Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780141334530.
(Age 14+) I think the book Popular by Gareth Russell was a great
book. The main characters in the book are Meredith Harper, Imogen
Dawson, Cameron Matthews, Kerry Davison and there was another girl,
Catherine O'Rourke but she wasn't in the story as much as the
others. The story I think is focusing on bullying, peer pressure and
many other things! The book is mainly about Meredith, Imogen,
Cameron and Kerry being the most popular and most gorgeous people in
the school. They go around being mean and cold towards pretty much
everybody, even poor Catherine who is in their group. Only the
'A-listers' are worth talking to, but even the most popular people
in the school have problems and secrets. The age group for this book
I think would be 14+.
Stacey Lamps (Student)
From Kinglake to Kabul edited by Neil Grant and David Williams
Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742375304.
(Age: 12+) Neil Grant was a writer in residence at a small secondary
school when devastating bushfires swept through Kinglake and many
towns in regional Victoria. In the aftermath of the Black Saturday
tragedy contact was established with the International School of
Kabul and students were invited to share their stories. Suffering is
universal and Grant compiles the experiences of students connected
by the tragedy of war and bushfires.
The book is an interactive experience. Students from Kinglake and
Kabul respond to the experiences of each other. Loss,
grief, fear and insecurity are themes explored by the children who
contribute their personal stories. There is a juxtaposition. The
children of Kinglake have endured a one off unanticipated horrifying
trauma. There has been loss of life and property but there is a
great sense of community support. By contrast, the students in
Kabul have endured long term warfare and chaos. Trust and friendship
are variable.
Containing many short stories, this book is ideal for classroom
discussion. It does not need to be read sequentially. This book has
relevance from many perspectives including historical, social, moral
and personal.
Grant's voice is interspersed between the stories of students and
sometimes it is hard to distinguish where one voice ends and his
begins. A little more editing may have been in order. Despite
this, the book is a wonderful stimulus for class discussion of these
contemporary issues.
Tina Cain
A bus called Heaven by Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 1 4063 3419 7
(Ages 5+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Finding a bus called
Heaven left in their street is the impetus for many of the
neighbourhood to come together to make it into a community centre.
People who have rarely spoken, club together to clean it out and add
carpets, games and furniture for all to use. Boys found using spray
cans on the bus at night are invited back the next day to paint the
bus. One family shows their slides while others set up market stalls
in the busy street nearby. All is cooperative and neighbourly until
one day a council worker comes long with his tow truck and takes the
bus away to a place where it will be recycled.
The community is distraught, but one young girl, Stella, points out
the baby birds about to hatch in a nest in the engine, and
challenges the council worker to a game of table football.
With another story of people taking matters into their own hands,
Bob Graham masterly lets us think this is a simple story, but it is
much more. There are overlays of city life, of the mix of cultures
in cities, living side by side. There are hints of loneliness and
isolation, of communities coming together, of people taking action
where they see a wrong, of idealism and hope for the future. Bob
Graham's books make me smile, sometimes even laugh out loud, but
always make me hold a thought about the future of our world being
safe in the hands of children.
And of course, his recognisable illustrations give a marvellous
recreation of a city with its telegraph lines and endless traffic,
with isolated pockets of people living in small houses sandwiched
between factories and office towers. The strong colours of the
people and the bus stand out against the grey blue wash of the
buildings that surround their lives.
Never didactic or preachy, Bob Graham's stories revolve around the
ordinary, the everyday. The people who inhabit his stories are
instantly recognised by the reader as most like themselves, going
about their lives as best they can.
Fran Knight
Dark mist rising by Anna Kendall
(Soulvine Moore Chronicles: Book Two). Gollanz, 2011. ISBN:
9780575094314.
(Age: 16+) Roger Kilbourne is a hisaf; one of few people who have
the ability to cross over into the Country of the Dead. This gift,
or curse as Roger thinks it to be, has always been exploited; by his
uncle, his queen and the dark arts of the feared Soulviners. But
those days are behind him and Roger intends to live a normal life.
But all is not well in the Country of the Dead. The Queendom is on
the edge of war with invading savages and forces in both realms want
Roger dead.
The reader can easily be forgiven for feeling unconvinced upon
opening this book. The first few chapters are hastily written in an
attempt to provide newcomers to the series an idea of all that
happened in the previous book. The scenes are either too short or
too long, the interactions between characters brief and dull, and
the dialogue fails to engage the reader.
However once the tedious opening chapters pass, the reader stumbles
upon a truly gripping story. The dialogue becomes vivid, colourful
and evocative. The scenes become a blend of fast-paced conflict and
poignant drama. New diverse characters are introduced throughout
while characters from the first novel are recalled. Kendall throws
in just enough twists to keep the reader guessing whilst still
keeping them interested.
The ending is one that the reader does not foresee but fans of the
series as well as newcomers will be left more than satisfied. The
story still leaves enough doubt in the reader's mind to encourage
the idea that the third installment of the series will soon
follow.
A clever, unique plot is coupled with colorful characters,
descriptive writing and engaging storytelling to create an all-round
enjoyable read. The reader may become impatient at the start, but
continuing to persist with this book greatly rewards the reader in
the end.
I highly recommend this book.
Michael Adams
The flying emu: A collection of Australian stories by Sally Morgan
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720642.
(Age 7+) Highly recommended. The Flying Emu is a collection
of short stories by Sally Morgan. In the preface Sally explains that
Aboriginal people have a tradition of storytelling that extends over
thousands of years. As she grew up she tells of her memories of her
family telling stories, often made up, as she fell asleep under a
rug on the grass outside. Her grandmother had introduced her to the
idea of bush creatures having their own stories to tell, which
prompted a curiosity about what they might say. Whenever she was
bored or unhappy she would drift off into another world that was
inhabited by all sorts of intriguing creatures. There she would have
great adventures. At the end of the preface she encourages the
reader to have fun making up stories of their own to share. The
ensuing collection of short stories optimises the spirit of this
request as Australian animals are given personalities that can make
you smile and provide a reason for a particular characteristic (such
as an Emu that can't fly). Each story has a clear moral, including a
reason for why things are the way they are. I thoroughly enjoyed
reading these stories and plan to use this book as the basis for an
English unit about fables with my upper primary class.
Matt Eldridge
The Story of Girbar by the Saibai Thabu Clan with Liz Thompson
Pearson Australia, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4425 4692 9.
(Age 9+) The Story of Girbar is a wonderful book that not
only describes the people of Saibai (an island in the Torres Strait)
and their heritage but tells one of their stories - the story of
Girbar. It is illustrated by children in the clan and is retold by
the local story teller. The book is colourful and informative and
will be enjoyed by independent readers from 9+ to adult. Throughout
the whole book is a glossary, giving the English version to
traditional words as well as instructions on how to pronounce them.
As a teacher, I can picture reading this book to students as a way
to expose them to one of the Indigenous cultures that make up our
country. Children could illustrate their own version of the story,
research the islands in the Torres Strait and respond to the story
as part of a reading program.
This story could be compared to Dreamtime stories of local
Indigenous groups as well as other cultures from around the world.
The best part is, it is part of a 14 book series, presenting studies
of Indigenous cultures and each has a story specific to that group.
A great hardcover book collection for any library.
Kylie Kempster
Ten Little Babies by Rose Impey
Ill. by Nicola Smee. Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4088 1118 4.
A delightful counting picture book about ten little babies and the
mischief they get up to. The story flows in rhyme and could easily
be read aloud or made into a song. The babies crawl, float, slide,
trot, sail, climb, zoom, hop, fly, and hide. The illustrations are a
great support to the text and give clues as to what the babies are
getting up to. The individual children are diverse in their
appearance giving a multicultural feel to the story. The story takes
place outside on the grass in the fresh air. As is often the case,
the fresh air results in some sleepy babies by the end of the story.
Although number figures are not given on the pages the reader
soon understands that counting backwards is involved. Numbers are
however present on the cover of the story and can be shared prior to
the story being read. A great picture book to share.
Tracy Glover
The Anything Shop by Dawn Meredith
Ill. by Lesley Vamos. Wombat Books, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-921633-51-5.
(Age 8-12) Charlie is a boy who stumbles across a shop which
promises that all his dreams could come true. After seeing other
children walking out of the Anything Shop with such wonders as a
walking teddy bear who seemed to be talking to its new owner and a
boy with two toy fighter planes that actually engaged in a dog fight
with each other as he walked along with them, his curiosity got the
better of him.
A man called Alfred is spruiking outside with a megaphone and
invites Charlie in, assuring him that money is not necessary. He can
buy or trade. Charlie decides to buy a cricket bat that only ever
hits sixes. He chose to pay for this cricket bat by trading the
embarrassing hugs his family members constantly give him.
Charlie experiences the short term joy of being the hero of the
cricket team but in the process he learns a valuable lesson about
what is really important in life. This book taps into the emotions
of a child effectively, from the feeling of not being good at
cricket, the initial joy of success and then the feelings of a life
with no hugs. In his search to resolve his problems, Charlie meets
Sam, another customer of the Anything Shop, and together they seek
to undo the decisions they both made.
This delightful book is well written and has great illustrations to
help young readers picture the characters in the book.
This book is aimed at 8 to 12 year olds and could be used as a quick
read aloud in an upper primary class to demonstrate the components
of a Narrative. Setting the scene, complication, sequence of events,
resolution and the moral are clearly evident in this book and could
be discussed along the way.
Matt Eldridge
The Not-So-Goblin Boy by Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 921720 15 4.
The Not-So-Goblin Boy is well and truly aimed at kids but especially
boys! As an adult, I kept thinking eww and gross as I read the story
of Samuel, the only human in a goblin world, because of all the talk
about farts. How do goblins greet each other? They fart! How
to they rob each other? They fart! What are they most proud of?
Their farts! Goblins are also expected to be sneaky, lie and are
generally gross. Unfortunately for me, the more I read it, the more
I enjoyed it and started giggling at the different events and
comments.
As the only human in this world, Samuel struggles to prove himself
as a good goblin and make his parents proud. He uncovers secrets
about his parents and is 'kidnapped' by goblin pirates. All of a
sudden, he is facing a future where he can actually be himself - a
human - in a dangerous goblin world whose leader is called The Grand
Stinker. He is enlisted to help find out who is the spy in the
Goblin World but will they be able to uncover the truth in time?
Boys aged 10+ will thoroughly enjoy the 'grossness' that is the
world of goblins but the author (a young Indigenous author,
excellent for our children to be exposed to) has also managed to
create a whole new world with some amazing inventions. One of the
ways to prove yourself a good goblin is to invent crazy machines
like goggles that detect radiation, bracelets that make you teleport
and the fart forcer that makes anyone you point at, fart
uncontrollably (of course)!
Kylie Kempster
Life: An exploded diagram by Mal Peet
Walker Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781844281008.
(Age: 16 +) Highly recommended. Whilst this novel provides an
amazing reading experience, it is certainly unlike most YA fiction,
in structure, in focus and in narrative voice. The novel opens with
an almost comical bombing in a country English village during World
War 2. And if this is an unconventional YA setting so too is the
narrative voice, which deftly (and frequently) changes from third to
first person. Sometimes we learn of events from the past as they
unfold and sometimes we look at them through the lens of the now
grown-up Clem, who lives in New York, many miles away from his rural
English roots and that bombing raid which heralded his birth.
The first third of the novel actually explores the lives of Clem's
parents (again, an unusual focus for a YA novel) but when Clem
reaches puberty, the spotlight once again falls upon him. As a
teenager, Clem (a working class, scholarship boy) falls in love with
the wild but beautiful Frankie, daughter of the local landlord.
Their love slowly blossoms, until the looming threat of the Cuban
missile crisis impels their relationship forward with dramatic and
unexpected consequences. Gradually, the true meaning of the novel's
title becomes clear, as Clem's life is quite literally shaped by
explosive events.
A story which began in wartime England and developed under a nuclear
cloud ends, shockingly and poignantly, in the modern world of
terrorism. Adult readers, who remember the Cuban crisis and D.H.
Lawrence novels, are sure to fall in love with this book for the
political intrigue, the rural setting and the stinging irony that
enmeshes the story. Indeed, some may consider this to be an adult
novel for it makes no concession to teen readers, with its ambling
pace and switching narrative voice. But this is exactly why
teenagers should be encouraged to read this brilliant book; apart
from the sheer mastery with which the story is written, they will be
well rewarded with thought provoking ideas about war, love and life.
Highly recommended.
Deborah Marshall
Ishmael and the hoops of steel by Michael Gerard Bauer
Omnibus Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 86291 917 4.
This is the third and final Ishmael story that takes place during
Ishmael's final years of schooling. Once again his friends Ignatius,
James Scobie, Bill and Razza are all back for their senior schooling
at St Daniel's College. The book is divided into Year 11 and Year 12
- semester one and semester two. With each semester containing
around 16 short chapters. This enables the story to clearly develop
and build over the course of a very typical final two years of
school. In year eleven there are the usual uniform violations,
assembly detentions and assignment deadlines. The trio continue
their debating - although not very successfully. They are all in the
same English class and have varying experiences with the study of
Shakespeare's Hamlet. Bill makes a profound confession. The boys
experience the highs and lows of school formals. As year twelve
begins the boys make a pact to make the most of their last year.
They aim to be Senior Debating Champions and win the College Cup for
Charlton House and Miss Tarango. With these goals in mind they
utilise their own talents and skills leaving no stone unturned to
achieve their goals and in doing so complete their schooling as well
rounded young men.
Ishmael and his friends are characters that are easy to relate to
and found in any school. Michael has made them appealing to the
reader by making them real and identifiable. The ability to triumph
over adversity is a valuable message in this story and one that
leaves the reader thinking long after they finish reading.
Tracy Glover
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Marion Lloyd Books, 2011. ISBN 978 140 712425 4 Blood red road is a cross between a post-apocalyptic novel
and fantasy. Saba and her twin Lugh share a special bond. She is the
dark and he is the light. They live in a dying landscape with their
father and younger sister. Clearly something has happened as
technology has largely disappeared and there are remains of cities
and other technology scattered around in some ways reminiscent of
the Mad Max movies.
One day strangers appear and Lugh is taken, their father killed and
Saba is left with her younger sister Emmi and a determination to
rescue Lugh. Emmi and Saba have a strained relationship as Saba
feels she is of no use. As they set out on their rescue mission,
they meet people both good and bad. Saba suffers imprisonment as a
sort of fighter but never loses sight of her goal of rescuing Lugh.
She rescues Jack to whom she is attracted but is unsure whether she
can trust him.
I liked the way the main characters develop in the story. Saba
eventually comes to value Emmi and manages to become the dominant
one in her relationship with Lugh. For the fantasy readers there is
enough difference to make it different and an enjoyable read for
middle school people who will look forward to the sequel.
David Rayner
Passion: A Fallen Novel by Lauren Kate
Double Day, 2011.
(Age 14 +) Throughout time Luce and Daniel have found and loved each
other many times and then Luce has died. Luce travels through time
in this story in an attempt to find the key that will prevent her
death and ensure that she and Daniel can stay together. There are
angels and outcasts trying to catch Luce as she does this and a
description of the rift between God and Lucifer that causes many
angels to be cast out of heaven. The ending sets up the next
installment in the series, Rapture.
This is the third book in the Fallen series and has been written as
a prequel to everything that occurs in the Fallen and Torment books.
It covers 5000 plus years, has a new setting in each chapter, and
focuses mainly on the characters of Luce and Daniel and what has
happened in their past lives.
While some of the settings were interesting such as Moscow in 1941
and Tahiti in 1775, I found the plot confusing and not engaging. The
characters were not well developed for someone who had not read the
other books in the series and a lot of the writing is flat and plods
along. While some fans of the series will want to read it I think
they too may be disappointed with this installment.
Chris Lloyd
Doctor Monkey - An astonishing story of wheezes and sneezes by Felix Hayes and Hannah Broadway
Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 9781408806548.
Monkey and Robot are best friends and they live together in a big
house. One day, Robot's head aches, his nose runs and he just
want to lie down. But, instead of being sympathetic, Monkey
just says, 'Brilliant!' It gives him a great opportunity to be
a doctor. So he looks after Robot, doing all the things that
are good for helping get over colds. Robot soon feels better
and wants to get up, but Dr Monkey insists he stay in bed. But
when Robot finally falls asleep, something happens . . .
This is a cheery story about having a cold that will appeal to young
children and perhaps reinforce that what mum says about staying in
bed and sleeping being the best cure.
This is the first in a series about these two characters and there
are fun and games in the book and also at
the website
for the books.
Barbara Braxton
The Rainbow Necklace by Jacqueline Larsen
(Australian Girl Series 1). Wombat Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921633294.
In The Rainbow Necklace Matilda, Emily, Amy, Belle and
Jasmine discover a rainbow necklace which transports them back in
time to the outback where they discover an injured girl lying alone
on a track. In their commitment to get help for her, they learn a
lot about a time in history they knew nothing about and meet some of
the significant women in our past. It's an adventure story that will
appeal to girls who like a good yarn with a bit of substance to it.
This is the first in a series inspired by the Australian Girl dolls
created by Helen Schofield. While the story stands alone, it
is very closely aligned to the dolls and their personalities,
established on the website. 'The stories and dolls aim to encourage
imaginative Australian style play and help counter some of the
negative impact of popular culture on young children by providing
age appropriate dolls and stories and by reflecting back a positive
body image and values. The characters belong to contemporary
Australian society and like to do everything that real Australian
girls like to do.'
Children these days expect their stories to be enriched by other
media and this is a prime example of this, but this pairing allows
them to be actively involved through writing and competitons as well
as other club activities.
Barbara Braxton
