Reviews

Lift-the-flap Engineering by Rose Hall

Ill. by Lee Cosgrove. Usborne, 2018. ISBN 9781474943659.
Highly recommended for your STEM collection. "Engineering is not just about engines. Engineering means designing, testing and making all kinds of useful things. To do this, engineers use mathematics, science, and - above all - their imaginations." Engineers work in teams to solve puzzles, whether the puzzle is big or small. They follow a series of steps including:

• asking questions to ensure they understand the problem
• imagining possible solutions by letting their brains go wild
• making detailed designs of their ideas
• making models to test their ideas
• having the final version built and checking it carefully.

Fairy stories for little children by Lorena Alvarez and Susanna Davidson

Usborne, 2018. ISBN 9781474951784.
This selection of five well-loved fairytales - Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and The Princess and the Pea - has been lovingly recreated in words and pictures to appeal to the young reader, either as a read-along or one who is verging on independence and knows the stories well enough to predict the text.
Fairytales never go out of fashion and there is always a new generation of children coming through to enjoy these age-old tales so a new, revamped version is just the thing for sharing with them. The illustrations in this edition are very modern although still retaining the charm of the past, making this a suitable book for those children who are older but who are learning English as another language, and who are expected to be au fait with these traditional tales. They may even have similar tales in their own language that they can compare and contrast these with. Cinderella, for example, has a version in many different cultures. Similarly, the stories could be used to compare other versions of the same story or even the movie versions so their appeal is not limited to just emerging readers.
Barbara Braxton

Malala, my story of standing up for girls' rights by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick

Wren and Rook. ISBN 9781526361592.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Auto-biography. The extraordinary true story of the Pakistani girl who stood up for girls' rights to education and was shot by the Taliban is now available in a new publication for a younger audience, so that they too can learn about the young girl who refused to give in to terrorism and believed that truth must prevail.
Malala was fortunate to have a father who encouraged her independence of thought and her aspirations for education, allowing her to participate in a BBC website on the daily life of a girl in Pakistan under the rule of the Taliban, highlighting to the wider world the issue of girls' rights to education. Hoping to silence her, Taliban supporters stopped her school bus, and fired shots to her head. The ensuing airlift to medical services, first in Pakistan then to Britain as the seriousness of her injury became apparent, brought her once again to the attention of the world. When Malala's bravery is recognised with the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, the youngest person to ever receive it, it means that instead of being silenced Malala's message will continue to be heard.
This version of Malala's life is written simply with short chapters and large font. There are explainer boxes on some pages to explain topics such as the celebration of Ramadan, the shalwar kamiz clothing, the difference between an internally displaced person and a refugee, the Malala Fund charity etc. And simple black and white drawings by Joanie Stone further enhance understanding of the text. At the end there is also a glossary of terms, a guide to pronunciation of some words, and a timeline of significant events in Malala's life.
All in all, this is a very accessible book, and would make a worthwhile addition to every school library. The story of standing up for one's beliefs and refusing to give in to bullies, is one that will continue to be relevant to young readers.
Helen Eddy

How to raise your grown-ups by Lauren Child

Hubert Horatio, Book 1. HarperCollins Children's, 2018. ISBN 9780008264086.
'These stories are about the days when the Bobton-Trents had it cushy, very cushy indeed.' The Bobton-Trent seniors certainly know how to make the most of their extravagant wealth - socialising, doing things, buying things and generally being more than a little bit irresponsible. Luckily for them, their son Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent is an exceptionally intelligent, talented and sensible child. Unluckily for Hubert, this tends to mean that a lot of his spare time is spent steering his rather unruly set of grown-ups out of trouble. So oblivious are they, they don't realise that their lavish lifestyle means that their money has run out even when the Bobton-Trents and their guests sit at a bare dinner table, waiting for an hour and 22 minutes for the maid to serve them, unaware that the staff has left. They are also unaware of their only child's immense talents - he phones his parents at the age of one, reads at two and, when he tumbles into the pool at age three, discovers that he is "a natural swimmer" - and when their financial situation becomes clear to him, he tries ways to raise money through schemes like hosting board game sessions and opening the mansion up for tours, but all his schemes fail because his parents just spend the proceeds. It even becomes his decision to sell the mansion and downsize to an apartment!
Lauren Child brings her unique combination of story-telling, illustration and humour to this new series of books for the newly independent reader. Even though the message about money not necessarily being the happiness-bringer it is reputed to be may be lost on the target audience, nevertheless young readers will delight in the outrageous lifestyle and Hubert's constant vigilance and tactics to keep the family afloat. Those who are a little older might like to think about how income is derived and disbursed and the sorts of decisions that must be made.
With the second episode Alien beings due later this year, this is a series that will become very popular as the word spreads among your students.
Barbara Braxton

Katherine Johnson by Ebony Joy Wilkins

Ill. by Charlotte Ager. DK Life Stories. DK; Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9780241358580.
(Age: 8 - 13) Highly recommended. Themes: Biography; Katherine Johnson; Mathematicians; Space; NASA; STEM; Discrimination. Katherine Johnson may not be well known to Australian readers, but her story has now been told in the movie Hidden Figures. This amazing Afro-American woman was born in the era of segregation in USA in 1918. Her family though were determined that their children would explore every opportunity for education and it was obvious from very early in Katherine's life that she had considerable talent with numbers. No human restriction was going to stand in the way of her inquiring mind and determination to let numbers and their ability to describe the world to be understood and communicated. Working eventually as a 'human computer' and Mathematical analyst within NASA, she defied both discrimination of her race and gender to become an elite force to be reckoned with, originally in the Academic world and eventually within NASA. During the incredible era of the Space Race and the first Moon Landing, it was Katherine's role to create mathematical certainty for the astronauts. At the age of 97, Katherine was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, an incredible honour for a long and incredible life. For someone who loves counting, she certainly has a lot of years of a rich life to count!
This is a book that should be read! Katherine Johnson is such an inspiring advocate for STEM learning and is also just an amazing person, not letting social obstructions be a barrier to learning and success. Her resilience and determination are also worthy of being shared with a younger generation. The presentation of this biography in the DK Life Stories series is simple with plenty of illustrations in a cartoon style, and with photographs dotted through the simple text. With some text boxes and bubbles explaining unfamiliar terms this is a book easily accessible for young readers and visually 'youthful'. The family tree and timeline of Katherine's life appears at the end of the biographical detail.
Carolyn Hull

Believe me by JP Delaney

Quercus, 2018. ISBN: 9781787472419.
(Age: Adult, 18+) Highly recommended. An enthralling and turbulent psychological thriller, JP Delaney's re-written and re-published version of his 2001 novel The Decoy grasps the reader's attention and interest and never relents. Claire Wright, a British drama student living in New York without a green card, begins work with a firm of divorce lawyers, acting as an easy pick-up in hotel bars in order to entrap unfaithful husbands. Usually excellent at her job, it is surprising when her newest target, Patrick Fogler, remains faithful to his wife. While Claire dismisses this as merely a rare decent husband, suspicions arise when his wife is murdered later that very night. Requested by the police to make use of her acting skills to lure a confession out of Patrick, the prime suspect in his wife's murder, Claire gets to work. But from the beginning, Claire has doubts about the part she is to play, and about whether Patrick really could be a murderer. As she progresses with the investigation, and wonders whether there could be more to this that she was told, she learns that she never really knows who she can trust, and that this might just be the deadliest role of her life.
JP Delaney provides a vivid and realistic world, with authentic characters that make the reader question just how complex human nature is. The storyline is engaging and keeps the reader on their toes and constantly re-evaluating the motives of each character. With each new twist and turn, the reader is sucked into Delaney's world, and eager to uncover the mystery it revolves around. Note: themes of violence, sex, murder, psychological torture, domestic violence, necrophilia, BDSM and crime. Not suitable for younger readers.
Daniella Chiarolli

The extraordinary life of Stephen Hawking by Kate Scott

Ill. by Esther Mols. Extraordinary lives series. Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241373927.
(Age: 7-10) Highly recommended. Themes: Biography; Stephen Hawking; Scientists; Science; Cosmology. In a very unpretentious format, with simple language and naive illustrations, this biography of Stephen Hawking introduces this amazing man of Science to youthful readers. Explanations of his journey as a scientist and cosmologist, while coping with the difficulties of his diagnosis and life with MND, are described with side notes to explain any complex terms. Basic family history and Hawking's appearance or influence in popular media and film are also included. Obviously, the science of cosmology needs to be explained at a fundamental level for the target audience, and this is done well. Disability and the resilience of Stephen Hawking is described with sensitivity. A time line of his life completes the biography.
This series makes biography a great alternative to a fiction text for youthful readers. This is certainly easy enough for readers aged 7-10 to manage. The use of green text and illustrations also will appeal to the visual generation. The book also includes excerpts from two other biographies in the series: Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama. With more biographies planned to be released, this will be a great series to collect for school libraries or to add to a reading program.
Carolyn Hull

How to train your dragon written and ill. by Cressida Cowell

Hodder Children's Books, 2019 (c2003). ISBN: 9781444950380.
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. To become a Viking hero it was a tradition of the Hooligan Tribe to undertake the dreaded Dragon Initiation Programme. Failure meant banishment from the tribe forever.
The unremarkable Hiccup, the son of Viking Chieftain Stoic the Vast, and a member of the Hairy Hooligans, must capture a sleeping baby dragon from the cave in Wild Dragon Cliff, preferably without awakening the mass, take it back to the village and train it to obey and catch fish for him. No easy task.
Hiccup and his little dragon, Toothless, are scorned and bullied by other members of the gang. He has great difficulty training his reluctant dragon, but patience pays off and Toothless eventually proves to be very heroic when most needed.
All the characters have unbecoming names such as Snotlout, Thuggery, Baggybum and Gobber, who is a six-and-a-half foot giant with a mad glint in his one working eye and a beard like exploding fireworks.
The teenage Hooligans and their counterparts, the Meatheads, initially clash in fierce rivalry. A dreadful crisis threatens the entire village and the 'Big Drums' summon the two teams of boys, who must work together to overcome two humungous dragons, causing spectacular havoc.
Brave Hiccup, the only person who can converse with dragons, devises a remarkably clever plan and endures a mindboggling experience with Green Death and, with Toothless helping, struggles to outwit the monsters, to avert a catastrophe.
Joan Kerr-Smith
Editor's note: Review from earlier edition.

The ember blade by Chris Wooding

Gollancz, 2018. 824 pages. Paperback. ISBN 9781473214859.
(Age: 15+) Recommended for advanced young adult readers. Two young boys living in an occupied Kingdom, are fighting to recover a stolen treasure of their people. The ember blade follows Aren and Cade, two young boys who are swept from their home village and sent to work as slaves in the prison mine. In a moment, their entire world is brought crashing down around them. Still, it isn't until they escape into the world beyond the prison walls that their epic adventure truly begins.
The strongest theme of this story is that of the brotherly bond between the two friends, shown through their lively banter and the actions that they take to protect one another. There is a strong sense of disbelief portrayed by Aren. Aren has always seen himself as the hero of the story and struggles to come to terms with how he can be wronged, even when he believes that he has done everything right. Cade has always been resentful of the Krodan people, but it is Aren who is affected most.
Wooding's writing is suspenseful and detailed, constructing beautiful mountainous landscapes, filled with medieval terrors and the cruel and unjust rulers of the occupying Krodan people. The story is filled with edge-of-your-seat action, and excellent, humorous dialogue between the characters. The magic in the story was the use of druidic arts, founded on faith in the Aspects (the Gods of the Ossian people) and an understanding of nature. It was an interesting twist on magic, and one that I found to be well constructed. The ember blade reads like an Arthurian classic, which as huge fan of Arthurian legend, I certainly enjoyed. A brilliant start to the trilogy.
Jake Morgan, Unley Libraries

Stephen Hawking by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vagara

Ill. by Matt Hunt. Little people, big dreams series. Frances Lincoln, 2019. ISBN 9781786037329.
(Ages: 6-10) Recommended. Themes: Physicists. Biographies. 'However difficult life may, there is always something that you can do and succeed at.' Stephen Hawking's life was truly amazing and this Little people, big dreams biography opens up his life and scientific endeavours to a younger generation. Vagara presents the key facts, milestones, accomplishments and personal struggles in an enjoyable and relatable style. 'Children are sponges absorbing the world around them,' is her impetus for writing these biographies. Hawking's life is pleasingly portrayed by Matt Hunt's crisp, linear digital illustrations where dark skies shimmer with stars, dark and lighter tones shape the setting and simple stylised characters show stages of life.
Young Stephen was born during World Ward II in Oxford, England, to a family who loved science and encouraged education. His nickname at school was Einstein, he even built a computer from clock workings and an old telephone. His passion was studying the universe and he studied cosmology at Oxford University. When diagnosed with ALS, a neurodegenerative disease he determined to study the stars rather than be limited by his condition. Vagara presents this information with a simplicity suited to younger readers.
Hawking's brilliant mind turned to the study of black holes, where he discovered tiny lights escaping from them, named 'Hawking radiation' in his honour. Utilising a robotic voice, he dictated his scientific books and helped the world understand the universe. A comprehensive biography concludes this picture book, just right for students to begin researching. Vagara's Little people, big dreams series opens up children's eyes to inspirational, authentic and unique world changers.
Rhyllis Bignell

Two can keep a secret by Karen M. McManus

Penguin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780141375656.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Mystery, Diversity. McManus shows a masterly hand at the mystery genre with this easy to read, dark tale of secrets in a small town. Ellery and her twin brother Ezra return to Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother, after their mother was sent to rehab for driving into a jewellery shop. It is the town where their aunt went missing years ago and where a Homecoming Queen was murdered. No one knows what happened to these girls and it has affected everyone in the town, especially Malcolm whose older brother was the prime suspect. When his brother returns to town and another girl disappears Ellery and Malcolm know that they have to unravel the secrets in the town.
This is a gripping murder mystery which kept me guessing until the end about who committed the murders and what the motivation could possibly be. Narrated in two voices, that of Ellery and Malcolm, the author gradually informs the reader about the past mysteries, while increasing the tension about the present disappearance and who might be behind it.
Fans of McManus' first book One of us is lying and fans of the mystery genre like me will find much to love about this book. The suspense builds up very effectively, there are some very scary moments, the characters portrayed are believable and the tension lasts until the very end.
Pat Pledger

Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake

Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444940459.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Coming of age, Survival, Alaska, Family relations, Dance. The blurb says it all, to add to it would include spoilers:
It starts with a plane crash.
There are survivors: a teenage girl and her little brother. They are running from something. But what?
Then the men arrive. They are hunting the girl and boy. And -
And that's all we can tell you . . . (Publisher)
Nowhere on earth is an exciting page turner which will engross any fan of the survival genre as Emily, her brother Aidan and the pilot Bob, try to overcome the perils of the cold in Alaska after their plane crash. The big question for the reader is: why are they being chased by men in black who are hunting them with guns?
Readers will love the action and adventure - it's another book that would make a fantastic movie. Emily is a wonderful heroine who manages to survive using the skills that her parents have given her, even though they are ones that she didn't want - all she wanted was to dance. The novel is not just a survival story, though; it explores some big philosophical questions like the nature of love in families and the future being what an individual makes of it. Between the adrenaline rushes of the chase there are poignant moments especially when Emily's parents track her down in the wilderness and she realises how much they love her.
Readers who liked Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter will enjoy this.
Pat Pledger

A Darkest Minds collection: Through the dark by Alexandra Bracken

HarperCollins 2019. ISBN 9781460756447.
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Consisting of three novellas, Through the dark, portrays the world of Darkest Minds by focusing on a set of fringe characters including Zu, Sam, Lucas, and Mia.
In time follows a would-be skip-tracer as he searches for his first 'freak'. Stumbling into a trap set by other bounty-hunters, he comes across Zu, a mute girl whose expressions more than make up for her lack of speech. She's a yellow - dangerous but not as dangerous as a red. To qualify as a skip-tracer and claim her bounty he needs to reach a collection point, however, he's not a skip tracer yet and how can he be sure that this 'thing' isn't human?
Sparks rise follows Sam's imprisonment at Thurmond. As a green she has a certain amount of freedom, her memory hasn't manifested as a direct threat but that doesn't mean her independent streak is hidden. Targeted by a PSF it is only chance that reunites her with her childhood best friend, Lucas, a red who happened to resist their training. Lucas is looking for his sister but with Sam in Thurmond, his plans must adapt.
Beyond the night follows Sam and Mia as they face one of the biggest challenges of their lives. Lucas gave everything for them and now it is time to reward that sacrifice. Could they save Lucas from the limbo his life is held in?
Interrogating the system and the aftermath of Darkest Minds, Through the dark is a very down-to-earth portrayal of dystopia. Without sugar-coating outcomes, this collection presents realistic and torturous endings. Bracken's characterisation is impressive, presenting believable characters in bizarre dystopian situations. I would highly recommend to fans of the series and fans of the dystopian genre.
Kayla Gaskell

Muhammad Ali by Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Ill. by Brosmind. Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781786037336.
(Age: 5+) Recommended. Themes: Muhammad Ali. Boxing. Ambition. One of a series called Little people, big dreams this little book about Muhammad Ali will intrigue younger readers to find out more about this man. The series aims to show that great scientists, thinkers, artists, designers and sports people all began as a child with a dream. And Muhammad was no different. Born in Kentucky in 1942, he began fighting when his new bike was stolen and the police officer invited him to join his boxing classes suggesting that he needed to be able to box if he wished to deal with the thief. Beginning his training at 12 years old, by 18 he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the Rome Olympics. From there he won major events but when conscripted to go to Vietnam, he refused and was banned from boxing for three years. Returning he kept winning and was the first man to win the heavyweight belt three times. He was involved in many charities, taking seriously the Islamic duty of charity, and fought for the end of racial discrimination.
Told in brief pared back sentences, the factual information will impel readers to look further, wanting to find out more about this man who had such an impact upon the twentieth century as a boxer, black activist, philanthropist and sportsman. His sayings have become part of our language and his images are recognised the world over.
Accompanying the brief text are similarly simplified images showing the young Cassius Clay and his family, his training and winning the gold medal, on to his conversion to Islam, awards he won and charitable work pursued in the latter years of his life. The illustrations clearly show his strength as a boxer and latterly his physical deterioration, raising awareness amongst the readers of brain damage that result from concussion. The last two pages of the book give a complete list of all the books in this series, while the pages before give a written account of his life.
Fran Knight

You make me happy by Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Ill. by Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN 9781408878958.
(Age: 3-5) Themes: Happiness. Wellbeing. Friendship.
You make me happy, you make me new.
Together there's NOTHING that we cannot do.
Fox and Porcupine celebrate their friendship and happiness in this joyful rhyming picture book. They love dancing and singing in the grassy forest meadow, splashing in the cool stream watching the blue birds in flight. Fox surprises his friend with a birthday cake on a sunshiny day. Finding fun in the simple things, Porcupine decorates his quills with leaves and flowers while his buddy wears twig and flower antlers. As the seasons pass, as night-time turns to day, we see the friends exploring their environment and sharing in simple pleasures.
Smriti Prasadam-Halls' simple rhymes capture the fun and joy, the simple pleasures these two friends experience. 'You make me happy' is the echoing refrain, she uses relatable settings, and upbeat phrases to describe Fox and Porcupine's experiences.
Alison Brown's whimsical pictures are filled with colour and light. She captures the characters' feelings, and their joy dancing, climbing trees, holding hands, hugging and playing in autumn leaves.
The author promotes emotional wellbeing and encourages healthy minds and bodies in this gentle picture book, just right for sharing with a young family or kindergarten children.
Rhyllis Bignell