Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781406324747.
(Ages 15+) Highly recommended. What schoolgirl can resist a
secret? Award winning author Joanna Nadin, knows how to capture her
young female audience quickly, and with many secrets hidden in
Paradise this novel is sure to be a winner. The first chapter neatly
entices the reader inside Billie's world, before Nadin deftly
unfolds the complexities of her plot in the following chapters.
Paradise is the story of young Billie, who desperately wants to find
her Dad, and with good luck and a hefty chunk of destiny on her
side, inherits her grandmother's house in Cornwall. Not her mother,
not her brother, but sixteen-year-old Billie. This would seem a
wonderful thing, but for impoverished Billie and her family, it
might pose a problem if her mother discovers the solicitor's letter.
Not knowing what to do, she hides the letter for three days, until
unable to stand it any longer, she finally shows her mother.
Surprisingly, her mother says 'it is serendipity, we'll go' and
Billie's life changes forever.
Leaving their small London flat, Billie, her mother Het, and younger
brother Finn, find themselves at the front door of their new home.
They are excited and explore their new-found luxury with careless
abandon. The secrets of the attic and the transparency of small
village life quickly present Billie with more questions than she can
answer. Then there is Danny, a little older than Billie, and she
cannot understand her feelings for him.
Lightly-written, this sensitive tale provides an emotional glimpse
into the misfortunes of Billie's mother, and her struggles to
provide for her two young children. Masterfully interwoven with
cameos from the lives of the two older women in Billie's world,
revealing loves won and lost, and secrets kept and broken, Joanna
Nadin gives a rare insight into what can happen when people are
caught in a web of concealment, and a child discovers for herself
that life is not all she might have imagined. It confronts some of
life's difficulties gently and wisely.
I liked this novel, it is well written, and should keep teenage
girls intrigued from cover to cover. Highly recommended for school
library bookshelves.
Colleen Tuovinen
The perfect baby by Tony Bradman and Holly Swain
Egmont, 2009. ISBN 9781405227551.
No matter how much preparation they do, one of the key worries of
parents bringing home a new baby is how the older siblings will
respond. In this very funny story, Lucy is most unimpressed when her
parents bring Baby William home. He didn't do much and what he did
do was irritating. He slept, he cried, he fed, he made some
disgusting noises and smells and then went back to sleep again. So
it was decided that William had to be given back to the hospital.
Although her parents were disappointed they didn't argue and off
they went. At the hospital the doctor in charge of the New Baby
department was very helpful and he took William back and let Lucy's
family have a second baby. And then a third, and a fourth, and a
fifth, a sixth, a seventh . . . But none of them were quite right
for Lucy.
This is a clever story that would really resonate with new big
sisters and big brothers. I'm sure there were times when Miss 5
would have liked to have traded her little sister in, but now nine
months later they are the best of friends. 'She's perfect,' she
declares, and I'm sure Lucy says the same now, too.
A must-have to give to parents - I'm sure they could get some great
ideas about how to cope with this tricky problem.
Barbara Braxton
Alive in the death zone by Lincoln Hall
Louis Braille Audio, read by David Tredinnick. Random House
Australia, 2008. ISBN 9781741663372.
Recommended. Lincoln Hall has a fascinating story to tell. He
survived a night above 8000 metres on Mt Everest, having been
pronounced dead by his accompanying sherpas, who had to leave him
and descend to high base camp before they, too, perished. Apparently
Lincoln had suffered from severe altitude sickness, and had no
detectable pulse or breath or reaction when poked in the eye
(evidently a sure sign of loss of life).
That Lincoln survived can be safely deduced from the fact that he
wrote the book after the event. The book is not just about that
particular climb on Everest, but goes back to Lincoln's schooldays
and introduction to rock climbing by a P.E teacher who became a
friend and fellow-climber in Lincoln's adult life. It traces his
progression through rock-climbing and mountaineering in terms of
interest and skills, and so provides context in which to appreciate
the immense difficulties (and satisfactions) of the Everest
expeditions.
Unfortunately I found the text rather prosaic and repetitive, with
some unnecessary detail (e.g. a list of the highest 14 mountains in
the world, together with their heights), and lacking some details
which I would have liked expanded (e.g. the reaction of his children
when they found out he was alive and safe on the mountain after
having been told 24 hours earlier that he had perished). I also
couldn't quite get behind the voice and style of the reader of the
audiobook, who, whilst competent, did seem to overegg the omelette
at times.
Having said that, the story has such intrinsic interest, and is so
far out of the realms of most listeners' experience, that I think it
can be cut a certain amount of slack in the literary department.
Also, we listened to the DVD on a long family car trip, and our
11-year old daughter, somewhat to my surprise, loved the story and
couldn't wait to turn it on each time we got back into the car. On
the strength of this alone, I would have to give it a recommended
rating!
Peter J Helman
Why we broke up by Daniel Handler
Ill. Maira Kalman. Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781742970974.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. 2012 Printz Honor book. In a
long 354-page letter, Min writes to Ed, telling him the truth about
why they broke up. She is also giving him a box full of objects
related to reasons that they broke up. There are 'two bottle caps, a
movie ticket from Greta in the wild, a note, a box of matches, a
protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from
a motel room, and the rest of it.' (Inside cover). Each item
will be used to illustrate aspects of their heartbreaking romance
and then the box will be dumped on Ed's doorstep.
I loved this book. It was not one that I could read in one sitting.
I found myself reading a section or two, relating to the occasion
that was being described, often in reference to a film that Min
loves, and thinking about why the romance was breaking up. It was
full of teenage angst and often I felt as if I wanted to shake Min
and tell her to listen to what her friends could tell her about Ed.
However Ed, co-captain of the basketball team and dream boy for most
of the girls in the school, shines brightly. When he tells Min she
is different and is prepared to go along to the films she loves and
try different things, she is convinced they are in love. Min's
descriptions of Ed in the early stages of the romance show him to be
an amiable jock, who has a real flair for Maths. I found myself
liking him and wondering why Min couldn't see that their friends and
interests were so different that it would be virtually impossible
for a relationship to be sustained without both changing
substantially. However, the themes in Why we broke up
encompass more than the need for common interests for a relationship
to last. Handler looks at the importance of friendship,
truthfulness, keeping intimate things private and fidelity; all
things that teens need to know about relationships.
I also loved the descriptions of Min's friends, especially Al, her
best friend, who loved films, theatre productions and drinking
coffee. They were a group of people who were intelligent and well
rounded. For many teens they would provide an excellent vindication
that you don't have to go along with the popular sport-loving crowd.
Handler manages the voice of Min really well and the events were so
well described I felt they were real. I was left wondering if either
he or one of his friends at school had experienced a similar break
up. The illustrations by Maira Kalman broke up each segment of the
story and I found myself going back to them to think about their
relationship to what had happened. They certainly added to the
book's appeal.
This is a tour de force from the author who also writes as Lemony
Snicket.
Pat Pledger
The mark of the Wagarl by Lorna Little
Ill. by Janice Lundon. Magabala Books, 2012. ISBN 978 1 921248 41 2.
(Ages 5+) Recommended. Aboriginal People - Dreaming. Illustrator
Janice Lundon has used pastel to create a colourful backdrop to this
retelling of an Aboriginal story. A cautionary tale, telling younger
children to obey their elders, the story of the Wagarl, with bright
bold colours trapping the eye on every page, teaches far more than
respect for your elders. The lad, Baardi, of the Nyoongar people of
north west Western Australia, did not believe the stories the old
people told of the snake that slept in the waterhole. He did not
believe that to pass, he needed to throw dust onto the water so that
the snake would not see him, nor did he believe that it was a
dangerous place to swim. Wagarl, the king snake came to inspect his
territory, and after a big feed of fish went to sleep in that
waterhole. When Baardi and his friends passed by, the boys threw
dust on the water and ran past as they had been instructed, but
Baardi dived in, going down deep to see if the story was true. He
felt something touch his leg, and turning around, looked into the
eyes of the Wagarl. He begged not to be eaten, and promised that in
return for his life, he would be mute, and be a protector of all
snakes. The snake left his mark on Baardi's leg and this mark is
passed down, showing that this person watches over the snakes and
has the snake as their totem.
This story tells so much. Not only respect for elders, but
information about the area. Listeners will learn about their
environment, the water hole, the snake shaped river, the flood
seasons and the fish. They will hear about the snake and its part in
the beliefs of their country, learn to respect the snakes in their
area, and learn that people who disobey the elders, are punished.
They will learn that some people have special powers and are marked
for that job at birth with a mark.
This long told tale is a detailed teaching story, and will be read
now by a much wider audience, teaching and passing on the same ideas
that have been passed on for generations.
Fran Knight
The Tunnels of Tarcoola by Jennifer Walsh
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742376752.
(Ages 10 +) Recommended. This historical adventure has four
children, Andrea, Kitty, David and Martin, exploring the caves and
tunnels under a suburb in Sydney. While researching a school
research project Kitty meets an elderly nursing home resident and
realises that her story is somehow intertwined with the old house
and caves they are exploring. Also that it is linked with a new
development planned for the suburb by the very sinister Mr
Buckingham.
The four main characters are well defined and believable and the
storyline exciting. The sympathetic interaction between the young
and elderly characters is pleasing and the description of the caves
and tunnels is vividly done.
There are references to the lives of young girls in service,
Japanese submarines in Sydney Harbour and the treatment of Jewish
people during the Holocaust making this a good choice for an
integrated History and English unit in Upper Primary.
Chris Lloyd
Things a map won't show you edited by Susan La Marca and Pam Macintyre
Penguin, 2012 ISBN 978 0 14 3583 4.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. Short story collection. Subtitled, Stories
from Australia and beyond this tantalising collection of short
stories, poetry and a graphic story is just what is needed for the
classroom and is presented with an eye catching cover, sure to have
'grab me' appeal. With stories from favourite writers such as Sonya
Hartnett, Chris Wheat, Paul Jennings and Michael Pryor, the mix is
intoxicating. One story from Ruth Starke tells of the NIPS team
going to play a team in a refugee community, learning that playing
the game is far more important than losing on purpose. Another from
Ursula Dubosarsky tells of being sick on Australia Day, another from
Oliver Phommavanh shows us a blind date with Wendy, while Paul
Jenning's story tells of the sale of a dozen roses.
Stories by Pat Lowe and Jimmy Pike sit alongside verse stories by
Doug McLeod and Jane Godwin, while a story from New Guinea by Samson
Tavatt will intrigue. I laughed out loud at Chris Wheat's
instructions from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on
how to kiss, and shed a tear for the bandy legged cat in Pat Lowe's
story, Yinti's kitten, and the humour in the verse story of Mary
standing on her head, by Jane Godwin impelled me read it again out
loud.
Altogether a surprising mix of works that will dazzle and amaze
readers in middle school, these will be well used as a basis for
discussion, models for their own writing or just to read a favourite
author. This is a stand out collection and will serve the needs of
teachers looking for an engaging set of stories to have in the
classroom.
Fran Knight
Wisdom's kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742379265.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, sets off on
a journey to wed Duke Roger. She is athletic, likes to take risks
and longs for adventure. Accompanied by Queen Mother Ben, her
travels are interrupted when her entourage falls ill at a country
inn where Fortitude, known as Trudy, works. Trudy agrees to
accompany the party as a lady-in-waiting because she hopes to find
Tips, the soldier that she is in love with. Dizzy, Trudy and Tips,
with the help of a magical cat, will have many adventures while
trying to find true love and save the kingdom of Montagne.
Murdock has combined elements of the traditional fairy tales of Sleeping
Beauty and Cinderella to make up a highly original and
very funny tale. Using eight different voices to flesh out the tale,
each with a fairly short entry, Murdock brings this story to life.
The reader hears it from diary entries, plays, letters and
encyclopedia texts, each one written with the appropriate voice and
giving a different view point to what is happening.
Fans of the book, Princess Ben, by Murdock, will enjoy
seeing Ben as an elderly, scheming woman, but newcomers to the
series will be able to happily read this as a stand alone. The
incidents are often hilarious, especially those involving the Circus
Primus and the master swordsman, Felis El Gato. Play on words,
humorous dialogue and unconventional events make for a story that I
really enjoyed. Murdock has the knack of bringing to life strong
women, who, even with many flaws, are determined to go their own
way.
People who like fairy tales retold and the authors Shannon Hale and
Jessica Day George will enjoy Wisdom's kiss.
Pat Pledger
The cutest pet ever by Sally Rippin
Billie B Brown series. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012.
Age: First chapter book readers (6-8) Billie is bored. Her best
friend Jack is away for the weekend and her baby brother Noah is no
fun to play with. Deciding that a pet is the perfect answer Billie
sets about convincing her Mum and Dad, but their ideas of good pets
for Billie aren't exactly the pony or puppy that she has in mind.
Later at the Shopping Centre Billie spots her perfect pet: Molly the
guinea pig, but when they go back to the pet store somebody has
already bought her! Billie is distraught until her Dad arrives home
with a guinea pig sized cardboard box . . .
This is a gorgeous story that young children will relate to
especially those with younger siblings who take up a lot of Mum and
Dad's time. But it also shows the positive ways that Billie
compromises with her parents and deals with her emotions, especially
when she thinks her perfect pet is lost forever. There is also
positive role modelling as Billie shows her Mum how helpful and
responsible she is to prove that she will be able to take care of
her own pet. A fantastic easy chapter book with large print
and plenty of illustrations to please young girls.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Blood runner by James Riordan
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011. ISBN 9781845079345.
In a preface to this story concerning the black struggle against
apartheid in South Africa, James Riordan states that the work is
fictional rather than biographical. It is however based upon Josiah
Thugwane, a marathon runner and the first black man to win an
Olympic gold medal representing South Africa.
Riordan blends aspects of the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre with the
1976 Soweto uprising to create a traumatic event which determines
the main character Samuel's life course and is plausible within the
tale's chronology.
The story vividly portrays the almost unbelievable civil rights
abuses perpetrated against black South Africans by a ruling minority
prior to 1994, particularly in reference to the brutality and
violence applied to suppress the black population.
Portrayal of the Marathon is apt in light of Mandela's work The
long walk to freedom as personal courage, patience and
endurance are evident in both.
Samuel must prepare himself over many years and overcomes various
setbacks and failures in pursuit of his goals. Like Mandela
stoically maintaining his vision, Samuel must make great personal
sacrifices and comes to appreciate that if he can attain victory
then this will be shared by his people.
The language is simple and whilst some content is confronting, young
teens should not struggle to understand the historical themes behind
the narrative. I did consider Samuel's and his brothers' subdued
reaction to a monstrously traumatic event to be unrealistic, however
this is a small flaw in an otherwise great story. Similarly, the
inclusion of an eccentric uncle in the Bantu homelands as a device
to introduce running seemed clumsy, yet the conclusion warrants
acceptance of such elements.
Having an extremely striking cover, the book is likely to be
selected from the shelves and I hope that young teenagers will read
and learn about both human misery and triumph in this true-to-life
tale.
Rob Welsh
Winnie-the-Pooh: Hide and peek ill. by Andrew Grey
Egmont, 2012. ISBN 978-1405261197.
(Age 2-4) Based on the Winnie-the-Pooh character by A.A. Milne, Hide
and Peek allows the young child to find out what is hiding in the
Hundred Acre Wood. They have to lift a tab to find out who is the
bounciest, gloomiest, cleverest and hungriest animal in the forest.
All characters to be discovered are ones found in the original book.
The book is a very sturdy board book and should withstand young
fingers using it frequently. There are flaps that open up each
double spread and they are made of thick paper so will withstand use
as well. Illustrations are in the Disney style and will appeal to
young children.
Using this book as an introduction to the characters in the original
would help the young child become familiar with the much loved Pooh
bear, Tigger, Eeyore and Owl and a parent or teacher could then read
the original to the older child. The words that describe the
characters could also be discussed and children could have fun
coming up with ways of being bouncy, gloomy, clever and hungry.
Pat Pledger
The truth about penguins by Meg McKinlay
Ill. by Mark Jackson. Walker Books Australia, 2012. ISBN 9781
921720772.
(Ages 5+) Re-issued as a paperback. Picture book. The zoo is agog
with excitement, as the animals have heard that the penguins are
coming. The story does the rounds, going through the zoo from the
meercats, to the giraffe, to the otters, the owl, the bats, the
anteaters and so on, each adding their own bit of information about
what penguins are like and what they do. All the while,
illustrator Mark Jackson draws the penguins to reflect what the
animals say about them, adding gaudy beach outfits, suitcases, party
hats, all causing laughter from the audience, whether it being read
alone or in a group.
The penguins are said to fly south for winter, love pizzas, love
wearing jazzy beach wear but don't like putting their feet into the
cold water. When the animals start telling stories about the
penguins' parenting skills, the zoo keeper calls a halt to all the
misinformation and tells them the truth about penguins. But in the
background we can see the penguins arriving, and guess who is right?
A very funny look at truths and half truths, this book will cause
great delight amongst the audience as kids will giggle about the
half truths, calling out what they know, they will giggle with the
beautiful drawings of the animals in the zoo, look out for their
favourites, marvel at the correct information at the end and then
laugh all over again at the last page. What a treat.
Fran Knight
Amazing Grace, an Adventure at Sea by Stephanie Owen Reeder
National Library of Australia, 2011. ISBN 978-0-642-27743-5.
This exciting tale is based on the true story of Grace Bussell,' a
16 year old Western Australian girl, who together with the family
stockman Sam Issacs, rescued survivors from the wreck of the
steamship Georgette in December 1876.
At the time, Grace's bravery captured the attention of Australia and
overseas and she was compared to another famous Grace , Grace
Darling who was a young shipwreck heroine from Scotland.
This tale is not well known and deserves to be heard. Author
Stephanie Owen Reeder has managed to use available information and
created an 'as if you were there' story of real people and time.
You are introduced to some of the passengers of the Georgette and
witness the hardships of their voyage and the real danger of a
violent sea.
Interspersed throughout the pages are colour drawings, original
photographs, newspaper clippings and eyewitness accounts. I found
the epilogue describing the continuing lives of the main characters
highly interesting. A glossary of terms is helpful.
This would be a great resource in any school library and is
especially suitable for upper primary students.
Jane Moore
Girl Parts by John M. Cusick
Walker Books 2010. ISBN 9781406334340.
(Age: 15+) David Sun and Charlie Nuvola live on opposite sides of
the lake but attend the same school. Outwardly they appear to lead
very different lives. David is wealthy and indulged, living
comfortably with his parents whilst Charlie lives a simple life with
his father, a preoccupied academic. However the new school
counsellor thinks that both David and Charlie display symptoms of
"disassociation" and he has just the cure. Enter Rose, part girl,
part robot, purpose built to help people like Charlie and David to
reconnect and forge strong human relationships.
This book brings a novel approach to teenage relationships. Rose is
a prototype and therefore still experimental. She has a lot to learn
before she can resolve the task at hand. The reader is
challenged to consider whether David and Charlie really are
"disassociated" or products of a society with a propensity to
pathologise every developmental phase. Is the counsellor
genuinely concerned for the welfare of his charges or is there an
ulterior motive? This book is an entertaining read for teenagers and
perhaps a glimpse of the world to come!
Tina Cain
Various positions by Martha Schabas
Text, 2012. ISBN 9781921758898.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This first novel by Martha Schabas deals
with the difficulty of becoming a ballerina. Georgia, aged 13/14, is
selected to attend the best ballet school in Toronto. She is
determined to work hard and has talent, so what could go wrong? As
the movie Black Swan showed, dancers must have psychological
resilience as well as strong bodies. Georgia can push her body but
cannot control those around her. Furthermore she is not ready for
the nuances of adult sexual relationships. Georgia's parents are
drifting towards divorce, and Georgia is shocked to discover that
their relationship began when her mother was her father's student.
Georgia's friend, Chantal, is overweight, and, on Georgia's advice,
starts dieting with near catastrophic results. Georgia discovers her
own sexuality and takes inappropriate photos of herself. Her male
teacher is brutal in his assessments of his pupils. Georgia,
however, believes that he is in love with her and attempts to seduce
him by leaving the photographs on his desk. They are discovered and
as he is also blamed for Chantal's anorexia, he is forced to resign.
Georgia must face what she has done, and start again in another
school. The book covers a number of themes, sexual manipulation,
eating disorders, teacher-student relationships and the growing
awareness of adolescence. Told in the first person and quite simply
written, it is convincing and readable. It is recommended for mature
readers.
Jenny Hamilton
