New Frontier, 2011. ISBN 9781921042812.
(Age 5-7) Recommended. Picture book. In a whimsical story inspired
by the journey of Bourke and Wills, Carnavas has a group of
young explorers travelling across wild country to deliver a valuable
parcel. Robert is the leader who is charged with the delivery by the
senior officer. He is accompanied by Will, the navigator; Ivy,
botanist, Henry biologist, and Lily the animal handler. The small
party has to overcome many obstacles on the way and some of the
expedition will not make it!
The story and illustrations are a delightful combination of humour
and whimsy. Adults and children will have fun giggling at the
situations that the team has to face and the traits of the team
members. Ivy the botanist is seen lost in a daydream of flowers,
Lily has to manage a difficult dog and a bug attacks Henry. Robert
as leader has to make some difficult decisions while Will leads them
to a bubbling waterhole. They will also come to realise that some of
the journeys that they face as children require skill and courage,
just like the early explorers.
Each double page spread tells the story of their adventures with the
final showing the dangerous land (a playground) that they had
traversed. There is a small paragraph about Burke and Wills on the
back page.
Children will be introduced to a more formal way of using language,
reminiscent of the times of Burke and Wills. Words like 'ramshackle',
'determination', 'biologist' etc. will increase their vocabulary and make
this a memorable book for them. Each time I read this book I found
more to smile about and think about. It is certainly a book with
appeal that grows on the reader!
Pat Pledger
The mouse stone by Andrew Melrose
Ill. by George Hollingworth. Pearson Australia, 2011. ISBN
9781442548176. 16pp
(Age: Early childhood and Junior Primary) Well recommended . A very
humorous story where the three children each have their own idea of
the problems for the mouse stuck in the stone. Annie sets the scene
but as the story unfolds the reader knows she really doesn't know
exactly what is going on. She, Billy and Meera take the story, as
only young people with amazing imaginations can, to very funny
conclusions. The ensuing discussions about why the mouse is stuck
are delightful for Billy can only think of his stomach and Meera is
concerned for his safety and we suspect Annie has lost control of
what appeared to be a simple problem. A delightful journey into
children's imaginations. Well written with clear expressive
language, appealing to the preschool child and the beginning reader.
A delight. The illustrations tell the story too, adding to the
enjoyment of the book. Text is well spaced and clear. The
illustrations are bright and expressive. A fun book to read aloud.
Sue Nosworthy
Editor's note: This is also available in paperback. ISBN
9781442548183.
Colours a bush rainbow with Gumnut babies
Scholastic Australia, 2011. ISBN 9781742830421.
(Age 2-4) Recommended. Board book. Beautiful illustrations from May
Gibbs bring this board book for young children alive. The back cover
states 'Learn the colours of the rainbow with May Gibbs' gumnut
babies.' Each page is adorned with a magical gumnut baby, carefully
selected from May Gibbs' drawings and with the print in the colour
that is being illustrated. When the reader comes to the end of the
book to see the rainbow each word is in a different colour to
illustrate the spectrum of colours.
But children will learn much more than colours from this book. Their
imaginations will soar like the gumnut baby who flies on a butterfly
high in the blue sky; they will long to touch the yellow glow of the
wattle and find a black spider for themselves, hanging from a leaf.
This little board book will bring those wonderful illustrations back
for another generation of Australians, and children's imaginations
will grow and flourish as they look at each magnificent drawing.
Pat Pledger
Lazy Lou Lou; Kind Katie by Susannah McFarlane and Lachlan Creagh
Little Mates (series). Scholastic, 2011.
Lazy Lou Lou ISBN 978 1 741698367 .
Kind Katie ISBN 978 1 741698356.
(Ages 3-5) Two more short stories in the Little Mates series, are
offered for young children. Brightly coloured, a nice size for
little hands to hold, with stories about Australian animals told
simply and with a warm charm, these will be picked up by the early
childhood centres, wanting a new range of books about Australian
animals to win over their students.
Kind Katie, a koala in the Kimberley, wants to join the karate
competition, but instead enters the karaoke competition, wearing her
kimono. A prevalence of words beginning with the letter 'k' will
have the listeners enthralled, as they guess at the range of words
which could be used in the slight story.
Lazy Lou Lou, the laziest lizard in the world, finds she is in a
position to save the little lizard from drowning and so decides to
become the life saver. A preponderance of 'l' words will have
students laughing as they and their teacher try to predict which 'l'
words will be used as the page is turned.
The series is now half way through the alphabet, and I'm agog with
anticipation about how the author will incorporate the x and the z.
Fran Knight
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
Bloomsbury, 2011. ISBN 9781408820186
(Ages 12+) All Tempest Maguire has ever wanted was to surf the
amazing waves near her Californian home and hang out with her
boyfriend, but life is never that simple. Tempest is half mermaid
and with her seventeenth birthday approaching she must decide what
she really wants; if she will stay with the life she knows now, or
if she will give herself to the ocean like her mother did six years
before. She knows the changes will begin soon after her seventeenth
birthday but then begin early, a whole week early, and she is so
angry because her mother said after her seventeenth birthday they
would begin. She has never wanted to be a mermaid, she has always
known she would choose human but when she meets Kona, a gorgeous
surfer whose amazing surfing abilities suggest he may be more than
human, the lure of the ocean becomes almost impossible to resist.
Soon enough she finds herself in the middle of a battle for
survival, with the future of the ocean at risk one mistake could
bring the end to life in the ocean.
This book is amazing and I wish it hadn't finished. You can feel all
of Tempest's emotions, well most at least. I would definitely
recommend this book as it has adventure, mythical creatures and has
amazing characters.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)
DC Super heroes by various authors
Raintree, 2011.
Superman: The Deadly Dream Machine by J. E. Bright
DC Super Heroes, Raintree, 2011. ISBN 978-1-406-22533-4.
(Ages 10+) Abra Kadabra is a magician from the future but is able to
travel through time. His magic tricks were considered silly in
comparison to the advanced technology of his time . . . the 64th
century! He causes havoc in the 21st century and attempts to use his
powers to take over the world. He has developed a dream machine that
makes you forget who you are and harnesses your power so you can be
brainwashed into doing his bidding! Superman has been caught! Will
he ever be able to escape and put Abra Kadabra behind bars?
Superman: The Shadow Masters by J. E. Bright
DC Super Heroes, Raintree, 2011. ISBN 978-1-406-22531-0.
(Ages 10+) Andrea Rojas is a Mexican anthropologist by day and a
super heroine by night. She becomes Acrata who can travel through
the shadows, fighting criminals and making them afraid of their own
shadows.
Acrata helps Superman when the evil Eclipso arrives and threatens to
take over the world. Superman and Acrata must stop him. Will they be
successful?
Superman: Cosmic Bounty Hunter by Blake Hoena
DC Super Heroes, Raintree, 2011. ISBN 978-1-406-22534-1
(Ages 10+) Lobo is an intergalactic bounty hunter who has been hired
by two evil aliens to capture Superman, dead or alive! The
evil aliens, Kalibak and Desaad, don't trust the bounty hunter and
trap him and Superman in a force field. Will Lobo and Superman join
forces and try to escape or is it the end of Superman? Will the
aliens be successful and take over the world?
Superman: Prankster of Prime Time by Martin Pasko
Raintree Publishers, 2011. ISBN 978-1-406-22532-7.
(Ages 10+) The Prankster uses a variety of tricks to distract his
victims. They end up laughing uncontrollably so the Prankster can
steal their belongings. Jimmy Olsen, the young photographer for The
Daily Planet, goes undercover to try to capture The Prankster. He is
discovered and really needs Superman to save him. Will Superman get
to Jimmy in time or will Jimmy's career end prematurely?
Janet Cassidy
Meet Grace by Sofie Laguna
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl (series). Penguin, 2011
ISBN 978 0 14 330528 6.
(Ages 9+) Recommended. Australian History. Grace, an eleven year old
struggling to find discarded and lost items amidst the mud on the
River Thames, is only one amongst many in London on 1808. At a time
when London had a bulging population, many of whom were poor,
illiterate and starving, Grace's few finds ensured her begrudging
uncle would feed her. But this relationship is dependent upon his
good will, and this is not often evident, so Grace finds herself in
the streets dreaming of a better life. Stealing an apple to give to
a horse lands her in Newgate Prison, ready for trial. From there she
is sentenced to seven years transportation and penal servitude
and from there taken to a ship where she will be part of the convict
cargo, bound for Sydney Cove on the other side of the world.
This little book, (about 100 pages, with large clear print) is part
of the series, Our Australian Girl. With the new Australian
Curriculum set to be used across the nation with an emphasis on
Australian History, this series is well placed to be picked up by
students and teachers alike.
This story, Meet Grace is the first in a group of four
novels about Grace and her journey from the banks of the River
Thames to the ship, Indispensible, her prison until she
reaches New South Wales. Students will not only read an engaging
historical novel, with a sympathetic main character, but will also
learn details about our forebears and how they came to this country.
At the end of each novel several pages giving information about the
life a child such as Grace would have lived, plus information about
the three novels following her life after London, with a teaser, a
few pages from the start of the next novel, A friend for Grace.
Fran Knight
A friend for Grace by Sofie Laguna
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl(series). Penguin, 2011,
ISBN 978 0 14 330529 3.
(Ages 9+) Recommended. Australian history. Grace is now aboard the
prison ship, Indispensible, where she has become friendly with
Hannah, a young girl her age also on the ship bound for New South
Wales. Hannah's mother, convicted for stealing, begged the judge to
allow her daughter to come with her to New South Wales, rather than
leave her alone and homeless in London. Through their eyes we see
the ship for what it is, a hovel, full of convicts, some of whom are
ill, smelling of vomit and death.
A second story about Grace, a convict girl bound for Sydney Town, in
the series, Our Australian Girl, will have wide appeal to
students and teachers wanting a warm hearted story about our
forebears. An engaging main charter, along with an informative
story, will be a boon for teachers looking for an interesting way to
teach the new curriculum. At the end of this story, is information
about the situation in Sydney Cove, and a teaser, the first chapter
of the story following the life of Grace when she arrives in the
penal settlement, Grace and Glory.
Fran Knight
Grace and glory by Sofie Laguna
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl (series). Penguin,
2011, ISBN 978 0 14 330530 3.
(Ages 9+) Recommended. Australian history. The third in the quartet
about the life of Grace, within the series, Our Australian Girl,
has Grace, newly arrived in Parramatta, being chosen by two settlers
to be their servant. She is taken to their bark and pine hut on the
river where they eke out an existence. Grace is viewed with
suspicion by her master, Tom, but his wife, Beth, comes to rely upon
the girl. An interesting look at the lives led by the early settlers
of this country is given as the backdrop for Grace's story of
gaining acceptance by her master, Tom.
As with the whole series, a small section a the end of the book
gives information about life at the time, and a teaser for the
fourth book in this series of books about Grace, A home for
Grace.
Fran Knight
A home for Grace by Sofie Laguna
Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. Our Australian Girl (series). Penguin,
2011, ISBN 978 0 14 330529 3.
(Ages 9+) Recommended . Australian history. The fourth in the
quartet of stories about Grace in the series, Our Australian
Girl, has Grace finally being accepted by her master, Tom,
after he realises that it is Grace who has helped nurse his beloved
horse, Glory, back to health. In this final book about Grace, many
loose ends are tied up, she meets again her friend from the convict
ship, Hannah and her mother, and finds that they live comparatively
close by. The background is fascinating, giving readers an
informative look at the privations suffered by the early European
settlers who came to this country. The characters are interesting,
put in situations at once unsettling and adventurous.
The four books about Grace will give history lessons a boost as the
class looks at the early settlement of New South Wales and ponders
the ideas around how early settlers coped with the strangeness of
the new land, and in particular, how children accepted their fate.
Fran Knight
Gamers' Challenge by George Ivanoff
Ford St., 2011. ISBN 9781921665516.
(Age: 10 - 14) Recommended. The action adventure sequel to Gamers'
quest finds Tark and Zyra in a deadly game where they are
pursued by a powerful computer virus, the VI, after they broke the
rules of the Game set down by the all-powerful Designers. They have
to locate the Ultimate Gamer who may have a key to help them find a
way out of the Game. Along the way they face some surprises as they
are not the only Tark and Zyra in the game, and they gain some powerful
allies. Will they be able to evade the VIs and save themselves and
their friends?
I found this to be a very exciting, action packed story that is sure
to appeal to people who love playing computer games or those who
love science fiction heroes like Dr Who. Ivanoff has put in lots of
familiar figures, like knights, chanting monks, zombies, a unicorn
and the disconcerting problem of seeing an older Tark and Zyra's
grown-up daughter, Hope. These all add to the excitement of the
story and provide enough blood and gore to keep the reader engrossed
in the story.
The suspense is sustained as Tark and Zyra try to discover just whom
the Ultimate Player is. There are thrilling moments when Zyra and
Hope chase after the Ultimate Gamer, with scenes of zombies pursuing
them and difficult games to be won. The Ultimate Gamer is a
surprise, but one that the reader will identify with, and he is the
one that will have to be defeated if they are to overcome the
computer virus.
A book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls, it will have
instant appeal for those who love computers and the action packed
series should also appeal to reluctant readers. An added bonus is a
book trailerand a website for the series.
Pat Pledger
Gamers' Challenge - Letting my imagination run wild by George Ivanoff
Gamers' Challenge is my first sequel. And boy, was it a lot
of fun to write. That's not to say that it wasn't a lot of hard work
as well . . . but as a sequel I found it quite liberating. It gave
me license to let my imagination run wild.
Writing Gamers' Challenge was quite a different experience
from writing Gamers' Quest. There was a lot more
'background' work on the first book - working out the logic behind
the game in which the characters are trapped; creating the universe;
developing the main characters. And a certain amount of that
background had to be included in the novel, so that readers felt
that the world and people within it were believable.
With the second book, most of that background work was already in
place. Yes, there were some new characters to introduce, but the two
main heroes carried on from the previous book. Knowing that readers
were already familiar with Tark and Zyra and their world, meant that
I could concentrate on making life difficult for them. And
it's those challenges that the characters face - the difficulties I
throw at them, the obstacles I pace in their way - that make the
story really interesting.
I've always said that my main motivation behind Gamers' Quest
was the desire to write the book that I would have loved reading as
a young teenager. So that's why it's set within a computer game
world; that's why it is populated with dragons and killer cyborgs
and robot spiders and an invading centurion army; that's why it is
fast-paced and action orientated; that's why it contains a Doctor
Who reference (yes, I was, and still am, a nerdy Doctor
Who fanboy).
With Gamers' Challenge I felt free to indulge my interests
even more. So, this book includes within its pages dinosaurs,
unicorns, homicidal balls of static, computer game cheat codes,
zombies, a World War II style battleground, sudden death pinball,
unicorns, a climactic computer game face-off, more dragons and
another Doctor Who reference.
That's not to say that the book is all mindless action. There were
things of interest to me as a teenager aside from action and
adventure. I spent a lot of time wondering what sort of person I
would be when I grew up. And I craved the perceived freedom I would
have when I finally finished school. I also spent many hours
pondering the bizarre notion that I, and everyone else in the world,
might just be pawns in some game controlled by a higher power.
The themes of reality and identity that I wove through the story of
Gamers' Quest are continued in the sequel. This time I took
the question of identity a step further - is it possible to choose
the sort of people we want to be, or are we destined to be what we
are programmed or taught to be; how much say do we have over who we
really are? And to all this I added the concept of freedom. One
character even asks 'What do you do with freedom when you get it?'
I enjoyed writing Gamers' Challenge. I really do think it is
a book that I would have loved reading in my youth. Now I've just
got to hope that the teenagers of today will feel the same way about
it as I do! Gamers' Challenge will be available in bookstores from 1
September.
George will be doing the following bookstore signings:
Dymocks Southland - 12.00noon - 1.30pm, Saturday 24 September 2011
Level 3 (opposite food court), Southland Shopping Centre,
Cheltenham, Vic
Collins Books, Northland -1.00pm - 2.00pm, Saturday 1 October 2011
Shop D1/2 (neat Safeway), Northland Shopping Centre, Preston, Vic.
For more information about the Gamers books, check out the official
website.
How the whale became and other stories by Ted Hughes
Faber and Faber, 2011 (1963). ISBN 978 0512744208.
(Ages 6+) Recommended. Storytelling. I was constantly reminded of my
favourite childhood book, the Just so stories, by Rudyard
Kipling, while reading this small volume of Ted Hughes' wonderful
animal legends. First published in 1963, the eleven stories of how
things came to be will evoke humour and a lasting interest in the
idea of storytelling. Hughes, Poet Laureate from 1984 until his
death in 1998, was one of England's favourite poets and children's
authors. And this book, How the whale became, exposes his
considerable talent to a new audience.
The stories show the animals at the beginning of time, wondering
what they will become in the world. Many try different things, until
they hit upon the animal they should be. Readers will roar with
laughter at the donkey trying to be a lion, an eagle, a bull and a
cockatoo, all giving them five minutes each, before hitting on being
a donkey.
The whale grows up in God's vegetable patch but in growing so large,
squashed God's carrots and so was banished to the sea. The polar
bear is lured out of the polar regions because it always wins the
beauty contests and the other animals are jealous. And so on. Each
creation story revolves a big issue, jealousy, independence,
conformity, and each is fun to read aloud or in a group. Bordering
on fables, the stories could well be used in a unit in the classroom
on storytelling, or fables, or creation stories, or to introduce a
study of animals, or just to have fun.
Fran Knight
This country series by various authors
Pearson, 2011.
(Age 10-14) This is a series of books that examines five countries
near to Australia. Each of the books has a contents page which lists
the following headings: Introduction, Environment, In the past,
Government, People, Day-to-day life, Unique relationship, Timeline,
Glossary, Index and Find out More. The Pearson website states that
'they focus on life in the country, as well as history, geography,
cities and countryside, conflicts, work, food and recreation.
Australia's particular relationship with each country is also
examined, including a focus on trade, movement of people for work
and leisure and emergency assistance provided by Australia.'
Each book has many attractive and up-to-date photos, for example,
India contains a photo of Julia Gillard with an Indian Minister. The
photos and text ably illustrate life in the country at the present
times. The day-to-day life section contain profiles and case studies
of two young students, giving a good flavour of how they live. A
timeline provides a quick glance at major historical events. Words
that are contained in the glossary are printed in bold throughout
the text, as an aid to the young reader. There is an index to major
pieces of information and students and teachers can explore an
internet site organised by Pearson after a school registration is
made.
India by Carmel Reilly Pearson, 2011. ISBN: 9781442547001. China by Cameron Macintosh. Pearson, 2011. ISBN
9781442546967. Papua New Guinea by Carmel Reilly. Pearson, 2011. ISBN
9781442546981. New Zealand by Carmel Reilly. Pearson, 2011. ISBN
9781442546998. Indonesia by Carmel Reilly. Pearson, 2011. ISBN 978144254
6974.
Pat Pledger
Crypt: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond
Headline, 2011. ISBN 9780755378210.
(Age: 12+) In 2007, thirteen year old Jamie, the son of Jason Goode,
a billionaire and IT guru, was convicted of murdering his mother by
throwing her off the battlements of their English castle. However
Jamie kept claiming 'the ghosts did it.' His father had no choice
but to believe him. Supported by his eminent scientist friend,
Professor Giles Bonati, Jamie learns that teenagers have high
extrasensory perception and can see ghosts where adults fail. They
set up a paranormal Investigation team (PIT) to examine hauntings
but their success has unexpected repercussions. The media coverage
scares the general public and the government closes them down.
However the British secret services negotiate with Jason Goode to
establish a covert operation, 'Crypt', the covert response youth
paranormal team. Part of the deal is that his son Jamie is released
to be an investigator, re-named Jud Lester.
People start disappearing or being viciously attacked in increasing
frequency in London and the only connection is that survivors claim
that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. The 'Crypt' team
must work out why the spirits are angry if they are to have a chance
of stopping them. Jud and his partner Bex, despite using retina
recognition scans and neutralisers, are in mortal danger when they
encounter the ghosts. Crypt is fast paced and at times a bit gruesome. Its mix of
ghost busting, adventure and horror, together with the teenage stars
means that it will appeal to many young adult readers. Recommended
for 12 years plus.
Kay Haarsma
