Best selling Indigenous writer Helen Milroy has created a new tale about a girl with a gift that at first does not seem all that important.
Traditional and European stories come together in this evocative story of a baby girl born with both human and crow characteristics. The two spirits, crow and human, give her the ability to live between both worlds. And this she does, raised in a human family with Arrk, her crow guardian. Revelling in the daisy bushes around her, she is named Daisy Crow. She has special qualities: courage, wisdom and kindness, but is told she should not attempt to fly. She is however able to fly in her sleep and heal people. But one day a crisis occurs which drives her to make a decision about the worlds she inhabits. A bushfire threatens her human family and if she flies like her crow spirit, she would be able to warn them. She take this leap and so can never return to human form.
So today the crow remains a close companion of humans, cackling and cawing to them as they walk together. Children will have seen many crows and how they seem attracted to people as companions and this story gives a reason for this, while extolling the virtues of courage, wisdom and kindness, while showing that making life decisions can be a hard choice.
Luminous illustrations frame every page as the story of Daisy Crow unfolds, incorporating Indigenous motifs to ground the story in its Aboriginal themes.
Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Helen has always had a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. Helen studied medicine at the University of Western Australia. She is currently a professor at UWA, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Board Member with Beyond Blue and the AFL’s first Indigenous Commissioner. She brings all of this to her work writing stories that reflect both Aboriginal and European traditions, extolling virtues which embellish mental well being and healing.
In the sequel to The Luminaries Winnie Wednesday’s life has changed. She is no longer ostracised by the Hemlock Falls community after passing the hunter trials and becomes an overnight celebrity – ‘The girl who jumped. The girl who got bitten.’ But Winnie is not comfortable; no one believes that it is the Whisperer who is attacking the hunters and are blaming the werewolf that she knows rescued her in the forest. And she is having problems following the strange clues that her father has left her about the Dianas and the fact that he was framed as a traitor. Jay Friday seems reluctant to help her, and she must work out where her loyalty lies – with the Luminaries or with what she believes.
The hunting moon starts out slowly with Winnie trying to come to grips with being a local celebrity. She is invited to parties and has a drink named after her but finds it difficult when she can remember the times when no one would talk to her. Jay seems distant and grief stricken but eventually helps Winnie in her pursuit of the clues that her father has left her.
Once the action takes over, The hunting moon becomes more difficult to put down, as Winnie and Jay uncover deadly secrets in the forest and face great danger from the many monsters (beautifully illustrated throughout the book) that they encounter. The romance between Winnie and Jay continues to simmer, with each getting to understand the other’s thoughts and feelings.
Short chapters encourage the reader to continue with the story and the enigmatic ending will be intriguing enough for fans to continue with the series.
Who's the gang on our street? by Suzanne Gervay. Illus. by Nancy Bevington
Big Sky, 2023. ISBN: 9781922896810. (Age:4+) Recommended.
A survey of all the different gangs and kids on suburban streets is the order of the day in this charmer from Suzanne Gervay.
Questioning whether or not kids are part of one particular gang is the thread holding the narrative together, as we are asked if we are part of a rock group with spiked hair or belong to a soccer gang, or billycart gang or a gang that plays music. Do we balance like acrobats, or a birthday gang munching on delicious treats, or a dancing gang that likes to zigzag their steps. Each question about what gang the person belongs to is offered a response: they may not be part of the gang that does this, but they certainly can do other things just as well. So we learn that this gang has punky munky hair, loves to play, is the fastest in the street, can hang upside down and loves squishy bananas. At the last like, the team in the neighbourhood wants to find out who this gang is, and wanders around the streets until the gang is found.
Reader will laugh out loud as they recognise the creatures, ticking off the various attributes Gervay lists in the text, understanding that of course this is the gang, one they see all the time in their streets, but do not take much notice of. Now they will. This book is a lovely exercise in taking notes of what is around you. The illustrations are exuberant in their movement and colour, drawing the eyes over the activities the gang is involved in, reminiscing on the ones they have mastered themselves, waiting for playtime to try them out. From both the illustrations and text readers would be able to list all the attributes of this gang and compare them with the things they can do. And each gives a moment or two of mirth as the children and cockatoos gamble in the street. I tried counting the cockatoos in the book, how will your students go?
Themes Friendship, Australian cockatoos, Gangs, Activities, Humour.
Fran Knight
Queen of myth and monsters by Scarlett St. Clair
Sourcebooks, 2022. ISBN: 9781728265711. (Age:20+)
Isolde, newly coronated queen, has finally found a king worthy of her in the vampire Adrian. But their love for each other has cost Isolde her father and her homeland. Now, as politics in the Red Palace grow more underhanded, it looks like there is someone working against them in the palace... and there are numerous inexplicable monster attacks plaguing the villages - Isolde herself joins the fight against them and finds herself injured, and something new is in store for her... and a deadly crimson mist threatens all of Cordova, in particular the men and first born sons.. Isolde must trust in the bond she's formed with Adrian, even as she learns troubling information about his complicated past.
Definitely a book for older readers, this paranormal fantasy is full of action, sex, swearing and self indulgent emotions. The second of the series, Adrian x Isolde, the author dropped the intrique that was present through book one, and focused more on increasing graphic sex scenes, seemingly unnessarily, along with regular swearing. If in a school library, the book should be in senior fiction, or restricted to older readers. I would not recommend it for a school library though, much less recommend it at all. Small chance it might be in line for fans of Sarah J Maas' series Court of Thorns and Roses, though it should be noted, it is not as well written, nor with as much storyline.
Themes Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, War, Kings and Queens, Revenge, Feminism.
Melanie Pages
Little Ash: Puppy Playtime by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Little Ash: Puppy Playtime is the 8th and final book in the Little Ash series where tennis star Ash Barty teams up with writer Jasmin McGaughey and illustrator Jade Goodwin to create a series of books all about sport, school, friendship and family. These books are suitable for young readers to listen to from 5 years and up, and very suitable for children who are moving to being independent readers.
This story tells os a new puppy, Speedy, who joins the family and becomes Ash's best friend. Unfortunately they get into a bit of trouble whilst learning about each other and how to have fun without making a big mess! I liked how at the end of the story it also talks about telling truth when something happens and how when you tell the truth people are thankful and helpful towards the situation. A great lesson for young kiddos.
The illustrations by Jade Goodwin are enticing and at regular intervals throughout the book, moving it on from an emerging independent reader to a book for an independent reader. Although monotone in colour (or lack of), they still show emotions and add to the interest of the story line.
A solid 4 out of 5 for this book and also for the series. I look forward to reading more!
Late is not for everyone - it requires a special degree of preparedness for the unusual. The ‘What if…’ of the fiction writer is given a Hollywood touch in this unusual narrative. This is an esoteric, stream of consciousness journey, peppered with references to the life and passing of the icon that was Marilyn Monroe – a journey punctuated with parentheses and dotted with footnotes as literary signposts to the thoughts of the narrator along the way. This is a strange insight into the pain of fame and the stranger life of the narrator who once was Marilyn Monroe, but now has a new alter-ego identity as Zelda Zonk. Zelda has left behind the madness of a past life, and now lives in her isolated, architecturally-designed and austere apartment overlooking the clifftop ‘suicide zone’ adjacent to the Sydney Heads. Zelda, reflects on her life, her new home, her death (she is after all ‘the late Marilyn Monroe’), her ageing and her journey to her present existence 27 years on, … but always with an inherent, chaotic, literate and artistic essence that is hard to define. Is she mad or is her sanity beyond the norm? She was the consummate performer and ingenue in her past life, but who is she now? Into her world drops the young, gentle man, Daniel. Locked out of his own place (literally and metaphorically), he lands into her spotlight briefly and Zelda entertains and saves him.
The rambling of this book creates an other-worldly feel. It is written, not for the masses, but rather for those who like the challenge of exploring ideas rather than plot. The language use is a performance, an artistic, metaphorical work or an evocative dream. (It also sent me on some dictionary exploration to uncover meaning! And I was frequently re-reading sentences and paragraphs to clarify the intentions of the author or the narrator. There was sometimes a madness in the way the author/narrator communicated ideas.) Interestingly, Sydney Harbour almost becomes a character itself in this unusual text, and it was possible to get lost in the resonance of a cliff-top life. In reviewing this text I am conscious of the school-based reader, consequently I am not sure that it will hit the mark for any but the rarest of readers. However, the maturity of language, exploration of philosophies, the random directions of flow (including the use of the random asides in footnotes), the interjections of ideas from multiple sources and the iconic nature of the central character would be worthy of study for the astute literature student or adult reader prepared to wrestle with this unreliable narrator and extremely profound text. Expect this to get good reviews from the literati set, but certainly not from the general populace.
Dianne Wolfer (Light Horse Boy) has written an engaging, heartwarming novel that touches on some big topics, including the death of a parent and dangerous bushfires (the terrible 2019/2020 summer bushfires are used as background context). While it is confronting in parts and doesn't shy away from honestly discussing these issues it carries a lightness courtesy of Scout and her father's loving relationship, a lovely smattering of dad jokes, Aussie slang and cultural references to summer cricket, Christmas traditions and road trip sights and sounds. There are some great normalising of online safety: asking dad if she can add a friend to her contact list and him setting screen time limits for her. It also touches on the difficulties faced by truck drivers as well as their amazing community spirit and how they look out for each other.
It's the end of the school year and Scout is getting out of Arcadia Boarding School for Young Ladies. We quickly learn that her mum died of cancer recently, that her dad is a truck driver and that she doesn't feel like she fits in at her fancy boarding school at all. Scout is thoughtful, clever and scientifically curious. She and her dad are setting off on a road trip, delivering pallets of dog food donated by a philanthropist to animal shelters in time for Christmas. In addition, her teacher has set a summer friendship task that turns into a regular penpal communication and an authentic friendship. Along their trip Scout encounters problems, both with bushfires and dog shelters and does her best to help out, both by herself and by reaching out to friends and communities to assist. Her leaps to action and implementation are realistic and inspirational. At one point, Scout meets a boy who she really likes and she describes how her skin tingles and how she feels embarassed because she says something silly. This is such an honest story with so many small details that work together to paint a completely authentic picture. All the elements of the story are given due diligence: bushfires, developing friendships, grief over the loss of her mother, their new dog, Scout's dog adoption website and her worries about boarding school and there's a beautiful hopeful ending rather than a picture perfect one.
Themes Dog Shelters, Bushfires, Australian Stories, Community, Philanthropy, Truck Driving.
Nicole Nelson
Ten little yoga frogs by Hilary Robinson and Mandy Stanley
Catch a Star, 2023. ISBN: 9781922326904. (Age:2-5) Recommended.
Yoga is gaining increasing traction with the under five crowd so little movers will love this story that counts up from one to ten as one little frog is joined by nine friends in some kid-friendly yoga. This is similar to Mike Brownlow's Ten Little... series, except that this counts up rather than down. Bright, vibrant illustrations will capture and hold the attention of young listeners, who may even like to try out the poses themselves. The names of the poses and a silhouette of each are helpfully included on the corner of each page. Some pose inclusions are tree, lotus, garland and cow face. The last page also shows and names each pose. The text itself is simple and rhythmic: "Three yoga frogs stretching out for more, Noor joined in and then there were . . ." As with all classic counting books like this, children will enjoy shouting out the next number and large, colourful numerals in the top corner will aid with visual recognition. No doubt, they will also love perusing the fun illustrations which show the frogs in various peaceful places in the great outdoors: on lilypads, on yoga mats on the beach and in the vegetable garden, as well as being able to replicate the moves themselves. This will be a perfect introduction to yoga for beginners or a fun interactive book for those who already have a few poses in their arsenal.
Editor's note: This review was first written for the 2021 paperback version of the book.
Ideal for fans who enjoy a light mystery combined with a little science fiction The spare man is an enjoyable story from the award winning author of The calculating Stars (Hugo Award 2019, Nebula Award 2019, Locus Award 2019). Tesla Crane is on her honeymoon on a space liner. An heiress and clever inventor, she is travelling anonymously with her new husband and tiny service dog. When her husband is accused of murder, she is determined to solve the case and return to enjoying the trip.
This is a very light-hearted murder mystery with enough red herrings and twists to keep the reader engrossed. Tesla is a very likeable main character, as is her husband, but Gimlet her little dog steals the limelight and is so loveable. The setting aboard the space cruiser lifts the story out of the ordinary and the cocktail recipes at the beginning of chapters further emphasise the fun of the novel.
A Hugo Award for Best Novel shortlist (2023), and Locus Award Nominee for Science Fiction (2023), the novel’s suspense and humour make it a very enjoyable read, especially for readers who enjoy cosy mysteries.
11 year old Skye Starling loves her hometown, Seagulls Nest, so much so that she wrote a book about it - a mystery novel with the star fictional detective she created, 'Red Fox' but just as she's finishing it, it gets stolen! And then the crimes she wrote in the novel start coming true all over town! With the crimes happening in real life, everyone in town acting suspiciously and knowing what comes next, it's up to Skye to uncover the culprit! Lucky for her, she has her cat, Admiral Mittens, whose a clever kitten; her new friend, who will believes in her sleuthing abilities; and egg sandwiches - available aplenty in the town known for chooks, eggs and egg sandwiches.
This middle grade detective novel is full of animals, humour, relationships, and all the aspects of a small country Australian town (strangely obsessed with chickens and egg sandwiches). All the characters are well developed, with the right amount of humour and mystery for a middle grade novel. Evenly paced, the story moves well, with excerpts from the main characters novel, showing what crime is about to be discovered. The novel has numerous relationships that are explored through the novel, along with delightful animal companions that add depth to the story. Fans of R.A. Spratt's Friday Barnes detective series would enjoy this book, as well as the Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens series. It is unknown if there will be another 'Copycat' book, making it into a series, or if it will remain a stand alone novel.
Themes Mystery, Crime, Detectives, Humour, Country Town, Animals, Writer.
Melanie Pages
Billy and the giant adventure by Jamie Oliver
Penguin, 2023. ISBN: 9780241637807. (Age:8-10)
Well-known celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, has produced with Billy and the giant adventure, a novel that he has long planned. It reads with the enthusiasm of a fond Dad who is narrating a story that includes every amazing and wonderful idea that he can cram within the pages of a children's novel. This book is also available with "immersive music and sound effects" as an audiobook. The whole marketing package is available.
Jamie Oliver struggled at school with dyslexia, so he writes about something he knows by having the main character Billy also struggling with dyslexia. Jamie's hope in writing the book is that it will help children with dyslexia realise that they can find other wonderful skills just like Billy does. The printing and binding was done by Australian Griffin Press with attention to dyslexia friendly font 11.76/18.52pt times New Roman and 10.86/18.52pt Atkinson Hyperlegible. This and the text design by Janene Spencer, accompanied by the illustrations of the Spanish illustrator Monica Armino, are sensitive modifications for the dyslexic reader. Throughout the story, when Billy is faced with having to read difficult text, ways around are found and in the process, Billy finds that he has other skills to offer. Currently, in the world of children's books, there is an interest in presenting neurodiverse characters so that children can read about how others cope with the same problems that they have and that they are not alone.
Billy and the giant adventure follows the well trod pattern of children finding portals into magical forests and saving someone who is suffering through feats of skill, bravery and teamwork. Very much like Enid Blyton's The enchanted wood, a magic tree figures prominently. Oliver adds magical sprites (named after different spices) and other bad creatures like the stinky Boonas to the mixture. Billy and the giant adventure is a very busy book with perhaps too many underdeveloped characters and so much constant, frenetic action that the buildup towards a climax and resolution does not really happen. Perhaps it is oversauced and may result in confusion for the young reader.
Throughout the book, there are references and descriptions of delicious food. This is a plus and to be expected from Jamie Oliver. At the back there are some recipes for young people to try.
Overall, Jamie has worked hard on this book. It contains many ingredients, worthwhile messages and a lovely, warm tone. On the plot level it falls short because of the busyness and haphazard action which interferes with the normal expected flow towards a resolution. Characterisation suffers at the expense of action which means that the reader may find it hard to engage on the emotional level.
The recipes are well worth a try!
Themes Friendship, Dyslexia, Magic, Finding personal strengths, Environmental issues.
Wendy Jeffrey
The most delicious soup and other stories by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. Translated by Rosalind Harvey
The Most Delicious Soup and other stories is a collection of 5 short stories all surrounding a small community called Villa Verde. This community is filled with lots of different animals going about their daily lives and routines.
The stories share insights into their lives such as a new pet that causes lots of trouble, a grandma and grandchild who visit a library on a rainy day, a child who wants everything on a shopping trip, friends who have to move their rained out camp inside and finally the story where the whole community come together and pitch in to make and clean up a huge delicious soup.
The book is set out in a comic style, with each story only taking a few pages to tell. The illustrations are clear and enjoyable to look at, whilst telling the stories of friendship and the community happenings. I really liked the cartoon style of animals with dark outlines making them easy to view.
After doing some reading about the book it was interesting to learn that is has been translated from Spanish to English via The Sidney Myer Fund, a philanthropic foundation.
On top of children being able to read this book for pure enjoyment, there are definitely some sections where conversations about people, attitudes and community could be had. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.
Themes Community, Friendship, Animals.
Lauren Fountain
Butterfly Girl by Ashling Kwok and Arielle Li
EK Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781922539564. (Age:4+)
When she lived in the country, Olivia had plenty of space for her Butterfly Garden and each day she was surrounded by all sorts of butterflies, content in her own company and theirs. But when they move from the country cottage to an apartment in the grey city, there are no butterflies to be seen. Even though she waited and waited, sang to them and danced and whirled and twirled as she had done to attract them in her old home, none came.
So she decided to plant a little garden on her balcony so she could offer the butterflies the things they liked, but still none came. Despite the little bright spot in her corner, the buildings around remained grey and bleak, seemingly only being populated by pigeons. And she still had no friends. She sang louder, danced faster and coloured her world... Then, one day she saw something amazing - and it wasn't a butterfly. Before long, she not only had butterflies but more friends than she could ever had wished for.
Moving house, whether it is across town or state, or from country to city, can be daunting for little ones, and the fear of having no friends is common. So much so that it is theme in many books for young readers. So this new story, well timed for those for whom a move to a new town or new school is on the horizon as year's end nears, is one not only of reassurance but also suggests a pathway forward. Olivia's need for her butterfly friends and her creating of her balcony garden to attract them leads to the building of a community that crosses age and cultural borders and creates the connections that we all need. Even if you live in a crowded apartment building you can still be isolated and lonely. There are instructions for building a butterfly garden in a small space, but even if that's not a practical answer, it is the message of how reaching out to those with similar interests can bring untold rewards.
This is a story within a story, about authors and where they get their narrative ideas. Woven together in The Fiction Writer is the story of a fiction writer whose second book, a retelling of Du Maurier’s Rebecca, gets her noticed by very few readers. However, she does get noticed by a very wealthy and desirable man and is given the chance to become a ‘ghost-writer’. He seeks her skills to uncover and write about a family secret involving the theft and plagiarism of the story-line of Rebecca from his own grandmother’s work. The author at the centre of this book, Olivia Fitzgerald, becomes embroiled in a gothic-style intrigue that drags her from her mundane ‘unsuccessful’ life into a life of wealth on the Malibu Beach. At every turn she seems unable to separate truth from fiction and wonders if she too has become a target in a macabre re-telling of the du Maurier classic novel.
This book is an absolute joy to read, especially for those who have loved the darkly intense du Maurier classic - Rebecca. At every stage devotees of the original book will be delighted with parallels, but will also be enchanted with the deft way Cantor has created her own gothic-style modern-day mystery. With excerpts from another text woven through the pages, it is clear that something unusual is happening and there are sinister undercurrents through the story. Who can be believed? Surprisingly, there is also a romantic possibility wrapped within the more gothic and intense storyline. But at the heart of the story is the fiction writer and their journey to discover a story that is new, and yet always there is the idea that there are no new stories. This is a book for 16+ /Adult readers, a mature tale and a compelling, atmospheric and anxiety-charged storyline.
Ghost and Lu are on Patina’s running team and they support one another even when things go wrong, like when Ghost makes a false start in the 100 metres. Patina reflects that it is actually a real start at the wrong time. Ghost goes on to win his race but Patina has to deal with second place in the 800 metres, a false finish, not the first place she had expected. The certainty of running success is important to Patina as so many other parts of the 12-year old’s life has been out of her control. After her father’s sudden death six years ago, her birth mother (Ma) was unable to care for them as her legs were amputated due to severe diabetes. Patina and little sister Maddy have had to go and live with their uncle and aunt. Staying strong is what Patina does, she looks after Maddy, making sure her hair is done in cornrows before their weekly visit to Ma, she tries to do her best at her new school, a girls’ school with mostly white rich kids, the ‘hair flippers’ who have no idea what she has been through, and she tries to fit in to the routines of her adoptive family. Running success is important to her, strong legs that carry her beyond a day-to-day life that can be challenging, with teamates who understand her need to win. When the coach tells them they are to train for a relay Patina has to adjust to teamwork where winning or losing is not under her control. This follow up to the very popular Ghost is dedicated 'For those who’ve been passed the baton too young' and Patina’s everyday life is certainly burdened with responsibilities thrust upon her. However, she has a strong support network determined to make things work even if they are not ideal and they help her to face challenges, grow as an individual, and keep learning. This is book 2 in the 4 volume Track series about a running team with kids from very different backgrounds and will appeal to a wide range of readers.
