Reviews

The wheels on the bus ill. by Mandy Foot

New in series:

Andy Roid and the Camp Howl crusaders by Felice Arena
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 9780143306054
'Andy is starting to enjoy his new life. But is he the only one who's hiding a secret? And can the government really protect him from a single-minded bounty hunter? Andy's parents think the safest place for him is school camp. They couldn't be more wrong!' Blurb.

Andy Roid and the Heroes of the Night
Puffin, 2012. ISBN 9780143306061.
'Andy and Judd are on a mission, but will Andy's awesome powers be enough? Or will someone Andy cares about lose their life to protect him? It's the toughest night of Andy's life, and he'll have to summon all his courage to outwit a merciless enemy!' Blurb.
Previous titles reviewed are:
Andy Roid and the superhuman secret by Felice Arena
Andy Roid and the field trip terror by Felice Arena Book 2
Comments: Great for relutant readers.

Boy V Beast. Battle of the Mega Mutants: Aquamaxitor
Lemonfizz Media, 2012. ISBN 9781921931178.
'Kai Masters is now a Border Captain and there are more bessts in Beastium. Mega-Mutants. Kai needs help. He must build a team. He must choose a battle partner.' Blurb.
Previously reviewed in this series are:
Boy V Beast by Mac Park
 Battle of the Mutants: Aquaterros by Mac Park
Stormasaurix by Mac Park
Pat Pledger (Editor)

The Yoga Ogre by Peter Bently & Simon Rickerty

Simon and Schuster, ISBN: 978 1 84738 902 2.
Ogden the Ogre is an ogre whose pyjamas have grown too short and too tight. He's confused as to what's happened, but there is strong allusion to the fact that it might be down to the 12 meals a day he eats. The people suggest that he should take up a sport, and he tries many different activities, including basketball, soccer, hockey, horse riding, golf, and finally, yoga.
The people don't like the results of Ogden's enthusiasm, as it results in the destruction of their town. They advise him to give up on sport all together, and react with horror and dread when he doesn't listen.
This is a stylistically lovely book, with vibrant and bright colours. The people, and Ogden, are drawn with skill and expression, and the medium is reminiscent of a child's crayon drawings, which might make the illustrations more relatable and accessible to children.
The text is full of rollicking and amusing rhymes, and the book is a pleasant read aloud. The language is expressive and the vocabulary choices are interesting without being too florid. There was much I wanted to love about this book.
I can't however let this review go by without commenting on some of the more subversively shaming themes and language used by the author. As a mother, I found it alarming that a children's book would be so openly judgemental of a character based on their weight. From the very first page, when Ogden is told 'Overweight ogres should take up a sport', there is a theme that Ogden is larger than average, and that this isn't OK. Many parents I know would not be OK with wording such as 'overweight,' 'diet' and, perhaps most alarmingly 'I'll have to find some other way to get thinner'.
I think, had the author made the people in the story more supportive of Ogden's effort, the tone of the book would be different. However, no matter what sport Ogden tries, the people or animals run from him, hide, or openly be dismissive of his efforts. It's an alarmingly oppressive message to send to a young reader, especially when the commonly accepted wisdom from medical and child development experts is that food should not be presented as 'good' or 'bad' and that exercise and healthy eating should take precedent over striving for a certain size, dieting, etc.
Freya Lucas

The hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9780857075413.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Reluctant readers. 17 year old Gene has survived against all odds in a world where humans are regarded as prey to be eaten. Known as hepers, the humans are on the verge of extinction and Gene has had to use all his ingenuity and intellect to stay alive. Forced to hide his emotions and his scent, he has hidden himself in plain sight, going to school and pretending to fit in. But when a heper hunt is organised and he is selected to be one of the hunters, things begin to fall apart. He has to hide his true nature and pretend to be part of the hunt.
This was a really exciting, original and thrilling story, that kept me on the edge of my seat for the whole book, one which I devoured in almost one sitting. Fukuda built up the suspense to an almost unbearable pitch, moving Gene from one danger to another as he grappled with the horror of the Hunt. The thought of humans being eaten almost to extinction is an appalling one, but one that kept me thinking as well.
Although it is an action driven story, at the same time, the author was able to give the reader an insight into the feelings of a young man who for the first time since the death of his father, begins to interact with other humans, and who realises that he may have to take some responsibility for other people. Two strong young women, Ashley June and Sissy, are exceptionally competent and their depth of character adds greatly to the story.
A sticker on the cover states, 'If you love The Hunger games, you'll love this' and that is certainly true. Fans of the Maze runner series will also enjoy it. It is sure to appeal to both boys and girls for its unique story line and brilliant plot . I can't wait for the second in the series. A book trailer is available.
Pat Pledger

City of lies by Lian Tanner

The Keepers series. Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379999.
(Ages 10+) Recommended. Adventure. Fantasy. Six months have come and gone since the country called Jewel was restored to a normal state, with the Guardians defeated and the evil Fugleman overthrown and cast out of the country. Goldie is safely living with her parents, released from the House of Repentance, but still suffering the long term effect of torture and imprisonment. When a request comes from the Museum of Dunt offering her the position of Fifth Keeper, she is thrilled, but with her parents in the state they are in, she cannot accept.
Meanwhile when Goldie and Toadspit are investigating some missing children, Bonnie and Toadspit are captured and taken by ship to Spoke. With Goldie also hidden on the ship, adventures are about to happen all over again. Finding other children to help them in this Dickensian world proves to be difficult, but when they find themselves in the midst of the Festival of Lies in the city, everything is topsy turvey and they find that people cannot be trusted. But back in Jewel, the evil Flugleman is beginning to worm his way back into his sister's good graces, so everyone needs to keep their heads clear for action.
Another fast paced fantasy thriller, City of Lies follows Goldie as she tries to understand what is happening both in Jewel and Spoke. Her dream job, that of being the Fifth Keeper is nearly in her grasp, but her sorrow about her parent's imprisonment stops her accepting it. But in Spoke she can see what is happening back home and struggles to free the group to enable them to get home to stop the Flugleman's machinations.
Fran Knight

Rapture by Lauren Kate

Doubleday, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-385-61812-0.
Age: older teens and young adults. When you have only nine days to save the world from existing as the way you know it, where do you start? That's the dilemma that Luce and her angle boyfriend, Daniel are faced with. They only have nine days to stop Lucifer, a demon hell beat on altering the past and erasing the present as they know it. Luce and Daniel must travel to the location where millions of angels fell over thousands of years ago in order to stop Lucifer. Only one problem is that no angel can remember where the fall site is. So Luce and Daniel with the help of their friends must find and locate three relics that will be able to tell them where the fallen site is. This is not as easy as it sounds, as others are out to stop them and time is running out for Luce, Daniel and their friends. Will they make it in time?
Rapture continues with the same storyline that was left at the end of Passion for the final instalment of Lauren Kate's series Fallen. Rapture is about friendship, love and sacrifice as Daniel and Luce joins their friends as they try to stop Lucifer from changing the past and altering the present. Luce must use her knowledge she has gained from her past lives to help Daniel and the rest of her friends in their mission. I would recommend reading the side story, Fallen in Love, before reading Rapture as there are small assumptions that the reader has read the side story. When reading Rapture, I knew it was a good book because I found it hard to put down. I would recommend this book to older teenagers and young adults.
Lauren Pfeiffer (18 years old)

Farmer John's tractor by Sally Sutton

Ill. by Robyn Belton. Walker, 2012. ISBN 978 1 921150 94 4.
(Age: Pre-school - 6) Recommended. Floods. An orangey-red old tractors sits in a shed, seemingly rusting and unused, until there is a flood. A car with two little girls gets stuck in the rising floodwaters. The jeep that tries to rescue them rolls on its side; a tow truck gets stuck and the fire-engine slams to a halt on a slip. Then Farmer John comes up with an idea. Unlocking the door to the shed, he brings the trusty tractor to the rescue.
Teachers doing a unit with young children about disasters and in particular floods, will find this beautiful picture book very useful. The illustrations in watercolours by Robyn Belton bring the wet weather to life. The swirling murky waters of the flooding river, the brown mud and the oppressive sky tell vividly what can happen during a flood. The oppressive atmosphere is lightened with humorous touches like the chickens nesting on the tractor and the little dog following the farmer around. There is a plethora of detail in each of the pictures for inquisitive children to pore over and talk about.
The story of the tractor, which is rusty but trusty, will appeal to young children as will the rhyming language that makes it a good read aloud.
Pat Pledger

Love notes from Vinegar House by Karen Tayleur

Black Dog Books, 2012. ISBN 9781742032191
Highly recommended. Mystery and humour abound in Karen Tayleur's beautifully written young adult novel, Love Notes from Vinegar House. Freyer Jackson Kramer is an ordinary girl with a funny name, that's the first thing she will tell you.The second is, she does not believe in ghosts . . . until she is packed off to stay with her grandmother at the spooky Vinegar House for the school holidays. It is here, amongst the foreboding shadows of a house which is yearning to reveal long harboured family secrets that Freyer learns about the tumultuous nature of young love, and its many guises. Tayleur, the author of Six and the David Mortimore Baxter series, has penned an insightful and touching tale, and at its centre, an amiable protagonist which readers aged 10-16 will likely identify with. Love Notes from Vinegar House is bursting with familiar, yet curious and multifarious characters, each of which contribute to Tayleur's delicate exploration of teenage angst, and other themes including bullying, family relationships, love and post-natal depression. With this in mind, Tayleur maintains a reasonable level of suspense, encouraging empathy for her characters, and anticipation for the novel's climax.
Love Notes from Vinegar House is highly recommended for independent reading and as a teaching resource, as its witty and realistic narration will engage male and female students, and it can be comparable to the work of Melina Marchetta and Ann Brashares.
Marni Trevena

Broken by Elizabeth Pulford

Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921529887.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Zara is trapped inside her head. She lies in a coma after a motorbike accident, unable to speak or communicate but trapped by her subconscious. She is desperate to find her brother Jem. He is the keeper of her secrets, the only one she has confided in about her traumatic abduction when she was a little girl. She knows that he wouldn't leave his beloved comics behind so she goes searching for him between the pages of his favourite comic series. Thoughts and fear about her abductor mingle with terror as she struggles with the evil Morvin, a comic book character. At the same time she is grounded in some sort of reality as her best friend Trace keeps talking to her about what is happening at school and her parents clasp her hands and tell her to fight back.
The journey that Zara takes while in a coma to come to terms with her past and face up to her future is gripping. As a reader I was plunged into the torment of a mind trying to make sense of what has happened and desperate to find Jem, who has always been there for her. I loved the way Pulford kept the three strands of her narrative going. A newspaper extract about the motorcycle accident sets the scene and then different styles of print of the book helps to keep straight just what was happening in Zara's head. Normal print was used as Zara listens to people from her everyday world, talking to her and trying to get her to wake up. Illustrations by Angus Gomes bring Zara to life as a comic book character, frantic to find Jem, and the smaller print highlighted her agony as she relives the past when her abductor had her imprisoned in a cupboard for six weeks. Another newspaper extract at the end of the book pulls some of the mystery to a conclusion.
Zara, her best friend Trace and Jem come alive through Zara's memories and snippets of conversation in the hospital room in the present. I loved the way that Trace, a Goth girl remains a true friend to Zara and comes to accept herself when she enters the Pop Idol contest. Zara's memories of her love for Paul bring a touch of romance and her mother and father come across as really caring parents.
This is not your usual run of the mill story about a girl in a coma. It is a skilful blend of mystery, fear, family life and friendship that was difficult to put down.
Pat Pledger

Alice of Peppermint Grove by Davina Bell

Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl (series) Penguin, 2012 ISBN 9780 14 3303631 3
(Ages: 9+) Recommended. Australian History. The third in the series about Alice, a young girl living in Perth at the end of World War One is brought to life in this episode, where she must contend with her mother working and father missing presumed dead, her brother Teddy serving overseas and about to come home, and the multitude of chores to complete at home each day.
The whole family is excited about Teddy's return, but when he does come home he is taciturn and distant, eventually revealing that he has been gassed in the trenches and suffering a fearful cough, which later gets him into trouble when he tries to swim a race.
Mabel is awash with guilt now that the war has ended, as she tells Alice of the lies she has told when writing to a soldier. Now that he has returned, he has asked to meet her, so the two girls go along with the intention that Mabel apologise to the man, but they find instead a new friend, one who shares their Christmas.
This episode in Alice's life is most enthralling, she has the dilemma of whether to take up ballet and when her friend is offered the part usually taken by Alice, friction occurs. We hear of soldiers returning with shell shock and gassed lungs, of the arrival of Spanish Flu, of the returning soldiers taking back their jobs from the women who have learnt new skills during the war. The whole book is fascinating as its background is made very real. This is a fine addition to an already engrossing series of books.
Set in Perth, the story is one of the Our Australian Girl series and so is well supported by a website which contains information and teacher notes for each of the now 6 stories of girls in different historical periods in Australia's history. At the end of this story, as with the others, is a teaser, the first few pages of the next in this series, Peacetime for Alice, while information is given about Australia at the time. it seems that many boys are now reading these stories as well.
Fran Knight

Louise builds a house by Louise Pfanner

Walker Books, Australia, 2012. ISBN 978 1 921977 75 6.
(Ages: 5+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Humour. Seemingly simple, this tale of Louise building herself a house and following her construction through to the end is most appealing. Each verso (left hand side page) shows the plan of attack, and the recto (right hand side page) shows her using the part she has built. Each double page shows a step in the building's construction, with Louise at its centre, building something she wants to build and the reason for its being built.
The large white pages on the verso plan out her building, while the colourful recto show the results of her efforts. Each page adds another piece to the building: each page shows her abilities and interests, until finally the house is built, shown in all its glory towards the end of the book, and reflected on the front cover.
Readers will thrill at the efforts Louise goes to build her house, adding many features they will want to discuss, while talking about the things they would want to include in their houses. They will love to look at the variety of clothing she dons for specific parts of the building process, and this too will initiate discussion amongst the readers about the clothing's significance. Her choice of building materials is another point of interest and the last image of what she does with the house too, will intrigue readers.
Walker Books has added editorial comment from Libby Gleeson, as well as the author, giving her reasons behind writing the book, so adding another level of interest to a class where this book is read. Walker Books has again republished another Australian classic, one which deserves to be looked at again and again.
Fran Knight

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781742972817.
(Age: 12 +) We've had angels, vampires, demons and werewolves attracted to teenage girls and now it seems mermaids, or rather mermen (despite the protagonist's objection to this description of himself) are the new angels. Galen is a Syrena - one who has human form on land but grows a fin and swims at incredible speeds when at sea.  He feels an electrical connection to Emma and her white hair and violet eyes would indicate she, too, is a Syrena. Although she discovers she can swim underwater for a long time when Galen takes her into the deep, her legs never morph into fins. He is a Prince but she is a commoner, unaware, until puberty, that she has the Gift of Poseidon. Furthermore, as the only living heir of Poseidon, she is destined to marry Galen's brother Grom and produce offspring for Royal House of Triton.
This is a glorified teen romance with the requisite hot male, hostility with intense mutual attraction on meeting , a controlling male and reacting female, break-up and make-up. There is violence, an arranged marriage and even a visit to the wreck of the Titanic. The device of alternating chapters of Emma's first person voice contrasting with Galen's story told in the third person allows for the inclusion of the stories of the minor characters. This archetypal Cinderella plot is slow-moving but has humour in Galen's adjustment to human life. There are underwater descriptions and concerns about overfishing. The cliffhanger ending sets up the sequel, Of Triton. The target audience will love it but it seems a missed opportunity to learn much more about sea life and sea mythology.
Kevyna Gardner

Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar

Penguin, 2012; 315 pages; p/b; rrp $19.95. ISBN 9780143206552.
(Age: 16+) Here is a novel that whets the appetite for the paranormal. Night Beach in the hands of Kirsty Eagar is thrilling. As it transitions from the normal to the paranormal, Eagar injects her 'night beach' with eerie credibility, ensuring this compelling scenario is certain to capture its adolescent readership. Night Beach contains many of the elements that fire the imagination of the modern young reader - surf, the opposite sex, cars, art and the supernatural. Eagar's knowledge of surfing glows throughout this narrative, as she creates mesmeric images of the power and awesomeness of the ocean, and its addictive hold over the surfing culture.
Kirsty Eagar's strengths are indisputably in imagery, dialogue and imaginative plot creation. It is easy to feel the fear, as seventeen year-old Abbie struggles to remain afloat in the real world; even as she is drawn into the shadowy darkness of something not quite normal.
Abbie is quickly spinning outside the safety net of family, school, art assignments and into the darkness of Kane's brutish world. Kane has just returned from a surfing trip away, but something sinister has returned with him, and only Abbie can see it. Poised on the crest of the dark and dangerous, Abbie's obsession for Kane gnaws away at her. Her obsession, and his disinterest both fuel her recklessness. She cannot understand what happened while he was away, that has resulted in the return home of a different Kane, but she is determined to find out. With her mother and stepfather away, Abbie finds herself alone in the house with Kane, who lives downstairs.
Kirsty Eagar has created a broad cast of supporting characters providing depth to the canvas of this novel. However, the reader will always want to know if Abbie gets her beau, and escapes the shadows of the 'night beach.'
This novel includes sexual references, and imaginatively portrays the dark side of the paranormal. It should interest girls in the 16+ age group.
Colleen Tuovinen

My home Broome by Tanzyne Richardson and Bronwyn Houston

Magabala Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921248467.
(All ages) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Aboriginal stories. When 10 year old Tanzyne was kept at home with a bout of swine flu, she decided to write a poem about why she liked living in Broome. Two years later after an established artist worked with 12 students selected from the schools in Broome to be trained and mentored in their work, this happy, fun filled, brightly coloured book is the result.
On each page is a stanza from Tanzyne's poem, surrounded by detailed illustrations of the things mentioned. Each stanza takes on a different aspect of Broome life, the Yawuru people, bush tucker, pearl divers, animals, birds, big industry, fish, playing with other kids, the trees and flowers on the cliffs and beaches. Each stanza is richly illustrated by the large group of children who worked with Bronwyn Houston. Their detailed illustrations give an impression of Broome running parallel to the words. So the reader can pick out a myriad of features that make up Broome today: middens on the beach showing the longevity of the Yawuru people int he area, a baob tree, the diversity of cultures, the festivals, markets, the staircase moon, the humpback whale and the housing.
The book closes with a thumbnail sketch of the 12 illustrators and an outline of those who helped Tanzyne and Bronwyn in their task.
Magabala books is producing a range of fascinating material about a part of Australia rarely seen in written form, so giving students across the country a wonderful opportunity to know it better.
And this book, written and illustrated by children will have an immediate appeal to primary school people intrigued both by their introduction to Broome and the work that can be produced by their age group.
Fran Knight

Divine Clementine by Hayley S Kirk

Random House Australia, 2012. ISBN: 9781864718997.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. On the second page of Divine Clementine, Clementine is witness to the tragic and abrupt death of Stella, her best friend and aunty. We then journey to a very dark place with Clementine as she struggles with trauma and denial. For the first part of the novel, this narrative is often uncomfortable, often heart-breaking, yet always genuinely poignant. Clementine lashes out at everyone with cruel, cutting declarations, and scary, harmful actions. We hang on, and hope something will occur that lets her see her life is worth it.
The secondary characters are built beautifully: Clementine's parents, Theo the confused boy-next-door, Stella's siblings and parents, and even Stella who is flighty, unpredictable, and mysterious. Stella has totally coloured Clementine's perception of the people who love her. Only when Clementine has access to Stella's journals do we see Aunty Stella was not always truthful or fair to the other members of her family. These big reveals impact further on Clementine, and she sinks still deeper into depression, and distances herself even more from those who love her.
In the last third of the book Clementine is forced to spend her summer holiday with her aunt and uncle on their farming property. Here I found myself questioning the plot devices used by the author. Although it unfolds slowly and realistically enough, Clementine's growing affection for Thom, the young man from the next door farm, seems to have an almost too-good-to-be-true cathartic effect on her. Some time has passed since Stella's death, and the introduction of gorgeous nieces and nephews whose innocent and nonjudgmental attitudes soften her hardened heart, but chiefly it is Thom who swoops in and saves the day. And I worry about Clementine replacing one person with another, so quickly, and so completely. I know I said earlier in the review that she needed someone to show her life can be good, but this just seemed a little too easy.
However, it is the character of Clementine who holds this book together. Her voice is strong and feisty, and she is portrayed beautifully as honest, funny, and clever. So it's quite easy to dismiss these little niggles and accept Clementine has emerged with a clearer head, and a greater understanding of the fallible nature of people.
Unfortunately Divine Clementine might be overlooked since it deals with topics that seem to be everywhere in YA Lit this year: Death, grief, loss, mental illness, and family dysfunction. However, it holds its own in the company of others.
Trish Buckley