Penguin Random House Children's UK, 2020. ISBN: 9780241411797.
(Ages: 2-4) Peppa's goldfish is looking sad so Peppa and her family
head off to the aquarium to try and find her a friend. They see
jellyfish, a big blue fish and some seahorses, but nothing that
seems like a good friend for Goldie. But when they get to the cafe,
Peppa spots something behind the cupcakes. 'Who's that . . . , Miss
Rabbit?' 'It's Ginger, my goldfish'. The perfect friend for
Goldie!
Little ones will delight in lifting the flaps to find the aquarium
animals and seeing their beloved Peppa on the pages of this new
book. There are quite a few other titles in this Lift-the-Flap
series now, including Up and Down, At the Zoo and Night
Creatures. They are short and sure to engage little Peppa Pig
fans, both during independent and shared reading. Themes; Peppa Pig,
Aquariums, Sea creatures, Lift-the-flap book, Board book.
Nicole Nelson
The power of positive pranking by Nat Amoore
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780143796381.
(Ages: 9+). Highly recommended. The power of positive pranking
by Nat Amoore is a powerful and uplifting middle grade read. Three
environmentally aware and pro-active children with wisdom and
creative problem solving beyond their years keep the reader highly
entertained and engaged in the eventful storyline. Casey, Zeke and
Cookie are the only members of the Green Peas tribe which practices
environmental activism through positive pranking. They have their
own manifesto of twenty-six rules which are each identified as the
chapter headings. The first chapter begins with a school assembly
and a series of hidden alarm clocks set to go off at intervals with
the final alarm going off under the Principal's chair. Needless to
say pandemonium sets in and the grand finale prank is a banner
dropping from the ceiling stating: WAKE UP! DINOSAURS THOUGHT THEY
HAD TIME TOO. SAVE OUR PLANET NOW. The three children are never
suspected and have made a positive thought-provoking statement which
begins some classroom discussion although the Principal is
definitely not happy. Each of the three members bring different
skills to the action group: Casey is the ideas person who organises
and plans everything, Zeke is the tech guy who considers himself a Ninja
and Cookie is super creative and arty. All three children come from
very different and diverse backgrounds: Zeke from a large blended
family, Cookie has two dads and Casey lives with her father and
grandfather who are both deaf. Casey's mother passed away when she
was young and shared throughout the book are Trixie's recipe cards
with meaningful thoughts for Casey written on them. When Mayor
Lupphol visits the school, the Green Peas once again make a stand
which is broadcast over the Internet and through Casey's
Grandfather's lip reading skills, the tribe learns that the crooked
Mayor has a major and sinister plan in place. With support from
other students and adults the plan is foiled in a cunning and
collaborative effort.
The author has cleverly connected her first novel Secrets
of a schoolyard millionaire to the story by three of her
characters Tess, Toby and Kathy joining the Green Peas. The
power of positive pranking encourages children to see that
they can make a difference in climate change and environmental
issues. This novel would be a wonderful read aloud to be shared in
the classroom as there are so many important learning points and
issues to be discussed. Themes: Family, School, Relationships,
Disability, Diversity, Activism, Grief, Humour, Environmental
issues, Sustainability.
Kathryn Beilby
Let's go on a tractor by Rosalyn Albert
Illus. by Natalia Moore. Let's go series. New Frontier,
2020. ISBN: 9781912858262. 20pp. board book. Let's go on a tractor is a short rhyming board book aimed at
toddlers. It has a simple rhyme to follow and bright illustrations
that will capture the eye of any young reader. The book is full of
concepts related to a farm such as the tractor, animals (and their
noises), growing crops, hay, getting muddy and then getting clean!
This would be a great book for both children who know about farms as
they would no doubt delight in finding and naming all the things
they know about but also introducing a wide array of things to a
much younger child.
This book is just one from the Let's Go! series which
features a rocket, ferry and train. These books also feature the
same six characters which adds another element of connection for the
reader.
These board books are also nice and sturdy so would easily stand up
to the often rough handling they can get from a toddler.
It could also tolerate a gentle wipe over if needed.
Overall a good book for a toddler's collection, with nice pictures
and both interesting and relevant concepts.
Lauren Fountain
The theory of hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman
University of Queensland Press, 2020. ISBN: 9780702262920.
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended. "Love who you are and love what you
do" is a quote from Alba, the main character in this book, that sums
up what the author is trying to say with this story. It was written
from the personal experiences of the author having the same
condition as a child. Alba has always felt different and very
self-conscious because of her Club foot (named Cleo) as well as the
fact that she has never been able to run. She is best friends with
Levi, who also cannot run because of his severe asthma. They hang
around in the library together most lunchtimes and are both obsessed
with hummingbirds. The book is dotted with wonderful facts about
them, one of which is that hummingbirds never walk because their
feet are too small; they perch or fly.
Levi and Alba both have big ideas. Alba is certain that when her
final cast comes off, she will finally be able to run. So, Alba
decides she wants to run in the next cross-country event instead of
being the timekeeper. Levi (a Steve Hawking fan) is investigating
the idea that the School Librarian has stumbled into a wormhole in
her office when she mysteriously disappears each lunch time. The big
ideas cause friction between the two friends and they need to
reassess their attitudes to realize what they are missing by being
stubborn.
A wonderful story that has many other story threads that are wound
around the central theme, including her relationship with her single
mother, Alba's inability to recognize that Miranda Grey (the best
runner in the school) wants to be her friend and the interactions
with the wonderful doctor who is treating Alba's club foot. Themes:
Friendship, Disability.
Gabrielle Anderson
The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver
Colter Shaw book 2. HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008382339.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended for fans of the author.
The second in this series about hero Colter Shaw is sure to give
fans of the thriller/adventure genre a satisfying read. After
chasing two young men accused of hate crimes, Colter follows a
series of clues that brings him to the Foundation, an organisation
that apparently helps those who are bereaved and where the young men
seem to have been heading. Colter has his doubts about the
charismatic leader and whether it is in fact a cult and decides to
investigate what is happening there.
Colter is an unusual hero; he chases criminals and investigates
missing person cases as a reward seeker. He is enigmatic and has
excellent connections and back-up when he wants help or background
research done. His family background is one of being taught to
survive in all types of conditions, and this training proves very
valuable as he prowls around the grounds of the Foundation.
Deaver keeps up the suspense as Colter goes undercover into the
Foundation, leaving readers on the edge of their seats wondering if
he will be exposed and what will happen to him. There are many
twists and some very unexpected surprises as he gradually unearths
the secrets that are being hidden at the compound. At the same time
Colter is trying to unravel the secret that his father had left many
years before, this time getting closer to the meaning of the message
that might have deadly consequences for him.
Although it could be read as a stand-alone, readers will understand
and relate to the inscrutable Colter Shaw if they have read the
first in the series, The
Never Game, and the cliff-hanger ending of The
Goodbye Man will ensure that readers pick up the next in the
series, wanting to see where Colter's quest to uncover his father's
secrets might lead him.
Pat Pledger
Clementine and Rudy by Siobhan Curham
Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406390230.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This is a joyous uplifting story of
two girls, from different walks of life, finding a shared passion
for art and poetry, in an unlikely collaboration that sustains them
through family difficulties and into an optimistic future.
Alternating chapters lead us into the lives of Rudy, stealthy street
artist by night and vegan cafe worker by day, and Clementine, dance
student and budding poet, admirer of Emily Dickinson. When
Clementine sees Rudy's artwork on a wall she is inspired to write a
poem that she posts on Instagram; Rudy in turn is inspired by
Clementine to create further artscapes.
Each of the girls is dealing with stepfather issues, but this is not
a book about abuse, but one of finding one's dreams and pursuing
them. Rudy and Clementine come from different backgrounds, but their
common interest sustains them, and not even their shared interest in
young musician friend Tyler comes between them. They know that their
friendship and their art are the most important things.
It is so enjoyable to read a book with such positive messages about
friendship, and following one's dreams. Themes: Street art, Poetry,
Friendship, Collaboration.
Helen Eddy
Little Disasters by Sarah Vaughan
Simon & Schuster 2020. ISBN: 9781471194900.
The excerpt from Silvia Plath's poem "Morning Song" introduces us to
the world of a new mother, the stresses of which are emphatically
described in the prologue; the detached narrator observing the
mother wish her inconsolable child "to be silent always" p4. The
story revolves around a group of women who met at a 2007 antenatal
class, from the point of view of Liz, a senior registrar in
paediatrics at a London hospital, and Jess, the stay at home wife of
a hedge funds manager. The timeline flits between significant dates,
reaching back to when the women met but starting at January 19th
2018 when Jess turns up at the hospital with baby Betsey who has a
fractured skull. As the injury does not match the explanation Jess
gives as to how it happened, Liz alerts the senior consultant who in
turn decides Social Services need to be alerted. The resulting
inquiry challenges the women's friendship and Liz's professional
judgement and involves their wider circle of mothers making
judgements about each other.
Other aspects of the women's lives emerge as the truth of the matter
is pursued including how they were mothered, earlier relationships
and the tension between stay at home mothers and those who work. At
times the timeline was hard to follow and the complication of the
Charlotte character at the end was unnecessary but this is a book
for young women who seem to thrive on judging other women and their
life choices. I found it difficult to accept the failure of those
around Jess to recognise her need for psychological support, maybe
readers will be made more alert. Lovers of women's fiction and
domestic drama will enjoy this book.
Sue Speck
Bluey : All About Bluey by Bluey
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760898304.
(Age: Preschool -5) Recommended. A large board book shaped just like
the very popular TV character, All about Bluey is sure to be
a hit with young children who love the award winning TV series.
Bluey is a 6 year old blue heeler who lives with her mum, a red
heeler, and dad, a blue heeler, and little sister Bingo, a red
heeler.
Bluey's antics and family have made her a beloved character and All
about Bluey will give children the chance to enjoy her
imagination and games between the pages of a book, rather than on
the screen. This makes it a perfect book for bedtime stories, or for
a newly independent reader to read things that they will be
instantly familiar with.
Right from the first page when Bluey says she has an idea, her
imagination is portrayed as she makes up games with Bingo and her
friends. Readers will recognise how difficult it can be to make the
rules for games and will identify with Bluey's classroom where
everyone has different skills and likes to make up different games.
Bluey also has lots of silly fun at home with her father, and the
illustrations are very enjoyable as the pair wrestle and dance
together. Bright colours, beautiful backgrounds and warm expressions
on the faces of the family members make this a lovely book to have
in the home or classroom.
Pat Pledger
The Little Engine that could by Watty Piper
Illus. by Dan Santat. Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN:
9780593094396.
(Ages: 3-7) A classic children's tale first published in 1930,
The Little Engine that could shows the power of kindness and
determination. This 90th anniversary edition has a heartfelt
introduction by Dolly Parton and vibrant illustrations by Dan
Santat, complete with wide open spaces, sunlit fields and blue
skies. The text is completely unchanged from the original so is a
little outdated (the train is still carrying jackknives and glass
bottles of creamy milk for the boys and girls) but this simply adds
to the magic and timelessness of the story as a whole.
For those unfamiliar with the story, a happy little train is taking
toys and good things to eat to the little boys and girls on the
other side of the mountain. So when the red engine breaks down
suddenly, the toys and dolls attempt to get passing engines to help
them across the mountain. The shiny new passenger engine thinks
itself far too superior to pull the likes of the little train, the
strong freight engine thinks itself far too important and the dingy,
rusty old engine is simply too tired to even try. 'I can not. I can
not. I can not' he chugs as he rumbles off. But the little blue
engine who comes by thinks of the desperate toys and dolls who need
her help and of the good little boys and girls waiting for their
toys and good food. 'I think. I can. I think I can. I think I can',
she says as she tugs and pulls the train over the mountain. The toys
are ecstatic and the little blue engine is proud of herself and her
self-belief.
There is a reason this is a classic and it stands up amazingly to
the test of time. Its simple message is still as relevant as it was
90 years ago: the world needs us to do our very best and being kind
and understanding is just as important as ever. The story shows that
the act of one humble being can have great effect on many, a message
that we want to convey to all our young people who have the
potential to change the world for the better. Themes: Trains,
Determination, Self-belief.
Nicole Nelson
Mabel and the mountain by Kim Hillyard
Ladybird, 2020. ISBN: 9780241407929.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Subtitled, A story about believing
in yourself, the wide eyed creature in a smart knitted hat
invites the reader to look further inside, if only to know what this
creature is. We find out soon enough as her route is tracked over
the intervening pages before the story starts, further intriguing
the reader. Mabel is a fly, and Mabel has some very big plans. Her
list of things to do fills a page: climb a mountain, host a dinner
party and make friends with a shark. Readers' imaginations will soar
with Mabel, wondering how a little fly can achieve such momentous
things. When she announces her plans to her friends, they all say
lots of negative things: no, stay at home, flies do not climb,
ridiculous and it can't be done. These derisive comments do not
deter Mabel. She finds a mountain to climb and climbs, passing other
climbers with all the right gear, seeing animals that threaten,
wondering if she has the courage to go on. But a voice tells her to
keep going and she does, arriving at the top of the mountain,
thrilled at what she sees. Returning she finds things have changed:
her friends are no longer derisive, but making plans of their own,
asking her what her next plan is.
And children reading this lovely positive picture book will do just
that: dream about their own big plans and, like Mabel, start straight
away. Like me, readers will look closely at the detail on each page:
the funny fly faces, the things they are dressed in and what they
are holding, the way each fly is made different with what seems like
a few strokes of the pen. A wonderfully positive read, sure to
encourage readers to believe in themselves. Themes: Mountains, Self
awareness, Challenges, Adventure.
Fran Knight
The switch by Beth O'Leary
Quercus 2020. ISBN: 9781787475007.
(Age: Adult) Leena has a job she loves, lives in a trendy flat in
Shoreditch, London, which she shares with flatmates Martha, Yaz and
Fitz. But since the death from cancer of her sister, Carla, she has
been having panic attacks and making mistakes at work. She feels
horror and shame when her boss insists she take two months leave.
Leena is close to her 79 year old grandmother Eileen who lives in
Hamleigh-in-Harkdale. When Leena visits her she finds a list of
unattached men in the small village; Eileen is looking for a new
relationship since husband Wade left her. Leena suggests an online
dating service but there are not many local entries for the older
age group. London offers many more and from this is born the idea of
swapping places while Leena is on leave. Eileen agrees, partly for a
bit of fun but also to break down the barriers between Leena and her
mum Marian, who lives nearby. She has also been struggling to cope
since Carla's death and mother and daughter have barely spoken. So
as Eileen embraces London life Leena sets out to fill her place in
everything from Neighbourhood Watch meetings, dog walking, visiting
Marian and organising the local May festival.
As we follow the narrative, alternating between the point of view of
overachiever Leena and pragmatic Eileen the value of a change of
perspective becomes apparent. The characters are funny and engaging
and the comedy lightens the messages about caring for one another,
the importance of family, acknowledging grief and of course finding
love. A light read for women.
Sue Speck
Where's Spot? by Eric Hill
Spot the Dog. Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241446850. Board book.
(Age: 0+) Highly recommended. With a gorgeous ruby cover to
celebrate 40 years since the publication of this classic picture
book, young and old alike will delight in the simple story of Sally
trying to find Spot the little puppy. She looks in all sorts of
places, under the stairs, in a box, under the rug, but Spot is not
there. Instead she finds an array of smiling creatures, a crocodile,
a snake, a bear, and a hippopotamus until she finally finds him and
gives him his dinner.
The gentle refrain of "Is he in the . . . "; "Is he under the . . .
" will be one that children can repeat along with the reader and
then shout out a resounding "No." There will be opportunities for
children to play hide and seek themselves and peek-a-boo after
reading the story. The simple repetition and large print will also
help emerging readers as they repeat familiar pages.
The pages are sturdy and the lift-the-flaps are big enough for
little fingers to handle. What makes it so special are the big
images of Sally the dog, outlined in black and the vivid colours
that children are sure to enjoy.
This is a lovely book that will bring back memories to the
generations who have read it aloud to children. Now their children
have the opportunity to read it to their children as a board book
and grandparents will be overjoyed to bring back memories with this
gift to their young grandchildren as well.
Pat Pledger
Rules for being a girl by Candace Bushnell & Katie Cotugno
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9781529036084. 293pp.
(Age: 15+) Highly Commended. Marin & Chloe are friends who both
have crushes on Mr Beckett (Bex), their hip, young English Teacher.
Marin's boyfriend, Jacob, is the school Jock but she often stays
late after school, working on the school newspaper with Bex. Marin
aspires to a career in journalism at Brown University but after
accepting a ride home via Bex's house, the plot quickly becomes a
cautionary tale. Naively, Marin is certainly not prepared for what
happens when Bex crosses the line.
The upside to Bex's unapologetic betrayal of trust, if there is one,
is Marin's awakening to the feminist perspective. Marin, already
critical of the gender inequities in the school dress code,
identifies more gaps in resources and expectations between the two
genders. Jacob struggles to support the 'new' Marin, who pens a
cathartic editorial about the confusion and double standards
experienced by young women, entitled "The Rules for Being a Girl".
"Don't be one of those girls who can't eat pizza. You're getting the
milk shake too? Whoa. Have you gained weight? Don't get so skinny
your curves disappear. Don't get so curvy you aren't skinny. Don't
take up too much space. It's just about your health . . . ." (page
81)
When Marin confides in Chloe, she is jealous rather than supportive.
Principal DioGuardi also accepts Bex's account. For much of the
story, Marin turns to Gray, a boy who admired her editorial and
joined the feminist book club, to navigate the sexist policies the
students are subjected to. Despite his temporary triumph, Bex is
angry that Marin would seek to harm his career by snitching. He
sinks to new lows to hurt Marin for "breaking the rules". A true
heroine, Marin overcomes the devastating setback and teaches her own
lesson - one that will chasten both Mr Beckett and Principal
DioGuardi.
An impressive snapshot of a typical High School culture, Bushnell
and Cotugno have created a worthy role model and guide in Marin. Her
journey and her pivotal "Rules for Being a Girl" editorial, should
be mandatory reading for all teenage girls.
Deborah Robins
In the time of foxes by Jo Lennan
Scribner, 2020. ISBN: 9781760855697.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Foxes are survivors; they've adapted to the
urban environment. They are reknown for being cunning and predatory.
In the first story in this collection by Jo Lennan, Nina has a Fox
Situation - they have created a 'breeding earth' in a hollowed tree
stump at the bottom of her garden and have become a nuisance to her
family and neighbours, with the exception of her young son Ronnie
who loves to watch their antics through the window. It's a problem
that Nina struggles to find a humane solution to, just as at the
same time she is coming to terms with her mother's dementia and how
best to care for her.
The foxes in the first story are there, wild and free, and
persistent. Other stories also tell of some kind of encounter with a
fox, but it is not always the animal itself, it may be a charming
man with a silver mane of hair, or someone clever and dangerous. Or
a person coming to understand the hidden cunning within themselves.
All of the stories are insightful about relationships, the struggle
between the apparent and the hidden, or the outward and the
interior. And, as the publisher's blurb says, each narrative is a
compressed novel.
They are very interesting stories; locations vary from London,
Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, even a station on Mars. They tell of
relationships between parents and children, couples, friends, and
childhood companions. And in the background somewhere there is
always a fox.
Themes: Nature vs civilisation, Life and death, Friendships,
Rivalry, Self-understanding.
Helen Eddy
The Van Apfel girls are gone by Felicity McLean
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9781460755068.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended. Tikka Molloy was
11 when the Van Apfel girls, Hannah, Cordelia and Ruth disappear,
the mystery of their disappearance remaining unsolved. Recounted in
the voice of the young Tikka, the reader is taken to a hot
Australian town set on a smelly river. The three girls disappear
during a Showstopper concert held by the school, during a skit that
Tikka has made up as a diversion for their running away. But they
don't find Tikka's sister Laura who has money for them and nobody
knows where they have gone. Weeks of searching does not solve the
mystery, even though the girls' father is questioned extensively, as
is Cordelia's teacher.
When Tikka comes back as an adult to be with Laura who has cancer,
she is still haunted by memories of what happened and still often
thinks that she sees Cordie as an adult, striding away, blond hair
bobbing. She questions whether she and Laura should have told the
police that the girls were planning to run away, and even her father
feels that he should have done more to stop the domestic violence
that Mr Van Apfel used to dominate his family.
The story brings back all the heat of an Australian summer, the
swimming in the backyard pools, the casual jealousy of younger
siblings for their older sisters, the smell of the river and the end
of term school concert. Tikka's childhood comes alive as she
describes in her precocious and innocent voice, what happened that
summer. The fear that the girls felt as they watched Mr Van Apfel
threaten his daughters and poorly understood sexual undertones
pervade the story as rumours circulate about Cordie's teacher,
leaving the reader wondering who was responsible for the girls'
disappearance. Indeed McLean leaves that mystery open to the
reader's own interpretation, rather like the mystery in Picnic
at Hanging Rock.
Part mystery and part coming of age story, this is a story to be
savoured and discussed. An essay by Felicity Mclean is available here.
Pat Pledger
