
thinks Cathy is being delusional. Because Cathy had been diagnosed
with mental health problems in the past, Chris believes she is
losing her grip on reality again.
I found this book an easy and captivating read. The setting in
Cornwall, especially the Moors provided an excellent mysterious and
eerie atmosphere for this story. I would recommend this book to
people who like supernatural mysteries.
Michelle Thomson
I love you too by Stephen Michael King
Scholastic, 2013. ISBN 9781742834979.
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Picture book. Relationships. Two dogs, an
insect and a mouse prance and play throughout the book, laughing,
singing, dancing and tumbling. They sweep through the field of
flowers, having a great time, until a down side occurs; they all
begin to sneeze. But we are told, it matters not a jot if the world
has blue or grey skies, because the friends all love each other.
Next the quartet is shown trying to fly a kit on a windy day. The
wind gusts and squalls, ending with the line tangled around the
bigger dog. All wrapped up, again, it matters little, because they
all love each other and help each other out in times of need, and
the refrain, 'You love me and I love you too', is repeated.
The last section of the book shows the friends having a fun time in
all sorts of weather, reiterating the theme that no matter what the
weather, or situation they love each other.
The beautiful illustrations complement the words, pursuing this
gentle theme with muted colours and line drawings, Each page draws
the eye to the colour and movement and small children will be
intrigued with the array of small details found on the pages.
Fran Knight
Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made by Stephan Pastis
Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 9781406339802.
Recommended. Mistakes were made introduces Timmy Failure, the
quirky, enterprising eleven year old, CEO of detective agency Total
Failure Inc. Apart from the name, Timmy's fledgling agency has many
obstacles to overcome: his partner Total a polar bear with a
penchant for eating from the clients' rubbish bins, Corporate
Headquarters sited in his mother's closet and later the hallway of
his apartment building, his mother, school, and best friend Rollo
Tokus who has his heart set on attending 'Stanfurd'.
Timmy is a confident and optimistic character always looking to the
future and sure of overcoming all obstacles and solving all cases,
from stolen Halloween candy to deceased hamsters. His rival in the
detective business, Corrina Corrina, is also involved as a suspect
in the theft of his mother's Segway, aka the Failuremobile.
Timmy's finest success is in saving the national education system by
taking on a case for the new teacher which involves finding him all
the information he needs to teach the class and has the side effect
of raising Timmy's grades from zero to B's along the way.
With the pen and ink cartoon illustrations, humorous easy to read
text and short sharp chapters, I can see Timmy being popular with
fans of the Wimpy Kid series. My favourite character, apart from the
irrepressible Timmy, is Flo the Librarian, whose looks and
reputation ensure his library is well respected and who 'reads books
on how to kill things', like To Kill a Mocking Bird whilst
supporting Timmy in odd ways.
Sue Keane
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 9780141335698.
(Age: 9+) Carter and Sadie Kane are descendents of the House of
Life, an Egyptian temple of magic. In The Red Pyramid and The Throne
of Fire, the Kanes learnt to command their unique abilities and
revived the sun god Ra, a worthy opponent to the god of chaos,
Apophis. In the third and final installment of this electrifying
trilogy, Apophis is hell bent on bringing forth the end of days, and
the Kanes have a limited amount of time to defeat the god of Chaos
himself and save mankind.
Following on from the Percy Jackson phenomenon about Greek gods and
their offspring, The Kane Chronicles breathes life into the Egyptian
gods and goddesses. From an off-kilter exuberant hippopotamus
epitomising Hapi, the god of the Nile, and an incredibly feline and
agile female depicting Bast, the cat goddess, Riordan's creativity
shines as he interprets the quirks of these ancient beings. The Serpent's Shadow picks up where The Throne of Fire left off, as
Carter and Sadie discover an ancient spell that may defeat Apophis.
With magical abilities and an academy of magical students, these
siblings have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Told
through interchanging perspectives, we learn about Sadie's inner
turmoil between two boys, and Carter's insecurities about his role
as a leader.
It's the creativity and immensely imaginative world that Riordan has
created that's the focus here, and you'll be constantly entertained
with The Serpent's Shadow. Whether we're stumbling upon the next
Egyptian god, hearing from Sadie's ghostly mother, visiting the
underworld or seeing Carter turning into a falcon, The Serpent's
Shadow is full of surprises.
You'd definitely need to read the first two books of The Kane
Chronicles before delving into this one, as it's full steam ahead
from the first chapter. If you've read the Percy Jackson series and
you're hankering for more, or you simply love Egypt, this series
will not disappoint and you'll be wondering why it's just a trilogy.
Jeann Wong
No-bot: the robot with no bottom by Sue Hendra
Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9781471115653
(Age: 6+) Picture book. Body parts. Humour. When Bernard the robot
gets off the swing at the park, he realises that his bottom is
missing. He searches for his bottom, asking other animals he meets
for an answer to his question. Each has seen the pieces of Bernard's
bottom somewhere, and pass him on to the next animal to ask. In the
illustrations the reader sees the bottom being used for a variety of
things: a nest, drums, a flowerpot, a boat and a bucket for a sand
castle. Each time he is just too late to get back his bottom, but in
the end they are there for him to retrieve and replace on his body.
Humour abounds in this little story as the robot searches for his
bottom. The other animals that help him try their hardest, but it is
the robot which eventually finds what he is looking for. A story
which could be used as an introduction to talking about body parts,
or to defuse the anxiety some children feel about using the word
bottom, or simply to talk about searching for something until it is
found, asking friends for help, this book will find a place in
classrooms and homes.
Fran Knight
Never fall down by Patricia McCormick
Doubleday, 2012. ISBN 978 0 857 53221 3.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Boy soldiers. Children in war. For those who
recall McCormick's, Sold (2009) will understand that she does not
hold back in her descriptions of children in desperate situations
around the world. Sold shows a young naive girl sold into sexual
slavery in Nepal, and this shows a young boy, taken by the Khmer
Rouge and forced into being a soldier. Based on a true story, Never
fall down, will educate and inform as well as tell a story that
perhaps some will find hard to read. After extensive interviews with
the person on whose life the story is based, Arn, the tale is told
in short, clipped phrases seeming to emulate the speech of someone
new to speaking English. It makes the reading more abrupt and
interrupted, rather like the life of the young man in question.
In a village in Cambodia when the Khmer Rouge move in, we see first
hand what happened in that country when it is taken over by
fanatics. All who disapprove of their regime is killed: those who
are educated, those who hold official jobs, those who have money.
All killed. To survive, Arn learns to play music, learning
very quickly from one old man who, once his tutelage is finished, is
killed.
The boy moulds a small band at the Khmer Rouge instructions,
eventually realising that the reason for the music is to drown out
the noise of those being executed: usually by a hammer bow to the
head. Starvation and many deaths follow. as millions of villagers
are taken from their homes and forced into slave labour. The
young learn not to recognise people they know: they learn to keep a
mask on their faces telling their tormenters nothing. And if the
camps are not bad enough, when the Vietnamese Army moves west to
take Cambodia back from the Khmer Rouge, Arn, always thinking only
of survival, learns how to use a rifle and becomes a boy soldier to
live.
This is not an easy read, the brutality of the Khmer Rouge is
overwhelming, and the story is told in bare clipped prose that makes
it all the more real. Rescued from a refugee camp, Arn and several
others were taken to the USA by an unusual man, where he found life
most difficult, but in finding a place of safety, Arn Chorn-Pond
founded Children of War, an organisation which aims to help those
children whose lives have been uprooted by war, and now works with
Cambodian Living Arts, a group he again founded to encourage the few
musicians who survived the Khmer Rouge to pass on their knowledge.
Fran Knight
