Pole to pole: One man, 20 million steps by Pat Farmer
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742377841. Pole to pole is Pat Farmer's diary of his 21,000 km run from
the North Pole to the South Pole, which he successfully completed
between April 5, 2011 and February 19, 2012. Before this adventure
he was already a highly experienced ultra marathon runner - an
extreme athlete who had been running all his life - and he was
looking for the next challenge.
Pat Farmer was a Federal politician for almost a decade, but tired
of endless meetings talking about ways to improve the world. He
wanted to make a practical difference. At the time of this
extraordinary undertaking he is 49 years old and the devoted single
father of Brooke and Dillon since the death of his wife in 1998. He
is buoyed by running with his children on some sectors of the
journey and he communicates well his heart-warming relationship with
them.
Pat details the complex team effort required to stage such a run
including the preparation, the lengthy training in extreme
conditions and the promotion required for fund-raising. One integral
goal of his run was to raise money for the Red Cross' clean water
and disaster relief campaigns.
There are many joys and charming descriptions of the multitude of
people met along the way in North and South America. There is also a
lot of pain. Each day he fights his way through pain and one of the
hardest tasks each day is getting out of his sleeping bag!
This is a paperback book of 313 pages with many colour and black and
white photos accompanied by Pat's quirky comments. There is a
Contents page, which divides the run into 6 stages. There is no
Index, which is fine, because the book needs to be read as an
adventure rather than as an information book.
This book has been written for an adult audience, but it is suitable
for Biography/Autobiography studies in Years 11-12. The diary format
and information boxes eg Pat's blister fixer, How to
tell a classy hotel, and Nazca Lines, make the book
easy to tackle and thus suitable for a young adult audience.
M. E. Strickland
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Orion, 2012. ISBN 9781409116325.
Like Romeo and Juliet, Eleanor and Park are from two different
worlds, even though they are both sixteen and go to the same school
on the same bus in a mid- western USA city in the 80s. Indeed,
when the overweight, eccentrically-dressed, red haired and socially
inept Eleanor is forced to occupy the vacant seat next to Park it's
hate at first sight. But she shyly reads his comics sideways, and
they gradually realize that not only do they share many musical and
literary tastes, in a school where sport rules, but also they are
deeply drawn to each other.
Meeting with Park away from the bus is problematic for Eleanor as
her step-father rules their home by fear and she would never be
allowed a boy-friend. She protects her four younger siblings in
their impoverished home with its lack of privacy. Park is Korean
with a father who had macho hopes for his 'different' son. These two
misfits can't stop themselves falling into an intense, powerful and
overwhelming first love. But secrets are hard to keep, and once
stepfather, Richie, hears of her relationship, Eleanor's life is in
danger and she and Park must take a huge risk.
Rainbow Rowell captures in minute detail that transforming
all-powerful young love which flourishes despite the odds.
Kevyna Gardner
Sophia the Flame Sister by Amber Castle
Spell Sisters, book 1. Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN:
9780857072474. Sophia the Flame Sister is the first of the Spell Sister
series. The prologue introduces the readers to Niveve, the Lady of
the Lake and Morgana Le Fay and sets the scene for the events which
follow. Sounding familiar? Yes . . . all the elements of a young
Arthur's story with a twist.
The main character Gwen is a feisty Guinevere who would prefer to be
out with the boys, one of whom is Arthur, than learn to curtsey and
be a lady. Her adventures begin when, with her cousin Flora, she
ventures deep in to the magical forest arriving at the Lake. Here
she is charged with saving Avalon by rescuing the Spell Sisters who
have been captured and hidden in various parts of the kingdom by the
ambitious Morgana.
With touches of magic and bravery this is a story young girls will
enjoy. Gwen and Flora are engaging characters and Morgana bad enough
that she leaves the reader wondering what the next adventure will
bring. This is helped by a sneak peek chapter for the next book at
the end to whet the reader's appetite.
This series will appeal to the girls who have read the Rainbow
Fairies and are looking for a different sort of magic. The
parallels with the stories of a young Arthur may be missed on this
age group, but as an adult it is nice to think that maybe Guinevere
had an adventurous childhood.
Sue Keane
Boris on show by Andrew Joyner
Puffin Books, 2012. ISBN 9780143306696
(Age: Early reader) Warmly recommended. Humour. Into the Hogg's Bay
Show, Boris enters a whole host of things, a large pumpkin, some
lemons, a piece of his artwork, a photograph, and some eggs, even
his cat, Lion. But best of all, he spends time making a carrot
cake. He collects the carrots from the garden from under the nose of
Frank the sheep, who loves eating them.
Boris and his family go to the show, confident that Boris will win a
prize, but when the children are high up in the ferris wheel, they
see Frank lurking outside the cake judging tent. All will be lost if
Frank gets inside, so the children act. Boris saves the day however,
and although he does not win a prize, his photo is in the paper as
the hero of the show.
Another in the charming series of stories about Boris the pig, is
presented in this tale of submitting entries for the local show, and
then saving the day with some quick thinking. The subtlety of the
selfless act by Boris will not be lost on the readers, as they
ponder his win. The lively story with its cheerful illustrations
will be sought out by early readers, eager for a new chapter book,
and with the recipe for carrot cake at the end no one will be able
to resist trying it out. at home or in the classroom.
Fran Knight
The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje
Jonathan Cape, 2011. ISBN 9780224093620.
Recommended for Senior students. Aged eleven the boy Michael is sent
to England from Sri Lanka on the liner the Oronsay to reunite with
his mother. As an adult the narrator, now a novelist, (Ondaatje
claims that the book is fictional although it uses the 'colour and
locations' of autobiography) looks back on the voyage that became in
more ways than one a rite of passage. Also travelling on the boat
are a diverse range of characters, youngish women in search of
husbands, failed musicians, entertainers, thieves, children going to
England for school, rich old men looking for health and a manacled
prisoner.
Michael is allocated a dining table so far from the Captain's that
it is nicknamed the 'Cat's table' by fellow diners, who include a
mysterious tailor, Miss Lasqueti, with Foreign Office connections
and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. Cassius, Michael and
Ramadhin make the ship theirs; they invade the lifeboats, lurk on
deck late at night when the prisoner is exercised and are used by a
thief to break into cabins. Although Ramadhin is constrained by
asthma Michael and Cassius are indomitable. In one terrifying
incident they chain themselves to the deck during a turbulent storm,
and have to weather the Captain's rage as a result.
The adult Michael realizes that the voyage took him from his safe
and idyllic childhood in Sri Lanka to the more turbulent years of
adult life. The author takes the reader forward in time to
Ramadhin's mysterious death, to Michael's marriage to his sister and
to the success of Cassius as a painter. We are then returned to the
voyage and the disastrous escape of the prisoner, which has been
contrived by the entertainers and in which the tailor and Miss
Lasqueti are implicit. The three children see death and understand
culpability, then land and go back to school. As an adult Michael
remembers and tries to make sense of the experience. The Jamesian
theme of innocence and experience is strongly established, the novel
being at its best in the descriptions of the boys' lives and
observations on the liner. The adult experiences are less
convincing, and the prisoner's story is melodramatic. However, the
novel would make an interesting comparison with texts dealing with
the themes of growing up and adolescence.
Jenny Hamilton
Golden Stranger by Karen Wood
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 9781742378589.
(Age: 14+) Horse enthusiast, Shara Wilson, is looking forward to
term break from boarding school when she will return home to
Coachwood River. She enjoys watching the local rodeo but is angry
when she learns that there will be a wild horse race at the event.
She is even more upset when she learns that the aptly named Conneman
brothers, who are responsible for staging the race, have a history
of cruelty and neglect to their animals.
Shara and her friends decide to disrupt the event but their
behaviour gets them offside with family. After breaking a promise
not to cause any more trouble, Mr Wilson takes the drastic step of
taking away Shara's beloved horses Rocko and Goldie, a beautiful
colt that has escaped from the Connemans. To make matters worse,
Corey, the boy that she has a crush on, has ended up with a severe
head injury trying to keep her out of trouble.
Shara can't believe that she is being punished for trying to protect
horses from brutal treatment while the perpetrators are able to
carry on unscathed. She and her friends are challenged to come up
with a more constructive way of protesting, something that will get
the community on their side. Golden Stranger is the fifth book in the Diamond Spirit
series which feature Shara and her friends. It is a good dramatic
read with a dash of romance and lots of horse talk for the lovers of
all things equine.
Tina Cain
Animal Rescue: Tiger Tangle by Jackie French
Scholastic Press, 2012. ISBN: 9781742833835.
Recommended for the 7+ reader. Jackie French continues to sell her
environmental message this time focussing on captive animals used as
a promotion tool.
Glam Rock, pop star, performs with a Siberian Tiger on stage and
according to his publicity supports a breeding program at his
wildlife park to save Siberian tigers from extinction.
Leo, with his ability to communicate with animals, learns that this
is far from the truth and with Mozz decides to rescue the frightened
animal.
With elements of Mission Impossible and Mozz's amazing machines the
children break into Glam's penthouse apartment via the air
conditioning system and of course are caught in the act.
The series could also be used as a tool in an integrated unit on
Conservation. The ethics of using animals for publicity is touched
on and could be used as a great conversation starter when
investigating animal and environmental conservation.
Sue Keane
Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy by Elena de Roo
Illustrated by Tracy Duncan. Walker Books, 2012. 79pp.
(Ages: 7-10) Recommended. Ophelia Wild, Secret Spy and her trusty
assistant Albert are set up to solve all the toughest cases from
their tree-house headquarters and they demonstrate their skills in
cooperation, respect and persistence in this gem of an easy reading
book.
Divided into three quite distinct chapters which are essentially
narrative poems, this book delights young and old by its simple
portrayal of good-will, friendship and how cleverness and ingenuity
can overcome thuggish unkindness. Written completely in verse the
three sections follow Ophelia and Albert as they outsmart the
bullyboy gang, not once but twice, and solve a mystery involving a
cat, an elderly man and some missing false teeth.
Elena de Roo has done a fantastic job with the flow and rhythm of
the text. It never seems forced and follows a wonderful narrative
flow that makes it easy and delightful to read. Not only is this a
fabulous book to read aloud but one which when reading it alone it
seems impossible (for me anyway) to not add the rhythm and
expression that the text seems to demand. The large black and white
illustrations which adorn every page add to the playful and bubbly
nature of the story.
The 'bully' theme is quite a major one in this book and is
quite stereotypical in its portrayal of bullies as beanie-wearing,
spiky-haired, courage-in-numbers types. Assistant Albert is also a
stereotypical intelligent book-reading child with oversized glasses.
The lack of grey area or depth of character seems unimportant
however, in a story focused on beautiful themes of community,
friendship and strength over adversity in a simplified manner.
This is the first Ophelia Wild book and I am hopeful that it won't
be the last.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
Simon and Schuster, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-85707-284-9.
Two passionate teenagers. One Prize. Who will win?
Set in the present time this novel is about the choices people make
and life changing decisions which impact on your friends and family.
The illegitimate child of an opera singer and a good for nothing
play boy, Carmen Bianchi has had anything but a normal life. Her
friend and mentor Heidi, is the only relief from the hours of
constant practice and performance of being a musical prodigy.
Told in the first person the story follows Carmen as she prepares
for the prestigious Guarneri, a classical music prize held once
every four years for violinists worldwide, but is this really what
Carmen wants? Her mother and Yuri have driven her for years
encouraging her to reach utter musical perfection but is that really
possible with Inderal? Is using Inderal fair on the other
competitors? Seeds of doubt worm their way into Carmen's mind in the
weeks before the competition causing Carmen to think of the Guarneri
as an elusive dream, something that she'd never be able to hold so
long as Jeremy King is her competition. Virtuosity is a compelling novel about love, loss and
freedom. An involving novel, I would recommend it to those who
enjoyed reading The Last Song and the movie Raise your
Voice. Jessica Martinez did a wonderful job describing the
joys and triumphs that come with being a musician and the ups and
downs of just being a teenager and rounded off her novel nicely as a
story of hope and freedom.
Kayla Gaskell, age 16.
Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr
Harper Collins Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9780007456864.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. For fans of Melissa Marr (bestselling author
of the Wicked Lovely series), this collection of short
stories will be a delight. It includes twelve original short stories
written by Melissa Marr, some themed around the world of Wicked
Lovely, and some completely new to the reader. Faery Tales and Nightmares consists of twelve short stories,
however there are too many to review here, so these are some of my
favourites. Where Nightmares Walk: Nothing more than a page and a half,
this nevertheless is a spooky intro to the novel. Winter's Kiss: This tells the story of a princess cursed with
icy breath, and a snow bear that sees it as a gift. It reads like a
very interesting, traditional fairy tale. Love Struck: An interesting love story and fairy tale about
selkies. A complex storyline, but quite sweet and beautiful. The Art Of Waiting: The story of a town that is incased in
snow and ice each winter, but melts to beauty in the spring. A man
and his daughter come to the town, and the townspeople wait to see
if they, like so many others, will leave. Interesting and amusing,
this reads much like a poem. Flesh For Comfort: A disturbing story about a girl willing to
do anything for beauty. Easily the most unsettling out of the
non-Wicked Lovely themed stories. The Sleeping Girl And The Summer King: This story was the
original inspiration for the Wicked Lovely series.
One extra point to make is the design of the whole novel. The cover
is exquisite and each story has a small illustration beforehand,
making it all beautiful to look at.
While all the stories are interesting and very well written, the
short story Winter's Kiss is the standout here.
I recommend this book.
Rebecca Adams
More or less : democracy and new media ed. by Helen Sykes
Future Leaders, 2012. ISBN 9780980332070.
(Senior secondary: Adult) Future leaders is an organisation which
seeks to foster and promote leadership by young Australians and
their latest publication is a collection of essays which guide
consideration of the nature and role of new media in Democratic
society. The second half of the book contains examples of creative
writing pieces submitted by senior secondary students.
Contributions by prominent Australians and academics form chapters
which are distinct and unrelated beyond the common theme of media.
The observations are often complex and sometimes expressed in lofty
terms, to the point that some contributors could be considered self
- indulgent. Other writers employ ordinary language to convey worthy
and thought provoking points of view and because the works stand
alone, the reader can be selective.
Whilst many secondary students will reject this work as too
challenging or because they are disinterested in the topic, others
will benefit from the opportunity to consider concepts and ideas
which they might not readily encounter in their regular sphere. This
is a notion touched upon by some of the writers when referring to
the standard and style of news / current affairs appearing on
television and radio or the staggering political bias perpetuated by
suffocating and dominating media ownership. Agenda driven or
erroneous material available on websites and blogs and the capacity
to reduce serious matters to puerile catch cries or to convert inane
or unimportant incidents to 'news' in online updates, sound grabs or
tweets is also revealed. Populist movements, regarded as powerful
and just or alternatively naive and ineffective, (depending upon
one's point of view) also come under scrutiny.
This book offers many insights on topics such as the balance of
freedom of information against personal privacy and security,
questioning whether we are becoming more ignorant when access to
information has never been greater and consideration of the
principle that exchange of ideas is vital in healthy democracies. If
nothing else is gained however, students will understand that they
must be discerning in what they read, see and hear, to appreciate
who is behind the presentation and to what extent they are being
manipulated.
Rob Welsh
Editor's note: A free copy of this book is available for every
secondary school. Contact Dr Helen Sykes at Future Leaders: helen@futureleaders.com.au
Bog Frog Hop by Kyle Mewburn
Ill. by Rebecca Cool. Little Hare, 2012. Hbk. RRP $22.99. ISBN
9781921714580.
'In a soggy bog is a mossy log and swimming around it are ten
polliwogs, plip,
plop, glip glop, flip, flop.
One slippery polliwog grows legs, becomes a frog.
Nine slippery polliwogs
Plopping in the soggy bog
One flippy floppy frog
Sitting on the mossy log
Croak Croak Lonely frog.'
This is the most entertaining roll-off-the-tongue counting rhyme
Miss Nearly 6 and I have shared for ages. The language is such fun
and such a great example of its rhythms and rhymes that it's a
delight to share. The illustrations by CBCA shortlisted illustrator
Rebecca Cool, are the perfect accompaniment with their colour,
simplicity and quirkiness. The little listener is drawn to counting
the polliwogs as more and more become frogs and as they do, there is
much to discover to intrigue and delight, especially when the
scriffy scruffy dog becomes part of the action. And all the while,
the rain falls harder - Drip! Drop! Glip! Glop! Splish! Splosh!
Plish! Plosh! Splish! Splash! Ka-plish! Ka-plash!
And then the rain stops . . .
I took this book to a kindergarten class I was teaching and we had
such fun turning it into a voice band to accompany the story and all
the counting, adding and subtracting we were doing. Then we had a
heap of fun creating our own polliwogs and frogs and raindrops for a
mural that showcased their talents for all to see. A must-have on
the shelves of our youngest students!
Barbara Braxton
Wired series by various authors
A and C Black, London, 2011. Drawing a veil by Lari Don. ISBN 9781 4081 5559 2. Pitch dark by Robert Dodds. ISBN 978 1 4081 5573 8.
(Ages: 11+) Recommended. Quick reads. One in the series, Wired,
aimed at lower secondary students with perhaps a need for a quick
read or who may have lower literacy levels, Drawing a veil
touches on issues within a school community which many students come
across. Amina has decided that she will now wear a veil. She wants
to be seen and known as a modest Muslim girl, and her friend, Ellie
is ambivalent about her reasoning, but when she is bullied stands up
for her right to make her own choice.
This little book deals effectively with the issue of a Muslim girl
wanting to wear a head scarf, and shows why she has decided to do
this, but along the way the book reveals bullying which occurs in a
school, and the strength needed to stand together for what the girls
believe. The arresting cover in which Amina stares out at the reader
will attract browsers.
The second, Pitch dark, tells a highly engrossing story of a
boy who moves to a new school, wanting to be selected for the soccer
team. When he is rejected he walks home through the now deserted
soccer pitch near his home and there exchanges shots with a man in a
wheelchair. When he says something about this at school, he is
derided as the team that played there was killed in a bus crash,
only the coach surviving. This is a neat little thriller, told
succinctly and well, and is another easily read offering in this
series.
Each of these books is very short, some 60 pages with large clear
print and wide margins and a few drawings to break up the pages.
Similar to the Lightning Strikes series, these will be
eagerly selected by students wanting something quick and easy or one
which aims at their lower literacy level, or to a classroom teacher
wanting a set of books to have for their students to fill in spare
moments or build a lesson round.
Fran Knight
The Greedy Crocodile by Sally Morgan
Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781921720659.
(Age: 8 years +) The Greedy Crocodile is a beautifully
illustrated collection of short stories and a companion title to The
Flying Emu. The author, Sally Morgan, was brought up in a
family where storytelling was a regular part of life and through the
book she hopes to share this pleasure with younger readers.
While the stories in the book are not traditional indigenous ones,
they nevertheless have an essentially Australian flavour. Greedy
crocodiles, fat wombats and dingos feature alongside magic and
spirits from the rivers and sky. The author was told some of these
stories as a child and the ideas for others have come from her
children, nieces and nephews. All the stories contain a moral lesson
for the reader to consider. The boy who nearly wished his life away
learns the hard way to be careful what you wish for and the proud
goanna becomes a victim of his own vanity.
The stories are all reasonably short but younger readers may find
the text a little too sophisticated to manage alone. However, they
will delight in hearing them read out loud and hopefully will enjoy
them enough to become storytellers themselves one day!
Tina Cain
Shadow Runners by Daniel Blythe
Shadow Runners series, Book 1. Chicken House, 2012. 243 pp
(Ages: 10-16) In this story we go on a journey into the
supernatural with our at times reluctant teenage heroine, Miranda
May. Set in a small English seaside town the book is distinctly
English in many of its references but still accessible for
Australian audiences. The scene is set when Miranda moves to a new
town after a family tragedy. It isn't long before strange things
start happening, not just around her but also to her. Finding it
hard to fit in Miranda is soon torn between two friendship groups, a
girl who has similar interests to her, and a mismatched group who
seem to know much more about the odd things happening in the town
than she does. Soon drawn into their mysterious group Miranda starts
to question everything and everyone she knows and is soon caught in
the middle of a mission to track down the dangerous shadowy evil
that threatens to destroy them all.
Themes of friendship, special abilities and the hidden paranormal
activity hiding in dull towns abound in this fast-paced and
intelligent book. The last chapter names the group of teens as 'the
shadow runners' and sets the scene for a plethora of follow up
titles for this new series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story
especially as it was full of believable teenage voices, wit and
banter. This is primarily achieved through the set up of the book as
the diary of Miranda which allows for her attitude and personality
to shine though in the text.
Although at times corny, implausible and overly exacting in its
explanation (perhaps not giving the reader enough credit) the book
is engaging and keeps suspense high with many twists, turns and
surprises. This story has little or no potential for classroom use
but will be enjoyed by younger readers who enjoy supernatural
stories set in the everyday world. The very subtle incorporation of
a hint of boy-girl adoration and the incorporation of some complex
ideas unnecessary for plot understanding make the book appealing to
a broad age range.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
