Allen and Unwin. 2011. ISBN 978 174237 730 8.
Some might consider it presumptuous for a grown man to write in the
persona of a seventeen year old girl, however Bill Condon tells this
gentle, affirming story with credibility. Tiffany is an endearing
character who would have been an orphan, had she not grown up in the
sleepy country town of Gungee Creek with Reggie, his late wife and his
step-son Bull. In the narrative's setting, Reggie's advanced years see
him regarded as a much loved grandfather, whilst Bull's role is the
gruff but kindly father figure, complete with 'Dad jokes' and constant
concern for Tiff's welfare.
Whilst she is a happy young woman with a mature attitude to life,
Tiffany is still susceptible to its vagaries and difficult episodes.
These include her best friend's pending move interstate, undertaking
work experience with the local paper, illness within the family and the
arrival of a real, live young man in Davey, the first boy to be
interested in her!
Tiffany hopes to be a reporter and soon discovers that her sense of
humor, clever way with words and assumptions about motives need
refining for her to succeed. Her kind heart and healthy perspective on
life need no adjustment at all however.
Condon's characters are likeable and authentic. It is gratifying to see
that those with whom Tiffany interacts on other levels, such as Bull's
girlfriend Zoe, her best friend Kayla, news reporters Joan and 'The
shark' all demonstrate a desire to see her succeed and be happy. This
is refreshing in modern literature which often obscures reality by the
over representation of exploitative, threatening or sinister characters.
This is a simple story with few extremely dramatic elements. As a
snapshot of a short period in an average teenager's life, this is
believable and the creation of an engaging, interesting story within
these limits is a credit to the author.
Rob Welsh
A bush Christmas by C. J. Dennis
Ill. by Dee Huxley. Black Dog Books, 2011 ISBN 9781 742032 07 8.
(Ages 4+) Recommended. Picture book. The C. J. Dennis poem, A bush
Christmas (1931) is given a new outing in this beautifully illustrated
production from black dog books, now an imprint of Walker Books
Australia. With warmth and verve, Dennis has his family visited by an
old loner from a shack near Woollybutt. Rogan comes to spend Christmas
Day with them each year, drinking with dad, eating mum's generous
helpings of
turkey and pudding, then entertaining the children with stories of
Christmas in England, where the snow and ice contrast vividly with the
extreme temperatures of an Australian Christmas.
This story overflows with Australian charm, family togetherness at this
time of the year, welcoming a neighbour into their home and having fun
with their guest. All the while Mum is in the background doing the hard
slog of cooking, serving then clearing up. Dee Huxley wickedly shows
the disparity between the eaters and the worker in his lovely portrayal
of Mum, red faced and wild haired, wondering about the pile of washing
up at the end of the day. Read out loud, read together as a small group
or just read alone, this is a lovely poem, with surprising rhymes,
redolent of times past, but underlining the important and unwavering
values of Christmas. This is a delightful production and makes a
welcome change from the plethora of bland Christmas books I have read
over the past months.
Fran Knight
Grace at Christmas by Mary Hoffman
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011. ISBN 9781847801470
(Ages 4+) Highly recommended. Gently told by Mary Hoffman, and
beautifully illustrated in watercolour by Cornelius van Wright and
Ying-Hwa Hu, Grace at Christmas will delight all young children.
It is the story of Grace, a young girl who loves Christmas Day even
better than her own birthday. She loves going to Church on Christmas
Day with her Ma and Nana, and loves acting out the Christmas story. She
just loves everything about Christmas Day.
When she discovers she is to share her favourite day with strangers,
she is upset, and grumbles to her friends at school. She even phones
her daddy, who lives in Africa, and hopes he will understand her
dilemma. When he tells her she must make her guests welcome, Grace
cannot help wishing it was her daddy who would be sharing Christmas
with her.
However, after Savannah arrives, and Grace discovers that Savannah is
lonely, the two become friends, and together they perform the nativity
story for the grown-ups.
This lovely book will make an excellent school library or class
resource. It tells the Christmas story, but equally it highlights the
importance of friendship, and introduces the topic of separation with
sensitivity.
Mary Hoffman is a prolific children's author, having written over 90
books ranging from picture books to novels. I recommend it most highly.
Colleen Tuovinen
Taken Away by Celine Kiernan
Allen and Unwin, 2011. p/b. ISBN 9781742377520.
(Ages 14+) Celine Kiernan's mastery of imagery and ability to enthrall,
will keep the young adult spellbound in her new novel Taken Away;
added
to this mix, is an edgy and faintly disturbing tale of 'Loss.
Theft. A
Haunting.'
Sixteen-year-old twin brothers, Patrick and Dom, live a normal family
life, that is, until the fire. What follows will surprise - Dom is
overtaken by a ghost. This is a story of Patrick's desperate race to
save Dom from 'the grey' before he is lost to his family forever. It is
no coincidence that the twins save an old man from drowning in the
ocean, and Patrick comes to the horrible realisation that his brother
is possessed by another man's soul.
It is impossible not to feel the chilling cold of the haunted or the
indescribable grief of the twins drawing apart as Dom's painful removal
from the present becomes more certain. Wartime battle scenes ramp up
the tension as the novel approaches its climax.
Although there is minimal swearing in the opening pages, this does not
underpin the character of the novel. Kiernan sweeps the reader along,
weaving the 'other world' into this novel with ease; the novel slips
between dimensions in a truly believable manner. With 255 pages, it is
an ideal length to hold the interest of secondary readers age 14+.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it as being suitable for
placing on school library bookshelves. It is a well-crafted
introduction to a darker genre of fantasy prose.
Colleen Tuovinen
The Outcasts by John Flanangan
Brotherband Series Bk. 1. Random House, 2011. ISBN
978-1-74166-449-2.
(Age 10+) Highly recommended. As a fan of John Flanagan's Ranger's
Apprentice series, I was looking forward to the first of the new
spin off series, Brotherband . Would the world of the
Viking-like Skandians be as gripping as the stories of Ranger Will and
his friends? The Outcasts did not disappoint. Of course the reader of the Ranger's
Apprentice will remember the Skandians, but the focus is on a new
character, young Hal who doesn't fit the warrior image and uses his
mind to invent and create rather than use the brute strength of the
other boys.
Hal is at the age of becoming a warrior and with other boys must be
selected into a team or brotherband as part of his training. The boys
must endure 3 months of weapon training, battle tactics and seamanship.
Hal reluctantly becomes the leader of one of the three teams and his
group the 'Herons' are the outcasts, the unwanted, hence the title of
the book. It is a great honour to be the winning team and the boys
fiercely compete to earn points. Can the outnumbered and unlikely
'Herons' ever have a chance of winning?
There are many similarities between Hal and Will from The Ranger's
Apprentice. Both are small but clever and have a strong friendship
with a bigger, stronger boy. Will was taught by Halt who was a father
figure to him and Hal is mentored by Thorn, a gruff and one handed ex
warrior who has his own personal issues to deal with.
As the Skandians are a seafaring race there is a lot of discussion and
action around boats and sailing so I was thankful for the small
introduction on sailing terms at the beginning of the book.
I am looking forward to the next title as The Outcasts ends
with a new adventure.
Highly recommended for 10 years + and will be enjoyed by John Flanagan
fans.
A book
trailer is available for the Brotherband series.
Jane Moore
The ring of fire by Chris Bradford
Young Samurai series. Puffin, 2011. ISBN 978 0 141 33255 0.
(Ages 11+) Recommended. Chris Bradford's sixth in his Young Samurai
series sees Jack involved in another life and death struggle. Whilst
fleeing the Shogun's forces he battles against a harsh Japanese winter.
To survive he accepts a job to protect a poor village from the ravages
of a cruel, bloodthirsty bandit called Akuma. It's not until he reaches
the village that he finds just how poor it is and how powerful Akuma
and his band are. He is able to recruit help in the form of some old
friends. However the odds are still stacked heavily against them.
They have to not only turn the village into a defensible fortress, but
also turn the villagers into a reliable military unit. No easy job
especially as in Japan it was an offence for peasants to be armed. The
fact that Jack is a gaijin (an outsider) who poses as a Samurai is also
a problem, not only culturally, but the Shogun has also offered a
reward for him, which would be very tempting for poor villagers for
Jack's capture.
Bradford keeps the action moving and the reader's interest involved
with exciting battles and fights. I'm sure those who've read the other
books in the series will enjoy this one and be eager for the next
installment. 320p looks a lot, but the print is large and well spaced,
the chapters short and the end of the book gives details of the
characters's names and a glossary as well as the opening chapters for
the next installment, just in case you needed any enticement.
Mark Knight
The danger seed: A story from Karajarri Country by Liz Thompson
Pearson Australia, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4425 4694 3.
(Age: Junior primary to be read to; Upper Primary and lower secondary
for research). Well recommended. This book follows the pattern of
Djulpan and has all the positive features mentioned there. This
story is set 170km south of Broome in the Kimberley region of Western
Australia. Topics for discussion surround the 'government ration
days'. The story of the danger seed, a type of acacia, is important to
these people who believe that if one of the seeds is dropped the person
will be punished. In this book the children's colourful and
detailed paintings are large and often cover half the page. The soft
wash background adds to the beauty of the pages and the book.
Again, the voices of the children and elders, often different and
always personal, gives the reader a sense of authenticity. The
glossary and index are very helpful. This is another beautifully
presented book, delightful to read and to research.
Sue Nosworthy
Neville No-phone by Anna Branford and Kat Chadwick
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921529962.
(Ages 8+) Highly recommended. Neville is desperate to get himself a
mobile phone and enlists his friend Enzo on this quest. Their schemes
are extremely entertaining to read and every character in the novel is
engaging, including all the parents. I laughed aloud at least 5 times
and loved the descriptions of old technology such as cans and string. A
hilarious and clever story for individual reading or as a class read
aloud for Year 3 - 6 students. It will also be useful for the new
Australian Curriculum in English to cover communication outcomes as
well as to reinforce the theme of persistence in classrooms.
Chris Lloyd
Under Town by Charles Ogden
Edgar and Ellen series. Hodder Headline Australia. ISBN: 9780733618918.
(Age 10+) The twins Edgar and Ellen continue on their mischievous ways
in the town of Nod's Limbs when they attempt to stop the building of a
new hotel. Unfortunately for Edgar and Ellen however there is someone
else in town also planning the same thing, but with different motives.
Edgar and Ellen discover that someone, or something, in town when they
discover the bricks that that they had been collecting to brick-up the
school, thereby forcing its closure, have been stolen. Soon they
discover that not only have the bricks been stolen but so have their
plans to disrupt the town so much that they Mayor will be forced to
give in to their demands and halt the construction of the hotel. As a
result the twins go on a quest to seek their rival prankster, the
Mason, who has steadily become more infamous than themselves. Under
Town is a quirky and entertaining read that contains many unexpected
twists and unusual characters. The clever illustrations give readers
and sense of the slightly dark nature of the twins and the underground
places in which they conduct their roguish pranks. This series, of
which Under Town is the third book, would be recommended for
upper primary readers looking for an entertaining and humorous read.
Adam Fitzgerald
The Bedtime Band by Michelle Worthington
Ill. by Sandra Temple. Wombat Books. ISBN 978-1-921633-57-7
Suitable for preschool and junior primary children. While you're asleep
the bush animals play in their 'bedtime band'. Each creature has a
sound to make or an instrument to play, 'They sing, they laugh, they
play all night . . . ' Written in rhyming text ('on your marks get
setty' is overdoing it a bit ), with a strong Australian setting,
this book will add to the general picture book collection.
The illustrations of the animals by Sandra Temple are appealing but her
human figures seem flat and unconvincing.
Wombat Books is a small publishing company and is happy to print both
new and established authors. My internet search on Michelle Worthington
indicates she is a new, young writer and this is her first publication.
Jane Moore
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
Picture Puffin, 2011. ISBN: 9780141340012.
Highly recommended for all ages. Eric Carle's new title is a
wonderfully energetic, joyous, vibrant yet simple picture book
celebrating colour, creativity and freedom in illustration. The young
child artist paints a blue horse, a red crocodile, a yellow cow, a pink
rabbit, a green lion, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a black
polar bear. With his final creation of a polka-dotted donkey comes his
pronouncement, 'I am a good artist' obviously not bound by the
constraints of critics, be they parents, teachers or others.
The blurb informs the reader that, as a child Carle lived in Germany,
despite having been born in the USA. As a boy, his teacher saw and
appreciated the 'freedom and looseness' in Carle's paintings and
introduced him to the works of 'degenerate artist', Franz Marc.
Apparently it was these early lessons which prompted Carle to break
free from the traditional expectations and stereotypes of those who
practiced realism. The predominantly white backgrounds and painted,
torn or cut pieces of tissue used in the collage leave room for the
sparse text with its strong message for the reader. Hopefully, this
book will encourage children to express themselves with the freedom
Carle is hereby promoting. I will certainly be using this book as a
lead in to art lessons in the future.
In Puffin's promotional video for the
book, one can listen to the artist as he describes both this story and
demonstrates the process used to create his illustrations.
Jo Schenkel
The goannas of No. 1 Martin Place by Vicky Steggall
Ill. by Danny Snell. ABC Books, 2010. ISBN 978 0 7333 2498 7.
(Ages 6+) Humour. Animals. When the goanna family which lives in
the Botanic Gardens on Sydney's shoreline find that their relative
peace has been marred by the addition of a park bench where people can
stop and sit, father decides to find another place for his family to
live. He goes off hunting and finds just the spot, the room on top of
the clock tower at No. 1 Martin Place. It has all the attributes that
they need. It is spacious, there are no cars on the space below, and
the ceiling is open to the night sky where they can see the stars.
Only one thing mars this perfect solution, the Pitt Street Cat.
So we have a neat little story about the family circumventing this
problem with the help of a lone pigeon which unwittingly flies into
their home. At first the pigeon is destined to be dinner, but when the
youngest goanna and the pigeon talk they find a solution to the problem
of getting food before the Pitt Street Cat gets there. With the help of
the rats all the animals are able to see off the cat and live
peaceably.
A story of resolution of problems and the putting their heads together
for a resolution, this will be a favourite amongst younger children.
Either read aloud or for more adventurous children to read alone,
this will entreat readers to keep going. Aided by the illustrations,
the story reflects much of inner Sydney and so not only useful as a
story but also to introduce life in that city.
Fran Knight
Where There's a Wolf There's a Way by Lisi Harrison
Monster High 3. Atom Books, 2011. ISBN 9781907410659.
(Ages 10+) Clawdeen is always overshadowed by her six brothers and her
friends, but she is finally getting her chance in the spotlight at her
upcoming Sassy Sixteen birthday party. Unfortunately after The Ghoul
Next Door goes viral all the RAD's go into hiding including Clawdeen's
family. She goes stir crazy being stuck with her brothers, until Lala
comes to keep her company, but is the Vampire Flirting with her brother
Claude? With no idea how to get in contact with her friends and not
being able to leave her family's hide out Clawdeen's Sassy Sixteenth
looks like it isn't going to happen.
This book was ok but I couldn't get in to it and I found it really
confusing because I didn't know enough about the characters. I would
only recommend this book if you had already read the first two books
(Monster high and The Ghoul Next Door).
Tahlia Kennewell (student)
Runaway - a young man's search for himself by Wendy Altschwager
Norwood, SA. Peacock Publications, 2011. ISBN 9781921601378.
(Age: 15+) Rural life. Robbie, now 15 years of age, was abandoned at
birth by his parents
who were part of a shearing team and had no plans for a baby. He was
cared for by his grandparents, his grandmother caring for him and his
grandfather hitting him. At 15 he longed to find his real parents and
left in
search of them. He lacked self esteem and social skills but was
determined
to make something of his life and so his adventure began.
Working on a farm for Trevor and Dot he starts to find confidence
and a sense of belonging, learning many farm skills and making new
friends. After a year he decides to head off again to try to find his
real
parents, ending up in Hamilton where he works as a rousabout and
then starts shearing. Here he meets his parents but unbeknown to them
Robbie is their son. While working on a sheep station he also meets
Harry
who he dreams about and Jake who becomes a longtime friend. The two
larrikins find themselves in all sorts of situations with country
life, B and S balls, bush races, girls and good country fun. Robbie
takes up
the rodeo circuit bullriding and it is here he meets Maggie Thornton,
the daughter of a powerful man within the district. A tragedy leaves
Robbie with no job and a long recuperating period. But his life is
about to change when Robert Thornton, father of
Maggie offers him a job and then calls him into his office one day.
This is an easy flowing story that is easy to read and relate to
with likeable characters.
Deb David
Edwina Downs by Wendy Altschwager
Norwood, SA.: Peacock Publication, 2011. ISBN 1921601442.
(Age: 15+) Rural life. This is the sequel to Runaway, Robbie now
with his newly found twin sister Maggie run the
magnificent property Edwina Downs with the help of Robert Thornton
and good farm help in the form of his best friend, Jake. Following
a freak accident Jake has been offered a job as the new
overseer.
They have many challenges and learning experiences connected to the
property but the love of horses and the many friends he has formed seem
to make Robbie almost content. He also meets Harry again after a long
time and can't get her out of his mind. Life at Edwina Downs is never
dull and they learn to deal with the new challenges, with Robbie
finding love and a sense of belonging with his new found family.
A book about a teenager with no real sense of family and belonging
who now has everything and more then he has ever thought possible.
The characters and places are easy to relate to of country life, with
all the fun and hardships that go with it. A great read for people
interested in
horses, rodeos, family, relationships and all things connected to
country
living.
Deb David
