Electric Monkey, 2011. ISBN 9781405259439.
(Age: 13+) ALA
2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers. Perry Stormaire
is persuaded by his parents to take the Lithuanian exchange student,
Gobi Zaksauskas to the senior prom. The bribe of having his father's
Jag to drive sweetens the ordeal for Perry, who really doesn't want
to take the unattractive young girl out. Instead he wants to play in
his band which has finally got a gig at a nightclub. It turns out
that Gobi is a highly trained, attractive assassin who is out for
revenge and Perry is in for the ride of his life.
Each short, snappy chapter starts with an essay topic from a leading
university. This gives a fresh and funny approach to the writing,
which is done in the first person by Perry. Through his
writing the reader finds out about his bossy lawyer Dad, his band,
and his hopes for his future. Best of all, the reader is taken on a
high octane ride through New York as the hapless Perry is forced to
drive his father's Jag as a getaway car after Gobi carries out her
assassinations.
The action is so fast and the suspense so thrilling, that I was
compelled to suspend belief and read this in one sitting. Smart
writing and funny asides from Perry added to the enjoyment.
Schreiber gave enough information about his characters to make them
believable, and the hint of romance was a nice touch.
It is sure to be a hit with both boys and girls and is certainly one
to tempt reluctant readers.
Pat Pledger
The ghost of Ping-Ling by Peter Cooper
Omnibus, 2011. ISBN 978 1 86291 918 1.
(Age: 11-14) Dillen is an orphan looked after at the temple in
Ping-Ling by the priest Kaji who despises him. His life is
changed forever when he is visited by an Easterner in the service of
the Empire who tells him to find the sorcerer Hallegat and serve him
well. After the temple burns down and Dillen is blamed for it
by Kaji he has no real alternative but to flee. He is soon
captured by the Puk-do, a blend of pig and human, luckily he escapes
and teams up with Tajni and later Koto, Tajni's friend. They
then embark together on the quest to find Hallegat, along the way
meeting many others both human and non-human. The Empire has
some resemblances to Japan and the author has skillfully woven
together many diverse elements to create an exciting story. It
is not clear whether Dillen is meant to succeed or merely provide a
diversion. However by equal combinations of luck and skill,
Dillen and his friends eventually succeed and he returns to
Ping-Ling to expose Kaji for what he is.
This fantasy should appeal to those who like an oriental flavor to
their story, but also elements of magic and magical creatures.
The story moves along at a cracking pace and should appeal to both
boys and girls in middle school. There are two other
books in the series as Dillen and his friends continue the quest for
the Blue Jade.
David Rayner
Chicken big by Keith Graves
Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 978 1 74169 977 7
(Ages: 5+ ) Picture book. On a very small farm a huge egg is laid by
a very small hen, and out of the egg hatches a humungous chicken. He
is so big that he does not fit into the chook house, so big that he
that the other animals think he is all sorts of things. So begins a
search for what this large yellow animal really is, as the chooks
sift through a number of large things, to arrive at a name for him.
Is he an elephant, or an umbrella, and so on, each time deciding why
he is not what they think he might be. Classes and individual
readers will have a great time trawling through the reasons why the
animals think he is one thing, and be able to call out why he is
not. A great deal of fun will be had. The illustrations too add
another layer of mirth as roosters and hens walk in line scared of
this large yellow animal. The expressions on their faces add another
level of fun for the readers.
When the large chicken saves the day by scaring the fox away, all is
resolved as the large chicken is accepted for what he is and invited
to reside in the hen house with the rest of the chooks.
A wonderfully funny story of difference and acceptance.
Fran Knight
Crow Country by Kate Constable
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN: 978 1 74237 395 9
Highly recommended. When I began the novel Crow Country I
had no idea what to expect. However I soon learned that Crow
Country is one of those rare great Australian mythological
novels tying in not only with the original land owners but with the
war and the Australian football culture as well. This book is one I
would highly recommend to young people with an appreciation for
culture.
When Sadie Hazzard and Her mother move from their Melbourne home to
the town of Boort in rural Victoria she didn't expect to like it.
Boort was a strange place full of even stranger people who all
seemed to know her mother. Feeling lonely one day Sadie decides to
find the much-talked-about second lake of Boort. But what she finds
there is enough to turn anyone's head.
The Mortlocks and the Hazzards have lived in Boort ever since anyone
can remember. They grew up together, worked together and even went
to war together. Clancy Hazzard knows this and he full appreciated
the position Mr. Mortlock puts him in coming into his home with
blood on his hands.
The story must be told, what was lost must be found and what is
sacred must be protected by those who know. Sadie teams up with her
friend Walter, an aboriginal boy, to try and solve this mysterious
puzzle all the while being watched by one particularly auspicious
crow. Crow Country is a very engaging book made even more so with
the links to aboriginal mythologies and WWII. Kate Constable has
previously been labelled as 'the time-slip queen' and I can see how
she earns her title. This compelling book recreates voices of the
past in a superb manner and it seems a shame that the book had to
reach an end. I am looking forward to reading more of Kate
Constable's novels.
Kayla Gaskell (Student, 16)
Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379265.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. This amusing story is told through a
combination of narrative form, letters, diaries, and encyclopaedia
entries, and even a play. The main characters here are Princess
Wisdom, otherwise known as Dizzy. Then there's Tips, a soldier who's
trying to keep his true identity a secret. And last, there's
Fortitude, an orphaned maid who longs for Tips and has an unusual
gift of sight. They must work together in order to preserve their
empire from ruin, and they might even accomplish their dreams on the
way. Wisdom's Kiss is oddly satisfying; it has an excellent cast
of characters, each with well-developed, interesting personalities.
It has a fun, not too serious storyline and it is consistently
amusing, with some truly hilarious moments. More than all that, it's
smart. There's an underlying theme of dry, funny wit throughout, and
it's very cleverly written.
If it were just written in an ordinary narrative style, it'd be
good, but by combining the narrative with letters, diaries,
encyclopaedia entries (some amusingly informative), and for some
reason a play, this makes a good story great. Wisdom's Kiss is a funny, sometimes hilarious story with
memorable characters, perfect for a light read. It doesn't take
itself too seriously, so neither should you. I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student, Year 10)
BZRK by Michael Grant
Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781405259941.
Nano technology in the form of biological and robotic 'bugs' is
applied for both therapeutic and sinister purposes in this
long-science / future fiction story. Nano bots developed for medical
use by the fabulously wealthy McLure Corporation have been hijacked
by operatives employed by the conjoined Armstrong twins who have
delusional plans for world domination. These individuals are so
ruthless that they are prepared to commit mass murder to achieve
their goals and one of the many creepy aspects of this story is that
the logistical and practical application of their plans has the
background and sense of being little more than electronic games.
Nano bots are controlled by Twitchers and the best of these, like
the Bugman who works for the Armstrong twins, can manage multiple
units simultaneously in a similar fashion to an individual playing
several video games at once. Competitive spirit prompts the best
twitchers on both sides of the Good versus Evil divide to yearn to
defeat their opponents in battle. This sense of gamesmanship must be
put into perspective in that the battles are waged within the bodies
of unsuspecting human beings and the gladiators are microscopic
robots whose primary tasks are cellular repair or alternatively
internal sabotage, depending upon the cause of the Twitcher.
This runaway, suspense filled drama will interest middle teens for
its action and predictable characters, yet it contained both
unexpectedly thought provoking and gratuitously unpleasant elements.
The reader is made to feel decidedly uncomfortable by the fact that
subjects and targets have no choice about whether they are
penetrated by nanobots. Twitchers simply introduce the particles via
innocuous touch, causing them to enter bodies through eyes, ears or
noses via remote control. Disturbingly, the Twitchers have access to
what the subject can see, hear and, to some degree, think, with the
target being completely oblivious to their presence. One
particularly repellant example is how the Bugman artificially
conjures affection and devotion from his impossibly beautiful
girlfriend by using nano technology to rewire certain brain
receptors. The fact that this girl would otherwise have no interest
in him and is prompted to be intimately accommodating to an underage
teen makes this little more than technologically advanced sexual
assault.
Battles waged on the micro level within humans are played out as a
consequence on a monstrous scale in the real or macro world. The
various characters are complex and cleverly presented with
operatives having colossal controlling power over sublimely
developed technology whilst possessing debilitating human flaws. A
theme which readily prompts consideration is that the threatening
twins have repellant intentions, yet they sincerely believe that
they are doing good for mankind. Alternatively, the forces who
oppose them don't hesitate to use criminal or immoral means in their
crusade against evil. The result is a dizzying web of interaction
between players and everyone, including the reader, has little
confidence in who can be trusted.
Rob Welsh
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Harper Collins, 2012. ISBN 9780732292614
(Age: 13+) Hallowed is the second in a series, following on
from Unearthly and with a third to follow, possibly. The
main character, Clara is part-angel, part-human; she and her
brother, Jeffery, are learning what this means while they living as
'normal' students and dealing with more mundane and expected teenage
problems. They each have a purpose, and varying superpowers. They
can both fly, a useful trait, and Clara is very empathetic and can
read some minds. They are also recovering from the trauma of the
forest fire that concludes Unearthly. Has Clara failed to
fulfill her purpose? Is she still in love with Tucker? Can Clara
learn to control her 'glory', an ability to glow with power? Can
Tucker cope with her angel-related relatives? To their surprise,
they meet others in their area who are part-angel, part-human and
have similar abilities, but learn that some, the 'Black-wings', use
their power negatively. Sameeza, a Blackwing, continues to haunt
Clara's life. They learn also that part-angels part-humans have long
but limited lives, and Clara realizes that her own mother will die
soon. In her final year at high school Clara must plan for her
future while dealing with the death of her much loved mother. The
device of the angelblood involves the writer in some clunky
plotting. Heaven and Hell must be assumed to exist, and parts of the
Old Testament are interpreted quite literally. The degree of
angelblood has some tricky genetic implications, as 'angelblood'
should be maintained through marriage. However, the writing, in
teenspeak, is lively and engaging, and the characters are generally
believable, despite the young men being quite stereotypical. The
novel is a mixture of fantasy, romance and teen issues, and will be
enjoyed by girls aged 13+.
Jenny Hamilton
The Grimstones by Asphyxia
Allen and Unwin, 2012. Hatched ISBN 978-1-74237-688-2 Mortimer revealed ISBN 978-1-74237-689-9
Described as a gothic fairytale, the Grimstones a quirky, small
novel, immediately made me curious. These small books are
illustrated with both puppets and people and the author's name
Asphyxia is certainly unique. It was only when I searched the
internet that I discovered that The Grimstones is based on a puppet
show with the author as one of the two puppeteers and an actor in
the show. Hatched, the first book, introduces us to the Grimstone
family through Martha Grimstone, a young girl, lonely since the
death of her father and the resulting incurable grieving of her
mother, Velvetta. Martha would like to follow her grandfather's
footsteps into the world of magic but even though she has been
forbidden, she dabbles in a spell creating an egg which hatches into
an unusual and remarkable brother. Mortimer revealed continues Martha's quest to discover how
her father died. No one in the family is willing to give an
explanation, so she decides with the help of Crumpet, her 'hatched
brother', to find her own answers.
These stories are unique and fascinating to read. The puppets are
gothic yet appealing and the small sets used in the puppet play are
cleverly constructed and a doll house lover's dream. There are some
interesting oddities in the book such as the embalmed father
Mortimer lying in his open coffin, visited by both Velvetta and
Martha and Martha's creation of the three legged child, Crumpet.
I enjoyed reading both these original stories and I predict they
will be popular with 8 to 12 year olds, in particular, girls. For
some background information on the puppet show on which the books
are based visit here.
Jane Moore
The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Inkhouse, 2011. ISBN 9780552565042.
Every girl wants the flapper lifestyle. Gloria has it all, and is
living it up with her best friend, Lorraine. Gloria is engaged to
Sebastian Grey. Gloria's cousin, Clare has arrived to make sure the
high-society wedding goes to plan. Gloria loves to party, surely she
still has enough time to party before she has to walk down the
aisle. Lorraine is tired of living in Gloria's shadow and when her
envy spills over, nobody is safe.
I love the early 1900's and the twenties were a crazy time. Vixen
is intriguing and full of suspense. The minor characters all were of
some importance and had a role to play, leaving you wanting for more
after each page. The book is written from three points of
perspective, which may cause a little confusion but is more
interesting in the telling. The author uses the language of the
1920's, and it is captivating. It is different to not picture the
teens with laptops and cell phones and was a great book to change
that image. It's good read and those whom love the early 1900's will
love this book.
Cecilia Richards.
Excellent excuses (and other good stuff) by Liz Pichon
Tom Gates. Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978-1-407124-40-7.
(Age: 8-12) This is the second Tom Gates book, the first being The
Brilliant World of Tom Gates, which won the Roald Dahl Funny
Prize in 2011. It's a great read, especially for kids who are having
withdrawal symptoms after finishing all the Wimpy Kid books.
Tom rejoices at the beginning of the book with the fact that he has
'no school for two whole weeks' and immediately lists all the
activities he will enjoy during the break. They include the
continued campaign against his older sister Delia and practising
with his mate Derek in their band 'Dog Zombies'.
Not all of his plans run smoothly and Tom has a lesson to learn
about cheating on his homework assignment.
Each page is full of Tom's doodles and handwriting. Apparently the
handwriting from Liz Pichon's sample exercise books was used by the
publishers as the basis for a new font used in the Tom Gates books.
Some of my favourite doodles are of Tom's grandparents, fondly
referred to by Tom as 'the fossils'. They are anything but 'fossil -
like' in their behaviour.
This is a fun book that will immediately appeal to boys but will be
suitable for all readers ages 8 to 12 years.
Jane Moore
Chill by Carol Thompson
Little Hare, 2010. ISBN 9781921541735.
Dolly the pig likes to play on her own - but some games are no fun
playing alone. Along comes Jack Rabbit and they have the best times
together, until one day they decide to paint pictures. Neither likes
the result and the friendship seems doomed. Can it be saved?
The solution lies in a strategy that would be most useful for every
young child learning to negotiate relationships so the cliche
molehills don't become mountains. It's a great story for exploring a
range of emotions to expand the children's concepts and vocabulary
and for them to empathise with each character - 'How would you feel
if . . . ?' 'What would you do if . . .' - which are
essential skills for developing reading and readers. It got a
thumbs-up from Miss 5.
Barbara Braxton
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 9781408817391.
(Age 13+) Recommended. Delaney Maxwell is pulled out of the icy
waters of a frozen lake eleven minutes after she went through the
ice. She should be dead. Her heart has stopped beating but after
being in a coma she wakes up and all seems to be normal in medical
terms. However Delaney feels a strange pull to people who are dying
and then she meets Troy Varga, an enigmatic young man who seems to
understand her frightening abilities. She begins to question whether
she is causing death or is being drawn to people on the verge of
death.
This is an absorbing book that works very well on a number of
levels. Miranda manages to write convincingly of an altered brain
state that could sense death, making it seem real and credible. At
the same time she twists in a thrilling plot that keeps the reader
wondering what is going to happen next. There are a number of deaths
and it is never clear how they happen. The reader is left wondering
whether Troy is good or evil and whether he will hurt Delaney, or is
the only one who can understand her.
At the same time there is the conflict of Delaney's relationship
with Decker, her best friend, the boy who wouldn't give up when she
was drowning and who pulled her out of the water. The author manages
this relationship in a realistic way, beautifully describing the
uncertainty of teen feelings and the hesitancy for Delaney of moving
from having a best friend to boyfriend.
Underlying the mystery and romance were some key themes that I kept
thinking about. The right of the individual to make decisions about
how and when they should die and the guilt of the living is
explored. I particularly liked Delaney's phrase, 'If you had one day
left to live what would you do?'
Readers who enjoyed Before I fall and If I stay by
Gayle Forman will enjoy this story.
Pat Pledger
Relic Master: The dark city by Catherine Fisher
Relic Master: Book 1. Dial Books, 2011.
(Age 11+) Chosen as on of the ALA Best Fiction for
Young Adults 2012, The dark city is the first in the
Relic Master series, and is a welcome reprint of a book that was
first published in 1998. Galen, a Keeper of the Order and of Relics,
and his young apprentice, Raffi, live a difficult life avoiding the
Watch, which wants to destroy all members of the Order. Anara, their
world, has been mysteriously devastated and Galen and Raffi go on a
quest to find the Crow, something or someone who may be able to
rescue their world. On the way they meet a young girl Carys, who is
a member of the Watch, and who journeys with them, keeping her past
a secret.
Fisher has created a wonderful world that is part science fiction
and part fantasy. The relics that Galen and Raffi seek are from a
technologically advanced world, with powers that they have no
knowledge of. At the same time the Keepers have magic powers. Raffi
can feel sense-lines and knows if danger is near. He needs all his
powers to keep them safe as they travel to the city of darkness,
Tasceron, where dangerous secrets lurk. The Sekoi, original owners
of the land, also play a role in the dangerous quest that they have
embarked upon.
Written in an easy to read style, Fisher carries her readers along
on an absorbing journey. Although quite long, the book is made of
short chapters, each of which is divided with an illustration and
saying from sacred books and this makes it an easy read. Entries
from Carys' journal also provide interesting insights into the
characters of Galen and Raffi as well as her growing doubts about
the Order and the Watch.
There are three more books in the Relic Master series, which I look
forward to reading. This book should appeal to middle school readers
who enjoy fantasy and although easier to read than Incarceron
(Horn Book best book 2010) and Sapphique, its sequel, it
will also appeal to readers who enjoyed those two books.
Pat Pledger
King's Ransom by Jude Watson
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs Vespers. Scholastic, 2011. ISBN
9780545298407 (Hardcover).
(Ages: 10 +) The 39 Clues series is written by multiple authors and
this is the second in a spin off series. This series has two
families, the Cahills and Vespers, engaged in a deadly rivalry. The
main characters in this book, Dan and Amy Cahill, are forced to work
their way across Europe stealing historical documents and artifacts
so they can save the lives of family members kidnapped by the
Vespers.
While a lot of the situations and escapes by the two teenagers are
not feasible the fast pace of the narrative does allow the reader to
suspend our disbelief for much of the book. The historical details
are interesting but not over described and the puzzles and clues
engaging. It would be preferable to have read others in the series
as there are characters and events mentioned in passing that a first
time reader would find confusing. There is an associated website
with information and more puzzles and clues.
This is not a lighthearted read with an often depressed Dan, major
betrayal by family members, and a death, so librarians may wish to
monitor its borrowing by younger readers.
Chris Lloyd
Little colour fairies by Mara Van Fleet
Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9780857075079.
(Age 4-6) A touch and feel book with tabs to pull, Little colour
fairies is sure to be a hit with young girls who love pink,
glitter and fairies.
Little fairies wearing a range of colours, red, blue, green, brown,
orange violet, pink, yellow, black and white and silver come along
to the palace to help dress the little princess for the Royal
Rainbow Ball. Each group of fairies is dressed in glittery gowns
with wings to match and they have lots of fun dressing the princess.
The illustrations are cute, with the fairies drawn to look like
little girls.
The combination of touch and feel elements in the book and the use
of colour will give young children the opportunity to learn what
things feel like, while also reinforcing what different colours look
like. There are delightful sparkly red shoes, and soft green velvet,
silky brown hair, and pink satin to feel, as well as tabs and
pop-ups to delight the reader. The book ends with the princess
making her debut at the ball, and children will have the opportunity
to look at her dressed up and pick out the different colours.
Pat Pledger
