Abigail and the restless raindrop by Matthew Cunningham
Illus. by Sarah Wilkins. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780143774495.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. One rainy day Abigail has a big
question. She asks her mother where the rain comes from. She is told
it comes from the clouds, and yes she says but how does it get
there. Mum explains with the story of just one drop of water, a
restless drop of water. Floating around in the lake it sees the sky
above and wants above all else to fly. One warm day it begins its
journey, first becoming warmer and warmer, until finally changing
into a puff of steam. That puff of steam flies into the air,
wandering over hills and mountains, looking at the lake far below.
She joins many other puffs of steam and when they all join they fall
to the earth as rain, back to where she started from.
This delightful story is a wonderful read aloud on a wintry day,
involving the listeners in the story of how the rain falls to earth,
showing the weather in the background of each page, showing the
cycle of water. Abigail's questioning about her environment will be
a smart introduction to lessons about what is about us, and asking
children to think of what question they want answered. In this way
this book could be a wonderful gateway into talking about the
environment with classes, and rain in particular.
New Zealand illustrator, Sarah Wilkins has a most eye catching style
using a mix of acrylic, gouache, ink and digital techniques to
create her distinctive work. Wonderful to see a girl character in
shorts rather than the dresses so many seem to wear in children's
picture books, and see her stomping through puddles, messing about
in trees, rowing on the lake and above all, wondering. And looking
out of the window at the night sky, another question seems imminent,
and readers will ponder what that might be.
A book full of wonder and questions. Themes: Rain, Raindrops, STEM,
Science, Environment, Humour.
Fran Knight
Date me Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241435267.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. What starts off as a seemingly
lightweight story about a silly school dare turns into a moving
description of a teenager's gradual development into a trusted and
accepting gay relationship - a first time boyfriend-boyfriend
experience. It all starts when Bryson Keller, the handsome school
soccer star who scorns high school romances, is challenged in a dare
to date the first person to ask him out each week, for 3 months, and
if his heart is won he gives up driving his expensive white Jeep to
school and has to ride the school bus. The narrator, Kai Sheridan,
is a boy who has learnt to hide his sexuality from even his closest
friends following an early hurtful experience, but in an angry
spontaneous moment he challenges Bryson to 'date me'. Bryson is
known for being decent and fair-minded, and he takes up the
invitation. At first it is just a friendship with a shared school
project and shared music interests, but gradually as they get to
know each other better their friendship deepens into something more
meaningful.
This is a lovely story that reminded me of Clementine
and Rudy by Siobhan Curham, a story of a friendship and
art collaboration between two teenage girls from very different
backgrounds. Clementine and Rudy is not a LGBTQI+ story but
there is the same positive message about being non-judgemental and
open to friendship with someone different. And like Curham, van Whye
describes young people who are kind and sincere. Both Bryson and Kai
struggle with changing family relationships, but each is supported
by a sister who understands them, as well as good friends, and the
overall message is as the author says 'that, despite those trials
and tribulations, there is hope, that we have worth and deserve to
be happy'.
I can highly recommend this novel to teenage readers, regardless of
their sexuality, for its positive messages about identity,
friendship and acceptance.
Themes: LGBTQI+, Identity, Friendship, Romance.
Helen Eddy
Sneaky shadows by SC Manchild
Illus. by Sam Caldwell. Berbay Publishing, 2020. ISBN:
9780648529163.
(Age: 4+) The bright end papers will alert the reader to the play
which lies within, as two penguins stand on each other, with arms
extended up, making their shadow more like a rabbit, and underneath
they have their arms extended out, the shadow making the image of an
eagle in flight, and again the two make the shadow of a dog's face.
Berbay Publishing aims to publish imaginative books of a high
standard, enriching the reader with their playfulness. To this end
books are published from around the world, many having been
published to acclaim overseas. More about Bebay Publishing can be
found on their website.
Melbourne based author, Manchild has teamed with Glaswegian
illustrator Caldwell to produce a book which will delight and amuse
as children work out how each shadow is made. From the endpapers,
readers' imaginations will have been stirred, seeing the different
shadows made by the two penguins. The first two shadows are easy to
guess, and lure the readers into something more difficult over the
page. Each shadow from then on is an amalgam, a combination of one
animal with other things entwined somehow to make a shadow that is
nothing like the original animal. Kids will laugh at the combination
of things to make an unusual shadow, and try their own shadow play
as a result. Themes: Shadow, Shadow puppets, Humour.
Fran Knight
Camp by L.C. Rosen
Puffin. UK. 2020. ISBN: 9780241428252. 368p.
(Age: 15+ ) LGBTQ Romance. Camp Outland is a summer camp expressly
for gay teens. Subtitled, Top or bottom? It's time to bunk up,
Rosen's euphemisms are as lewd as they are plentiful. The central
problem arises when a Masc (masculine) type prefers his own type
exclusively. Unfortunately, the narrator, epitomizes the
stereotypical Femme homosexual, with his love of musical theatre and
nail polish. But not this summer. In preparation for summer camp,
Randy has: lost weight, worked out, cut his hair, changed his
wardrobe, changed his name and perfected new mannerisms to attract a
boy he has admired every summer since childhood - a masculine young
man who believes that gay men should behave straight.
To his friends' consternation, Randy drops his theatre electives for
sport in order to woo Hudson, who has a decidedly 'Masc' polemic.
Unbelievably, Hudson doesn't recognize Randy with a new persona and
a new moniker. As Del, Randy doesn't just plan to be Hudson's next
conquest. He desires the man of his dreams to be his forever
boyfriend. Much of the tension in the book comes from Hudson's
sexual frustration and Randy's guilt and betrayal of his cabin full
of old friends and theatre nerds.
The author of Jack of hearts is as determined as ever to
demystify gay sex for young queer readers. Camp is as
flirtatious as any straight romance, although verbally more
lascivious. With interesting themes of identity, friendship, family
and gay history, fans of L.C. Rosen will turn pages in anticipation
of gender equality; and the boy getting the boy by the end of
summer.
Deborah Robins
All about friends by Felicity Brooks
Illus. by Mar Ferrero. Usborne, 2020. ISBN: 9781474968386. 32pp.,
hbk.
It can be fun to spend time by yourself, You can play whatever you
want and you don't have to share your toys or your snacks . . .
But what every one of us has learned over the isolation of the last
few months is that friends are critical and a crucial part of our
mental well-being. As schools gradually return to full-time
face-to-face teaching, some little ones may have been at home for so
long that they have forgotten what it is like to work and play with
others and how to be a friend, so this beautifully designed book
will be the perfect platform for getting things back on an even
keel. Each double page spread focuses on an issue such as what are
friends, why we need them, what makes a good friend, who can be
friends and so on, offering lots of scope for sharing personal
stories and contributing to discussions in a way they haven't done
for some time. There are also pages devoted to how friendships grow
and change, how they can be destroyed and how they can be mended so
that the children realise that there will be ups and downs and part
of growing up is knowing what to do and doing it, developing
tolerance, understanding, forgiveness and resilience.
The final pages include a "friendship puzzle" offering the reader a
few scenarios for which they have to select the most appropriate
behaviour, and two pages of information for new parents about their
children's friendships, skills and strategies to help them develop
and some reassuring words about imaginary friends and dealing with
conflict - the most important being to give the child time to try to
sort it out. That perspective alone tells me that this author knows
her stuff and her advice is sound.
Barbara Braxton
Gargantis by Thomas Taylor
The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea series. Walker Books, 2020. ISBN:
9781406386295. 352pp.
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Herbie Lemon is a Lost and Founder in
the Grand Nautilus Hotel, where the overbearing manager is called Mr
Mollusc and the owner is called Lady Kraken. The weather in the town
of Eerie-on-Sea is going quite pear shaped as a mysterious man, who
Herbie dubs Deep Hood, books into the hotel. Herbie enlists his
friend Violet Parma to investigate a clockwork hermit crab and a
mysterious bottle with undeciphered writing on it, washed up along
with local beachcomber Mrs Fossil. All the fisherfolk and Deep Hood
are intent on getting their hands on the bottle and some are willing
to use violent means to get it from Herbie and Violet. A strange
light called a Sprightening is released from the bottle and the
children learn that a sea monster called Gargantis is responsible
for creating havoc. In fact old rhymes have forewarned them of these
events. Herbie is terrified of the sea but needs to help restore
order along with Violet. They venture out into treacherous waters on
a boat called the Jornty Spark and face the their enemies and the
Vortiss.
A lot of scary things happen in this fantastic tale but the humour
and over the top characters and events, stop it from ever being too
menacing. Since the story is told in the first person, from Herbie's
point of view, we also get his funny observations and experience the
perilous moments. Violet and Herbie make terrific protagonists,
Violet is brave and a risk taker while Herbie is more thoughtful and
cautious. Thomas Taylor successfully conjures up an original
adventure with a touch of whimsy which would work well as a read
aloud. Taylor's illustrations and maps are great additions to the
book. This is the second in The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea
series, however you don't need to have read
Malamander in order to understand the story. A book
club guide and a storytelling
challenge are available.
Jo Marshall
Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
Hodder & Stoughton 2020. ISBN: 9781529330243.
(Young Adult/Adult). Recommended. Chosen Ones is the first
in a new series by bestselling Divergent
and Carve the Mark author, Veronica Roth. Unlike her
extremely popular dystopian young adult series, Chosen Ones
is aimed at an adult audience, likely to capitalise on teen Divergent
fans who are now adult readers.
The book tells the story of five friends, the "Chosen Ones" who, as
teenagers, defeated the magic, otherworldly figure known as the
"Dark One", halting his reign of terror and destruction. Plucked
from their families by a secretive government agency, the five lived
and trained together to fulfil a prophecy that predicted that they
were the only ones able to destroy the Dark One. Ten years later,
the world is celebrating a decade of peace, viewed very differently
by each of the Chosen Ones - Sloane, Matt, Esther, Albie and Ines.
It is during this celebration that the unthinkable happens - one of
the Chosen Ones dies. Suddenly and viciously, the other four are
thrown back into the chaos of a decade ago, realising that the Dark
One was never really defeated after all.
Too often in young adult fiction do we see the heroes defeat their
enemies and assume that they are able to live happily and
trauma-free ever after. Chosen Ones sets out to prove that
this is not the case. The five friends are all damaged in their own
ways and have spent ten years using different methods - drugs,
social media, therapy and busy schedules - to try and cope. The book
is an interesting and clever subversion of many of the tropes common
to recent and popular young adult fiction. While still suitable for
older teen audiences, it is an adult offering that will be appealing
to many of Roth's long time readers. Themes: Friendship,
Relationships, Trauma, Death, Magic.
Rose Tabeni
Black Summer by M. W. Craven
Washington Poe. Little, Brown, 2019. ISBN: 9781472127495.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended for readers who enjoy
the mystery genre. Jared Keaton, Michelin Star chef, is in jail for
the murder of his daughter Elizabeth. Detective Sergeant Washington
Poe was largely instrumental in his conviction, although Elizabeth's
body was never found. Then Poe finds himself in danger of losing his
job and worse when a young woman claiming to be Elizabeth turns up
after claiming to have been held captive for the last six years.Her
blood tests match that of Elizabeth, and Poe with the help of the
brilliant Tilly Bradshaw, must work out how someone can be both dead
and alive at the same time.
This was an intriguing mystery with the problem of blood at its
heart. Craven had obviously researched the science of this
intensively and this scientific evidence made the plot quite
different to any I had read before. There were many twists and
turns, quite a few heart stopping moments for Poe and some clever
research by Tilly, as Poe followed many clues in his attempt to
prove that the girl claiming to be Elizabeth could not be her, even
though her blood matched that of Jared Keaton's daughter.
The background of cold and stormy Cumbria, what happens in a master
chef's kitchen, where truffles can be found, and old war bunkers all
make for an absorbing mystery.
Craven won the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2019 for The Puppet Show which
I will be sure to pick up now that I have met Poe and Bradshaw. Black
summer can be read as a stand-alone as the characters and
setting are described vividly.
Pat Pledger
Lottie Luna and the Twilight Party by Vivian French
Illus. by Nathan Reed. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008343019.
144pp., pbk.
This is the second in this series for newly independent readers
about Lottie Luna who is a werewolf and follows Lottie
Luna and the Bloom Garden. While she's super-fast,
super-strong and has X-ray vision. she doesn't really like to use
her skills. She just wants to be like everyone else. But when it's
her friend Marjory's birthday, Lottie sees a way she can use her
special powers to get her the biggest surprise ever.
Characters having alter egos with special powers continue to be
popular with readers and this new series for newly independent
readers will satisfy those who like this genre. Richly illustrated
with monochrome cartoon-like illustrations to support the text,
young girls will see themselves in Lottie - on the surface being
just regular little girls, but with a heroine not too far below the
surface.
Barbara Braxton
Steerswoman series by Rosemary Kirstein
Amazon Digital Services The Steerswoman. ISBN: 9780991354689 The Outskirter's secret. ISBN: 9780991354658 The lost Steersman. ISBN: 9780991354665 The language of power. ISBN: 9780991354672
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Intrigued by the following quote by
Jo Walton, Hugo and Nebula Awards winner, I picked up the first in
the Steerswoman series and was hooked:
"If you like science, and if you like watching someone work out
mysteries, and if you like detailed weird alien worlds and human
cultures, if really good prose appeals . . . you're really in luck."
I then went on to read the next three books in the series and really
wish that there were more.
Rowan is a Steerswoman. If she is asked a question, she must speak
the truth and if she asks a question, the truth must be given to
her. As a Steerswoman, she travels around the world, observing,
questioning and recording what she discovers, making maps and always
on the quest for more information and more knowledge, which she
shares with all. When she finds some little blue jewels that seem to
be made of a magical material, she is determined to find out their
origin. The wizards are the only ones who have knowledge of magic,
and her determination to uncover the secrets of the jewels leads her
into danger from them. With every wizard in the land determined to
find her, Rowan, accompanied by Bel, a warrior from the Outskirts,
meets many dangers as she gradually uncovers the truth.
Readers will meet many fascinating characters as she travels around
the land. Bel is surprising - not only is she a wonderful fighter
but is a poet as well. William is a young teen who can blow up
buildings with his magic and longs to know more. The leaders of the
Outskirters are fascinating as is their nomadic way of life, and
Rowan's liaison with Fletcher is beguiling and her dealings with the
lost steersman are heartbreaking.
The countryside is described in detail and readers will enjoy
travelling with Rowan as she navigates dangerous seas, lives with
nomadic people and then in towns in the Inner Lands. But it is the
melding of science (Magic) and the mystery of the little blue jewels
that will keep the reader glued to every page of these four volumes.
There are hints along the way about the Guidestars that hang in the
skies and help travellers navigate and the material that William
uses to blow up structures. The language of power brings
many answers but leaves room for more books to come.
This is a series to give to any reader who enjoys a combination of
science fiction and fantasy, dealing with big questions of science
and knowledge, truth and humanity. It is a must read for young women
and men and would encourage many to look at STEM subjects with a
different and inquisitive eye.
Pat Pledger
Diary of a young naturalist by Dara McAnulty
Text, 2020. ISBN: 9781922330000.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. A book about an adolescent's love of
the natural environment of Ireland, the birds, insects, animals, the
hum of life; how relevant would that be to readers in other parts of
the UK, and in the case of this reviewer, on the other side of the
world, in Australia? I must admit I was pleasantly surprised, I was
drawn in from the first page; the descriptive language is so
beautiful, and the feelings that are expressed will resonate with
anyone who longs for a better connection with the natural world, and
a better response to climate change. Was McAnulty really once
described by an unsympathetic teacher as incapable of "complet[ing]
a comprehension, never mind string a paragraph together"? This book
is beautifully written and is a testament to the intelligence and
perseverance of the author, the power of understanding and
encouraging parents, and of the love that unites and enriches this
particular family of five, all of whom, apart from the conservation
scientist father, are described as autistic.
McAnulty's diary records the changes of seasons and the plants and
wildlife he revels in discovering in the natural patches of country
around his home. At the same time he provides insight into the
anxieties that wrack him in his interactions with other people and
the fears of bullying that persist from his past school experience.
We learn of the challenges of going to new places, and the people
noises that overwhelm him. Nature is his passion; it is the plants
and birds and insects that enthral him and bring him peace. But
sadly so much of the natural world is threatened by human
development. And so McAnulty has become an activist speaking out to
save the environment that is so precious to him. He is the youngest
ever recipient of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Medal, among other awards, in recognition of his contributions to
conservation. His book will provide inspiration to other activists
to speak up on issues of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and
the persecution of birds of prey. Read a Q&A
with McAnulty on the Booktopia site. Teaching
notes are also available from Text Publishing.
Themes: Nature, Conservation, Autism, Activism.
Helen Eddy
Giraffes can't dance by Giles Andreae
Illus. by Guy Parker-Rees. Big book edition. Hachette, 2011. ISBN:
9781846164446.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Beginning readers will love the reprint of
the big book version of this wonderful, timeless story that has been
in print for 20 years. The beautiful verse by Andreae will be very
appealing read aloud to young children and the rhythm will make it
easy to remember the words and read along with the teacher. The fact
that many children may have heard it at home, as it is so popular,
will add to the appeal and the familiarity will be enjoyed by them.
Those new to the story will love it.
The pictures are very appealing, and the humour of the warthogs'
waltz, the chimps' cha-cha, and the lions' tango will be enjoyed by
all. Of course, the important message about finding your own way of
doing things is also an important one.
Gerard the giraffe really wants to dance, but his body with its long
neck and skinny legs, makes it hard to find his rhythm and the other
jungle animals laugh at his attempts. Despondent, he leaves the
gathering but a wise cricket tells him
" . . . sometimes when you're different You just need a different song."
And when Gerard finds that song he is able to do the most beautiful
dance in his own way. Children will love the warthogs' waltz, the
chimps' cha-cha, and the lions' tango, but most of all they will
love Gerard's dance, and his final words, "We can all dance, he said, When we find music that we love."
This is a lovely, feel good book, perfect for beginning readers.
Themes: Dancing, Giraffes, Verse story.
Pat Pledger
Alex Rider: Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406395877.
(Age: 10-16). Highly recommended. This book is number 13 in the
series from Horowitz and does not disappoint his fans with another
action-packed, exciting story involving Alex Rider, the teenage spy.
Alex has officially retired from his duties with MI6 Special
Operations and is looking forward to a normal life at school. A
series of events involving a new terrorist organisition called
Nightshade that uses children to perform their acts of violence
convinces Alex to assist for one last time. Having caught Frederick
Grey, one of the Nightshade children, MI6 special operations decides
they need to send Alex into the prison where he is being held to get
close to him and find out more about Nightshade. He is impersonating
a former prisoner called Julius Grief who had plastic surgery to
look just like Alex in the past. His handler Mrs. Jones has a
personal interest in this project as her children were kidnapped to
be part of Nightshade and Alex is tasked with trying to bring them
home too.
Time is of the essence for Alex as MI6 knows Nightshade is planning
a major terrorist attack on London within 3 weeks. Now, going into
the highly secure prison is one thing as he has contacts there that
can help him, but then Alex and Frederick escape Alex is taken back
to Nightshade headquarters in Greece. Here things start to unravel
for Alex as the attack draws nearer and the Nightshade controllers
realize who he really is.
The book is certainly a great addition to this exciting series and
fans of Alex Rider will love this story as it presents the
real-world issue of terrorism and the horrifying idea that children
are used to perform violent tasks in this way. The end of the story
lets us know that this will not be the last of the books involving
Nightshade. Themes: Espionage, Intelligence agencies, Terrorism,
Adolescents.
Gabrielle Anderson
In the city by Holly James
Illus. by Hannah Tolson. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526616241.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Introducing young children to the delights of
an urban environment will be enhanced using this vibrant, detailed
and fascinating book.
As the city wakes, Oscar and Lucy set off, complete with backpacks,
camera and a map. Each double page begins in the same way as they
get on the train to go into the city, or have a picnic or look at
the skyscrapers. "Let's visit the museum", for example, shows the
children exploring this cavernous place looking at the art on the
walls, the statues, the plants, the mobile and the dinosaur bones,
while the book offers questions along the bottom of the page, asking
the readers to look at something in particular. On this page the
reader is asked to count the number of artefacts spotted, a new word
being introduced.
Each double page explores the range of things to be found in that
area of a city, and children will be delighted looking at the detail
on each page, sharing with others what they have seen or would like
to see, exploring the range of city offerings together, perhaps even
planning their own trip.
My favourite page, "Let's cruise on the river", shows a small boat
cruising down river, passing a range of other craft, highlighting
the bridges, waterfront, walkways and buildings nearby. A question
directs readers to look at the other things gliding along the water,
while several words in larger font reiterate the words that are
possibly new to the reader.
The family goes shopping and takes a train and bus ride, eventually
heading for home and bed. A double page after the children have gone
to bed, has images of a number of things and asks the readers if
they were spotted, so ensuring the readers will go back and read the
story again. And I can imagine the list of things noted and pointed
out will far exceed the 22 listed at the end of the book.
Themes: Travel, Cities, Urban environment.
Fran Knight
Be plastic clever by Amy and Ella Meek
Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN: 9780241447079.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Amy and Ella Meek have been activists in
the area of plastic since becoming aware of the large amounts of
plastic in their local area in the United Kingdom. They started a
group called "Kids against Plastic" with the goal of ridding the UK
of single use plastic bottles. They have been inspired by several
other like-minded people who believe young people can strive for
change to help combat the growing issue of plastic pollution.
The book is set up like a nonfiction book into chapters that cover
everything young people need to know about plastic and what we can
do to reduce, re-use and recycle it. It has a good glossary and a
very useful index for research. In between each chapter there is a
short bio of someone the girls admire - their heroes. Famous
environmentalists such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sir David Attenborough
are followed by more contemporary heroes like Greta Thunberg, Grace
Hopper and Maddie Moate.
The girls themselves have set a goal to collect 100,000 pieces of
plastic in their local area and are well on the way to their goal.
They set out in this book what kinds of plastic there are and how
they are impacting wildlife around the world. They also discuss what
is being done in different parts of Europe about recycling these
materials and what individuals can do in their everyday life to
reduce the amount of plastic they use.
Easy to read and interesting content will make it popular for anyone
wanting more information for young people on this topic. The book is
a great resource, but it focuses on the United Kingdom and Europe
and therefore lacks the links and information about what is being
done in Australia and other countries around the world. Themes:
Plastic, Recycling, Environmental impact, Activism.
Gabrielle Anderson
