Reviews

Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin

Doubleday, 2010. ISBN 978 0385617031.
(Ages 12+) Historical fiction. Indulged and spoilt, used to getting her won way, Zarita's behavior causes the hanging of a poor man who tried to ask her for money. His son is taken away to be a galley slave, and Zarita, finding her mother has died, tries to make some sort of amends by seeking out the boy's mother and making her final days more comfortable. We are plunged into a world of Isabella and Ferdinand of fifteenth century Spain, intent not only of joining their two large provinces, but also to join all parts of Spain to make a one country. One way to do this is to rid Spain of any believers who do not espouse the one true faith, Catholicism. The Inquisition is revived and makes it way through many areas of Spain, torturing and killing as it sweeps all before it.
It is an horrific period of history to write about, and Breslin certainly makes the reader feel part of this, with the inquisitors torturing innocent people to scare the rest of the village, or the boy, Saulo, on a galley seeing people brutalized to row the ship and then being embroiled in a fight to the death with pirates. He escapes his servitude through intelligence and cunning, and is saved by none other than Christopher Columbus, intent on sailing west across the Ocean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) to find a way around the world. One highly charged incident follows the other, as the lives of the two protagonists, the spoilt girl and the beggar's son intersect.
Columbus has gone to the court to seek permission from Isabella and Ferdinand, Zarita is there to beg innocence in the wake of her step mother's accusations, Saulo is there to seek revenge upon his dead parents and the dreaded inquisitor is there too, ready to hunt down any more idolaters, with Zarita in his sights. The stage is set for the thrilling climax.
The over riding idea of the misuse of power by leaders using religious intolerance for their own ends resonates through the novel as the dreaded Torquemada and his minions ply their nasty trade. The power of intolerance seeps through everything, terrifying everyone and forcing people do behave in ways foreign to them.
Fran Knight

The lost treasure by Jan Stradling

Ill. by Cassandra Allen. Walker Stories series.Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 978 1928629086.
(Ages: 6-8) One in the series of Walker Stories, written specifically for younger readers venturing into chapter books with a plot and action, so building confidence in reading, this one will capture their imaginations and help them become comfortable in reading for themselves.  Pirate Hamish and Pirate Ruby are rivals on the seas. Hamish is always after treasure for himself, whereas Ruby is always out to help people. On finding a bottle with a message, floating in the sea, both pirates head for the island, only to discover a most forgetful castaway. Spurred on with the smell of treasure, following many maps written by Jack as a memory aid, Pirate Hamish digs lots of holes, while Pirate Ruby is more than satisfied just being helpful. A neat bow to recycling and conservation along with a morally sound climax round off an absorbing tale.
A fun, easy to read story which does not pander to children whose word knowledge is developing, this is one of as series of more than 16 such tales. Published in a small easy to hold form, with bright inviting and sturdy covers, both the story and its illustrations will hole the reader's attention.
Fran Knight

Pond magic by Angela Sunde

Puffin, 2010. ISBN 978 014330525.
(Ages 10-12) Recommended. Another in the highly successful series, Aussie Chomps, this very funny story has poor Lily watching herself turn into a frog. At first she notices her skin is going green, then she embarrasses herself highly in the school bus with the most enormous burps, when changing for swimming, she suddenly notices the webbing between her feet, and to top it all off, she wins the race easily, using the fastest breaststroke anyone has ever seen. Combine all this with eruption on her face and a proclivity for flies, Lily's life is a mess.
Her mother, Mrs Padd, surprises her with a French exchange student, coming to stay and Lily is determined not to like him. But he speaks French. So when Mrs Swan next door confesses that is it her doing that is causing these momentous changes, Lily finds something on the web in French, needing his discretion to translate it and so get her life back to some sort of normalcy.
A great read with lots of puns and jokes around frogs and green things.
Fran Knight

Fear: 13 stories of suspense and horror ed. by R.L. Stine

Random House, 2010.
(Teenagers +) Fear is a great book. It has amazing twists that you won't see coming and each of the thirteen stories are different.
The story Suckers by Suzanne Weyn is about a boy named Phil. It's the end of his junior high year and his parents decide to move to the newly formed planet Lectus but then people start disappearing.
And then there's also the story Shadow Children by Heather Brewer. It is about a boy called Dax who misses out on going to his friend's party because he has to baby sit his brother (Jon). But when Jon's night light goes out and Dax refuses to fix it the shadows kidnap Jon.
Another story Tuition by Walter Sorrells is about a boy named Marlon. It's his 17th birthday and all he wants is a normal life, one that doesn't involve stealing. He is on what could be his last job if it goes successfully but if it doesn't he will go to jail.
I loved this book. As soon as I read the first sentence I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, suspense and monsters.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9781599906188.
Ivy Devlin, author of Low Red Moon, has created a masterpiece I wasn't able to put down.
Low Red Moon is made up with the main characters, Avery, a girl who believes she is no more than human but is actually wrong, Ben, the cute, new-boy at school, hiding something that changes Avery's life, Renee, Avery's grandmother, Ron, the deceiving sheriff and Louis, Ben's great-uncle.
Avery's parents are brutally murdered. Strangely enough, Avery can't remember anything about that night, only that her mum wanted her to go out and pick mushrooms for their dinner. She can, however, remember silver. Silver slicing through the air inhumanly fast, the sounds of tearing flesh and blood. Blood soaking right through her clothes, shoes, all through her hair and between her toes.
Then Ben comes to town. Avery feels a strange pull towards him, she can feel what he is thinking and feeling. Ben feels the same pull towards Avery, only stronger. He also feels what she is thinking and feeling.
At first Avery builds trust in Ben, only for it shatter almost immediately. Ben tries so hard to stay away from Avery, for her own good, but Avery wants Ben, as does he want her so they always find each other.
This book has the Bella-Edward romantic edge to it along with the murder mysteries and threats. I loved this book and I recommend it to all of the 'Team Jacob' fans. Happy reading!!
Heidi Bigge (Student)

Don't judge a girl by her cover by Ally Carter

The Gallagher girls 3. Hachette, 2010.
(Age 12+) Don't judge a girl by her cover is a really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
It all started for Cammie (Cameron Morgan) when her best friend/room-mate, Macey McHenry (the vice president's daughter) asks her to spend the rest of summer break with her in Boston. Macey, Cammie and Preston (President Winter's first son) go up to the roof where they aren't supposed to be, when suddenly a helicopter begins to hover over the roof. Their door to get back inside gets slammed shut and locked and there is no way down. A gang jumps out of the helicopter and begins to atttack, so Preston gets to safety, but then there is no other escape, so they make as many of their spy moves as they can. When they get to safety, they are with the ones they knew, but in a place they had never seen before.
As the story goes on, Cammie's aunt comes the college as a protector for Macey while Bex, Liz (the other room mates) and Cammie, sneak out of the school to track down Macey when she isn't at school to make sure that the Circle of Cavan don't get her.
When Macey finds out about her family's past, she runs away, taking the disguises with her. When the secret service wouldn't listen to Cammie, Bex and Liz when they tried to tell them where Macey was, they snuck out again. When it was all resolved it got mega crazy and hurtful for Cammie.
It took me a nail-biting two days to read to read Don't judge a girl by her cover, as it was absolutely fantastic to read and I highly recommend people to read this book. I also recommend this book for people 12-13 and over as a person any younger probably wouldn't understand a lot of it. Warning to parents, it has some violence in it (ie. guns and other weapons.)
I found it really well worded and it all seemed so real, I actually cried in one part. The characters also seemed so realistic and alive.
The characters travelled from DC to Ohio to Boston and back to the Gallagher Girls college over and over.
This book has a set theme of spy-work, family and fame. It has a great story-line, one that I certainly would read again, in fact I wouldn't mind reading all the other books in the series.
I found it a great book and I highly enjoyed reading it, so jump in and grab a copy for yourself.
Tayla Pollard, 13

Scout by Nicole Pluss

Penguin, 2010. ISBN 978 0 14 3204589.
(Ages 11+) Historical Fiction. Aboard the ship, Scout, headed for the colony of South Australia, Kit and her mother are aghast from the start when they are sent to the bottom of the ship with the steerage passengers rather than the cabin they have booked in the intermediate deck. But one of the passengers, a landed gentleman, along with his whole staff and family has taken over that deck with his belongings, so Kit and her mother must comply. Luckily they are reassigned and spend their weeks aboard ship with people they would not normally have mixed with, and are deferential and grateful. Pluss easily outlines the tedium and everyday monotony of the days and weeks spent at sea, underlining the challenge of keeping oneself private but at the same time, making friends. A range of people inhabit the ship, from the easy Clarissa; the sailor, Angel, with whom Kit develops a relationship; the wealthy family with their entourage bound for South Australia, the crew and captain. Each has their own story to tell, and Pluss effortlessly draws us into the confined world that makes up one of these tiny ships.
All the time I recalled the Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide with its mockup of a ship bringing settlers to Adelaide in the nineteenth century and was struck again with these people's tenacity and courage. Coming to Australia voluntarily in the mid nineteenth century is a step beyond comprehension. Pluss has told their stories with verve and relish, and it is fascinating to see that this book is designated non fiction in some quarters. Pluss' research is obvious, her depth of knowledge about the ship is infectious and the passengers and crew that she has presented will make readers stop and give thought to their own forebears and the privations they suffered in reaching these shores and by implication, take time to think about the refugees who brave the seas north of Australia.
The hitting of an iceberg in the Southern Ocean is the impetus for a huge change in all their lives, as many who abandon the ship aboard lifeboats, are never seen again, while the few who stay aboard, eventually find safety with a whaler. Again and again, the reader is reminded of the precarious nature of these voyages in uncertain seas. And as I write this, the news is of some 30 refugees drowning north of Christmas Island, making the poignancy of this novel even more crushing.
The romance between Kit and the sailor will keep many female readers intrigued, but what kept me reading was the very real setting and the nature of the relationships between people compared with those of today.
Fran Knight

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Penguin, 2010. ISBN: 9780141331997.
(Teenagers+) Highly recommended. This book is about a 17 year old girl named Haven Moore who has had visions of a past life where she is a young lady named Constance Whitman who falls in love with a young man named Ethan Evans. Whilst watching the news she sees a young man pop up on the screen and recognises him and she wonders if this could be her Ethan. She soon travels to New York to find him and when she does an epic love affair begins. Then some secrets come out in the open and Haven doesn't know who to believe anymore, she wants to believe that Iain (Ethan) is telling the truth but the odds are stacked up against him. She tries to find the truths behind all of the secrets, but can she do it before this life ends?
This book is a bit hard to get into at first, but once I did, I didn't want to put it down. It's a thrilling story about love and reincarnation. Haven needs to learn who to trust and what secrets are true, but all without hurting her family and friends. I seriously recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and the thought of reincarnation. It's a beautiful story about how soul mates will always find each other no matter what life you're in.
Taylor Oxenham (student)

Skoz the dog: Leader of the pack by Andrew Daddo

HarperCollins, 2010. ISBN 978 0733327827.
(Ages 8+) Warmly recommended. Skoz wakes finding himself very, very cold and surrounded by huge slavering dragons, much bigger than he. All is revealed though when he is attached to a sled the lead dog in a pack, and told to 'mush'. He tries hard to achieve what the sled owner wants him to do, but despite all this, he is left behind to be picked up by someone passing by. The howl of the wolves is enough for him to get himself free of his collar, and he runs, finding himself chased by polar bears and falling into snow drifts. Just when all seems to be at an end for poor old Skoz, he spies an igloo, and wouldn't you know it, the igloo contains his owner, Fergus and the family.
An endearing story of loss and survival, of finding friends in the oddest of places, as well as showing younger readers the range of animals found in Alaska, this, the fourth in the series about Skoz the sleepwalking dog, has warmth at its heart. Skoz is a wonderful creation and his sleepwalking takes him on paths that kids will love to follow, with illustrations that will keep smiles on their faces even when Skoz finds himself in perilous situations.
Fran Knight

Cat among the pigeons by Julia Golding

Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978 1 405237595.
(Ages 11+) Historical, Recommended. Cat Royal, an orphan living in the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane in London's West End at the turn of the nineteenth century brings all her skills to bear to try and save her friend, the escaped slave, Pedro. When he is spotted by his former owner, it seems all is lost for Pedro and his opening night performance in Shakespeare's The Tempest, where he is to play Ariel. But Cat draws in her friends and sends out pamphlets, enlisting the help of the Abolitionists, a group dedicated to freeing all slaves. Already they have been able to prevent slaves being taken out of England and it is only a matter of time before slavery is abolished altogether.
A courageous heroine, Cat fights for her friend's freedom, and the background of the theatre creates a fascinating backdrop to the events. This, the second in the series about Cat, will enthrall upper primary and lower secondary readers looking for a story which is full of adventure, exciting and set in a time rarely written about in children's literature. The intrigue behind the freeing of the slaves is fascinating, and gives another layer of interest to an already packed story.
Mark Knight

Last Tree in the City by Peter Carnavas

New Frontier Publishing, 2010. ISBN: 9781921042218.
(All ages) Recommended. Peter Carnavas is one of my favourite storytellers. He always seems to be able to clutch my heartstrings and Last tree in the city is no exception. Edward loves to play in the last tree in the city where he can forget the concrete and the cars and live in his imagination. But one day the tree is gone and Edward has to find a way to get his own tree.
With this inspiring story, Carnavas shows how one small person who is determined to save a tree, can make a huge difference. Edward's example motivates others to find original ways to have their own piece of greenery.
The illustrations show the originality and uniqueness that is Carnavas' approach to drawing and thinking. Vivid greens highlight the beauty and importance of the tree, while drab colours depict the greyness of the concrete city. Edward's facial expressions are exquisitely illustrated: from his wonder at standing at the top of the tree, to despondency when the tree is cut down and satisfaction at saving a cutting and growing his own tree.
Teaching notes from Planet Ark to promote National Tree Day are available. New Frontier, the publisher, also has a set of teacher's notes.
This is an important book that illustrates the value of trees and the possibility of one individual influencing how others act for the environment.
Pat Pledger

Careful what you wish for by Maureen McCarthy

Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781741758573.
(Age 10-12) Recommended. Aimed at younger readers, Careful what you wish for is an intriguing blend of fantasy and realism. Ruth dislikes her family life, which she considers is messy and troublesome. Her two brothers annoy her and she feels that she always comes in second place to them. The only person with whom she had a real rapport was her aunt, Mary Ellen, but she developed cancer and passed away. Before she died she gave Ruth a strange little rat that they named Rodney. But does Rodney have strange powers or is he just a toy?
Ruth has to make some hard decisions when Rodney gives her three chances to create her perfect life. If she doesn't like where she is, then all she has to do is find the red door and return to her own world. As you can imagine, trusting a rat to make a perfect world is risky as Ruth finds out when she goes to live with the perfect family. When she decides to have no family at all she finds herself in a 1950's Catholic convent boarding school, and when she decides to become famous, she discovers all the perils of being a celebrity.
I found this to be a well-written, engrossing page-turner. Children will identify with Ruth and her disgust with her eccentric parents and annoying brothers and will want to ponder what wishes they would make if they wanted a better life. Vivid characterisation made me empathise with Ruth's grief over the loss of her aunt. Her friend Howard Pope is an intriguing character. Although dishonest, his family life is appalling and readers will want to know just what happens to him, so perhaps a sequel is being signalled.
With its themes of recognising whom your friends are and appreciating your family, Careful What You Wish For is sure to appeal.
Pat Pledger

Bones of faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Putnam, 2010. ISBN 978-0399247095.
All Ida Mae wants to do is to fly but being black and a woman leaves her with some big problems. When her little brother finds an article in the paper, looking for women to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots 'WASP' in the Second World War, Ida finally sees her chance to take action.
Base on the true story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, this is a great novel about women's determination to fit in no matter what sacrifice they have to make. I found reading about the Second World War through the eyes of a fictional character very enjoyable and easier than from a text book. From the appearance of the novel I didn't think this was a book I would enjoy but before too long I found myself wanting to follow Ida Mae on her journey. I enjoyed the book so much that I didn't want it to end. The characters seemed as if they could have been real women wanting to do their part for their country. This book has a good flowing plot and could even be used for class reading as it can bring up issues about the war, women's rights and the norms of society at the time that teachers can use in their classrooms. Not only do I recommend the book for teachers but also teenagers and young adults would enjoy this story.
Lauren Pfeiffer (16 years old)

Does my bum look big in this ad? by Lisa Cox

Sub-title: Body image in the media. Wombat Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921633058.
(Age 11+) Teenagers and pre-teens know the power of peer group pressure but how many are aware of the dangers posed by images designed to sell popular culture?
Lisa Cox can write with authority about self-image. She worked as a fashion model and then moved to the advertising industry. After explaining the importance of a positive body image, she provides a 'behind the scenes' look at the motives and methods of marketing. Her aims are to expose photographic techniques used to enhance physical appearance, analyse the psychology of selling and offer simple but powerful remedies for the insecurities induced by unrealistic role models.  
The author's approach has considerable strength. After a brief Foreword for parents and educators, the bulk of the text is directed squarely at a young audience. Lisa Cox speaks to young people not about them. Her subject is complex but accessible because the information is well organised. Each chapter deals with a particular aspect of the issue and has been divided into topics, which are discussed briefly and persuasively under headings. The language is frank, unadorned and completely lacking in condescension. Critical issues such as eating orders, depression and plastic surgery are presented in a matter-of-fact manner along with crisply worded, practical advice.
The inclusion of pages on which readers are invited to do 'Homework', suggests that the book has been designed to be bought rather than borrowed from a library. Its dimensions, similar to those of a CD case, could make it difficult to manage in a collection. Although the author makes it clear that her message is for boys as well as girls, most of the illustrations relate to young women. The small font size may discourage some readers.
Lisa Cox has made a valuable contribution to the debate about a vitally important aspect of adolescent well-being. 'Does my bum look good in this ad? Who cares!!!'
Elizabeth Bor