HarperCollins, 2012. ISBN 9780007455416.
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Morveren lives with her parents and
twin sister Jenna on an island near Cornwall, a place that is
completely surrounded by the ocean except at low tide. One day,
Morveren finds a teenage boy in a rock pool down by the sea,
stranded after a storm. Going to his rescue, she is amazed to find
that he is not human, but a Mer boy. Her sister Jenna, the sensible
one, refuses to face the truth, until their Air and Mer worlds
collide.
This is the fifth book in the award-winning Ingo Chronicles,
although it doesn't begin where the last book left off. Instead, it
involves exciting new characters in the same world. This is good, as
it makes the story more refreshed while keeping the same familiarity
of the past four books. Helen Dunmore has a knack for writing
beautifully lyrical prose that suits the themes of the book
perfectly, as most of this story takes place in or around the ocean.
This is the main thing that will draw you into the book: incredibly
vivid descriptions of majestic underwater worlds. It's an
excellently written novel.
The book is a little hard to get into at first, but once the
fascinating underwater world of Ingo is introduced, it's a book you
simply cannot put down. The author has managed to weave a very
convincing and utterly enchanting world that will have you guessing
what really lies in the depths of the ocean.
A fantastic read from a very talented author, this is a book that
will cast a spell over you with beautifully vivid descriptions of
another world.
I highly recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams (Student)
The Horse Road by Troon Harrison
Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4088-1935-7.
(Age: 10-16) Highly recommended. The Horse Road is the first
in a series of three equestrian adventures. Set in Ferghana, Central
Asia in 102 B.C. we follow the story of Kallisto, a brave and
passionate young 14 year old who has inherited her love of horses
and her horse riding skills from her nomad mother.
After racing her horse with her friend Batu, Kallisto spied the
Chinese Army approaching her city on a horse stealing mission. On
her return to home, she discovers her beautiful white horse Swan has
been captured and she must plan to rescue him.
With an absent father and a seriously injured mother, Kallisto must
discover her inner strength and rely on her own bravery and problem
solving skills. She is a young female who stands up for her rights
and beliefs in a time when women were expected to follow rather than
lead.
This story is based on historical fact as the Chinese did go into
battle to gain the unique horses described in this book. It is
obvious that the author has thoroughly researched the historical
background to the story and has a wide knowledge of horses herself.
She is able to take the reader along with her 'on horse-back' in
this fast paced novel. I am not a 'horsey' person myself and do not
willingly choose fiction in this area but I was engrossed in this
exciting story and the time frame Kallisto had for rescuing her
beloved horse Swan.
I will definitely be reading the next books in this series, Cold
Freedom, set during WWII and Red River Stallion which
is based in the Canadian fur trading times of the 1830's.
An exciting story for readers aged 10 to 16 years, highly
recommended.
Jane Moore
EJ 12 Girl Hero: Fashion Fraud by Susannah McFarlane
Scholastic Australia, 2012. ISBN: 9781921931147.
As another addition to the EJ12:Girl Hero series, this book
will again will be popular with the 8+ readers. This series is
definitely aimed at girls who are keen on adventure and see
themselves as capable of saving the world. Set largely in Paris and
with a focus on fashion what girl will be able to resist reading it?
EJ 12, Emma Jacks in real life, is concerned about what to wear to a
dance party on the week end when she is summoned, by the secret
agency she works for SHINE, to investigate the theft of the Mona
Lisa. This of course has been somehow organised by the enemy evil
agency, SHADOW.
A trip to Paris during fashion week, clues hidden in delicious
eclairs and references to major art galleries and specific paintings
by Monet and Delaunay add some exotic elements to this spy adventure
for EJ12. The villains Madam Ombre, proprietor of the Salon du
Chocolat, and Alicia Noir, fashion designer extraordinaire, are the
focus of the investigations.
With the aid of some James Bond like gimmicks EJ12 and her friend
EK12, not only regain the stolen master pieces, but participate in a
fashion show wearing the centre piece dresses and also manage to
rescue 3 cute poodle puppies.
The message on the cover 'Reste toujours toi-meme', gives a clue to
the authors' message, reiterated in final chapters when EJ12
realizes that she has the confidence to be true to herself and not
be intimidated by the opinions of others.
Girls will not only be attracted to the attractive pink cover but
will enjoy the challenge of deciphering the messages hidden in the
eclairs and the thought of participating in a Paris fashion show
whilst learning a little basic French.
Sue Keane
Night beach by Kirsty Eager
Penguin Group Australia, 2012. 315 pgs., p/b. ISBN 9780143206552.
(Age: 15+) 'Imagine there is someone you like so much that just
thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless.' Night beach is a dark and mysterious story narrated by Abbie,
a normal 17 year old girl who lives with her mother, stepfather and
her 21 year old step cousin Kane. Abbie has three main obsessions;
Surfing, Art and Kane. There is something cagey and different about
Kane since returning from a surfing trip to Indonesia. Abbie wants
to know what happened whilst Kane was away and why he is so
different. Abbie's Art project is an important part of this book and
her obsessive thinking about Kane combined with her need to create
an art project is intertwined by the author to create a sequence of
disturbing experiences for Abbie.
The story started well, having me hooked in the first chapter
because of the surfing. With Eager herself a surfer, the dialogue is
very descriptive, setting the surfing scenes superbly. The plot is
generally plausible and easy to follow. It lost me a little in the
middle but kept me wanting with the mystery of Kane and what
happened while he was away. The way Eager doesn't reveal too much
early in the story keeps you hanging, making this book difficult to
put down at times. Night Beach is a great read for ages 15+ and although this
coming of age story is targeted at teenagers it also suits an adult
audience. Abbie's powerful infatuation and yearning for a boy is a
typical storyline for the intended age group, and the ensuing issues
and language usage is suitable. If you enjoy mysteries and
paranormal stories and are interested in surfing and art you will
find this book very appealing. The story did leave me with some
uncertainty but it does do well in luring you in and forcing you to
think.
Michelle Thomson
The girl who could silence the wind by Meg Medina
Candlewick Press, 2012.
The girl who could silence the wind, the favourite of god, the girl
who
can answer prayers.
Sonia is an angel, the saviour of her people in the poor mining town
of
Tres Monte. Born during one of the worst storms ever seen Sonia is
the
girl who could silence the wind. Sonia lived her life carrying the
burdens of her village in the form of little prayer charms called
Milagros which were pinned to her ever-present shawl. Sonia's
prayers
were always answered. That was until Luis's body was recovered, and
in
confusion and misery Sonia herself prepared his body for rest. A
tiny
seed of doubt planted itself firmly in her mind. Perhaps she wasn't
an
angel and maybe god listened to her no more than any other.
Full
of self-doubt Sonia finds herself working at Casa Mason having
realised
the dream of all young people to escape to the city. It is only
there,
weeks later, that Sonia learns that her brother is missing. Sick
with
dread and having seen an apparition of her dead mother Sonia
telephones
Pancho asking for his help. Can the pair save Sonia's brother in
time?
Or will all of their efforts be in vein? And who or what is this
mysterious Iguana? The girl who could silence the wind is a excellent fantasy
story
about
breaking free of the restraints of a small town and finding oneself.
This compelling story is easy to read and perfect for young people
of
all ages. Intoned with magic and sadness this superb novel is one to
read again and again on a cold winter's night.
Kayla Gaskell (Student)
Freak Street : Meet the Supersons by Knife and Packer
Scholastic, Australia: 2012. ISBN 9781741699180.
Recommended for readers 8+, especially boys, who are interested in
illustrated, or graphic style, novels.
As a series Freak Street has appealed to those who are
attracted to something different . The vibrant colours of the cover
and illustrations are appealing and, with a mix of illustrated
novel and cartoon picture boxes throughout, this story continues to
introduce the families who live on Freak Street.
The Supersons join the Zoombiesons, Wizardsons, Aliensons,
Vampiresons and Humansons as residents of this unique street and are
introduced in this adventure. Each of the family of five has a super
power ranging from 'Tasty Transformer Power' for Mrs Superson to
'Bite Power' for baby Samson. Even the family pet, Captain Hamster,
is able to hover if not fly.
Grandpa Superson calls in the family for a refresher course to hone
their skills at Superhero School. Seth, the son, is only interested
in drawing comics and meeting his hero, Zane Gotham, comic creating
genius, who is due to appear at the City Comic Convention. With the
aid of Grandpa Superson and Seth's cartoon villain Principal
Clownman, the Supersons save the day from Zane and his real life
villain.
Ending with a set of morals of the story, albeit of a dubious and
humorous quality, this book will definitely be a favourite with
Freak Street fans and students who have an interest in creating
their own cartoons featuring their school Principal, or have visions
of world domination by bringing their cartoon creations to life.
Sue Keane
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Starcrossed. Macmillan, 2012. ISBN 9780330529747.
Strongly recommended. True love can never really die, can it? As the
only scion that can enter the Underworld to complete a seemingly
impossible task, When Helen Hamilton sleeps, instead of dreaming she
wonders through Hades, trying to end the cycle of revenge that
curses all scions. Not dreaming is putting a toll on her mind and
trying to fight fatigue during the day is wearing her out. Without
Lucas Delos, her true love, Helen doesn't know if she has the
strength to continue. But when she finds someone in the Underworld,
someone who cannot be there, she has something to keep her going.
Funny and brave Orion keeps Helen company in the Underworld when no
one else can. The Fury's call for blood is getting louder and harder
to ignore. Helen needs to find a way to end the Fury's call for
blood and soon. But is forgetting Lucas the hardest task of all.
After reading this I was speechless. Helen has evolved so much in
this book; her character is strong and is powerful in all she does.
Even with Orion being introduced I knew she would love Lucas more.
The love triangle made the book intriguing and was having me hang
onto every word. The relationships between all the characters are
really tight and like no other, really.
Cecilia Richards (Student.
Into the darkest corner by Elizabeth Haynes
Text, 2012, ISBN 9781921922541.
(Adult and mature senior students). This is a confronting and
disturbing novel about sadistic domestic abuse and murder. It begins
with a transcript; the defendant has been accused of violence
towards his girlfriend. The second chapter describes a murder. The
action then follows two trajectories four years apart. In the
earlier Cathy is a confident, attractive and risk-taking young woman
supported by friends and on the lookout for attractive men. In the
second a fragile, obsessive-compulsive sufferer clings to routines
that she believes will help her to survive. This is Cathy, four
years after she meets the exciting and mysterious Lee. She has been
traumatized by Lee, then by the police, by the court system and by
psychiatric hospitals. In the earlier story Lee's behaviour follows
the pattern of the classic domestic abuser in many ways. He attempts
to persuade his victim, Cathy, that she is at fault; he shows
remorse for over-reacting and tries to compensate; he also isolates
his victim, in this case by persuading her friends that she is
self-harming. Lee is more than an abuser; he is a sadistic murderer.
Cathy is no easy victim and attempts to escape, but in a frightening
scene she is recaptured and serious abuse begins. Fortunately this
grimness is balanced by the later story in which Cathy has met a
psychologist and starts treatment for her OCD. Lee has been in
prison but is released and Cathy is convinced that he will come to
find her. He does, and begins abuse of a former friend. Cathy is
able to control her fear and plans to confront Lee. The book
concludes with another court case. The description of falling in
love and being with a man whom all her friends admire is convincing.
The scenes of helplessness and paralysis induced by fear are
riveting. The conclusion is compulsive reading. There is little
attempt to explain the actions of Lee or why Cathy's friends so
easily abandon her, and it is unbelievably lucky for her that a
psychologist moves in upstairs. However, the novel is ultimately a
celebration of survival against the odds. Unfortunately the language
and some of the action make this not suitable for general use in
schools.
Jenny Hamilton
The tainted throne by Alex Rutherford
Empire of the Moghul. Headline, 2012. ISBN 9780755347612.
(Age: Senior students, 15+) The Tainted throne is the fourth in the
Empire of the Moghul series which explores the history of the
Moghul conquerors of India. Jahangir, heir of Akbar, has finally
come to power as the fourth emperor. His first challenge is to
suppress a revolt led by one of his sons. This he does, brutally,
and attempts to form closer relationships with his other sons.
Another significant act is to order the murder of a nobleman whose
wife, Mehrunissa, would then be free for Jahangir to marry.
Mehrunissa quickly discovers that she can control Jahangir and
therefore the empire by both feminine wiles and the careful addition
of opium to his wine. She alienates Khurrum, his most capable son,
who is forced to flee with his family. Jahangir anoints a less able
son as his heir but is little concerned with the fate of his empire.
On the death of Jahangir Khurrum mobilizes nobles unhappy with the
control of Mehrunissa and seizes the throne. He will be known as
Shah Jahan. A lot of bloody battles and gory punishments are
described in some detail, as are the banquets, often following the
battles, and other celebrations. A sense of the sweep of history and
time is given, as the emperors remember the actions and advice of
their forebears. The flow of people across the subcontinent,
Persians, Armenians, Portuguese, English attracted to this most
wealthy empire indicates the power of the empire. The many battles
are described colourfully and realistically. The clothing, the
buildings and the jewels could not be more lovingly depicted by the
Moghuls themselves. The account is based on some historical records,
but there is no analysis of the political or economic realities of
an empire of this size and wealth. This is a novel of derring-do,
full of men of action who do a little regretful musing on the burden
of power but who mostly celebrate the ruthless, and two wives who
although supposedly in purdah are strong influences on those men and
their empire.
Jenny Hamilton
The Mapmaker's Apprentice by Peter Cooper
Scholastic, 2012.
(Age: 10+) Recommended.This is the second book in the Tales of
the Blue Jade series. Dillen, Koto and Tajni are free of their
cruel masters and ready for their next adventure. Dillen is drawn to
a respected mapmaker's appeal for an apprentice and hopes to be
chosen. But many others want the job, and the test for them all is
to undertake a journey to a mountain pass haunted by a fearsome
creature said to be the size of a barn and to move like a hunting
snake. Dillen and his friends soon discover they have an even more
perilous mission on their hands, one that could be the end for all
of them . . .
Right from the start, this book grabs your attention. Opening with a
particularly exciting scene involving the aforementioned monster, it
sets the mood for a standard but fun fantasy novel. It continues
right where the last book left off, with the three main characters
finally free of their cruel masters. They're likeable characters,
good for this type of children's fantasy novel, engaging enough to
keep children reading. This book isn't really aimed at older
readers, as one can tell from the writing style and lack of stronger
themes, but it's still very enjoyable. It's a standard fantasy book,
e.g. going off on a quest, battling evil monsters and the like, but
it manages to still be a lot of fun to read.
Fans of fantasy will enjoy this little treat of a novel. It's aimed
at younger readers but older people will enjoy it as well.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams
Operation Trinity by Clifford Riley
39 Clues. Cahill files 1. New York, Scholastic, 2012.ISBN
9780545431439.
Recommended for readers 8+, who will appreciate the link between the
online world and books.
The Cahill Files are an offshoot from the 39 Clues
series which feature the Cahill and Vesper families and have been
very popular with many 8+ readers. This book stands alone and does
not rely on information gained from reading the previous books.
The Cahill files trace the secrets of this most powerful
family over the past 500 years. Operation Trinity tells the
story of a famous art work the Van Eyck Altarpiece from the first
attack on it in Ghent in 1566, through its rescue from the Nazis in
1945 to a modern attempt to steal it in 2008.
The three eras introduce members of the family charged with
protecting the art work and give the modern members of the family
Ian and Natalie Kabra their first solo mission. The appearance of
Grace Cahill to help resolve this attack on the altarpiece links the
middle episode in which she features as the heroine.
The different historical eras and locations add interest to the
narrative and develop the story of the quest for power between the
Cahills and Vespers over the centuries. They also introduce readers
to historical events, the beginning of the Dutch revolt which led to
the formation of the Dutch Republic and the collection of art pieces
by the Nazis during World War 2.
With its link to the
internet not only will readers new to the series be able to access
the website and catch up with the original storylines, but fans will
be able to continue their interaction with the books as well as the
games and online forums.
Sue Keane
Dead, actually by Kaz Delaney
Allen and Unwin, 2012. (Age: 12+) Willow Cartwright is an ordinary seventeen year old, but
at the moment she's having a bad week. When the A-list queen of
Willow's high school, JoJo Grayson, dies, everyone is shocked. But
now the ghost of JoJo is haunting Willow, and she's determined to
find out what happened. But the mysteries keep multiplying. There's
a missing phone, an anonymous blackmailer, and dirty secrets that
won't stay buried. And now the blame is being pointed at Willow. Can
she find out what happened to JoJo before it's too late?
This book has an intriguing story, and one that's very original.
It's layered with mysteries, pop culture references and unusual
characters, and there's enough humour to get you giggling every so
often. Admittedly, it's not a very serious read. It's more of a
'tongue-in-cheek' novel, with lots of little side-jokes and smart
comments. The main characters are well-developed, but one can't help
but wish that some of the side characters - some of which are very
funny - got a little more time in the novel to really shine.
Teenagers will definitely like this novel, if just for the constant
pop-culture references and intriguing male characters.
The story is interesting, the characters are amusing, and it's the
perfect novel to read if you're bored because it'll certainly make
you laugh.
Rebecca Adams
Under a silver moon by Anne Fine
Ill. by Lotte Klaver. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 4063 1924 8.
(Ages: 7+) Highly recommended. Early chapter book. Fable. A
beautifully told story of two boys who grow up together in a palace,
but one is the prince of the household and the other the gardener's
son. Haroun, Lord of the Rolling Deserts, Mirror of Stars and
Heir to all Gifts and Wonders, is cossetted and pampered until one day
when he goes into the garden, he spies Akil the gardener's son and
begins to play with him. Together they laugh and play but when the
Sultan and Sultana find their son dirty, on his hands and knees in the
garden, they take him away, admonishing the gardener. But Haroun
becomes bored without his friend, so bored that he eats all day, until
he can hardly walk. The family and the doctors are at a loss as to what
to do.
In the garden Akil has a plan and comes to the palace dressed in a
black robe. He tells the Sultan that buried in the garden is a magic
key and that if the prince digs the garden and finds the key he will be
saved. Eventually the prince realises that there is no key, but his old
friend has ensured that through exercise and outdoor living, he has
become fitter and healthier than he was before and so is saved from his
life of idleness and eating.
A delightful fable for our times, Anne Fine has written a handbook for
getting children out of doors and exercising to ensure their long term
fitness and health. The illustrations are magnificent, showing the
increasing size of the prince as he lies about eating, then slimming
down through exercise. The billowing robes of the Sultan and Sultana as
well as the handmaidens are a pleasure to look at, as is the growing
garden created by the boys. This book would make a wonderful read a
loud and discussion starter as well as a great book just to sit and
read.
Fran Knight
When you were mine by Rebecca Serle
Simon and Schuster, London, 2012. ISBN 9780857075161.
This book is meant to refocus our perception of the love story of Romeo
and Juliet: as the cover suggests, what if the greatest love story
ever
told was the wrong one? However, the story itself doesn't quite live up
to the expectations of the blurb.
It is certainly a clever idea to focus the story on Rosaline, the girl
Romeo claims to adore at the beginning of Shakespeare's play, the girl
he forgets immediately he meets Juliet. Serle has also kept the
structure of a play: with Acts and Scenes and even a Prologue and
Epilogue. However, due to the relocation of the action to a Californian
high school, Serle's story feels more like a west coast Gossip Girl,
with the kind of heartbreak wrought from bitchy behaviour - not from
everlasting love.
The reason Romeo and Juliet is considered to be such a great love story
is the tragic irony of their situation; the fact that these young
lovers are kept asunder by a family feud. But this dramatic tension is
missing from the novel; there is indeed a family feud but it is between
Rosaline's dad and Juliet's father, so does not immediately impinge on
the young lovers. Rob (Serle's Romeo) doesn't even know about his
family's link to the feud till very late in the story.
Serle's Juliet is manipulative and deliberately cruel, seeking revenge
on Rosaline for the sins of the fathers. In her effort to make
Rosaline's story seem more powerful, Serle has simply weakened the
original sense of passionate love between Romeo and Juliet and thus
weakened her own endeavours. Rosaline's story, as told by Rebecca
Serle, is nothing more than jilted first love and falling for the wrong
guy. So instead of vying for the role of 'the greatest love
story' - it is really nothing more than Mills and Boon on campus!
Readers who simply want a love story with plenty of heartbreak and a
happy ending will be satisfied with this novel. But those who want to
view the Shakespearean tragedy with fresh eyes are likely to be
disappointed.
Deborah Marshall
The Drum: The Games: The extraordinary history of the modern Olympics by Carole Wilkinson
Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781742032221.
Recommended. This book is a new edition of a 2008 publication - just in time to cater for Olympic fever in the build-up
to the 2012 London Olympics. The author, Carole Wilkinson is an
established and highly skilled author of both fiction books eg the
Dragonkeeper series and non-fiction books eg Fromelles.
The summer Olympic Games is the subject of this book. The focus is
very
much on human interest stories, but also included are historical
facts,
high profile events and results eg. :
The black power salute at the 200
metres track medal presentation ceremony in 1968;
The bruising affair between Russia and Hungary in their water
polo
match in 1956;
The absence of the Olympic Games in 1940 and 1944 as Hitler
rampaged
across Europe;
An 11 hour 40 minute Greco-Roman wrestling match in 1912;
A marathon in which the winner hitched a ride by car for part
of the
race and the runner-up was given small doses of strychnine and
brandy
as stimulants throughout the race in 1904;
Golf and croquet played only once in 1900.
This paperback offering of 150 pages has small black and white
photographs, and in each chapter fast fact boxes and tables. The
tables
enumerate the participating countries, sports offered, male
athletes,
female athletes and final medal tally. There are extensive quotes
from
Olympic athletes, officials and spectators as diverse as Jesse Owens
in
1936 and Princess Mary of England in 1908. Frequent sub-headings,
which
break up the text, make this book useful for research purposes or
attractive for a good read.
The book includes Contents, Map of host cities,
Acknowledgements/References and an Index, which has been
well-designed.
It includes the participating countries with each such entry listing
the athletes discussed in alphabetical order.
I enjoy Carole Wilkinson's writing style - personable, clear,
concise
and precise. She is able to draw attention to quirky facts and tales
in
a very natural manner. Her writing moves along at a good pace; it is
easy and pleasurable to read. This book should have wide appeal to
young people.
Margaret Strickland
