A hare, a hound and shy mousey brown by Julia Hubery
Ill. by Jonathan Bentley. Little Hare Books, 2012. ISBN 978 1 921541
38 4.
(Ages: 6+) Recommended. Picture book.Friendship. The hare is
exuberant about the arrival of spring. She dances her way around the
fields and across the stone wall, somersaulting in the air, joyous
in her freedom and being herself. She approaches the sleeping hound,
wanting him to join in with her excitement, but the little mouse who
lives in the stone wall, wants to warn her. He knows that the dog is
not really sleeping, that he has one eye on the hare coming
increasingly closer. When he does reach out and trap the hare the
mouse must think quickly. He grabs a feather and tickles the dog,
and so the hare is released.
A delightfully whimsical story, told in rhyming lines, this will
hold the interest of young readers, whether being read aloud or by
themselves. They will follow the antics of the hare in revelling in
the essence of the day, and cry out to warn her of the impending
doom at the hands of the dog. An astute teacher will introduce the
sayings about 'sleeping dogs' and being 'doggo' to underline the sub
text of the tale, and lead the readers to talk about dangerous
situations and how to avoid them.
Read aloud, the story can be built up with drama and flair as the
lines lead the reader across the page using alliteration and
onomatopoeia to great effect.
The illustrations, in pencil and water colour, are just wonderful,
underlining the feeling of bravado of the hare as she bounces her
way through life.The drawings of her somersaulting around the page
are exhilarating, and the developing size of the dog, threatening
until the picture of his teethed moth snaps at the hare, will make
the children gasp. Beautifully executed the story had me laughing
out loud at the lively illustrations and terrific, sometimes
surprising rhymes.
Fran Knight
Charlie Burr and the crazy cockroach disaster by Sally Morgan, Ambelin, Blaze & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Little Hare Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-921714-86-3.
(Age: 8-10) Charlie Burr is a well meaning boy but seems to
constantly find himself in trouble. This is the third in the Charlie
Burr series written by Sally Morgan with her family.
This time Charlie's Mum bears the worst of the accidents which start
innocently enough with a fake cockroach meant to upset his annoying
sisters. Things just get worse and Charlie definitely needs to get
himself back into Mum's good books and to make sure she has a great
birthday.
To add to his worries he must perform magic tricks at the school
fete without any of his confiscated magical equipment.
Silly humour and comical situations will make this story appealing
to readers aged 8 to 10 years.
Jane Moore
Burn mark by Laura Powell
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408815229.
(Age: 13+) Glory comes from a family of witches. She is determined
to renew the magic in her London East End coven and to get away from
the petty crooks in her family. Lucas Sterne is the privileged son
of The Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition and expected to follow
in his ancestors' footprints, sworn to rid the world of illegal
witches. When Glory and Lucas come together as unlikely allies,
things begin to smoulder.
Powell has developed an unusual and original world. Her story is set
in contemporary London, but a London where witchcraft is still part
of the world and where an Inquisition has been set up to find and to
burn anyone who is using witchcraft illegally. Glory comes from an
East End family of criminals and finds herself in trouble when she
develops the Fae, the mark of the witch. Lucas Sterne comes from an
upper class, rich Inquisitor family and is shocked when he too
develops the mark of the Fae and its attendant powers. Their
backgrounds and attitudes are very different and it is difficult for
the pair to understand each other, but they must work together to
outwit their enemies.
Powell packed a very powerful and memorable punch with her Prologue,
a terrifying description of a witch burning and the continuing
action and suspense kept me turning the pages. The details about the
crime families, witchcraft and inquisitors were all so well written
that it was easy to suspend belief and become immersed in a parallel
London where magic really happened.
This interesting take on witches, witch burning and the Inquisition,
all in a modern setting, will appeal to teens. To learn more about
the author of Burn Mark, see Laura Powell's site. A trailer
is also available
.
Pat Pledger
Code name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Electric Monkey, 2012. ISBN 9781405258210.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. A Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor
Book for Fiction (2012) and a Scottish Children's Book Award Nominee
for Older Readers 12-16, this is a heart wrenching story of two
young women during World War 2. 'I have two weeks. You'll shoot me
at the end no matter what I do' and so begins a thrilling and
exhausting tale of bravery, espionage and flying the night skies
under fire written by a young woman who is being interrogated by
SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden.
When I first started this book, I wasn't sure if I would want to
continue with it, as it had all the hallmarks of a tear jerker and
with an opening like that I knew that a miracle would have to happen
for it to end happily. And yes, it was a tearjerker, but so
compelling that I had to continue reading through my tears while
sitting in an airport lounge.
The voice of the narrator is strong, and even though you know the
narrative is unreliable (after all, if you were being tortured how
could you keep it reliable?), it pushes the story forward and as a
reader I got totally caught up in war-torn Britain and France.
What I loved about the book was the quiet heroism of the young
women. Through Queenie's eyes we learn about Maddie, the mechanic
who is mad about engines and who learns to fly, and the role that
women played in the war, especially in the Air Transport Auxiliary,
ferrying planes from one location to another. The characters and
their friendship and relationships with others felt so authentic
that I couldn't help wondering if they were based on real people.
The author gives an afterword and a bibliography at the end of the
book that answers some of these questions.
I loved reading about the French Resistance, espionage and war
pilots when I was young, and Code name Verity will gain
another group of readers who will love the thrill of this genre. It
is a book that is sure to appear on more award winning lists.
Pat Pledger
1.4 by Mike Lancaster
Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781405258180.
(Age: 15 +) Highly recommended. This is a compelling science fiction
thriller which poses an intriguing future world. Mention of the
WorldBrain and filaments which extend from the hands, would suggest
this is a future where technological advances have progressed beyond
our expectations. However, key elements of this new world have a
familiar ring: a communication network called the Link accessed by
LinkPads, tools like Linkepedia and SocNetworking (including
FaceSpace and MyBook).
And at first, the central story line seems comfortingly familiar:
filled with classrooms, college courses and a boy afraid to tell his
science loving dad about taking a course in literature. However,
gradually, it becomes a story about power and control and how
science and technology can contribute to both. If all the world is
connected by the Link then can't this be used (or misused) to
control people?? For who, ultimately, controls the Link??
Just as importantly, if a brilliant scientific mind has failed to
see a key element in the problem he is trying to resolve, couldn't
this mean that his solution could be more dangerous than the problem
itself? This theory is put forward by a student in a class
discussion at the beginning of the story but quickly repudiated by
the teacher. However, when the same claim is made at the end of the
story it will resonate more strongly with the reader because by this
stage, there is far more at stake: this is no longer a class
discussion, this affects the future of the world and in particular,
Vincent and Alpha, two characters we have come to care about.
This is a very clever story which will make readers think about the
connectedness of our own world and the future that may lie ahead.
Although it is a sequel, readers don't have to know the first book
to enjoy this one, as enough detail is provided to acquaint us with
the storyline. Intriguingly, whilst the ending is quite powerful,
the door is left open for further books.
Deborah Marshall
Dotty inventions by Roger McGough
Ill. by Holly Swain. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2005. ISBN
9781 84780 332 0.
(Ages: 7+) Warmly recommended. Science. Professor Dotty Dabble
receives an unexpected invitation in her morning post. She is asked
to submit an invention to the National Science Museum and if she
wins, may get a fabulous holiday. She talks this over with her
robot, Digby, wondering which of her many inventions she should
take. Her nasal floss should be a winner, but there is also her
thermal dentures, or her voice activated socks, to name a few from
many. With it so difficult to make a decision, she takes them all
along. As she and Digby hurry to the museum in the Gizmobile, things
happen which allow the author to tell us of some inventions which
have changed the way we live. Consequently we hear of journalist
Ladislo Biro, who frustrated with pen and ink, invented the ball
point pen in 1938, naming it after himself. Or George de Mestral,
who frustrated with the burrs and seeds picked up by his dog when
out walking, invented velcro! Or the frisbee, invented after
people threw around their metal pie plates after eating the pies.
All good fun with some learning of new ideas as well, the
illustrations are funny and inviting, and the book will have wide
appeal, particularly as so little is written with science as a
theme.
Fran Knight
Grandad, there's a head on the beach by Colin Cotterill
Quercus, 2012. ISBN 978 0 8573 8709 7.
I would recommend this book for secondary students. Jimm Juree is
out walking on the beach in the Thai fishing village where she lives
when she discovers a human head. She immediately goes to tell
her grandfather who is a retired policeman even though he was only a
traffic policeman.
What unfolds gives a glimpse of life in Thailand away from the usual
tourist haunts. It involves piracy, human trafficking,
violence and corruption. Jimm is determined to solve the
murder and enlists a varied group of unlikely people to help
her. These range from members of her dysfunctional family, to
one of the few police who is not corrupt. All the characters
are well done, even if larger than life but the story moves along,
giving an interesting and different look at Thailand, such as the
fact that the Thais look down on the Burmese to such an extent that
they are prepared to turn a blind eye to the way they are treated
and abused by people smugglers.
This book can be read on various levels from a straight detective
story albeit with diverse and colourful characters, or at the deeper
level giving a glimpse of Thai life with its endemic corruption.
David Rayner
A million suns by Beth Revis
Across The Universe 2. Penguin 2012. ISBN 9780141333687.
(Age: 14+) The sequel to Across the universe, A million
suns continues continues the enthralling story of Elder and
Amy Martin as they uncover the secrets of Godspeed, the space ship
that is moving to colonise a planet. With the death of Eldest, Elder
is trying to be a less autocratic leader, but this leads to chaos.
Amy has had to resort to hiding as her white skin and red hair make
her stand out as different.
Amy and Elder reveal small secrets and thoughts in alternating
chapters. Their voices are distinctive and their differing
viewpoints but care for each other add to the depth of the story.
Often the chapters have a cliffhanger or hook at the end that
ensures that the reader continues on with the story. Of course the
major cliffhanger at the conclusion of the story is guaranteed to
get readers to continue with the series.
I was fascinated with the idea of life on the ship and the gradual
realisation of the lies and deceit that previous Elders had
perpetuated makes gripping reading. It was easy to see why that had
happened but as a reader I sympathised with Elder and Amy as they
tried to get people to realise their potential rather than being
drones.
The fact that Amy is white and is feared by the rest of the
inhabitants of the ship because she is different made me think about
racism and fear of the unknown. The themes of free will, revolution
and access to knowledge are also strong and thought provoking, while
Amy's thoughts about whether she would be attracted to Elder if
there were other people of her own age around, made me think about
the nature of love.
Combinations of science fiction, murder mystery, romance and a
dystopian future make this series well worth the effort of reading.
Readers may like to look at Beth Revis' webpage and the site for the series.
Pat Pledger
Little Nelly's Big Book (of Knowledge) by Pippa Goodheart
Ill. by Andy Rowland. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2012. Pbk. ISBN
9781408818459.
This is a classic story of a little knowledge being dangerous. Nelly
is reading a book she has discovered that tells her that mice can be
grey, can have big ears and skinny tails - just as she does, so she
must be a mouse. But is she? The problems start when she also reads
that mice have homes behind skirting boards and she decides to go
home for a nap. The reaction when she puts her head into the
mousehole is unexpected but heart-warming and works well until Nelly
gets hungry. Scoring 10/10 for ingenuity and wisdom, Granny Mouse
has a solution that gently and diplomatically helps Nelly discover
her real identity.
This is an engaging book with a fabulous twist in the tale that,
apart from being a great read, opens the door for some great
beginning information literacy activities such as a
compare-and-contrast and early investigations. And it gives the
definitive reason for books for little people always having
pictures! (Which, in itself, is another investigation . . . )
Barbara Braxton
The bonehill curse by Jon Mayhew
Bloomsbury 2012. ISBN 978 1 4088 0397 4.
Recommended for middle school students who like adventure. Necessity
Bonehill is not your average Victorian English schoolgirl.
Although at a school for young ladies she is not the least bit
interested in being a lady. Ness is more interested in
fighting and learning boxing, sword craft and rifle shooting from
the Sergeant Major. When she receives a mysterious bottle from
her uncle with strict instructions not to open it, of course she
does with disastrous results as the djinn she releases grants her
one wish that will happen in seven days but cost her
everything. After an accident at her school Ness escapes to
London where she discovers that she has been dead for five
years. When Ness meets Azuli from the Lashkars of Sulayman she
begins to unravel the mystery that surrounds her and her
family. She learns many unpleasant facts about the people she
cares about but especially her beloved father.
The story moves along at a fast pace, Ness proves to be both brave
and resourceful. She needs to be given what she is up against.
As the action moves between Victorian London and the sands of Africa
Ness learns more about her family and the Bonehill curse. The
interaction between her and Azuli is well done and the mixture of
the real and the supernatural work well together to make a
satisfying whole. The unexpected conclusion neatly brings together
the various strands.
David Rayner
Shade's children by Garth Nix
Allen and Unwin, 2012 (1997). ISBN 9781 74237 977 7.
(Ages: 12+) Highly recommended. Dystopian. Adventure. This
richly detailed story, plunges the reader head first into a
dystopian world where children are harvested at 14, the Sad
Birthday, for their brains and flesh used to build machines capable
of hunting down any opposition. Gold-Eye has escaped from the Dorm,
imagining up a razor blade from pictures on the newspapers he found
in the walls, cutting out the tracking device in his wrist, then
running for his life. He is about to be taken by the Trackers, when
someone suddenly appears and kills the monster, winching him to
safety, but their escape is not complete just yet. He meets three
other humans like himself, and struggles to communicate with words
he has not spoken for years.
The menacing Overlords with their retinue of machine made but flesh
enhanced cohorts of Myrmidons, Trackers, Ferrets and Wingers, shadow
the four as they try to escape. The scene is set for an adventure
like no other as the reader, along with Gold-Eye must piece together
the sparse information to find out where he is and who he can trust.
In meeting Shade, the hologram which directs the others who have
saved him, Gold-Eye is reticent to put his trust in him. But
survival in this hostile future is paramount, and so he joins the
group.
Reading this again was absolutely thrilling. I could recall over
arching ideas, but the detail had escaped me, so reading it
recharged my earlier impressions of its inventive components and
stunning originality. It was one of the first YA books to promote a
dystopian future, where readers are asked to project their society
into the next generation, seeing possible and fantastic end results
to the society in which we live.
Dystopian books are now common, stories in which children's bodies
are used, a more familiar idea, but this book, first published in
1997, expressed daring, fresh new ideas. This novel which broke new
ground was adventurous and astonishing, and that astonishment for
the reader, whether old or new, is still there in bucket loads.
Fran Knight
The Witch Hunter Chronicles 3: The Devil's Fire by Stuart Daly
Random House Australia, 2012. ISBN: 9781742754802.
(Age: 12+) 'Synopsis. Fire and brimstone. Hell on earth. Flames will
not stop the Hexenjager.
It is said that the Codex Gigas contains a spell for summoning the
Prince of Darkness. So when the medieval bible is stolen by demonic
soldiers known as the Sons of Cain, Jakob and his companions form an
alliance with an order of English witch hunters and race to London
to prevent a horrific prophecy from being fulfilled.
Whether battling his way into the gaols of Rotterdam or crossing
blades with the Sons of Cain during the Great Fire of London, this
will be Jakob's most perilous mission yet.
A nightmarish prison, a charismatic prince, a graveyard of
unspeakable horrors, a race to the death . . . Strap on your swords
for one hell of a ride.' Publisher
The first two books in the series were recommended:
The Witch Hunter Chronicles 1: The
Scourge Of Jericho by Stuart Daly. 'I would recommend it
to people who like books about witch
hunting with heaps of twists'. (Tahlia Kennewell, Student)
The Witch Hunter Chronicles 2: The Army of
the Undead by Stuart Daly. 'This is a rollicking, historical
action adventure that runs at
breakneck speed.' (Alicia Papp)
Pat Pledger
The Diggers' menagerie: mates, mascots and marvels - true stories of animals who went to war by Barry Stone
ABC Books, 2012. ISBN 0 7333 3009 4.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Animals. War. Non fiction. I seem to have
read a number of books with a similar theme over the past few years,
starting with Anthony Hill's wonderful, Animal heroes (2005)
which outlined true stories of animals that had made a difference,
then the story of Sarbi, the bomb detection dog which went missing
believed dead in Afghanistan in 2008 (Saving Private Sarbi)
as well as the range of books about Simpson and his donkey by
authors such as Jackie French, Mary Small and Mark Greenwood amongst
others, while a range of fiction books have appeared, giving details
of the animal in a fictional framework. Examples include The
horses didn't come home by Pamela Rushby, a tale of the Walers
that went to WW1, never to return, or David Hill's The red poppy
or Michael Morpurgo's War horse, and Farm boy. The Digger's menagerie is an excellent non fiction compendium
giving an overview of the wars that Australia has been involved in,
alongside stories about the animals that went with the soldiers,
playing a vital role as a mascot, or a beast of burden, a mate,
explosive detector and communication expert. From stories of pigeons
taking messages between trenches, to the horses in the Boer War
succumbing to the noxious weeds, or the Walers left in Palestine and
Egypt at the end of WW1, to the dogs that have saved lives finding
hidden bombs, to the dog, Horrie, an Egyptian stray smuggled back to
Australia, all are fascinating, and with the setting, gives a
different perspective to Australia's involvement in war.
Little gems of information are given along the way (Conan Doyle,
Kipling and Churchill were all journalists during the Boer War),
statistics that are mind boggling (horses with the Boers carried 200
pounds of baggage, whereas the British horses were made to carry 300
pounds!), stories about people such as war artist, Septimus Power
(there are many of his war paintings at the Australian War
Memorial), or Simpson and his donkey and Stan the tobacco chewing
ram. Some stories are a little long, an index would have helped
students to access some of the stories, but the ones listed in the
contents page make those accessible.
This is a good addition to the library where students will be able
to research the many stories when studying the impact of animals at
war or simply looking at Australia's participation in war using a
fresh approach.
Fran Knight
Something like normal by Trish Doller
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN: 9781599908441.
Upper Secondary. This is an effective and economical book that
achieves what it sets out to do. Not a word is wasted, and emotions
are expressed in sparse yet powerful language. The male narrator's
voice, both sardonic and authentic, allows readers to see inside the
head of an almost-man dealing with the horrors of 21st century
warfare.
Travis is 19, has just spent the last year in Afghanistan. His best
friend Charlie didn't make it home, and his girlfriend has told him
by text message that she is now with his brother. Little wonder that
Travis is not looking forward to three weeks of enforced leave.
There are nightmares, sweating, shaking, and an inability to connect
with his high school buddies. Clearly Travis suffers from PTSD and
isn't bothering to get the help he needs. He has too many other
things to think about: his over anxious mother, his condescending
father, his ex-girlfriend who still slips into his bedroom late at
night, and of course, his insomnia.
Into this madness walks Harper, Travis's biggest regret. He
inadvertently ruined her reputation when she was 14, and finds
himself still attracted and still undeserving. This part of the
story offers a growing hope for Travis, and contrasts strongly with
the other heavier and sadder storylines. Travis makes many mistakes,
but readers can see at heart he is a loyal friend, a brave soldier,
and a good man.
Doller acknowledges a bunch of marines in her author's note, so we
know where her sympathies lie. And rightly; this is a high pressure
life and there are no guarantees of survival. Doller doesn't sugar
coat Travis' wartime experiences, and the ending reflects that
uncertainty. But the hope, strength, and growth in Travis will
satisfy readers. This should really be offered to mature or
older teens. Themes include family relationships, war,
post-traumatic stress disorder, friendship, grief and loss,
identity, and coming-of-age.
Trish Buckley
Sheep on a beach by P. Crumble and Danielle McDonald
Scholastic Australia, 2012. ISBN 9781742833217.
(Pre-school - 6) Picture book. Imagine a day at the beach if you
were a sun loving sheep. Sand, sun, blue water, exotic drinks, beach
umbrella and lots of friends answering your Twitter call make
Sheep's day!
Crumble has made his rhyming text a joy for the beginning reader and
I suspect that it will really appeal to boys in particular. The
title page sees a sheep gambolling in a green paddock and printed on
the green grass is the word 'Sheep'. Repetition then follows
throughout the book with a small amount of accumulative text on each
double page spread.
Sheep.
Sheep on a beach
The following page adds another sentence
Sheep.
Sheep on a beach.
Umbrella up, towel underneath.
Internal rhymes make this a good book to read out loud and the
quirky humour is very amusing. The rhyme with Sheep tweeting his
friends the 'ewes' is very funny and an ideal way for a teacher to
talk about the use of 'yous' in everyday language.
The bright colourful illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to
this beach adventure. They complement the text and make it very easy
for the young reader to work out what is happening. The colours are
very bright and the expressions on the sheep's face with its huge
teeth and cartoon like eyes add tot he sense of fun and happiness at
the beach. A little crab features on every page and its actions like
putting zinc cream on the sheep's nose and building a sand castle
will be an additional talking point for the young reader.
An ideal introduction to the beach for young children, this book
will also be a useful first reader.
Pat Pledger
