Ill. by Rebecca Cobb. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406376326
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Themes; War, Refugees, Displacement,
Children in war, Education. The things we take for granted are all
turned upside down in this picture book showing one child's torment
as she loses everything she holds dear, to war. We expect to be
safe, to be housed and fed, to have access to clean water and food,
and be able to go to school. But when war comes, imposing its mayhem
on a small town where the children are at school, and the parents at
home or at work, everything that is known and accepted is no longer
the same. The town is razed to the ground, noise and dust and debris
separates the girl from her peers and family, and without
possessions or friends, she must follow others as they head to a
place of safety. Finding a town she is shunned by the occupants. War
has got to them too. Finding a school, she asks to be let in,
but war has taken hold there too, and she is rejected, the teacher
saying there is no chair for her to sit on.
This heart breaking story will resonate with children when they see
how so simple an excuse can be given for the child not being
accepted. It symbolises the plight of refugees the world over, being
rejected, or left in detention camps, allowed to live out their
lives without hope. And with echoes of the 'no room at the inn'
story, this is a book that will engender much discussion in the
classroom.
The beautiful illustrations will haunt the reader, the wide open
expressions of the children, the devastated village contrasting so
explicitly with the colour and uninterrupted life of the unscathed
town, the symbol of the chair. The story offers hope after the
children bring along chairs for the refugee children to sit upon and
the stunning endpapers begin with a double page of empty chairs, and
at the end all of them filled with children, safe and learning.
An end page tells the background of the story, initiated by the UK
rejection of 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children in 2016, and
hearing a tale of a child being refused entry to a school because
there was no chair for her. Now chairs appear online supporting
refugee children and their right to education.
This is a memorable and moving book. Classroom
ideas are available.
Fran Knight
Is it a mermaid? by Candy Gourlay
Ill. by Francesca Chessa. Otto-Barry Books, 2018. ISBN 9781910959121
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Mermaids, Dugongs,
Philippines, Conservation, Environment, Ocean. This environmentally
aware, laugh out loud story with its perky illustrations will be a
treat for younger readers having it read out loud to them, or newly
confident readers wanting to share in the humour for themselves. Two
friends, Beni and Bel find a dugong on the shore. near their home in
the Philippines. She tells them that she is a mermaid, and tries to
show the pair her attributes.
Her features and appalling singing do not convince Belnju but Bel is
entranced. Younger readers will love the tension between these two
friends as they attempt to convince each other about the animal,
drawing confidence about supporting their own opinions while
listening to another's.
The dugong may be clumsy on land, but once the trio dives into the
water, they see another side to this animal, as she weaves and dives
around the seaweeds and animals that live beneath the surface of the
water.
It is a delight to see a book about the Philippines, a setting
rarely seen, and concerning an animal that is not often shown in
picture books, but is endangered around the world as its seagrass
food source is destroyed and the animal is battered by sea vessels.
More information about this animals, related to the elephant, is
given at the end of the book, intriguing readers once again, and
encouraging them to follow up the weblink given.
The jaunty sun filled illustrations reflect the lifestyle of the
children living in such a beautiful environment.
Fran Knight
Migration by Mike Unwin
Ill. by Jenni Desmond. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408889916
(Age: all) Highly recommended. Non fiction. Theme: Animal migration.
With bold illustrations that sweep across the double pages, readers
will thrill at the stories of the animals that migrate across this
planet and the risks they take travelling over inhospitable snow and
ice, or seas or mountains.
From the better known, turtles that return to the place of their
birth to lay eggs, the emperor penguin, the African elephants in
their annual trek for water, the albatross, to the less well known,
the globe skimmer dragonfly or the hummingbird, the pages offer a
brief summary of the animal and its journey accompanied by an
illustrations that begs to be closely scrutinised.
Readers will love the detail, the great white shark that travels
10,000 kilometres to feed on seal, the monarch butterflies that
travel in their millions from USA and even Canada to Mexico, a
distance of some 5,000 kilometres, to roost and lay their eggs.
The hummingbird travels 800 kilometres from Central to Northern
America, but travels over the Gulf of Mexico, a bird the weight of a
sugar lump!
While many are large animals, the elephant, emperor penguin, whales
and sharks, caribou and wildebeest, many are smaller fish, salmon
for example, while some are smaller birds, hummingbird and crane,
and two are insects. This is a magical book to dip in to, to savour
and reread, to learn about the sweep of the animal kingdom and
marvel at the astonishing stories presented.
Fran Knight
Behold the beautiful dung beetle by Cheryl Bardoe
Ill. by Alan Marks. Charlesbridge, 2018, ISBN 9781580895552
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dung beetles, Dung, Insects.
All animals leave behind dung or faeces or poo (feces and poop in
this book published in the USA) and it needs cleaning up. The dung
beetle is onto the task almost immediately, sensing when some is
dropped and flying to the poo within fifteen seconds of it hitting
the ground. He needs to be fast, as many thousands of other dung
beetles are on their way as well. Once there, different dung beetles
do different things. Some bury it before others get there, some eat
it, some make tunnels taking the poo down with them where one egg is
left in each piece of dung, some roll the dung into a ball and roll
it away to a place where it can be buried and used to incubate an
egg.
The dung beetle therefore creates air pockets in the soil, aerating
it, as well as fertilising it. And the dung provides food for the
growing grub. No wonder the Ancient Egyptians saw them as symbols of
life and its renewal, calling them scarabs.
This is a fascinating little book with illustrations that
wonderfully complement the text, revealing exactly what the beetles
look like, what they do and how they operate. The last two pages
give information as text, with a glossary and bibliography.
This is an outstanding contribution to the area of simpler texts
about our natural world, produced energetically for beginning
readers. The idea of poo is a surefire winner, but the work of the
dung beetle will hold their attention, prompting children to look
more closely at the poo left around the place and be in awe of how
it is removed by this marvelous insect.
Fran Knight
Ellie Engineer by Jackson Pearce
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781681195193
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. "Ellie is an engineer. With a tool
belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a
dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she
invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop.
Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's
birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls
overhear Kit's mom talking about her present - the dog Kit always
wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow
so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and
crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie
be able to pull off her biggest project yet? Illustrated with
Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmasters with how-tos,
this is full of engineering fun!" (Publisher)
I have had "Ellie Engineer" highly recommended to me and I was not
disappointed. Ellie is a strong female character who enters a world
normally dominated by boys. She has all the traits we are trying to
foster in the youth of today - friendly, kind, creative and
inventive. Ellie is the perfect mix - although she likes to wear
dresses she also likes to be creative, inventive and wears a tool
belt ensuring she is always prepared. She is a risk taker and fully
understands that when you are inventing things failure is a common
occurrence by one must display persistence and keep going. She
ensures she keeps detailed notes and drawings documenting her
journey which are cleverly interspersed throughout the book. I would
recommend this book for students aged 8 and up. Themes touched on
include STEM, friendship and gender stereotypes.
Kathryn Schumacher
Running on empty by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2018. ISBN
9781459816534
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Sport - Athletics, Family,
Overcoming difficulties. Leon experiences the worst outcome during
his High School 4 x 100metre relay event - the end of his sprint
career due to a mid-race accident. The turmoil of having his life
turned upside down because of his injury, results in family
difficulties and emotional distress. Nothing will ever be the same
again! A chance meeting at the Physiotherapy clinic with Casey, the
feisty, spirited and attractive teenager, changes his direction, and
potentially leads him towards a new way of living. But is her
direction healthy, or does her own struggle in life put Leon in
danger of some unwise choices? Can he run again, or should he just
give up?
This book takes the reader into the story of an American teenager on
the brink of College life, whose hopes for an Athletics scholarship
get crushed because of injury. Family relationships and disharmony
are addressed, as well as the generational dilemma of coping with a
grandparent on the brink of dementia. But essentially it is a story
of someone at the crossroads trying to deal with difficulty in their
life and to recover from disappointment, all within the context of
school athletics and sporting aspirations. Casey's problems are
intense, and we know there are major problems, but her power to
inspire Leon gives hope where there was none. Problems do not
disappear, but the future for the two teens will not be plain
sailing. This book will be appreciated by sports fans, but also by
others who understand the teenage predicaments that the characters
face.
Recommended for readers aged 13+.
Carolyn Hull
Topspin by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2013. ISBN 9781459803855
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Tennis, Sabotage, Competition. Kat
has made it to the Junior Tennis championship at Melbourne Park.
This is the chance she has always wanted but Miri, her Doubles
partner, seems to be up to something, and it seems to involve the
unwitting tennis player, Hamish - Miri's very likeable boyfriend.
The tension between Kat and Miri is growing and affecting Kat's
ability to perform on court in both her Singles game and her Doubles
contests. Kat decides she needs to figure out what is behind Miri's
growing secrecy and strange connection with the unpleasant
character, Dray. Kat's sleuthing uncovers a plot that could damage
Hamish's chance in the championship. Will this information put them
all in danger, and will she be able to protect Hamish from Dray's
sabotage?
This is an action book - action on the tennis court and in the
uncovering of the plot to sabotage a tennis player's success. It is
exciting and full of the language, strategy and interest of
competitive tennis for Junior participants. It is also a mystery and
adventure involving the young under 16 characters. This is the kind
of book that young sports lovers will love, because of the
past-paced and intriguing environment of competitive sport. The
action off court is also exciting and slightly cautionary, with
competitive tendencies sometimes making the participants quite
unpleasant in their desire to win.
Recommended for readers who love sport, aged 12+.
Carolyn Hull
Off the rim by Sonya Spreen Bates
Orca Sports series. Orca Book Publishers, 2015. ISBN
9781459808881
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Basketball, Cyberbullying, Mystery
Adventure. Dylan Lane is in his American school's basketball team
and they are on the brink of making the playoffs. This is their last
chance, with team members facing College and post-school career
choices. Basketball plays and training become very important, as
does improving the playing skills of Noah, the weakest link in the
team. Dylan's girlfriend Jenna is in the girls' team and they have
already made it to playoffs. Will Dylan's team fall short? Can Jenna
help? But this is not the only drama Jenna and Dylan face. For some
reason Jenna is being targeted with a string of texts and emails
that threaten her if she does not stay 'quiet'. And when these
threats become attempts at running Dylan and Jenna off the road it
is obvious that this is very serious. With Noah's help, eventually
they work towards unravelling the mystery . . . and play basketball for
all they are worth.
This is a book full of the drama of a sporting contest and a
life-or-death mystery with cyber threats. It is exciting and the
language of the basketball sporting contest will appeal to those
steeped in the sport. With characters on the edge of adult life,
this is probably suited to high school readership, but there will be
some younger readers who are basketball buffs who would also enjoy
the action. Set in the USA and written by a Canadian writer who is a
resident of South Australia, this book is a cross-cultural
experience, but young readers who are consumers of American culture
through movies will have no problem connecting with the story.
Recommended for readers aged 13+ (especially those that love
basketball).
Carolyn Hull
Blue Window by Adina Rishe Gewirtz
Candlewick Books, 2018. ISBN 9780763660369
(Age: Older adolescents - Adults) This powerful novel, epic in
scope, presents an undiscovered world that seems to be both
predictably human and terrifyingly inhuman. Seeming to fall into a
new world through a blue glass window, five imaginative siblings
find themselves caught in an unexpected place where what they have
known as normal does not exist. Their aim is to escape but they
cannot understand how they have been caught in the new world, so the
possibility of leaving seems to be physically impossible.
This is a world of upheaval, violence and fear, a world where the
inhabitants are oppressed, bullied and subjugated to rules that
dominate their lives. They are largely unaware of a possibility of a
world that offers freedom, peace or love. We are aware that Gewirtz
subtly suggests changes in our world that mimic that of her
dystopian society, such as control of free thought, of liberal
education, or of equality and justice. Both disturbing and violent,
this world suggests that some of the present and past worlds that we
have known or inherited are the result of the potential for human
beings to allow those with power to overrule others to the extent
that all known freedoms cease to exist, and dominance, in all
aspects of life, to quash the spirit.
In this dystopian world, the inhabitants, strange-looking and with
quite different ideas about life, seem to follow many of the ways of
the children's own world, yet their world runs on different rules.
It ought to be terrifying but the children seem to find the strength
to analyse the way this world works and the strength to resist
further exploration, and to realize the power of their own
individual strength. The power of their minds to dream up a scenario
seems to be one avenue of enabling change, as they discover, and it
is this positive thinking that offers escape but, paradoxically,
alerts the inhabitants to their presence and endangers them.
This novel is about the power of goodness, decency, kindness,
intelligence, and the capacity of the human spirit to overcome
extreme repression. It speaks of aspects of societies that our world
has known, but placing the children in one such world evokes both
our empathy and our fear of the power of thought and persuasion. I
found it disturbing and unsettling to read, with such young people,
unable to reach their own family and known world, plunged into such
a harsh and violent world. The characters, somewhat ingenuously,
appear to not realize the actual threat of that world, and their
strength of character, loyalty and love, appear to enable them to
find the means to flee.
Qualities such as persistence, kindness and decency are important in
the interactions of the children, both within their little group and
with the locals. Their return to their family home is a satisfying
ending, but plunging such young people into such a violent and
oppressive world evokes a disturbing response in the reader.
Beautifully written, this book is suitable for older adolescents or
adults.
Elizabeth Bondar
In-between things by Priscilla Tey
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763689834
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Words. Adventure. Curiosity. A
sumptuously presented picture book which humorously plays with the
word between, inviting readers to see what is in-between the
everyday. Between marvelously attractive end papers, a cat and a dog
romp through the pages, asking the reader to look in-between with
them. The chair is between the parrot and carpet, while the carpet
is between the chair and the floor, but looking between the carpet
and the floor they find things that they would prefer stay there: a
dust ball, fur ball and clump of hair. Going down the stairs into
the cellar reveals a pile of things between the two floors, while
over the page, the idea of between separating two things is
proposed, showing examples of several things that certainly need
something between them.
Each page shows the two animals exploring their domain, pointing out
the importance of things in-between.
With stunningly luminous illustrations, Tey presents a book that
younger children will adore, searching out all the between things on
each page, making connections between the everyday things they see.
Tey loves word play and in this book she gives full reign to those
words to do with between: middle, inside and outside, words to do
with household objects, and some about warm and cold, night and day.
For younger readers this will be a treat, learning new words as they
read of what is between, and having it read a loud, will invoke much
discussion.
Fran Knight
A thousand perfect notes by C.G. Drews
Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408349908
(Age: 13+) Recommended. The Maestro reigns in Beck's house in much
the same manner as Miss Trunchbull does in Roald Dahl's, Matilda.
An internationally acclaimed and now incapacitated pianist, the
physically imposing matriarch intimidates her son to strive to be a
concert pianist like herself. Beck doesn't rebel despite hours of
piano practice every minute that he is not at school. His hands ache
and so do any other body parts if he speaks up. But he cannot leave
Joey, his baby sister, whom he cares for almost entirely due to his
mother's neglect.
When his teacher pairs him up with August for an assignment, bit by
bit, the free spirited girl forces him to let her into his life. As
the friendship grows and as a date with destiny approaches in the
form of a possible internship with his famous Uncle Jan, his
dysfunctional home life is exposed. Sadly, as so often happens
outside of books, the characters are not galvanized to act until
someone gets really hurt.
A light romance on the one hand, but a very dark and we hope
anachronistic story of domestic violence. Unfortunately this may not
be the case and many abused children and teenagers may continue to
feel so isolated that they have no one to turn to. The role reversal
of the physically and verbally abusive mother figure highlights the
added shame for a powerless male victim. C.G. Drews infers that
women are not exempt from bad character, nor men from taking the
roles of victim or rescuer.
Natural dialogue and Beck's juxtaposed stream of consciousness helps
young adults to appreciate that neglect and oppression are problems
too serious to bear alone. Thank goodness for August and of course,
the villages and authors who give such characters life.
Deborah Robins
The lemonade problem by Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson
Peg + Cat series. Candlewick, 2017. ISBN 9781536200614
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Problem solving. Girls. Cats. Small business.
Mathematics. Peg + Cat is a popular animated cartoon series
for pre-schoolers that features a little girl and her indigo cat
working on mathematical challenges using their problem-solving
skills. Through their series of picture books and television
programs, Jennifer Oxley and Ben Anderson's goal is to encourage
pre-schoolers' curiosity about maths in their daily lives and
creatively solve everyday problems.
In The lemonade problem, Peg and Cat decide to start a small
business selling ice-cold lemonade to people passing buy. Instead of
coins, the little girl decides that one cup costs ten marbles. Peg
always keeps her special marble under her hat. Decorated with
balloons and bunting they eagerly wait for their first customer. Can
the young reader see what is missing? After the teens arrive on
their skate boards, they bargain Peg down on her prices until 1 cup
costs two marbles. Unfortunately, Peg forgets the cups and Cat is
sent off to trade cookies for them. Their friend Viv even draws a
bar graph to help Cat understand the maths problem. More exciting
exchanging occurs as Cat's focus becomes diverted with dancing and
red peppers. Of course, just as Cat arrives to save the day, the
weather changes and no-one wants their cold drinks. As the story
line twists and turns, Peg and Cat use their problem solving skills
to work on a better solution, manage their business and then all is
right in their world.
Oxley and Aronson's characters are sketched with pencil on paper
first with simple shapes and lines drawn on a bright patchwork town
that stands out from the graph paper backgrounds. Mathematical
symbols, signs and shapes add interest, as the concepts of comparing
numbers and reading bar graphs are revealed intrinsically. The Peg
+Cat series have a 'transmedia approach' just right for the
preschool audience, with enjoyable books, animated cartoons and an
interactive games website.
Rhyllis Bignell
The mystery of the colour thief by Ewa Josefkowicz
Head of Zeus, 2018. ISBN 9781788546492
(Age: 12+) This is the story of a girl called Izzy, a cygnet called
Spike and the power of feathers gathered from strong winds. It is a
beautifully written debut about hope, healing and new beginnings.
First there was the accident, then came the nightmares and the
mystery of the shadowy thief who steals all the colours from Izzy's
world... a mystery that needs solving.
This is a beautiful story about a girl's struggle to overcome her
guilt for supposedly causing a car accident that left her mum in a
coma. Izzy's world appears to be falling apart in front of her very
eyes - her best friend is being incredibly mean to her, her dad is
distancing himself from her and school is awful. The author has very
cleverly used the colour thief to steal all hope from the young
girl's life - as she begins to unravel the complexities in her life
the colour slowly begins to return. Izzy sees similarities in her
own life in that of her new friend Toby, who was recently paralysed
from a skateboard accident. Toby brings hope to Izzy's life and
allows small glimmers of hope to appear. This is an emotional read
covering themes including families, friends, challenges at school,
belief, self-belief and most importantly empathy. Suitable for
children aged 12 and it will certainly be a welcome addition to the
collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
A shout in the ruins by Kevin Powers
Sceptre, 2018. ISBN 9781473667785
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Powerfully written and well crafted,
this novel draws together two strands, one set during the cruel
times of slavery plantations and the American Civil War and the
other, ninety years and more later, as George Seldom sets out on a
path toward some kind of atonement. It is a complex weaving of
personal stories - the clues holding it together are a faded note,
an elkhorn handled knife, and a pair of cracked blood veined
glasses. The lives of slave owner Bob Reid and his teenage daughter
Emily, and the ruthless Frenchman, Levallois, are inextricably
intertwined with those of the slaves Rawls and Nurse, two lovers
that will never know freedom. Rawls is a 'runner' a would-be
escapee, and is hobbled to pay for it, his two big toes chopped off,
but he continues to hope that one day he will find the young girl,
Nurse, named for her wetnurse duties. The day they finally meet
again is a moment of silent overpowering emotion, neither of them
daring to speak. Can there be any chance of happiness for them in
the lawless violence of the times?
Author Kevin Powers served in the Iraq War, he obviously knows war
first hand, and it is depressing to realise that the violence he
describes must be written from experience, that men continue to
torture and kill each other now just as they did back then. However,
despite the horror and carnage depicted in the novel there are
glimpses of hope, people strive to love and care for each other, and
perhaps one day find a kind of peace.
I read this book, and then turned to the beginning and read it
through again. It is a complex book, the language is rich and
poetic, the story harsh and cruel, but not without hope. I
thoroughly enjoyed reading it - it is a rewarding read, and adds to
the understanding of what we are as human beings.
Helen Eddy
Stink: Hamlet and Cheese by Megan McDonald
Candlewick Press, 2018. ISBN 9780763691639
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Stink: Hamlet and Cheese is a
great way to introduce Hamlet and Shakespeare to younger readers.
The main character, Stink, may not be too happy about being the only
boy at Shakespeare camp but it sure beats being stuck at home
without his friends.
Stink's friend, Sophie, makes Shakespeare camp sound amazing. Stink
likes the idea of acting and loves the idea of sword fighting.
Unfortunately, Riley (a girl from school) is also at camp. She is so
annoying and Stink is worried about all of the kissing talk. Does
Riley really want to kiss him? Yuck! Thankfully, Stink's sister and
Sophie help him make a shield. At least he has one way of blocking
any potential Riley kisses!
Despite the kissing threat, Stink still enjoys camp. He gets to see
a Shakespeare play, learns how to insult like Shakespeare and learns
about the words we use today that were actually created by
Shakespeare. As the Saturday performance approaches and family and
friends get ready to attend, Stink starts to worry about that kiss.
Will his anti-kiss shield be enough? Stink: Hamlet and Cheese is a fun and easy read. It has some
funny moments and great characters. The author has included elements
of Shakespeare's plays making them easy to understand. the story
will teach readers about the mysteries behind Macbeth, the famous
quotes and the new words we wouldn't have without Shakespeare. This
book is highly recommended for readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
