UQP, 2013. ISBN 9780702249761.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Fin is an average teenage boy who
lives with his parents and young brother Max in the Blue Mountains.
He likes Lucy Tenningworth and is just beginning to feel that he may
have a chance with her when he gets a phone call from his mother
telling him to buy all the water and non-perishable goods that he
can and to get home with Max as soon as possible. The next morning
he wakes up to a different world; there is black snow everywhere,
the electricity is out, internet is gone and his mother can't be
reached and his father has gone off with his new wife. Fin and Max
must learn to fend for themselves in this strange new world with its
threat of nuclear war.
This is a very exciting book that clearly shows what it would be
like to live without all the things that we take for granted. As
food supplies begin to dwindle and people get sick, Fin finds that
he has to take on an adult role and care for Max. I really liked the
character of Fin, who tells the story from his point of view. He is
funny and thoughtful, caring and understands his short comings. He
is the one who realises that the black snow is dangerous and won't
let Max touch it. He has to raid the local grocery store for food
and fend off people who want to take the few resources that he has.
Zorn is very clever in the way that she gets her characters to
explore not only what it is like to face a devastated world, but
also the characteristics like resilience and optimism that are
necessary to survive. Other major themes are racism, bullying,
suicide, the existence of God, corruption of power and whether
violence is ever acceptable.
Other characters like Noll and Lucy feel realistic as does the
setting of the small town that is inundated with snow with roads
closed and people isolated. The perils that the little group face on
their road trip to Sydney seeking Fin's mother and safety is vividly
written. The attitude of those who have food and water, and their
closing down the roads into Sydney and refusing to let people
through gives the reader the opportunity to see what it would be
like to be an asylum seeker and be refused refuge.
This is a thrilling read and will appeal to those who enjoyed Tomorrow,
when the war began by John Marsden. It would also make a great
literature circle or class novel as not only does it contain many
themes that could be discussed, it is also well written and
enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Pat Pledger
Steppin' with Benji Marshall by David Riley
Auckland, New Zealand: Studio Q, 2013. ISBN 9780473247010.
Reading Age 12-14. Subjects: Rugby Football. Sports Personalities.
Sports. Outdoor Recreation. Self-Awareness. Self-Esteem. Maori
Culture.
David Riley is a New Zealand secondary school teacher who is
passionate about encouraging students to excel in sport, drama and
reading. His website Reading
Warrior encourages secondary students to becoming part of the
Reading Warrior Tribe. Steppin' with Benji Marshall is the inspirational story of a
Maori boy who has overcome many challenges in his family and school
life on his journey to become a world class rugby league player.
'As a young Maori boy from a small town, my life shows that anything
is possible.
If I can do it, then so can you! Dreams come true.' Benji Marshall
Riley's enthusiasm for the sport is evident, in his fast-paced style
of writing, in the way football skills are explained and even in the
book's layout. Different font styles, lowercase heading and plenty
of exclamation points are interspersed with full page photographs
and additional facts to engage the reader's interest. 'Here's how it
went down' is a popular phrase throughout the book leading to match
play by play descriptions. Benji's schooling in Australia and his
games against his home country are challenges he faces and overcomes
with strength of spirit. Benji becomes a Mozzie, a Maori living in
Australia.
This is a great sports biography suited for fans of football, suited
for high-interest lower reading age students.
Rhyllis Bignell
Penguin on holiday by Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781408839072.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Picture book. Holidays. Penguins. Friendship.
With Penguin and pinecone (2012) Yoon subtly displayed all
the aspects of friendship in a strangely moving tale of a Penguin
searching for his friend Pinecone. Here she has reprised a similar
theme, with Penguin deciding that he needs a holiday and so leaving
on his ice flow for a holiday place north of where he lives.
In reading, children will recognise the need for going somewhere
different from where they live now, see how people prepare for their
holidays, and read something about different places having different
things to offer.
Once he arrives at the beach, Penguin finds he cannot do the things
he would have done at home. He cannot sledge or skate or ski on the
hot sand, and so is disappointed. But Crab takes him in hand to show
him what he can do on this beach, where it is hot and sandy.
Together the two make sandcastles, swim, climb a coconut tree and
play together until it is time for Penguin to go back home. While
heading south he notices that he has a passenger, and finds Crab. He
needs a holiday as well, and returns with Penguin to his home.
This is a disarming tale of friendship, as the two quite dissimilar
beings help each other enjoy their time away from home. Children
will laugh at the antics of Penguin expecting to be able to do the
same things on his holiday, and at the oddity of a penguin doing
beachy things. Teachers and parents will be able to use this book on
many levels, discussing not only change and difference, but
holidays, what to expect when away from home, friendship and even
the concept of north and south.
Fran Knight
Endgame by Gabrielle Lord
Black Ops Trilogy, Book 3, Conspiracy 365.
Scholastic, 2013.
(Age: 12-15) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Spies,
Conspiracies, Intelligence Organisations, Mysteries, Twins. Endgame is the final book in Gabrielle Lord's Black Ops
trilogy taking Cal and his friends on another fast-paced,
action-packed rollercoaster ride across the world. After so many
adventures the teenagers break out from Shadow Island, escape a
volcanic eruption, dodge a massive shark attack, finally arriving
home for a short term rest. At SI6 Headquarters the team meet to
discuss an extremely evil plan devised by Dr. Damien Thoroughgood.
He is the megalomaniac who seeks power and domination over everyone
else - utilising new robotic inventions and the Mordred key computer
virus to achieve his goals. Cal is forced to under-take a criminal
mission to save his kidnapped twin. Once again the clock is ticking
down and Cal is running out of time.
The novel is set out in a diary format with the page numbers
reversed counting down until the Damien's plans are carried out by
the mudbots injecting the computer virus and causing monumental
havoc. Gabrielle Lord's tech-savvy inventions, biological weapons
and robotic monsters add drama and danger to the journey of the
team. The lenticulated 3D cover is a great lead in to the novel.
Lord's loyal readership will be saddened to learn that this is the
last novel in Cal's adventures according to the author's website.
This is a great climax to Cal and his friends' adventures and is a
highly recommended read for 12-15 year olds.
Rhyllis Bignell
How do you burp in space? And other tips every space tourist needs to know by Susan E. Goodman
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2013. ISBN 9781599900681.
(Age: 8 +) The dream of space tourism may soon be realised. If those
who are keen to venture into the unknown consult a travel agent
before they leave, the guidance they receive may resemble the
information in How do you burp in space? And other tips every
space tourist needs to know.
The familiar format of a travel brochure has been maintained
throughout the book, which offers useful tips about topics such as
accommodation and dining as well as travel alerts and suggestions
for sightseeing. The information has been selected to appeal to
children, who will be intrigued to find out why fizzy drinks can
have unfortunate consequences for space travellers and how fruit
juice can be drunk with chopsticks. Embedded in the light-hearted
advice are descriptions of the experiences of astronauts, and
explanations of phenomena such as microgravity and wormholes. The
text is addressed directly to the reader in an informal,
conversational style. It includes a glossary, suggested reading list
and index, and is generously illustrated with cartoons, diagrams and
photographs. References to American culture will be familiar to most
children outside the United States but those who have issues with
vision, including colour discrimination, may be challenged by the
consistent use of white text on blue and black backgrounds.
Susan E. Goodman's 'infotainment' is both engaging and informative.
Younger readers can enjoy planning their hypothetical journeys while
learning about some of the more complex aspects of space science.
They may laugh when daily life beyond the Earth's atmosphere seems
absurd but will also ponder the words of Alan Shepherd, who was
moved to tears when he stood on the Moon and looked back at the
Earth.
Elizabeth Bor
Davy and the Duckling by Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas
Penguin/Viking, 2013. ISBN 9780670075614.
When the baby duck first hatched, the first thing it saw was Davy,
and a lifelong bond was created. No matter what Davy did or where he
went, there was the duckling, his constant companion. And Davy was
very happy to be its substitute mother, looking after it so well
even when it was no longer a duckling. It was there when Davy did
his homework, and when his best friend moved away and he needed
company. And when the duck was very old and his quack was croaky,
Davy still looked after it. And a whole new cycle began.
Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas have created the most beautiful
picture book about love and caring and enduring friendship. Theirs
is an inspired partnership and the book has a textual and graphic
richness that only artists at the pinnacle of their professions can
produce. From the front cover to the back there are opportunities to
talk about a host of things as you share this book, and it would be
worth including the teachers'
notes with it as a model of the sorts of things parents could
do to extend the boundaries of the book and enrich this literature
learning experience for their child. Or hold a parent participation
evening and model its possibilities yourself.
This book will open up the door for children to a new time of
delicious delight. Their belief in the magic of the written word
will be reinforced.
Barbara Braxton
Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn by Belinda Murrell
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Random House Australia. ISBN 9781742758756.
pbk., 86pp., RRP $A9.95.
Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn is the first in a new series by
Belinda Murrell for young girls who are verging on being independent
readers and looking for a novel which features a young heroine just
like them. Lulu Bell is just eight, the practical one in a family
that includes her six-year-old sister Rosie, who loves wearing angel
wings and sparkly shoes; her three-year-old brother Gus who always
wears his superhero suit; her dad, a busy vet and her mum, an
artist- not to mention a menagerie of pets.
It is Rosie's birthday and everyone is ready for the party. But just
before the guests arrive, disaster strikes as little brother Gus
lets a wayward pony into the kitchen. Suddenly, there is no mermaid
birthday cake and it is way too late to get another one from the
bakery. But practical, thoughtful Lulu has a solution as well as a
surprise that turns the pony from villain to hero. And with a guest
appearance by King Neptune, Rosie's day is complete.
Barbara Braxton
Big red kangaroo by Claire Saxby
Ill. by Graham Byrne. Walker Books, 2013. ISBN 9781921270420.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Kangaroos. Using
charcoal and digital media, Byrne replicates the image of one big
red kangaroo across each page, showing his proportions, stance,
agility and habits for every child who picks up this book. The spare
prose story of this kangaroo, accompanied by non fiction paragraphs
of information will lead readers to gaining a multi layered
appreciation of the survival of this most recognisable of
Australia's marsupials.
The tale follows the life of one big red, head of his mob, leading
his females and joeys to places where food can be found, to shelter
from the wind and occasional rain, while keeping his position as the
leader from younger rivals. Each segment of his life is paralleled
by small paragraphs of information in italics augmenting what is
happening in the story. Readers will have three levels of interest,
one in the amazing illustrations, one in the story and the other
with the information. Each is engrossing and adds to the students'
knowledge of these animals and their habitat.
The illustrations show a vast almost featureless land inhabited by
the kangaroos. Few other animals or birds exist in this bleak,
waterless desert, with the spare use of reds and browns underscoring
its harshness. At night, when most action occurs, the night sky is
an amazing background to their foraging, and the rising moon a
spectacular backdrop to his inevitable challenge by a younger male.
This is a most satisfying read, one that gives more the more it is
read and pondered, entertaining, informative and thought provoking
as readers scan the images and read the print.
More information is given at the end of the book, a brief index
allows students to find information for themselves, and these are
followed by information about the author and illustrator. A
worthy purchase for any library.
Fran Knight
Girls, goddesses and giants by Lari Don
Ill. by Francesca Greenwood. A & C Black, 2013. ISBN
9781472903068. Hardcover, 128 pages.
(Age: 8-10) Highly recommended. Subjects: Heroines, Goddesses,
Myths, Legends, Courage, Women in Mythology. Lari Don is a popular
Scottish children's novelist. Her first collection of myths and
legends is a celebration of feisty, smart heroines from around the
world. She is also a storyteller and her strong narrative voice
makes each tale a great read-aloud. 'I've spent years searching for
authentic old stories with girls who fight their own battles,' she
comments in her author notes.
The front cover is bold introduction to the text with Francesca
Greenwood's eye-catching red silhouette of a sword-wielding girl
fighting a pale orange dragon surrounded by stylised flowers. Strong
black paper cut images lead into each tale and black flowery line
drawings are included as decorations as well. These strong
statements really contrast with the current pastel fairy and
princess series and collections.
The collection of twelve short stories is drawn from different
cultures including Greek, Indian, Norse and Cameroonian. These pit a
strong central girl character against all kinds of evil from demons,
monsters, and wolves to sea serpents. They use their courage,
kindness, wiliness, intelligence and special abilities to save
themselves and their tribes.
In Innana and the Box of Monsters, the goddess outwits her
uncle Enki, stealing all his treasures. On her journey home she
successfully fights fifty two monsters including the blue
wild-haired enkum. The retelling of an early version of Red
Riding Hood has quite a surprise ending.
I highly recommend this book for readers from 8-10 years of age.
This is a great resource for English, exploring narrative stories.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Extraordinary Mr Qwerty by Karla Strambini
Walker Books Australia, 2013. 32 pages. Hardcover. RRP: $27.95.
(Age 5-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Imagination, Creativity,
Individuality, Inventions.
'There once was a man called Norman Qwerty . . . who ideas were far
from ordinary.'
Mr Norman Qwerty is an imaginative man who worries that his ideas
are a little strange, so he hides them under his large bowler hat.
Mr Qwerty's home workshop is jam-packed with his inventions from
wind-up egg cups and mouse traps, there are pulleys and levers
everywhere and six-fingered model hands holding pencils to catch his
new ideas. There are so many wonderful things to explore on each
spread, the striped zippered giraffe suit, the toaster warming socks
and so much more is waiting to be discovered. When Mr Qwerty
ventures out in the world, everyone else seems grey, bland and they
think differently. Of course he's mistaken and each person really
has wonderfully unique thought processes shown visually like
carousels, scientific experiments, hot air balloons all emerging
from their hats. When his inventions finally grow so big and his
world changes, he discovers that he is not alone and the world is
not the same.
Karla Strambini's unique black and white scribbled, cross-hatched
pencil illustrations with small spots of red or blue colour are
outstanding. They add a rich depth of meaning to the simple yet
powerful text. They emphasize the emotions of loneliness,
creativity, individuality and acceptance.
I would highly recommend this book for readers from 5 to 7 years old
and for classes from Reception to Year 7! This book is a wonderful
read aloud, the simple narrative balanced by the complexity of the
illustrations. This book is great for Science - simple machines and
as a springboard into art activities and design in technology. A
great teacher's
guide is available from Walker Books that includes the
interesting development of the story and illustrations.
Rhyllis Bignell
Sailmaker by Rosanne Hawke
UQP, 2013. ISBN 9780702249723.
(Age: 11-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Step-parents and
stepchildren, ADHD, Belonging, Ghosts, Family, Friendship, Mystery
Fiction.
Rosanne Hawke's Sailmaker is the second fast-paced adventure
story in this trilogy that started with The Keeper and
concludes with the publication of the Killer Ute in 2013.
With this first person narrative, the reader sees the world through
Joel's eyes as continues to struggle with his medication and ADHD,
his family relationships and friendships. He is a believable teenage
character who is struggling with his own self confidence and
self-control.
The mystery Joel and his friend Mei set out to solve involves a
lighthouse ghost, an abandoned tinny and an escaped prisoner.
Rosanne Hawke uses the setting of the coastal town, the elemental
sea and the nearby island with its bird sanctuary and iron
lighthouse to effectively underpin Joel's adventures. There are many
appropriate metaphors used to develop the reader's understanding of
Joel, he calls his problems with his biological father a shark of
his own to deal with.
Joel's relationship with his foster father Dev Eagle is still
undergoing some difficult patches causing some anxiety as well. Vern
Solomon, the sailmaker and bird sanctuary caretaker who lives on the
island provides sage advice and sanctuary during the storm. Rosanne
Hawke's adds Dev's sister, problems with his biological mother Zoe
and his druggie ex-con father Scott into the mix. School life with
its dramas, bullying and illness management is realistically
portrayed. Sailmaker was a CBCA Notable book in 2003 and this reprinting
introduces Joel to a new generation of readers. I would highly
recommend this series for readers from 11 to 14. They are excellent
for a class read-aloud and for reluctant teenage boy readers.
Rhyllis Bignell
Stung by Bethany Wiggins
Bloomsbury, 2013. ISBN 9781408840665.
(Age: Older teens) Stung is an all-star, action packed novel written
by author Bethany Wiggins that creates an aura of adrenaline and
excitement for the reader who gets hooked by this elaborate
masterpiece. The twists in the plot gives a sense of mystery and
suspicion and keeps the reader guessing while they enjoy life-like
dialogue between characters and realistic situations that the
characters find themselves in. A book best suited for older
teenagers rather than younger teens due to some themes included,
these themes may confuse younger readers.
Fiona wakes up in the middle of disaster; the people she loves are
missing, her house is a ruin and she has physically aged by a few
years. This is what happens when life as you know it is plunged into
chaos . . . Over bees. Waking up, she finds a strange tattoo on her
hand and something moving in her house as well as a lack of
memories. Making an escape, she walks out into a brand new world.
Houses are deserted and the people she knew have either changed or
disappeared. Finding confidence in an old friend, Fiona tries to
understand what has happened to her, her family and friends and the
place she grew up.
This is a twist of a novel and I can't wait for the sequel to be
published; I thank the author for a brilliant read that kept me
excited and addicted to the very last page.
Sarah Filkin
The Frog Who Lost His Underpants by Juliette MacIver
Ill. by Cat Chapman. Walker, 2013. ISBN: 9781921977893.
Recommended for 4-6 year olds. Subjects: Frogs - Fiction, Underwear,
Stories in rhyme, Jungles, Problem Solving.
Juliette MacIver's rhyming picture is an adaptation of a favourite
children's action rhyme Round and round the garden, like a teddy
bear. The teddy bear is walking through the jungle kicking up
the lakka leaves when he meets an orange-spotted jungle frog. The
small frog ask Teddy for help he needs to find his stolen underpants
to regain his dignity. Their search takes them deep in the jungle
and they encounter little chimpanzee and Mr. Elephant who join in
the hunt for the missing item of clothing. The resolution to the
problem with the clever use of jungle materials will be enjoyed by
the young reader.
Cat Chapman's busy paintings fill the double page spreads, with the
rich green jungle background and the funny antics of the jungle
animals in the foreground. The frogs fighting over the underpants is
a fun close-up showing a range of emotions from happy to determined.
Juliette's rhyming text is fun to read aloud and students soon pick
up the pattern and join in. There are some tricky words like dignity
and distraught that are great words for discussion.
A Teacher's Guide is available
.
Rhyllis Bignell
Reboot by Amy Tintera
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743315507.
(Ages: 13+) Lacking the revolutionary struggles of the constrained
society in Divergent, and the badassery and depth of
character development of June in Legend, I found Reboot
by Amy Tintera to be lackluster in comparison. It's already been
optioned for a movie by Fox and is receiving rave reviews
everywhere, but unfortunately, I couldn't see the appeal.
The concept of Rebooted humans who wake up minutes after their death
stronger, faster, and with healing abilities, is appealing and
unique. Those who wake up sooner after their death are more attuned
to their human emotions than those who woke up later. Wren, who woke
up 178 minutes after her death, is the perfect soldier. She takes a
new student under her wing, Callum (or number 22) who is closer to
human than most. He's weak, emotional, and is going to be a problem
. . . at least when it comes to HARC, who trains the Reboots to
extract or assassinate humans.
Wren, as a main character, was inconsistent. Because she rebooted so
long after her death, she's cold, emotionless, basically lacking
human emotion. When she meets Callum, she is attracted to him
physically, but sees him as weak as he is governed by his emotions.
Instead of falling in love with Callum's human traits, she pretty
much mimics him towards the end - giggling, laughing and kissing -
not the emotionless soldier we believed she was.
While Wren is the perfect soldier, Callum is weak, can't bring
himself to harm or kill humans, won't follow orders, and is always
crying in the book. The chemistry seems forced between the two and
we're lead to believe this non-complimentary couple is good for each
other.
The world building was also poor. We don't know how or why people
are rebooting and the book doesn't go into detail about the nature
of the environment they are living in. Instead of fleshing it out,
the plot became wholly focused on the romance. Reboot is action packed with a great concept, but overall, I
think there are much better dystopians out there.
Jeann Wong
Welcome to my country by Laklak Burarrwanga and family
Allen and Unwin, 2013. ISBN 9781743313961.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This is a beautiful book. Laklak and
her sisters invite you in to learn about Yolngu country and culture
in northeast Arnhem Land - country that many people may know only as
the land of Yothu Yindi, the famous Aboriginal band with their songs
Treaty and Djapana Sunset Dreaming. Laklak explains that in
Yolngu culture, yothu yindi means mother-child, a relationship that
is core to their beliefs and part of the land as well, like the web
of Dhuwa and Yirritja moieties that weave and hold everyone and
everything together. With each chapter we learn a little more -
about water, the six seasons, collecting and sharing food, the
counting system, astronomy and space, justice and peace,
relationships and warnings.
Each chapter starts with a conversation from Laklak to the reader,
describing the season, and inviting you to join in whatever activity
is happening at the time. Each chapter also has a story that
illustrates and adds meaning to the lesson learnt. We learn the
history as well - of the early relationship with the Macassan
traders from Indonesia, the struggle for recognition of land rights,
and the creation of the Bark Petition now hanging in Parliament
House, Canberra.
The book is written simply in a conversational style, the font is
large and there are many attractive coloured photographs, but this
is not a simple book. Although the early chapters might be shared
with a younger audience, the lessons become increasingly complex,
and a later chapter deals with the serious issue of forbidden sexual
relationships.
There are layers upon layers of knowledge, like peeling the layers
of a paperbark tree. As Laklak says, 'For Yolngu, knowledge is told
in context, at the right time and to the appropriate audience. If
you are reading this, it is the right time for you to learn'.
For me, I feel I could read it over again, and begin to understand a
bit more with each reading. This invitation to country provides an
insight into a wonderfully rich and complex culture that stands
proud and strong, offering to share knowledge and go forward in a
two-ways learning exchange.
Helen Eddy
