Wicked warriors and evil emperors: the true story of the fight for Ancient China by Alison Lloyd
Ill. by Terry Denton. Penguin, 2010. ISBN 9780143304340.
(Age 8+) Recommended. Alison Lloyd has followed in the footsteps of the
'Horrible histories' to tell the story of the rise and fall of the Qin
Empire. Her narrative is peppered with anecdotes, descriptions of life
at court, interesting facts, quizzes and sage advice from authors of
the period. The result looks deceptively like a grab-bag of information
but actually builds a convincing picture of a civilisation that was the
contemporary of Ancient Rome.
The author's style has a light and comic touch. As some of the material
is gruesome, her tongue-in-cheek humour is a welcome relief without
being insensitive. Despite her conversational style and the absence of
a bibliography, Alison Lloyd adheres to the conventions of historical
writing, making it clear when documentary evidence is not available and
details are based on conjecture. She may have drawn on her own
experience of living in China to provide guides to pronunciation and
has adopted the curious but effective practice of explaining the
meanings of words in footnotes instead of a glossary. The book ends
with a timeline, a guide to principal characters and a thoughtful
assessment of the Qin dynasty's legacy which includes the origin of the
name of modern China.
Terry Denton's pen and ink cartoons illustrate nearly every page,
finding what humour can be derived from 'wicked weapons', executions
and imperial
pomposity.
The opening line states:
'History is bloody, funny, exciting and grim. It can also be dangerous.'
Alison Lloyd could have added that history is entertaining and
educational. Her book succeeds on both counts.
Elizabeth Bor
Tuck me in! by Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt
Walker, 2010. ISBN 978-1406328745.
(Preschool) Recommended.This is a turn the flap book of such
irresistible charm that it is sure to win many fans who will clamour
for it as a bedtime story. Who needs to be tucked in when it is
bedtime? Is it the baby pig, zebra, elephant, moose, alligator or
peacock? As each animal answers 'I do', the reader turns a flap that
becomes a highly coloured blanket and the baby animal is tucked in
behind it. After Goodnight is said, the question is asked again.
The illustrations are done in beautiful bright colours, with the
amusing cartoon like animals outlined in black. The blankets that are
found behind the flaps are in simple but effective designs with the
colour matching the background to the animal being tucked in. A deep
blue sky with yellow stars and a moon adorn the alternative pages.
Text is simple and repetitive and toddlers will love to say it along
with the reader. I am sure that this book will become a bedtime
favourite with any child who is lucky enough to listen to it.
Pat Pledger
Retribution falls by Chris Wooding
Gollancz, 2009. ISBN 978 0575 08515 2.
Reading level 13 onwards. Science fiction fans will enjoy this
rollicking adventure set in another world where futuristic spacecraft
ply airways which are troubled by pirates who would be very much at
home in the Eighteenth Century Caribbean. The story has a definite
maritime feel with all the craft being referred to in traditional
shipping terms such as frigate, battleship, freighter etc, and the Navy
keeps order amongst the legitimate traders, pirates and warring
enemies. Curiously pistols, cutlasses and shotguns feature as often as
the modern technology and this is part of the magic, with frenzied
sword fights and gun battles being a feature. The chief protagonist is
Captain Frey, master of the Ketty Jay - his pride and joy which he uses
for legitimate cargo and passenger trade. He also engages in smuggling
and outright piracy depending upon his financial state and the degree
of lawlessness in the regions he navigates. For a pirate, Frey is a
likeable character. He is not a bloodthirsty killer and is motivated
purely by lust for money, alcohol and women. Indeed the good looking
and charismatic Frey is something of a failure in all of his endeavours
and he barely keeps his ship and motley crew of misfits afloat.
Naturally, driven by greed, Frey agrees to ambush a galleon for an
enormous sum of money, only to find that he has been manipulated by
powerful criminal forces who seek to bring down the monarchic /
aristocratic power structure. Wooding struggles to adequately explain
this grossly complicated ruling system yet the story does not suffer
for it. The reader is satisfied that evil forces, the Awakeners seek to
overthrow a benevolent regime by foul means. Our hero and his crew,
having taken the fall for a heinous act must somehow assist the Navy
and authorities (who are hoping to arrest and execute them) to bring
the real culprits to justice. There are a multitude of interesting and
frightening characters in this tale and the reader witnesses the
development of loyalty, acceptance and camaraderie amongst Frey and his
crew, all of whom are escaping trauma or failure of some sort. This is
an exciting story and the misadventures and foolhardy escapades of this
crew are extremely amusing. As in all good pirate stories, terrific
battles between ships abound as the Ketty Jay sails to the pirate
stronghold of Retribution Falls. (Language, violence and sexual themes
are not excessive).
Rob Welsh
The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd
Hachette Children's Books, 9780340970164.
(Age 13+) Recommended. The Carbon Diaries 2015 published two years ago
told of a future where
climate change has done untold damage to Britain and a dictatorial
government has made sweeping changes to society in an attempt to curb
their carbon emissions and change their dependence upon traditional
energy sources. Two years down the track, and things have become
decidedly worse. Standing pipes in the street give water, power is cut
completely, some people are trying to grow their own vegetables, but
the ever flooding Thames makes things impossible for many in the
suburbs. Laura maintains her diary, giving us the day to day detail of
life in general and that of her family in particular. It is absorbing.
Laura sees the split of her parents as each searches for a way of
survival in these shockingly hard times, and Laura becomes more
politicized, joining a fringe group to demonstrate and protest against
the lack of innovative measures by the powers. She and others escape to
Europe where they see things are far worse, with right wing
organisations on the rise and racism becoming worse, while fights over
water rights take people's strength. This pair of books is a chilling
reminder of the need for change. The background of racism, rioting,
fights over water, large scale immigration and the increasing power of
right wing organisations is palpable, making the reader shudder when
recognizing some of the possible futures laid out. The author has very
cleverly used many of the problems we see around us today to make this
a scary read indeed. A chilling read. Recommended
Fran Knight
Zac heats up by H.I. Larry
Zac power. Spy camp Mission 8. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2010. ISBN
9781921690532.
(Age: Newly independent readers) Recommended. Zac, Code name Agent rock
Star is in bed when he hears something. He discovers a black scooter
under his bed and uses it to zoom away to Spy Camp. There he is paired
with Agent Top Speed and goes into the desert to learn survival skills.
When BIG agents leave them stranded, Zac uses all his talents to send a
signal to Agent Outback to come and rescue them.
Children will be interested in the gadgets in this book, especially the
scooter that Zac rides and the night glasses. Zac has to use his brain
to work out how to get out of dangerous situations and think through
ways of surviving.
This is an appealing series, sure to be of interest to boys.
Pat Pledger
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell retold by L .L. Owens
Ill. by Jennifer Tanner. Graphic Revolve series. Raintree, 2010.
ISBN 9781406213485.
The classic story Black Beauty is retold in graphic format. I
was
enchanted with this book as a child and found that it didn't lose any
of its appeal in this abbreviated graphic novel. Black Beauty's life is
retold in a series of five chapters, describing in detail the horse's
happy beginnings, life at Birtwick Park and Earlshall Park, his time as
a London cab horse and the final sale. Horse lovers will be introduced
to a classic through this format, and may want to follow up with the
novel.
Part of a series called Graphic Revolve, the latest include King
Arthur
and the knights of the round table, The hunchback of Notre Dame,
The
war of the worlds, The strange case of Dr Jekylll and Mr Hyde,
Dracula, Hound of the Baskervilles
and
Treasure Island. Each is an abbreviated version of the original
classic, but the bright illustrations are engaging and the main points
of the original are followed, engaging the reader's interest
immediately. Each has a Table of Contents that is easy to follow and
each introduces the main characters at the beginning of the book. At
the back of the book is information about the original author, a
glossary and background to the story. Discussion questions and writing
prompts round off what is a most entertaining introduction to classic
literature.
Pat Pledger
The Rain Train by Elena de Roo and Brian Lovelock
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN: 9781921529146.
Recommended for Preschool- Early Junior Primary.
'When the rain fingers drum out a dance on the pane
When the windows are foggy enough for my name
When it's thundering down on the roof, in the lane
From the storm, comes the call
'All aboard the Rain Train' The book has a wonderful rhythm and use of onomatopoeia.
As the rain taps on the window at night, small children are called aboard the train. With teddies in hand and warm pajamas on, the children take their places and settle in for the journey. A place where imagination and dreams collide, the rain train carries readers across the land to the rhythm of the rain. Warm familiar sounds and train experiences will engage little ones.
Illustrator Brian Lovelock has captured the feel of a dark rainy night with his pictures. Inside the rain train is warm and cosy, the contrast from the gloomy outside enhanced by the use of warm and bright colours.
Zana Thiele
Firespell by Chloe Neill
Dark elite, Book 1. Orion, 2010. ISBN 9780575095403.
(Age 14+) Lily's parents have sent her off to an elite boarding school
in Chicago. It's the last place that she wants to be. The other girls
at St Sophia's are rich and snobby, and play cruel practical jokes. The
only person who makes her life bearable is Scout, and she disappears at
night, going off on mysterious jaunts, which she refuses to talk about.
Then one day Lily finds Scout running from monsters and her life is
changed forever. She discovers that Scout belongs to a group of rebel
teens that have sworn to protect Chicago from demons, vampires and
Reapers who use magic powers. Does Lily have the power to join this
elite group?
This is an engrossing story that kept me reading to the end. Told in
the first person by Lily, the main character, the book has an
entertaining and witty voice. I enjoyed Lily's descriptions of the
school and its rich pupils and empathised with her attempts to fit
in. I particularly liked the character of Scout, who is depicted
as strong and caring and I look forward to seeing more of her in
further books in the series. The boys from a nearby boys school
were less memorable as characters. Lily is attracted to Jason, the boy
who is more than he appears, and he is a sufficiently attractive hero
to keep girls interested in the romance in the book. I anticipate that
these characters too will be more fleshed out in future books.
Neill is adept in creating a setting that makes her world come alive
and has the writing skill to make it memorable. I found the
descriptions of Chicago engaging, and St Sophia's, with its corridors,
crypts and strange appearance, is certainly more interesting than some
of the boarding schools featured in other vampire books. This is
because Neill has an excellent way with words, and her dialogue and
descriptions of shopping certainly provided moments of hilarity.
I raced through this book, enjoyed the action, and am sure that girls
who are into the vampire genre will love it.
Pat Pledger
Moment of Truth by Michael Pryor
The Laws of Magic, book 5. Random House, 2010. ISBN: 978 1741663099.
Recommended for ages 12 and up. Albion is at war and Aubrey, George and
Caroline have enlisted in the military. Instead of receiving the normal
style of training and 'starting at the bottom' they are dropped into
Gallia, without the support one might assume, and expected to set up
headquarters. Instead of simply surveying the scene, Aubrey and his
friends again become actively involved in trying to stop the malevolent
Tremaine from destroying thousands of lives to suit his own purposes.
Whilst Aubrey continues to internalise his feelings for Caroline,
Sophie Delroy again appears and provides the motivation for George to
become more passionate about both the cause and Sophie herself.
Having been a tad ambivalent about the previous novel, due to having
begun the series with book 4, I have enjoyed a totally different
experience this time. Understanding the setting, in addition to the
characters and their motivations, strengths and personalities, made
this a totally engaging and entertaining read; however, my frustration
with Aubrey continues to grow. Despite this, his failure to express his
feelings for Caroline probably adds to the feeling that the reader has
a connection with each of the characters. We are able to see that to
which he closes his eyes. There is a certain amount of humour, a
liberal sprinkling of magic, weird inventions and sufficient character
development for this book to appeal to a wide variety of readers. I
will now join Pryor's large group of fans to eagerly await the final
installment of the series.
Jo Schenkel
Mr Badger and the big surprise by Leigh Hobbs
Allen and Unwin, 2010. ISBN 9781742374178,
(Age 6-10) Warmly recommended. Mr Badger is in charge of special events
at the Boubles Grand Hotel in London. He has been given a special
assignment. He has to arrange a party for Miss Sylvia
Smothers-Carruthers' seventh birthday. Together with Miss Pims, his
assistant, he organises a wonderful array of food, a towering cake and
decorations in the ballroom of the grand old hotel for the 205 friends
that Sylvia has invited. Little does he know what is going to happen!
In the first book in the series, Hobbs introduces his characters, which
I am sure children will love. Mr Badger is a warm, caring manager and
Sir Cecil and Lady Celia Smothers-Carruthers, the owners of the hotel
are fabulous. Not so nice is young Sylvia, who is spoilt and mean. I
delighted in the antics of Sylvia, as her grand entrance is spoiled and
her birthday cake destroyed. Of course Mr Badger manages to save the
party for the guests and even receives a surprise himself at the end of
a tiring day.
Hobbs' signature line drawings are a delight as always and really make
the humour of the book come alive. The illustration of Sylvia as 'a
badly behaved tangle of bright pink fairy floss' is very memorable, as
is the choice of language to describe this horrible child that young
readers will love to hate.
This chapter book, with its humour, memorable characters and wonderful
illustrations, is sure to become a favourite with children who are just
taking the plunge from picture books to larger stories.
Pat Pledger
Trash by Andy Mulligan
David Fickling Books, 2010.
(Ages 12+) Highly Recommended. Raphael, Gardo and Rat live among
the stinking rubbish tips of Behala, a fictional city based on the
Philippine capital, Manila. They scratch a living sifting through trash
in search of rubbish they can use or sell on. When Raphael discovers a
wallet containing money, a key and a letter it is the money that
excites him initially. However the next day the tip is swarming with
police whose menacing enquiries regarding the wallet alert the boys to
its significance.
They discover that the letter has been written by Jose Angelico whose
father has spent years in prison for attempting to uncover the truth
behind the vice president's personal fortune. In grave danger, the
three boys begin to uncover the mystery of the letter and the key,
which leads them to government corruption at the highest level.
This is a fast paced adventure coupled with a moving account of
friendship and the horrors of poverty. The title is significant; the
boys sift through trash, but to the authorities the boys and their
families are also trash, to be used and disposed of with total
indifference. Raphael's ordeal at the hands of the police is brutal and
horrific. Mulligan's writing is truly mesmeric.
This is a cleverly structured novel, told from various viewpoints and
it doesn't waste a word. With an exciting plot, and a powerful
and ultimately uplifting message this would be perfect as a class
reader for lower secondary children.
There are parallels with Melvin Burgess's novel, The Baby and Fly
Pie
- although that had a fictional setting in a London of the future.
Mulligan's story is based on his experiences among street children of
Manila which provides a strong air of authenticity. Fabulous stuff, I
couldn't put it down, and it's almost worth reading just for that
eureka moment when, right at the end of the story, you realise the
significance of the cover illustration!
Claire Larson
Quillblade by Ben Chandler
Voyages of the Flying Dragon Book 1. Random House, 2010.
(Age 11+) Lenis and Missy Clemens are twins, slaves aboard the airship
Hiryu. They have unique powers as Bestia Keepers, being able to
communicate telepathically with the strange creatures that power the
ship. When the Captain steals the ship from the WarLord and takes it
over the Wastelands, they both face enormous danger in their quest to
save the daughter of the blue dragon, Apsilla, and keep the land from
being taken over by Demons.
An adventure story with a lot of excitement, thrills and fights, this
tale is a rewarding read. The idea of the Bestia powering an airship
was the feature that made it stand out for me. I really liked the
thought of small animals, rather reminiscent of cats, having the
magical ability and enough energy to run engines and set things alight.
The action is not too fierce for younger readers, although one scene
with one of my favourite crewmembers was rather
distressing, especially as it was totally unexpected.
Chandler combines steampunk with an oriental setting to make for an
intriguing story. For people, like me, who are unfamiliar with Japanese
names, the glossary at the end was helpful with identifying the Demons
and Lilim. There is quite a large cast of characters, also with
Japanese names, which took a while to sort through. However the twins
Lenis and Missy are very well developed characters, as is Namei, the
cabin girl. Their powers develop as they are chased across the
Wastelands, and Chandler left enough intriguing hints about their
origin and importance for the reader to look forward to discovering
more about them in future books. Quillblade is Chandler's debut book. It will have appeal for lovers of
high fantasy or authors like Naomi Novak and her Temeraire series and I
look forward to seeing how the series develops.
Pat Pledger
The lost treasure by Jan Stradling
Ill. by Cassandra Allen. Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529085.
(Age 5-9) One day a bad pirate, named Hamish spies a bottle with a
message in it. It is from Pirate Jack who is stuck on an island, where
he has buried his treasure. Ruby, a good pirate reads the message when
Pirate Hamish tosses it back into sea and is determined to rescue Jack.
Meanwhile Hamish is determined to get the treasure.
Written in a humorous voice, this is an entertaining tale of doing the
same things for very different reasons. Ruby really wants to help Jack,
but Hamish is only interested in treasure. 'Arrrrrr! Treasure' he
roared. 'I love treasure!'
Black and white illustrations complement the text and greatly add to
the enjoyment of the story with their whimsical details and the
delightful expressions on the faces of the pirates.
This is one of the Walker stories series designed to bridge the gap for
children between picture and chapter books and is ideal for Talk Like a
Pirate Day. An activity sheet and wallpaper downloads are available
from the site.
Pat Pledger
The life of a teenage body snatcher by Doug MacLeod
Penguin, 2010. ISBN 9780143203919.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. I have enjoyed other books by Doug
MacLeod, especially delighting in his fabulous sense of humour and I
was not disappointed in this engrossing tale of Thomas Timewell. Set in
England in 1828, our young hero is determined to carry out his
grandfather's wish to have his body donated to science. However Thomas'
mother thwarts him, and insists that his grandfather be buried. Thomas
decides to dig up the body so that it can be sent to London to advance
medicine. While at the grave, in the dead of night, he meets a body
snatcher named Plentitude, and from then on his life takes a dramatic
turn.
MacLeod's
descriptions of his characters and their behaviours bring the
historical period to life. There are some truly memorable people in
this book. Thomas Timewell is a young gentleman. He
looks after his mother, who is addicted to laudanum. His observations
about the trials of his family
made me laugh aloud. Plenitude, a tattooed gypsy with a meat cleaver,
and young Miss Victoria and his friend Charlie are all fleshed out
really well and each person's role comes together in a most satisfying
conclusion.
The book is saturated with details about life in the 1800's. Not only
does the reader learn about grave robbing and the use of laudanum, but
also discovers facts about schools and literature. A sub- theme
throughout the book examining the power of the written word is
fascinating. Thomas is forced to listen to the worst prose he has ever
heard at a book reading organised by his mother and the reader is
introduced to the fact that women in Victorian times were forced to
write under a man's name if they wanted to get their books published.
His teacher Mr Atkins, a sadistic bully, writes a book about how he
keeps his pupils in line, and Thomas fights to stop it going into
print. This description of a teacher torturing his pupils in a
systematic way is horrifying and I won't forget it in a hurry.
This is a great historical novel that gives an insight into the life of
a resurrectionist, but the darkness of the occupation never takes over
because of the adventure, the people you meet and the witty
descriptions.
Pat Pledger
Demon strike by Andrew Newbound
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978 1 906427 17 7
(Age 10+) Warmly recommended. A wonderful fantasy thriller, Demon
strike will garner fans of all ages
who want to read a fantasy but mixed with humour and fun. Wortley Flint
and his ghost busting partner, Alannah Malarra go to a house where some
strange ghoulish behaviour has been detected. Their ghost busting
business is doing well, so they a re appalled when another level of
ghost busters, people from ANGEL arrive, ready to take them on.
Fhli, the ANGEL, realises that she has been sent to dispose of these
two young hunters, and sees that they are not the problem, despite them
showing up on Evan City's radar. So they join forces to find out just
what malevolence there is in the old house. But Fhli is not supposed to
join forces with humans or 'fleshies' and is called back to explain
herself to the mayor.
This laugh out loud fantasy has cleverly worked the angel motif into a
scrum of fantastic creatures. ANGEL stands for Attack-ready Network of
Global Evanescent Law-enforcers, the elite army of Evan City, the
Higher Dimension that provides protectors for all. Flhi has been given
her wings and is sent to earth on what she sees as a do or die mission,
but she survives. Newbound uses a bunch of wonderful phrases, straight
from American war movies ('get your skinny butt out of there', 'an angel
is down' and so on), while the names of the characters
laughingly portray some of their characteristics. Kids will laugh out
loud as I did along with Alannah and Wortley, Flhi and her troopers and
with Alannah finding out where her parents are must mean another story
in the pipeline.
Fran Knight
