The awesome book of rap, rhyme and putrid poetry by Andy Jones
Ill. by Jules Faber. ABC Books, 2016. ISBN 9780733335662
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Entertainer and author Andy Jones understands
exactly the kind of things that children love to read and gross body
humour rates highly. Burps, pus, dancing in your underpants, vomit
and so much more are included here in rhyming format. Jones has
rewritten nursery rhymes in rap style, presented a range of poetic
pests and included epic poems about singing belly buttons and Ziggy
Snotball Smell Detective.
In Andy's 'Limerick Tricks', there is the unicorn named Kevin and an
unfortunate incident with Devon meat, the Pus Bus and the troubles
of the pimply dimpled boy. In 'Punk Porkers A Pigtacular Tale' Jones
transforms the familiar story of 'The Three Little Pigs'. Here the
porkers are reinvented as a punk rock band, hamsome Brad is the
leader, Priscilla P from the Pigsy Chix and Hogzilla plays the
guitar.
'The moral of the story goes,
Dreams sometimes do come true,
And big bad wolves rarely get the better,
Of the likes of me and you.'
How to create different forms of poetry is discussed at the end of The
awesome book of rap, rhyme and putrid poetry. Different rap
styles, freestyle, lyrical and rapid fire as well as how to write an
irregular ode and epic poetry. In the 'Pooetry' Toolbox, essential
language terms are explained in easy to understand terms, including
alliteration and metaphor. Middle Primary classes will enjoy Jones'
special brand of humour and are encouraged to create their own poems
utilising tips from the toolbox.
Rhyllis Bignell
A most magical girl by Karen Foxlee
Picccadilly Press, 2016. ISBN 9781848125742
(Age: 10+) Magic. Good vs evil. Friendship.
Heroism. Annabel Grey is an ordinary but vibrant girl living in
London during the era when young ladies were raised to decorate and
adorn and needed to learn the refinements of a delicate life with
appropriate manners. Her mother has removed Annabel from her genteel
life and deposited her with her rather elderly and unusual Great
Aunts - who also happen to own a magic shop and practice magical
skills. Annabel is a reluctant participant in the Magic Arts, but
she soon learns that although her mother had turned her back on the
magical world, now Annabel is needed to save London from the
overbearing influence of the Dark Magic wielded by the ironically
rather awful Mr Angel. This unexpected role as the good and innocent
rescuer of the aging witch and magic community (and all of London as
well) from the oppression of Mr Angel, takes Annabel into Under
London, the world that exists in parallel to the streets she knows.
With an unenthusiastic assistant in Kitty, she also meets Trolls and
Dragons as she attempts to rescue the White Wand that will protect
the order of life in London.
This story has parallels to the Harry Potter saga in that the hero
(heroine) of the story is good, brave and reluctant, and relies on
the help of trusty friends to overcome evil influences. In
comparison it is considerably shorter; but it does involve entry
into the magical world with creatures and magical talents and a very
dark and malevolent opposition. This dark and oppressive adversary
has his story and evil plans scattered through Annabel's narrative,
and the reader recognises the growing threat. Because it is shorter,
it may be more accessible to young readers and with a female lead
character it may be appreciated by readers looking for a strong
female heroine. The magic and witch world is obviously a fantasy
adventure, and there are some small moments of humour hidden amongst
the drama.
Carolyn Hull
Remind me how this ends by Gabrielle Tozer
Harper Collins, 2017. ISBN 9781460751688
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Relationships. Grief.
Decision-making.
Milo has finished school, but doesn't know where his life is headed.
His long-term girlfriend has moved away to study and she now has a
whole new life and a circle of 'friends' that do not include him.
His parents are persistently on his back to encourage him to make a
decision about the direction in his life... to overcome the lack
of direction in his life. And into this turmoil of uncertainty about
what the future will bring comes Layla. Layla is returning to the
small town of her childhood, where she was well known and had grown
up until her life was torn apart by the loss of her mother in a
dreadful accident. Still grieving, and struggling in a
relationship that is complicated by her tangled past, she blows back
into town and reconnects with Milo, her neighbour and friend from
childhood. Her vibrancy and spark ignites Milo in directions that he
was not expecting and gives them both a human anchor to hold onto as
they are buffeted by choices and decision-making.
Rich in the psychology of young relationships and the difficulties
of grieving well, and also in the angst and uncertainty of laying
the pathway to adulthood, this is a book that will appeal to young
readers. The text conversations between the main characters are
refreshing, with the humour laced with feistiness and the spark of
personality that is endearing. What seems an inevitable road in
their friendship has its own twists and turns, and you will wonder
along the way about how this will end... will there be tears, or
is this the start of something new? Gabrielle Tozer writes well for
older teens, and although her characters reflect teenage 'types',
they have their own unique ways of relating and interacting and
responding to their world. Set in a regional town, the weight of
expectations and the circumstances for teens who need to make big
decisions at a young age impact upon the direction of the
characters. This book demonstrates that many decisions can be
difficult and Tozer avoids giving neat and trite solutions to the
complexities that teens face.
Carolyn Hull
The soldier's curse by Meg and Tom Keneally
Monsarrat series. Vintage Books, 2016. ISBN 9780857989369
The Monsarrat series begins with an absolutely mesmerising
story of a trusted convict at Port Macquarie in the north of New
South Wales. It is 1825, and Monsarrat, a convict with a legal
background who does the secretarial work for the commandant, Major
Shelborne, realises that his wife's health is worse than the surgeon
thinks. A trusted convict, Monsarrat spends many mornings drinking
tea in the Government House kitchen with the cook, Mrs Mulrooney and
it is she who tends to Mrs Shelborne, trying different ways of
tempting the ailing woman to eat. Through Monsarrat's descriptions
of these events, we see the misery of the penal settlement, the
destitute convicts serving out their time on hard rations, strict
punishments and little chance of surviving, let alone getting the
prized ticket of leave at the end of their sentences.
The writers, Meg and Tom Keneally insinuate so much historical
detail into the story that the reader will feel they know the place
and its inhabitants intimately.
A cruel second in command, Captain Diamond relishes the absence of
Major Shelborne, sneaking around the little settlement looking for
breaches of rules, then using these infringements for his own ends.
His cruelty is demonstrated when one convict, Dory attempts an
escape. On being recaptured he is given one hundred lashes, Diamond
taking over from Private Slattery to deliver more that the allocated
number, leaving the wretch lying on his stomach in hospital with a
skinless back, soon to die.
But it is after Mrs Shelborne's death, seemingly from being slowly
poisoned, that Diamond's vindictive nature comes to the fore,
accusing Mrs Mulrooney and by implication, Monsarrat of her death,
his arguments overwhelming the grief stricken husband.
Monsarrat must tread carefully if he is to prove their innocence.
Marvelous historical detail, believable characters, a setting that
at times is beyond belief and a style of storytelling that takes the
reader back to literature of the nineteenth century, combine to make
this one of the best historical novels I have read. The Kenneallys
touch on a whole range of themes significant to life in convict
Australia: treatment of indigenous people, women in colonial
society, struggle between rich and poor, education, isolation, our
convict beginnings and so on, raising many issues which will be
thought about long after this book has been read.
Fran Knight
A snicker of magic by Natalie Lloyd
Scholastic, 2015. ISBN 9780545552738
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Natalie Lloyd's warm-hearted debut novel
celebrates the mystical and magical, families and friendships, the
interconnectedness of village life, the impact of past decisions and
the importance of making things right. She weaves a multitude of
quirky characters into an Appalachian folk tale, like a ballad
handed down over generations. There is a celebration of
super-abilities not disability, a message of philanthropy, of
building character and learning to be resilient.
'And I like words; I collect them. I like poems, songs, stories...
everything. But words never sound right when I try to string them
together and say them out loud. They're just for me to keep. I've
always seen words. I see them as clearly as I see you.'
Sixth grader Felicity Pickle is a word-collector, a 'logophile'. As
she travels across the country with her Mama, younger sister Frannie
Jo and her dog Biscuit, she captures and records 'spindiddly' words
in her blue notebook. Thousands of words swirl around Felicity
filled with love, loss, pain and happiness, and she is able to
express herself in written, not spoken words. When her mother's
restless spirit is finally drawn back to her childhood home magical
Midnight Gulch, Tennessee, Felicity comes to understand her family's
own snicker of magic.
Felicity's friendship with Jonah Pickett, whose life is not bound by
his wheelchair, leads her to uncover the truth behind the curse of
the Threadbare brothers and how their story has impacted the town
over many years. Magical icecream, the power of invisibility,
dancing shadows, duelling music, disappearing hot air balloons,
there is an abundance of imagery conjured up in Natalie Lloyd's
whimsical prose.
A snicker of magic is a special story to challenge the lover
of magical realism. Felicity's motivational quotes encourage the
reader to see the value of words, poetry and creative writing.
Rhyllis Bignell
Made you up by Francesca Zappia
Greenwillow Books, 2015. ISBN 9780062670328
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Mental illness (Schizophrenia). High school.
Friendship. Relationships. YA books can deal with tough issues, Made
you up addresses the difficult world of schizophrenia. In this
book Alex deals with the struggle of working out what is real, and
what can't be trusted. Is everything in her life a true
representation, or is it the result of a hallucination storm that
glides into her reality creating a slippery slope of uncertainty?
You can't help but like Alex as she battles to control her delusions
and her reality, and her relationships with her new classmates after
being forced to change schools. Into this new uncertainty, changing
schools is always difficult, come friends Tucker and Miles, two
young men who are incredibly accepting as Alex negotiates her mental
illness roller coaster. As readers we are given Alex's view of the
world and understanding her struggles to keep everything in place
creates empathy for those who have to live with a mental illness.
The complexities of school life, romance, family dynamics, dealing
with psychological support and medication weave in and out of this
dramatic tale, and Zappia has also knitted in other mental illness
manifestations among the narrative. This just adds to the drama!
Zappia has written a great book to add to the YA library of books
dealing with Big Issues. The mental illness aspects are also
represented through the conversations with the Magic 8-ball
scattered amongst the chapters, and although this sounds eccentric,
it helps us understand Alex's distress as she deals with life in all
its manifestations. The author has cleverly created tension leading
to the final chapters, and because it is Alex's world we inhabit,
there is work for the reader in making sense of the action. I was
even led to research signs and symptoms of schizophrenia to make
sure that I understood what was happening. The winners in this book
though are the friends who accept Alex, despite her illness and the
wonderful sense of normality that pervades even the most difficult
of her symptoms.
Carolyn Hull
The Ogglies: A dragon party for Firebottom by Erhard Dietl
Starfish Bay Publishing 2016. ISBN 9781760360016
(Ages 7-10) Recommended. Join the Ogglies of Smelliville as they
organize a birthday party to cheer up their pet dragon, Firebottom.
Written and illustrated by Erhard Dietl, The Ogglies: A dragon
party for Firebottom is one of three in the series following a
very interesting family. With gruesome but hilarious descriptive
language, The Ogglies series are sure to have boys hooked.
In addition to words such as slimy sludge and cheesefeet, Dietl's
illustrations are bright and detailed with whacky things to find on
every page.
In addition, The Ogglies may be used as a tool for visual
arts, allowing readers to create their own Ogglie character and
describe its unique features similar to what can be seen on the
opening page.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is filled with quirky
characters including a special sing-along birthday song, sure to
keep children giggling for hours.
Keely Coard
Applesauce weather by Helen Frost
Candlewick Press, 2016. ISBN 9780763675769
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Applesauce Weather is a
beautifully illustrated story told through poetry. Faith and Peter
know Uncle Arthur will arrive when the first apple falls and the
first two poems introduce this brother and sister duo. The poems are
a stark contrast between the younger sister - who eagerly awaits the
uncle's arrival - and the older brother who now doubts the magic of
a far away uncle even knowing when the first apple will fall. Uncle
Arthur is mourning the loss of his beloved wife and memories of her
are reflected in each poem. Each poem is a small story; building up
to Faith worrying Uncle Arthur has no more stories to Faith finally
seeing the signs of her fun loving uncle again. The poems are simply
named according to the person's perspective - Faith, Peter, Uncle
Arthur. It is beautiful and melodic storytelling, creating a sense
of togetherness while also allowing our characters to be
independent. The vocabulary is as simple as it is descriptive,
explaining the love story between Arthur and his wife, Peter's
feelings for his first crush and Faith's joy at spending time with
Uncle Arthur. This book is highly recommended for readers aged 10+.
It would be a great read aloud in the classroom as students
investigate different points of view and would also be good to help
build character profiles.
Kylie Kempster
Growing together by Taro Gomi
Phaidon Press 2016. ISBN 9780714871264
(Age: 2-5) Recommended. Written by internationally bestselling
author, Taro Gomi, Growing Together is a four book box set designed
to share. Neatly backed in a sturdy display box, readers will find
four small books titled Growing, Imagining, Sharing
and Exploring all of which are nicely connected.
Throughout all four books, pictures reflect Taro Gomi's and Phaidon
Press's Japanese culture. Additionally, the stories include short
simple sentences, ideal for a young and growing family. Growing
Together is strongly family oriented and features real-life
scenarios.
Overall, the Growing Together set is about childhood and
families in all its honesty, unexpectedness and charm.
Keely Coard
Diary of a Minecraft zombie series by Zack Zombie
Scholastic, 2016. A scare of a dare. ISBN 9781943330140 Bullies and buddies. ISBN 9781943330140
(Age: 7-9) Another fan fiction series recorded in the ever-popular
diary style format made famous by Jeff Kinney's Wimpy kid.
These books are simplistic, easy to read without a depth of plot and
character development, junior chapter books for the gaming
enthusiast. Twelve-year-old Zack a Minecraft zombie has penned A
scare of a dare. He loves scaring people in the village, using
lessons taught at Scare School. Zack experiences a range of
unfortunate incidents, and on Thursday he stays home from school
after losing a body part - his legs. Passing notes in class, the
problems of zombie kissing - no lips, and camping at Swamp Biome are
events recorded in Zack's diary. This book includes pixelated
characters and scenes from the Minecraft game.
Bullies and buddies is the second junior novel in the Diary
of a Minecraft zombie series. At a disastrous party at Steve's
place, Jack Zombie and his friends Skelee, Creepy and Slimey are
attacked by the villagers. Steve is sorry for his friends' injuries
so he lends Zack a special video game all about plants and zombies.
Zack invites his schoolmates and friends over for a special evening
of game playing and cake. Twentyfive kids are truly horrified as
plants eat zombies, are run over by lawnmowers or blown to pieces.
Zack's home life is interesting: he wants to be infested by lice
like his annoying little brother, his basement is filled with spare
zombie parts and pimples are an important facial feature. At school,
Mutant the bully is threatening the other kids: he teams up with
Mike Magna and targets Zack at dodgeball. How to stand up to bullies
is a common theme in this story; Zack searches for the answers from
his parents and teacher. The journey for Zack involves mutant
rabbits, a visit to the Nuclear Waste Plant where his parents work
and wise advice from Old Mr Jenkins. Jack Zombie learns to resolve
his issues and gain a new friend. This second story has more
narrative, the characters have developed and there is a message
included.
The Diary of a Minecraft zombie series is suited to an
emergent reader, a Minecraft fan who enjoys stories written about
the familiar gaming characters.
Rhyllis Bignell
Piggy by Trevor Lai
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781681190655
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Friendship. Reading. Loneliness. A little pig
called Piggy simply loves to read. He reads day and night in his
library, and his favourite book is about two friends. But one day he
realises that he is down to his last book. He takes a toy from his
storeroom to play with but notices a cat on the swing reading a
book. Just what he needs - a friend. He decides that he will need to
attract her attention and does various rather spectacular things to
do so, but to no avail, she is still reading. He then decides that
the best way is to offer her one of his books, and this, after
getting over a little hiccup, proves to be successful.
This charming tale of friendship will have broad appeal to younger
readers. They will love the things Piggy does to get Kate's
attention, and the resolution will ensure that friendship for them
includes reading. The illustrations of Piggy are entrancing, and the
large glasses and the small hiccup with Kate's vision will endear
readers for whom sight is less than perfect. And this may encourage
discussion about sight and vision, large print books and glasses in
the classroom.
Fran Knight
Night lights by Lorena Alvarez
Nobrow, 2016. ISBN 9781910620137
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Picture book for older readers. Night
lights is a beautifully illustrated story, touching on how
fear can make us doubt ourselves. At night, Sandy's imagination
allows her to catch the lights that come into her room. She then
uses them and her imagination to draw amazing designs and images.
During the day, Sandy attends a strict school, determined to squash
independent thought and creativity. She meets a new student who
loves her drawings and at the same time an entity appears in her
dreams, trying to persuade Sandy to draw for it and only it; trying
to persuade Sandy she cannot draw without it. Sandy's drawings
change from amazing and detailed to scribble. What will she do to
get her confidence and her creativity back? Is this new student
really helping or is there something more sinister at work? Night lights is a picture book for older students and is
recommended for readers aged 12+. Even then, readers will need an
adult to sit with them and discuss the themes of fear and personal
insecurity. It would be a great book to read with students who need
help to build resilience, modelling how one person can take control
of their fear and use it to their benefit rather than being
controlled. While these themes seem heavy for a children's book,
Lorena Alvarez has used her amazing design and artistic skills to
approach a topic that can be tricky to discuss. See how Sandy
doesn't let fear control her. See how she controls it!
Kylie Kempster
The secret cooking club by Laurel Remington
Chicken House, 2016. ISBN 9781910655245
(Age: 9+) Recommended. The secret cooking club is a
delicious story, filled with family, food and friends.
Twelve-year-old Scarlett's life is a mess, her mother is a blogger
who writes about the ups-and-downs of family life. These blogs are
humiliating for Scarlett, as the whole school knows about her Disney
Princess knickers, her friendship dramas and her failure at learning
the violin. Mum is so engrossed in the notoriety of becoming a
famous blogger and gaining sponsors that she fails to parent her
daughters, and Scarlett is forced to look after young Kelsie.
One night as Scarlett is lying in bed she hears a noise in the empty
house next door and goes to investigate. Her elderly neighbour Mrs.
Simpson has been hospitalised and no one should be home. Scarlett
discovers a very hungry cat and the most amazing chef's kitchen
filled with appliances, bags of flour, jars of spices and all kinds
of sugars, a fridge filled with delicious ingredients, utensils and
a little magic recipe book. When Scarlett decides to bake cinnamon
scones, her life begins to transform. With the help of a new
classmate Violet, they cook up an amazing array of tasty treats each
afternoon. These are sneakily placed in the school cafeteria for the
other students to enjoy. The secret cooking club explores the problems a preteen
faces, first crushes, friendships, enemies, bullying, as well as the
responsibility of caring for the elderly. It is a light and
humourous story with a relatable protagonist and a family that
transforms over time. Laurel Remington won the Times Children's
Fiction Competition in 2015 with this book; recipes for all of
Scarlett's baking are needed!
Rhyllis Bignell
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Ill. by Marie Lu. The Illuminae Files bk. 2. Allen &
Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266573
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Science fiction. Futuristic space
travel. Mystery. Adventure. I was initially reluctant to read this
book for review because it contains some features that are not
normally high on my favourites list - science fiction based in
futuristic intergalactic scenarios and narrrative threads revealed
through 'Text Speak'. My nephew had recommended the first book in
the series, so I was prepared to persist and after overcoming my
initial reluctance, I was swept along in the unusual but compelling
story. The story is revealed through a variety of documents, text
records, journal entries, briefing notes, and transcripts from video
feeds that have been presented in a hearing to uncover truths
surrounding a major event occurring on board a space station from
the 26th century. We are introduced to several young teens who play
pivotal roles in overcoming an elite Strike Team who are duty-bound
to wipe them out of existence. The threat of being sucked into space
wormholes, losing contact with external rescue options, being
attacked by creatures beyond description (that are farmed to produce
hallucinogenic drugs), using multifaceted communications systems,
and being highly trained in physical combat strategies all are woven
together in an action-filled mystery drama. The intricacies of the
25th century world do make this a book to recommend to able readers
who can handle the complexities of concepts that astrophysicists
might understand (but if like me physics was not your favourite
subject, then you can also read this in the same way that you might
read fantasy, where the outlandish worlds require leaps of faith).
Interlaced amongst the science fiction drama is also a teen drama,
with romance and relationship intricacies as a side issue, and the
voice of the teens is humourous and spirited and their behaviour is
feisty and they display amazing intelligence as well as combat
skills. I imagine that this book will reach cult appreciation status
among young teen readers. It is extremely cleverly written, and with
visual and artistic renderings of some of the information, it is a
multilayered narrative that is innovative and fresh. And even for a
resistant reader, it was captivating!
Note: the book has all coarse language 'blacked out' - literally.
This does not mean that you cannot determine what the missing words
might be, but the reader is saved the offence of the words leaping
off the page and attacking sensibilities. [There are still some
aspects which could offend - e.g. an earworm virus that plays an
offensive 'pop song' repeatedly on the space station is very
suggestive, not unlike some popular songs in the 21st century!
Carolyn Hull
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
David Fickling Books, 2015. ISBN 9781910989203
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Dystopian fiction, Future, Mythology,
Survival. Crippled Nessa must make more effort than most if she is
to survive the school and learn to beat The Call. It will happen as
it does to all of them, only one in ten surviving the appalling
treatment at the hands of the Sidhe, the ancient Irish, forced out
of their own country by the people there now. Once taken, the
children must undergo the most horrific of torture as they are
hounded by the fairies, most until death. At school, they are
trained to survive what is to come, partly by reading the stories of
the few survivors, but also trained in a variety of skills pertinent
to their testing. Nessa arrives at training school with just three
books: a History of the Sidhe, a, compilation of last year's
testimonies from those who were taken and a book of love poetry.
But at school she must also repulse the devious behaviour of a group
of bullies, led by Conor. The story unfolds quickly pulling the
reader into its murky depths. Conor's group sees themselves as
champions of a new order where only the fittest survive, food denied
to those weak and disabled in the hope that the stronger will be
able to defeat the Sidhe and Conor targets Nessa as one of those to
be eliminated.
Alternate chapters give accounts of the fantastic world of the Sidhe
and the reader is swept along with the teens' efforts to survive the
ordeal. The horror they endure at the hands of the Sidhe are mind
boggling and these chapters are thankfully short.
But when a Sidhe is found in a rock near the school, the mound
attracts Nessa and her friends, and here many are taken even fewer
returning.
The Sidhe have made promises to some of the Irish in return for
their betrayal and Conor promises much in return for being king as
long as he can kill Nessa himself. The school burns down just as
Nessa is called.
This wholly absorbing thriller has elements of a dystopian future,
intertwined with the myths of Ancient Ireland. Now relegated to the
Grey Lands, the Sidhe determines to wipe out the Irish so they can
reclaim what they once had. But they have not taken Nessa into
account. Themes of survival, heroism, betrayal and love packed
between the covers of this wonderful fantasy thriller will satisfy
all readers.
Fran Knight
