Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781405249669.
The first golden oak leaf floating to the ground was the signal for
the autumn orchestra to begin the lullaby of the forest. Dormouse
played his triangle, the squirrels their flutes, the wood pigs
tapped their xylophones and the rabbits strummed their harps. It was
perfect music to send Mr Dormouse off for his long winter sleep.
And, as he left, he warned them not to wake Mr Bear. Unfortunately,
no one told the wolves and when they crashed into a tree making all
sorts of noise and ready to party, the inevitable happens.
But not only is Mr Bear woken, so is Dormouse and he has a very
serious message about the importance of the rhythms of nature and
the need for things to sleep.
With this summer being what it is, particularly on the East coast,
the weather is a common conversation and autumn will soon be upon
us. Thus, this is a delightful book to introduce the changing of the
seasons, and although the creatures are not Australian, it's an
ideal time to widen the children's horizons and have them
investigate why animals hibernate, why some species lose their
leaves and rather than winter being a time of little life, it is, in
fact a time of rest and renewal. It's a bit like night time for
people, only longer.
This book has bright colourful illustrations that are very appealing
and there are lots of opportunities for listeners to join in using
their body orchestra. How can you make the sound of the breeze
without a flute? How can you make the sound of the nuts falling
without an xylophone? And having talked about the different rhythms
from the legato of the flute to the staccato of the xylophone, the
children could then experiment and classify the instruments
accordingly. A music lesson in the library? Why not? And all part of
the information literacy process as they learn to hypothesise, group
like with like, and present their findings.
Barbara Braxton
Ready to read level 1 by Sarah Creese
Scholastic, 2012.
(Age: 5-7) Recommended.This is a series of non fiction books for
beginning readers that will particularly appeal to boys, although
girls would enjoy them as well. From the tantalising moving covers
to the excellent photos inside, each book has been designed for
maximum appeal and all titles would be quite difficult to resist
picking up from the shelves, particularly if placed face out.
Each book is made up of the same sections. There is an amazing facts
chapter that has high interest information that will fascinate young
readers. Bright photographs are very appealing and on occasion are
often tagged with a word describing different parts of the object
being portrayed. For example, in Extreme animals, the section on the
tiger has a photo broken up into smaller sections, each labelled
with the appropriate word. This device would be useful to teach new
words to the beginning reader. There is also a quiz, a picture
dictionary; a key words section; and ideas for parents to encourage
and improve their child's reading.
I had no problem spending the time to read these books from cover to
cover, as I was fascinated by the fabulous illustrations and
intriguing facts. I believe that they would be a very useful aid in
helping children to learn to read as well as learning interesting
facts.
Mighty Machines. ISBN 9781742831190. This book describes
large machines like dump trucks, transporter, giant excavators, and
wheel loader, and a mobile crane. Dangerous dinos. ISBN 9781742831213. Images of the
incredible dinosaurs that lived on Earth millions of years ago. Sharks. ISBN 9781742831206. Photos of many different sharks
bring their appearance and habitat alive. Extreme animals. ISBN9781742831169. This books explores the
tallest, the fastest, the oldest and the Largest of animals. Slithering snakes. ISBN 9781742831176. This books looks at
the scaly skin of snakes and how they can climb trees and swim. Bugs. ISBN 9781742831183. Photos of all sorts of bugs from
bees to ants illustrate what bugs can do.
Pat Pledger
Try not to breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Kindle Edition, Viking Children's, 2012. Viking Children's Books,
ISBN 9780670013906.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Sixteen year old Ryan is a misfit. He spends
a lot of time at the local waterfall, because it makes him feel
alive when he actually walks under it. He has recovered from time
spent in a mental hospital after attempting suicide, and he's
finding that living with the hovering of his parents and the rumours
at school are very difficult to cope with. When Nicki , a young girl
who also spends time at the waterfall, badges into his life and
starts asking him questions about why he tried to commit suicide, he
finds that he must confront some important questions. Nicki too has
to face some things from her past.
The story is told by Ryan in the first person and as a reader I got
to know him very well as he tried to navigate his way back into a
world where he felt normal. I could sympathise with his
over-protective mother, who made sure that all pills were locked
away and the car out of bounds, but also with Ryan who desperately
needs to be treated normally. When irrepressible Nicki asks him
questions that he has not even answered for his doctor, he knows
that he will have to help her in her quest for answers about her
father, especially when she decides that a psychic might be able to
help.
Hubbard has written an engrossing and ultimately uplifting story
about a very difficult subject. She has delved into depression and
how people are able to hide it from those around them. She examines
the aftermath of suicide and attempted suicide and the feelings of
those who are affected by it. She also looks at how difficult it is
for the survivor of suicide to feel normal and to carry on, when
everyone knows what has happened. This book has made me much more
conscious of the effects of depression and attempts at suicide.
Teens reading this will be able to identify with a great story
written in a positive and gripping way, while gaining understanding
of the feeling of alienation and isolation of those who are
struggling with depression and the aftermaths of suicide attempts.
Pat Pledger
Sam the cat by Sam Bowering and Andrew McLean
Working Title Press, 2012. ISBN 978 1 921504 29 7
Warmly recommended. Picture book. Cats. With a gentle touch, both
author and illustrator tell the story of a cat called Sam, seemingly
displaced in his parents' affection by the arrival of a new baby.
Unable to reach a decision about its name, they take the cat's
name, Sam, for the baby and find another name for the cat. The cat
thinks up some names for himself, but none of these is used, rather
he is given the name of Jack. Miffed, he runs out of the house one
night and becomes lost, rather forlornly sitting on a building's
steps before his kind owner finds him and takes him back home, where
all is forgiven. The cat learns to like his new name, especially
when it is used when he is fed. The water colour illustrations
underline the cat's sensitivities as he gasps with fright at the
parents using his name, or cowers in fear at the gang of stray cats
moving in on him when he is lost. And the last picture of the cat
brings all the family together again.
A charming story of a new arrival in the family and some of the
resentment which may occur, this tale will be a great starter of
discussions about family life, especially when that family
introduces a new member. Using an animal as the protagonist is a fun
way to introduce the theme, whether it be in the classroom or at
home, and children will simply love the story of the cat called Jack
once called Sam, especially as it relates to the author, Sam
Bowering.
Fran Knight
Erebos by Ursula Poznanski
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379531.
(Ages: 13+) Sixteen year old Nick Dunmore is a popular and
clever high school student who is given a role-playing computer game
that blends a fantasy world with real life. Like many of his school
mates he becomes addicted to the game and it is only when he is
eliminated and cannot play anymore that he takes action to expose
the dangers presented by the game Erebos. His life and that of his
close friends become at risk as they hunt the creator of the game
and try to convince others of his evil intent.
While the fantasy world is described in detail and with great
imagination I found it difficult to sustain my interest and found
myself skipping parts of chapters. The decision by the author to use
present tense for the fantasy chapters and past tense for the real
world was also irritating.
Nick is not a particularly likeable character and other characters
are not well developed. The climax was a letdown for me although I
was glad that the solution to the puzzle of Erebos was not
supernatural. It has an eye catching front cover and a good sized
and clear font to assist readers. It has been translated from its
original language of German into 20 other languages.
I believe there will be fantasy loving students who persevere with
this book and I will also be recommending it to some of our online
gaming students.
Chris Lloyd
The crazy cousins by Sally Rippin
Hey Jack! series. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012.
Age: First chapter book readers (6-8). Hey Jack is the spin
off series of Billie B Brown and takes the same easy chapter book
format. Readers of the Billie series will already be familiar with
Jack as Billie's best friend and next door neighbour and will now be
able to see the world from the perspective of the somewhat shy yet
aspiring Jack. I especially like the way that each book begins by
telling us what mood Jack is in and how that feels.
In The Crazy
Cousins Jack is in a moochy mood (he feels like being quiet, staying
inside and staying in his pyjamas all day) but his cousins are
coming around to play and they are 'the noisiest, messiest cousins
in the whole world'. Jack knows his day of mooching is going
to be disrupted by his cousins and when they arrive he doesn't want
to play. He still remembers all the terrible things they did last
time, like getting him in trouble with Mum and losing his soccer
ball. That is until he realises that his cousins think he is 'the
bestest, funniest cousin in the whole world!'' Jack lets go of
his grumpy mood and has a great afternoon with his cousins.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Not me by Nicola Killen
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 9781405248303.
The house is dirty. Crumbs on the floor, wet clothes scattered in
the hall, bike tracks on the carpet, and handprints on the wall. Who
has been making all this mess? Jake? Jane? Bertie? Paul? Louise? Or
Jess the Pup? And, more to the point, who is going to clean it up?
This is a cute picture book perfect for sharing at bedtime. It
raises issues of telling the truth and taking responsibility, as
well as how easy it is for each person to do one little thing rather
than having one person do a lot.
Miss 5 really enjoyed it and had a lot of fun joining in the
repetitive text AND she remembered to take her dirty gumboots off
before she came inside. Worth it just for that!!!
Barbara Braxton
Soonchild by Russell Hoban
Ill. by Alexis Deacon. Walker, 2012. ISBN 978 1 4063 2991 9.
(Ages: 10+) Warmly recommended. Mythology. With the Soonchild
remaining in his wife's belly, Sixteen-Face John is astounded when
the child tells him that she cannot hear the World Songs, songs she
needs to hear before she can come out of the womb. Sixteen-Face John
is distraught and so goes on a journey to find them.
His journey takes him to other times, through shape shifts and
several layers of death, talking to animals, singing songs and
finally going into the Black where he and the raven must go back
thousands of years to find the World Songs, including his own Death
Song. Once the songs are found, the man, now called No-Face John
returns to his wife and in kissing her transfers the songs to their
daughter and she can be born.
Beautifully told, the story fills the reader with the cold of the
North, as Sixteen-Face John uses his sled and huskies for much of
his quest, but must also go into the spirit world to talk to his
great grandmother, avoid the wolves which carry with them all the
things he has neglected to do, and finally befriend the raven.
The sense of place is overwhelming. Both the words and illustrations
bring the cold, the sense of the North with its biting winds, into
the imagination of the reader, allowing them to view No-Face John's
quest with admiration at his courage and tenacity. Readers will gasp
with delight at the images of the animals he meets along the way,
cower with fear as the man is surrounded by wolves and feel despair
as he and the raven descend into the Black. Added to all of this is
the background of the people who live in the Hudson Bay area, their
lives and stories bound up with their environment and now entwined
with modern life, presented to us through John's indolent life,
neglecting his elders, drinking coke and becoming fat, wary of his
responsibilities as a sharman. The beautiful hardcover edition, with
a wrap around dust cover portraying a polar bear, is a pleasure to
hold and will entice younger readers to look inside.
Fran Knight
The smallest bilby and the Easter tale by Nette Hilton and Bruce Whatley
Working Title Press, 2012. ISBN 978 1 9215042 6.
Warmly recommended. Picture book. Easter. How wonderful to see a
bilby book connected with Easter that is at once, entertaining,
witty, beautifully illustrated and has a good story line.
It will be readily picked up by teachers, librarians and especially
children wanting a book to read at his time of the year, full of
gentle humour.
The rabbits farewell the young bilbies, setting off on their journey
to deliver the Easter eggs by morning. They are given instructions
about how to deliver them and advised not to miss anyone. This they
do by the light of the Midnight Star, until Brush falls over the
edge of a cliff and all the bilbies must work together to pull him
back to the top, with an unforeseen result. All is well and they
finish their work by morning light when the rabbits have a special
present for them.
Bruce Whatley's illustrations are endearing, showing the bilbies
with their pointy noses and large ears, carrying their sacks of
eggs. The muted colours he uses perfectly suit the the gentleness of
the story and the setting of the bilbies' work at night. This is the
third in the series about the smallest bilbies, and carries on the
tradition of linking bilbies with Easter, begun by Rose-Marie
Dusting.
Fran Knight
My sister the vampire: Lucky break by Sienna Mercer
Egmont, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4052 5699 5.
(Ages: 11-14) This book is number seven in the series of My Sister
the Vampire. Twin sisters, Olivia and Ivy, are members of a
family of vampires. However, only one of them, Ivy, is a
vampire. Their vampire father, Mr. Vega, finds the sisters'
long lost Aunt Rebecca, the surviving twin of their human mother who
died in childbirth. This is the chance the girls have to get
to know the human side of their family after having already met the
vampire side!
Olivia tries out for the lead in the school play of Romeo and
Juliet, hoping that her famous film star boyfriend, Jackson
Caulfield, will win the part of Romeo. However, her plans
don't turn out the way she had dreamed. She discovers that
another teen vampire, Garrick Stevens, who has a crush on her, is
also trying out for the lead male part. But this play ends up
being a very different version of the original. Ivy is
supporting her twin sister by helping to produce the play.
The girls spend some time with their newfound Aunt Rebecca who lives
on the farm where she and the twin's mother grew up. The twins
discover that their mother helped a mare give birth to 'Lucky' who
became her horse. Ivy wasn't too keen to go to the farm as
most of the animals avoided her, what with her being a
vampire! As a result, Ivy was tense most of the time. While
Ivy explores the farm, she discovers her mother's journal.
Both the girls experience riding a horse and get to know
Lucky. But Ivy left the stable door open and Lucky escaped and
ended up missing for several days. Ivy goes looking for Lucky during
a storm. Does Ivy find Lucky and do they make it back safe and
sound? Does the school play have a happy ending?
This book keeps the reader interested in the story by entwining
Olivia's and Ivy's lives at school and their private lives.
The book also has an interview with the girls at the end of the
book. A book that young teens and pre-teens (11-14 years)
would enjoy.
Janet Cassidy
What's the Matter, Aunty May? by Peter Friend
Ill. by Andrew Joyner, Little Hare Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921714535.
(Ages: 5-9) The unnamed hero of this story is a young boy,
perfectly perfect in every way; perfect hair, perfect clothes and
perfect manners. But does his perfection extend to domestic
cleaning? As we find out he is nothing if not persistent as he
systematically destroys Aunty May's mansion one room at a time all
in the name of being helpful. The entire picture book is
written as a monologue of the young boy as he asks his wealthy Aunt
how she can possibly be so unhappy when he has just done all of the
cleaning for her. As he sits upon a pink foot stool sipping a cup of
tea in his knee high white socks and bow tie he ponders upon her
ungrateful response to his assistance with her housework. In
recounting his cleaning efforts we find out that some of the
cleaning casualties include a now unhinged screen door, antique jugs
and cups, the carpet which is now splattered with red ink and the
budgie which had an unfortunate run in with a vacuum. As his
recount moves forward we see poor Aunty May change from a prim,
proper and composed harp-playing, tweed and pearl-wearing lady into
a dishevelled, ink-splattered, unkempt and agitated one. The
young boy is puzzled; what could possibly have upset Aunty May so
much?
This is an light-hearted story about how some people see the bright
side of everything and how perspectives of people can differ.
I found the characters exaggerated and comical and think most
children will find this book humorous. The facial expressions
of each of the characters add to the wonderful illustrations which
are so important in telling the story due to the optimistic
retelling by Aunty May's 'helper'!
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Runelight by Joanne Harris
Doubleday, 2012. ISBN: 9780857530820
(Age: 10+) Runelight is a rather convoluted sequel to Runemarks,
so it's definitely a good idea to read the first book. Simply put,
the story of Runelight follows two magical girls, six hundred miles
apart, who both have a runemark on their skin, a symbol of the Old
Days when the Worlds were ruled by the gods from their sky citadel,
Asgard. However, the famed citadel of Asgard now lies in ruins and
the gods' power has been destroyed. Or so everyone thinks . . .
The most complicated things about Runelight are the characters.
There are many different characters, all with different
personalities and motives, and it's often hard to keep track of what
everyone's doing.
The best thing about this novel is the construction of the worlds.
The Map Of The Nine Worlds at the beginning is simply incredible to
behold and every location in the novel is well thought out,
imaginative, and filled with colour.
The inclusion of the Norse gods is excellent and the character of
Thor is surprisingly amusing, what with him constantly wanting to
fight everyone and getting into trouble more than the son of Odin
really should be.
However, the downside of this book is that it never really seems to
get going. It stops and starts along for the first hundred pages and
then settles down to a pace that probably won't hold the interest of
younger readers. Runelight is sure to please fans of fantasy or those
interested in the Norse gods. But be prepared for a long, rather
slow read.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
The hunger games : the official illustrated movie companion by Kate Egan
Scholastic Press, 2012. ISBN 978 0 545 42290 1.
With the film of the trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins, starting
with The hunger games, about to appear in our cinemas, the
first of the guides has appeared, and I'm sure it will not be the
last. The hunger games trilogy is still hugely successful, and its
popularity will be reignited once this film is released.
This companion is divided into six parts, including history, cast,
the look, places and props, people, and future and each section is
sumptuously filled with quite amazing pictures of the set, costumes
and fascinating facts about the filming. I loved the double page
spread on page 134 showing the make up area for the 400 extras used
in the arena scenes.
With an article in today's press (The Advertiser, 17/3/2012) about
the new style of heroine in film, comparing Katniss to Elizabeth
Bennett, I will need to reread The hunger games! But this
new, smart heroine is one to watch out for, and if you haven't read
the book, at least the first one, grab it now. It is rivetting. It
is also one of those books written for adolescent girls that has hit
the adult market, and is being read by adolescent boys as well. But
be prepared, the franchise is about to hit when the first movie
opens at the end of the month.
This book will be popular in libraries and bookshops as it feeds the
need for information about the film, and nourishes those for whom
Katniss is just wonderful. This is one of two books published by
Scholastic about the film.
Fran Knight
Alice-Miranda in New York by Jacqueline Harvey
Random House, 2012. ISBN: 9781742751146.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and above. Alice-Miranda accompanies
her parents to New York City where they are to complete the final
stages in renovating the family owned department store in readiness
for its unveiling. Here, she is enrolled at Mrs. Kimmel's School for
Girls. With her infectious personality and outgoing nature, she
quickly makes a new group of school friends. Unfortunately, she also
meets up with a girl from her previous school who holds a grudge
against Alice-Miranda. As she visits new locations and indulges in
different experiences, her friendship group continues to grow. When
the store renovations fail to go smoothly, her parents seem to be
somewhat distracted and constantly busy. Alice-Miranda steps in to
help unravel the various mysteries which are uncovered along the
way, assisting other characters in the process.
Alice-Miranda truly is one of the most likeable characters in
contemporary children's literature. She is a great judge of
character, generally accepting of everyone with whom she comes in
contact. In addition, she is obliging, helpful, independent,
resilient and eager to try new experiences. Somehow, despite her
social standing, she sees the good in others no matter what their
background, and cannot comprehend the agendas which others may bring
with them into various situations. Despite the female protagonist,
this series is an utter delight to read and this title could well be
used as a class novel
Jo Schenkel
The ink bridge by Neil Grant
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742376691.
The violent oppression maintained by Moslem extremists in
Afghanistan is revealed in Neil Grant's depiction of a young boy's
desperate flight from the Taliban. Omed does what he can to provide
for his family who live a hopeless existence in miserable squalor
until he enrages the vicious stand-over men who terrorise his
locale. Knowing he will be murdered, Omed flees his village and
journeys to Pakistan where he endures months of privation until
fortune delivers an opportunity to undertake the long and dangerous
voyage to Australia.
Mandatory detention at Woomera follows his arrival, until a breakout
loosely based on real events sees him escape to try to live in the
community without official sanction or the rights and protection
afforded by citizenship.
In Melbourne, Hec, a young Australian man suffering from a family
trauma meets Omed whilst they perform unskilled factory work and the
pair develop a relationship partially based upon the silence they
both maintain for different reasons.
Grant graphically illustrates the plight of those who take enormous
risks to seek the safety of life in Australia. The reader is
transported to a world of corruption and greed where those who
profit from human misery demonstrate a casual disregard for the
suffering of those they exploit. I admired the way the writer
presented a balanced and realistic view of the asylum experience.
Whilst he unashamedly detailed the mental illness, self harming and
hopelessness caused by long term detention, one of his main refugee
characters was a morally bankrupt, evil criminal, - exactly the sort
of individual whose identity and background authorities try to
establish via detention.
The question of why so many unaccompanied men feature in the asylum
seeker population is dealt with by the author in a brave manner
which does not shy away from the harsh realities of life under a
brutal regime perpetuated by bloodthirsty tyrants demonstrating
moronically dogmatic religious intolerance. Grant does not attempt
to excuse or misrepresent reality for those trying to survive in a
land where some lives have no value and he certainly does not insult
the reader with happy resolutions for the helpless innocents left
behind by those who flee.
The writer's personal experience in Afghanistan and level of
research into human trafficking is evident in the text, however I
thought that presenting the two boys with their disparate
backgrounds and trying to meld them into a larger story was just a
little too much to handle in this novel. An unresolved climactic
event at the factory, unconvincing Woomera content and a laughably
bad depiction of an Australian truck driver were also elements I
cannot help recalling which reduced the overall impact of this
otherwise good story.
Rob Welsh
