The boy who ate himself by Colin Cardwell and Tony Lowe
Random House Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742752433.
This book by an author new to the Australian scene is quirky and
unusual. Written in verse, it tells the story of Harold Bartholomew
Jones "whose regular diet was ice cream cones, And chips, more chips
and tomato sauce. Never anything green of course." But when his
mother said "Enough is enough, you're going to start eating some
healthy stuff," Harold takes himself off to his room and hatches a
crazy plan. Or so it seems. What follows is a story that will appeal
to younger readers that has an unexpected twist which shows there
are worse things than cabbage and broccoli, carrots and beans.
With the need for students to understand the necessity of a healthy
diet, this is a fun way for students to explore what might have
happened to Harry had he continued on his junk food ways, as well as
designing suggestions for healthy meals that Harry's mother could
cook to keep him happy and satisfied. Maybe they could even try some
of the vegetables mentioned and discover some new tastes and
flavours for themselves.
With its rhyming format, the story moves along at a fast pace
cleverly illustrated in a style that is reminiscent of onscreen
cartoon and game characters, which will appeal to its audience. A
new author and a new illustrator, and both to be looked for in the
future.
Barbara Braxton
Mole's sunrise by Jeanne Willis
Ill. by Sarah Fox-Davies. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 4063 3778 5
Recommended. Picture book. The adventure of the mole, a small
underground creature, being taken by the vole and his friends, above
ground to see the sunrise, is a delightful story to read to
children. Full of description, the story begs to be read aloud and
discussed, as the blind mole enjoys what he cannot see through the
explanations of the other animals in the group. Gathering at the log
with rabbit, sparrow and squirrel, each describes what is happening
as the sun takes to the air. Similes are used to enhance his
experience. The sun is like a small gold button, which the mole can
feel on his coat: the clouds are like raspberry icecream and the top
of the sun is like the yolk of an egg, which he can taste. Each
description uses one or other of the mole's senses, until he can
imagine just what it looks like, and it is beautiful. The
illustrations on each page beautifully depict the English
countryside, and the readers will follow the journey the animals
make with ease. The pages showing the sun climbing out of the lake
and unto the sky will thrill younger readers as they can match the
descriptions given by the animals to the mole, with the illustration
shown, as each page becomes lighter with the rising of the sun.
For the experience of seeing something without using your eyes, this
is a stunning tale to introduce discussions about the five senses
and to initiate discussions about losing one of the sense, in the
classroom. The English background, particularly the animals, the
vole and mole may need some explanation, but the story and its
charming illustrations carries the day.
Fran Knight
The watch that ends the night by Allan Wolf
Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN 9780763637033.
Poet and author, Allan Wolf, gives a fresh insight into the triumph
and tragedy of the Titanic using the voices of twenty four
passengers. The rats and the iceberg have their story to tell as
well! The accounts, whilst fictional, are based on research of
historical documents and give an intimate and personal perspective
to this infamous episode of the past. The voices include those of
the operators of the new, revolutionary Marconi wireless radio, the
captain, the socialite, the undertaker, the refugee and the ship
builder. The reader is able to gain an appreciation of all facets of
ship life and the varied reasons passengers chose to undertake this
ill fated journey.
2012 marks the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic ensuring this
book will be a timely read for young adults. This book will make a
great teaching aid. Every page contains a different voice telling
just a small portion of their story. The momentum builds gradually
as each character evolves. There is so much history, so beautifully
told, that this book is guaranteed to engage the interest of even
the most reluctant reader. All the sources used by the author are
listed as is recommended further reading for the Titanic enthusiast.
Tina Cain
Editor's note: This was
listed on the American Library's Association's Best Fiction for Young
Adults 2012 list.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
Puffin, 2011. ISBN 9780143306641.
(Ages: 8+) Highly recommended. The sixth book in
the hugely successful and hugely entertaining Wimpy Kid series does
not disappoint. This book is set around Christmas and chronicles a
few weeks in the always chaotic life of Greg Heffley. Again
Greg manages to get himself into many awkward situations despite
desperately trying to do the right thing. Teachers will immediately
think of similar real life students that are always likeable but
always in trouble.
There are laugh out loud moments, and other moments that are quite
poignant, as Greg reflects on the value of friendship and having a
family that shows unconditional love for each other. This is another
Wimpy Kid book that will not stay on the shelves for long.
Chris Lloyd
Paradise by Joanna Nadin
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
