Penguin, 2010. ISBN 978 0 14320404 6.
(14+)
Basis of the story by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of
Dr
Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this tale of the friendship between Tristen
Jekel
and Jill Hyde, two people in their senior year at school, parallels the
original story in their search for the elixir which will make them
enough money to solve all their problems. Both students are obsessed by
the story which involves both of their ancestors, and for Tristen in
particular, the stories from his grandfather scare him when thinking
about what his family has done, and about his own future.
Winning a chemistry competition will ensure Jill's continuing uni fees
and so she persuades Tristen to enter with her, exploiting the
chemistry information left by her dead father, who she knows was
working on the original experiments. But Jill's mother collapses, and
this puts her in the hands of Tristen's father, a psychologist with his
own agenda.
This is a most intriguing horror story, full of twists and turns as the
friendship between the two teenagers develops and then fades while they
go about their experiments. The discovery of the doctor's journals
reveals the lengths he is going to uncovering the experiments and where
they will lead, and so the tale comes to a thrilling climax.
An engrossing tale, well told, with enough turns for the ardent horror
addict, but with a tweak that may take the reader back to the original
novel for comparison.
Fran Knight
The Prodigal Ute by Paul Clark
Wombat Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921633102.
This is an interesting take on the parable of the prodigal son but it
is being told to cars in a church car park. The prodigal here is a
utility truck that makes sure it is stolen in order to get to the city
where it believes life will be more exciting. Unfortunately the truck
ends up rusting on the street forgotten and alone wishing it were back
on the farm. This is a small soft cover with a lot of text for its size
and it is hard to find a suitable reading age or audience for it.
Vicki Nunn
By midnight by Mia James
Orion Books, 2010. ISBN 9780575095533.
(Age 14+) Recommended for those who love the vampire genre. April Dunne
is unhappy. Her father has moved her family from Edinburgh to Highgate
and she has had to leave all her friends behind. Life as a student at
her new, elite school, Ravenwood, isn't easy and she doesn't feel she
fits in. She is not really rich, doesn't own designer clothes and isn't
even really smart like the other students. However she is attracted to
one boy, Gabriel, and after he rescues her from a strange being in
Highgate Cemetery one night, she finds him even more intriguing. Then
she discovers that a young woman has been murdered nearby and strange
things are happening at Ravenwood.
I found this to be an entertaining read, which I devoured very quickly.
The plot was very fast paced, and there were some quite unexpected
twists and turns that kept my interest alive. The tension was built up
really well, and I was kept guessing who was a vampire in the school
and what was really going on. The research that April and her father
conducted was fascinating as well and the gradual dropping of clues
about what was happening was well done.
April was an interesting, strong girl, with a well-developed character.
Gabriel was not as well developed as a character, but was good as the
dark, attractive, mysterious love interest.
The romance between April and Gabriel, the mystery about her mother's
background and the fabulous setting of Highgate Cemetery are intriguing
enough for me to want to read the next in the series. By midnight
is
sure to be popular with those who love a Gothic horror tale with
vampires!
Pat Pledger
Bindi Wildlife Adventures: A Whale of a Time by Chris Kunz
Random House, 2010. ISBN 9781864718508.
(Age 8-10) Highly recommended. This exciting new episode in the
Wildlife Adventure series is full of environmental and boating
information and includes the usual animal fact file at the back, this
time on whales. 12 year old twins visiting from England are excited to
join Bindi Irwin on a whale watching trip in a catamaran. The kids get
involved in a boating accident, an environmental disaster threatening
marine life along the coast and one experience of sea sickness while
they
encounter beautiful humpback whale pods. Highly recommended for eight
to ten year olds but especially suited for children with concern for
the environment.
Vicki Nunn
Mythical creatures series
Raintree, 2010.
The series of books in the Mythical Creatures series introduce the
reader to mythical creatures from cultures around the world. They
include books about vampires, dragons, fairies, mermaids, unicorns,
vampires and werewolves. Each book has a clear well constructed Table
of Contents. The individual book then outlines what a mythical
creature is, gives a definition of the individual mythical creature and
then examines where the stories about them have come from, looks at
reality versus myth and contains a glossary, links to sites and books
and a good index.
The print is big and clear to read, and the writing engages the reader
by asking questions and giving interesting facts. Pronunciations of
difficult words are given. Illustrations are bright and bold, and
include photographs of real places and things as well as pictures of
what the artist's imagination comes up with.
This is a series that should appeal to young readers. The books about
vampires and werewolves give factual information about the origins of
these myths and are not too gory for middle to upper primary age group
that the series appears to be aimed at.
Titles include:
Read Me!: Dragons By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 643 1
Read Me!: Fairies By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 644 8
Read Me!: Mermaids By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 645 5
Read Me!: Unicorns By Abby Colich ISBN: 978 1 40621 648 6
Read Me!: Vampires By Charlotte Guillain ISBN: 978 1 40621 646 2
Read Me!: Werewolves by Rebecca Rissman ISBN: 978 1
40621 647 9
Pat Pledger
The hunger games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 9781407109374.
Katniss is forced to take on the role of leader of the rebels fighting
against the Capitol, and the hated President Swan, when the Mockingjay
becomes a symbol of revolution. Still unsure whether Peeta is alive,
and with Gale always by her side, she delves into the murky political
world behind the organisation. Point and counter point sees her pitting
her wits against the wise Plutarch and in a morass of political
maneuvering she finds that she has promised to lead the group only if
Peeta, now seen as a traitor, is kept alive. But in return she must
obey all directives, something she has never done in the past, so is
trapped.
The Capitol screens out to all districts live interviews with Peeta,
showing off their captive for all to see, and seriously undermining
Katniss. But on the last occasion it is clear that he is being tortured
and he warns them of an impending air strike. Gale and the others then
decide they must get into the Capitol and rescue Peeta and the
others trapped there. Katniss is overjoyed, but when Peeta returns he
is seriously damaged.
A brilliant and absorbing third part of this story, Mockingjay
will
have the readers hold their breath as the game unfolds, drawing many
people in to its sphere. Katniss is in District 13, long believed to be
abandoned and is appalled when she sees that the people have gone
underground, building up a regimented and sparse life. Each person has
a daily routine painted on their arms, telling them exactly where they
must be for all the hours of the day. The description of the
underground city is breathtaking in its completeness, the compliance of
its people even more so, but all the while, we know that Katniss will
deliver some blow to the dictatorship which has evolved, as well as
take on the Capitol. The trilogy had me hooked from page one to the end.
Fran Knight
Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree by Andy Stanton
Egmont, 2010. ISBN 978 1 405252188.
This is a nonsensical story about a town called Lamonic Bibber where a
cast of unusual characters dwell. Language is made up, song lines are
intergrated in the text and some characters aren't what they seem. Mr
Gum is the protagonist in these stories and his attempts to divert the
lives of the town dwellers is the basis for the stories. In this book
he pretends to be an ancient tree dweller and convinces the town folk
to give him their most precious item as a token of their devotion.
Polly (the happiest nine-year-old you could ever meet) is determined to
uncover the true identity of the tree dweller and convince the
townsfolk of the deception. It is a fun easy to read book.
Tracy Glover
Tussock by Elizabeth Pulford
Walker Books, 2010. ISBN 9781921529450.
(Age 10-13) Recommended. When Katie's father goes missing on a routine
flight, her life is thrown into chaos. Close neighbours and friends try
to hold the family together while emergency services search for the
fallen plane. Katie believes that if she lights a lamp in the
little tin shed on a hill on their property, its light will guide her
father home. Her sister Madeleine believes that the fabled Stone Man
will find her father, and she builds one out of stones near the tin
shed. There they meet Troy, a troubled teen from a nearby camp for
disadvantaged youth, and the mystery surrounding him brings danger to
the girls. The search for the girls' father loses momentum as the
police use their resources to search for a dangerous criminal at loose
in the area.
Author Elizabeth Pulford has written an intriguing story that kept me
interested to the end. On one hand I was engrossed with the sisters'
use of superstition, which holds them together emotionally as they wait
for their father to be saved. I held my breath as Katie crept out at
night to light the lantern to guide her father home and empathised with
Madeleine she built up a Stone Man that would save her father from
drowning. Troy's appearance brought a sense of menace to the story. I
was never quite sure if Troy was dangerous or not, but the tension that
was built up as he interacted with the girls was quite riveting.
All the characters are described in-depth. Kate is a fully realised
young teenager, who feels constrained by her parents and Pulford's
description of her feelings, her grief, worry and regrets made me feel
as if I knew her. Troy's air of being lost, without a home, is very
well done. The growing friendship between the two is beautifully
constructed and Troy's sacrifice to save Kate will really appeal to
young readers. Secondary characters are also well rounded, in
particular Old Jonesy, the farmhand who helps the girls in their grief,
and the criminal is frightening.
Set in New Zealand tussock country, this a story that will appeal to
young girls, with its touch of romance, mystery and family dilemma.
Pat Pledger
Paladin by Dave Luckett
Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978 1 862918672.
(Ages Middle school) Recommended. Fantasy. Sam and Finny were at the
same school. Sam knows that Finny has dropped
out and is aware that she is different, even strange, compared to
others at school. But when she is attacked in the park, her attacker is
replaced by an old man who tells them both to follow him. Sam finds
himself in a different place, a medieval land where time has a
different meaning from his own world, and here he is welcomed as a
paladin, a good knight with powers that will help those around him.
Perplexed, Sam must follow the lead of Finny who he has discovered is a
mage with magical powers, and together they are to be trained to rid
the world of the dark forces which are threatening to take over. But
when Finnny disappears, Sam must act, or the others will keep on
believing that she has crossed to the dark side and is now an enemy to
be sought out and killed.
A high fantasy adventure story, Sam's quest, to rescue Finny takes him
through lands where he is at times treated as a friend sent to help,
and other times as an enemy to be fought. The adventures come thick and
fast as he must pit not only his wits, but also his strength against an
unknown enemy. Several plot twists will retain the heightened interest
of the readers, leading to a most satisfying conclusion.
Fran Knight
Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper
Bloomsbury, 2010. ISBN 9780747599135.
(Age 13+) Highly recommended. Grace Parkes has given birth to an
illegitimate child. Distraught, she travels to Brookwood Cemetery where
she hides her little wrapped package in a rich lady's coffin, knowing
that her baby will have a proper burial. There she meets Mr James
Solent, the brother of Susannah Solvent, whose coffin she has used and
this meeting as well as one with Mrs Emmeline Unwin, will have untold
effects on her future. When Grace goes back to London, she faces a dire
time trying to make a living selling watercress and anything else she
can get her hands on, to try and keep her sister Lily and herself
alive. The Unwins, too, are trying to defraud the sisters of an
inheritance that is rightfully theirs.
Grace and Lily are gently brought up girls, who when their mother dies,
are faced with destitution. Their father has never returned from India,
where he went to gain a fortune, and they are left with only a few
possessions to sell to buy food and pay their rent. Grace is forced to
leave the orphanage when its benefactor abuses her and the sisters'
life and is lucky to find a room with Mrs Macready. The themes of rape
and abuse are low key and not described in any detail so younger
readers would be able to cope with this content.
All of Hooper's characters are finely developed. Grace is a strong
heroine and Lily is her likeable disabled sister.bvJames Solvent
the young solicitor, is compassionate and caring, and minor characters
are so well developed that all come to life in the mind of the reader.
Hooper brings the plight of the poor in Victorian England vividly alive
with her accurate historical depiction of life at that time. I loved
this historical novel and its Victorian setting and funeral customs,
were fascinating. I felt as if I was living with the girls as they
struggled to stay off the streets. There were tears in my eyes as I
thought about Grace having to bury her poor little baby in a stranger's
coffin and I was appalled at the cunning malice of the Unwins who were
trying to get the girls' inheritance.
The clever combination of the contrast of the appalling conditions for
poor women and those of the rich, and a gripping plot of an inheritance
lost, makes for a wonderful and memorable story. I loved reading this
type of rags to riches story when I was young and throoughly enjoyed this one. Fallen Grace is a
captivating story, and the addition of the historical detail makes it
even more rich and compelling. I will always read a book written by
Mary Hooper, who doesn't fail to write fabulous fiction.
Pat Pledger
Marrying Ameera by Rosanne Hawke
Angus and Robertson, 2010. ISBN 978 0732291440.
(Ages 14+) Recommended. A sense of foreboding pervades the atmosphere
of Ameera's house in Adelaide, where she is mildly testing her father's
restrictions upon her movements. A good Muslim daughter, she spends
time in his rug shop, is dutiful at home, and always gets her brother
to accompany her or at least bring her home from times spent with her
girlfriends. But she is beginning to balk at the heavy handedness of
her father, and turns to her Australian mother for help. But she too is
confined by her husband's wishes, and although sympathetic, has
promised her husband that their children will be raised Muslim. Ameera
sees her brother going out with friends, having a license and a car,
having a girlfriend, and more importantly she sees her friend's
brother, Tariq.
Rosanne Hawke has again written a story redolent with understanding of
Muslim attitudes and culture, one that will inform as well as intrigue
while secondary readers follow the path Ameera is sent on by her
constrained father.
Flying to Pakistan ostensibly for her cousin's wedding, Ameera comes to
realise that it is her wedding she is attending and so breaking free of
this situation takes up the remainder of the story.
Rosanne Hawke first came across the germ of this tale when on study
leave in Pakistan, meeting a couple who helped recover girls sent to
Pakistan to marry against their wishes. The repugnance of forced
marriage is given full reign as Hawke follows Ameera's trail. Girls in
secondary school will cry out as I did at the impossible situation her
father has put her in, but with western sensibilities will find her
continued meek obedience hard to accept. Readers will cheer when she
escapes and returns to Australia, but will see that she has exchanged
one sort of captivity for another, having now to watch lest someone try
to take justice into their own hands. I found this section of the story
hard to read as Ameera wanted to forgive her dictatorial and
hypocritical father.
For the vast majority of the world's women, arranged marriages are a
norm, and for some, forced marriage can be the result, but for many
Australian women, both of these are abhorrent. This book looks forced
marriage in the eye, while readers are encouraged to assess the ideas
behind freedom of choice and arranged marriages with more understanding
and compassion, and, as with all of her books, extend their
appreciation of the mix of cultures and ideas that make up today's
Australia. Marrying Ameera not only tells us a good story but
along the
way many readers will question the ideas of forced marriages, arranged
marriages and freedom of choice.
Fran Knight
White crow by Marcus Sedgwick
Orion Children's Books, London, 2010. ISBN 978184255187 5.
(Ages 12+) Gothic horror. Recommended. A doctor lately escaped
from Revolutionary France, takes up residence
in Winterfold Hall, here to conduct experiments, hoping to find what
lies after death. In league with a local minister, people volunteer for
what they think will relieve their concerns about death, but the
gruesome truth lies in the headless corpses beneath the hall. The
victims are beheaded, so the doctor can hear what they see with their
last breath. Secretly burying the bodies in the tunnel, they accumulate
seven coffins before their part of the story, told by the minister,
comes to an end.
Alongside this story a tale of today unfolds. Ferelith meets Rebecca,
newly arrived in the town with her father, a policeman hiding from the
publicity surrounding the death of a child after his decision to call
off the search was implemented. Rebecca is lonely and frightened,
scared of what is happening to the remnants of her family, and so easy
prey to the strange and beguiling Ferelith, wanting her to explore the
old hall, now one of the last structures in the village slowly being
eaten by the sea. Stories of the experiments overlap information about
Ferelith's background, and tales from the villagers along with their
suspicion of Rebecca's father, bubble together, forming an uneasy
background to the story. As the graveyard opens up and falls into the
sea, the narrative outlining what Rebecca and Ferelith are doing takes
on a sinister form as they pursue their interest in the hall.
But another voice is there: a first person account, lurking in the
background, seeming to watch over all the action, at times almost
manipulating what is going on. The creepy feeling of dread imparted by
this account will keep the readers involved and excited by the
possibilities of what is really happening. The book held me to the end.
Fran Knight
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Read by Taylor Owynns. Allen and Unwin, 2008. Vision Australia, 2010. 7
CDs, 8.5 hrs
Highly recommended. This extraordinary story of a diverse range of
characters residing on the island of Guernsey during World War Two,
will win hearts all over again, as it is told by Taylor Owynns on these
discs. Everything is forgotten as listeners settle in to listen to this
wonderfully told story, forgetting all appointments and chores,
visitors or obligations. Taylor Owynns' voice takes on the plethora of
characters with ease, traipsing over the accents and nuances of voice
which so delineates each of the islanders. From Dorsey to Elizabeth,
Sydney to Juliet, each person is given a subtle change of tone that
makes them easy to pick up.
The story of these people, emerging after five years of privation
during German occupation is infectious. Juliet Ashton, a London
author is flattered by the interest shown by one of the women on the
island, and responds to her letters. The replies pique Juliet's
interest and going to the island, it is her intention to follow the
story of the Society, set up during WW2 to evade the scrutiny of the
occupiers, hopefully culminating in a book. But on the island, she
learns first hand about friendship and trust as by degrees the
islanders reveal themselves through their letters and conversations
about the woman who was killed by the Germans, Elizabeth. It is her
story that captures Juliet's imagination and the detail which comes
through her conversations with the islanders; builds up an image of a
forthright young woman, not easily thrown by brutality.
The Society, born one night from Elizabeth's imagination, telling the
German patrol just why she and several islanders were out after curfew,
sets in place a disparate group of people meeting every fortnight to
discuss works they have read. Several had never read a book before, let
alone discuss it, and it is these literary evenings, surmounted by a
supper which often includes the Potato Peel Pie, that engages our rapt
attention. Each letter reveals more of that society and those who are
part of it, the telegrams heighten our interest and sometimes the
distance between London and Guernsey seems very short indeed. An
amazing story of courage and fortitude, offering listeners a slice of
war history rarely visited by non fiction books.
Fran Knight
Superman: The Museum of Monsters by Michael Dahl
Ill. by Dan Schoening. DC Super Heroes series. Raintree, 2010.
ISBN: 978 1406214994.
(Age 7+) One of a series of books based on the comic book hero Superman
, The Museum Monsters is a fun adventure starring Superman who
saves
the Museum when Mxy, a mischievous imp from outer space plays his
tricks on the exhibits. Superman showing amazing cleverness manages to
rescue Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and many spectators from Mxy's evil.
The DC Super Heroes series are a set of illustrated readers, each
55 pages in length, brightly illustrated with numerous full page
drawings. They would have appeal for all children who love the comic
hero. Reluctant readers, especially
boys, will be happy to read a story about Superman, particularly if
they like comics and the format of these books doesn't give the feel of
a traditional reader. A glossary, discussion questions and
writing prompts are found at the back of the books so may be of use for
teachers.
Superman - Last Son of Krypton by Michael Dahl ISBN: 978 1 40621 498 7
Superman - The Menace of Metallo by Eric Stevens ISBN:978 1 40621 501 4
Superman - The Stolen Superpowers by Martin Powell ISBN: 978 1 40621 502 1
Superman - Toys of Terror by Chris Everheart ISBN: 978 1 40621 500 7
Superman - Under the Red Sun by Blake Hoena ISBN: 978 1 40621 503 8
Superman - The Menace of Metallo by Eric Stevens ISBN: 978 1 40621 501 4
Superman - Bizarro is Born! By Loise Simonson ISBN: 978 1 40621 505 2
Superman - Livewire! By Blake Hoena ISBN: 978 1 40621 506 9
Superman - Meteor of Doom by Paul Kupperberg ISBN:978 1 40621 507 6
Superman - Super-Villain Showdown by Paul Kupperberg ISBN: 978 1 40621
509 0
Superman - The Kid Who Saved Superman by Paul Kupperberg
ISBN: 978 1 40621 510 6
Superman - The Shrinking City by Michael Dahl ISBN: 978 1 40621 508 3
Pat Pledger
Wild Stories by Colin Thompson
Random House, 2010. ISBN: 9781864718263.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up. In this delightful collection of
short stories, set in the garden of a house called fourteen, Colin
Thompson gives a wonderfully descriptive, humorous and touching insight
into the true meaning of the term 'biodiversity' as it relates to a
suburban back yard. From mosquitoes, slugs, cockroaches, spiders,
millipedes, maggots and caterpillars to dogs, cats, rabbits, hedgehogs,
rats, bats, chickens and budgerigars each snippet reflects on life from
the perspective of that particular creature. With this one particular
garden as the focus, the author gives each of the different creatures
which live there a chapter of the story as he describes their life and
purpose. Although several come to unfortunate ends as a result, some of
the animals and mini-beasts decide to rebel against expectations of
their families, others follow the paths set by their parents and
forebears.
Having previously only read and been entranced by Thompson's picture
books, this collection proved that whatever he writes is worthy of
reading. Over the space of a page, in the case of a poem, to stories
told within anything from three to ten pages Colin Thompson can make
the reader consider the human condition and the impact we have on the
environment. In reading the different sections about Ethel Doris the
Chicken, we are lead to consider the meaning of life! Being released
during the Year of Biodiversity, any of these tales could be used by
teachers with their classes to consider habitats and how different
species can co-exist within one small area.
Definitely a highly recommended title.
Jo Schenkel
