Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780 14 320654 5.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. Dystopian thriller. From the cover blurb,
'As the world grows older, its dangerous being young', the reader
knows
that they are in for a treat, a look at a possible future where to
be
young means that your essence is required by the old to keep alive.
I loved the trilogy by Gemma Malley called The Declaration,
where adults had to sign a form vowing never to have children, the
population having access to so many pills and potions that they
remained alive well past the three score and ten, but this novel
takes
the whole concept further. Teens are taken for their essence, it is
sucked out of them in a factory which is beyond belief, until their
wasted bodies disposed of.
Lily and her brother Daniel are aware that their ever young parents'
attitude to them is changing, and hacking into the computer after
Daniel is taken away, Lily finds out some of what is happening to
children like her once they enter their teen years. She attempts to
escape before she too is taken, but she has not been allowed outside
for so long she has difficulty finding her way across the Wall. But
others like her are there to help her, and together the people on
the
other side, attempt to free those of their age incarcerated in the
facility where they are sucked dry.
The view of a decimated Australia, torn apart by climate change,
dictatorship and rebellion is absorbing as the teens find their way
back to a deluged Sydney, across the Wall into the exclusive suburbs
where the wealthy and the vain live protected by security guards.
A heart in the mouth read, this will appeal to all those people
fascinated by the plethora of dystopian novels which abound at the
moment, containing comment on our times and an absorbing thriller to
boot.
Fran Knight
Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitat by Anna Branford
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781921529191.
Recommended for ages 6 and above. At the end of a shopping trip,
Violet becomes bored as her mother and a neighbour stop to chat over
cups of tea! When she spies a sparrow in the shopping centre, Violet
comes up with the 'Theory of Helping Small Things'. On the way home,
her mother introduces her to the term Natural Habitat. This leads to
Violet making some suggestions to her big sister, Nicola, about
possible topics for her natural science project. Despite Nicola's
disinterest, Violet finds a ladybird and makes a new habitat for it
in a glass jar. While their mother is at the market the next day,
things go wrong with the ladybird, and the two girls work together
to create a very successful science project for Nicola. During the
next trip to the shopping centre, Violet happily acts on her most
recent theory to assist the swallow she had previously met.
Branford has created a delightful, winning character in Violet
Mackerel. She is a kind, considerate child, always keen to do her
best to help others with her lateral thinking and different ideas.
For emergent readers or for teachers of junior primary classes to
read aloud, this series provides some simple plots which are easy
for young children to relate to and act as introductions to various
topics. This would be perfect to read as part of a unit on life
cycles and habitats and the activities at the back of each book are
easy and appealing for young readers.
Jo Schenkel
Emerald by Karen Wallace
Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN 9781416917168.
Recommended. 'I'd rather marry a hog than Lord Suckley . . . " and
with
this striking exclamation made by Emerald, Karen Wallace's
historical fiction begins. Set in a distinct and well-illustrated
Elizabethan setting, Emerald features an unlikely heroine who,
despite
being perceived as insignificant by others, proves herself strong
and
independent in the face of adversity.
Hardship seems all that Emerald knew as a child; with a mother
completely devoid of love whose deceit creates great scandal, and a
father who desperately compensates for this . . . only to
unexpectedly die trying. Upon the terms of their father's suspicious
death wish, Emerald of only eight years and her older brother are
abruptly forced to live with a distant uncle, aunt and conniving
cousin, regardless of the availability of their own mother. Despite
this, the comfort and sworn support of her brother holds the failing
seams of Emerald's life together until, one day, he is sent to sea
and
the stitches unravel one by one with only Molly, her pet bear, as a
companion.
Several years later, a letter from Emerald's 'she-devil' mother
arrives
ordering her matrimony to the despicable and disgusting Lord
Suckley.
Her race to escape this horrible fate introduces conflict and the
exposure of shocking secrets, until she finds herself tangled in a
fragile web of lies that threatens to collapse at any second.
Cleverly written, Emerald is a fast-paced and unpredictable novel in
which the heroine fights to conquer an outstanding number of
issues . . . betrayal, deceit, assassination, romance and
cruelty
to animals; this book covers it all!
Emilia Corbo (student)
An Imaginary Menagerie: Poems and drawings by Roger McGough
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011. ISBN 9781847801661.
(Ages: 5 to 7 years) Here is a fun collection of poems written
originally by Roger McGough in 1988. He has added some lively and
very humorous line drawings to accompany most of the poems for this
2011 edition. The contents page lists the 72 poems, which have
mainly one-word titles addressing each of the letters of the
alphabet. Most titles name animals known to us, but McGough adds
some, which stretch the imagination. The 'c' entries are
Camel, Canary, Catapillow, Chimp, Conger Eel. Playing with words and
familiar situations, McGough's collection is great fun to read out
loud and invites some poetry writing of our own. At times I
found some poems to be rather distant from the Australian
experience, though he does include gems from 'Oz'; some seem also to
show their age in terms of expressions and wordplay. In
summary it is wonderful to read a poetry collection that is
accessible to the young reader, and there will inevitably be some
instantaneous hits!
Julie Wells
Shelter: a Mickey Bolitar novel by Harlan Coben
Indigo, 2011. ISBN 9781780621180.
(Age 12+) Recommended. Crime thriller. Harlan Coben, a
bestselling crime author for adults, has started a crime series for
young adults. It features Mickey Bolitar, a teenager who has been
forced to live with his Uncle Myron after he witnessed the death of
his father, and whose mother can't cope and is sent to rehab. He
finds his new high school difficult but makes some unusual friends
and when his girlfriend, Ashley, disappears without a word, he is
determined to find out what has happened to her. He also comes
across the strange Bat Lady, a local recluse who states that his
father is not dead.
In his quest he uncovers a sinister underworld and is forced to
confront some mysteries about her and his family.
Mickey is an attractive main character, who has led an unusual life
travelling the world with his parents. He is good at
basketball, loyal to his friends and not afraid to take risks going
to a seedy nightclub in New Jersey and taking on dangerous
criminals.
There is action galore as Mickey and his sidekicks, Spoon and Ema,
both of whom are social outcasts, start to investigate what has
happened to Ashley and why there are strange people lurking around
the neighbourhood. The suspense and mystery kept me reading
this book in one sitting, and even though I did find the ending a
bit abrupt, I don't doubt that it will entice the reader to grab the
next in the series when it is published.
Coben's foray into young adolescent fiction is an entertaining and
successful one and should appeal to teens, both as an introduction
to the crime genre and as an exciting read. I would suspect that
fans of this book will go looking for the adult series that features
Mickey's Uncle Myron.
Pat Pledger
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood (in which Winnie-the-Pooh enjoys further adventures with Christopher Robin and friends) by David Benedictus and Mark Burgess
Inspired by A.A. Milne and E. H. Shepard. Egmont, 2011. ISBN
9781405247443.
It is more than 80 years since A. A. Milne introduced us to
Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and the other residents of
the Hundred Acre Wood and gave us a family favourite that has
survived generations (and Disneyfication). Although Benedictus wrote
some of these stories nearly 20 years ago, they could not be
published because Disney owned the rights but now, with the sequel
rights reverting to the trustees of Milne's estate, we can once
again enjoy the traditional Pooh complete with illustrations in the
style of E. H. Shepard.
In this book we share the delight of Christopher Robin's return,
marvel at Owl's wisdom and are introduced to the game of cricket -
very timely! We are also introduced to a new character, Lottie the
Otter who fits into the landscape and the stories perfectly. Like
the original, each story is perfect for reading aloud or reading
alone and the illustrations are just delightful. If you are a Pooh
fan, like me, you will love this. Pop it in your own Christmas
stocking!
Barbara Braxton
Nancy Bentley: The First Australian Female Sailor by Tracy Hawkins
New Frontier, 2011. ISBN: 9781921042768.
Born in 1914, six year old Nancy was living with her large family in
a small cottage in Port Arthur. Living near the harbour, Nancy and
her siblings had much freedom to go and play outside without
parental supervision. One day, as she followed her brother and
sister home to tea, Nancy was bitten by a poisonous whip snake. With
the doctor being too far away to safely reach, her father, Frank,
instead rowed her out to a ship moored in the harbour. Immediately,
she was seen by the ship's surgeon who declared her too ill to move.
Captain Cayley then faced a dilemma. In the year 1920, females were
not allowed on board naval ships so he made the decision to enlist
her as 'Mascot Bentley 000001'. As she regained her health, Nancy
was taken for a special outing with the members of the crew and,
shortly thereafter, returned home.
This brief snippet of Australian history is simply written and
accompanied by Jacqui Grantford's realistic water colour
illustrations. The text and art work meld together to provide a
snapshot of Australia in the early days. The inclusion of a black
and white photograph and an original document add to the title to
give children a brief lesson in history in a book which could be
used to discuss women's rights and the history of the Australian
navy.
Jo Schenkel
Crow country by Kate Constable
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742373959.
(Ages 12+) Highly recommended. Crime, racism. When a valley
near the town of Boort in northern Victoria was flooded to make a
dam, secrets were buried under the water, but now, with 10 years of
drought, things have been uncovered. The secret is revealed by the
crows of the area to newcomer, Sadie, lately moved to Boort with her
mother, who remembers the place from her holidays as a child. But
Sadie finds the crows talk to her, they direct her feet to the place
where the secret lies buried, and when they are about, she time
slips, returning to the 1930's when her great grandparents owned a
shop in the town's main street. Here she learns of the three mates
who fought together on the Western Front during WW1, vowing to keep
together when they return home. But one is black, and the resultant
racism leads to his death.
The landowner, Mortlock wants to inundate his land, but Jimmy knows
the land to be special to the local people and so objects. Sadie, in
a different time, sees what happens and how her family is involved.
The crows tell her that only she can discover and reveal this secret
to give it peace.
This is an amazingly complex story, not only are there brushes
with problems of rural Australia, drought, use of water, lack of
jobs, the slow demise of rural communities, but Constable has
included racism in a way that provokes thought and discussion. The
theme of racism is an integral part of the whole, neither overstated
or muted but a distinctive and major element of the story.
Sadie's relationship with the Aboriginal boy, Walter, and the
resultant racism aimed at her, is masterfully told, as is the
relationship of her mother and her old flame. The racism that
existed three generations before might have been buried but has
never gone away. Alongside this stunning story, we see Sadie's
developing maturity, of making her own way in the world, of making
up her own mind in the narrow confines of a small country town.
This is an evocative story of modern Australia, linked with the
past. WW1, the depression of the 1930's, land rights and the
treatment of Aboriginal people, particularly those who fought for
Australia and returned home unheralded, all mix to make a story well
worth the read, both as a class text and a book to read for
leisure. Teacher
notes are available on Allen and Unwin's
website.
Fran Knight
Homer the library cat by Reeve Lindbergh
Ill. by Anne Wilsdorf. Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781 4063 3656 6
(Age: 4+ ) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Verse story. Homer
loves his house, it is quiet and his owner is quiet. When she goes
to work each day he is all alone in his quiet house. He lets the
mice play with his ball of wool, and purrs when he sees a bird. But
one day he is startled by a loud noise and jumps from the window.
Alone in the street he searches for somewhere quiet to sleep. He
tries the post office, but the workers sneeze, he tries the fire
house, but when the sirens go off he rushes out. He finds a carriage
on the railway track, but along comes a locomotive that needs
repair, so he rushes into a building he does not know. It is a
library and there is his owner, reading stories to the children.
Each of the illustrations shows Homer finding a neat place to sleep
but being bundled out of it for some reason.
Told in rhyming stanzas the rhythm and rhyme of the words will
gather the listeners in as they wonder at how Homer will find a
quiet place to sleep. Read out loud, this will be a wonderful story
for younger readers and with the illustrator including books on
nearly every page there is lots to look at for them as well. For the
National year of Reading, 2012 (Australia) this has come at an
apposite time and will be well used by teachers, parents and
librarians to promote libraries and reading.
Fran Knight
Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko
Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780763647278.
Fragments of lives and snippets of personal recollections, told by
the imagined voices of the inmates of the Terezin Ghetto, a prison
camp in what is now the Czech Republic, depict the horror of the
existence of those sentenced to death. Whilst on the surface, music
and the arts apparently abound, all is not as it seems. Copious
amounts of propaganda is distributed by the soldiers and those in
charge of the 'ovens of Auschwitz', and glossed over as being
commonplace and the accepted modus operandi in keeping the rest of
the world ignorant of the facts of the death camps. The book's
textured jacket depicts the silhouette of a featureless group of
people, hands joined, standing in front of a red-toned building.
Inside, the jacket information states that the book is 'Accented
with historic illustrations by the inmates, found after the war
ended'. These dark images provide a backdrop to the sparsely worded
poems. Each of these elements combines to create a powerful
collection of poetry.
Janeczko's numerous poetry collections are varied, ranging from the
simplistic form poetry appropriate for younger children to this
evocative, powerful, moving collection aimed at adults and students
in secondary school. From this slim and elegant volume, certain
poems could also be chosen to use in war units as discussion
starters with upper primary students. This title will also be a
valuable resource for year 10 teachers, particularly in light of the
new National Curriculum and its World War 2 focus, a collection to
read and re-read.
Jo Schenkel
The legend by Marie Lu
Razorbill, 2011. ISBN 9780141339412
(Age: 13+) Recommended. An exciting dystopian novel, The
legend is set in the near future where what was the United States
has been divided into the Republic and the Colonies, both at war
with each other. 15 year old Day, born into the poverty
stricken Lake area, is a wanted criminal who is trying to bring the
Republic into disrepute. Wealthy 15 year old June, is a
military prodigy, being prepared for the elite military
forces. When Day's family is threatened by the Plague, he
takes daring risks to find medicine for them, and June is sent to
track him down. But what they both uncover is shocking.
An action driven first novel, this is a stand out among the many
dystopian novels that are being published at the moment. Lu has
managed to keep the thrilling pace going until the end of the book.
As a reader I became immersed in Day's story, and avidly followed
his adventures to try and keep his family alive. I found myself
holding my breath as the military got closer and closer to him. Lu
has also included a mystery surrounding the death of June's brother,
Metias, which adds to the suspense, as the reader follows the clues
about how he died and sees the development of June from a self
centred 15 year old genius to a thoughtful young woman.
Not only was the action engrossing, the characterisation is
fabulous. The story is narrated by the two main protagonists, Day
and June and their narration is so well done that the reader begins
to know them very well by the end of the book. I loved the character
of Day, who is a daring risk taker, but who looks after his family
and the orphan Tess, while harrying the military of the
Republic. June too is a genius as well as being an outstanding
athlete, and as a reader I was sympathetic to her plight, so it was
great when the sparks began to glow between the two.
The dystopian nature of the Republic, the rigidness of the society
and the manipulation of the poor, provide a satisfying background to
what is essentially Day and June's action packed story.
The thrilling, suspenseful action, fascinating characters and
growing romance will keep the attention of the reader and the open
ended conclusion will ensure that the next in the series is picked
up.
Pat Pledger
Ivy loves to give by Freya Blackwood
Little Hare, 2009. ISBN 9781921541889.
(Ages 3-5) Recommended. Boardbook. Little Ivy loves to give presents
but does not always get it right. For example she gives a dummy to
the cat, a slipper to a snail and a cup of tea to a chicken.
Fortunately her family has no problem with re-gifting and everyone
ends up happy by the end of the text. Readers are also invited to
remember the best gift of all is a hug.
A lovely story which will allow adults to explore the joy of giving
with young children. The beautiful watercolour illustrations are
amusing; the expression on the cat is particularly well done, and
the sturdiness of construction will ensure it survives lots of
handling.
A gorgeous present for a toddler and his/her family.
Chris Lloyd
Aoki by Annelore Parot
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2011. ISBN 9781742970035.
Aoki is a kokeshi - a little wooden doll from Japan - and she
undertakes a
journey to Tokyo to visit her friend Yoko. Through a richness of
interactive
pages, peepholes and lift-the-flaps we share her journey and are
introduced to a
variety of aspects of life in Japan from helping her to pack her
suitcase to
enjoying the tranquillity of a Zen garden. There are snippets of
language to
learn and opportunities to compare lives and lifestyles which would
spark
further investigations. Why does the bed fold up like a cupboard?
Where
is Mt
Fuji?
On the surface, this looks like a book for little girls, but, in
reality, it is
the ideal foundation for introducing a study of Japan or the
Japanese
language.
It is engaging on so many levels and its unusual cover and glossy
paper
make it
very tactile. A very special book.
Barbara Braxton
The Butterfly Heart by Paula Leyden
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781406327922.
(Age: 12+) This charming story takes place in Zambia where twins
Bul-Boo and Madillo live with their parents and a colourful
assortment
of friends and neighbours. When they discover that their school
friend,
Winifred, is destined for a terrible fate, the girls feel compelled
to
help. Bul-Boo seeks the help of Ifwafwa, the wise snake man but can
he
deliver a solution before it is too late? Fred, who lives next
door, thinks his great grandmother can help. She is rumoured to be
like
a witch with magical powers but she inspires awe and terror in equal
measure in the children.
The author spent her childhood in Zambia and her knowledge of local
traditions, stories and customs make this story a delightful insight
into the 'butterfly heart of Africa'. Superstition and logic
interweave as the characters seek a solution to their problem. The
story is essentially told in first person from the viewpoints of
Bul-Boo, Ifwafwa and Winifred which sustains the momentum of the
story.
The chapters are short making it easy to read. Probably best suited
to
younger teens, it is a very enjoyable read.
Tina Cain
Equinox by Lara Morgan
Walker, 2011. The Rosie Black chronicles are thrilling novels that lead on
from each other perfectly, the books are set five hundred years into
the future where mankind is split into three groups of civilization,
the 'Centrals' are usually very popular and wealthy, an upper class
civilization. The 'Ferals' are a race that scavenges to survive,
living in poverty, dwelling on the fringe of humanity, and lastly,
the 'Bankers' these people are in between 'Feral' and 'Central'
status, living healthily but still aren't as good of as the
'Centrals'.
The main character of both novels is Rosie Black; in the novel Equinox
(novel #2) she is struggling to shut down the evil corporation,
'Helios' the ones responsible for the death of her mother and many
more through the creation of 'Mal X' a horrible disease that only
gives you a very painful and draining short time to live after you
have been infected. In this novel, Rosie and Pip (a very nice Feral)
are trying to destroy the evil Helios with the help of Riley, a very
smart man who is experienced in Helios technical workings along with
Aunt Essie and Dalton (a central). Rosie's father has been captured
by the Helios and Rosie and her friends are bent on rescuing him,
but it is like a choice decision, save her father or destroy the
Helios, or both. It is a very hard decision for Rosie.
This book was very enjoyable, with the action starting almost
immediately, but, like the first novel, there is no clear plot but
the little sequence of events are thrilling and make up for this.
For age recommendation I would say 10 onwards because of the
language and some of the terms are heard to understand for less
mature readers.
Sarah Filkin (Student)
