As an adult reader of World War Two historical fact and fiction, I felt slight trepidation when given Courage Be My Friend: The Vivian Bullwinkel Story to review. I am familiar with the horrific story of the brutal massacre of nurses by the Japanese troops as well as the cruel ill-treatment suffered by Vivian Bullwinkel and her fellow captives and was not sure how this new release for upper middle-grade to young adult readers would be presented. Fortunately, author Jenny Davis has primarily focused on the important aspects of the strong connection between the nurses and the growing friendship between Vivian and 15 year old Edie, all the while being true to the timeline of events and glimpses of the horror suffered.
Born in Kapunda, South Australia, Vivian (affectionately known as ‘Bully’ to her friends) has been keen to join in the war effort and enlists in the Australian Army Nursing Unit. She travels to Singapore with a group of nurses and along with others already in Singapore, form an incredible bond that will support them through horrendous experiences.
Young Edie has been separated from her beloved grandfather and left with her step-grandmother who is always angry. Edie is lonely and as the only teenage girl in captive, looks to Vivian for comfort and friendship. Edie in fact provides an anchor for Vivian who constantly deals with death and deprivation but is determined to stay alive to ensure Edie does too.
Throughout this book, the tenacity, work ethic, compassion and courage shown by the Australian nurses is simply outstanding. Without the nurses those prisoners who survived the appalling conditions, malnutrition, fevers, starvation, and beatings may not have done so.
After three and a half years in captivity those who were found deep in the jungle had a devastating story to tell. Vivian Bullwinkel was determined that she would survive to tell of the massacre and the deprivation suffered by her nursing companions. Each of Vivian’s nursing companions’ names are written in full throughout the novel as a mark of respect and remembrance.
This powerful story is one that is important to be shared and one where the role the Australian nurses played in the war should not be disregarded. Teaching notes and an activity can be found on the publisher's website.
Themes Historical Fiction, World War Two, Nursing, Friendship, Courage, Survival, Resilience, Hope.
Sanctuary, the latest book from Garry Disher held some surprises for me. I am a fan of his Paul Hirschhausen series, and without reading the book’s blurb expected a similar outback noir featuring a police officer investigating crime. There is crime galore in Sanctuary but the emphasis is not on police procedure, but on the life of Grace, a thief who specialises in stealing valuable items like stamps and watches that are easy to carry. It is a lonely life and when a man from her past spots her at a stamp exhibition, she goes on the run again, ending up in the Adelaide Hills. Seeing an ad for a job in an antiques shop, she hopes for a different life working for Erin the owner. But someone is after Erin and Grace is on her old colleague’s radar. Will she be able to finally settle down and stay safe from these two dangerous men?
Sanctuary is a memorable and absorbing crime thriller. Disher ramps up the suspense as he details the life of the two women, Erin who rarely leaves her house and Grace who is trying to have a normal life. It is very easy to relate to Grace, even though she is a thief, and I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering if her old colleague would catch up with her or if she would get caught by the police for her thefts. Other characters, including the two villains and police officers are rounded and believable. Disher’s descriptions of different antiques, the terror that abusive women feel and the shady machinations of criminals and how they operate are vivid and often eye-opening.
Disher is an outstanding crime writer and Sanctuary is another page turner that will thrill his readers.
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761069505. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
A stunning look at a tree, from its roots to the upper branches, its bark and leaves, the animals that live on and in it and depend upon it for their survival.
The opening pages are stunning, welcoming the reader to peer through the mists of the morning to spy the tree, older than us, younger than the earth it springs from. As each page is turned new information is given about the tree: the tree breathes in the air we breathe out, its roots share food, birds, like a lyrebird, thrush, wren etc scratch the litter beneath for their meal, lizards and echidnas use its undergrowth for their survival. Rain feeds the trees, pools attracting birds and animals: the treecreeper, rosellas and possums all call it home, and at night possums come out from their hollow, a glider surveys the night sky, while down on the ground, a wombat tears at the grass, wallabies thump by, a bush rat digs and a boo-boo owl swoops.
Water is taken up by the tree so it grows, but quietly the night is over. Eventually the tree will die and fall over, its form giving shelter again to small animals, insects and birds as the cycle begins anew.
The most beautiful of illustrations adorn each page, using a multiplicity of techniques, including water colour and pencil, to give the reader an intimate knowledge of the image presented in the text. The eye-catching cover will draw in the readers, then opening they will find wonderful endpapers, enough to encourage the readers to go out and collect leaves to try and draw them themselves. The mist on the first double page covers most of the mountain and eager eyes will try and find the one tree, the mountain ash, that the book is about. Pages following show different aspects of the tree, an underground look at its roots and the activity there, a close look at the leaf litter at the base of the tree, visions of the sky as a range of birds fly overhead, and stunning images of the forest at night. Readers will love checking out the detail, finding the animals mentioned in the text, seeking out other animals, while a fold out page at the end of the book has a poster sized image of the tree sure to be wondered at. A vision to behold, this book impels kids to get outside and look at those in their neighbourhood with a clearer understanding of how indebted we are to these magnificent trees.
Extreme Planet: Journey to the Earth's core by Emily Bone. Illus. by Rodrigo Cordeiro
Usborne, 2023. ISBN: 9781474998710. (Age:6+)
From crust to core, dig down and uncover the amazing things deep inside the Earth.
This book takes you on a fascinating journey deep inside the Earth. From the rocky, moving plates that make up the surface, to the core hotter than the Sun, lift the flaps to discover what explodes out of volcanoes, how nearly everything we use each day comes from under the ground, how digging down can take you back in time, and even where the water we drink comes from.
Using a lift-the=flap format and a first-person narrative , this is an intriguing book for both the young reader who just wants to know what's underneath their feet as well as the one who wants some new avenues to explore. Used in conjunction with the Usborne Quicklinks which accompany it, readers can develop a sound awareness of the structure of the planet, and its changing landscapes and land shapes. More mature readers might like to venture onto the Jules Verne classic Journey to the Centre of the Earth while others might like to explore the companion volumes, The Deep or the upcoming Journey Across the Arctic.
Whichever direction they choose, this book has the potential to open up new horizons.
Those Girls, written by well-known author Pamela Rushby, is Australian historical fiction giving an engaging account of the role the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) played during World War Two. Land Army girls often dealt with prejudice, petty jealousies from local communities, unwanted advances from males, some dire living conditions yet quietly set about making an invaluable contribution to Australia’s war effort on the home front.
Set in Queensland between 1942 to 1945, this entertaining story is about young sixteen-year-old Hilly who has just finished school and longs to do her part for the war effort. Her brother Graham is missing-in-action in Singapore and her fractured relationship with her parents is a source of constant bewilderment for Hilly.
Hilly is accepted in to the AWLA and with her close friend Liz is sent to the Lockyer Valley to harvest potatoes. There they meet other land girls and while it does not work out for Liz, Hilly forms a strong bond with Aileen and Glad. The three travel together to farms across Queensland where they experience tough conditions, some difficult farmers, backbreaking work but always manage to find a sense of purpose and fulfilment in their role. The three girls also deal with personal and family issues and support each other with humour and wisdom. When Hilly decides to head off on her own to a farm to assist with shearing, she is surprised at how strong, tough and resilient she has become.
Throughout the book, it is heartening to see how Hilly matures and grows into her own person. With an American fiancé pressing her to join him at his family farm in the USA, indifferent parents with a long-held secret and an uncertain future, it is reaffirming to see Hilly choose her own path.
In the final pages of the novel Pamela Rushby gives further valuable information about the AWLA and the struggles they had for recognition. Those Girls is fascinating read that is important for learning about the AWLA and looking at the changing roles of women in Australia during and after World War Two. An excellent resource for Australian Curriculum Year 10 History – World War Two studies.
Themes World War Two, Historical Fiction, Women’s Land Army, Social Expectations, Friendships, Loyalty, Romance, Adventure.
Kathryn Beilby
The Ultimate Book of Reptiles by Ruchira Somaweera
National Geographic Kids, 2023. ISBN: 9781426373732. (Age:8+)
Snakes, tortoises, chameleons, crocodiles, lizards, even dinosaurs - reptiles are found all over this planet and have been for about 300 million years when insects (including centipedes as large as alligators) ruled and a new predator Hylonomous evolved to eat them.
And regardless of how scary they might look, how creepy they might feel and how dangerous to humans they might be, there is a certain section of the population that is fascinated by them. Thus this book with its full colour photographs, accessible text and attractive layout is going to appeal to them as well as any others who have an interest in finding out more.
Arranged in sections such as deadly hunters, amazing adaptations and super creatures (featuring the extremes of each type) their stories are told by a leading herpetologist and includes suggestions on ways we can help these creatures survive the threats of habitat destruction, climate change, being a food source and even being smuggled to be someone's exotic pet. Even though we might not become one of the conservation heroes featured, nevertheless the school playground and the backyard garden can become a haven for lizards and other little creatures. Skinks, geckos and blue tongue lizards (if not the unique tuatara of New Zealand) will thank you.
On a clear day, when the sea and the horizon stretch endlessly around, the flock of puffins takes flight from their rocky island home - except for one, who is a little tentative and anxious. But, when he has the courage to follow his mates, the fog rolls in and things become murkier and murkier until it is so thick, he stumbles and can't find his way forward. Perhaps it would be safer to stay just where he is, but when a walrus looms in front of him, he realises that that can be dangerous. And so, he summons his brave that let him leave his home in the first place, and goes forward learning that "the closer you get, the more you see. And the more you see, the clearer the path becomes." And eventually, the fog lifts and the world and the horizons spread in front of you again.
On the surface this is a story about a little puffin separated from his flock, lost, afraid and bewildered until he finds them again, but it has been deliberately written as an allegory for helping young ones navigate uncertainty, open their minds and finding their way back to a place of safety and certainty. It helps them understand that, at times, we all face feeling lost and unsure, having to make decisions and having faith that what we decide will lead us to clarity.
While there are lots of stories that celebrate being happy and positive, and others that deal with anger and sadness, there are few that confront confusion and uneasiness in such a way that makes it easy to start conversations and explore those emotions so that the child not only understands that there can be a pathway through without becoming too anxious, but others feel the same way at times.
An exceptional addition to your mindfulness collection for little ones, while useful for teaching older students about allegories and learning to read between and beyond the lines to what the author is really saying - an essential skill in being a critical reader.
Themes Mindfulness, Allegories.
Barbara Braxton
Pidge's poppies by Jan Andrews and Timothy Ide
Ford Street Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922696380. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
Pidge’s Poppies is a delightful picture book based on a true story of two pigeons who built their nest with poppies placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. This is an engaging story with detailed and striking illustrations that provides a glimpse into the role pigeons played during two World Wars. As well, this story offers an introduction to the Australian War Memorial and Remembrance Day for young readers.
Pidge and Henry were best friends who would happily fly around playing I Spy. One day Pidge spotted the Australian War Memorial and they went for a closer look. Pidge remembered stories from her father about her great-great relations who had been sent to war as carrier pigeons. They were responsible for carrying messages in little tubes strapped to their legs and over time saved many soldiers’ lives. Some pigeons were awarded the Dickin Medal for ‘Conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict.’
Pidge and Henry decide to build their nest at the War Memorial and became quite famous. Their presence provided the opportunity for guides to talk about the role pigeons played in the war and opened up conversations about animals in war. February 24 is now recognised as Purple Poppy Day where animals that have served during wartime are honoured and remembered. Resources include Pigeons in war, and Pigeon steals War Memorial poppies to carefully craft its nest | 7NEWS.
Themes Pigeons, Wars, Australian War Memorial, History, Nests, Remembrance Day.
Despite the wild weather that has plagued Australia's east coast recently, many will have enjoyed a beachside holiday and some will have wondered about what actually lives in that deeper water out beyond the breaking waves.
So they will enjoy this exploration and explanation told in a mixture of regular text and cartoon illustrations as Brownbeard the pirate, his first mate Alan the parrot and a knowledgeable scientist take them on a journey that spans the development of the discovery of the deep from those who first dived to find food to the development of modern sonar and submersibles, the things they found and saw and the legends that they sparked. There is an introduction to some of those mysterious creatures that can survive the incredible pressure of being kilometres below the surface, as well as the cold and the permanent darkness. But as well as the humour there is also a serious side as it is revealed that on a recent trip to the Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of the ocean on the planet, a plastic bag was discovered floating in the depths and the darkness, raising awareness that despite its size and still being relatively unexplored, the ocean is in danger.
This is a unique way of piquing the interest of curious readers, all of which is factually accurate, and sparking a desire to learn more through more conventional presentations.
Barbara Braxton
The adventures of William Brambleberry: Aviator Mouse by Genevieve Hopkins. Illus. by Alexandra Heazlewood
As war rages above the skies of the Cornish town of Perranporth, a little mouse watches the Spitfires of the RAAF Squadron 453 fly overhead and dares to dream... "One day I'll be the bravest, most adventurous aviator mouse in all the world."
The other mice laughed at him and told him he was too small to fly planes, but William had faith and one day, instead of just looking at them, he took the first step in making his dream come true - a step that had the most remarkable consequences.
Based on thorough research and including actual air and ground crew characters at the time, this is not only a story to encourage young readers to work towards making their dreams reality, but it will also appeal to those with an interest in military aviation and Spitfires in particular. Diagrams and accurate illustrations add authentic information and there is also the most adorable soft toy available. It is the first of three proposed stories so young readers can look forward to learning more as they read more.
With the commemoration of ANZAC Day on April 25, this is something different to add to that collection of Australia's military history to appeal to those looking for a new avenue to explore, particularly families whose families may have served either in the squadron itself, or in the RAAF generally as something other than stories featuring ground troops.
The book is available from the Military Shop and similar outlets as well as selected Australia Post shops, so an internet search would be the best way to identify your best supplier.
Themes Aviation, Spitfires, World War 2.
Barbara Braxton
My dream for you by Ash Barty with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Gentle verses tell the story of the love between a mother and her baby, as the author tells of the sorts of things the mother wishes for the baby and its future. These dreams begin before the child is born, as the expectant mother sits and ponders. She dreams of the child in her arms walking through the trees, listening to birds singing while she shares her stories. She dreams of hugs and kisses, teaching the baby to take every shot, as she may climb mountains, swim oceans and see the world. They will meet new people, cook together, make art together. The baby will be encouraged to be whatever it wants to be, the mother’s dream is that it finds its own way, flying freely to make its own decisions about life, based on the love and support it gets from home. And home and the heart will be where it always resides.
This is a loving book to share, encompassing all the hopes a mother has for her new baby.
Soft, gentle illustration complete this lovely picture book, adding to the image of a loving family, already shown in the text.
Younger readers will be encouraged to predict the rhyming words and learn a stanza or two to share.
Themes Family, Babies, Love.
Fran Knight
Wongutha tales: Bawoo stories & Badudu stories by May L. O'Brien
The delightful and accessible book Wongutha Tales is distinctly set up in two parts. The first half, The Bawoo Stories, are four traditional teaching stories of the Wongutha people. The second half, The Badudu Stories are four stories from the author’s early life as a child of a mission.
The stories were first published individually in 1992 by May O’Brien, a First Nations woman born in 1933 in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia (WA). Home of the Wongutha people, May’s early life was immersed in traditional culture until at the age of five, May was taken to Mount Margaret Mission where she lived for the next 12 years. May became the first Aboriginal woman to graduate from a tertiary college and taught for 25 years before she became the first Superintendent of Aboriginal Education in WA. May achieved many accolades in her life, fought tirelessly for First Nations people, and died in 2020.
Each of the four classic Indigenous stories in first section are told in English with traditional language used throughout. The Bawoo Stories include How Crows Became Black, Why The Emu Can’t Fly, The Kangaroo Who Wanted to be People and Barn-Barn Barlala, the Bush Trickster. All are told with a distinct message about what happens when the right thing has not been done. The second section contains four stories told with a sense of humour about situations in the Mission where there were misunderstandings due to English not being the first language. In the final pages is information about May L O’Brien as well as a pronunciation guide which would be a valuable teaching resource when looking at First Nations culture.
Themes First Nations Traditional Teaching Stories, Bilingual, Wongutha Language, Mission Life.
Seven days is all it takes for grieving Noori and run-away Aamir to realise that despite false starts and misunderstandings, they have enough in common to make a lasting relationship.
In modern day Bristol, 16-year-old Noori is grieving the death of her best friend and cousin Munazzah. She is preparing to spend a year in Lahore, where Munazzah died, in an attempt to deal with her loss. Not far away, 17 year-old Aamir has fled Cardiff after a fight with his traditional Punjabi father and is hoping that he can stay with his older brother while he sorts out his priorities and responsibilities.
Both are struggling to develop their own identity; Noori with progressive professional British/Pakistani parents and Aamir living in the shadow of his brother’s success and his beloved mother’s death.
The dual narrative encompasses seven days of Noori and Aamir getting to know each other, with each day a new section, and chapters alternating between both their points of view.
Over the seven days Noori resorts to various amusing ruses to overcome her best friend’s and family’s objections to her seeing Aamir again. They reflect on their feelings of sadness, and bond over their common experiences of death of a loved relative and being the subject of pernicious lies. As their feelings develop, they talk philosophically about running away from trouble, and seeking solace in poetry.
Growing up as a ‘third-culture’ child herself, Rebeka Shaid has written a heart-warming story of young people navigating through grief, cultural identity and parental expectations.
At a level appropriate in a YA novel there are interesting references to the Sufi poet Rumi, the fallout from the Indian Partition, and reactions of others to a young woman wearing a traditional headscarf.
This is a highly recommended story of finding yourself with the help of friends and family, with the added dimension of a cross-cultural context.
The devout Jewish Rosenthal family implodes following the death of Yosef, a Holocaust survivor. Each of the three Rosenthal children, Gideon, Elsie and Tovyah, has a last moment with their grandfather; and the impact on each of their lives is profound. Gideon becomes cynical and detached, Tovyah confronts the horror of human beings judging each other, and Elsie, the highly intelligent girl who learned at Yosef’s elbow and eavesdropped his conversation on the stairs, is overcome by the sense that her grandfather’s spirit is not at rest because his family do not honour his wish to be cremated, rather than have the traditional burial.
Yosef declares that he did not survive the Holocaust, he got out. It is later in the book that we discover the reason he is haunted by the ghost of a little boy, Ariel, and the terrible secret that lies behind his desire for his body to be destroyed by flames. The young Elsie takes on his burden, and her obsession with dark stories leads her family to believe her to be mentally disturbed. The family trauma is compounded by formidable family matriarch, Hannah’s drive to expose their life stories in print, first the life of Yosef, and then that of her daughter Elsie. The fallout for Elsie of having her famous journalist mother publish her story is horrendous.
It is a complex story of a dysfunctional family mainly told by narrator Kate, a student friend of Tovyah, and it interweaves themes of religion, politics, spiritualism, and mental health. There is a lot that the reader could go back to reread, and plenty to generate a book group discussion. Its appeal would be for the more mature reader interested in family dynamics and questions of religion and spiritual beliefs. It makes for an impressive debut novel.
Themes Holocaust, Jewish religion, Tanakh, Family dysfunction, Mental health, Trauma.
Helen Eddy
Science Factopia! by Rose Davidson. Illus. by Andy Smith
Britannica Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781804660256. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Science FACTtopia! is the sixth book in the FACTopia! series. This latest book follows the same format of the earlier books and this time allows the reader to follow the trail of 400 explosive STEM-tastic facts. These facts are all linked in some way and once again this latest handy-sized hardcover book is full of surprising and engaging information.
Filled with full colour striking graphic images, illustrations and photographs, the book begins with a contents page explaining how to use the connecting dots to each new and engaging topic. The first image presented in Science FACTtopia! is that of a young girl, Mary Anning, chipping away at the first ever discovery of a marine fossil, the Ichthyosaurus. This leads onto other discoveries including the interesting fact that palaeontologists will lick a rock if they are unsure if it is a fossil or rock. If their tongue sticks to it, it is a fossil.
Throughout the book, readers are encouraged to move away from the broken lines to turn to page numbers about other interconnected and related topics. At the end is a Sound Like a Scientist Quiz, a detailed index, plus information about the FACTtopians, as well as a sources page and picture credits.
This highly engaging series is a treasure trove of information that will excite readers of all ages. A wonderful factual book for home, school or public libraries.
