Text Publishing, 2012. ISBN 089 1 921758 33 1.
(Ages: 13+) Recommended. Dystopian. Nik and his fellow year 12
students are alert. ISIS representatives have entered the school
hall, ready to take away the best of the best for acceptance and
training for their elite guard. One by one, Nik's friends stand,
their name called, but at the end of the ceremony, Nik is still
there, seated. He and his friends are appalled, Nik is the top
student and no one can give him a credible reason for his omission.
Not being selected means he will be sent to the farms, or even
worse, made to join the army, fighting those who live on the other
side of the river, across the bridge, the Remnants, the Southsiders
And he knows that those who join the army do not live long.
A dystopian story of the divided city where the chasm between those
who have money and education and those on the southern reaches of
the city, has meant that both sides have deteriorated into
autocratic regimes, corrupt and self serving, spreading stories of
the other side to keep control, scaring people into submission. Nik
and Fy try to escape when their school is bombed, but in taking Fy's
younger brother, Sol, with them, must abandon everything and search
for him when he is kidnapped. The pair infiltrates the Southerners,
Nik being able to speak the language and so get close to one of the
commanders. Working with her, he sees a different side to the
stories he has been brought up with and a moral dilemma develops,
leading to his helping those he is with, the enemy.
There are comments about the divide between rich and poor, the haves
and have nots, the lust for power, the greed and self serving nature
of those in power. Many parallels to today's western society can be
drawn, making this a more interesting read than some dystopian
novels which are simply war novels set in a different space. The
story is compelling and the character of Nik, particularly, one that
held me intrigued, especially when the question of who his parents
were, combined with the question of just why he was rejected by the
ISIS in the fist place, is foreshadowed enticingly throughout the
novel, colouring much of what happens. And the many twists will keep
the reader guessing about what will happen to the end.
Fran Knight
The Loch Ness Monster: Fact or fiction? by Meredith Costain
Rigby, 2006. ISBN 9780731272280.
The Loch Ness Monster: Fact or fiction? has been written by Meredith
Costain, an experienced and prolific author of fiction and
non-fiction books for children. It is part of the series Making
Connections, and specifically belongs to the Comprehension Library
Grade 4. First published in this series in August 2006, it has
resurfaced now as an individual title. It is a slight paperback of
24 pages with a stapled spine.
The subject matter meets our seemingly universal fascination with
sightings and tales of the Loch Ness Monster. There is comprehensive
coverage of the Loch Ness Monster legend provided in a logical,
chronological order.
There is a clear, uncluttered layout with appropriate illustrations
- colour and black and white - with photographs, diagrams and maps.
The illustrations are labelled in a clear blue type. Chapter
headings are labelled in a very large, green type and sub-headings
are labelled in a large red type. There is also assistance with
pronunciation throughout the text eg 'plesiosaur [say:
pleese-e-o-sor]'.
Included are Contents, Glossary and Index with bold type throughout
the text for Glossary entries. Inside the back cover of the book are
critical literacy activities, which consist of a Graphic organiser
and Questions. They could be used for a whole class, groups or
individual students.
This book could be described as a Primary reader with large type for
young readers. It is suitable for Primary students, for Middle
school students eg for research into History mysteries, and for
those in remedial literacy programs.
For those interested in the series Making Connections they will find
an explicit framework to teach comprehension skills. For classroom
use there are interactive big books, blackline master books,
teacher's resource books and CD-ROMs. In the Comprehension Library
Grade 4 there are 5 books by various authors including The Loch Ness
Monster: fact or fiction? Each text is written to address a specific
skill and for this book that is fact and opinion.
M. E. Strickland
The leopard boy by Julia Johnson
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 84780 213 2
(Ages: 8+) Warmly recommended. Endangered animals. Khalid minds the
goats on the mountain bringing them back to the village at night.
When a kid is missing he searches the site for hours trying to find
it, concluding that it has been taken by a wild animal. His uncle
sets a trap for the animal, displeased that a kid is missing, but
also not wanting a possible sighting of a leopard to spoil his plans
to sell some land around the village for building material. When
Khalid meets an old man who lives alone in the mountains, he learns
a different attitude to the animals, and longs to see a leopard for
himself, spending many hours with the man and learning his skills.
One day they meet and spend several nights on the mountain and
finally get to see a leopard and its cub. Khalid is overjoyed at the
sight, but when he returns home, finds his uncle is about to sign an
agreement with the developers. He is beaten and locked away until
his mother helps him escape.
A neat resolution sees the villagers turning their hands to another
way of making money and at the same time, protecting the leopards
which live in their mountains. A wonderful story of endangered
animals and what the ordinary person can do to protect their
environment is shown through the endearing tale of Khalid for middle
primary students.
Fran Knight
Revived by Cat Patrick
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781921690631.
Highly recommended. Daisy has died five times and each time been
brought back with a super drug called Revive. Daisy has to move
cities and change identity to avoid suspicion, each time she was
Revived. Her latest move, Daisy has some unexpected complications; a
new best friend and a hot crush. Daisy grows attached to her new
home. At her new home, Daisy uncovers secrets and the more she
learns, the more she wishes she didn't. When God starts showing up,
Daisy gets suspicious.
Cat Patrick begins the book in a really interesting way and
then and gets straight to it. I liked that they main character died
in the first two pages, you don't read that very much. All the
characters were easy to like. The descriptions of the characters
were really interesting and quite accurate; Cassie's description was
my favourite and was amusing. The tragedy that happened midway
through the book changed my perspective on the Revive serum.
The Australian book cover, to me, is from the first chapter, and is
a good interpretation of that scene.
Cecilia Richards (Student)
Meeting Stephen Axelsen by Fran Knight
By anyone's standards, Stephen Axelsen has had an amazing life as an
author-illustrator, beginning with a Social Science degree,
ostensibly to lead him into his father's business. But driving to
Perth from Sydney and sleeping under a dining room table for the
next three months while he wrote his first novel, The Oath of
Bad Brown Bill led him to win a commendation at the CBC
Children's Literature of the Year Awards in 1979. A career in
business set aside, he produced cartoon strips for the NSW Education
Department's The School Magazine for some 20 years, while
illustrating at least 40 books. He recently won the May Gibbs
Children's Literature Trust Fellowship which gave him a residency in
Adelaide to work on a new project.
Sitting in Mary Martin's Bookshop/Cafe on Norwood Parade one lovely
Adelaide autumn day was all that I wanted, with Stephen telling me
between salad and English Breakfast Tea, about his work. Authors I
know have had to struggle to make ends meet. Their daily task of
writing is often shelved to do stints at schools or festivals or
even picking oranges, or at the every least, relying on a partner's
income for daily sustenance, and illustrators are even more
constrained, Stephen tells me, his last book taking 1100 hours of
drawing to see it finished.
His current project The Nelly Gang for Walker Books
Australia concerns the antics of a girl during the Gold Rush in
Victoria. First appearing as a comic strip in The School
Magazine, Stephen expanded the idea to make a graphic novel.
The graphic format gives Stephen an ideal opportunity to research
the times, something he relishes as he strives to get the background
of the story drawn as accurately as possible. And being a lover of
bushrangers and paddle steamers he is able to delve into several of
his passions at the same time. Begun in 2008, this will be published
in 2013.
He has seen publishing houses come and go since his first book was
polished in 1975. Names like Rigby, Lothian, Collins, Nelson, Pan,
McVitty and many more are now amalgamated with other companies or
have simply vanished. One publisher which held copies of his earlier
book about Vikings, accidentally pulped all the copies, so your copy
is sure to make a small fortune on the secondhand market sometime
soon.
In the recent past he has written and illustrated a series beginning
with A Very Messy Inspection, many titles for Puffin's Aussie
Nibbles as well as Lothian's Gigglers, and the Allen
and Unwin series, It's True, in fact pick up many books for
middle primary which are resplendent with funny, quirky
illustrations, and you may find Stephen named as the illustrator.
His clear, large line drawings are instantly recognisable, offering
an unfussy, lucid adjunct to the words in the book.
Always fascinated by other illustrators' work, we talked about Craig
Smith, Shaun Tan, May Gibbs, Dorothy Wall, Vivienne Goodman amongst
others, which easily led us to talk about his preferred method of
drawing, a graphic tablet with the Wacon program for digital
drawing. Stephen sketches out his illustrations, transferring them
to the graphic tablet before filling in the colour and detail. He
demonstrated this at his evening presentation for the May Gibbs
Children's Literature Trust gathering at Burnside library recently,
and he was surprised at the level of interest it created. None of us
had seen this before and the children in particular were keen for
some hands on experience.
Self effacing (see his drawing of himself on his website), Stephen found
during his university years, that drawing suited him and spent many
hours sketching his friends, using the illustrations of Dorothy
Wall, Ronald Searle and Arthur Rackham as his models. From there
opportunities beckoned and we are the richer for it.
I loved The Mostly True Story of Matthew and Trim a Notable
book in the CBC awards in 2006 and was surprised to find it out of
print, as my copy has mysteriously found a better home. But books do
not seem to hang around a long time anymore, and this can be a
problem for an author illustrator who relies on his books to live.
When researching Stephen's books prior to meeting him I was amazed
that my local public library had to retrieve his books from storage.
Stephen was most sanguine about the way publishing is headed and saw
this as a sign of the times.
For more information see his website
which offers a fascinating insight into the work he does other than
the books we see on the shelves.
Fran Knight (April, 2012)
Dead, actually by Kaz Delaney
Allen and Unwin, 2012. ISBN 978
(Ages: 12+) Recommended. Humour. When Willow leaves work one night,
she happens upon a car accident, in which JoJo, the top A-lister at
school, is killed. Shortly after she begins to receives overtures of
friendship from JoJo's friends and ex boyfriends, so knows something
is very wrong. She baulks at going to the funeral but is finally
convinced when JoJo's ghost appears in her room, telling her that
she must find out who murdered her. Willow is gobsmacked, she was
definitely not one of that crowd, and despised JoJo and her friends
for their vanity and superficial lifestyle, but she does not want
JoJo's belligerent ghost living in her bedroom for any longer than
is absolutely necessary.
There follows a truly funny modern ghost story, morphing into a
crime thriller with a light touch of romance. Willow and her friend,
Macey, who she tells about the ghost, in case she is truly going out
of her mind, and Macey's brother, Seth, who admits being blackmailed
by JoJo, lend a hand. The trio works the crowd at the appalling wake
after the funeral, complete with the JoJo's friends dressed as black
angels; gathering information, watching for clues, listening to
gossip.
At the same time, Willow is trying to protect her parents from a
sleaze who is attempting to take their money, while the love of her
life, Seth, suggests they pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend to
winkle out information from JoJo's friends.
All told with the tongue firmly in a cheek, this very funny story is
set against a sleazy wealthy community in coastal Queensland,
amongst a group of girls we often see portrayed in teen movies.
Their idiosyncratic behaviour is neatly portrayed, their empty
lifestyle nicely judged while the integrity and strength of the
three sleuths makes a stunning point of comparison. JoJo redeems
herself at the last minute, providing a neat resolution to the whole
funny story.
Fran Knight
Greek myths by Ann Turnbull
Ill. by Sarah Young. Walker Books, 2012. ISBN 9781 4063 3938 3.
(Ages: 9+) Warmly recommended. Greek mythology. A new retelling of
the Greek myth is always something to feast upon, and this is no
exception. Retold by children's writer, Ann Turnbull, the stories
are given a tantalising air of promise and daring in her hands,
leading the reader into the familiar stories retold with verve and
excitement. The accompanying illustrations by Sarah Young are
beautiful adjuncts to the stories, the styised faces and backgrounds
adding to thee bold words.
So we have the story of Persephone being kidnapped by Hades and
tricked into eating, so forcing her to stay with him in the
underworld. But her mother begs the Gods for help, and so Persephone
returns each year, bringing spring and summer to the world, while
her descent into Hades each year, brings the drear of autumn and
winter.
Divided into three sections, Earth, the heavens and the underworld:
Monsters and heroes: Gods and mortals, each section brings to light
some well known stories, Persephone, The Minotaur, Atalanta and
Midas, amongst others, while revealing several lesser known (at
least to me) Bellerophon, Kalydonian boar hunt and and a slightly
different take on Pandora. All are enticing, the combination of the
words and illustrations forcing the reader to curl up in a corner
and just read, revelling in the stories thousands of years old,
seeing with new eyes some of the links to other myths and legends
heard long ago but only vaguely recalled.
Fran Knight
Baby tawnies by Judy Paulson
Random House, 2012. ISBN 978 1 74275 576 2
(Ages: 6-8) Recommended. Picture book. Owls. A loving look at two
baby Tawny Frogmouths as they begin to spread their wings, learn
about their environment, testing how far they can go without taking
too many risks while their parents are away fetching their food.
Each night, Lyla urges Reggie to hop on the branch with her, as she
tests her wings. She finds she can hop on the branch, then she
attempts to creep along the branch, urging Reggie to follow. Each
night they try something a little further away from the safety of
their nest until one night they can fly.
But all this effort takes its toll, so when the parents return with
their night's foraging, the two are fast asleep.
In alternate pages, the baby tawnies try out their wings, while the
parents return with food, surprised at their offspring being asleep,
but the repetition of the sequences will be intriguing to younger
readers as they learn about the baby birds learning their skills,
and see what the parents bring back for them to eat.
This is a lovely book to introduce baby animals and their needs and
learning, as well as the role the parents play in the development of
their young, and specifically, what tawny frogmouths eat.
The beautiful illustrations, models of felt, wool and wire, are
stunning and readers will be as intrigued as I was in looking
closely at the birds to see how they were made.
Fran Knight
Crypt: Traitor's revenge by Andrew Hammond
Headline, 2102. ISBN 978-0755378227.
(Age: Teenagers: 13 years and up - in particular boys). Recommended.
This book is the second in the C.R.Y.P.T. series and
although I have yet to read the first The Gallow's Curse, I
was certainly able to follow the storyline in Traitor's revenge.
It follows the investigation of the Crypt team: Covert Response
Youth Paranormal Team into some paranormal activity at the Houses of
Parliament in Westminster, London. I love the fact that a
significant historical figure from British history is portrayed in
such an unusual manner. People's preconceived notions of ghosts and
their abilities will be challenged by reading this book.
Never so fast has 340 pages been read. I love the suspenseful story
line that takes the reader on lots of plot twists. I didn't want to
put the book down. Take a historical event, a city steeped in
history - York and add ghosts with diabolical intentions and you
have one exhilarating read. Andrew Hammond's evocative imagery takes
the reader right into the room with the characters. The chapters are
written in such a way that the pace of the book speeds up building
to the climax of the story.
I think in particular that this book will appeal to teenage boys -
it has attention grabbing storylines, characters that they will
relate to and enough gruesome gore and blood that will have them
begging for more. I believe that as the chapters are one - three
pages long that it may even appeal to reluctant readers. The way
they are written ensures that the reader craves to know what is
going to happen next. I loved the book and cannot wait to read the
first one so that I can understand the story of the main characters
and as to how C.R.Y.P.T. was established.
I was a little disappointed by the ending as it seemed to be settled
very quickly after such a build up the throughout the chapters. I
felt that the ending was a little rushed. Having said that I am
really looking forward to the 3rd in the C.R.Y.P.T. series Mask
of Death which will be released in 2013.
Elaine Grottick
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Atom, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-90741-37-3.
(Age: 14+) 'Do you think being the Scion matters to me if I lose
you? Because it doesn't. None of this matters.'
'Calla has always welcomed war, but now the final battle is upon
her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren even if
it incurs Shay's wrath, there's keeping her brother Ansel safe even
if he has been branded a traitor. There is also proving herself as
the pack's alpha, and ridding the world of the Keeper's magic once
and for all. When the final battle ends Calla must decide what to do
and who to love. That is if Calla even makes it out alive. ' (Blurb)
Bloodrose is the final installment of the Nightshade
trilogy, the main character Calla Tor faces many of the same
problems that she faced in Wolfsbane, such as trying to keep Ansel
safe from the Keepers, who the correct person is to love, trying to
rid the world of the Keeper's magic, trying to find all of the
pieces of the Elemental Cross, trying to find Ren and many other
problems that present themselves along Calla's journey. The novel is
set in many different places such as a forest, Italy, and a castle.
I enjoyed reading this novel because it is told from Calla's point
of view, and I also feel as if I am in the story. Andrea Cremer has
done a beautiful job of creating this suspenseful story. I also
enjoyed reading this novel because of the friendship, family,
romance and adventure themes that present themselves during the
story. Bloodrose is the perfect way to end the Nightshade
trilogy; as it keeps you in suspense until the final chapter.
I would recommend this novel to older readers.
Emily Madden (Student)
Dingo's tree by Gladys Milroy and Jill Milroy
Magabala Books, 2011. ISBN: 9781921248436.
Highly recommended for ages 7 and up. When dingo wishes to escape
from the hot, summer sun, the other animals refuse to allow him to
share their shady trees. Instead, he draws a picture of a tree
boasting many branches, each covered in raindrops, on the rock
outside his cave. Dingo awakens to find that the tree has indeed
grown, tall and straight, directly up into the sky. To his
disappointment, however, it has no branches or leaves thereby
causing the animals to laugh at him. Over time, the land falls prey
to the drought and, whilst the other waterholes dry up, dingo's
continues to remain full. Unlike the other animals that have teased
dingo and failed to share, he kindly allows each of the other
creatures to drink from his waterhole. A cyclone occurs. As a
result, the waterholes are filled but dingo's tree disappears. As
the earth goes through additional seasons, the animals talk together
about their problems and the changes they notice. Crow adopts
'Little Tree' to keep watch over the raindrop it holds and life goes
on until even larger problems occur. Finally, when the rivers cease
to flow and the mountains are decimated, who will take care of the
environment? Will there be a happy ending?
Containing a sobering, cautionary tale about the environment and the
detrimental effects of man, this title would make a welcome addition
to the classroom library. It could be used as an introduction when
embarking on any study of the Australian environment. The
custodianship of the land and the responsibility of humans for our
native flora and fauna are highlighted in a confronting manner, yet
the bright and appealing illustrations make it acceptable to younger
children as well. Due to the substantial amount of text, this title
is perhaps better suited for middle primary students to read
independently but could certainly be read aloud to younger students.
This would be perfectly suited to my unit on drought and the
Australian landscape.
Jo Schenkel
The one and only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Harper Collins, 2012. ISBN 978 0 00 745533 1.
(Age: 9-14+) Highly recommended. I have often wondered if animals
could talk, would we as humans, change our behaviour towards them.
The One and Only Ivan, told in the first person by Ivan the silver
backed gorilla, penetrates both your mind and your heart, as Ivan
describes his life in captivity for the past 30 years. Based on a
true story, Ivan was captured and transported to America where he
was purchased to entertain the shoppers in the Exit 8 shopping mall.
His world consists of a glass cage and a few friends, Stella the
aged and ill elephant, Bob the homeless dog and Julia, the cleaner's
daughter who visits after hours. It is the arrival of the young
elephant Ruby, that impacts and changes Ivan's life the most, that
and the chance TV viewing of other gorillas in a more natural zoo
environment.
Ivan can paint and through his art he tries to communicate the
future he wants for Ruby and himself. Katherine Applegate wanted to
give Ivan the voice that could talk to humans, could tell his story
and she achieves this wonderfully.
Told in a diary style, this book is emotional and at times,
disturbing. The wisdom and kindness of the animals is evident and
not all humans are without compassion and question 'How could this
happen?'
The book trailers are just as emotive as the book and can move you
to tears. There is one here and here.
Ivan, a real gorilla, now lives at Zoo Atlanta, and you can see him
online.
I highly recommend this book to 9 to 14+ year olds.
Jane Moore
The wrong boy by Suzy Zail
Black Dog Books, 2012. ISBN 978-1-742031-65-1.
(Ages: 14+) Four stars. In Suzy Zail's emotional narrative, The
Wrong Boy, Hanna Mendel is caught in the midst of the horrors
of the holocaust. This is Suzy Zail's first work of fiction for
young adults and from its opening page, the reader will feel empathy
and heartache for those who suffered during this violent era.
Hanna is a young Jewish teenage girl with aspirations for her
future. She has hopes of becoming a concert pianist, and is imbued
with excitement at the prospect of attending the Budapest
Conservatorium of Music. With such promise so close at hand, Hanna
can barely comprehend the impact that her family's incarceration in
the Debrecen ghetto, and ultimately their internment in
Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp is about to have on her life.
With moving clarity, Hannah's voice throughout reveals the stench
and raw agony of the cattle trains, the belching prison chimneys,
and her awakening to the plight of her family, as her father is
drawn away by the SS Guards, leaving her sister and mother to cope
alone. Finally with the branding A10573 on her arm, she knows her
life has changed forever. Hanna makes an opportunistic decision and
joins the Birkenau Women's Orchestra. Her actions have unexpected
consequences as she begins an unusual relationship.
This novel will be an excellent library and resource book. It will
help to open the conversation with young teenagers about this dark
side of modern history, and the atrocities borne by the Jewish
people during the Second World War. Suzy Zail has researched well
and draws extensively from her wide reading, and her father's first
hand accounts of his experiences during the holocaust.
Colleen Tuovinen
Muncle Trogg and the flying donkey by Janet Foxley
Ill. by Steve Walls. Chicken House. ISBN 9781906427955.
(Age: 7+) Recommended. The second Muncle Trogg book features
Muncle, the world's smallest giant, and his good friend Emily. In
this story, Muncle is trying to encourage everyone to evacuate their
volcano home before it erupts. Fearing that no-one will listen to
such a tiny giant, Muncle develops a plan to persuade his friends to
listen to the Wonder Donkey, and Emily helps the plan come to life.
This book is full of wonderfully vivid scenes, designed to take the
reader on a flight of fancy. The scene where the giants are training
their dragons is particularly special. Young readers will love all
the clever illustrative additions, like 'scrape this up for a tasty
snack' and the thumb prints on the edges and corners of the pages,
really add to the 'authentic' feel of the story.
One of those books you can give to a young man (or lady!) and have
them disappear on a rainy weekend to escape to another world
entirely. The language is rich and imaginative, without being
anything you wouldn't want your Smalling repeating, and the
friendship between Muncle and Emily is very special indeed - without
issuing spoilers, Emily saves his life. The relationship between
Muncle and his family is also special - apparently a big change from
the first book, where Muncle is upside downed by his 'little'
brother quite often.
This is a rollicking read for ages 7+ and comes recommended,
especially for reluctant readers.
Freya Lucas
Wanda Wallaby finds her bounce by Jonathan Emmett
Ill. by Mark Chambers. Bloomsbury Paperbacks. ISBN 9781408818398.
Recommended. A fundraiser for the London Zoological Society, this is
a bright and colourful story about a wallaby called Wanda who has
lost her bounce. She wanders through the book, asking lots of other
animals for help, until she meets the crocodile, who proves an
unlikely ally in her quest.
The book uses clever devices, such as random capitalised words, to
keep the reader engaged. The watercolour illustrations are
captivating and engaging for small eyes, and Wanda really does
appear to move through the story. Another interesting aspect is the
use of all 5 senses through the story -Wanda asks the animals what
her bounce might look, smell, sound, feel and taste like. This would
be a good entry point to further explore and discover the 5 senses
with young readers.
One small criticism would be the description of the echidna in the
story as an anteater. The 'fun animal facts' at the end of the story
states that 'all of the animals in this story live in Australial. My
Australian reader was very perplexed by my reading of 'anteater'
when it was, quite clearly, an echidna in the picture. It seems such
an odd choice in an English publication, designed to introduce
children who otherwise wouldn't be familiar, to Australian animals.
That said, this book really is a lovely one, with a humorous twist
at the end, which small readers will enjoy. Recommended.
Freya Lucas
