Originally published in 1989, the Wayside School series has certainly held up but also shows its age. While still incredibly funny and clever, there are many elements that may concern parents and teachers, making the series more appropriate for the upper levels of primary school. Not only does the book contain name-calling and bullying (fat, dumb jerk), one of the stories involves a student bringing a 'hobo' to school and in another the students discuss why one child is favoured by the teacher: 'Maybe Mrs Jewls got drunk!...And then she danced on top of her desk...And Myron took her picture. And so now Mrs Jewls has to let Myron do anything he wants, or else he'll show the picture to Mr Kitswatter!'. In other incidents a child kicks another in the 'rear end', another wants to knock her teeth our so that she will look 'cute', one of the children declares his love for the teacher and the teacher reciprocates the sentiment, a child is teased for being emotional and the teacher gets angry and holds a yardstick threateningly above a student's head.
On the flip side, none of this is supposed to be taken seriously; these are completely wacky stories full of puns, illogicality and irrational arguments. Like all the others in the series, this installment is comprised of 30 interconnected short stories that all take place within the realm of the absurd Wayside School: 30 floors, each with a single classroom, a cafeteria whose food nobody will eat and a nineteenth storey that does (or doesn't) exist. This is an undeniably fun read for a more mature reader, which will be throroughly appreciated by fans of other dark comedy writers such as Andy Griffiths and David Walliams.
The Locked Room is Number 14 in The Ruth Galloway series, and Elly Griffiths still manages to produce an intriguing mystery and some very interesting historical details about the medieval plague, all set within the COVID-19 pandemic. When Ruth is clearing out her mother’s effects, she comes across a photo of her cottage, with the words ‘Dawn 1963’ written on the back. Coming back to Norfolk she is determined to find out why her mother had a picture of the place, but Covid erupts, and she finds herself organising course work for her university students, via Zoom, and trying to home school her daughter Kate. Meanwhile Nelson has become suspicious about a suicide which does not feel right, and the team finds a series of suicides that family members find very difficult to believe. Add in a mysterious ghost called The Grey Lady, bricked into a house during the plague, a new neighbour, Zoe, whom Ruth is drawn to and the ramifications of Covid, and readers will be drawn into this mystery.
Griffiths exploration of life during Covid will be familiar to all her readers, who will identify with the loneliness and difficulties of working from home and teaching a young child. The awful anxiety of having a loved one come down with the virus is vividly told when Cathbad is its victim. Police procedures during lockdown are described as well and Nelson finds himself at home alone while Michelle is in Blackpool with their son, and this provides an opportunity for Nelson and Ruth to develop their relationship.
The links between The Grey Lady, the apparent suicides of women, her new neighbour Zoe, a woman locked underground and the body that Ruth has excavated are all tied together with some enthralling twists in a dramatic and dangerous climax. Readers like me who love this series will be longing for the next book. Griffiths does give enough background for the book to be a stand-alone for readers new to the series. This includes a page summary of each of the main characters at the back of the book. However, the series is well worth the effort to start from the beginning with The crossing places, winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award 2011.
Themes Murder, COVID, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
A lighthouse story by Holly James and Laura Chamberlain
When Eva goes to stay with her grandfather, she is excited. He lives and works on a lighthouse, so her days are spent helping him with his chores, watching the swirling sea around the little island and listening to his stories. Through their days together, the reader absorbs a great deal of information about the lighthouse, why it is there, what is its purpose and how it is run, while at the end of this stunning book are a number of pages giving more factual information: the lighthouse keeper’s handbook, famous lighthouses of the world, a look at modern lighthouses and a sideways plan of what is in a lighthouse.
Eva has to be taken to the island on a boat, an adventure in it itself as she watches the lighthouse come closer, its red stripes standing out against the blue sea. She helps Grandad clean the lens so that sailors can see it in the dark, she reads his daily journal of the weather, helps turn on the foghorn when it becomes foggy. When she has some spare time she loves walking over the rocks, checking the rock pools, watching the birds, spying the seals and watching the shiny scales of fish darting about near the shore.
But at night when it is dark, she loves looking at the stars and seeing the constellations that Grandad picks out. One night it becomes stormy and after Grandad checks the light they go downstairs to the safe and warm room at the bottom of the lighthouse and he reads her stories about bravery and courage. The tale of Grace Darling encapsulates these qualities as Grace and her father venture out one stormy night to rescue people after their ship founders.
What a tale to read snuggled up against grandfather on a cold wet and windy night. The story of Grace Darling contrasts with the story of Eva and her Grandad, one where she is on holiday helping her grandfather with the daily chores, enjoying herself, but hearing about the tougher lives led by lighthouse keepers in the past and the work they were expected to do.
A wonderful read, children will thrill at the idea of holidaying on a lighthouse but be made aware that places like these have an important role to play in keeping shipping safe.
The stunning illustrations show enticing detail of island life and the lighthouse and its work. Children will love poring over the detail, relishing the huge amount of information given both in the images and text. They will be able to fill in Granddad’s daily diary watching the different skies with an array of clouds and weather. The sea is absorbing with its changes of colour and temperament, enabling young children to see how the sea can be both inviting and playful then treacherous and dangerous.
Themes Islands, Sea, Lighthouses, Grandfathers.
Fran Knight
It starts with a bee by Jennie Weber
Murdoch Books, 2022. ISBN: 9780711270336.
Slowly, slowly we are beginning to understand how critical bees are to our survival, and yet how endangered they are becoming, so any book for young readers that helps them understand the crucial role that bees play has to be an important addition to any collection.
Using rhyming text and delicate illustration the reader is taken on a journey through the seasons from winter to autumn showing how a garden is pollinated and thus blooms to be beautiful flowers, fruits and vegetables bringing both joy and food to our lives, culminating in a magnificent three-page spread summarising the essential elements of the process. As well, it shows how bees work together with each other and other insects creating an interdependent eco-system which we must protect.
Although created by an English illustrator who believes " if people are amazed by the natural world, then they will be less likely to destroy it." so that there is a "English country garden" feel to it, many of the plants featured are very familiar to young Australian readers, making its message as important here as it is anywhere. It is an ideal complement to books like Holly, the Honeybee Dancing Star and Bee Detectives (with its focus on Australian species), all with their strong message of not just conservation but how simple it is for even our youngest readers to ensure their safety and survival.
Themes Bees.
Barbara Braxton
Let's build a backyard by Mike Lucas and Daron Parton
Let’s Build A Backyard is the newly published companion book to Let’s Build A House, both written by South Australian author Mike Lucas. This latest release is a lively and busy account of a time spent in the backyard of the father and his young daughter from the first book, working together to create a very special place.
From the very beginning of this delightful and energetic book the young reader will enjoy the action that the clever rhyming words impart. Each step of the building a backyard journey is labelled clearly, followed by the short rhyme, and with three action words highlighted across a double page spread.
Mix in some compost. Use your fork to turn, turn, turn. A little help from all the worms. Watch them wriggle, see them squirm. Squirm! Squirm! Squirm!
The bright and colourful illustrations by Daron Parton complement the text perfectly and showcase the steps needed to create the new garden. This book has a very welcome and gentle introduction to the sustainable theme for young children with mention of looking after a tree, making a possum box and a bee hotel, installing sprinklers, creating a vegetable patch, as well as adding compost.
This is a perfect book to read aloud to young children and engage them in the story by allowing them the opportunity to do the actions as it is read. A welcome addition to a home, school or public library.
Random House Children's Books, 2022. ISBN: 9780593178867. (Age:9+) Highly recommended.
Thornwood is an intriguing retelling of The sleeping beauty and is one of my favourite genres. It is told from the viewpoint of Briony, the younger sister of Rosalin, who has been cursed from birth by a wicked fairy. She is destined to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a 100-year sleep and will not be awakened until a prince kisses her. When Briony wakes up she is in the castle’s tower and everyone else is still fast asleep. Then she spots a handsome stranger kiss her sister, but questions arise about Varian. Why is the castle still surrounded by thorns, allowing no one in or out? Briony is determined to find a way to break the spell and rescue everyone in the castle - but no one has ever listened to the little sister.
Told in the first person by Briony, the narrative flows along smoothly, often with snarky asides by Briony which add wit and humour to the story. All the characters are fully fleshed out, and the sibling rivalry and love between the two sisters is a highlight of the tale. Briony is not a haughty princess and the friendship between her and Edwin, a boy who was so bullied in his village that he preferred to come to the castle and sleep for one hundred years, is another high point. Briony needs to use all her skills and cunning to work out how to be rid of the thorny forest that hems them all in and Cypess’s vivid writing ensures that the reader is fully invested in the story.
This is a fun read that will appeal to all fans of fairy tale retellings, although it is aimed at a middle-school audience. Readers will, like me, come away with a smile on their faces, at the surprise way Cypess ends her story and will want to read more books by this author. Other retellings like Book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale and Beauty by Robin McKinley are sure to appeal as well.
Themes Fairy tale retelling, Siblings, Problem solving.
Pat Pledger
You don't have to be loud: A quiet kid’s guide to being heard by Ben Brooks
Hachette, 2022. ISBN: 9781526362872. (Age:9 - 12)
Ben Brooks, well known author of the popular Stories For Boys Who Dare to Be Different, Stories For Boys Who Dare to be Different 2, and Stories For Kids Who Dare to be Different has written this latest book for those children who do not always feel comfortable speaking to others and who would rather be alone than with company. The author has used personal experiences and feelings from his own life to share with readers. He breaks down what ‘shy’ and ‘quiet’ mean and gives examples of people with similar traits who have quietly achieved amazing things.
You Don’t Have to be Loud is begins with an introductory chapter: You’re Not Alone and the quote, 'Quiet people have the loudest minds.' (Stephen Hawking). The author reveals that he was always a quiet child, and this led to him doing some strange things. He admits he is less shy now as an adult but is perfectly comfortable being the quiet person in the room. There are seven chapters in this book with the headings: What is Shyness?, Everyone’s Different, Practice Makes Perfect, Everyone Belongs Somewhere, Your Time Online, The Glory of Being Alone and You Don’t Have to Be Loud. Each chapter has extensive information and anecdotes to share but it is cleverly interspersed around humorous images, large bold fonts, bright orange borders and features, as well quotes and important sayings. In the final pages there are lists of resources, references, as well as a comprehensive index.
The wisdom and ideas shared by Brooks in this book are considerable and may prove to be a challenge for some readers but with adult guidance and support for those who require it, there is much to be shared and learnt.
Themes Wellbeing, Personal Issues, Self-awareness, Self-esteem, Mental Health, Social Interactions.
Kathryn Beilby
Saving the butterfly by Helen Cooper and Gill Smith
Walker Books, 2022. ISBN: 9781406397208.
Older sister and younger brother have fled their homeland, the only two to survive the perilous boat trip to safer waters, where helping hands gave them sanctuary. And even though they had nothing from before, except each other, older sister said they were lucky because they could have lost so much more.
But while younger brother didn't think about that for long and began to make new friends and learn new things, older sister dwelt in the past - she felt she shouldn't forget and gradually a shadow fell over her mind, as dark and gloomy as their meagre surrounds. Until one day, younger brother captures a butterfly and brings it home. 'Set it free!' cries the older sister, but in its panic it bashes into the walls... Eventually it tires and settles on her hand and doesn't leave, as though it senses her pain. Older sister knows what she must do but does she have the courage...
This is a poignant story, sadly a repeat of so many times when people have had to flee their homes, and even today, it is happening again... It reminds us that there is so much more to starting again than the relief of reaching a safe harbour. Matching the lyrical text are stunning illustrations whose palette mirrors the mood perfectly, contrasting the darkness of older sister's thoughts and feelings with the hope offered by the bright butterfly.
With so many of our students having found themselves in the predicament of both older sister and younger brother, this is an insight into that long period of adjustment, the grief and fear that must be worked through, and the changes that must be made so we can be more sensitive to the needs of these children. It is so much more than just a story about refugees.
I am a fan of retellings of fairy tales and was immediately drawn to this slim hard back novella, a story about a princess named Imelda and a prince named Ambrose, who are married for a day and a night. Imelda is poisoned and the only way she can be saved is by forfeiting their love. Then a meeting with the witch who have cursed them, gives them the opportunity to regain that love. Facing many adventures including a beaver, strange landscapes, cannibals and a wicked fairy, the pair begin to get to know each other again.
A short book, Once more upon a time was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump as well as leaving me feeling happy and relaxed. The introduction of a talking cloak that thinks he is a horse adds many laugh aloud moments with his sharp and witty dialogue. The struggles that both Ambrose and Imelda face as their feelings grow give a contemporary feel to the fairy tale. Imelda does not want to be tied down. As one of The Twelve Dancing Princesses she has faced that with the magic slippers that her father had made them wear, and she wants to be free without the obligation of love. Ambrose, the middle brother, must learn to trust love, after being disappointed by his family.
This was a feel-good story, yet with enough adventure and danger to keep me glued to the page as Imelda and Ambrose strove to gain the potion that the witch demanded. There are many small gems of wisdom for the reader to ponder, including in the Epilogue: 'The king and queen did not live happily, but hopefully, ever after.'
Themes Fariy tale retelling, Love.
Pat Pledger
Playing at the border by Joanna Ho and Teresa Martinez
HarperCollins, ISBN: 9780062994547.
'Feet planted on the soil of one nation, eyes gazing at the shores of another, Yo-Yo Ma played a solo accompanied by an orchestra of wind and water.'
On April 13, 2019, on the US banks of the Rio Grande he played a piece of music hundreds of years old to an audience on the opposite banks in Mexico to show that building bridges is so much better than building walls.
But this is more than just a story of one man playing a cello alone to be heard by a few - this is the story of a renowned cellist, himself a blend of cultures as he was born to Chinese parents in France and raised in the US. Because his fingers were too small for a double bass, as a little child he chose the cello - and its particular blend of international origins is woven into both the story and the music. And from its strings comes the music dancing 'over rocks and rivers and walls into the sky', born in Germany 300 years before, lost, then found in Spain, and renewed in the US to unite those who had once been one but who were now separated...
Connecting cultures and countries through music was Yo-Yo Ma's ambition when he began the Bach Project in 2018, reviving the rare cello solos which 'create the sound of harmonising melodies on one instrument' there was a much symbolism as there was entertainment on that day in 2019 when the people of two nations momentarily joined together again, in defiance of the rhetoric and actions of the then POTUS. And in Johanna Ho's text, which is as lyrical as the music itself, we discover that there were many more than just two nations involved in making it happen.
Andi McNulty has just turned eighteen, but when she wakes the morning after her birthday, she is alone in a motel room, unable to remember what happened - and she's covered in blood. The TV is on and Andi hears her own name - her family is on the news, her father has been murdered, her mother is only barely alive in a coma and her little brother Josh is missing. Suspect Number One is Andi, but she couldn't have done this, right? She's on the high school field hockey team, she is a caring big sister and her whole family is happy. What happened to her near-perfect life? Finding herself alone and unsure of where to turn, Andi teams up with the strange, yet sympathetic Nate who works at the motel. Andi has to clear her name, find a murderer and save her brother - who is missing without a trace.
This mystery suspense novel is told from Andi's perspective, starting out with her waking in the motel room. Questions are a constant theme through the whole book, though there is a lack of urgency, and not much action for the majority of the book. While the writing is adequate, the story lacks some depth that many murder mysteries that have been published in the last few years have had. The story also goes back and forth a few times on the same questions, seeming to go around and around without true direction, but the story does slowly move forward. While not as exciting as some other YA mysteries, still a decent read.
Themes Mystery, Murder, Suspense, Family Relationships, Secrets.
'Anatomy' is set in Edinburgh, 1817, a time of advancing medical knowledge, but also a time when the gentleman physician, learned in Latin, was highly esteemed, while the common surgeon was held in lower standing, mixing with the lower classes, and relying on the brute strength of his hands. Hazel is a young lady, destined to marry her cousin Bernard and become Lady Almont, but due to the quirks of her largely neglectful upbringing, is fascinated by the sciences of anatomy and medicine. An early scene sees her experiment on a dead frog, trying to reignite life, in the style of Frankenstein.
The early chapters set the scene for what follows. Hazel is determined to be her own self, and follow her dreams, at a time when women’s future security was dependent on securing an advantageous marriage. Austen’s Sense and sensibility was a novel of the times. Hazel, however, disguised as a man, determines to attend anatomy lectures and surgery demonstrations. Her path crosses with Jack, a resurrection man, who steals bodies from the graveyard for surgeons to dissect. This is the beginning of a romance. But the real love story in this novel is the love of anatomy, and the quest for female autonomy and independence.
This is an unusual novel combining romantic historical fiction with macabre mystery and horror. It is well written with interesting characters and keeps the reader enthralled until the last strange turn of events that suggest there may possibly be a sequel, something I think readers of this novel will no doubt welcome enthusiastically.
Dana Schwartz’s website provides discussion questions about the novel and links to interviews with the author.
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529095241. (Age:Adult) Recommended for adults.
The Atlas Six is advertised as 'The runaway Tiktok must-read fantasy novel of the year,' enough to make any fantasy fan want to pick it up. The Alexandrian Society is a secret society that preserves all the knowledge from ancient civilizations. It is an exclusive club that guarantees wealth and power to anyone who is invited to join it. Atlas Blakely approaches six young people to see if they are prepared to join. Even though they are warned that only five will survive, all agree to spend a year to try and quality for the honour of membership. All have different powers that are important to the Society:
Libby Rhodes and Nicolas Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds. Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched. Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe. Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask. (Publisher).
As time passes for the characters, they are given instructions and dangerous quests that test their ability to problem solve and use their unique skills. The reader, knowing that only five of them will survive, is kept alert trying to work out which one could be eliminated and how this would be done. Each chapter is told in the voice of one of the characters, giving the reader one perspective on what is happening and insights into the feelings and beliefs of that person. Like Gallant by V.E. Schwab, the book is interspersed with illustrations, this time of each of the main protagonists. They are not labelled, and it is fun to try and work out who is portrayed.
This is a very dark story with some scenes of a sexual nature that make it unsuitable for a younger audience, but adults who like fantasy will find it very intriguing with a fascinating conclusion that leaves an opening for a sequel.
Pat Pledger
Good night to your fantastic elastic brain by JoAnn Deak and Terrence Deak. Illus. by Neely Daggett
This significant new non-fiction book, Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, written by two psychologists has been released in picture book style and is easy to read and understand. The book explains the brain, in just enough detail for children, its function and how to care for it by getting enough sleep. This well written factual story follows the journey of the brain, described as a big pink walnut, from how it works during the day to what it achieves when we are asleep. Children are initially introduced to what the brain does and then it goes on to describe the parts of the brain and their special job. The authors have used correct scientific and medical terminology (with pronunciations of more difficult words in brackets) throughout the book when describing the brain and how it functions. Double page spreads cover topics such as how your brain develops, gains control, remembers, forgets, energizers, takes a bath and dreams. Each topic is complemented with large bright and colourful images and diagrams, as well as text boxes giving further information. New or important words are capitalized and highlighted in bold colours.
This is a valuable book to be shared between children and adults, especially the section on what happens if you are unable to sleep well and how to improve your sleep.
Themes Brains, Health, Children.
Kathryn Beilby
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm by Laura Ellen Anderson
Farshore, 2022. ISBN: 9781405298704. (Age:7+)
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is the second in the Rainbow Grey series, which is British author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson's second series of books following the well-known Amelia Fang books.
Anderson is foremost an illustrator. She is the illustrator behind the relaunch of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series and Cornelia Funke's Dragon Rider series. She created the Evil Emperor Penguin series of graphic novels for Junior primary/primary children. She is passionate about illustration. This is obvious from a brief flip through Rainbow Grey Eye of the Storm. Illustrations border pages, fly across pages, burst from dark and light backgrounds and bleed across double spreads. The exuberance of the illustrations is mirrored in the stories that accompany them but somehow it seems that the story must fit the pictures; the pictures drive the text.
Notwithstanding this, the text is energetic, the adventures bounce along and there is magic. Anderson loves to play with words. There is plenty of rhyme and rhythm, much alliteration, much nonsensical amusement and entertainment, much repetition and bouncy repartee. The fantasy/adventure storyline is like others with which children would already be familiar. There is a map of a fantasy world and accompanying descriptions complete with imaginative place names. There is a cast of characters, with funny names and there is a central character Ray Grey with her friends and opponents. Like other fantasy stories, the hero and friends have to find their inner strengths/magical powers and save the world. The point of difference with the Rainbow Grey series is that the fantasy world is located in the earth's atmosphere - not in outer space or perhaps underground as is more usual. The characters channel the powers of the weather: wind, rain, sun and rainbows. Ray develops her secret weather powers and strives to save Earth and the "Weatherlands" from destruction by evil pent-up age old forces.
The style of the narration of Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is an acquired taste. The uninitiated young reader may need support through read alouds in order to accustom themselves to the unusual vocabulary and idiomatic, pun style humour. They will need the ability to suspend disbelief and a level of concentration in order to follow the antics and understand the motivations and relationships of the multiple characters. Once accustomed to the style, the reader will begin to see the serious message in the book begin to emerge - that is that the earth needs weather and every type of weather influences the other.
A lot of warmth and heart emerges from Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm. After restoration of the Weatherlands and the gentle treatment of the death and afterlife of La Blaze, a sun weatherling, the united friends fly on the cloud cat to a vantage point on the dark side of the Earth where they can view the stars and muse on the fact that though their enemy is still out there, they can return, strengthened, to deal with her in the next book in the series...
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is a light, fun-filled book, second in a series, which may be enjoyed by younger primary children.
