Geronimo Stilton Series, bk 51. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN
9780545341035.
(Ages: 7-10) Highly recommended. This series is the most popular in
our library; the novels hardly spend any time on the shelf! Each
book is a fabumouse, fast-paced adventure featuring Geronimo Stilton
the editor of The Rodents' Gazette. The readers love the colourful
word-art, bright illustrations and cheesy puns.
This book stays true to type as Geronimo and his friends embark on
another exciting escapade. Petunia Pretty Paws an environmentalist
and TV reporter (who is Geronimo's crush), invites him to go scuba
diving in the South Mousific Ocean, staying on Shell Island.
Whilst diving for the first time, Geronimo discovers a giant blue
oyster with a huge glowing pearl inside. This leads to a rollicking
adventure with plenty of problems from the Provolone family. When
Geronimo publishes a special feature about the pearl in The Rodent's
Gazette more difficulties occur. Luckily Aunt Sweetfur, Benjamin and
Bugsy Wugsy help to save the day.
This series is a great for boosting the independent readers'
confidence. They are written in the first person making it easy to
empathise with Geronimo and his quirky character traits. He
sometimes lacks in self-belief and has a great support network of
friends and family. This book starts with a colourful illustration
of all of Geronimo Stilton's colleagues, family and friends in his
office at the Gazette and ends with a detailed map of Mouse Island.
I would highly recommend this book as a great addition to the
series. Reading them with a class can lead into some cheesetastic
learning activities: rebus stories, writing a new adventure for the
characters, mapping skills, develop class newsletters adding
different font styles and types as embellishment.
Rhyllis Bignell
Kicking and dreaming; a story of heart, soul, and rock and roll by A. and N. Wilson (with Charles R. Cross)
Harper Collins, New York. 2012. 279p.
(Senior secondary - adult) Autobiography. I have to confess that I
have no predilection for biography, where selected omissions can
invent an entirely different portrait. The travelogue of the two
sisters fronting American rock band Heart is penned by
Charles R. Cross but written as if alternating the voices of Ann and
Nancy Wilson. Kicking and Dreaming proves to be a typical name dropping
memoir and as such will appeal. A lifestyle of free love and drugs
seems glossed over and the girls surprisingly conservative, all
things considered. Whether any seamy events remain unselected or
not, these women share a strong sense of family - a lifelong
devotion to parents, siblings, childhood friends and to each other.
Yet both sisters despite their recurring insecurities about body
image, infertility and relationships; share a passion for music and
a dedication to the band they joined in Canada in 1972.
The most striking theme of the autobiography of the Wilson sisters,
is their exploration of sexism in their industry. Fame provides a
vehicle for Nancy, and Ann in particular, to confirm firsthand the
insidious male domination of Rock music both on-stage and off. Fully
aware that their performing and recording careers, though purporting
to be unconventional, directly reflected society in this respect;
the sisters nevertheless earned considerable respect as musicians,
lead vocalists, song writers and as co-authors. And on cue, almost
in affirmation, Heart will finally be inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2013. Only three bands fronted by
women have received the honour - Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac
and the Pretenders. Frequently lauded as an inspiration for more
well-known musicians, featured often in Rolling Stone magazine and
with 40 years of good record sales, this acknowledgement is
certainly overdue.
The alternating voices of Ann and Nancy Wilson keep the perspectives
fresh and the impression of autobiography credible. No 1 hits such
as Crazy on You, Barracuda and Magic Man are
impressive enough but anecdotes involving most of the great folk,
pop and rock musicians of our time maintain our interest, most
notably Elton John, Lynyrd Skynard, Pearl Jam and Paul McCartney. I
know one die-hard Led Zepplin fan on campus will be checking out
this one!
Deborah Robins
The Glass Forest by Andrew Peters
Chicken House, 2012. ISBN 9781906427474.
(Age: 12+) Arborium is a kingdom that exists in the towering
canopies of ancient trees, presided over by King Quercus and
protected from afar by Corwenna, Queen of the Ravens. Steeped in
ritual and tradition it is home to Ark, who despite being only
fourteen years old, has been bestowed with special powers which make
him the principal defender of Arborium. The kingdom is under threat
from Maw, an artificial, technology driven civilization
characterized by towering structures of glass and steel. Maw wants
Arborium because wood is a scarce and valuable commodity and whoever
controls the forests wields enormous financial and political power.
Ark and his friends become aware that Maw has developed highly
sophisticated weaponry which it plans to use to destroy the tree
dwellers. Ark and his trusty ally, Mucum decide to enter Maw as
spies to collect information which will enable them to thwart their
enemy. It is a highly dangerous mission and time is against them.
The envoy of Maw, Fenestra, is orchestrating the invasion and
invites senior officials for a briefing. Mucum is able to trick her
daughter, Randall, to plant a spying device but when they are
uncovered all three are in immediate danger. Will they make it back
to Arborium alive and how can they find a way to match the mighty
resources of Maw?
This book is a sequel to Ravenwood and will delight fans and
those who enjoy dystopian or alternate world fiction, such as Lord
of The Rings. It is exciting, fast paced and sophisticated.
Mucum provides tension relief with his comical banter and hints of a
special connection between Ark and Randall add another dimension to
the story which perhaps the author intends to explore in a further
book. Although the book stands alone, it would be worthwhile reading
the first one for greater background knowledge.
Tina Cain
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 9780143307334.
The life of Greg Heffley becomes complicated when a Valentine's Day
dance is organized for the middle school. He doesn't want to be the
only one without a partner because that would look really uncool.
Greg becomes preoccupied with ways to make himself seem more
attractive, but there are more boys than girls in his class and the
competition is fierce. Uncle Gary tries to dispense some helpful
advice but Mum seems intent on humiliating him in front of
classmates. Greg and his best mate Rowley decide to accompany
Abigail to the dance as a group date but Greg is secretly confident
she will be his partner before the night is out. This is
one of a popular series for upper primary children, written in a
warm, easy to read
style. Every page has entertaining illustrations that break up the
text making reading a less daunting experience for the reluctant
reader. Children will be able to relate to the dilemmas Greg finds
himself in but best of all, they will laugh out loud at his witty
asides and observations.
Tina Cain
Troggle the troll by Nick Falk and Tony Lowe
Random House Australia, 2012. ISBN 9781742756011.
(Age: 4-6) Picture book. Troggle the troll is unhappy. He lives with
his family under the bridge in a hole in the ground, and each night
when dinner is about to commence, he finds something to dislike.
Postman Pie and Teacher Tart just do not appeal, and so he goes
hungry. His siblings and parents however tuck in. When it is his
turn to catch dinner, Troggle leaves the house in some despair.
Waiting under the bridge he waits for someone to venture along. When
Tom is that person, he cannot capture him to take him home for tea,
and the two come to a mutually harmonious solution.
This is a very cute story, full of laughs about poor old Troggle's
dilemma, but equally funny when the meals are served up at his
house. The luminous illustrations carry each page beautifully,
reflecting what is happening in the easy to read text. And when
Troggle and Tom find a happy common ground with vegetables, then the
tables are turned for the meals to be served at Troggle's house.
For classes looking at meals and vegetables in particular, this will
be an easy lead in to the discussion.
Fran Knight
Ketchup clouds by A. Pitcher
Orion Publishing Group, 2012. 296p. ISBN 9781780620305.
(Age: 14+) Highly Recommended. Realistic. In My Sister Lives on the
Mantelpiece, Annabel Pitcher described the breakdown of a family
after a child's death. This subject matter is sustained in her last
book, Ketchup Clouds. However, the narrator's role in the tragedy is
pivotal even if less circumstantial than in McEwan's Atonement. In
both, the confusion of young love evokes a palpable absolution in
readers despite calamitous consequences.
Retold from Zoe's perspective, we can understand how she
unintentionally came to be playing two brothers at once by seeing
Aaron behind Max's back. We see how she struggled with both her
kindness and her true feelings, to change the spiralling tragedy.
Why didn't she simply invent a gross habit and get herself
conveniently dumped? But Zoe's guilt, exacerbated by the boys'
grieving mother, leads her to enter into a correspondence with a
murderer on Death Row in Texas, who was convicted of a crime of
passion. The letter format works well for a slow reveal confession
and the exercise of unburdening, not to a psychologist or priest but
to a kindred spirit, is believable. Whether she actually sent the
letters to Stuart Harris or not is unclear but she certainly never
received a response or never wanted one given her fictitious return
address.
The double tragedy is that our decisions sometimes mean that there
is no going back, condemning the penitent to a half-life of
compromise and suppressed memories. Pitcher has written another
engaging cautionary tale - this time in the epistolary tradition.
Young adults will not easily forget it.
Deborah Robins
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
Penguin group 2012. First published by Ward Lock, 1894. ISBN 9780670076871.
It was my first time reading this Australian classic and I soon
found myself engrossed in the story of these unruly children as they
got up to all kinds of mischief. At first the numerous children were
confusing but as each personality became more defined the characters
took on a life of their own as they shared a story from the past.
This distinctly Australian story tells us about the mischief of the
seven Woolcot children at their home of Misrule. After leaving The
General at the barracks with their father, Judy Woolcot, the
ringleader and instigator of the seven's mischievous enterprises is
sent away to boarding school. While she is gone her brothers and
sisters become somewhat tamer and less mischievous however when Judy
returns from boarding school she is in ill health and makes her
siblings promise to keep her return a secret from their father and
inexperienced step-mother. However it isn't long before The Captain
discovers Judy in a disused loft in a state of utter vulnerability,
the doctor is called and a holiday is suggested. However this
is a holiday which is to have disastrous results for the Woolcot
family.
Throughout the novel a number of issues are observed including the
implications of irresponsibility, vanity and selfishness, and while
the author states that Australian children are never good she wrote
in the hope that they might become aware of the consequences which
accompany them. I would recommend this book for children and
families as it is full of life lessons and cautions as well as being
one of those uniquely Australian novels.
Kayla Gaskell (age 16)
Brave squish rabbit by Katherine Battersby
Brave squish rabbit by Katherine Battersby
UQP, 2012. ISBN 9780702249433.
(Age: 3-5) Picture book. Bravery. With an enticingly tactile soft
cover and piercing blue background to the little picture of brave
rabbit and his soft toy, children will love to pick up this book and
have it read to them. Inside they read of the rabbit, called Squish
and the list of things he is frightened of: storms and lightning,
chickens, and especially the dark. Each page shows Squish as a small
drawing in the bottom corner of the page, cowering with fear. But as
he develops more strength to overcome his fears, his image increases
in size. Looking for his friend Twitch, he is bereft when she has
gone, so he searches in the dark for her, gradually gaining more
confidence.
While this book reprises the cute character of Squish, it may not
win the recognition received by the first book, Squish rabbit, which
won an award from CBCA in 2012. The story will capture the attention
of younger readers, and help them think about some of their fears,
while providing a book both at home and in the classroom for fears
to be discussed. The illustrations are a mixture of found objects,
collage, line drawing and digital collage thus further exciting
interest in the way the book is presented.
Fran Knight
Unforgotten by Tohby Riddle
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379722.
(Ages: 10+) Picture book. Memories. Caring for others. With the
plethora of novels written with angels as the main characters, it is
not surprising to see a picture book for older readers reprising
that theme. Many novels contain fallen angels, and in this one,
fallen is physical not a state of mind. Divided into three sections,
the bare bones of this picture book can be outlined as follows: the
first reveals what angels do for humanity, the second shows an angel
which has been overwhelmed by the work it must do, while the third
exposes a group of children and animals reviving the angel enough
for it to return home. All done in spare prose, the illustrations
entreat and seduce the reader to dwell, to admire, and to muse.
The angels oversee the human population in Europe, soaring overhead,
watching, being there, comforting, warming and mending. Their coverage
is enormous: there are wars to contend with, poverty, homelessness,
hunger, loneliness. But the angels keep on, until one day, one angel
can no longer go on. It falls to the ground, exhausted. And there it
stays, unnoticed and unloved, forgotten and alone. It is found by
workers who surround it with safety markers and then carry it away
to make a plinth for it to stand on.
With the plinth and the statue installed in a public place, it
lingers for years, unloved and dying, until a group of
children and animals take notice of it. They take it back to their
dwelling, and there nurse it back to health until, noticed and
loved, revived, it travels back to where it came from. The kindness
of strangers has overcome its forgotten state.
With acres of black space, the illustrations, made up of collage and
filled in pictorial work, draw the eye in to notice the detail. And
what detail! Photos from the turn of the century European cities are
juxtaposed with photos of New York, warehouses and lifts; pictures
of people in Victorian dress stand alongside those in more modern
clothing, or those of the 1930's; cars from the early part of the
twentieth century stream along the roads, bridges and buildings
highlighting the ever passing traffic, both of people and cars,
ignoring the angel. People have statue heads, bodies are part statue
and human, emphasising their indifference, watching as a statue
might, with unseeing eyes. Metaphor abounds in this richly layered
book, and will be looked at with awe by someone intrigued with the
symbolism of the illustrations. Not for everyone, this sumptuously
produced book will find a willing home amongst more discerning
middle school readers.
Fran Knight
Exposure by Mal Peet
Walker, 2012. Pbk. ISBN 9781406340914.
For decades, writers and teachers alike have tried to find
accessible ways of teaching Shakespeare to high school students.
Over the years, the Bard's work has been translated into graphic
novels, prose and short story form, and of course deconstructed with
York's Notes.
Here we find an approach which manages to explore the themes and
ideas within Shakespeare's plays, but retain a modernistic approach.
Mal Peet's Exposure takes one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays,
Othello, to a modern setting, and in doing so creates a fathomable
and more accessible guide to the play.
Peet is clever in utilizing theatrical writing and elements of play
format to establish characters and situations for the reader. This
approach may also ease students into the form of playwriting.
While this traditional style can be found in the novel (for another
example, each part of the book is labelled as ACT 1, 2, 3... ), the
story-telling oozes with a gritty, urban mood and a lingo to match.
The prose is hard-hitting, powerful and frequently moving, delving
into mature territory which many YA authors leave untouched.
The dialogue is dramatic and the social commentary scathing -
Exposure is a book crackling with intensity, wit and drama, which
finds a voice speaking the truth of Shakespeare's work and the truth
of our own times.
Henry Vaughan (Student)
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin
Text Publishing, 2012. ISBN 9781922079145.
What's not to like about Nicole Castro? She's smart, popular and
dates the best looking guy at school. She rides horses in her spare
time and drives a flash car because her daddy is rich. Did I also
mention she is drop dead gorgeous? Sometimes you just want to hate
that kind of girl and somebody does! One day at school in a quiet
corridor, someone throws acid at Nicole's face, scarring that
perfect face forever.
Nicole is forced to take a break from school while she undergoes
treatment but she returns regularly to meet the school counselor.
In the waiting room she befriends fellow student and computer geek,
Jay Nazarro. He has problems enough of his own. It's hard to recover
from the humiliation of suffering an epilectic seizure complete with
soiled pants in front of the whole school assembly, particularly
when it's uploaded on YouTube. His mother has died and when his dad
is not at work he escapes from grief with heavy drinking. However
Jay decides to find out who is responsible for the attack on Nicole
which sets him on a dangerous path where suspicion falls in the most
unlikeliest of places.
This book is a satisfying thriller that haunts the reader to the
very end. Griffin ensures that our loyalties are constantly shifting
as the characters are manipulated to reveal more of their true
selves. As a computer hacker, solitary and wary, Jay is reminiscent
of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, with his
ability to uncover relevant data to move the investigation forward.
This book will appeal to anyone fascinated by understanding the
motivations of those that commit crime.
Tina Cain
Fire spell by Laura Amy Schlitz
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408826218.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Set in Victorian London, the story begins
with Clara Wintermute, a lonely child whose four siblings have died
from eating watercress contaminated with cholera, leaving her
parents locked in grief. She befriends two ragged orphans, Lizzie
Rose and Parsefall, when they perform a puppet show for her on her
twelfth birthday. The orphans work for Grisini, a Fagin-like
character who kidnaps children and then demands ransom. He is able
to hide the children by trapping their body and minds in a
marionette until the ransom is paid. Grissini is in thrall to the
witch Cassandra who is now dying and seeking to rid herself of the
opal fire stone which has the power to restore life but also create
evil. When Clara is kidnapped Parsefall discovers what has happened
to her and he and Lizzie Rose become involved in a power struggle
with Grisini and Cassandra.
These are touches here of E. Nesbit characters, Neil Gaiman's
Coraline and The Graveyard Book as well as Cornelia Funke's Inkheart
Trilogy. Targeted at the 9-12 age group, at almost 400 pages, it's a
challenging read, suitable for confident readers as the story is
revealed through different characters' perspectives. There is plenty
of action and suspense, although the plot is at times rambling,
contrived and anticlimatic. However, the characters are real and the
settings memorable and atmospheric. Life for the rich and poor of
those times is well researched and this award winning author has given
great attention to detail. Those who persist with this novel will be
well rewarded.
Kevyna Gardner
Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
Viking, 2012. First published 1980. ISBN: 9780670076864.
Ruth Park's novel Playing Beatie Bow is a brilliant interpretation
of the confusion and hurt a child from a close-knit family will go
through when her parents split up, with the added mystery of a time
slip between centuries. This well written novel is brimming with
detail and an intimate understanding of the characters as well as
their time.
The novel follows Lynette (Abigail) Kirk first as she completes the
awkward transition between child and adolescent with the added
stress of her father's re-involvement in her life. When Abigail
takes Mrs. Crown's beastly children to the park and watches them run
scared during a game of 'Beatie Bow' a series of events starts to
unfold. Unable to speak civilly to her mother Abigail finds herself
chasing a little girl along the streets and through time itself
until she finds herself, an injured stranger, in 1873. Unable to get
back to her own time Abigail must help the Talliskers go about their
business until she does whatever it is that she was brought back in
time to do. With a few scuffles, a kidnapping and a hint of romance
Abigail finds herself growing both physically and mentally as she
prepares herself for her return home.
This wonderful novel set in the nineteenth century is one which I
would recommend for children of middle school age and older as it is
a quaint little classic showing the implications of vanity and the
importance of generosity and kindness to all people.
Kayla Gaskell (age sixteen)
The Red Knight by Miles Cameron
Gollancz, 2012. ISBN 9780575113299
A young knight and his company of mercenaries are hired by the
Abbess to protect the Fortress and Convent of Lissen Carak from the
creatures of the Wild. The creatures of the Wild, led by Thorn are
determined to rid the land of humans and to rule the kingdom of Alba
themselves. The author presents an epic fantasy tale combined with folklore, chivalry, magic and much more all described in great
detail that adds so much to the story. In scope it is somewhat
reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings and that is no bad thing.
There is so much diversity and so many layers in the tale that it is
hard to do it justice.
The interplay between the characters and the language is just one
of its many outstanding features. As the story is broken into
episodes that are marked by location and character you get differing
views of what is happening at the same time. The liberal use of
profanity although totally in context and the ideas involved suggest
an older readership. To say that it is a classic story of good
versus evil is too simplistic as there are just so many shades to
the characters. Even identifying favourites is difficult, but I
especially liked the Red Knight, Bad Tom, the Abbess and the Wyrm.
The battle scenes and use of magic are particularly well done and are
nicely counterbalanced by an insight into the motive and backgrounds
of those involved.
I loved this book, apart from a number of mistakes with spelling and
sentences that should have been corrected, I can't think of anything
I didn't like except that it ended. Bring on the next one.
David Rayner
The house that Wonky built (kit) based on the song by Craig Smith
Ill. by Katz Cowley. Paper engineering by Phillip Fickling.
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781775431152.
(Age: 5-9) Recommended. Lots of fun for young children and adults
who enjoy folding and making things, this would make a perfect
present. The house that Wonky built is based on the Wonky Donkey
song by Craig Smith that won an APRA Silver Scroll Award in 2008 for
Best Children's Song of the Year. It contains the book, The Wonky
Donkey, and a CD of the very catchy song as well as a fabulous fold
out of Wonky's stable and three rooms. There are stickers to
decorate Wonky's home, and these will provide much entertainment for
the young.
I really enjoyed reading the book and listening to the song on the
CD. The book in itself is a great read aloud, with its repetition of
information about the donkey and is very amusing. Children will
enjoy guessing what is going to come next and the conclusion of 'a
spunky, hanky-panky cranky stinky dinky lanky honky-tonky winky
wonky donkey' is sure to make the listeners giggle. Katz Crowley's
illustrations of the donkey and the little bird who spots him are
hilarious and will really appeal to its audience. And of course the
song is very catchy, funny and is certain to become a favourite.
The fold out of Wonky's house is beautifully made and quite a
treasure. Children love stickers and they will have fun working out
which room to put each one. As well as the stickers there are sturdy
cut-outs that need to be folded to make furniture.
Pat Pledger
