Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 978 1 971720 83 3
(Ages 11+) Highly recommended. Family. Seeing a new book by Simon
French is enough to give me goosebumps as I recall with gratitude
his earlier stories, Change the locks and Cannily
cannily, which gave a sympathetic voice to those children
rarely seen in children's book, the itinerant and neglected. In many
books these children are presented as stereotypes, rarely are they
seen as characters in their own right. The other brother, Bon, in
this superb book, is a neglected child of a mentally unstable woman,
who leaves him with her mother and sister in a small country town,
where everyone knows each other's business.
The story revolves around the boy fitting in to his new family,
especially his cousin, who rejects him out of hand, wanting to keep
cool with his friends at school, and dismissing Bon's oddities as
weird. His parents and sister, as well as his grandmother, are very
sympathetic and supportive of Bon, and the reader feels from the
start, that the adults know more than they are telling the children.
The school yard is most effectively shown, with its gangs of kids,
places where some feel safer than others, kids looking to hurt,
manipulate and undermine, while others show compassion and support.
Bon and Kieran move around each other for a while, until the
bullying by Kieran's friends puts him in a position where he must do
the same to keep his friends. He is instantly sorry and his attempts
to apologise to Bon see him following the boy into the night when he
attempts to run away.
This is the sort of story all kids will read and discuss. It is the
tale of an outsider, a neglected child who has looked after himself
for many years, skirting around his mother's moods, then thrust into
a family where even to sit down together is a different experience.
It is the story of being rejected, of fitting in, of changing
attitudes, of things kept beneath the surface. But overall it is the
story of a family, responding to the needs of another member,
helping the child adapt to a calmer environment and helping their
own son accept the new boy for what he is. The parents are
marvellously drawn, so much so that several times, I reread passages
to see how French had made me so involved in their lives. The minor
characters too all have a face and background, each is individual,
while the background of Bon's friend Julia is slowly revealed to the
reader and we learn about it along with Kieran.
Fran Knight
Total recall by Philip K Dick
Gollancz, 2012. ISBN 9780 575 10029 9.
(Ages 12+) Recommended. Science fiction. Published to coincide with
the release of remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the
same name, now a cult classic, this book showcases many of Dick's
well known stories. It includes those that have been made into
successful films, We can remember it for you wholesale (Total
recall), Do androids dream of electric sheep (Blade
runner), as well as Minority report, A scanner
darkly, The adjustment bureau and Paycheck.
Dick often plays around with the idea of what is real, and in Total
recall, the idea that a company can sell you fake memories is
the starting point for factory worker Quaid, to question what he is
and why he is there.
Each of the 24 stories included in this volume are questioning and
unlike any other. The book has an introduction by Thomas M Dasch
which is well worth reading, and the notes at the end of the book
allow a peep into the mind of the creator when he wrote the stories.
For students of scifi, interested in where some of the big ideas
first came from, or interested in the chronology of scifi, or simply
interested in these stories, then this is a sound read. My only
quibble is the size of the print. 44 lines to a page makes a dense
text which is not easy to read, and means only the determined scifi
fan will stick to the reading, which is a shame when this book
offers such a breadth of fascinating stories and commentary.
Fran Knight
Possum magic - Numbers by Mem Fox
Ill. by Julie Vivas. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781 86291 972 3.
(Ages: 1+) Recommended. Counting book. Australian animals. For the
very young, this beautifully produced counting book, using never
before seen pictures by Julie Vivas for the award winning Australian
classic, Possum magic, will be a treat for all newly arrived
children. The strong board book will be used over again in the
bedroom, lounge and kitchen, wherever parents and older siblings
treat their child to time out with a book. Eventually the children
will grab hold of it themselves, immersing their faces in the sweep
of recognised characters and the numbers going from 1 to 10.
This does not follow the strict pattern of other counting books,
instead making things a little more interesting, with two numbers on
the one double page being part of the same picture. So with a
picture of nine lamingtons, for example, we also have the number ten
included, with ten bites. So the humour will entreat both the
listener and the reader, looking for the number of items given in
print in the beautifully rendered, familiar illustrations.
Again the well known Australian animals take a bow, adding an extra
level of learning for the younger reader, teaching them not only
their first ten numbers but also a little about the flora and fauna
of this country. Presented are possums, kookaburras, koalas, and an
echidna, amongst the gum blossoms. The one sad thing is that it only
goes to ten, but parents will be able to dig out their old childhood
copy of Possum magic to read and share again with their
children.
Fran Knight
Give us a goal! Football poems by Paul Cookson
Frances Lincoln Children's Books (Harper) 2012. ISBN 978 1 84780 341
2.
(Ages 9+) Football. Poetry. Lifetime football fan and poet in
residence at the National Football Museum in England, Cookson is
well known for his funny poems about football, and this is a
collection of about 50 of them. Begging to be read out loud, they
are often short, pithy and sometimes poignant. These poems are
divided, cunningly, into groups reflecting a football match. So we
have several in Warm up, another bunch in the First half, then
Second half and finally Extra time. Each grouping of poems makes
sense in the division in which it is placed.
Several I loved and laughed out loud, knowing how a class might
respond when read to them. 'When the wasp flew up my brother's
shorts' is one such poem. The title says it all, and the poem goes
on to show how the others ignored his plight, thinking his behaviour
resulted from his kicking a goal. Read out loud this would cause
hilarity in the classroom and with all listeners.
Many more are just as funny, poking fun at Mum who has volunteered
as the trainer for Dad's team so that she can rub down one of the
men, or the things that Dad has said in the past about playing
football. Several display the way some men change once they are at a
football match, and so 'Werewolf Dad', and 'Dad don't shout at the
ref!' are presented. There are a number about the poor referee, and
more about the audience that go to the games, while the whole is
rounded off with the final poem,'We believe in football'.
All the poems display different poetic techniques so may be useful
int he classroom to model things like haiku, picture poems, list
poems and the like. The illustrations add to the fun of the small
volume of poems.
Fran Knight
Alice-Miranda shows the way by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, 2012. ISBN: 9781742751177.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up. As the delightful Alice-Miranda celebrates her eighth birthday, excitement is building for
both the girls and the staff of Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale
Academy. The village show is about to occur, complete with events
for everyone, as well as providing an extra day off of school.
Whilst Alice-Miranda and Millie are practicing their horse riding
skills, others are completing needle work pieces and perfecting
their baking skills. When Evelyn Pepper, the trainer of Rockstar,
the Queen's favourite horse, is admitted to hospital, Alice-Miranda
becomes involved. Her pony, Bonaparte, is the only thing which can
calm Rockstar and encourage him to race, thereby leaving open the
Aunty Gee's chances of winning the Queen's Cup. Into the mix, add
the carnival people, who are much maligned by the locals and held
accountable for anything which goes wrong or missing during their
time in the Village.
Harvey has created some eminently likeable characters, almost
certainly too good to be true, yet whom one would be happy to class
as friends. Similarly, any child reading these books would
undoubtedly fall in love with the idea of attending Alice-Miranda's
school. The girls seem spend little time in class but many hours on
pursuing their own interests. They appear to have a great deal of
freedom, allowing them to visit various other people and locations,
seemingly without restrictions. As with the other titles in this
series, there are some predictable turns of events for older
readers, yet younger children may not find this to be the case. The
key characters are believable and demonstrate the ability to change
and grow. There is the inevitable 'baddie' as well, yet,
thanks to the ingenuity of Alice-Miranda, the reader knows that
there will always be a happy ending.
Jo Schenkel
The twelve days of Aussie Christmas by Colin Buchanan
Ill. by Glen Singleton. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781 74283 367
5.
(Ages 4+) Picture book, Christmas. The familiar Christmas Carol, The
twelve days of Christmas, is here reprised with an Australian
flavour, using iconic characters and animals to build up the fun of
the twelve days. Children familiar with the carol will get the point
immediately, but others may have to have it played a few times, and
perhaps compared with the original to understand it more completely.
All in all, though, it is good fun and enticing to small children
who love rhyme, reading aloud, learning new songs and reading along
with others. The repetition of the song builds as it goes along and
makes it an easy one to learn. The accompanying CD will be put to
good use in the classroom and at home.
Each day is represented by a different Australian image, starting
with one platypus up the gum tree, then two jackaroos, three meat
trays, four footy fans, five rusty utes, six snags, seven chooks,
eight jumbucks, nine dingoes, ten swaggies, eleven cricket legends
and twelve surfing Santas. Alliteration is used profusely helping
the words to stay in the mind, and the stress on Australian slang,
makes this a useful tool to talk about words and their meanings. For
an overseas audience a different level of language education can be
pursued.
On each page is hidden, well almost, a number of Australian animals
for the children to look for, so that by the end of the book, there
are 150 items to be found, adding yet another level of fun at
Christmas time.
Fran Knight
Pearlie and the flamenco fairy by Wendy Harmer
Random House, 2012. ISBN 9781 74275 540 3
(Ages: 5+) Early chapter book. Pearlie series. Another in this
series which has now grown to 14, sees Pearlie traveling on a
ladybird to Spain, where her friend, Florentina is throwing her a
flamenco party. Going to the Royal Botanic Gardens where her
friend lives, she is amazed to be able to learn the flamenco, and
many Spanish words while preparing for the party. Spanishisma abound
as the girls try on their new clothes, learn their steps, eat
Spanish food and put on the flamenco for the guests. But Pearlie
falls over her wand, and a neat resolution makes her win even more
friends.
Easy to read with the bright bold coloured illustrations as
with all the stories in this series this book continues the
tales of Pearlie and her friends. For early primary people setting
out reading chapter books, this will not cause much difficulties as
the print is reasonably large, and there is not much print to each
page. Sometimes I felt the colour interfered with the print, and
some chapter breaks may help early readers, but all in all this
series is an easy introduction to more strenuous chapter books.
Fran Knight
Blood Brothers by Carole Wilkinson
Black Dog Books, 2012. ISBN: 9781742031897.
Highly recommended for ages 10 and up. Tao, happily ensconced as a
novice Buddhist monk in the Yinmi Monastery, is intent on
translating ancient scrolls and working diligently to ensure that he
and his much loved brother will gain grace and favour in their
future lives. When he is confronted by a dragon whilst carrying out
his labours, Tao decides not to tell anyone of what he has seen and
soon becomes involved in helping and healing Kai. The dragon, Kai,
now 465 years of age, is merely a teenager, set on finding his new
dragon keeper. Despite Tao's disbelief that it is he who has been
chosen to fulfil this role, Kai seems determined that he is correct
and demands that the young man take on the task. Against his better
judgement, Tao temporarily leaves the Monastery and heads off on an
adventure with the dragon.
Despite Wilkinson having previously sworn that she would not be
writing any future books in this series, she will undoubtedly have
created a very happy bunch of fans by continuing the story of Kai's
adventures. Due to Kai being a familiar character, with distinctive
methods of communication and behaviour, it was very easy to pick up
this new tale and feel I'd almost read parts of it before.
Nonetheless, it is very much a new story and I enjoyed meeting Tao
and his family. I revelled in seeing him squirm as he began to
question his calling as a monk, or become less able to follow their
demands strictly. For example, the loss of the special cloth which
had been used for straining his water to ensure he could avoid
consuming any small living creatures saw a loosening of his beliefs
or practices. Through such instances, the author has made this into
something of a coming of age novel as well as an enjoyable fantasy.
Death, family relationships, duty, responsibility and the following
of one's calling are all themes which appear in this most enjoyable story.
Jo Schenkel
Tree: A little story about big things by Danny Parker
Ill. by Matt Ottley. Little Hare Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921714412.
(Ages: 5+) Recommended. Picture book. Environment. Subtitled 'a
little story about big things', this tale will be a boon for those
teachers wanting to introduce the topic of environment and
sustainability in their classrooms, as it depicts a tree growing
within the protective roots of another, which when the older tree is
blown down, grows on its own, despite the encroaching city, then
nurtures another seedling within its roots. The themes of
sustainability, caring for the environment, nurturing the young, sit
well with this tree, its rings on the back cover elucidating more of
the themes possible in this book. The development of the sapling,
growing as each season passes, will intrigue younger readers as they
watch its progress to a mighty tree, under which people and animals
shelter.
The illustrations are breathtaking. Ottley's tree on the front cover
invites the reader into its dense foliage, benignly calls the young
reader to climb its roots, and its life as more than a tree is
replicated on the back cover's rings. Each page offers a different
perspective using Ottley's incredible eye. The front cover shows a
tree from a child's point of view, later from that of the animals
which hide in its roots, then the sky as the wind blows the tree
savagely and again from on high as we see the city taking over the
area in which the tree stands. The city seems to appear very
suddenly, but just as quickly changes from a stark, smoke belching
environment to one which seems calmer and is surrounded by trees.
Readers will look at trees differently after falling into this
worthy book.
Fran Knight
Tom Gates: Everything's amazing (sort of) by Liz Pichon
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 1407124412.
Recommended for 8-12 years. Tom Gates is back in the third novel of
his adventures. Fans of Tom Gates will love that the format is the
same. Lots of line illustrations, a few sentences on each page and
Tom's eternal struggle with his older sister Delia.
In this novel Tom and his mate Derek enter Rooster the dog into the
local dog show, Tom has a birthday, Granny Mavis still cooks exotic
food combinations and plans are being made for the school disco.
Throughout the book Tom gets in and out of trouble and just tries to
survive as a fifth grader.
These are highly sought after books at my school. They are easy to
read but have an entertaining storyline and great little sketches.
Wimpy Kid readers are particularly keen to read Tom Gates.
Jane Moore
Found: the art of recycling by Lisa Holzl
Walker Books Australia, 2012. ISBN 9781921720130.
Recommended. Reference. Art. Recycling. In this handbook introducing
students to various art styles of the twentieth century and
encouraging them to try them for themselves, the teacher will find
lots of information to share with their classes as well as hints
about how to encourage their students to try their hand at the
styles shown. The idea of recycling is given in its broadest sense
from the cover with many words which advance the idea of recycling,
to the pages inside showing just how many artists have gone about
their work. Using other medium for their work began in the early
1900's with Picasso using newspaper, Duchamp using a bicycle wheel,
while Hausman used part of a wooden model.
Each double page introduces one artist, and after a potted history
of the times, shows one of his or her works which reflects the idea
of using found objects. Picasso is the first represented. A brief
outline of his life and times follows, then an image of a painting
done in 1913 is shown, briefly discussed then set in its time. At
the bottom of the page is given an outline of an activity which
could be done in the classroom, emulating the work by that artist.
For people wanting more information there are references at the back
of the book to other books and websites.
Each of the artists represented here reflects a different style of
work done in the twentieth century, and range from Picasso at the
beginning to Fiona Hall and others born towards the end of the
century. A contents page is followed by a timeline of the major art
movements of the twentieth century from Cubism to Installation art,
and each artist represented fits one of these categories.
The whole is rounded off with a glossary, potted biographical notes
about each of the artists and a detailed index. This is a wonderful
teaching tool for primary classrooms and the look of the book,
presented as a scrapbook with torn paper, newspaper scraps and
sellotape, add to the interest the book will engender.
Fran Knight
Between the lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 1743310927.
Delilah hates school, she would rather pretend she is somewhere
else. That's why she loves books so much. Every time she opens one
she can pretend she is someone else, somewhere else. But there is
one particular book she can't get enough of. It's a lovely fairy
tale she found sitting the library and if anyone knew how much she
had read that book over and over again she'd be a social outcast
forever.
When the main character of the book, a prince named Oliver, starts
talking to Delilah she thinks she must be crazy. Oliver wants to be
free of his story and Delilah will do just about anything to
help him. But after a failed attempt to get a spider out of the book
it looks like Oliver might be permanently stuck.
This book had my eyes glued to the pages until the very end; it was
amazing. This book was definitely a different style for Jodi Picoult
but was still just as good as all of her other books and an amazing
first book for Samantha Van Leer. I would highly recommend this book
to people who like fantasy stories and Jodi Picoult's books.
Tahlia Kennewell (Student)
Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor by Jacqueline Harvey
Clementine Rose series, no. 1. Random House Australia, 2012. 128
pages. ISBN 1742755410
(Ages: 7-10) Recommended. 5-year-old Clemmie is different to most
young girls. She was delivered as a baby in the back of a mini-van
in a basket of dinner rolls to Penberthy House, home of Lady
Clarissa. A crumbling old mansion, Penberthy House is run by Lady
Clarissa as a country hotel in order to keep the place in good
repair. However the out of the way town of Penberthy Floss is not
exactly on the tourist trail so it is lucky that Lady Clarissa has a
special knack with winning nearly every competition she enters. As
soon as Lady Clarissa laid eyes on the baby Clementine Rose she knew
that she belonged at Penberthy House with her and the butler Uncle
Digby. So sets the scene for a new series set in this quaint little
village with endearing characters with sweet dispositions and a
crumbling mansion filled with love, warmth and charm.
This first instalment in the series sees a surprise visitor, Aunt
Violet, arrive at Penberthy House. Clementine Rose has never met
Aunt Violet but she can tell that Lady Clarissa doesn't like her
very much. Even more strangely Aunt Violet doesn't seem happy to be
at Penberthy House at all. Clementine Rose soon realises that
something fishy is going on. Why is Aunt Violet really here, and
what is she carrying in her mysterious black bag?
The text is interspersed with very few pictures and the text on the
pages is quite dense making it unsuitable for younger readers who
may find the text too long and arduous. However the book could be a
fantastic read aloud novel for younger girls who the character of
5-year-old Clemmie would appeal to. Even though Clementine Rose is
5-years-old the story will still appeal to children above this age
who will appreciate the 'cuteness' of Clemmie and her sweet teacup
pig named Lavender.
In the same vein as her fantastic Alice-Miranda series Jacqueline
Harvey has created a character whose curiosity and sense of
adventure can often get her into trouble and whose loveable traits
will make her a favourite of young girls.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Go Goanna by Justin D'Ath
Mission Fox series, no. 7. Puffin, 2012. ISBN 0143306944
(Ages 7-10) Recommended. Harry and Jordan are twins committed to the
Mission Fox Animal Rescue agency. So when a giant goanna in the back
of Mr Dalby's delivery van is being poked with a broom handle Harry
and Jordan are under oath to step in under rule 1. 'Rescue animals
that are in danger'. Being late for school is one things but
missing the Pet Olympics being held at school would be terrible.
Deciding it is the only option, Harry and Jordan set off to school on
their FoxMobile being pulled by their humongous dog Myrtle and take
the caged lizard with them. When the goanna is accidentally let
loose the school, which is filled with pets of all kinds, turns to
bedlam. It only gets worse when the Principal's son gets stuck up a
tree while trying to rescue his kitten. Can Harry and Jordan use
their animal rescue skills to help him before he falls six meters to
the ground and redeem themselves for ruining the Pet Olympics? Just
when everything is getting back to normal the goanna reappears. Can
Mission Fox perform another wild rescue and get the goanna back to
where it is safe?
These Mission Fox stories are perfect for younger readers and will
appeal equally to boys and girls. The stories will be meaningful to
children as they are set within the real world rather than a fantasy
one and contain fast paced adventure as well as a good dose of
humour. The larger text makes them a great novel for children moving
from beginning reader chapter books into novels with only
intermittent illustrations.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Rumour has it: Girl heart boy by Ali Cronin
Razorbill. Penguin, 2012. ISBN: 9780141340630.
This is not a book I would normally read and I can't say it would be
one I'd read again, however everybody has their favourite themes and
styles and this novel may appeal to others through its complex and
emotional plot centred around the worth of relationships and the
importance of self respect.
Ashley is an open book and while her friends try to settle down and
start relationships all she wants is a good time. But will she sing
a different tune when Dylan shows up with Donna's cousin Marv?
Rediscovering emotions is hard when you've lived a life sheltered
and hidden from pain but what will Ashley do when she is forced to
deal with all of life's problems at once? How is Ashley's sister so
perfect and when did her little sister start to like boys? Her life
is a bomb shell waiting to go off. Rumour has it is an easy to read novel written for teenage
girls and set in the UK based loosely around the themes of fitting
in and learning to respect oneself and others. I would suggest that it
should be read by a middle school age group as these lessons are
important to young adolescents of today.
Kayla Gaskell (Year 11).
Editor's note: Explicit content warning on back cover.
