Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd
Puffin, 2010. ISBN: 9780143504450. 34pp., board book.
Remember this ? "Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy
Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy." And by the time you got to the end
of the book he had been joined by his mates Hercules Morse (as big
as a horse); Bottomley Potts (covered in spots); Muffin McLay (like
a bundle of hay); Bitzer Maloney (all skinny and bony); and
Schnitzel von Krumm (with a very low tum). How proud and posh they
were until they met .
Almost every child born in New Zealand or Australia in the last 30
years knows what happens next! Who could bring down such a bold band
of brothers? Children love the sound of the rhythmic and rhyming
language and the repetition of the characters on each page which
make it a perfect read-aloud as your listeners will be joining in
and eagerly anticipating who will join this canine crew., as well as
enjoying the pictures which work with the text perfectly, as they
should. The board book format makes it perfect for little hands,
ensuring that this will be much-loved by this generation as those
before.
And it is fitting that on the 5th anniversary of forgoing a trip to
Hobbiton in favour of finding the sculpture to this remarkable dog
and his mates on Tauranga in the pouring rain, that it is time to
remind our new parents of this classic series so another generation
can be as enchanted with him as all those of the last 30 years.
Barbara Braxton
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760877309.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Another page turner from Ellie Marney
will thrill readers, adolescent and adult alike. This time she
tackles the story of a serial killer, with two teenagers, serial
killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell,
recruited by the FBI to help them delve into the minds of young
murderers and look at cold cases. It is 1982, and the FBI is trying
new ways to find serial killers. Emma and Travis find themselves
involved in an active case where teenagers are hunted and murdered.
They seek help from Simon Gutmunsson, a terrifying teenager who is
imprisoned for murder. He is intelligent and insightful, seeking to
manipulate Emma for his own ends. As the case progresses so does the
suspense. Is Simon Gutmunsson influencing the serial killer from
inside his cage? How will Emma and Travis manage to escape his
influence and save other victims?
Emma, too, is a character that readers will immediately identify
with, as she struggles to control the memories of her own escape
from a serial killer. She runs to keep her anger at bay and focus
her thoughts. Simon Gutmunsson must be one of the scariest villains
I have encountered in thrillers for a while. He is so clever, so
cultured, so handsome and so good at reading and manipulating
people. The suspense is breathtaking when the two talk, and their
relationship kept me glued to the page.
This would make an ideal introduction to the thriller genre for
teens. There are extensive teaching
notes available, written by Ellie Marney and Caro Walsh,
making it ideal for the classroom or for a literature circle
discussion. It does not have the gory details that many adult
thrillers use, but it has all the suspense and interesting police
procedures that are the mark of a good thriller. The themes of good
and evil, survival and sanity are ones to delve into. Unlike
Marney's other novels there is no romance, which may disappoint some
readers, but there is certainly scope for future cases with Emma and
Travis, such wonderful characters.
Pat Pledger
The Survivors by Jane Harper
Pan Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781760783945.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. It is rare that
moments or themes in a book linger in the mind for a long time, but
that is true of The
lost man by Jane Harper and her latest book The
Survivors. Kiernan returns to Evelyn Bay, a small seaside town
in Tasmania, a place which flings up bad memories once again. He is
haunted by guilt about an incident when he was a very young man and
does not find ease in his family home, where his mother is
struggling with his father's dementia, and the absence of his
brother Finn. Then the body of a young woman is found on the beach
and secrets held close for a long time start to surface.
The story is told from the point of view of Kieran and the reader
gradually learns about the accident that happened in the past as the
police start investigating the murder in the present. Can they be
connected?
The small coastal town with its problems and people who all know
each other is so well described that the reader will feel as if they
have been there. The sunken wreck ideal for diving, that Sean and
his nephew hope to make a living from and the Three Sisters the
rocks that loom out of the ocean as well as the caves where the tide
can fill all provide a background to the murder and the angst that
Kiernan feels at being home.
All the supporting characters are well fleshed out and credible. The
descriptions of teenage boys and the peer pressure that they are
under to perform, with underage drinking and wild parties, are vivid
and leave a lasting impression as Kiernan remembers his youth. His
relationship with Mia and his little daughter Audrey is a saving
factor for him and beautifully described.
Jane Harper is a wonderful author who manages to combine an exciting
mystery for those who are addicted to the genre, while at the same
time exploring the themes of guilt, forgiveness and redemption in a
vivid Australian country setting.
Pat Pledger
The paper bark tree mystery by Ovidia Yu
Crown Colony, book 3. Constable, 2019. ISBN: 9781472125248.
(Age: Senior secondary - adult) Highly recommended. Shortlisted for
the CWA
historical dagger 2020, Ovidia Yu has come up with another
fascinating mystery set in Singapore in the 1930's. SuLin has been a
valued member of the Detective Shack until Bald Bernie, an
unlikeable administrator, decides that a local girl can't be trusted
and instead employs Dolly, an attractive white woman. When he is
found murdered, she has little sympathy, but when Dr Shankar the
local pharmacist and her best friend's father is put in jail she
decides to investigate.
I knew little about the history of Singapore between the wars, so
found it fascinating to gain what felt like an in-depth
understanding of what it was like to live in Singapore at that time.
Yu very deftly includes this as a background to the murders, which
still took centre place in the story. The independence movement in
India is described as a leading figure in it, Bose, is rumoured to
have travelled to Singapore, while relations with Japan and its
wider move to take over territories comes out as SuLin teaches
English to the wife of the Japanese ambassador. The way many of the
British colonials treat the Singaporeans, believing themselves
superior, is also a background theme to the story.
As SuLin investigates she gets to know Mrs Lexington, Rose and
Dolly, all who have arrived in Singapore from India. Colonel
Mosley-Partington has also arrived from India and is causing chaos
with his racist views. Rumours of diamonds being stolen, a policeman
attacked and left for dead and anonymous poetry being left for
Dolly, a paper bark tree and dead birds, all keep the reading in
suspense. These twists and turns and some heart stopping moments and
great characters make this an outstanding story especially for
readers who like a mystery dashed with a taste of history.
Although part of a series, The Paper Bark Tree Mystery can
be read as a stand-alone. However, I enjoyed it so much that I now
have to go back and read the previous novels featuring this clever
young woman who uses her intelligence and observation skills to
ferret out the truth, while suffering from the effects of polio as a
child.
Pat Pledger
A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
Detective Inspector John Rebus series. Orion, 2020.
ISBN: 9781409176985.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Another top read
from a wonderful author finds John Rebus moving to a new apartment
because he cannot climb the stairs anymore. But that does not stop
him rushing to his daughter Samantha after she rings and tells him
that her partner Keith has gone missing. Rebus must face the fact
that he has not been the best of fathers, not bothering to get to
know Keith and always putting his job first. As he investigates
Keith's disappearance, he discovers that he was obsessed with a
World War 2 prison camp, which he wanted to make into a tourist
attraction. Does his disappearance have anything to do with this or
the elderly people who were once witnesses to a murder in the camp?
What is Samantha's involvement with the alternative community that
lives nearby and who rode the motorcycle late at night? In the
meantime Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox have joined forces to
investigate the death of a rich young man, Salman bin Mahmoud,
and it appears that the two cases could overlap as the man who owns
the land the camp was on, was in a land deal with the murdered man.
The book is divided into seven parts, one for each day of the week,
and alternates with the case that Rebus is investigating and the one
that Clarke and Fox are involved in. As is the case with all of
Rankin's books, there are many twists and turns, with red herrings
scattered throughout to keep the reader guessing about the identity
of the murderers and crime boss Cafferty's interference is an
enjoyable ploy to hold the reader's interest.
Another focus in A song for the dark times is Rebus'
relationship with his daughter and granddaughter. The reader will
empathise with Samantha who feels that her father has always put his
job before his family, while feeling sympathy for Rebus as he tries
to mend his relationship with her, albeit while working intensively
on Keith's case.
It is always a joy to read one of Rankin's novels. He is an
author who has helped me through some hard times. His police
procedurals are not too gory, and his narrative demands to be read
in one or two sittings.
Pat Pledger
The Goody by Lauren Child
Orchard, 2020. ISBN: 9781408347584.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. A new book by Lauren Child always
creates interest as the expectation of a challenging read is ever
present. She draws the reader into a false sense of security, lulls
them into thinking this is a story of sibling rivalry, but she
challenges us to see more than this, as it becomes an expose of
expectations, of labelling, of not seeing difference. And as with
many of her books, we are impelled to consider the wider issue where
children behave as they are expected to, labelled and boxed in by
that expectation.
Siblings, Chirton and Myrtle behave in the way they are expected to
behave. Chirton is good, reliable, dependable while Myrtle is
forgetful, naughty and a refuser.
Chirton eats up his broccoli, Myrtle isn't even given any as she
won't eat it, Chirton cleans the rabbit hutch every week because
Myrtle forgets, and Myrtle stays up late at night because she
doesn't want to sleep. All of the things Myrtle does, Chirton would
like to do, but he is seen as the goody in the family and so
expected to behave well without exception.
One night Chirton gets up to have a glass of water and finds his
sister eating choco puffs and watching TV. He would love to do this
too, and wonders why he is not allowed. The next day he decides that
he is a goody no longer and changes his behaviour, so much so that
he is not allowed to go to a birthday party. When Myrtle goes
instead, the birthday girl does not know of Myrtle's reputation and
treats her like anyone else, and Myrtle decides she likes being
treated thus. So the two come to see the advantages and
disadvantages of being labelled, deciding that there is a middle
road, and their parents are encouraged to see them as different
people with their own traits.
Child's illustrations are always a treat and these with their blocks
of patterns make a wonderful talking point for readers already most
amused by the story.
Themes: Siblings, Humour, Difference, Expectations, Image,
Behaviour, Family.
Fran Knight
Guinness World records 2021
Guinness World Records Limited, 2020. ISBN: 9781913484071.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Readers will not need an introduction
to the fabulous Guinness World Records books and will find much to
amaze and interest in the latest edition for 2021. The book is one
that can be flicked through, with lots of great photos and
captivating captions to grab attention, but it is also one that has
a good Contents page that will direct the reader off to the right
section. It features the following: Solar system, Natural world,
Animals, Humans against the clock, Recordmania, Culture &
society, Adventurers, Technology, Gaming, Pop Culture and Sports.
All contain sub contents and page numbers and each one features one
person in the hall of fame, for example Greta Thunberg in Culture
and Society and Jane Goodall in Animals. There is also an Index and
acknowledgments at the back of the book.
Beginning with the enticing cover, which features lots of small
figures and intricate details, similar to Where's Wally?,
the reader will be grabbed by the great photos and easy to read
information. And they will find when they get to the end of the
book, information on the illustrator Rod Hunt and instructions to
find the 20 record holders that feature in his front and back
covers. A humorous photo on the title page of the fastest electric
ice-cream van (exuberant inventor Edd China, UK, reached 118.964
kmph in it) will grab attention and from then on the reader is sure
to be fascinated by the interesting, well laid out records. In Pop
Culture, one can find out who has the most followers on Instagram,
by using the contents page, with the section on Social Media pg. 204
(Ariana Grande has 182, 260, 250 followers). Another flick through
will show young achievers, with Jackson Oswalt became the youngest
person to achieve nuclear fusion before his 13th birthday.
The Guinness World Records was founded in 1955 and has proved to be
popular ever since. Visit https://guinnessworldrecords.com/
for more information about how to become part of the record-breaking
community and an answer to the original question (What's the fastest
game bird in Europe?) that sparked its origin.
Pat Pledger
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim
The Blood of Stars duology. Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9780525647027.
(Young Adult). Recommended. Much has changed for Maia Tamarin since
the conclusion of the first novel in The Blood of Stars
duology. In Spin the Dawn, we watched Maia, a young woman
living in a patriarchal Chinese society, impersonate her brother in
order to enter a competition to become imperial tailor. Talented but
overlooked because of her gender, Maia manages to fulfil the
seemingly impossible task of weaving three magical dresses from the
sun, moon and stars. In Unravel the Dusk Maia returns from
her perilous journey to make the garments to find her kingdom
readying for war and that Edan, the boy that she loves, has
disappeared. If this is not enough for one character to deal with,
Maia is also forced to pretend to be the emperor's future bride in
an effort to stave off the coming conflict and also wrestle with the
demon Bandur, who is determined to take over her body.
Unsurprisingly, there are many plot lines, characters and
conflicting motivations woven into this book. Set at a much more
urgent pace than the first novel, Unravel the Dusk charts
Maia's rapid growth as both a woman and a protagonist. As in the
first novel, she is an enjoyable and worthy main character and is
supported by a well-fleshed out cast. Unravel the Dusk is darker in tone than its predecessor but
it provides a strong and entertaining end to the series. Readers
also interested in fiction influenced Ancient Chinese culture will
enjoy this book. Themes: Identity, Love, War, Magic, Demons,
Royalty.
Rose Tabeni
The funny life of sharks by James Campbell
Illus. by Rob Jones. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781526615497.
(Age: 8+ years) Recommended. The funny life of sharks is the
third book in The funny life of . . . series by author
James Campbell and illustrator Rob Jones. Before reading, a warning
is given that this is not a fact book and it is a book for four
different types of people: People who love sharks; People who do not
like sharks; People who are sharks; People who have no interest in
sharks. The reader learns that this is not an ordinary read where
you read from front to back but a book where you can begin or end
where you want or follow the signposts throughout the book. Finally,
on Page 14 the book begins with signposts to other pages. There are
interesting shark facts spread throughout the book and clever use of
humour e.g. Nurse sharks have been given that name as they are used
in hospitals as a way of keeping patients quiet and you are more
likely to be killed by your toaster than a shark.
While this book claims that it is not a fact book, the author has a
strong environmental message regarding plastics in the oceans and
endangered animals. There are also other interesting facets of
information about things related to sharks or not related at all.
Adelaide, S.A., even has its own page of information based on great
white shark attacks. The clever illustrations by Rob Jones
complement the text perfectly.
This is both a humorous and enjoyable read that will entertain
readers both young and old. Themes: Sharks,
Environmental facts, Humour.
Kathryn Beilby
Alice, curiouser and curiouser edited by Kate Bailey and Simon Sladen
V and A Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9781838510046.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Described as 'a mind-bending journey
into the story of Wonderland', this sumptuous hard cover book has
been published to accompany the exhibition of the same name at the
Victoria and Albert Museum, an exhibition exploring the origins,
adaptations and reinventions over the years of Lewis Carroll's
original stories of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through
the Looking-Glass.
The first section of the book is a collection of beautiful and
intricately detailed illustrations by Kristjana S. Williams
that children and adults alike will enjoy exploring. They are
colourful scenes from the Alice stories decorated with plants and
flowers, strange creatures, timepieces and hidden mirrors to search
out.
Then follows the story of Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) and his
creation of the fantasy stories for his young friend, Alice,
daughter of Henry Liddell, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, while
passing the time on rowing expeditions with her and her sisters.
Those stories of strange other worlds with nonsense verse and absurd
dialogue questioning reality and perception were to become a source
of delight for both adults and children, and an inspiration for many
later adaptations and interpretations in literature, art, film,
theatre, science and popular culture.
This book collects together iconic images from the early
illustrations by John Tenniel to surrealist art, to the fashion
statements of Vivenne Westwood, Viktor and Rolf, and Galliano for
Dior. An allegory of Alice's adventures has been used as an
introduction to the quantum world, and in a reference to her quest
to discover more about our universe, her name was given to the
'Large Ion Collider Experiment' at CERN, the European Organisaton
for Nuclear Research.
The legacy of Alice in Wonderland lives on in so many ways;
this book provides a wonderful insight into the amazing impact those
early stories have had, and is a volume that many will find much
pleasure in perusing.
Helen Eddy
Rowley Jefferson's awesome friendly adventure by Jeff Kinney
Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760897888. 218pp.
(Ages: 8-12) Recommended. This is the second in a new series by Jeff
Kinney. It is written from the perspective of Rowley Jefferson, Greg
Heffley's more virtuous friend (Diary of a Wimpy Kid series).
Rowley has decided to write a fantasy adventure about flute-playing
Roland, who embarks on a mission to save his mother. She has been
kidnapped by the White Warlock and taken to the Ice Fortress. Rowley
is accompanied by his best friend Garg the barbarian. They meet many
characters from classic books along the way such as Sherlock Holmes,
Medusa and trolls and pixies. Many of the characters join them on
the journey. At the end of each chapter Greg advises Rowley to make
the story more "bad-ass" and appealing to a modern audience. Greg
thinks the book needs to be made into a movie with lucrative spin
offs like video games, action dolls and toys in fast food meals.
Rowley, always a stickler for doing the right thing, increasingly
doesn't agree with Greg's sexist, violent and wasteful suggestions.
This is pretty funny, clever material. I recognised semi-subtle
references to the highly popular blockbusters Game of Thrones
and the Twilight series, amongst others. There is a lot of
fun in the contrast between sweet nerdy Rowley and more worldly
Greg. The satirical look at the commercialisation of books and films
is bound to get readers thinking. I laughed out loud at Stephen the
half-man, half-cow, with an udder and Greg saying "Librarians will
go nuts for all the classic book characters." Cartoon-like
illustrations are integral to the humour of the Jeff Kinney brand.
This is enjoyable reading for reluctant through to well-seasoned
readers. Kinney's books play an important role in getting kids
reading.
Jo Marshall
Punching the air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008422141.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Amal's name means hope, but it is
hard to feel hope when you are a black kid that has been hauled in
for street fighting, and there is white kid in a coma in hospital.
Amal knows that he has already been shaped into a monster in
people's minds, and it doesn't matter what he says. He is innocent,
but everything is stacked against him.
The story is fictional but draws on the lived experience of
co-author Yusef Salaam, one of the 'Exonerated Five', the group of
black boys falsely convicted of assaulting and raping a young white
woman jogging in Manhattan's Central Park in 1989. The five boys
were victims of racial profiling by the police determined to find
their culprit and were all given lengthy prison sentences. Only
years later were they exonerated when the real offender admitted to
his crime, corroborated by DNA evidence. With their book, Punching
the air, authors Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam have collaborated
together to highlight ongoing issues of racial discrimination,
police violence and injustice still happening today.
The story is written in verse, similar to Manjeet Mann's Run,
rebel, with the same heart-felt rawness and honesty. We
feel Amal's fear, his retreat behind a stony-faced silence, his
confusion and desperation. His only relief is his art and his
poetry. The pages are illustrated with lines and smudges of black;
it is only when there a human connection with someone outside of the
prison, that his drawings become butterflies, because the flutter of
a butterfly's wings can have an impact around the world.
The story is bold and confronting with themes similar to the work of
Angie Thomas, The
hate U give, and On
the come up, but the book is easy to read; the verse
pages carry you along from the despair of the courtroom to the
harshness of prison and then finally the rediscovery of hope through
art, and the love of caring people.
Themes: Racism, Police brutality, Prison, Black Lives Matter, Social
justice.
Helen Eddy
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV by Clara Vulliamy
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355890.
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar on TV
is the third book in the popular series by Clara Vulliamy. The books
are narrated by Marshmallow Marmaduke Vanilla-Bean Sugar-Pie
Fluffington Fitz-Noodle himself, and tell the story of one
incredibly arrogant cat and his acting life helped along by his
human owner, Amelia. In this story Marshmallow Pie has been chosen
to appear on a TV commercial with Gingernut, a kitten. However Pie
dislikes kittens intensely and does everything in his power to
outshine the kitten on the first day. On the second day of shooting,
a series of mishaps causes Brad, the unpleasant Director, to
completely chastise the young kitten. Pie begins to feel very guilty
as he realises that it was his actions that set in motion the events
leading to Gingernut's fall from grace. In order to shift the blame
off Gingernut, Pie completely destroys the set and both cats are
fired. But there is always a silver lining! By the power of mobile
phones the chaos Pie caused on the set appears on Youtube and he
becomes an instant overnight sensation. The next book will continue
with the acting career of one Marshmallow Pie.
This book will appeal to younger readers who love humour and animals
outwitting the humans. The illustrations by the author are both
clever and entertaining. This would be a great read aloud in a
Junior Primary classroom or at home to a younger child. Themes:
Cats, Friendship, Humour, Acting.
Kathryn Beilby
Marshmallow Pie the cat superstar by Clara Vulliamy
Marshmallow Pie. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008355852. 128pp.
This is a lovely short story about Marshmallow Vanilla-Bean
Sugar-Pie Fluffington-Fitz-Noodle (or Pie for short) becoming an
acting star. The story follows Pie and her human Amelia as they
navigate the ups and downs of the audition process. The book is
reasonably easy to read and would be good for students who are
independent readers.
The story is written from Pie's point of view and I really like this
aspect! Pie comes from a very posh background and you can tell by
the way she narrates the story. The author Clara Vulliamy puts just
the right amount of 'fancy' into the text which is great fun when
you're reading this book out loud. I read this book to my 6-year-old
and we had lots of fun putting on posh voices for both Pie and then
changing it up for her owner Amelia.
The illustrations are also a great addition to this book, as they
help engage the reader and add an extra element to the text. My
favourite illustrations are those of Marshmallow Pie as Clara gives
her such wonderful facial illustrations, you can really imagine what
type of a cat she would be like! I like how she has formatted the
pictures too, some are placed within frames, at the top of the page
or within the text - each one adding interest.
Overall, this is a funny book, with excellent illustrations that add
to the story. Clara Vulliamy is a great author/illustrator who has
really hit the target market of beginning independent readers. The
text is clear, concise and uses an excellent amount of words that
readers at this level would know/be able to decode. I think this is
a great start to a series, bring on book 2!
Lauren Fountain
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Inheritance Games, book 1. Penguin, 2020. ISBN:
9780241476178.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Wow! This is one for fans of twisty plots
and games that keep the reader guessing right until the end. Avery
is a girl who is struggling to keep her head above water, hoping for
a better future. She lives with her half-sister, Libby, works as a
waitress and has one good friend, Max. Then out of the blue,
gorgeous Grayson Hawthorne turns up at her school, saying that she
has been named in his billionaire grandfather's will. Avery has
inherited most of his wealth and the family is not happy about this.
She finds herself playing a deadly game with the four grandsons,
Grayson, Jameson, Nash and Zander as they race to work out the clues
that Tobias Hawthorne has left in his final letters to them.
Avery has no idea why she has been left with a fortune. A
strong-willed character, she finds herself the owner of an amazing
mansion and a huge amount of money. With her sister Libby, she must
fit into a lifestyle that is completely different to what she has
been used to while maintaining her own values and beliefs. Then
there is that mystery to solve. Why was she left a fortune by an
unknown benefactor? Who can she trust from the Hawthorne family as
the four brothers try to solve the game their grandfather left them?
Who is trying to kill her? And which brother is she most attracted
to?
The pace is fast, and the book was one that I had trouble putting
down. It is gripping and the characters are so well drawn that it is
easy to feel familiar with them. A sub-plot of domestic violence was
also well depicted and fitted in with the main story.
The first in a series, the conclusion was satisfying, but left open
hints to where the next book might go, enough to keep readers
eagerly waiting for it. Readers who enjoyed this might like One
of Us is Lying by Karen McManus and We
were liars by E. Lockhart
Pat Pledger
