Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780143566847.
(Ages: 14+) In this review I am going to give away the big surprise
in the plot, so please stop reading if you don't want to know what
makes this novel controversial, and a risky choice for some school
libraries. Dodie Farnshaw is about to sit her final year
exams when her parents go missing in very mysterious circumstances.
One of her classmates, Enron, contacts her to say he can help, and
that there is a key in a sneaker belonging to her mother that will
unlock the mystery. When they investigate the basement they find the
well preserved body of Jesus in a coffin. As the baddies close in
Dodie, her sister Coco, and three assorted teenage boys take Jesus
on a road trip to save him.
The jokes around Jesus are quirky rather than offensive to me, but I
know others in my school community that would not see the humour at
all. The relationship between Dodie and her sister is believable and
appealing but the interest that Dodie shows in the character Jones
seems unrealistic, considering the peril they are in as they flee up
the coast. Williams writes well and her descriptions of the tunnels
of Melbourne, and the small towns Dodie and the other characters
find themselves in interesting, but the plot stretches credibility
to too great an extent for me.
Chris Lloyd
Unrest by Michelle Harrison
Simon Pulse, 2012. ISBN: 9780857070913
(Age: 15+) Unrest successfully combines a number of genres
into an effective narrative for teens. With male character Elliot as
narrator, hopefully male readers will pick it up despite the
relatively strong romantic element. The cover should certainly help
draw them in, because it does a good job of portraying the creepy,
suspenseful feel of the story.
We meet Elliot at a very low point in his life. He has barely
survived a hit and run accident which left him clinically dead for
two minutes. His mother died of cancer not long before, and his
relationship with his father is distant and uncommunicative. Elliot
is experiencing out of body dreams and confronting ghosts, and he is
unable to move on with school, with relationships, or with life in
general.
After so much is explained in the first few chapters, Unrest
takes a while to settle into its stride. Elliot is introspective and
stationary - he doesn't know how to deal with what's going on, so
the book starts slowly and tentatively. However, once Elliot
realises he needs to be more pro-active, and finds a job conducting
ghost tours at an historic tourist town, the pace and action picks
up, and the book becomes hard to put down.
There are two main plot streams which initially seem unrelated:
Elliot's developing feelings for the mysterious Ophelia, and the
paranormal elements. Elliot is confronted by a number of ghosts,
either needing his help, or threatening his life. He must overcome
his fear and accept this new aspect of himself, and it takes a while
for that to happen. In the meantime, the two plots slowly and neatly
twist together. The unexpected ending should surprise some readers,
providing the necessary didn't-see-that-coming moment so important
in the thriller genre.
This is a great book, combining mystery, romance, and the
paranormal. Elliot's growth and return to life is captured
authentically as he reconciles his need to connect with his father,
the need to take risks with loving Ophelia, and the role unsettled
spirits now play in his life. The book is probably more for upper
secondary students, because the narrative offers a casual attitude
towards sex - Elliot was a 'player' and his brother Adam encourages
a dismissive treatment of girls. There is also a fairly gruelling
scene when the past lives of ghosts is discussed; the way they died
is often tragic and confronting.
Action packed and suspenseful, Unrest is recommended as a
strong option to other more light and swoony paranormal offerings.
Trisha Buckley
Black fella, white fella by Neil Murray
Ill. by students at various primary schools. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN
9780 9807948 9 2.
(Ages: 8+) Picture book. Aboriginal themes. Subtitled 'An Indigenous
Australian story' this colourful book is a rendering of the ballad,
Black fella, white fella, written by Neil Murray and sung by
the Papunya band, Warumpi. Written out, the ballad makes thin
reading, but is eye catching enough with its illustrations drawn by
students from schools around Australia. The endpapers show the
variety of illustrations done by these students and from which those
chosen for the book were taken.
It is an admirable ballad, written by Neil Murray after working at
Papunya for 12 months, and it promotes the idea that we are all the
same beneath our skin colour. In a classroom a copy of the band's
song would be appropriate to use alongside the book and its message,
and children could learn the song to sing at assemblies or in the
classroom. The book and song would make a strong addition to a unit
on indigenous culture and discussions around prejudice or being
equal. The illustrations will make a talking point both for studying
Indigenous culture, and looking at various types of art and how they
can produce.
Supported by Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth project, the book has
supportive statements by Ian Thorpe and Jeff McMullen, and a
foreword by Martin Flanagan as well as an introduction from Neil
Murray.
Fran Knight
Sugar and ice by Kate Messner
Walker, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8027-2330-7.
Recommended for readers aged 10 to 13 years. Sugar and ice refers to
maple syrup collection and ice skating, two topics that most
Australian readers would know very little about. Yet the themes in
the story are universal, perseverance, self doubt, balancing
commitments with a personal life, bullying and friendship.
Middle school aged Claire Boucher is passionate about ice skating,
with most of her training occurring on a frozen cow pond on the
family farm in Mojimuk. She helps her parents with the maple syrup
collection and has a best friend she sees all the time. This all
changes when she is offered a scholarship to train at Lake Placid.
All her time is taken up by the rigorous training schedule and the
travelling time to the rink. She loses touch with her friends and
family and must adjust to the highly competitive sport of figure
skating.
Claire has a lot to learn during her time at Lake Placid and not
just about skating. She has to decide what's important in her life.
Claire is a believable character and it is very easy to be involved
in her problems and successes. I know nothing about ice skating but
was intrigued enough to look up some of her more troublesome moves
on YouTube, i.e. a double salchow. An accomplished writer can
successfully guide the reader into unknown worlds and experiences
and Kate Messner did that for me.
Jane Moore
Dragon Hunter by Nazam Anhar
Scholastic Australia, 2012. ISBN 978-1-74283-030-8.
Highly recommended for readers aged 10 to 14 years old. Baran is the
reluctant hero in this story. An outsider in his own village of
Shenzing, he is of mixed parentage, with a missing father and is
shunned, teased and bullied. He has only his mother, younger sisters
and the goats he tends as his companions.
Shenzing has been dragon free for so long most people believe that
the dragon stories are only myths but dragons do return and cause
untold destruction and death. The village must call on the legendary
Dragon Warriors for protection.
In return for his help, Dragon Warrior Hajur requests a boy to train
in his ways and that boy is Baran. A new life begins for Baran,
where he must learn to accept himself, his fears and come to terms
with past experiences and the mystery of his missing father.
This is an exciting, page turning story and the dragons are
frightening in their relentless battles with humans. I am a dragon
lover and particularly fond of the dragon Danzi in Carole
Wilkinson's Dragon Keeper series. In these stories the
dragon and his keeper are the heroes and the hunters are wicked. I
have to come to terms with the role reversal in Nazam Anhar's book
and I will confess to at times secretly barracking for the dragon,
as nasty as it is.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and hope there are sequels as I
would love to read more about these strong characters.
Fantasy and dragon lovers will enjoy this book.
Jane Moore
Frank n Stan by M. P. Robertson
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 84780 130 2.
(Ages: 6+)Picture book. Humour. Highly
recommended.
In reprising the story of Frankenstein, Robertson has cleverly
recycled the name of the doctor to include the young boy, Frank and
his creation, Stan, the mechanical man he builds in the basement of
his house, after his pleas for a baby brother or sister go unheeded.
He makes plans, gathers scrap material, and builds his creation.
Each page of illustrations is most detailed reflecting the effort
Frank is taking to construct Stan. Using pulleys and levers,
acetylene and a battery, Stan comes to life. At first wobbly and
losing oil form the oddest of places, Frank is ecstatic that he
finally has his baby
brother.
The family needs to get used to this odd contraption sitting at
breakfast with an oil can, wrecking the steps to Frank's upper bunk
as he climbs to bed, but this is easier when he also vacuums and
hangs out the washing. Stan and Frank have an amazing time together,
and the astute reader will notice the swelling of mum's tum, adding
a baby to the family. Stan, Frank and the baby continue the fun of
before, but Stan is increasingly left out of the games, and so,
dejected, runs away. A lovely resolution occurs in which the family
realises how much they miss Stan, and Frank tales off after him.
This is a wonderful read, full of family life, promoting the idea of
a new member coming in and the place each person has in the family.
The story speaks of inclusion and acceptance, of love and
togetherness. It promotes invention, trying new things and solving
problems. Amongst many things readers will love following the cat as
the story is told, and see the parallels to the old story of
Frankenstein, and the humour in the title.
The detail on each page, including the end papers, draws the eyes to
the plethora of information each page gives the reader. They will
love picking out the minute things portrayed, working out how each
piece goes to help build Stan. The superb illustrations beg the
reader to build a Stan of their own, so teachers and parents need to
have a box of useful equipment at the ready.
Fran Knight
Death cure by James Dashner
Chicken House, 2012. ISBN 9781908435200.
(Ages: 13+) Recommended. Reluctant readers. When I received this,
the third in The Maze Runner series, I decided that I would
have to read the first two in the series, The Maze Runner
and The Scorch Trials, before attempting a review. I had
seen them mentioned on a number of awards, notably The Maze
Runner, as a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011). I
wasn't disappointed. The series was so exciting and the characters
so involving that I read the series in a few days and am looking
forward to the prequel, The Kill Order. The Death Cure was a satisfying conclusion to a roller
coaster group of books. Dashner's emphasis on action ensured that I
had to keep reading quickly to find out what was going on. There
were plenty of near death fights, explosions and escapes to keep
even the most adrenalin addict glued to the page.
Dashner, too, had great settings for all his books. The Maze in the
first book was a unique and fascinating invention and I loved the
descriptions of how the boys had to run to escape monsters and how
they organised their lives in an orderly fashion in a frightening
world. The Scorch Trials had the group facing enormous
danger again as they struggled across wasteland and Death cure
saw the group grapple with the zombie like creatures who had the
Flare, a disease that slowly ate them away and made them irrational.
Thomas was the undoubted hero of the series and it was his story
that stood out. Loyal to his male friends, he protected them when he
was able. Remembering snippets of what the evil organisation, WICKED
planned, he was determined not to give in to them. The stories of
his cohort of companions, especially Teresa, Newt and Minho, added
an extra dimension to the story. Lovers of romance will be kept
going with the back story of Teresa and Brenda, but the romance is
so slight that boys won't be put off. There are also some deaths
that were unexpected and heart breaking.
Dashner's stories are thrillers that revolve around themes of
loyalty, betrayal and the eternal question: Do the ends justify the
means? In Death Cure, he makes the reader think about
science gone wild, about the ethics of handling children like lab
rat experiments and using coercion and murder to get results. These
ideas, mixed with all the suspense of the chases, made for a
thrilling read.
Both boys and girls will enjoy this series.
Pat Pledger
The magnificent tree by Nick Bland and Stephen Michael King
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781 74283 295 1.
(Ages 5+) Recommended. Picture book. Simplicity.
Pop and Bonny are always making things for each other. Designing and
inventing is the way Pop works out things, while Bonny prefers a
more hands on, earthy way to work. Consequently, Bonny makes a
recycled paper card for her Pop, whereas Pop, wanting to fly, spends
many hours planning, designing and then making a contraption to help
him achieve that aim, with disastrous consequences.
When both notice that the birds have nowhere to perch, Bonny
suggests they need a tree and the two go about their quest for a
tree in stunningly different ways. Pop again plans and designs and
eventually builds a mechanical tree, while Bonny simply plants a
seed. Pop's finished product looks like a tree, but its mechanical
branches and discordant and pointy leaves, do not allow the birds a
quiet restful place to perch. Bonny's tree on the other hand is just
what the birds need and so they take to it without hesitation, while
Bonny finds a use for Pop's tree.
There are a number of picture books at the moment about invention
and using imagination. Frank n Stan (Robertson) and The
terrible suitcase (Emma Allen) for example intrigue the
reading audience with inventions such as the mechanical man (Frank)
in the first and the rocket ship in the latter. The magnificent
tree, is another showing imagination being used for the same
end but in entirely different ways. Pop's mechanical tree, despite
all his work, invention and design, simply does not fit the bill,
whereas Bonny's simple idea of planting a tree suits the purpose.
Reiterating this lovely story the illustrations make clear the
conservation message, reinforcing the idea that simple is best, and
strengthening the dialogue between the generations. Readers will
love Pop's stubbly chin and various hats, while watching out for
Bonny's exuberant face, and I can imagine many will clamour to make
the mechanical tree or at least a like version, at the end of the
story.
Fran Knight
Stormswept by Helen Dunmore
HarperCollins, 2012. ISBN 9780007455416.
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Morveren lives with her parents and
twin sister Jenna on an island near Cornwall, a place that is
completely surrounded by the ocean except at low tide. One day,
Morveren finds a teenage boy in a rock pool down by the sea,
stranded after a storm. Going to his rescue, she is amazed to find
that he is not human, but a Mer boy. Her sister Jenna, the sensible
one, refuses to face the truth, until their Air and Mer worlds
collide.
This is the fifth book in the award-winning Ingo Chronicles,
although it doesn't begin where the last book left off. Instead, it
involves exciting new characters in the same world. This is good, as
it makes the story more refreshed while keeping the same familiarity
of the past four books. Helen Dunmore has a knack for writing
beautifully lyrical prose that suits the themes of the book
perfectly, as most of this story takes place in or around the ocean.
This is the main thing that will draw you into the book: incredibly
vivid descriptions of majestic underwater worlds. It's an
excellently written novel.
The book is a little hard to get into at first, but once the
fascinating underwater world of Ingo is introduced, it's a book you
simply cannot put down. The author has managed to weave a very
convincing and utterly enchanting world that will have you guessing
what really lies in the depths of the ocean.
A fantastic read from a very talented author, this is a book that
will cast a spell over you with beautifully vivid descriptions of
another world.
I highly recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
The Horse Road by Troon Harrison
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4088-1935-7.
(Age: 10-16) Highly recommended. The Horse Road is the first
in a series of three equestrian adventures. Set in Ferghana, Central
Asia in 102 B.C. we follow the story of Kallisto, a brave and
passionate young 14 year old who has inherited her love of horses
and her horse riding skills from her nomad mother.
After racing her horse with her friend Batu, Kallisto spied the
Chinese Army approaching her city on a horse stealing mission. On
her return to home, she discovers her beautiful white horse Swan has
been captured and she must plan to rescue him.
With an absent father and a seriously injured mother, Kallisto must
discover her inner strength and rely on her own bravery and problem
solving skills. She is a young female who stands up for her rights
and beliefs in a time when women were expected to follow rather than
lead.
This story is based on historical fact as the Chinese did go into
battle to gain the unique horses described in this book. It is
obvious that the author has thoroughly researched the historical
background to the story and has a wide knowledge of horses herself.
She is able to take the reader along with her 'on horse-back' in
this fast paced novel. I am not a 'horsey' person myself and do not
willingly choose fiction in this area but I was engrossed in this
exciting story and the time frame Kallisto had for rescuing her
beloved horse Swan.
I will definitely be reading the next books in this series, Cold
Freedom, set during WWII and Red River Stallion which
is based in the Canadian fur trading times of the 1830's.
An exciting story for readers aged 10 to 16 years, highly
recommended.
Jane Moore
EJ 12 Girl Hero: Fashion Fraud by Susannah McFarlane
Scholastic Australia, 2012. ISBN: 9781921931147.
As another addition to the EJ12:Girl Hero series, this book
will again will be popular with the 8+ readers. This series is
definitely aimed at girls who are keen on adventure and see
themselves as capable of saving the world. Set largely in Paris and
with a focus on fashion what girl will be able to resist reading it?
EJ 12, Emma Jacks in real life, is concerned about what to wear to a
dance party on the week end when she is summoned, by the secret
agency she works for SHINE, to investigate the theft of the Mona
Lisa. This of course has been somehow organised by the enemy evil
agency, SHADOW.
A trip to Paris during fashion week, clues hidden in delicious
eclairs and references to major art galleries and specific paintings
by Monet and Delaunay add some exotic elements to this spy adventure
for EJ12. The villains Madam Ombre, proprietor of the Salon du
Chocolat, and Alicia Noir, fashion designer extraordinaire, are the
focus of the investigations.
With the aid of some James Bond like gimmicks EJ12 and her friend
EK12, not only regain the stolen master pieces, but participate in a
fashion show wearing the centre piece dresses and also manage to
rescue 3 cute poodle puppies.
The message on the cover 'Reste toujours toi-meme', gives a clue to
the authors' message, reiterated in final chapters when EJ12
realizes that she has the confidence to be true to herself and not
be intimidated by the opinions of others.
Girls will not only be attracted to the attractive pink cover but
will enjoy the challenge of deciphering the messages hidden in the
eclairs and the thought of participating in a Paris fashion show
whilst learning a little basic French.
Sue Keane
Night beach by Kirsty Eager
Penguin Group Australia, 2012. 315 pgs., p/b. ISBN 9780143206552.
(Age: 15+) 'Imagine there is someone you like so much that just
thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless.' Night beach is a dark and mysterious story narrated by Abbie,
a normal 17 year old girl who lives with her mother, stepfather and
her 21 year old step cousin Kane. Abbie has three main obsessions;
Surfing, Art and Kane. There is something cagey and different about
Kane since returning from a surfing trip to Indonesia. Abbie wants
to know what happened whilst Kane was away and why he is so
different. Abbie's Art project is an important part of this book and
her obsessive thinking about Kane combined with her need to create
an art project is intertwined by the author to create a sequence of
disturbing experiences for Abbie.
The story started well, having me hooked in the first chapter
because of the surfing. With Eager herself a surfer, the dialogue is
very descriptive, setting the surfing scenes superbly. The plot is
generally plausible and easy to follow. It lost me a little in the
middle but kept me wanting with the mystery of Kane and what
happened while he was away. The way Eager doesn't reveal too much
early in the story keeps you hanging, making this book difficult to
put down at times. Night Beach is a great read for ages 15+ and although this
coming of age story is targeted at teenagers it also suits an adult
audience. Abbie's powerful infatuation and yearning for a boy is a
typical storyline for the intended age group, and the ensuing issues
and language usage is suitable. If you enjoy mysteries and
paranormal stories and are interested in surfing and art you will
find this book very appealing. The story did leave me with some
uncertainty but it does do well in luring you in and forcing you to
think.
Michelle Thomson
The girl who could silence the wind by Meg Medina
Candlewick Press, 2012.
The girl who could silence the wind, the favourite of god, the girl
who
can answer prayers.
Sonia is an angel, the saviour of her people in the poor mining town
of
Tres Monte. Born during one of the worst storms ever seen Sonia is
the
girl who could silence the wind. Sonia lived her life carrying the
burdens of her village in the form of little prayer charms called
Milagros which were pinned to her ever-present shawl. Sonia's
prayers
were always answered. That was until Luis's body was recovered, and
in
confusion and misery Sonia herself prepared his body for rest. A
tiny
seed of doubt planted itself firmly in her mind. Perhaps she wasn't
an
angel and maybe god listened to her no more than any other.
Full
of self-doubt Sonia finds herself working at Casa Mason having
realised
the dream of all young people to escape to the city. It is only
there,
weeks later, that Sonia learns that her brother is missing. Sick
with
dread and having seen an apparition of her dead mother Sonia
telephones
Pancho asking for his help. Can the pair save Sonia's brother in
time?
Or will all of their efforts be in vein? And who or what is this
mysterious Iguana? The girl who could silence the wind is a excellent fantasy
story
about
breaking free of the restraints of a small town and finding oneself.
This compelling story is easy to read and perfect for young people
of
all ages. Intoned with magic and sadness this superb novel is one to
read again and again on a cold winter's night.
Kayla Gaskell (Student)
Freak Street : Meet the Supersons by Knife and Packer
Scholastic, Australia: 2012. ISBN 9781741699180.
Recommended for readers 8+, especially boys, who are interested in
illustrated, or graphic style, novels.
As a series Freak Street has appealed to those who are
attracted to something different . The vibrant colours of the cover
and illustrations are appealing and, with a mix of illustrated
novel and cartoon picture boxes throughout, this story continues to
introduce the families who live on Freak Street.
The Supersons join the Zoombiesons, Wizardsons, Aliensons,
Vampiresons and Humansons as residents of this unique street and are
introduced in this adventure. Each of the family of five has a super
power ranging from 'Tasty Transformer Power' for Mrs Superson to
'Bite Power' for baby Samson. Even the family pet, Captain Hamster,
is able to hover if not fly.
Grandpa Superson calls in the family for a refresher course to hone
their skills at Superhero School. Seth, the son, is only interested
in drawing comics and meeting his hero, Zane Gotham, comic creating
genius, who is due to appear at the City Comic Convention. With the
aid of Grandpa Superson and Seth's cartoon villain Principal
Clownman, the Supersons save the day from Zane and his real life
villain.
Ending with a set of morals of the story, albeit of a dubious and
humorous quality, this book will definitely be a favourite with
Freak Street fans and students who have an interest in creating
their own cartoons featuring their school Principal, or have visions
of world domination by bringing their cartoon creations to life.
Sue Keane
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Starcrossed. Macmillan, 2012. ISBN 9780330529747.
Strongly recommended. True love can never really die, can it? As the
only scion that can enter the Underworld to complete a seemingly
impossible task, When Helen Hamilton sleeps, instead of dreaming she
wonders through Hades, trying to end the cycle of revenge that
curses all scions. Not dreaming is putting a toll on her mind and
trying to fight fatigue during the day is wearing her out. Without
Lucas Delos, her true love, Helen doesn't know if she has the
strength to continue. But when she finds someone in the Underworld,
someone who cannot be there, she has something to keep her going.
Funny and brave Orion keeps Helen company in the Underworld when no
one else can. The Fury's call for blood is getting louder and harder
to ignore. Helen needs to find a way to end the Fury's call for
blood and soon. But is forgetting Lucas the hardest task of all.
After reading this I was speechless. Helen has evolved so much in
this book; her character is strong and is powerful in all she does.
Even with Orion being introduced I knew she would love Lucas more.
The love triangle made the book intriguing and was having me hang
onto every word. The relationships between all the characters are
really tight and like no other, really.
Cecilia Richards (Student.
