Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471147128
(Age: 7+) The bright cover and illustrations covering the paper
edges promises humour and fun, and they certainly deliver this for
young children!
The story surrounds Hamish Ellerby, who begins by finding his family
stuck to the roof through the strange happenings that is a 'gravity
burp'. The whole town of Starkley is affected and obviously causes
lots of questions and a then big town meeting.
It becomes up to Hamish and his friends (who are all in a gang
called the PDF - Pause Defence Force) to save their town once again.
After some research I found that this book is part of a well
established series, where Hamish and the PDF try to save Starkely
(and the world) from Alien invasion. This made sense as although
Danny Wallace gives information to the reader to allow this to be an
interesting stand alone book, I feel that reading this series in
order would be very beneficial to getting to know the long list of
characters.
The story is consistently funny, with toilet/gross humour throughout
keeping even the most reluctant reader or listener entertained.
My favourite character of the bunch was Madame Cous Cous (who
couldn't love that name!) and her sweet shop. She is always doing
something amusing like nailing down all the sweets in the shop, and
through the wonderful illustrations I was able to form a great
visual image to compliment the story.
This book would suit readers who love Roald Dahl and David Walliams,
as it is clever, humorous and filled with little tidbits (like the
flick-a-book illustrations!!) to delight every reader.
Suitable for readers or listeners from 7+
Lauren Fountain
Zombie goes to camp by Zack Zombie
Diary of a Minecraft zombie book 6. Koala Books, 2017. ISBN
9781743818329
(Age: 5+) Zombie goes to camp tells the follow-on tale of
Zack Zombie and his friends going to camp. Zack is 12 years old and
completely terrified of going to Creepaway Camp; luckily his friend
Creepy is coming along too!
Like the previous books, Book 6 is written in a daily diary style
and uses language that children as young as 5 (and anyone who loves
Minecraft) will understand.
The story moves through Zack's time at camp, with the first part of
camp being filled with his concern that the camp counsellors are
really brain eating humans who especially enjoy mob kids and that
the food served in the cafeteria would spring to life as the camp
food monster and eat them!
The kids at camp also participate in lots of stereotypical summer
camp activities that many children will be able to find a link with
and gain an understanding of the situations (except the potential
brain eating counsellors) Zack and his friends are in.
Thankfully Zack and his friends survive the terror that is Creepaway
Camp and come through both alive and with a whole heap of new
friends.
The ending leads the reader nicely onto the next book and the next
adventure for Zack Zombie, keeping them interested and keen to read
again.
This book, and this series, is perfect for young Minecraft lovers
from age 5 and also parents/teachers who listen to children talk
about this phenomenon and aren't sure who or what they are talking
about!
Lauren Fountain
The adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408868058
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. The adventures of Miss Petitfour
is a collection of short stories describing the adventures of a
lovely lady and her cats - cats who like arts and crafts and a lady
whose favourite mode of transport is a tablecloth that flies.
Miss Petitfour has a collection of tablecloths that fly. It just
depends on where she wants to go as to which cloth she chooses! Miss
Petitfour is a whimsical character who, along with her 16 cats,
loves adventures. One of her favourite things to do is to fly to her
favourite bookshop in the village for tea and a chat with the owner.
In the first story, readers are introduced to Miss Petitfour and her
cats. The cats go on all the adventures by inking their tails around
each other and trailing behind Miss Petitfour like the tail of a
kite. This story is also the first adventure. The marmalade jar is
empty and a daring flight to the store occurs. it is a bit windy and
one of the cats gets stuck on a pole.
The stories are descriptive, whimsical and gorgeous. Every now and
then, a new word is introduced as part of the story. From
'perambulator' to 'gesticulation', the narrator speaks to the
readers. This book is highly recommended for readers aged 9+
(including grownups). It is a lovely and innocent collection of
stories.
Kylie Kempster
Winnie the Pooh: The Great Heffalump Hunt by Giles Andreae
Egmont, 2017. ISBN 9781405278300 Piglet trotted happily beside his best friend Pooh.
Talking about nothing much as best friends often do.
When suddenly Pooh stopped and said, "I've got a Grand Idea".
"I'm going to catch a Heffalump. I've heard they live around
here."
Giles Andreae of Giraffes Can't
Dance fame has taken this wonderful and well-known adventure
of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and reinterpreted into a
delightful rhyme and pictorial experience. More than 90 years on
from the first publication of the adventures of Christopher Robin,
Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and Tigger inspired by a real-life
bear Milne's stories are as enchanting and popular as ever so
to have this one in a picture book version for our youngest readers
is a treat indeed.
As well as providing a taste of the delights of what is in the
original collection, it celebrates friendship, bravery and the
imagination, even providing the basis for an inquiry project for
beginners. Just what is a Heffalump, what does it look like, and
what would be the best way to catch it? Each child could create
their own version, design a suitable trap and bait and maybe even
start to consider whether catching wild creatures is ever a good
idea. Those a little older might even start to investigate the role
of zoos and how they've changed, particularly given Winnie's
origins.
Even though this is an adaptation of a classic, in its new form
there are so many layers to explore that it is perfect as a
standalone, and another generation will learn to love this lovable
bear and his endearing friends.
Barbara Braxton
Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Richard Jones
Ill. by Libby Walden. Caterpillar, 2017. ISBN 9781848575462
Living in a bustling town is exhausting for a little mouse and she
dreams of a quiet place in the country. So she writes to her country
cousin to see if she can visit for a while, swapping homes so they
each have a holiday.. Country Mouse is very excited because he has
always wanted to be "a mouse about town." But things are not quite
as wonderful as they expect and neither is sorry when their holiday
is over and it's time to go HOME.
This traditional fable from Aesop has been retold in rhyme, bringing
its powerful message of what it means to be home and to belong to a
new generation. Cleverly illustrated with a gentle palette and
strategic cutouts it's a story that has endured over time because of
its timeless message of "the grass always seems greener" . Little
ones can have fun imagining what it might be like to live the life
of their hero or in another place, but then also reflect on the
things they would miss if they were really able to make the swap.
A classic.
Barbara Braxton
Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard
Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9780008244521
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Finding Gobi is a gorgeous true story
of loyalty, friendship and the lengths people go for their pets.
Dion Leonard, an Englishman, is competing in the gruelling Gobi
Desert marathon when he meets a homeless dog. There is an instant
connection and Dion names her Gobi. Gobi becomes his running partner
during the race but after the race is over, Dion must head back to
England. Gobi, however, is unforgettable and Dion and his wife
commit to bringing Gobi to England. This is no easy feat but thanks
to crowd funding, local Chinese people and the media, Dion and his
wife proceed to bring Gobi home. Gobi is an easy to read story told from the perspective of
Dion and Gobi. The story explains the steps Dion has to take in a
very child-friendly manner and we see how much Gobi loves Dion from
her comments. Readers will fall in love with Gobi and will be
cheering for her every step of the way. The story takes place in
China, making it a good class novel for Year 6. Students can map the
journey, create reports on the Gobi Desert while investigating
different perspectives. This book is highly recommended for readers
aged 10+ and adults will enjoy it as well.
Kylie Kempster
Tiger Tiger by Jonny Lambert
Little Tiger Press, 2017. ISBN 9781848694446
Mother Tiger has somewhere she needs to be so she leaves her cub in
the care of Old Tiger. But while Little Cub wants to play and
explore, Old Tiger thinks he is too old to babysit and just wants to
sleep. But he consents to a "very slow stroll" through country he
has seen so many times that he believes "There's nothing to see
around here any more." But he doesn't factor in the joy and
enthusiasm and fresh eyes of the very young and gradually his grey,
tired world takes on new colours and new life.
With plenty of action words that young readers will love and relate
to as well as text that sometimes rhymes, this is a story that moves
from shadow to light as Old Tiger rediscovers the sights of his
youth and even begins to take the lead in the play. Sometimes, as we
age and life seems to weigh heavily at times, we forget to take
delight in the everyday things that surround us so this story is a
reminder that we need to make time for the simple and that there is
fun to be had without always having to be entertained by external
things.
Lambert is first and foremost an illustrator and that's evident not
just in the detail in the pictures but in the way he has used colour
to reflect Tiger's perception of the world. At first the jungle is
dull and grey but as the adventure continues the colours brighten
and the details are more intense and lush. The reader sees more and
more just as Old Tiger does.
A great book for little ones and older ones alike.
Barbara Braxton
I can only draw worms by Will Mabbitt
Puffin, 2017. ISBN 9780141375182
"This book is about worms. (I can only draw worms.) "
And so that's just what we are presented with. Bright hot-pink worms
(except for one yellow one because he lost his pen) that mix and
mingle and get to know each other and have adventures, all of which
the reader has to imagine because the author can only draw worms.
Set on white page juxtaposed with some really bright backgrounds the
reader is drawn in, but while the blurb suggests that the book is
"hilarious" and guaranteed to have children howling with laughter" I
think there is a gap between the age of the reader that it visually
appeals to and that able to grasp the humour.
It's different, it's quirky, it's definitely bright and young
readers will love to join in the counting aspect as Mabbitt brings
this most humble creature to life, encouraging them to use their
imagination to fill in all the missing illustrations because he can
only draw worms.
Barbara Braxton
All too much by Jo Cotterill
Hopewell High series. Bloomsbury Education, 2017. ISBN
9781472934079
(Age: 12+) In this, the first of the Hopewell High series, we follow
the story of Samira. Sammy (as her friends all her) is an Iranian
student who has come to the UK to study. She has a great group of
friends who are all in the same year level, but she likes to study
and her friends are far too occupied with boys and mascara.
Though the girls spend most out of class time in The Nest (their
living quarters), there is room for more detail but the author
doesn't deliver. Also lacking is any recognition of what it must be
like to be an international student and teenager away from her
family in school - surely an underlying stressor in the midst of the
other goings-on.
In this High Interest Low Literacy novel, Sammy begins to feel the
pressure of being an A student and the embarrassment of her father
calling to find out how her French Test went. With a lot on her
plate already, Sammy is invited to join the quiz team and is excited
that she is the youngest student to be asked. As the pressure
builds, the novel begins to focus on Samira's coping strategies and
touches briefly on the subject of non-suicidal self-injury
(self-harming) and cutting. While Sammy learns different ways to
deal with her stress, this is not explicitly explored. Somehow it
seems too much like a blanket is thrown over the problem itself and
the solutions that seem to 'fix it' are unlikely to be a fix for
someone who is a chronic cutter or is more adept at hiding it. While
it covers the issue of cutting, there is no real resolution in
place.
Clare Thompson
Publisher's note: Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support
reading practice by providing pacy, age-appropriate stories for
struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with
English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with
a dyslexia friendly font, they are aimed at readers aged 12+ and
have a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). They are
produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a UK
charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy
and numeracy difficulties.
Stage fright by Jo Cotterill
Hopewell High series. Bloomsbury Education, 2017. ISBN
9781472934130
(Age: 12+) In the second Hopewell High series, we follow the
story of Alice, a talented singer and actor in the school play at
her boarding school. Alice is supported by her friends who are all
in the same year level, and spend most out of class time in The Nest
(their living quarters) or practicing for the school play. As the
dress rehearsal draws nearer, Alice becomes more and more prone to
panic attacks, of which she has a history.
In this High Interest Low Literacy novel, Alice begins to feel
overwhelmed by the pressure of the play. Already stressed about
remembering lines, her Mum confides that things are not right at
home. Alice seeks counselling and is encouraged to talk to an adult.
Her panic disorder is not explicitly explored.
In the back of the book, there is a quiz, in which readers could
check their understanding of the novel. The resource also has UK
reference websites in the back pages, including Childline.
Clare Thompson
Publisher's note: Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support
reading practice by providing pacy, age-appropriate stories for
struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with
English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with
a dyslexia friendly font, they are aimed at readers aged 12+ and
have a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). They are
produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a UK
charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy
and numeracy difficulties.
The secret of Black Rock by Joe Todd-Stanton
Flying Eye Books, 2017. ISBN 9781911171256
(Age: 5 - 8) Recommended. Sea. Marine life. Persistence. Out in the
sea lies Black Rock, a large strange mass that is said to destroy
any boat that comes near it. Erin loves to watch the water looking
at the fish, and longs to go out on the fishing boat with her
mother. She often hides on board but her dog Archie would sniff her,
until one day she came up with a cunning plan and managed to stay
hidden. But then disaster strikes in the fog and she gets swept off
the boat and sinks down, down into the ocean, where the Black Rock
is lurking, a home to a myriad of sea creatures. Then she uncovers
Rock Rock's secret - but will she be able to convince the villagers
not to destroy it.
On an initial read, this may prove to be a strange story that
doesn't quite make sense, but a second closer perusal will have the
reader discovering that this is a picture book where you have to
both read the text and look very carefully at the pictures to find
out what is going on. This makes it a most challenging, interesting,
and thought provoking read.
The illustrations are fascinating, with dark foreboding colours for
the rock and the sea while the sea creatures and machinery, boats
and people are brightly coloured. The marine life that is pictured
as Erin falls deep into the sea is beautifully drawn, but it is the
double page spread that the reader has to turn sideways to discover
what Rock Rock is, that will most delight the reader.
Erin is an irresistible heroine, brave and clever. She manages to
outwit her mother and her dog to stay on board the fishing boat and
is courageous enough to climb out an upper storey window to go and
rescue the Black Rock.
This is a picture book that will reward readers who pay attention to
details and who delight in adventure stories.
Pat Pledger
Egg by Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow, 2017. ISBN 9780062408723
Four eggs - one pink, one yellow, one blue, one green. Crack. Crack
Crack. Three hatch and release their little ones - but the green one
does not. Waiting, waiting, waiting . . . Listening, listening,
listening . . . Peck. Peck. Peck. Until finally . . . But what
emerges is not what is expected. And as the birds fly away in
surprise it is left alone, sad and miserable. Until . . .
Described as "a graphic novel for pre-schoolers", Caldecott
Medallist Kevin Henkes has woven a magnificent story with the
minimum of words and some seemingly simple illustrations. Using the
softest pastel palette, simple lines and shading he conveys so much
emotion and action that even the very youngest reader will be able
to sit and tell the story to themselves and their teddies without
having to know one word of the sparse text. They will enjoy
predicting what might be in that final egg and be surprised when the
secret is discovered. Could that really be inside an egg? Are birds
the only things that hatch from eggs? They will also empathise with
the surprise when it is left alone and lonely, perhaps able to
express their own feelings when they have been in a similar
situation. A perfect opportunity to build a word wall of synonyms
for 'sad". Inviting them to retell the story will encourage them to
organise and order their thoughts, begin to understand sequence is
important, and use their own words and language skills to express
what happened - critical elements in developing early reading
skills. And of course, this story is the perfect lead-in to the
classic tale of The Ugly Duckling.
Brilliant for littlies but older children could gain a lot from
looking at the techniques used to produce so much from so little.
Barbara Braxton
Where's Wally? : the totally essential travel collection by Martin Handford
Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406375718
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Picture puzzles. Where's Wally? :
the totally essential travel collection collects together all
seven of the Where's Wally books : Where's Wally, Where's
Wally now?, Where's Wally? 3 : the fantastic journey,
Where's Wally in Hollywood, Where's Wally the Wonder Book,
Where's Wally the great picture hunt and Where's Wally
the incredible paper chase. As well there are six postcards to
colour in.
Fans of the Where's Wally books will be delighted to see all
seven book collected together and travellers young and old will love
spending time trying to find Wally as he goes on many adventures.
Before the start of each of Wally's adventures, there is a checklist
of other things to find, as well as searching out Wally in the
pages, so hours could be spent just going through any one of the
stories.
I thoroughly enjoyed just opening the pages at random and trying to
find Wally - one real challenge was 'Where's Wally the musical',
where there are literally hundreds of Wally look alikes in the
chorus lines. And then there's the 'Land of Woofs', where Woof has
to be found among a myriad of dogs in striped coats. He is the only
one with five red stripes on his tail!
As the title suggests this would be a fabulous book to give as a
present to anybody embarking on a long trip.
Pat Pledger
The Summon Stone by Ian Irvine
Orbit, 2016. ISBN 9780356505206
(Age 13+) Recommended. Fantasy. The Summon Stone is the
first book of a new trilogy The Gates of Good and Evil by
Ian Irvine. This trilogy is the fourth quartet/trilogy of Three
Worlds Cycle series.
Ian Irvine has set this fantasy story on the planet Santhenar, the
least powerful but the most populous of the three worlds and the
home of the old human peoples. The Summon Stone is located somewhere
on this planet and is a gate between worlds.
The Merdrun people are a cruel race and are gathering in the void
between worlds awaiting the awakening of the Summon Stone, which
will enable a gate to be opened between the void and Santhenar. The
Merdrun intend to kill every inhabitant of Santhenar and make the
planet their own. The Summon Stone is evil and, as it slowly
awakens, begins to corrupt most of the inhabitants of Santhenar.
Four inhabitants of Santhenar are fighting to destroy the Summon
Stone and stop the Merdrun from invading their planet. The four are
Llian, a master chronicler and a storyteller; his partner Karen, a
triun and a sensitive; Whelm, a student storyteller mentored by
Llian; and Ariel, a crippled girl of 15 years, who is training
herself to be a perfumer.
The characters feel like real people, grow and change with each new
situation they find themselves facing, and display courage and
resilience in confronting their cunning and cruel enemies. The Summon Stone is a new series by Ian Irving but is based
on the worlds and their inhabitants from his previous books of the Three
Worlds Cycle series. However, if you have not read any of the
books of the Three Worlds Cycle series, there is not
sufficient information in the text or the glossary in the back of
the book for the reader to feel they have enough important
information for an understanding of what is happening.
If you have read other books of the Three Worlds Cycle
series written by Ian Irving and enjoyed them, you will like this
new series.
Glen Avery
The names they gave us by Emery Lord
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408877814
(Age: 14+) Recommended. A coming of age story about summer camp and
girlhood - a high school senior and bible camp graduate becomes a
counsellor at a camp for young disadvantaged children. When Lucy
Hansson's mother's cancer returns despite all of Lucy's prayers and
bargains with God, she begins to act out in response to her
faltering faith. Her equally devout boyfriend, Lucas, dumps her. Her
mother wants to spare Lucy the worst of her cancer treatment and
asks her to work at the summer camp she herself attended as a
troubled teen.
At camp Daybreak Lucy sees how the less fortunate live and becomes
protective of her young charges. The extraordinary camaraderie
between counsellors is a bonus. At camp, Lucy learns about her
mother's past and she falls for Jones. Henry Jones not only shares
her love of music, but unlike her ex-boyfriend Lucas, he can truly
connect with her emotionally.
The summer lurches from one drama to another as the minor characters
are fleshed out through a gambit of themes - child abuse, bullying,
intolerance, anxiety, death, teenage pregnancy and more. Daybreak
distracts Lucy from the tragedy unfolding in her own perfect
Christian family - but ironically exposes their dark secrets.
Through this unforgettable narrative, Lucy stays true to her
identity but develops a newfound understanding of both human frailty
and boundless spirit. Readers will soar and cry with Lucy and her
fellow counsellors. Perhaps some will even feel inspired to search
for happiness, not in self-absorption but in the service of others.
Deborah Robins
