Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN 9780857071903.
(Ages: 10+) Highly recommended. Milo has moved five times already
in his life and so being in a new town and at a new school he calls
hitting the restart button. Fitting in is not easy for Milo as he is a
bit of a klutz and he finds it hard to read people and situations
accurately. This leads to some very funny situations throughout the
book that young readers will enjoy. Milo is also dealing with the loss
of his mother from a brain tumour and Silberberg's writing about this
is intensely sad but hopeful as Milo leads the whole family through
their intense grief.
The comic style illustrations add to the appeal and I have already
added it to my list of books to recommend when students have finished
the Wimpy Kid series. This would be an excellent read aloud for Year
5-6 classes as well.
Chris Lloyd
Eight keys by Suzanne LaFleur
Puffin, 2011. ISBN 978-014-134203-0.
(Age 10+) Recommended. Realistic. Bildungsroman. I thoroughly
enjoyed
Lafleur's book, Love, Aubrey and consequently I was very happy
to get
the opportunity to read Eight keys. This is the story of Elise,
almost
12 years old, and just entering middle school. She and Franklin have
always been best friends, playing medieval Knights, roaming in the
woods and using their imaginations. On her first day in the new school,
an encounter with a popular girl, Amanda, who scoffs at the scabs she
has on her arms from playing Knights, and calls her a baby, suddenly
leaves Elise feeling an outsider, wondering if her friendship with
Franklin is babyish. Her schoolwork suffers, and she becomes very
unhappy. Although her parents are dead, she has a loving aunt and uncle
and adult friends as a support system but she doesn't feel that she can
tell them just how bad the bullying at school has become. The
only thing that keeps her going is the discovery that the key she has
spied in her uncle's barn, is labelled with her name and opens one of
the eight mysterious locked rooms at the top of the building.
Lafleur's narrative flows gently and easily, pulling the reader in as
she explores what it is like for Elise to move from a small school,
where everyone knew her and where she felt safe, to a large school
where the teachers didn't seem to care and where she becomes the victim
of bullying.The bullying is both verbal and physical and Elise
is unable to cope with it. She retreats from her best friend Franklin
and doesn't stand up for him and tell the truth when it really counts.
This exploration of bullying and the nature of friends will resonate
with younger readers as will the exploration of peer pressure.
At home, Elise is jealous of the new people in her aunt and uncle's
lives, especially the baby, and questions whether they really want her.
It is not until she uncovers the secrets of the eight keys that open
the mysterious rooms that she can come to terms with herself and begins
to appreciate the love and friendship that surrounds her. A
father going to the trouble of preparing rooms and keys to show a
daughter how much she is loved and the type of girl she could grow up
to be is a very beautiful and poignant idea. There are some heart
wrenching moments that had me in tears and some funny moments as well.
I really loved this wonderful exploration of friendship, family and
growing up. Combined with a touching look at the awful consequences of
bullying, these relevant issues make this a very satisfying book for
the younger reader.
Pat Pledger
The flying emu by Sally Morgan
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720642
Sally Morgan explains that this collection of short stories which
focus on animals or features from the physical world are not
traditional tales but originate from her mother's imagination.
These stories were created to entertain Sally's family and various
members contributed to the progression and outcome of some as they
were shared verbally.
The stories contain homely wisdom concerning aspects of life such as
meaningful friendships, loyalty, gossip, bullying, trickery, deceit
and greed. The animal characters in the stories assume human traits
and roles as they perform the mini dramas which often have a twist,
usually with humour. Cautionary tales appear frequently, yet they are
benign and amusing. These stories will appeal to children because they
are appropriately brief and not overly complex. Interestingly, the
subject matter and the language structure is appropriate to a fairly
broad age range. I can imagine that children from five to about
twelve would enjoy the stories and could identify and discuss themes
and symbols at various levels. Sally's illustrative artwork
accompanies each story in colour.
Rob Welsh
No Ordinary Love Song by Alison Prince
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781406306637.
Cal is concerned about the state of the planet, unwilling to work
terribly hard or communicate at school and is missing his sister, the
only member of his family in whom he is willing to confide. When Kerry,
the part aboriginal girl whom he has seen on the ferry, arrives at his
school, his life begins to change. They fall in love and together they
dream and talk about their future. Suddenly things change when Kerry
announces that she is pregnant. Whilst Cal's life is in turmoil, amidst
his dysfunctional family, the lives of his parents are also in flux
with both of them going off to have affairs. Ultimately, the characters
reveal sides to themselves which redeem them and bring about changes
for the family.
Despite its heavy focus on teenage angst, this title differs from many
other young adult fiction in that it is written from two different
perspectives, those of both Callum and his mother. One could compare
and contrast their experiences and emotions, as both are unhappy and
lacking fulfillment, yet overcome some of their issues throughout the
course of the novel. With themes such as the trials of teenage romance
and relationships, music and the support of various adults, there is a
certain amount of humour interspersed. Although an enjoyable read, this
title still seemed to be somewhat lacking in depth.
Jo Schenkel
Monkey and Robot in the garden by Felix Hayes
Ill. by Hannah
Broadway. Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 9781408806579.
When Monkey and Robot receive a mystery package of seeds in the post,
Monkey plants the big, black stripey kind and Robot gets the little
black dotty variety. Of course Monkey's plants grow the fastest and
tallest, eventually producing the most impressive display of beautiful
sunflowers. Robot's horticultural efforts are boring in comparison,
with slow growing, unimpressive sprouts and no spectacular colours.
This causes him to feel disappointed and less accomplished than his
happy gardening partner.
In time, the pair discovers exactly what Robot's unknown plants are
and they celebrate and enjoy them together. With assistance from the
story teller, children will appreciate the lesson that we may often
have to wait for rewards and indeed look below the surface to see
some gifts. The notion that variety in life is important, that
diverse achievements have independent value and promoting consumption
of healthy food are also concepts which might be discussed.
The story does offer simplified gardening instructions for the
readers to participate in similar activities to the characters. I
know that seed planting definitely engages children who become very
excited in the short term. The book also provides figurines and
objects which can be pressed out to enable the readers to re-enact
the story or create their own version. This was definitely a hit with
a youngster I selected who was underwhelmed by the narrative but took
great interest in the paper shapes.
Rob Welsh
Saving Private Sarbi by Sandra Lee
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781 74237 557 1.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. Animals in war. When this story made
headlines around the world, it drew attention
to the animals that are deployed during war, adding another dimension
of courage and loyalty to those fighting overseas. Sarbi, a
Labrador/Newfoundland cross, was trained as a EDD (Explosive Detection
Dog) and after a warm up stint at Melbourne's Commonwealth Games in
2006, was flown to Afghanistan with her handler, known as D. There she
sniffed out IED's (Improvised Explosive Devices) saving the lives of
many people in the booby trapped rods in the Uruzgan Province.
But it was after a battle with the Taliban that Sarbi went missing,
presumed killed. September 2008 saw the convoy ambushed by the
Taliban, and after many Australian soldiers were wounded, and
equipment lost, they made it back to their base, not having the
capability of staying to search for Sarbi. With D in hospital and
then sent back in Australia, reports filtered through of a black dog
being seen, but there were also rumours of the dog being killed, so
no story was able to be verified. When at last someone came forward
as a go between from a Taliban leader asking for money for the return
of the dog, people were hopeful that this was Sarbi.
This is a fascinating account of the war in Afghanistan, seen
through the eyes of the animals deployed to ensure the place is safer
for all concerned. The author goes to great lengths at the start of
the book to explain animal behaviour and the training of the animals
in the army's care. For animal enthusiasts this will be an
absorbing read, and for those interested in how the animals are
trained, robustly enlightening.
Other stories are given augmenting the deeds of these animals, and
we hear not only of the animal deaths but also of our soldiers. The
book gives a sound background to the war in Afghanistan, and the
presence of our troops and their work. For students and adults alike
wanting to find out more about the war in Afghanistan, this is an
easily read introduction to a complex issue, and also a heart warming
story of one dog's life.
Fran Knight
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
(Wicked Lovely Bk. 5). HarperCollins, 2011. ISBN 9780007346158.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. This is the final installment in the
best-selling Wicked Lovely series. Within the faery courts, the evil
fairy Bananach is thirsty for war, killing and provoking the other
faery courts to start what she is hungry for: a colossal fight to the
death. Within the Summer faery court, the queen Aislinn is preparing to
fight, while worrying for her Summer king, Keenan, and her lover, Seth.
Within the Winter faery court, the icy queen Donia is worried for her
people, and also preparing to fight. But as Bananach grows ever more
violent, will they ever survive this ordeal?
As this is the fifth book in a lengthy series (that I have not read),
it was a little hard to understand at first. But this book does manage
to stand on its own, and it does manage to be very good. The author has
woven an intricate and fascinating world that is refreshingly original,
and filled with intriguing characters. This book had several quite
violent scenes, and the concept of the summer queen and court is that
it is a place for passion and loving. These various scenes may not be
suitable for younger readers.
This is book is easy to read, but not so easy that it becomes
condescending. The best part of this book is easily the characters.
Hardly is there such a wealth of differing personalities, actions and
dialogue in a teenage fantasy novel.
What Melissa Marr has done for faeries is reinvent them into something
new and exciting, much like Stephanie Meyer did for Twilight
(although
this book is much better in terms of plot, literature and characters).
I highly recommend this book/series.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
The Chimney Corner Collection by Enid Blyton
Egmont, 2011.
ISBN 9781405260152.
If you are looking for a stocking filler of engaging, magical stories
then this
new collection of Enid Blyton classics is the perfect choice. There is
a reason
that Blyton has remained a favourite throughout generations - this was
originally published in 1947 - and this is the ideal opportunity to
introduce
this generation of emerging readers to her fantasy world. There are 60
stories
in the collection ranging from The Magic Walking Stick to Old
Ugly the
Water
Grub, each full of Blyton's inimitable characters and the perfect
length to
read-aloud or read-alone. Even the title of the collection suggest
curling up
somewhere snug and just reading, particularly during those January days
when the
novelty of the Christmas toys has worn off or the batteries are flat.
Despite their age and the traditional black-and-white drawings, these
stories
remain popular. When I was in the library, I had a special shelf for
Enid
Blyton and despite having a sizeable collection built from scouring
second-hand
shops and book fairs, there were seldom any available for borrowing.
The
circulation stats were amazing. With 2012 being the National Year of
Reading,
perhaps it is timely to connect parent and child through story and
celebrate
these tales so familiar to many. This collection would be an ideal
starting
point.
Barbara Braxton
Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler
Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780143566588. Girl Don't Fly, written by Kristen Chandler, follows the
endearing
story of a teenager stumbling her way through the realms of
self-discovery. Myra, already juggling the crumbling bricks of her
family fortress, has her feet fail beneath her and the world seemingly
fall out of the sky when her 'prince' dumps her. As the previously
steady foundation of her life deteriorates slowly under her, Myra is
forced to reconsider her so-called 'doormat' approach to life in order
to save herself from falling. Suddenly, like the gulls she so
passionately admires, Myra has the overwhelming urge to fly . . . fly
as she contends with her ex for a position on an expedition to an
island . . . fly recklessly into the arms of the expedition's
promoter
. . . and, ultimately, fly as the strong, self-respecting woman she
longs to become.
Surrounding such a well-intended, kind-hearted main character, this
novel immediately draws on the emotions of readers and creates an
intimate feel for the audience. Girls Don't Fly harbours a
certain
down-to-earth nature; all characters and events hold a sense of reality
resulting in issues that are easily related to and engaged in. Chandler
effectively uses clever metaphors to announce each chapter, introducing
humour and charm into the story. Overall, a recommended novel,
particularly for middle to late teenagers. Girls Don't Fly
explores the
evolution of a formerly timid and reliant teen into a thriving
independent woman through hectic, dramatic and hilarious high school
drama . . . a journey that will stay with me forever!
Emilia Corbo (student)
Weava the wilful witch by Tiffany Mandrake
Ill. by Martin Chatterton. Little Hare Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921714023
(Ages 7-12) Recommended. From the Little Horrors series comes the story
of Weava Charm, a witch who loves causing trouble and is hoping to get
her letter of acceptance into Hag's Abademy of Badness. While waiting
for her letter she goes to the city to visit her big sister Merry, but
to her dismay she finds Merry is now calling herself Mary, and living
as a normal human! To make matters worse, Mary expects Weava to pretend
to be human too, and takes away her wand and broomstick. When Weava
finally gets her letter from the Abademy, it comes with a task - she
must perform a 'new and original act of breathtaking badness.'
Weava is determined that her act of badness should be to convince Merry
to live as a witch again, so with the help of a mischevious kit-fae,
she sets about trying to trick her sister into using magic.
As with all the titles in the Little Horrors series, Weava is sure to
be enjoyed by children who like a bit of mischief and humour in their
stories. With likeable characters who don't always make the best of
choices, students will find a refreshing change from the normal
saccharine sweet fairy stories. Martin Chatterton's delightfully
expressive illustrations help bring the characters to life.
Donella Reed.
Pan's whisper by Sue Lawson
Black Dog Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 742032 06 1.
(Age: 13+) Pan's Whisper tells the story of Pandora, a teenage
girl who can no longer live with her mother and is put into the care of
a foster family. It is set in Australia and the author tells the story
of Pandora's trouble settling into the new family, being accepted at
school, learning to trust and the feelings of not knowing where she
belongs. The story switches back and forth between present day and the
memories of the past as Pandora writes to her sister, unveiling the
memories from the point of view of Pandora and the point of view of her
older sister who constantly struggled to protect Pandora from their
mentally ill mother. It is not until Pandora finally feels she belongs
that the memories of her past catch up and she realises what her sister
did for her and she finally has the strength to accept her life and her
past.
The author uses description and emotion to draw you in to Pandora's
battle and I would recommend it for girls aged 13+, who are independent
readers, to adults as it does switch back and forth between memories
and while the themes are explained with care, it does tackle mental
illness and abandonment and child neglect issues.
Kylie Kempster
The Pied Piper of Hamelin retold by Michael Morpurgo
Ill. by Emma Chichester Clark. Walker Books, 2011.
(Ages 7+) Recommended. Picture book. Folk tale. The cautionary
tale of
the Pied Piper taking the children from the town following the non
payment of a debt owed him when he cleared the town of its rats is
retold in this handsomely produced hard cover book published by Walker
Books. The story is revisited, enlarged and modernised, given a
contemporary tweek to make the moral unambiguous to the modern reader.
Beset with mounds of rubbish, children who need to beg in the streets
for their supper, and families that go without, while orphaned children
live in shanties on the outskirts of the town, a plague of rats causes
problems, not only for the orphaned children who have to fight for the
scraps from the rats but also the wealthy as they find the rats inside
their houses, eating the food in the larders.
When a strangely dressed Piper comes to town, offering to rid the town
of its rats, he demands only a gold coin for the work, but in doing so,
the mayor refuses to pay him, and so the Piper promises that worse will
happen. And it does - he plays his flute so that all the children in
the town follow him to the mountains, where they disappear behind a
crevice. The lame beggar following some way behind is told by the Piper
to return to the town, and offer the people their children back in
return for cleaning the town and making everyone equal, with enough to
eat, a house to live in and a warm fire in winter. It takes the town a
whole year to clean their town and provide food and shelter for all,
and so the Piper leads the children back, to the relief of all.
A tale with a moral that will be discussed and talked over in many
classes, not only as an old folk tale, but a story of the disparity
between rich and poor, first and third worlds, literate and illiterate,
educated and non educated, town and city: encouraging children to think
about how this gap can be bridged.
Morpurgo's rewriting brings it up to the minute and Clark's
illustrations are wonderfully evocative, showing clearly the line
between the haves and have nots.
Fran Knight
Australian and world records 2012 by Jennifer Corr Morse
Scholastic Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781741699036.
(Age 8+) In the age of the Internet, the enduring appeal of world
record books may be a mystery to some but not to librarians, teachers
and parents. They know from experience that these books provide hours
of browsing enjoyment to young readers. Australian world records
2012
is no exception.
Unlike The Guinness book of world records, its
Australian cousin will satisfy the curiosity of those who want to
identify everything of record-making proportions in their own country.
Among the superlatives are the biggest, the smallest, the hottest, the
most remote, the wettest, the driest, the deadliest and the most
popular. Twenty-two pages devoted to sporting records will resolve any
argument about who has kicked the most goals in AFL matches or which
horse has won the most Melbourne Cups.
The Australian records precede a section on world records but Australia
still features as the country which consumes the most ice-cream, is
home to record breaking animals and has produced several high-achieving
athletes. The inclusion of icons of popular culture underscore the
book's principal purpose - infotainment.
The text is crafted in short sentences to appeal to younger readers and
is supported by statistics, graphs and high quality photographs. The
font is a little undersized but will suit most primary aged children.
While the book lacks an index, the table of contents is adequate. The
information has been selected to fascinate readers without resorting to
the more morbid attractions offered by some other books of this kind. Australian and world records 2012 is entertaining and
informative.
Readers are assured of time well spent wondering at the more curious
aspects of life on earth. They may even learn something new about
Australia and just a few will decide that reading can be fun after all.
Elizabeth Bor
VIII by H. M. Castor
Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780 14 356728 8.
(Ages: 14+) Historical Fiction. Castor writes the story of Henry (Hal),
who became arguably the most famous English monarch, Henry V111. From
his beginnings as the Duke of York (a spare heir) loved and protected
by his mother and shunned by his father, the handsome young prince
believed he was destined for greatness.
Tall, broad-shouldered and accomplished at all aspects of courtly life:
religion, poetry, music, languages, history, hunting, sport and
swordsmanship, Henry was eager to be noticed and believed he had an
important role to play. His father, Henry VII, doted on his older
brother Arthur, and could not persuade Henry that his role was to be
un-noticed, that he should be no threat to the heir to the throne.
Portents, omens and visions proved to Henry that he was to be the
greatest king England had seen. He and his sons would provide England
and France with a dynasty that would last through history. His belief
that God had shown him the visions and given him the omens and would
annoint him as King ruled the rest of his life.
He believed that the inability of his wives to provide him and England
with a son was God's condemnation of his wives not himself. The two
biggest ambitions of his life; to reclaim France as his rightful
inheritance and to establish a stable dynasty were denied him (even
though he had a son, Edward, he wasn't Henry's idea of a strong healthy
heir).
Castor depicts Henry towards the end of his life as losing touch with
reality as his visions became more regular, more disturbing and his
reaction to them more public. This view of Henry VIII is different and
interesting but glosses over many of his actions.
The book is very readable and moves at a pace which keeps the reader
involved. It is an insight to aspects of the Tudor Court but tends to
skip over the more bloodthirsty moments, and there were plenty of
those!
Mark Knight
The sense of an ending by Julian Barnes
Jonathan Cape, 2011. ISBN 9780224094153. The Sense of an Ending won the 2011 Booker prize for its author. The
main character, Anthony, finds himself in later life forced to consider
the accuracy of memory, the nature of history and the value of life
itself. He remembers himself and his two friends delighting in
intellectual games, the pat phrase and the glib assertions that came
with senior history studies at school in the sixties. However, Adrian,
the acknowledged brilliant new student, challenges their assumptions.
History, he says, is the point where the 'imperfections of memory meet
the inadequacies of documentation'. The three are shocked by a
classmate's suicide, seemingly because his girlfriend falls pregnant.
Adrian tells the others that suicide is the only true philosophical
question. Some years later, after graduating with a First from
Cambridge, Adrian himself commits suicide. Was this connected to
Adrian's girlfriend, Veronica, who had previously been Anthony's
girlfriend for some time? Decades after this event, Anthony, who has
lived an unexciting life, is divorced and living alone, is forced to
remember the events of the time when Veronica's mother leaves him a sum
of money and Adrian's diary. Mystified, Adrian contacts Veronica who
won't hand over the diary but does give him a copy of a vitriolic
letter that he wrote to Adrian about his relationship with Veronica.
Anthony is appalled at his own venom, of which he has no memory, and he
is still denied the documentation of the diary. He is further mystified
when Veronica, without explanation, pugnaciously shows him a group of
disabled people. With the help of a carer and the only scrap of diary
that Veronica gives him, he eventually arrives at some understanding of
what happened to Adrian many years ago, and why he made the choice that
he did. Anthony, who has always seen himself as settled and peaceable,
realizes that there is no room for complacency in life. The novel is
about memory and responsibility, guilt and remorse. While the ending is
not totally convincing the themes are powerfully explored.
Jenny Hamilton
