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
Goldilocks on CCTV by John Agard
Frances Lincoln Limited, 2011. ISBN 978 1 84780 183 8.
(Ages: 11+) A twist on the old favourites! Through poetry, John
Agard has given a modern twist to fairytales such as Cinderella,
Jack and the Beanstalk and Red Riding Hood. Imagine
Cinderella asking her fairy godmother to turn her pumpkin into a
motorbike and instead of silver slippers - biker boots! Imagine
Sleeping Beauty singing a rap song as she calls on her 'dude' to
rescue her.
Readers aged 11+ will enjoy these 'grown-up' versions of fairytales.
John Agard has used rhyming, rap and story-telling to investigate
the point of view of different characters such as the wolf and the
ugly sisters. This would be a great resource for the classroom,
giving students a chance to compare traditional tales and experiment
with writing their own stories or poems.
The illustrator, Satoshi Kitamura, has used black and white
illustrations to compliment the text. He has a unique technique and
I especially like the 'Scream' (By Edvard Munch) influence for the
poem The Bad Hair Day.
Kylie Kempster
The flame of the dragon by Tommy Donbavand
Scream Street, No. 13. Walker Books, 2011
(Age: 8-10) Scream Street is a fun and slightly creepy
series of novels for primary aged children who want something fast
paced and scary. The Flame of the Dragon continues the adventures of three
young friends from Scream Street, Luke, who transforms into a
werewolf, Resus a vampire wannabe, and Cleo a mummy. Scream Street
is where all the alternative 'people' live and there is a wide range
of creatures and life forms, one of my favourite being the laid back
zombie, Doug who refers to everyone as 'dude'.
All three children have been on a quest throughout the past 12 books
to collect 6 relics and this is their final mission. Even in Scream
Street there are good and bad guys and our three adventurers are
banished to the Underlands by Acrid Belcher, the evil head of
G.H.O.U.L. They must travel to China and face an angry dragon before
they can return home.
I have also read the first in this series and have found both books
to be light hearted fun, full of action, squeamish descriptions and
ghoulish jokes. Author Tommy Donbavand does not take himself
seriously as you will discover when you search You Tube for his many
self made book trailers ( i.e. book
trailer #1 ).
Students at my school love them and the whole series is heavily
reserved. Good fun for 8 to 10 year olds.
Jane Moore
Stones for my father by Trilby Kent
Alma Books, 2012. ISBN 978 1 84688 174 9.
Recommended. Having both South African Dutch and Canadian ancestry,
Trilby Kent has been moved to write this neat historical novel
concerning the experiences of a teenaged girl during the second Boer
War of 1899-1902.
Corlie Roux is a girl who gains the reader's sympathy from the first
page, as she struggles to please her domineering mother who, being
recently widowed, barely maintains the family farm on the Transvall.
Corlie is clearly unloved by her mother and is regarded as second
class which is an interesting parallel to the treatment of the
family's house servants by both the Dutch farmers and English
soldiers.
Corlie has a positive outlook, an innocent world view and great love
for her younger brothers, upon whom her mother dotes. Despite her
mother's unreasonable and sometimes excessive treatment, the
daughter admires and respects certain qualities in her character
which later become important when the family is detained in what the
British euphemistically refer to as 'Refugee camps'.
Some readers may be unaware that these were in effect concentration
camps, with large numbers of civilians being imprisoned in
impossible conditions where starvation and disease took a terrible
toll on life.
The author provides a realistic and restrained account of the
terrible suffering endured by those who were detained in response to
the reprisal attacks carried out by Boer Commandos, being farmers
who participated in guerilla warfare. Even allowing for narration
through the eyes of a young Boer girl however, Kent fails to portray
the position of British civilians and soldiers in the wider
perspective of the conflict. I think that authors who choose to
write historical fiction have some responsibility to reasonably
educate their readers and this otherwise great story was slightly
flawed by what appeared to be ancestral bias, to the extent that the
only benevolent character representing the British Crown was cast as
Canadian.
I recommend this book however, as this genre has great power to
enlighten young people regarding otherwise unknown episodes from
history and Kent's research and literary skill bring the location
and era to life.
As book covers are extremely important in appealing to library
patrons, I was intrigued by the illogical depiction of a young girl
wearing modern clothing. Whilst this may depict the author's
personal journey, it seemed to imply a time slip theme which is not
present in the text.
Rob Welsh
How to be a good cat by Gail Page
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 978 1 4088 2618 8.
(Age: Pre-school) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Bobo the
dog is a good dog, he jumps in to help around the home, dusting,
sweeping and polishing. When their neighbour knocks at the door,
wanting to know whether someone could look after his kitten while he
was away, Bobo volunteers readily. The kitten looks cute but
surprisingly, she is fast, naughty, and very difficult. The
illustrations show the readers just how difficult the little kitten
is and Bobo's attempts to tame her. The other cat in the household
gives Bobo lessons in what a cat is like, so that Bobo will have
more ability to keep her under control.
Small children will love the ideas put forward in this story about a
kitten and her characteristics, and the attempt by the dog to tame
the animal. The bare illustrations will absorb the readers' interest
as they recognise things about kittens and cats. In the end, Bobo
attempts to do the same things, will hilarious results, both so
tired out they fall asleep. The old adage about teaching an old dog
new tricks springs to mind and could well be a discussion point with
the tale.
Fran Knight
Hunted by Adam Slater
The Shadowing series. Egmont, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4052-5363-5.
(Age: 11+) Callum Scott is a Chime Child, which means due to the
time of his birth he was born with the special abilities to see the
supernatural. Up until recently this has been something that Callum
has learnt to accept, until his powers as a chime child are
eventually called into being with the arrival of 'the shadowing.'
The Shadowing is when a gateway in the parallel netherworld opening
allowing evil creatures to enter and terrorise the living world.
Callum's responsibilities as a chime child are called into action
when a series of unexplained gruesome murders of children occur in
his Village. The hunter, Fetch, is the first of many creatures who
have passed through the gap from the Netherworld and is hungry to
hunt, murder and eat children. Meanwhile Callum is working though
some bullying issues with other students at his school and develops
a friendship with Melissa who knows lots about the supernatural.
Callum also meets the spirit chime child Jacob and his ferocious dog
Doom whom he soon realises is an ally. ' The Hunted is certainly fast pace with some chilling imagery,
particularly of the creature Fetch's murders of children, which
could potentially give younger readers nightmares. This in itself
will make it attractive to upper primary and lower secondary male
readers. It is bound to become a popular horror fantasy series.
Adam Fitzgerald
Battle Files: Land by Mac Park
Boy vs Beast: Border Guard. Pop and Fizz and Scholastic Australia,
2011. ISBN 9781921931093.
(Age: 8+) This book contains a who's who of the beasts that inhabit
the stories of Boy vs Beast series and an information guide of all
of the beasts, pests and gadgets that appear in the books.
The story starts with how Border Guards battle beasts with the help
of the Bordaria Master Command. In every battle, guards learn
new things and win points. If they win enough points they can
win a badge from the BMC. When they win enough badges they can
become a Border Captain like Kai Masters. There is a
description of the type of badges that can be won and how many
points are needed. The book goes on to explain that these
battle files for land and how to attain the rock badge.
There are five Beastium lands, Terradon, Infernix, Sludgia, Isolus
and Volcan. Each of these lands have very different landscapes
and goes on to describe them. Border guards have to battle
pests before they can find and battle the beasts that are attacking
the wall between Earth and Beastium. But the pests are tricky
and can change like the beasts. There are seven beasts to
battle. Each beast has a file number, how to pronounce their
name and some facts about where they are found, how many times they
evolve or change, background information, what they are capable of
doing, tips on how you can defeat this beast, what gadgets you need
to help you and illustrations and diagrams to look for.
This is an easy to read book with larger type and lots of
illustrations for younger readers who like to know more about the
characters in this series of books. An exciting and
informative read for 8+ readers and fans of the Boy vs Beast series.
Janet Cassidy
Knight Night by Owen Davey
Templar, 2011. ISBN 9781848772182.
(Age: 3+) Going to bed each night can be a routine experience. You
go down the hallway, climb the stairs, have a bath, brush your
teeth, say goodnight to your dog and go to your room. You tidy away
your things, climb into bed and turn out the lights. But it can also
be an adventure, especially if you are a knight! In this very
engaging picture book, going to bed becomes a series of amazing
adventures, particularly if you are a little boy with a big
imagination.
A great storybook to share and talk about 'what if . . ' that helps
little ones start to see things from another's perspective. It could
also help them start to develop a sense of time passing as they
investigate the pictures and begin to build a great vocabulary of
things medieval. I can imagine a brilliant class mural evolving out
of this. It also lends itself to some maths sequencing activities as
bedtime routines are examined and compared and vocabulary such as
before, after, next between is developed, as well as a introduction
to telling the time. Rich in many respects, Knight Night is
recommended for those from 3+.
Barbara Braxton
The Extinction Gambit by Michael Pryor
The extraordinaires 1. Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN
9781864718201.
Highly recommended. The Extraordinaires is another clever and
entertaining novel by Michael Pryor, full of wit, adventure and edge
of the seat thrills. True to its name, this book is peopled with
extraordinary characters: from our brave, wolfish hero Kingsley, to
his strong and courageous albino companion, Evadne. The villains in
this novel are equally engaging, be they the troll-like, Damona or
the slippery, wheeler and dealer, Soames. Even an author, Rudyard
Kipling, makes an appearance.
The novel opens in 1908 in a small theatre where Kingsley is to make
his debut as a magician. But when his wolfish nature turns his magic
show into bedlam, Evadne decides to rescue him as her 'project'
little knowing that danger is lurking around the corner, quite
literally. Not only do the police think our beloved hero is guilty
of a dastardly crime, but also, there are dark creatures living in
dark places who want Kingsley for themselves, or at least, they want
his brain! And it seems they will stop at nothing to achieve their
ends.
Befitting a story that opens and closes in a theatre, this novel
often reads like a wonderfully old-fashioned melodrama with all the
fun and adventure that one would expect on a panto stage. The
humorous repartee between Kingsley and Evadne is also reminiscent of
such pantos and is sure to delight readers as they inwardly cheer on
their heroes' fight to stay one step ahead of the chase. However,
Pryor cleverly imbues his villains with more depth than might be
expected from the standard melodrama so the reader also cares about
the outcomes of their misadventures.
All in all, this is a delightful romp of a story, which is only to
be expected from the author of the brilliant series,The Laws of
Magic. It is especially exciting to know that this isn't just
a stand-alone adventure but the first in another series. Readers
will be eagerly anticipating the next book set in extraordinary
times and about extraordinary characters.
Deborah Marshall
Our nest is best! by Penny Olsen with Penny O'Hara
National Library of Australia, 2012. ISBN 9780642277374.
(Age: Pre-School - 7) Recommended. The National Library of Australia
aims 'to interpret and highlight the Library's collection' and it
certainly does this in its book for young readers, Our nest is
best. The beautiful illustrations by Neville Henry Cayley
(1853-1903), Ebenezer Edward Gostelow (1866-1944), and Betty Temple
Watts (1901-1992), all artists from the past who have made
magnificent illustrations of birds found in Australia, are featured
in this lovely little story. Ruby and Rocky Robin are searching for
the best nest for them to build. In their quest they look at the
nests of magpies, owls, fairy-wrens, emus, kookaburras,
reed-warblers, and grebes and decide that their nest is best,
although all the other nests are just right for the birds that build
them.
The text by Penny Olsen, with Penny O'Hara, is charming and should
appeal to young children who are just being introduced to Australian
birds. The nests that the two little robins look at are exquisite
coloured drawings, usually showing how the nest is constructed, but
also has pictures of the baby birds, often with their mouths wide
open to receive food from their parent. The drawings from the three
different artists are incorporated into the book and don't look as
if they are separate plates. At the end of the book, the reader is
given instructions on how to access them in the National Library of Australia
collection. You need to go to Catalogue in Websites A-Z. This is a
fabulous way to look at primary sources for young children.
This will be a wonderful way for children and their adult carers to
learn about Australian birds, their appearance, nests and habitat,
gathered together in an appealing book.
Pat Pledger
Good Morning Mr. Pancakes by Chris McKimmie
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 978 1 74237 719
3.
(Age: 5-8) Bee is excited to be going on a holiday. Then she
realizes that there are many things to do before she can leave for
her holiday.
Bee is the central character who lists important jobs to do before
going on holiday. Pets need housing and looking after while
she is gone and certain loved items need to stay home. She
realizes that she can't take everything with her. Bee likes
the idea of getting out of routine such as no ballet classes to go
to and no homework for a week! Bee is so excited that her
imagination takes over as she dreams of what wonderful and exciting
things she'll do.
Bee knows that her holiday will end and that she will have to go
back to her routine of dance classes and school.
A lovely and imaginative picture book with colourful illustrations
that 5-8 year olds will enjoy reading.
Janet Cassidy
The unbeatable boys' book: How to be the ultimate champion by Huw Davies
Ill. by Simon Ecob. Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781741699135.
(Age: 8 -12) Huw Davies, often with humour, gives hints to boys
about how to become the ultimate champion at all types of sports,
ranging from cricket to orienteering. With headings like How to make
a penalty, How to ride in a rodeo, How to cross the finish line, How
to throw a ball, and How to train like a champion, there is plenty
to intrigue young readers.
There are also funny entries that will grab the reader's attention.
Who wouldn't like to learn what elephant polo is and how to win at
it, or learn about camel racing? There are pertinent chapters as
well, for example, the one on how to choose a sport. I had fun
flicking through the book and reading the different entries and I am
sure that boys will enjoy it as much as I did. In addition the
advice that is given in point form is also sensible and often
spiced with humour. Illustrations add a touch of humour as
well.
There is plenty here for all types of boys to enjoy, and it will
particularly interest reluctant readers.
Pat Pledger
Lightning Jack by Glenda Millard and Patricia Mullins
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 9781741693911.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. From the moment that Sam Tully sees
the stallion, black as midnight, in the muster at the park, he is
determined to ride him. Together he and Lightning Jack stop a mob of
steers from stampeding down the mountainside and elude a grazier who
offers 500 steers for the horse. Like Pegasus, the horse rises into
the sky :
'Horse of the gods, diviner's horse.
The horse called Lightning Jack.'
More adventures follow as they evade Ned Kelly who wants a horse as
fast as Lightning Jack and then they race against the legendary but
ghostly Phar Lap.
Millard has written a wonderful poem that will remain in the minds
of all who hear it. She has taken different aspects of horses from
folklore and legend and made them into one huge adventure for the
imaginative Sam. Written in the style of The man from Snowy
River, this story begs to be read out loud so that the listener can
gain the movement and flight of the horse and the dreams of Sam
Tully.
Patricia Mullins has captured the beauty and the movement of the
black stallion as it gallops with the herd, dares Sam to ride him
and then changes into a wonderful creature of mythical proportions.
Finally the reader sees him as a carousel horse. The black of the
stallion stands out against the beautiful yellows, greens and blues
of the landscape and sky.
The combination of the beautiful collages and drawings and a
wonderful verse story make this is an outstanding picture book,
which is not to be missed.
Pat Pledger
Fated by Sarah Alderson
Fated Book 1. Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9780857074348.
(Age: 14+) Thriller. Paranormal. Lucas Gray is half-human,
half-Shadow Warrior, and belongs to the Brotherhood, a gang of
assassins who are out to kill the last purebred Hunter. 17 year old
Evie Tremain is a waitress, and is astounded to find out that she is
a demon slayer and has been targeted by the Brotherhood. She is
intrigued by Lucas, not realising that he has been sent to kill her.
Both Lucas and Evie are bound together by fate, but will they be
able to survive the intrigue that has been going on for a thousand
years?
I decided I had to read this book as I had enjoyed Hunting Lila
by Alderson so much. This has more paranormal aspects that Hunting
Lila but all the hallmarks of Sarah Alderson's writing: fast
action, characters that you really want to see succeed against all
odds, and a growing romance between two unlikely people.
The action is non-stop. The shapeshifters, vampires and mixen
creatures have amazing powers and their deadly feats highlight the
skills that Evie develops as a demon slayer. She becomes a fast and
canny fighter and the suspense about whether Lucas will kill her or
protect her builds up throughout the book.
As a reader, I became involved in Evie as a character, in
particular. She was strong and feisty and able to think for herself.
Secondary characters, including some adults, added depth to the
story and no doubt some of their stories will be enlarged in later
books in the series. And of course, an ill-fated romance, and the
question about whether it can survive, adds extra spice to the
story.
Teen girls in particular will enjoy this story and will no doubt
want to read the next in the series, as I will.
Pat Pledger
