Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9780008256944
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Youth; History-fiction;
Friendship; Adventure. What if you never got old? What would you do
if you were stuck as an 11 year old for 1000 years? For Alfie this
is his life! The stories passed down through the ages of the people
who do not age, who seem to live forever, is it possible that there
is a truth behind the legends? For Alfie, surviving through history
as the result of an almost impossible elixir that prevents him from
aging, but not from dying, comes with a whole array of problems -
not the least of which is that everyone that he might be friends
with will get old and leave him where he is. The uncertainty of this
kind of existence comes to the fore when disaster strikes. Two new
potential friends discover his secret and the need to protect Alfie
from outside influences takes them into unknown territory. What
follows is a magnificent tale, with action, adventure and wonderful
characters, told in an exhilarating and yet compassionate way.
Friendship proves to be a powerful inspiration for change.
Ross Welford has written a book that is compelling and slightly
fanciful, but in a convincing way (suspending disbelief is
necessary, but plausibility is not necessary for enjoyment). This
will be a book that young readers aged 10-14 will certainly enjoy
and they will love the character Alfie, his quirky friends Aidan and
Roxy, and the complexities of life if you are perpetually 11 years
old. I could not put this book down, so expect to lose young readers
while they are engrossed in the adventure of agelessness.
Carolyn Hull
Ruby in the ruins by Shirley Hughes
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406375893
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Ruby in the Ruins is a
beautifully illustrated story depicting life in the ruins of London
after World War Two. The war is over and Ruby and her mum are
eagerly awaiting the return of Ruby's dad, a soldier. Ruby and her
mum have survived the bombings of London while dad has been fighting
in the war. Ruby and her mum huddled together, waiting for the bombs
to finish falling and praying for their house to stay safe. When the
war was declared over, many families celebrated and waited for their
husbands and fathers. Ruby was excited but did not recognise the man
in her home. It had been a long time without him. Ruby's family is
now different and London is very different. Ruby and her friends
explore the ruins around London and it is during one of these
explorations that Ruby realises just how much she needs her dad.
Many of the stories published about the war are from the perspective
of the soldiers or about the returning soldiers. Ruby in the
Ruins is from the perspective of a child. Readers will see how
London was damaged without the gruesome details of war. Each
detailed picture will create a discussion and encourage the readers
to ask questions about this period of time. The text is aimed at
readers aged 8+ but could still be read out loud to younger children
as it is descriptive but simple. It is highly recommended for
readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
I have lost my way by Gayle Forman
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471173721
(Age: 15+) Highly recommended. Themes: Mental illness. Friendship.
Homosexuality. Diversity. Gayle Forman the author of the bestselling
If I
stay and the sequel Where
she went among others, has done it again. I have lost my
way is a powerful, memorable and engrossing stand-alone story
that delves into the lives of three young people, all who have
problems. Freya, on the verge of becoming a star, has lost her voice
while recording her first album, Harun is running away from his
boyfriend, too afraid to come out to his family and Nathaniel has
come to New York totally alone. When Freya falls on Nathaniel in the
park and this is witnessed by Harun, the three unite and while
taking Nathaniel to the hospital the reader finds out their stories.
All have lost their way.
The book is written from different points of view and the reader
gets to know each character in depth and is able to sympathise with
their crises and with their backgrounds. Freya has not only lost her
voice, she has lost her sister who she once sang with and her father
who has returned to Ethiopia to live. Harun has been so successfully
in hiding his sexuality that he is being sent off to meet his bride
and Nathaniel, that brave boy, has lost his grandmother and his
father, who he has cared for over many years.
This is an unforgettable story. Each character is so well described
that you feel you know them very well and can relate to their
problems and applaud their strengths. The power of friendship shines
through this book and will be a beacon for readers who see how
friends who are there for you can make a huge difference. Other
themes like mental health, children who are left to be the main
carers of adults, manipulation by the music industry and suicide all
make it a book not to be missed.
An article from Publishers
Weekly notes that Forman had lost her own way before writing
this compelling story. She had started seven projects, none of which
satisfied her and finally decided to face her problem by writing
about it. This article also links to a recording of A
little white dress, a song that resonates for Freya in the
story.
This is a very satisfying and uplifting story, sure to become a firm
favourite for many readers.
Pat Pledger
Nobody real by Steven Camden
HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008168384
(Age: Older teens and young adults) Recommended. What an unusual
style for a novel, loaded with great imagery and poetry.
I found this novel difficult to understand at first as I was
challenged with following who was narrating at different times. Once
I started to recognize how the different fonts related to different
characters and scenarios, it became easier to follow.
It has a very unique storyline of imaginary friends and growing up
in a society where young people are expected to follow the usual
'future paths' - school, university, university debt, work; where
imaginary friends are not only real to the creator, but real in
another world. The creativity and 'make believe' of artists and
authors perhaps are fueled by not only their imagination but also by
the strength that they feel from someone 'not real'.
The overall story is relate-able to today's young people - full of
references to up-to-date technology and the way that young people
use these in their social interactions. The issue of broken
families, abandonment and surviving with guilt and grief, lends this
novel to perhaps help readers and others to gain perspectives and
empathy for people who experience these very real issues.
The characters are realistic and I felt that I could easily depict
various 'real' people that I know as the characters. Thor and the
other 'non real' people, are also very realistic with their thoughts
and reactions. The only 'unreal' aspect of the imaginary people are
their descriptions (bear) and their super powers (flying). They
suffer, feel and react just as real people would which makes them
more credible as 'imaginary FRIENDS'. No friend wants to be
forgotten and just fade away from the memory of someone who is dear
to them.
Steven Camden as an author, has been brilliant in his ability to add
poetry in a teen novel which enhances the important focal points and
which (I think) promotes the power and beauty of poetry as a
literary creative art form.
Maria Burford
The story of Tantrum O'Furrily by Cressida Cowell
Ill. by Mark Nicholas. Hodder Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781444933802
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Cats. Survival. Stories.
Cautionary tales. When Tantrum pads across the roofs in search of
food with her three hungry kittens in tow, they ask for a story. So
she tells them a story about Smallpaw, a pampered kitten living
comfortably in a house where no stories are told. She has a lovely
bed but each night after her tea, she presses her nose at the window
and wonders what it is like outside. Mrs Worrykin, her owner, has
told her that outside is full of dangerous stray cats, bad cats that
fight with each other and with dogs. Smallpaw tries hard to be a
good cat, but she is bored, so one night when the cat flap is left
unlatched, she creeps outside. There a fox talks to her, encouraging
her to take another step and hear his story. She comes closer until
he leaps upon her telling her he will eat her. Suddenly another cat
comes out of the gloom and fights off the fox. The stray cat tells
her that she can write her own story, all it takes is courage.
After that Smallpaw is allowed outside and a saucer of milk is left
for her, but she only drinks half, leaving some for the brave cat
that saved her.
With that, Tantrum climbs down and shows her kittens the saucer of
milk, half full, left for them.
This delightful fable of good and bad, a cautionary tale encouraging
children to see beyond the words, would be a great read a loud,
children joining in with the conversations between the fox and the
cat, or between the cats when the kitten is rescued, and calling out
when the fox attacks.
With the wonderfully ingenious illustrations washing across each
page, the brush making sweeps of colour evoking movement, children
will be entranced as they see the animals that make up the story and
recognsie danger when they see it. This modern fable tells us all
that being aware of the dangers is good, but these fears cannot rule
our lives, it takes courage to take that first step.
Fran Knight
How to be a fashion designer by Lesley Ware
Ill. by Tiki Papier. DK, 2018. ISBN 9781465467614
The world of fashion, with its perceived glamour and glitz, always
appeals to a certain number of students who care about what they
wear and have the ability to make the proverbial sack look good.
Sadly though, enduring emphasis on body image continues despite all
that is done to combat it and many soon realise they don't have "the
look" to be a top model and turn away. But in this
easy-to-read manual other avenues in fashion are explored,
particularly those of the designer and the stylist. "While
designers create their clothes, stylists know how to put them
together."
Using themed double-spreads students are taken through the basic
steps with typical DK layout pizzazz, illustrations galore, tips and
challenges that encourage them to start designing now. The
last 20 pages offer opportunities to design a t-shirt, trousers,
skirt, hat, shoes and accessories with outlines already provided so
new knowledge can be applied immediately as the reader learns about
colour, texture, patterns and shape while being encouraged to be
inspired by the event and the environment. Recycling and upstyling
are explored so not only is waste minimised but even those with few
dollars do not need to be deterred.
Ware believes that those who can "speak up with fashion" have the
courage to speak up in other ways too so as teachers we should look
to those who dare to be different as being more than clothes
horses. A close-to-home example is a student I taught a few
years ago who always made the compulsory school uniform a personal
statement, who was a whizz at design puzzles like tangrams and who,
at 17, starred in a local show in a country town and then six months
later in 2017, had her designs on the catwalk
in Vancouver and more recently, Nassau in the Bahamas! Her story
alone should give students confidence to continue.
Written to support a STEAM curriculum, the suggestions in this book
offer an entire term's curriculum for those with this sort of
interest but even those who aren't particularly interested in
fashion can learn how to step out with a bit more style to give
themselves a confidence boost.
Barbara Braxton
The walkabout orchestra by Chloe Perernau
Quarto, 2018. ISBN 9781786030795
The orchestra have an important concert to play - but all the
musicians have gone walkabout! But each has sent a postcard to
the Maestro saying where they are. So the challenge for the reader
is to help him and his faithful assistant find them using the clues
in those postcards.
From Reykjavik to Rio young readers will enjoy this search-and-find
tour of the world that introduces them to the instruments of the
orchestra as they test their powers of observation using the
pictures of each in the introductory pages as a starting point.
With busy pages that test the eye (although not quite as busy as Where's
Wally?) this book encourages readers to examine the details in
things rather than just glancing quickly at them and moving on. To
add to the mix there is a little yellow bird on each double-spread
with his own quest that adds a further challenge. All eventually
come together in a concert hall with some interesting audience
members, and for those who just can't find them, an answer key is
provided.
While this ostensibly introduces children to the instruments of the
orchestra, it works better as a search-and-find book which is much
more fun and informative.
A great addition for those who have pored over Where's Wally
and who are looking for a new challenge in that collaborative
reading activity that is so important to emerging readers,
particularly boys.
Barbara Braxton
The great Shelby Holmes meets her match by Elizabeth Eulberg
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408871492
(Age: 8-10) Recommended. Themes: Detective stories, School stories,
Juvenile Diabetes. Feisty nine-year-old girl detective Shelby Holmes
returns to solve a new mystery and confront an old enemy. With her
friend and mystery-solving partner John Watson they are ready to
face new challenges. Both are attending a new school - the Harlem
Academy of the Arts, in the same year level because Shelby's 'brain
attic', her knowledge and deductive abilities have helped her skip
two grades.
John has experienced new schools and different places and as an army
kid, and is confident about their fitting in, however he's concerned
about Shelby's unique style, her lack of reading social cues and
bluntly pointing out everyone's secrets which causes problems.
Shelby delves into the background of the mysterious new teacher Mr.
Crosby and his missing heirloom watch. They face problems caused by
Shelby's nemesis Moira who hacks the school director's email, steals
Mr. Johnson's watch and locks Shelby and John up in a basement
boiler room. Here, John who has juvenile diabetes suffers a medical
incident and Shelby desperately and creatively finds someone to help
him.
Eulberg includes numerous references to the original Sherlock Holmes
stories, which may be beyond her reading audience's background
knowledge. Interestingly, she includes descriptions of the white
students' skin tones as a point of reference. Matt Robertson's
cartoon drawings are entertaining: there's Shelby's unique
hairstyle, smoke bombs exploding and eyes appearing from the
darkness. Shelby Holmes meets her match has themes of friendship,
solving mysteries and overcoming worry and anxiety, and is an
enjoyable novel suited to ages 8-10.
Rhyllis Bignell
Count with Little Fish by Lucy Cousins
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406374193
(Ages: 0-3) Themes: Counting, Fish, Board Book, Rhyming. This is a Little
Fish Book, featuring the same titular fish from Where is
Little Fish and Hooray for Fish. It counts from 1 to
10 using a variety of fish (fin-fin fish, funny fish, etc.) and is
tactile and visually appealing. Shiny illustrations are smooth to
the touch and everything is patterned with spots and stripes of
varying vibrant design. Both the colours and the tone of the book
are bold and cheerful. Playful illustrations encourage discussion
about shape, size, colour, pattern, and fish body parts (big, small,
long, short, spotty, stripy, sharp teeth, long fins etc) and the
last page encourages further discussion ("How many new fish have you
found?). This final page also shows all the fish from the book so
helps children with recall and reflection. Large numerals, which
have the written word underneath, assist with number recognition.
The numerals are eye-catching because they are patterned the same as
the fish on that page. Visual appeal and a nice rhythm ("One little
fish swimming in the sea, Two twin fin-fin fish, as pretty as can
be") makes this a simple but effective first counting book.
Nicole Nelson
Lightning men by Thomas Mullen
Little, Brown, 2017. ISBN 9781408710623
(Age: Senior secondary-adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Crime,
Atlanta, USA, Historical novel, Racism, Jim Crow laws. Atlanta,
Georgia in the 1950's is laid bare for all to see in this stunning
new crime story by Thomas Mullen.
Listening to him at the recent Adelaide Writers' Week ensured buying
the book, finding another friend already had his first book, Darktown
(2016), set in Atlanta just two years before, and exposing the
conflicts within the police department, only just admitting eight
Negro policemen. For many, this is the last straw, and those in the
force who are Klansmen or who sympathise with their aims, make sure
these newcomers never forget their place. They are only allowed to
patrol the Negro neighbourhoods, not allowed to arrest white men,
and for Boggs and Smith, coming across a drug transfer, which
results in the death of a white man, the consequences prove to be
dangerous.
This is an unequivocal look at 1950's USA, where Negroes returning
from Europe after World War Two, enthused by the freedom and
responsibility they had as soldiers, expect better treatment back
home. But for many it is back to being the lowest paid workers,
ineligible for GI loans to buy a house, few opportunities, living
under the Jim Crow Laws and the overarching racism of the Ku Klux
Klan and its offshoot, the Columbians (the Lightningmen) to deal
with. For the lucky few able to buy a house in the transition areas
where Negroes are buying into white areas, notices appear on the
street poles, vicious letters are sent to their homes, some are
beaten and neighbourhood groups mobilise to keep them out.
For Tommy Boggs his life as a policeman and as a family member come
together when his girlfriend's ex lover turns up newly released form
jail, stretching Bogs' belief in her. He tries to find out more
about Jeremiah but attracts the attention of the federal agency.
And his investigations collide with a sympathetic white detective,
Rake when his brother in law admits to doing the bidding of a
klansman, resulting in a death.
In Rake's neighbourhood, his wife is happy to support a group
collecting money to buy the Negro family out and one night when this
money is stolen, all blame is leveled at the Negro household, where
Smith's sister lives.
Rake follows the clues from afar, realising that the men who stole
the money were much closer to home, but proving this means defending
the Negro household, raking up the ire of his brother in law.
Calling to see his sister's husband, the last chapters of the book
bring all the threads together as Rake becomes involved in a shoot
out in the white neighbourhood.
A gritty crime novel, the moral edges are blurred as each of the
main protagonists both white and black make decisions which cause
them grief and sleepless nights.
The novel gives an amazing insight into the issues of Atlanta at
this time, and reflects serious research into the times through
archives and newspaper accounts. It was reading one such newspaper
article about Negro police being appointed in Atlanta that started
Mullen on this series of books.
Not only does this book reflect the division between black and white
in the USA of the time, it will impel Australian readers to think
about such injustice here.
Fran Knight
Trans mission : My quest to a beard by Alex Bertie
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781526360687
(Age: Adolescent) This well written and easy to understand
autobiography goes a long way to helping you understand the
struggles facing transgender men and women.
Bertie's honest account of his childhood, the difficulties he faced
with family, peers and professionals is eye opening and informative.
Born and raised as a girl, Alex Bertie enjoyed his childhood as a
tomboy, unaware of the gender conflict that grew with him as he got
older and for a long time unable to put a name to the pain it was
causing within him.
A keen youtube blogger, Bertie shares his journey of self-discovery
and how he had to navigate the medical system in the UK to find
doctors who were at least knowledgeable and even sympathetic about
his condition. Waiting until he was legally an adult to access the
drugs and surgery that would help to make his body more masculine.
Only in his early 20s, Bertie's advice is sound and mature as only
those who have experienced personal trauma and come through with a
positive outlook, can give.
Written in a pragmatic and uplifting tone, I found Bertie's story
interesting and educational. He uses everyday language to explain
the medical procedures available and the correct terminology that
helped him name his feelings as he came to terms with being trapped
in the wrong body.
Although I believe everyone would benefit by reading this
autobiography, I think his writing style and the layout is targeting
adolescents.
Joyce Crawford
The lost puppy by Clara Vulliamy
Dotty Detective series. Harper Collins Children's Books,
2017. ISBN 9780008248376
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Detectives; Pets. Dot is an amateur
detective - she uses clues to join the dots to solve her cases. In
fact her detective agency is called: "Join the Dots Detectives"!
With the help of her friends and her very special assistant,
McClusky (her pet dog), she is engaged in solving the mystery of the
missing dachshund, just before the summer fair and her class's Pets
Corner stall.
Written in a very simple style with cartoon style drawings, this is
a cute and easy to read school-based story. It will appeal to young
readers just finding their feet with chapter books.
Carolyn Hull
Teacher's dead by Benjamin Zephaniah
Bloomsbury Books, 2018. Reprint. ISBN 9781408895016
(Age: 11+) When Jackson witnesses the murder of a teacher by two of
the pupils at his school, his life becomes inextricably linked with
that of the dead teacher's wife, and surprisingly, the killers.
Refusing the counselling offered by the school, he decides that the
best way he can deal with what he has seen is to ask questions, and
try to work out why the boys took the extraordinary step of murder.
He enlists the help of Mary Joseph, the dead man's wife, and goes to
the houses of the two boys to ask questions. The reader will
identify with his need, but be aware that he is stepping into
territory where anything could happen.
An involving story of one boy's search for the truth, Teacher's
dead is often uncomfortable as Jackson takes steps which take
him to places where harm can and does befall him. Written by British
poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, the story is poignant and enthralling as
we follow Jackson's path to find the truth. A most realistic story
set in the schoolyard against a background of bullying, violence and
intimidation.
Fran Knight
Little whale by Jo Weaver
Hachette, 2018. ISBN 9781444937503
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Whales. Ocean. Home. Family.
Little whale and her mother are going home, home to where the calf
will meet her relatives, and rest and feed in the rich northern
waters, far from where she was born.
This beautifully presented book with its lovely spare language and
inviting illustrations underlines the feeling of home and its call
to us all. Everybody reading it will feel the tug of their own home
and what it means to them as the calf sees her home for the first
time.
The pair leave the shallower waters and head out into the Southern
Ocean. Most of the others have already left and our pair must make
their way north alone. They pass the coral reef and see many other
fish, they travel many miles, into colder waters, passed by large
ships, and then a pod of orca. Little whale feels scared and moves
in more closely to her mother. She is tired but assured that it is
only a little way to go. Finally they hear the whale song through
the water, calling them home to the northern snow capped peaks and
the other grey whales.
The blue hues on every page contain a variety of fish for eager eyes
to spot and recognise, while the skies above change as they swim
north, revealing a change in where they are in the world.
Fran Knight
An unsuitable match by Joanna Trollope
Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781509855636
(Age; Senior secondary - Adult) When Tyler proposes to Rose, he is
as stunned as she is bemused. Her husband has recently left his
thriving medical practice in London for a new life with his
long-time mistress (about whom his wife had known nothing) working
in Australia. Shocked and determined to protect her grown-up
children from the collapse of the family, Rose had been growing
accustomed to the reality of being by herself, no longer supported
and protected by her husband, although he had left her the family
home.
Tyler had been married to a very rich woman in the United States for
many years, being a faithful husband and a quietly calm father, yet
strangely disconnected from the world of his wife, and of his
children. His wife had not sought his company, and neither had her
father, whose opinion she valued above all else. When his wife died,
he returned to London, seeking to recapture a sense of himself in
his former, familiar world.
The children of both families are shocked at the news of Rose and
Tyler's proposed marriage, considering whether it will even work. We
are aware that there is nothing 'wrong' with Tyler, and Rose likes
him a lot, yet she is unsure of her commitment to a new marriage, or
to the kind, thoughtful, gentle man who adores her, as are the
children of both families.
Delightfully written, in Trollope's easy, gentle prose, faultless
and lyrical, this story, and the proposal of a new life, seem to be
perfect, yet the underlying tensions cause some heightening of
mistrust, in both reader and family, and Joanna Trollope holds us to
the very end. That slight tension depicts so well her understanding
of human nature, families, and the demands of living in the modern
world.
Suitable for adult and older adolescent reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
