Ford Street, 2010.
Shark frenzy. ISBN 9781921665110.
Snake surprise. ISBN 9781921665127.
(Age 7-10) Recommended. Jack Wilde and his friends are on holidays at
Hazard River and they have lots of exciting adventures. In Shark
frenzy, they discover a shark washed up on the shore of the river.
Its
fins are missing and their search for what has happened to the shark
leads them into dangerous waters. In Snake Surprise, the gang
discovers a
message asking for help in an abandoned houseboat that is inhabited by
a snake. Trying to discover what has happened to the houseboat's owner
leads them on a dangerous quest.
Both these chapter books are exciting reads that I couldn't put down.
The setting at Hazard River will seem to be familiar for many children
who go camping or stay in holiday flats during the long summer
break. Told in the first person by Jack Wilde, the stories are
full of humour, imagination and adventure. Add some sibling rivalry
between Jack and his brother Ben, teasing from his neighbour Lachlan,
and information from Mimi Fairweather, otherwise known as Professor
Bigbrains, and the series is a winner. Fison's message about the
environment and endangered species is handled with a gentle but deft
hand and is sure to appeal to children.
I can see reluctant as well as more advanced readers lapping up this
funny series. Although the story is told from a boy's point of view,
Mimi is a strong enough personality to appeal to girls as well. All in
all, this series is a welcome addition to chapter books for young
readers. There is a website with
a book trailer.
Pat Pledger
Where are Santa's pants? by Richard Merritt
Little Hare, 2010. ISBN 9781921541506.
(All ages) There is a mountain of fun to be had in this search for
Santa's pants. Merritt has drawn intricate and detailed pictures of the
North Pole, the beach, the village, a department store, a nativity
play, post office, city, farm, ice rink and home, all places where
Santa has lost his pants, each in a different pattern for each picture.
The crowds are out for Christmas and it is not an easy task to find
Santa's pants as well as eight reindeer and a lucky sixpence in each of
the elaborate double spreads.
The virtues of patience and persistence are called for in the search
for Santa's pants. I must admit I was fortunate if I found a reindeer
or two in the highly amusing and complex pictures and was happy to
discover that there were answers at the end!
Those children who adore looking out for Wally in the books by Martin
Handford, will delight in another book where they can put their
observation skills to the test.
Pat Pledger
The blue-eyed Aborigine by Rosemary Hayes
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2010. ISBN 978 1847800787.
Highly recommended. Suggested for readers 13 plus.
This historical novel gives an excellent account of the wrecking of the
Batavia when she struck a reef on the Abrohols Islands, half way down
the coast of Western Australia in 1629. Related principally from the
perspective of a cabin boy, Jan de Bye, part one of the story deals
with the atrocities which occurred amongst survivors who found
themselves under the command of the insane Jeronimus Corneliusz.
Commander Pelseart and Captain Jacobs had taken the longboat to search
for water but finding themselves a long way North, decided to continue
to Java to arrange rescue for the rest of the survivors. Jacobs and
Corneliusz had previously conspired to mutiny and seize the vessel and
its astonishingly valuable cargo, in order to live a buccaneering life.
In their absence, Corneliusz, an apothecary who had secured himself a
position as senior merchant for the Dutch East Indies Company on the
trading venture to Java, commenced his rule of terror. Murder, torture
and rape was conducted on an horrific scale and any who resisted were
considered traitors and enemies. In this fashion, the boy Jan, finds
himself involved in the sickening exploits, participating in acts
previously unimaginable. Incredibly Pelseart returned from Java within
two months and the mutineers met their fate. Because the rescue vessel
would have been overcrowded with the survivors and prisoners, many of
mutineers were tried and executed on the islands. Because of his age
and the fact that he had been influenced by Corneliusz, Jan's death
sentence was commuted along with that of Wouter Loos, who despite being
a murderer had tried to protect Lucretia Van der Meylen, a noblewoman
passenger. The fate of this pair was to be set adrift in a small boat
with meager supplies when Pelseart took the survivors to Java. The
novel to this point is based on sound historical fact but part two is
pure fiction as the fate of these individuals is unknown. Hayes
presents a wholly plausible narrative of the exploits of Jan and Wouter
(who were probably the first Europeans to land on mainland Australia)
as they seek to survive in this barren region. Hayes portrays
Aboriginal characters in a realistic and sensitive manner and creates
an outcome which is quite possible, maybe probable. Having read many
accounts of this tragic episode, I was impressed by the author's
research and skill in relating history whilst telling a captivating
tale. Necessarily for younger adolescents, many explicit details are
avoided and the violence and degradation are described as moderately as
possible.
Rob Welsh
The Sheep on the Fourth Floor by Leonie Thorpe
Auckland: HarperCollins, 2010. ISBN 978 1869508139.
At the South Pacific Research Laboratory, Anna's mother does research
on sheep, but when Anna and several of her class go there for a class
excursion they are appalled at what they see. One of the group
photographs the dying sheep, lying on the floor of its cage, on its
side. Anna resolves to help that sheep, at the very least die with some
dignity, after seeing her mother's email, permitting it to be put down.
What follows is a funny, morally charged story about how Anna achieves
her aim. Mixed up with her story is that of gifted student, Kurt, the
one who takes the photographs. His recent behaviour has attracted the
attention of the local police, and he is on edge. Both of these stories
come to a climax as Anna finally realises that her parents have not
been telling her the truth, and so when she sees the email to her
mother, she acts.
Now and again the author tries a little too hard to make the reader
understand the moral issue, but all in all, it is a good read. The
front cover and the blurb all add to the inducement to read, and the
plot and main characters invite the reader into their world. The
sheep's point of view is given in chapters in which it speaks, but
these are usually quite funny. The theme, about animal experimentation
is told well, and readers will have a sound idea of the issues involved
when they finish the read.
Fran Knight
Legends of the sea series
Raintree, 2010.
(Age 7-10) This is a fascinating series that provides thought provoking
and interesting information about facts and legends of the sea. The
text is large, bold and fairly easy to read. Fact boxes and questions
kept my attention on the content. There is a good Table of
Contents and index, which are simple to use. The glossary is useful and
the bibliography contains both books and websites that are suitable for
this age level. Illustrations are a combination of photos and drawings
and supplement the text.
The subject matter will appeal to children, whether reluctant readers
or not and there are instructions about doing more research and talking
about the information in the books.
Books include:
Read Me!: Sea Monsters by Catherine Veitch ISBN: 978 1 40621 619 6
Sea monsters examined include sirens, viperfish, jellyfish, and giant
squid.
Read Me!: Sea Mysteries by Sian Smith ISBN: 978 1 40621 620 2
Includes information about the Bermuda Triangle, ghost ships like th
Mary Celeste and the Flying Dutchman, Atlantis, mermaids and strange
fish in the deep.
Read Me!: Shipwrecks by Adrian Vigliano ISBN: 978 1 40621 621 9
This gives a definition of a shipwreck, some legends about
shipwrecks, famous shipwrecks like the Vasa in Sweden, ship graveyards,
giants of the sea and the Titanic.
Pat Pledger
Mice by Gordon Reece
Allen and Unwin. 2010. ISBN 978 1742372338.
(Ages 14+) The creak on the stairway signals an intruder but abject
fear immobilises Shelley and when her terrified mother appears with a
young man holding a knife, she knows that their lives are about to end.
Meek and mild, undemanding and acquiescent, the pair does his bidding.
They are refugees from a controlling marriage where the husband
insisted on his wife staying home with their child, thus destroying any
hope for advancement in her chosen profession. Cast aside for a younger
model, divorce was nasty and prolonged, leaving her with little and
starting again was not easy. Meanwhile Shelley is horrifically bullied
at school, culminating in her hair being set alight, causing major
scarring on her face. Hiding from the world, the pair moves into
Honeysuckle Cottage where they are hopeful of a peaceful, isolated life.
But an intruder interrupts their existence, and pushed beyond their
limits, they take violent action. In so doing they are released from
their meek acceptance and make changes to their lives, but they must
destroy any evidence of the man they have killed and take steps to
nullify the guilt they feel. Always watchful for the police or
neighbours who may have seen them, the pair gets on with their life,
becoming increasingly confident that they have got away with murder,
until the hand delivered blackmail letter arrives. Again they revert to
their submissive demeanor, asking questions of the man to fully
understand how he could have known, and satisfied with his answers,
take measures to dispose of him as well.
An amazing thriller which will cause some disquiet amongst its readers,
the story of bullying by both dad and the girls at school is a common
enough one, but this delivery packs a greater punch than I have read
before. Shelley's perspective drags the reader into her world, cowering
with her in the toilets as the girls set her hair alight, fuming with
anger as the perpetrators get away with their attacks, forcing Shelley
to be home schooled. But once the intruder is killed the story moves to
a level rarely seen before. It is astonishing, arresting and
surprising. On the one hand the reader will foresee a future when they
will be caught, but on the other, will want them to get away with it,
almost as a consolation for being bullied in the past. The moral
dilemma is all encompassing, and when the second man turns up, the mice
become cats, stealthily circling their prey, watching for any sign of
weakness, ready to pounce. This suspense filled thriller will rarely be
left on the shelves.
Fran Knight
King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table by Marcia Williams
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 978 1 4063 1866 1
(Ages 8+) Graphic novel/picture book.
A wonderfully illustrated retelling of the stories of King Arthur will
gain new followers to the marvelous stories in this new offering from
Walker Books. Opening with the well known character of Merlin, and the
sword in the stone pulled out by the young Arthur, each double page
spread retells another of the mythology of this legendary King of
England. The characters, Morgan le Fay, Lancelot, Elaine, Guinevere and
Galahad all live again in the pages of this colourful, beautifully
illustrated picture book, and the stories will be read and reread by
children. The illustrations beg for close examination as small details
are noticed when the pages are searched. The edges of each page are
entwined with designs redolent of Celtic times, and pages which show
the dragon and Camelot are wonders to behold. Humour abounds in both
the text and the drawings, and kids of all ages will find something to
enjoy in this book.
Fran Knight
Demon Princess 2 : Reign Check by Michelle Rowen
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742374369.
(Age: Junior secondary) On her 16th birthday Nikki discovers the father
she has never known, which is absolutely brilliant, except, she also
discovers that he is a demon king; which makes her a demon princess.
Over night her world is turned upside down.
Accompany Nikki as she experiences the power of her new demon form
whilst she navigates her way through the underworld; a world filled
with mysterious creatures and new responsibilities. Even though her
world has changed, she is still a teenager dealing with teenage issues:
parents, friendships and of course those cute guys. Demon Princess: Reign Check is a fantasy novel particularly suitable for junior
secondary girls. Nikki is a heroic figure; she is fiercely independent,
true to her convictions and has a strong sense of right and
wrong. Written in a simple style using language which is
accessible to the teenage audience, Demon Princess: Reign Check is a delightful
novel which is fast paced and adventurous.
Sue Mann
The FitzOsbornes in exile by Michelle Cooper
The Montmaray Journals, Book 2. Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN
9781741663747.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. I absolutely love historical novels and
The FitzOsbornes in exile is history written at its best. Cooper has
written a fine novel, full of exquisite detail about the period
immediately leading up to World War 2. Full of real people like Neville
Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Princess Elizabeth and Princess
Margaret and events like the bombing of Guernica and the German
invasion of Czechoslovakia, this novel is 'a blend of historical fact
and imaginative fiction' (pg 447). It enlightened me about so many
world-changing events while entertaining me with glimpses of the life
of the fascinating FitzOsborne family, as they tried to fit into upper
crust society in England.
It is necessary to read the first in the series, A brief history of
Montmaray, to fully discover the depth of the FitzOsborne characters
and to work out some of the intricacies of the relationships. This
novel carries on from the first and finds the FitzOsbornes, Veronica,
Sophie, Henry, and Toby living with their Aunt Charlotte, a Montmaray
princess, who husband Arthur has died, leaving her a fortune. After
inhabiting a crumbling castle and fending for themselves, they have
problems fitting into aristocratic society, where there are servants to
meet their every need and their aunt is totally focused on finding them
the right spouse. Sophie continues with her journal and the reader is
carried through a breath taking description of life in society while
she and Veronica are prepared to make their court presentation.
Descriptions of world events like the bombing of Guernica and the
evacuation of refugee children to England are heart wrenching. Sophie
also describes much of the political machinations of the times as
Veronica, left wing in her views, continues to meet with her
intellectual tutor. Sophie is not above some Machiavellian games of her
own as she convinces Simon to be reasonable about his parentage.
The group finds that the British government with its appeasement
policy, is not prepared to do anything for Montamaray, even though the
FitzOsbornes believe the island is being used as a point of departure
for Nazi planes to bomb Spain. They are forced to take things into
their own hands and here we see Sophie and Veronica coming into their
own as strong, intelligent young women who are willing to fight for a
cause.
This is a delightful mixture of fact and fiction that I found
engrossing in its depiction of high society and a world approaching
war. It will have special appeal for those who like a well-written,
meticulously researched and entertaining story.
Pat Pledger
The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper
A brief history of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals Book One)
Random
House Australia, 2010. ISBN 978 1864718874 The FitzOsbournes in exile (The Montmaray Journals Book Two)
Random
House Australia, 2010. ISBN 978 174166374 7
(Age 13+) These two titles are set between the first and second world
wars. Montmaray is a fictional island in the English Channel. The main
characters are the FitzOsbornes who rule the small island country. In A
brief
History
of Montmaray we are introduced to Sophie and her sister
Henry (called so because of her tomboy tendencies). Her brother Toby is
next in line to the throne and has been sent to England so that he can
obtain a proper education. At the moment they are guests of their mad
Uncle John and his daughter Veronica. Veronica is very intense and is
writing a history of the family and the Island. There are many plots
within the story including birth rights and invasions from the
Germans. Readers are introduced to the delicacies of English
society via Aunt Charlotte who is keeping the family financially
afloat. This is highlighted more in the second book The
FitzOsbournes
in exile. The family has been forced to flee their home and live
with
Aunt Charlotte. She is trying to introduce the older children into
'society' with mixed success.
An interesting series that is more suited to girls as the characters of
Sophie and Veronica make excellent character studies.
Suitable for years 9-12, these books would link with Captain
Corelli's
mandolin or any novel dealing with women's rights.
Stay tuned for The Montmaray Journals: Book Three in the series.
Wendy Rutten
Editor's note: A brief history of Montmaray won the NSW
Premier's Award. Another
review for it can be found here.
Pat Pledger
Trouble at the zoo by Chris Kunz
Bindi wildlife adventures (series). Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN
9781864719963.
(Ages 8+) The first in the series about Bindi Irwin and her life at the
remarkable Australia Zoo, will have wide appeal. Not only is a young
girl living out the dream of many, living and working in a zoo, but the
books are full of information about animals and their welfare told in
an engaging and witty style. Kids will be hooked from page one. The
adventures are not outlandish, but gentle stories of Bindi and her
friends at the zoo.
When in this the first in the series, a spoilt 10 year old steals one
of the water dragons, Bindi and her animal friends discover the theft
and put things right, engaging a new friend along the way, a happy
result for the thief. At the end of this easy to read and short book
are 5 pages about the water dragon and their upkeep.
This is a better series than many I have seen. I was particularly
impressed that the thief in this book came good at the end, and
regretted his action. And any put downs of other people was mild and
dealt with, rather than lead the story around bullying, a pet topic in
many books I have recently read. There are eight books so far in this
series, all about the same length, easy to read with wide margins and
large font.
Fran Knight
The little drummer boy by Bruce Whatley
Random House Australia, 2010. ISBN 9781864719901.
(All ages) Picture book. Highly recommended. Annie's grandfather
lovingly carves her a little drummer boy from an old table leg to put
on the top of the Christmas tree. Annie loves the little drummer boy,
who becomes a central part of Christmas, always watching over the
celebrations and taking note of the changes in Annie as she ages and
more generations of her family come along.
This is a very poignant story using the Christmas traditions that are
passed from great grandfather to latest child, to show Annie as she
ages, marries, and has children and grand children.
I love the way Whatley portrays the range of people's faces from youth
to old age. Annie has very chubby cheeks and glossy hair as a young
child, but her expression is always loving. By the time she is a
grandmother, her mouth has withered and she is wrinkled and grey, but
she still retains her air of kindness and love. Each generation wears
clothes and hairstyles that give a hint to the time periods that are
being illustrated. Annie's grandfather wears a wonderful grey cap form
early in the 20th century and her parents sport very stylish 30's or
40's hairstyles. A captivating detail is the beautiful illustration of
the family resemblance between Annie, her daughter and granddaughters.
This book is a keeper. It will be a wonderful read aloud coming up to
Christmas and a warm reminder of the closeness and love that family
life can bring.
Pat Pledger
Get A Grip, Cooper Jones by Sue Whiting
Walker, 2010. ISBN: 978 1 921 529 78 8
(Ages 12-14) Cooper Jones seems to have a fairly good life. He lives
with his mother in Wangaroo Bay, a beach-side town, and swims everyday.
Unfortunately for Cooper he has developed a phobia of swimming in the
ocean and whilst he is a fantastic competition swimmer who trains
everyday in the pool, his fear of the ocean has made him isolated from
his surfer peers and a target for their bullying. Cooper's fear of the
ocean is not the only issue in his life that he needs to overcome.
Cooper doesn't know who is real father is, and his slightly eccentric
uni-cycle riding mother seems to be not hurry to tell him. Some
resolution to these problems comes to Cooper when his next door
neighbour's niece comes to visit Wangaroo Bay for a few days. Abeba (or
Abbie) is going through similar identity issues to Cooper as she is
Ethiopian born and has recently been feuding with her adopted mother
about her right to know her own birth heritage. Sharing similar quests,
Cooper and Abeba immediately find solace in each other. The drama of
their stories is sparked by an imposing threat to Wangaroo Bay by an
approaching bush-fire.
Get a Grip, Cooper Jones is a novel
about
teenagers over coming fears and exploring their personal identities.
The desire for teenagers to desire knowledge to help them their
personal identity is a common one and is entertainingly and simply
explored in this novel. As a result, many teenagers will relate to the
story of the characters in this book.
Adam Fitzgerald
Twisters rhymers series by Christine Moorcroft
Evans, 2010.
(Age: 5-6) This is a set of readers that uses rhyming words to tell the
stories. They would be useful for children to read after they have
learnt that some sounds sound the same, even though they are spelt
differently. Each story has examples of this. In Now, now brown cow,
for example, children will learn that the 'ow' in 'brown' and 'cow'
makes the same sound as the 'ou' in 'found' and 'ground'.
The emphasis in the series is on producing a humorous story, that is
illustrated with bright drawings, and which has appealing content for
the young reader.
Books in the series: Alien Tale by Christine Moorcroft ISBN: 978 0237542559 Now, Now Brown Cow! by Christine Moorcroft ISBN: 978 0237542566 Old Joe Rowan by Christine Moorcroft ISBN: 978 0237542580 Pear Under the Stairs by Christine Moorcroft ISBN: 978 0237542535 Pie in the Sky by Christine Moorcroft ISBN: 978 0
237542573 Tall Story by Christine Moorcroft ISBN:978 0 23754 254 2
Pat Pledger
Shake a leg by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781741758900.
(Age 6-10) Recommended. This is a wonderful picture book that will
bring
multiculturalism and Aboriginal dancing to life! Three young boys go to
a pizza shop in far north Queensland and learn that not only does it
sell delicious pizza, but that the Aboriginal owner speaks Italian and
has gone to Italy to learn how to make it. As he says, the pizza is
'much more than flour and water and a few tomatoes. It's to do with the
song and dance and stories.' From then on he tells a story with bite
about a boy who didn't listen and was snapped up by a crocodile and
demonstrates the dance that goes with the story. After eating the pizza
and having a milkshake, the boys then hear about a stinging bee dance
and get to dance a warning dance which ends in shake-a-leg.
I loved the skillful story combination of eating pizza and learning
about traditional Aboriginal dances. The story is set up in appealing
graphic novel form with pictures in boxes and conversation in balloons.
The exuberant drawings and dances will have young children longing to
get up and shake-a-leg, and sing out the chorus of 'A-huh A-huh A-huh'.
Jan Ormerod's drawings are wonderful. She brings the both the dances in
the pizza parlour and the traditional dances to life. I especially
enjoyed the joyous expressions on boys' faces as they stamped their
feet.
The whole design of the book is excellent. The endpapers show the
rainbow serpent stretching from northern Queensland to Italy on a
beautiful map of the world. A map of Australia also features
prominently on the title page and has a beautiful pale blue background
and desert yellow shades.
Pat Pledger
