Reviews

Kid Normal by Greg James and Chris Smith

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408884539
(Age: 10+) Kid normal is the first book in a series by Greg James and Chris Smith. The story follows lead character Murph Cooper through the frightening task of moving house, leaving friends and changing schools part way through the term. When all the closest schools are full, Murph ends up in the unlikely situation of being a regular kid in a school for super heroes!
Every child who has gone through this will be able to sympathise with him and I think this will help them to believe in the character and in the story.
Murph joins a gang of kids called 'The Super Zeroes' who are those without superpowers and therefore unlike everyone else. Unfortunately they get picked on by the kids with superpowers - but this gives them the desire to fight back and use what they know to fight the bad guy Nektar.
This is a really funny book with quirky, silly illustrations that will appeal to most people who have a sense of humour. The book is however too long in my opinion. At 384 pages long, there are parts of the story that are too drawn out and this makes it inaccessible for readers who are not particularly confident or intimidated by the look of a very thick novel. It is not difficult to read but I think younger readers will potentially drift away half way through the book due to its length. In saying that - this book is written to be read out loud! A class of children will giggle and laugh all the way through if the teacher (or parent) read this book with voices, movement and flair.
I really enjoyed the messages that came with this story, and think they are a great conversation starter for children around 8 years old and above. There are undertones of school hierarchy, and of course good versus evil, but also that everyone is special in their own way and that superpowers are not necessary to win the fight against evil villains!
Suitable for children from 8 years old but more so for 10+ due to the book length.
Lauren Fountain

DK Find Out! series

DK Publishing, 2017.
Decades ago DK Publishing revolutionised the presentation of non fiction to young readers with bright photographs, information in manageable, well-labelled chunks and the clever use of white space so that the reader was not overwhelmed. Their  Eyewitness series became a staple of primary school library collections. Now they have a launched a new series, DK Find Out! for the younger reader, using their familiar format but adding many more features so the newly independent reader can access information at their level.
Beginning with a durable paperback cover which folds out to be a quiz with answers and essential information relevant to the topic such as areas of study, a timeline or a phylogenetic tree, it then offers a page where the reader can jot down the things they have already identified that they want to find out thus supporting the inquiry method of investigation from the get-go. Then, as is customary with DK books, there is the usual contents, glossary and index pages which encourage and enable young readers to use the clues to get to what they want and in between are double-page spreads of basic information and glossy photographs and diagrams, all clearly labelled. So as well as being an ideal way of exploring print to find information they also serve as a model for students to present their findings if their searches have been assignment based rather than just curiosity.
To top it there is an easy-to-navigate website that offers more information and activities as well as support for teachers and parents. Like the books it is also a teaching tool for helping young children learn to use a website for information, one designed for their level and more authoritative and targeted than Wikipedia.
Despite the misguided opinion of some, there is a lot of research and reasons that primary school libraries, particularly, need to have a robust, attractive, up-to-date non fiction collection and this new series demonstrates the value of not only catering to those who prefer to read non fiction but also those wanting to find out more NOW! As well, the series is attractively priced so that parents can purchase individual volumes to accompany particular interests or investigations that their child is pursuing.
Miss 6 is fascinated with the human body and snaffled my review copy as soon as she saw it, not only asking and answering questions for herself but also learning vital lessons about using such resources. Now she is exploring those for information as often as those for her imagination. It won't be hard to fill her Christmas stocking!
Barbara Braxton

This savage song by Victoria Schwab

Monsters of Verity book 1. Titan Books, 2016. ISBN 9781785652745
(Age: 14+) Recommended. 2017 Locus Awards nominee. Dystopian fiction. In a world that has been invaded by monsters, Kate Harker and August Flynn find themselves together on the run. There are three types of monsters: Malchai who drink blood and are made when there is a murder, Corsai who eat flesh and bones and are formed from violence and Sunai who feed on the souls of sinners and are formed from a major catastrophe like a school bombing. August Flynn is a Sunai, but longs to be less of a monster. His adopted father, Henry Flynn, runs one side of Verity, while Kate Harker's father runs the other side. However the truce that Flynn and Harker had made is beginning to come apart at the seams and August is sent to spy on Kate in an effort to find out what is going on.
The setting of Verity and the formation of monsters from evil acts is quite original and made reading This savage song quite different. Kate's feisty nature and need to please her crime boss father contrasted with August's attempts to be less monster-like. When they both are attacked at their school, they have to rely on each other to work out what is happening and to escape the attempts to kill them. Although there are slight hints at a Romeo and Juliet type of relationship, this is minor to the plot, which is action driven, while posing questions about morality and ethics.
There are some very thrilling and frightening scenes as the monsters chase Kate and August through the underground tunnels and Schwab manages to surprise with some unexpected twists and turns. The conclusion is satisfying but leaves plenty of opportunity for expansion in Our dark duet, the second in the series, which is on my to-read list.
This was a compulsive read with unique characters and magic. Readers who enjoy Holly Black's books will want to read this one.
Pat Pledger

Rockabye Pirate by Timothy Knapman

Ill. by Ada Grey. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849392
Rock-a-bye pirate, in the crow's nest
Mummy says bedtime, and Mummy knows best.
You've had your adventures, you've sailed the high seas,
So under the covers and go to sleep, please.
During the day, this little pirate has all sorts of pirate adventures doing all the things pirates do. But the life of a pirate isn't all swashbuckling, treasure-seeking and making enemies walk the plank - come nighttime they have to have their dinner, have a bath, wash their hair, get in the PJs and snuggle into bed to listen to a bedtime story. And this smart mummy knows this, turning her boy's bedtime routine into a pirate-centred lullaby to settle him down and lull him to sleep.
Author of other preschool-friendly stories such as All Aboard the Dinosaur Express, Knapman describes himself as a children's writer, lyricist and playwright and his way with words, their rhyme and rhythm certainly shines through in this latest offering. Sublimely illustrated so that even the wickedest pirates who ever set sail - Black-Bearded Brewster, Sea Dog McPhail, Cross-Eyed Delaney and Freddy the Fright - become just regular people who go home to their magnificent purpled-hair mum, there is everything that is familiar about pirates in this book as well as things that are not so it is scaled back to become a gentle bedtime story for even the toughest, most adventurous daytime seafarer.
Barbara Braxton

Survival skills handbook, series by Bear Grylls

Knots. ISBN: 9781783422982
Camping. ISBN 9781783422593
Maps and navigation. ISBN 9781783423002
Dangers and emergencies. ISBN 9781783422999
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Survival. Camping. Knots. Navigation. First Aid. Bear Grylls is the world famous survivalist, ex-military commando known for his extreme outdoor adventures on his television series and his work as Chief Scout for the UK Scout Association. Each of these factual Survival skills handbooks focuses on the knowledge, resources, tips and tricks to meet the challenges of living in the wilderness. These provide easy-to-read instructions, clear colourful diagrams and step-by-step guides presented with sturdy covers and elastic bookmarks. They are the perfect addition to a camping backpack, wrapped in a waterproof bag.
Knots is a comprehensive volume of all things rope-related, splicing, tripod lashing, attaching a dinghy to post with a pile-hitch and the more familiar knots used in camping. With an introduction about the knot's purpose, a tip from Bear Grylls and close-ups of each stage with labelled sections, this is a great book for campers, sailors and Scouts.
Camping discusses everything from tent types, making shelters, hunting knives (with an adult in charge), toileting and showering, to food preparation and fire making. He introduces this with an encouragement to enjoy these experiences with friends and family, and safety is an important part of his message. Healthy nutrition, personal hygiene and environmental awareness are also covered.
Maps and navigation looks at the essential skills needed to start an adventure in the wild. The diagrams illustrate the basic equipment required, to being prepared for the conditions, familiarisation with your location, journey and destination. The ability to read a contour map, use a compass, measure distance, even reading signs in nature are extremely beneficial skills to have.
Dangers and emergencies even includes an Australian section on snakes. Knowing how to set an emergency signal, fire cones, flares, even a jungle distress signal is included. Dangerous insects, arachnids, reptiles and mammals are shown with their specific patterns and colours. How to treat snakebite, escape from quicksand, purify water, test for edible plants and build a shelter are vital skills for young wilderness explorers.
Bear Grylls' Survival skills handbooks are excellent resources for everyone who enjoys life in the great outdoors.
Rhyllis Bignell

A Monster Calls (film) book and screenplay by Patrick Ness

Focus Features, 2016, released in Australia 2017
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Fantasy, Monsters, Death, Cancer, Bullying, Acceptance. Conor (Lewis MacDougall) screams as he falls out of bed, clutching a hand slipping from his grasp. The clock shows 12.07 and he knows it is the old nightmare. His mum (Felicity Jones) is still asleep when he leaves for school the next morning, and he drags his feet knowing what waits. The bully is relentless, but it is Conor's invisibility which is most hurtful. No one speaks to him, and his teacher talks in a soft voice, offering help. But no one can.
Conor's mother has cancer and sleeps most of the time. When her mother (Sigourney Weaver) comes to stay, Conor does not welcome this bossy interfering woman. Conor becomes more angry when his absent father (Toby Kebbell) arrives from America, full of promises. But when he must live with his grandmother on Mum's return to hospital, his anger builds.
The only thing that knows how Conor feels is the monster who fills his room at night. The yew tree by the church, the same one his mother watches from the window, tells him three stories, each drawing Conor to seeing both his father and grandmother in a different light, and to admit to himself the truth of his mother's illness.
The book, first published in 2011, written by Patrick Ness after an idea sketched out by the late Siobahn O'Dowd, won the Kate Greenaway Medal for its illustrator, Jim Kay, and the Carnegie Medal. Now directed by J A Bayona (Orphanage and Impossible) the film radiates with repressed anger. Conor is unable to admit the truth. His anger manifests itself in smashing his grandmother's front room, and putting the bully into hospital.
Ness has written the screenplay for this film, concentrating on the four main characters and the monster, the yew tree, as it reaches into the dark recesses of the mind, coping with the imminent death of someone very close. The brooding presence of the yew tree, pulling up its roots and striding into Conor's bedroom is mesmerising, his fearsomeness tempered by his voice (Liam Neeson), at once solicitous and fatherly as he tells Conor the stories. The claustrophobic feel of the film, intensified by the acton restricted to four rooms, Conor's house, Grandmother's house, the school room and the hospital room, while going outside the chilling presence of the monster fills the screen. The viewer hardly breathes, intent on seeing what is behind the stories, and how Conor will accept it.
A highly emotive fantasy thriller about a boy's guilt at his mother's disease, the film has further developed the brooding atmosphere of the book, and would suit an audience of teens and adults.
Fran Knight

Zombelina school days by Kristyn Crow

Ill. by Molly Idle. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781619636415
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: School life, Zombies, Dancing, Rhyming stories. Kristyn Crow's fun rhyming story Zombelina School Days is a perfect picture book for sharing with a younger audience. This story is filled with spooky jokes, funny puns and easy to read rhymes. When she scans her body in her daddy's X-ray machine, after her breakfast of lizard eye gruel, her mom calls her drop-dead gorgeous!
Zombelina the gorgeous green zombie loves to dance; she has practised her special moves for show-and-tell. Something interesting happens as she twirls, her body parts go flying, with her arms or hands landing in some funny places. In a class full of human pupils, Zombelina is just one of the team. When Morty a new student arrives, the little zombie and her best friend Lizzie help him settle in, teaching him new dance moves and playing bug detective at recess.
Molly Idle's cute colour pencil illustrations bring Zombelina, her family and class mates to life. Her artistic style with sharp lines and bright colours are a perfect match for Crow's poetry. Where will Zombelina's arm, hand or leg fly off to when she dances? There is a musicality and fluidity of movement here that adds to the fun and excitement of Zombelina School Days. Crow's understated messages of acceptance, encouragement, friendship and having a go promote inclusiveness.
Rhyllis Bignell

Anna by Niccolo Ammaniti

Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498561
(Age: Middle secondary +) Recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian fiction. A virus has killed the adult population of the world in this future dystopia. The only survivors are children who inevitably die when they reach puberty. All the expected conveniences of contemporary life have gone too, including electricity, transport, medicine, and systems of government. The children who have survived are aged between five and fifteen and increasingly have no knowledge or memory of life before the virus. Anna is a survivor but is approaching adulthood. She lives in Sicily with her young brother whom she hides from gangs of wild children. Her guide is a Book of Important Things written by her dying mother. The Book includes instructions about everyday matters, how to find food, how to store water and a command that Anna teach her brother how to read. They live in a remote farmhouse that is surrounded by corpses of people and their animals, but the children are so used to death that they treat it very matter-of-factly. Their first concern is to eat and they survive on cans of food and bottled soft drink supplemented by pills and alcohol. Looting is an essential skill, and Anna is a skilled and tough forager. On one of her excursions she fights a starving Maremma dog that consequently attaches itself to her. Forced from their home by a marauding gang the three of them, Anna, her brother Astor and the dog, walk to the coast to try to escape to the mainland where Anna hopes there may be adults who have survived the virus. They encounter children who have formed strange religious cults in the hope of being saved, and finally children who live with little knowledge of language or old customs. Anna is aware that time is running out for her as she reaches puberty on the journey. She, Astor and the dog desperately embark on the crossing between Messina in Sicily and Calabria. On arrival they don't at first find any adults but there are several small signs that offer hope for the future. The novel is dystopian; civilization is doomed, and humanity with it, as the children cannot reproduce. However it is not as shocking or bleak as other books in this genre are, for example Cormac McCarthy's The Road. The children are very matter-of-fact about death. Eating is more important than grieving, and the children are practised foragers as well as being innately hopeful. The deterioration of town and cityscapes is realistically described as are the attitudes of the children. Anna is strong and determined, and perhaps a little too resourceful but this is acceptable in a work for young adults. The novel is a thought-provoking addition to the genre of science fiction. It is recommended for middle level readers.
Jenny Hamilton

The high note by Harmony Jones

Girl vs Boy Band book 2. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408878279
(Age: 11-15) Recommended. Themes: Music Industry; Boy bands; Music; Relationships; Fame; Friendship. Lark Campbell is the talented child of a Music Promoter and a Country Music Back-up Musician, who are recently separated and live far apart - one in LA, the other based in Nashville. She lives in the same house as her mother, a bizarre housekeeper and the two British boy band members, Max and Oliver. The boys are more like older brothers, but the third local boy band member, Teddy, stirs her heart and her song-writing. She has also written songs that will propel the Boy Band, Abbey Road, to stardom. Her own talent, although hampered by stage fright, is also worthy of attention by the world, thanks to her friend Mimi whose skills at film-making have caused a You-tube sensation for Lark, aka 'Songbird'. And Lark is only 12 years old!! Most of this book is about the impending Boy Band tour and the growing friendship between Lark and Teddy and the impacts of fame and a music career on the very young.
Anyone who has discovered Nashville - the Country-Music based TV series, will see this book as a Junior version of the 'interesting' world of the Music industry. In a world of Social media pressures, the mindless screaming and attention of a young female fan-base and the strange world of life in the spotlight, we are taken inside this life from the perspective of the performers themselves. They need to negotiate normal teen dramas and moving from 'like to love' in the eyes of a large crowd. Lark stills manages to attend school, submit assignments and avoid the pressure of 'mean' girls, while discovering if a Music career is also what she wants.
This book will be enjoyed by a female reader aged 11 -15. I did feel that the dramas and relationship issues perhaps seemed more likely for a slightly older character, but a Middle School student will connect with the early romance issues in a school environment, as well as the friendship ebbs and flows with a Best Friend. There is nothing unwholesome in this book, and it will be devoured by young readers who will love the romantic journey.
Carolyn Hull

The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale

Mark of the Cyclops: An ancient Greek mystery by Saviour Pirotta

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781472934147
(Age: 9+) Recommended. 'It seems you have a talent for solving problems. I believe Gaia is innocent. Find the real culprit and I'll pay you in gold...'
Athens, 434 BC.
Nico's new friend Thrax has a strange knack of figuring things out. And when a valuable wedding vase is broken Thrax's special skills might just come in useful. Can the boys prove that slave girl, Gaia, is innocent, and discover what the mark of the cyclops means?
Join Nico and Thrax for a mysterious adventure set in ancient Greece.
I can see this book fitting into a unit of work on an ancient civilisation as it would read aloud beautifully. The children would thrive on the suspense while at the same time continuing to learn about Ancient Greece. I would recommend it for children aged 9 and up for independent reading and 8 and up for a read aloud. The glossary is useful at the end of the book as too is the information about Greek pottery in Corinth. Fingers crossed that this will become a series as it would certainly appeal to children interested in historical fiction.
Kathryn Schumacher

Twinkle, twinkle, little star by David Ellwand

Old Barn Books, 2017. ISBN 9781910646243
(Ages: 1-3) Musical book. Rhyme. Board book. This board book features photographs of David Ellwand's vintage teddies (also seen in previous publications such as Wheels on the bus) and a push-button violin recording of  'Twinkle twinkle little star'. The teddies are shown being serenaded by their father's violin playing as they settle down for sleep and drift into dreams (of dancing on the moon). The first and last pages use the original version of the rhyme, with extra lines added to the middle: 'Hush now, hush now, little teds, Climb into your cosy bed... ' Young ones will love pushing the button and singing along to the recording with the words they already know and pointing out familiar things within the pictures (rockets, stars, moon, etc.). This extended version of the classic rhyme makes for a great bedtime lullaby and the warm, calming illustrations will help to settle young children for sleep.
Nicole Nelson

The Hate U Give (THUG) by Angie Thomas

Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406372151
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Navigating between life as the only person of colour (POC) at a prestigious prep school in the suburbs, and being the only kid in the projects who can afford to go to such a school, Starr Carter doesn't know who she is. The careful balancing act falls apart when Starr witnesses her childhood best friend shot dead at the hands of a police officer during a routine traffic stop. Starr is forced to be the voice of change at a time when she's not sure if she's better off being silent.
The Hate U Give draws on stories most are already familiar with: Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, the list unfortunately goes on. Author Angie Thomas has managed to weave elements of these tragedies throughout the story without disrespecting the communities or persons involved. Readers follow Starr's heartbreaking journey but are constantly reminded that this is the everyday life for POC throughout America. With an emphasis on police brutality and the after-effects, the community coming together while being simultaneously pulled apart, we learn chilling lessons that for some are learned much younger.
If you encounter a police officer, be polite. Even if they're not. Do not make any sudden movements. Keep your hands up. Remain calm.
The Hate U Give is political without trying to be, and readers will be holding on to the edge of their seats as they follow along with Starr. Whether it's friendship, race, or feeling like you don't quite belong, there's something for everyone.
Natalie Campbell

Fenn Halflin and the Seaborn by Francesca Armour-Chelu

Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406366181
(Age; 10 -14) Recommended. Survival. Floods. Future worlds. Good and evil. Fenn Halflin and the seaborn concludes the epic story of Fenn and his mongoose Tikki as they flee from the fierce Terra Firma. This fast-paced novel, starts immediately after the final action in the first novel, Fenn Halflin and the Fearzero, where he set fire to the Punchlock, signalling all the Seaborn tribes that the Resistance is ready for an uprising. Now, he is traipsing across treacherous marshland, hunted by his enemies - Chilstone and his band of evil henchmen.
Fenn's survival skills gained from his grandfather Halflin are vital to his journey: knowing the difference between edible and poisonous plants, swimming underwater with a reed for breathing and how to take cover in the gorse. After a close encounter with Chilstone, a Marsh Sargossan, Gerran, fortuitously rescues him and takes him to a secret place. Here, behind huge piles of debris, the tribe has reclaimed the forest and built a fortress from recycled materials, regenerated the land and grown food supplies. In this wonderfully rich and exotic landscape, the caring folk carry out their mandate to 'graft the land back to life'. The Sargossans were victims of Chilstone's band; he stole their younger generation and sent them to work as slaves for the Terras, as they work to build the great wall and stop the flooding. Fenn's destiny waits as he reunites with his friends and leads them into a battle with the Terras. His friends show courage, determination and a fierce sense of loyalty as they fight together.
This is a fast-paced and thrilling adventure, with plenty to ponder and cliffhangers ending many of the chapters. Fenn Halflin and the Seaborn is a creatively written fantasy adventure story set in a dystopian landscape. Armour-Chelu delivers richly imagined settings in her tensely woven narrative with many surprises, fortuitous encounters, amazing escapes and secrets uncovered. These two novels support and extend students in the Middle Years; they are perfect for textual analysis, with great examples of characterisation, plot development, creative settings and imagery.
Rhyllis Bignell

Out of heart by Ifran Master

Hot Key Books 2017. ISBN 9781471405075
(Age: 12+) Recommended. The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body. A heart donation can be a wonderful and generous thing, giving another person another chance at life. When Adam's Dadda passes he leaves a great hole in the family, a hole which seemingly no one can fill. That is until William arrives on their doorstep with seemingly no reason other than curiosity about where his new heart came from. William is all alone in the world, without family or friends to turn to. Thanks to Mr. Shah's donation William isn't just given another chance at life, he is given another chance to live.
As time passes William becomes a familiar figure in the Shah family home, almost like part of the family. Farrah adores him, Adam finally finds a man he can look up to and talk to, and Yasmin gets the kind of support she needs to continue providing for her family. Times are tough. With Dadda's funeral and Yasmin struggling to earn a wage, Adam must get a job to help his mother. But working, at the cost of his education, is something Yasmin frowns on, and so he must struggle his way through school, work, and adolescence on top of his grief for his grandfather. Things only get worse when the local thugs come knocking to call in Mr. Shah's debt, a debt no one in the family knew. Dadda was not a gambler, but Adam knows who is. Can he control the situation or will the situation control him?
With allusions to the story of Icarus, Master presents a YA novel with a focus on family, grief, and relationships, as well as the power of organ donation. This coming-of-age story is recommended for young people twelve and up.
Kayla Gaskell, 21