Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger, bk. 4. Random House
Australia, 2020. 295pp. ISBN: 9781760890452.
(Ages 10+) Highly recommended. In The Missing Prince John
Flanagan has written another very satisfying and thrilling adventure
which ends on a knife edge. This is the fourth in The Royal
Ranger series in which Rangers, Will and Maddie, are sent on a
recovery mission by King Duncan of Araluen. The two have to travel
into the Gallic kingdom and find King Philippe's son Giles, who is
being held against his will by power hungry Baron Lassigny in
Chateau des Falaises. Rangers are trained to have superior skills
and 'use their brains first to avoid fighting' and these two are no
exception. Will is the older mentor and teenage Maddie is second in
line to the Araluen throne. They disguise themselves as father and
daughter entertainers. Will is a jongleur, or minstrel, and Maddie
becomes deft at knife throwing and juggling. On their journey they
successfully keep their real identity secret and humorously thwart
ham-fisted attempts to follow them and rob them by a bunch of
thieves called the Black Vultures. Things turn very serious and
nail-biting once they arrive at the Baron's Chateau and come under
his scrutiny. Maddie must do the tricky work of locating Giles in
the Chateau and then they must try and rescue him.
Flanagan writes for young people but never talks down to his
audience. Hence this book can even be enjoyed by adults who want an
adventure set in imaginary medieval-like times. He uses interesting
descriptions and we learn about castles, weaponry and fighting
tactics. Flanagan conjures up very likeable characters. Maddie is a
welcome brave and determined female character who can't sing for
peanuts. Will is a little more complex with a simmering dislike of
bullies and arrogance that he only just keeps under control. Some of
their foe suffer quite brutal wounds but they all deserve it! It is
possible to read this book without having read the three prior to
it, however they are definitely worth reading to see the growth of
Maddie in her role as Royal Ranger. The Missing Prince
continues in volume 5.
Jo Marshall
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780063056718.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. The first chapter opens with
Enchanted slowly regaining consciousness in the chaos of a
blood-splattered room, Korey hanging face-down across a bed, and
police pounding outside the door. Then we are stepped back to the
events that led to this day. Enchanted Jones is a 17 year old, in
her last year of school, a champion of the swimming team, but her
real interest is singing and she is determined to overcome her
parents' reservations and win an auditioning competition.
A chance meeting sees Korey Fields walk into her life. He is 28
years old, famous, a singing idol, and he is interested in her and
her songs. It is a gradual process, text messages, snatched moments,
he is genuinely impressed by her voice, cares for her and wants to
help her succeed. It is easy to be drawn to him, but before she can
really work out how it happened Enchanted finds herself trapped by a
violent manipulator.
Jackson's description of the gradual process of grooming by Korey is
very realistic. He is charming, he shares her taste in songs, and he
reveals episodes from his own path into the music industry as a 14
year old, so that Enchanted sees his vulnerable side. But with time
she discovers there is also a 'Mr Hyde' side to him that is angry,
cruel and violent. And she has become so isolated from the people
that care about her that there is no way of escape from him.
The book comes with a content warning about mentions of sexual
abuse, rape, assault, child abuse, kidnapping and addiction to
opioids. But the scenes are not graphic, the focus is more on the
gradual sense of degradation, fear and powerlessness that trap
Enchanted, and provide insight into the situation of many victims of
domestic violence and sexual assault.
The story is fast-paced, with short chapters that carry the reader
along, and there is a twist in the narrative that adds another
element of mystery, keeping readers guessing. Readers of gritty
books like On
the come up by Angie Thomas will also enjoy this book
about an aspiring young black singer who finds herself alone facing
a situation that is beyond anything she could have predicted.
Themes: Entrapment, Sexual abuse, Violence.
Helen Eddy
Rain before rainbows by Smriti Halls
Illus. by David Litchfield. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406382358.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Rain Before Rainbows is
a very poignant and thoughtful story of the journey a young girl and
fox take while filled with worries and sadness. They have
difficulties to overcome and do so through their own courage and
resilience. Along the way they find companions to support and guide
them as they journey to reach a happier and more hopeful place.
The visually stunning and colourful illustrations support the simple
yet meaningful rhyming text, i.e. "Thunder will rumble, and
lightning will flash. The wind will start blowing and tall waves
will crash." The reader is drawn into exploring each illustration
with great delight and awe.
This is a story to be shared and discussed with younger readers as
the message and meaning may not be necessarily obvious at first
glance. It is a story that will fill both adults and children with
hope that things can get better. Teacher's
notes are available.
Themes: Worries, Journey, Courage, Friends, Hope.
Kathryn Beilby
It's ok to cry by Molly Potter
Illus. by Sarah Jennings. Featherstone: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.
ISBN: 9781472942425.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. It's ok to cry is a refreshing
read covering many scenarios with children and their feelings. The
book begins with a thoughtful introduction for the reader explaining
that it is ok to cry and that everyone needs to express how they are
feeling. The contents page covers a myriad of feelings and
situations that enables a quick search on a particular area of
interest or need. There is a particular focus on boys and emotions
before delving into more general areas for both genders. Topics
under discussion include positive and negative feelings, feelings
that take over, feelings that can make you cry, feelings that
involve other people, uncomfortable feelings as well as many others.
Each double page spread has colourful illustrations with an easy to
follow text. There is a 'It's good to know' box at the end of each
double page to sum up the feelings and situations discussed. Towards
the end of the book is a page full of children and their feelings
which allows the reader the opportunity to offer ideas as to why
they are feeling a particular way. There are notes for parents and
carers about helping boys to become emotionally intelligent and
ideas for strategies to help children to deal with uncomfortable
feelings.
This book is an important read for parents to share with their
children or a teacher to share with their class. It is also a
perfect book for an independent reader to browse through on their
own. Themes: Feelings, Well being, Children, Emotional intelligence,
Boys and feelings.
Kathryn Beilby
Perfect tunes by Emily Gould
Scribner, 2020. ISBN: 9781471175053.
(Age: Adult) This is an intriguing story of a talented woman who has
grown up with music at the heart of her early life. Laura has always
loved music and in her adolescent years she wrote a 'perfect' song.
This impacted on her life choices, defining her 'self' and her
career. As she matured, however, she gradually became unsure of
herself and felt that she had been changed by particular events in
her life, particularly in her experience of motherhood.
Later in life, living in New York, Laura meets her old friend and,
in considering how much her friend has changed, wonders how much she
herself is also very different to her younger self, and obliquely,
how much her old self is still yearning for the excitement of her
youth. As a mother she is more wary of situations where she may be
tempted to return to her youthful ways. When she is walking through
the museum one day, she wonders if 'the music in her head has gone
silent'. Yet she dreams of whether she might still be considered as
the hot entertainer of her youth, as she is younger than most of the
other mothers whose lives she shares.
The yearning to recreate herself and to enjoy the excitement of the
musical world is in contrast to her role as a loving mother. This
narrative positions us to consider whether we are the same person we
were in our youth, or if growing old has changed us totally. We are
left to ponder whether the challenge to pursue her old talents, that
may take her back to the excitement of her previous life, would be
satisfying, or whether motherhood will remain as her role and thus
define her life, but confine her talents.
With its explicit sexual description and references, and its adult
themes, this novel would be appropriate for adolescent and adult
readers.
Elizabeth Bondar
Santa Jaws by Mark Sperring
Illus. by Sophie Corrigan. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408897812.
(Age: 2+) Highly recommended. Shelly the shark is all set to make
this Christmas a very festive one. She turns her cave into a Santa
grotto and invites the little fishes to come in, but they are very
wary and swim away. However, Sid the squid is very excited as he has
not met Santa before: . . . today's my LUCKY, LUCKY day. Golly, whizz and gee! For guess WHO's meeting Santa Claus? Yes, me! Yes, me! Yes, me!
When he swims in finds that it is Shelly the shark in her diving
Santa suit. Can he trust her?
This is a hilarious read aloud, from the creators of Mince
Spies. The cadence of the rhythm and rhyming words make
a rollicking read and young children will love to sing out the 'Yes,
me!' And 'I am!' refrains along with Sid. The person reading it
aloud can also make the story lots of fun by coming up with voices
to suit the two main characters, who each have their own
characteristics. Readers will identify with Sid and his desire to
meet Santa, while relating to Shelly who has no friends and is not
trusted by anyone. She is a misunderstood creature, and it was
lovely to see Sid working with her to bring joy to all the sea
creatures.
Illustrations are cute with lots of fishy details to examine and
giggle over. Sid the squid with his long pink tentacles and big
black eyes is a hoot. The double page spread where he realises that
there was not a real Santa in the cave is hilarious, showing
Shelly's gleaming white teeth and little Sid's tentacles bunched
together. Newly independent readers will love to give this one a go
as well with the illustrations complementing the narrative.
A fabulous fun Christmas book, it is perfect as a bedtime story as
well and has become a firm favourite with my little grandson.
Pat Pledger
Tinsel: The girls who invented Christmas by Sibeal Pounder
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526619273.
(Age: 8+) Highly Recommended. Tinsel: The Girls who Invented
Christmas is a cleverly written book by Sibeal Pounder, author
of the popular Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series.
What if history had it all wrong and Christmas and the Santa story
was really begun by two young girls? This very exciting and humorous
story brings in traditions of Christmas that readers of all ages
will relate to. Blanche Claus lives under a bridge in London of long
ago when poor orphaned children struggled to survive. She has no
inclination or resources to embrace the festive season and would
prefer to sleep through it. However on one special evening she is
given a magical red bauble by an old woman. In the bauble she sees a
surprising image and this begins her journey. She finds an abandoned
horse she names Rudy and promises to care for her forever. While
riding Rudy she meets Rinki, another orphaned child, and they share
a mince-pie picnic. They lose touch but eventually find each other
again and the mince-pie picnics become significant to the storyline.
Blanche, disguised as a boy, becomes one of the best carters in the
docks. She meets Captain Garland who entrusts her with a precious
box which she delivers to his home not realizing Rinki is now living
there with her two dads. Given their earlier impoverished
circumstances Rinki and Blanche make a promise to try to provide a
present for every child on Christmas Day. The evil neighbour Mr
Krumpus and the three jealous carters play important roles in trying
to thwart everything the two girls' attempt.
Throw in elves named Carol, a larger than life fir tree, a young
cook called Santa, a new home in the North Pole, a magical sleigh
and you have an entertaining story full of adventure and magic. An
enjoyable and exciting read. Themes: Magic, Fantasy, Adventure, Good
Vs Evil, Friendship, Christmas Traditions, Humour, Loyalty.
Kathryn Beilby
What cats want: An illustrated guide for truly understanding your cat by Dr. Yuki Hattori
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526623065.
(Ages: 10+) Written by Japan's leading cat doctor, Dr. Yuki Hattori,
this illustrated guide to what cats want is a wonderfully light and
informative book. Starting with 10 rules for understanding cats, the
book has six main chapters broken up into short segments. After the
10 rules, it moves to cat biology (primarily covering cat senses)
and wellbeing (including diet and home environment). The next
chapter covers cat behaviour and how to 'speak cat'. Next up is the
chapter focusing on everyday care, ranging from sharing your home
with a cat to health care. The fourth chapter covers cat happiness
and how owners can best treat their cats to ensure they are content.
The following chapter details how to make your home cat friendly,
while the final chapter describes how to work towards a long and
happy life for your cat.
The topics are covered in such a succinct manner, with illustrations
and 3 main points for each topic. These also have illustrations and
text in two different colours - black indicating facts, history and
useful tidbits; orange indicating suggestions, causes or
explanations. Having had pets throughout my whole life, many of
those being cats (including my girls I rescued when they were
kittens: 16 year old, Mindy, and 12 year old, Persnickety), I found
this book delightful. I could easily associate behaviours exhibited
by my two fur babies, as well as cats I've known over the years. A
few things I learnt include that Mindy is considered a geriatric as
she is 16 (!), and that essential oils are essentially poison (thank
goodness I never use them!). I highly recommend this book to those
who are considering getting a cat, those who have a kitten and those
who have had cats for years. Also ideal for those interested in
animal psychology and wellbeing.
Themes: Pets, Cats, Pet care, Cat biology, Pet wellbeing.
Melanie Phillips
The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly
Jack West series. Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760559083.
(Age: Secondary/adult) The Two Lost Mountains is the sixth
in the Jack West series. Jack again teams up with his
extraordinary group of loyal friends who are ready to die for their
beliefs and put their trust in his leadership.
Again Jack finds the powers of evil: Sphinx (aka Hardin Lancaster
X11), the Omega Monks and unexpectedly General Rastor, all aiming to
find The Supreme Labyrinth in order to gain ultimate power. At their
beck and call are seemingly endless supplies of arms, aircraft,
ingenious technologies, robotic armies of bronzemen and silvermen
and of course allies all willing to aid their cause in the hope of
gaining wealth and power.
Jack's daughter Lilly has been abducted and is in peril for her life
and as the evil plans of Sphinx, Rastor and the Omega monks unfold
so are the lives and freedoms of humanity. As usual the odds are
stacked against Jack and his friends, but just when situations are
most desperate some how Jack and his crew are able to escape.
However there are some casualties amongst Jack's nearest and
dearest, which I will leave the readers to discover.
The pace of the narrative is unrelenting, with disasters happening
all over the globe. It's like a violent video game on paper. There
is mayhem, explosions, destruction of major historic buildings and
an enormous body count.
Reilly is able to blend classical mythology and his own rich
imagination to create a world that is his own unique narrative. It
may not be for everyone but for his legion of fans I'm sure they'll
not be disappointed. However be prepared for the fact that the story
does suddenly and abruptly end just as all the players reach their
goal. There will be a wait to find out what fiendish twists and
turns await the hero as he and his chosen few battle through the
labyrinth.
Themes: Adventure, Evil.
Mark Knight
Fire burn, cauldron bubble by Paul Cookson ed. Illus. by Eilidh Muldoon
Bloomsbury have done well with this delightful collection of approximately 70 poems chosen by Paul Cookson for children on the theme of magic. It is orange and black, hardback, A5 size, available as a clothbound edition if you like and easy to hold in your hand. Its pumpkin orange and the illustrations within, in black and white, are delightful and appropriate and drawn by Eilidh Muldoon. There is even a delightful little flowery pattern that dances from page to page as you flip through. This book is a physical delight to hold in your hands. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble. Magical poems is an example of how pleasurable the sheer physicality of a book can be.
It is about time that Paul Cookson, well known as a poet and performer in the UK, is introduced to Australian children. Poetry is without a doubt, a genre that needs to be revived. Poems are in fact, compacted messages, concepts, stories and ideas where every word is selected with discernment. The reader, even one who is a disenchanted child with a short attention span, can, with poetry, enjoy in a short read, big pictures, feelings and ideas.
In this collection, Cookson has found poems which appeal to all interests and tastes ranging from the 16th Century with extracts from Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream and Macbeth, through the 19th century with Tennyson's The Kraken and Lewis Carroll's Dreamland through to the dub poetry of Afro-Carribbean poet Benjamin Zepaniah and the poetry of Brian Moses who is a current well-known British children's poet. A smorgasboard of poems, even one from our South Australian author Janeen Brian, are included. Together these poems are silly, spooky and sinister - so much fun! Cookson has included a few of his own.
Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble. Magical Poems is a lovely collection. Please introduce it to your children. It's a treasure. I'm a teacher/ Librarian. My only question is - why do teachers have to take a such a bad rap in these poems? Is it because we are actually secretly loved by children?
Themes Magic.
Wendy Jeffrey
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406396119.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. It begins with the back cover of the
book that invites the reader into two worlds.
Challenger Deep is located in the Mariana Trench and is said to be
the deepest point in the world's oceans. Caden Bosch is on a ship
headed to that place. Caden Bosch is a high school student whose
days are consumed by walking and the thoughts in his head.
The author skilfully and compassionately draws the reader into
Caden's reality, a confusing world where ordinary objects take on
extraordinary properties. Caden's world is sculpted by
schizoaffective disorder. Neal Shusterman presents a world that
doesn't make sense and crafts a story that gently reveals to the
reader that Caden is unwell. Shusterman's characters are richly
drawn and urge the reader to consider the pain and loneliness of the
individuals and their families as they grapple with the consequences
of mental illness.
We learn by reading the author's note that the artwork for the book
was provided by the author's son and that, though this is a work of
fiction, the author has firsthand experience in supporting his son
through a journey with mental illness. This goes some way to
explaining the complexity of the detail in the story, the deep
understanding extended and the intensely moving description of the
road to healing in the hospital.
This is a powerful book that is profoundly affecting. It is
compelling and very difficult to put down. If ever there was further
encouragement needed for us to ask "Are you okay?" - this book is
it. A must-read for teachers and parents it comes with a trigger
warning for mental illness and suicide. A discussion
guide is available.
Linda Guthrie
The space between worlds by Michaiah Johnson
Hodder & Stoughton, 2020. ISBN: 9781529387100.
(Ages: 13+) Highly recommended. In a world where traversing through
the multiverse is possible due to the scientific genius of Adam
Bosch, only those whose counterparts on the parallel Earths have
passed away can travel to that particular Earth. And it's a job, not
a holiday, of which Cara is all too aware. Originally from the
wastelands, Cara finds herself in the position of traverser,
primarily because while there are 380 parallel Earths, her
counterpart is dead on all but 8. This makes her a highly valued
commodity for Eldridge Institute as she can travel to most of the
parallel Earths. As an outsider in the walled-off Wiley City, Cara
is willing to do what it takes to stay, including the dangerous job
of a traverser. When one of her doppelgangers is murdered though,
Cara finds herself in a plot that endangers all the Earths in the
multiverse.
Covering a diverse range of themes including identity, privilege,
abuse, poverty, sexuality and more, all woven into an extremely well
crafted story, this science fiction is sure to delight YA readers.
The protagonist of the story, Cara, is tough and vulnerable, a
relatable character who presents to others as having confidence but
is looking for her place in the world. She works closely with Dell,
her watcher, and Jean, her mentor, in the Eldridge Institute. The
entire storyline is well thought out, with plenty of intrigue,
action and twists. Fans of the Starbound series by Amie
Kaufman and Meagan Spooner will enjoy this Sci-fi adventure.
Themes: Science fiction, Identity, Self perception, Self worth,
LGBTQI+ people, Belonging.
Melanie Phillips
LEGO Harry Potter magical treasury by Elizabeth Dowsett
D.K. Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780241409459.
(Age: 9+) Recommended for fans of Harry Potter and LEGO. Subtitled A
visual guide to the wizarding world (with exclusive Tom Riddle
minifigure) readers will have fun following the wizard's world
as well as finding out what LEGO sets are available to build. The
cover with its little figure and the end papers with Hogwarts Castle
will entice readers in to see what comes next. The extensive
Contents page is illustrated with the Hogwarts Castle train, giving
a good introduction to the wizardry world. Chapters include Magical
Students, Hogwarts and Staff, Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts and
Behind the Scenes, each subdivided with easy to read information.
The Introduction tells the reader to "Delve into the pages of this
book . . . to discover how this spellbinding world has been
recreated in LEGO sets since 2018." On the opposite page, the use of
Data files is explained, giving an example with the Set name, Year,
Set number, Pieces and Minifigures. As the reader browses through
the book they get an excellent idea of the scope and size of the
sets that make up this Harry Potter LEGO world. First, comes Harry
Potter, and shows the figures change as he progresses from first
year on Hogwarts to his fourth year. Then key moments are covered:
Privet Drive, Harry at Hogwarts, Ron Weasley and the Burrow,
Hermione Granger and so on. There are illustrations of Hogwarts
castle (6,000 pieces), Hogwarts Great Hall (878 pieces) Hogwarts'
grounds (253 pieces) and Grindelwald's carriage (132 pieces).
The behind the scenes section shows the Harry Potter team at work
and gives a fascinating insight into how they came up with the
creation of the world, winning two Toy of the Year Awards in 2019.
They are interviewed and give their inspiration and favourite
characters and show how the figures are made. The character gallery
shows all the different figures for each of the characters and there
is an extensive index.
Owners of the book will have fun deciding what sets they would like
and will get a good overview of Harry Potter's world. This would
make a great gift for LEGO fans and a fun look at Harry Potter for
fans of the books and movies.
Pat Pledger
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526622426.
(Age: Adult/Young Adult). Highly recommended. Piranesi knows many
things. He knows that he is a man of thirty five, that is one of
just 15 people to have lived throughout history and that his home is
the House, a labyrinthine complex of stone halls peopled by statues
and regularly visited by fierce tides from the surrounding ocean.
Piranesi has one friend, the Other, who he meets with twice a week
for an hour. Piranesi knows that he is helping the Other discover
the Great and Secret Knowledge of the world, even if he does not
understand what that knowledge is. Piranesi is content with his life
writing journals and surviving in his harsh environment until one
day the Other confirms something Piranesi has long suspected: that
there is a sixteenth person in the world and that this person wishes
to do them harm. Suddenly Piranesi's carefully regulated life is
plunged into chaos and intrigue as he begins to question everything
he knows about the House, the Other and himself.
What an extraordinary and unexpected book. Piranesi is
everything fans of Susanna Clark have been waiting for since she
last published a full-length novel in 2004. Sixteen years ago,
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was hailed as a revolutionary and
exemplary example of historical fantasy. Readers who have waited for
almost two decades for another offering will not be disappointed by
Piranesi. Clarke's characteristic dreamy and almost hypnotic writing
style is again present but is honed to perfection. While Jonathan
Strange & Mr Norrell was a fantasy epic of over one
thousand pages, Piranesi is less than a quarter of the
length. Readers are introduced to this new world, guided through the
novel's core mystery and released almost before realising that the
book has come to an end. Piranesi is a novel so unique it is difficult to make
comparisons with other works. Clarke has proven once again that she
is a master of her craft and unafraid to push the boundaries of
modern fantasy writing. This book is highly recommended.
Themes: Identity, Isolation, Friendship, Labyrinths, Secrets,
Mystery.
Rose Tabeni
What we'll build by Oliver Jeffers
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008382209.
(Age: 4+) A father and his daughter build a life together, using the
things in the tool box to construct the foundations of many years
together. They build a house, one which will keep people out, making
them feel safe, but equally they can open the door, to let people
in. Time will pass, and over those years, many things will happen,
things that they will explore and share together. They will build
bridges to other places, seek out other spheres, knowing that they
have built a love which is stable and unassailable. In times of
duress they will have resources to fall back upon: things they have
kept aside, love that is still there kept in times when needs are
greater.
Jeffers offers his promises to his daughter, Mari and the life he is
laying before her in this highly personal poem of the special
relationship between a father and his daughter.
At times the poem feels overwhelming in what he is offering his
child: peace, warmth, comfort and safety, but equally he is aware
that there will be times of loss and hardship, but promises he will
be there to encircle her and keep her safe. Any adult reading this
cannot help but be moved by the responsibility Jeffers feels towards
his daughter, and equally children reading it will be in awe of what
a parent does for them.
Against the backdrop of Jeffers' stylish illustrative technique,
younger readers will be entranced with the detail he includes on his
pages and follow the path of his toolbox through the pages,
representing the detail and substance of their life ahead.
Themes: Future, Fathers, Daughters, Lifestyle.
Fran Knight
