Red eye series. Stripes Publishing, 2015. ISBN 9781847154545
(Age: 14+) Horror. Warning on back cover: Not for younger readers.
Gabe is under pressure - his father has lost his job and money is in
short supply. On a ride in the hills around LA, he comes across a
grave and finds not only a skeleton but a gold bracelet. He thinks
that will end his money troubles but it is only the beginning of his
misfortune. He has awakened more than he bargained for. With his new
friend Stella, he investigates the background of the gold artefacts
while he is stalked by Raphael, a sinister figure from the past, who
is accompanied by coyote and owl companions.
Those who have read quite a few books in this genre like me will
find that the rather strange mixture of wicked priest taking hearts
from his victims in an Aztec like ritual, gold artefacts that have a
hypnotic effect, and good versus evil, has a familiar feel. However
this may not affect readers new to the genre as the action is fast
paced and the plot quite chilling. There are some scary moments as
Raphael goes on a killing spree, leaving Gabe to stumble along
hoping that people survive this monster.
Reluctant readers may enjoy this as it is easy to read with lots of
action and tension.
Pat Pledger
The misadventures of Max Crumbly: Locker hero by Rachel Renee Russell
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471144615
(Age: 11+)Recommended. The writer of the very popular Dork
Diaries has done it again - and this time male readers will be
able to engage with her books (perhaps competing with the girls to
get their hands on the books)!
In the same style as Dork Diaries with comic-like
illustrations and journal entries, Russell has introduced us to Max
Crumbly, a less than inspiring Middle-School student who gets caught
in rather bizarre and hilarious circumstances. Poor Max has escaped
home-schooling by his grandmother only to discover that he is now
the year 8 victim of the school bully. Being rescued from the
claustrophobic locker by the lovely Erin does not actually mean that
his life has gone to great heights. He just seems to keep getting
into one twisted problem after another. Misadventures just keep
following every step of his new Middle School life. And this is
obviously only the first in the series as we are left in a graphic
comic-style cliffhanger at the end of the book.
For those who have loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid and other
similar humorous tales there is now another series to recommend.
Readers who are happy to be amused rather than challenged will enjoy
this book.
Carolyn Hull
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr
Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760290023
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Wendy Orr has woven her passion for the
mysteries of the Bronze Age centred around the Mediterranean islands
into a wonderful mythical fantasy that links known history and its
mythical beliefs and archaeological stories into a lyrical and
heart-wrenching narrative.
In this old and mythical world, gods have power that invoke worship,
sacrifice and honour; power that can sing and manipulate wild
animals, and upset the natural world and power that drives
communities to order their lives in fear and reverence in order to
fend off disaster. The central character Aissa is born with features
that defy the god-like need for perfection of her High Priestess
mother. She is cruelly damaged, disowned and discarded, and yet
survives. Her fate seems to defy the goddess that 'rules' the island
of her birth and yet she is hidden and loved, until another disaster
leaves her as the mute, cruelly targeted unlucky slave-girl called
'No-Name' that no-one values. The constant emotional attacks and the
ignoble role she plays in society are so cruel that it is easy to
believe that she has wronged the gods in some way. An unexpected
role to pay tribute to the Bull King from a neighbouring island
looms as a possible way for her to rise above her lowly and unlucky
position . . . or face death as a permanent escape from her misery.
The pain and suffering she experiences and the small glimpses of
hope that she clings to with incredible humility (despite the rise
of hidden goddess-inspired powers) are mixed with an immensely
strong resilience and spirit. The effect is awe-inspiring!
Orr has written this with deft mastery, mingling prose poetry style
sections with more standard narrative in a beautiful tapestry. It is
powerful and compelling reading, even though the mythology and magic
of these times is likely to be unknown to many young readers.
Fantasy lovers will engage with the unusual world, and those who
have a heart for the down-trodden and bullied in contemporary
culture will see the enormous strength of character of Aissa despite
her circumstances. This is definitely not like Orr's Nim's
Island stories or her teen drama Peeling the Onion,
but it is certainly to be recommended for those who might enjoy a
different kind of lyrical fantasy adventure.
Carolyn Hull
Mister Cleghorn's seal by Judith Kerr
HarperCollins, 2015. ISBN 9780008157302
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Seals, pets, Zoos. This charming tale
based in part on a story the author's father told her as a child,
asks readers to think about their place within the environment, how
things humans do impact on animals around them and how one person
can make a difference.
Mr Cheghorn has sold his shop and now lives alone, wondering what
the day will bring. A letter from his cousin who lives at a seaside
town invites him to join his family for a holiday. Mr Cleghorn can
now accept and packs his bag to venture on the train to the town.
Here he is greeted heartily by his younger cousins, and one boy,
Tommy becomes a special friend. They row out each day to watch a
baby seal left on a rock while its mother fishes, returning to feed
her offspring in the evening. But one day she does not return,
probably shot by fishermen down the coast, and Mr Cleghorn's cousin
decides it must be killed rather than dying a slow hungry death. But
Mr Cleghorn decides to take the animal home, and an adventure begins
as he must find ways to keep it fed, along with how to keep it in
his small flat. The decisions he makes in keeping this animal crowd
in as he succeeds in eventually finding a home for the seal, but not
before he angers the janitor at the flat, has fish land on some
people beneath his balcony, find a loving relationship with the
woman downstairs and takes over a zoo. This lovely story will have
wide appeal, especially to animal loving children in middle primary
school.
Lovely pencil illustrations accompany this story adding a nostalgic
ambience.
Fran Knight
Nothing! by Yasmeen Ismail
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408873366
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Imagination. When Lila is asked a question
about what she is doing, she replies 'Nothing!' twirling a piece of
paper, or eating a crumbly biscuit, but the illustrations belie what
she has said. Turning the page we see the wildest of images, as she
turns the thing she is playing with into the most imaginative of
quests, facing a fearsome beastie, tumbling over an elephant's back
in a circus or climbing the Eiffel Tower with a young girl in her
arms. Each image is extreme in its depiction as she conquers one
thing after another, finally meeting her grandfather and telling him
about the wonderful adventures she has been having and inviting him
along. And just like all good grandpas, he follows her into one of
her adventures.
A delightful story of imagination and adventure, Lila does things
that are out of the ordinary, turning small things into brave
adventures, risking life and limb to take more risks, taking a road
into uncertainty. With bright, swirling illustrations to attract the
reader, Lila's story is a wonderful homage to imagination and taking
a risk, even if only in thought. Turning the ordinary into something
fabulous, the little mundane things into tall towers and circus
animals, all are designed to capture a reader's imagination. The water
colour swirls are wonderful, capturing Lila's excitement as she lets
her imagination soar.
Fran Knight
Get coding by David Whitney (Young Rewired State)
Walker Books,2016. ISBN 9781406366846
(Ages: 9+) Non Fiction. Get coding is an engaging
introduction to creating your own webpages, apps and games online.
It covers a basic introduction to HTML, CSS and JavaScript, some of
the main web based programming languages. It takes the reader
through six missions and tasks created around the disappearance of
the famous Monk Diamond, a fictional scenario developed for the
purpose of coding experiences. The book was produced by Young
Rewired State which is a worldwide group of eighteen and under
digital makers. Get coding utilises Duncan Beedie's cartoon-like characters, speech
bubbles, 'Did you notice?' boxes and colour coding of chapters, to
draw the reader into the concepts covered. Each mission is clearly
stated and supported with step by step instructions before launching
into do it yourself tasks. Readers are directed to weblinks such as
the Get coding kids website
for further help and are encouraged at the end of the book to
continue to develop their skills through other websites.
First steps into any programming language can be daunting, but
provided younger coders are supported with adult help when needed,
they can work through this book to successfully create their first
web content.
Annette Mesecke
The unexpected everything by Morgan Matson
Simon and Schuster, 2016. ISBN 9781471146145
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Romance. Family relations. Friendship. A
perfect holiday read filled with likeable characters and funny
moments, Matson has written an enjoyable romance that is sure to
engage its readers. Andie has her future all planned out - a top
medical school, no serious relationships and avoiding her
Congressman father. All that falls through when a political crisis
sees her father at home and her summer internship cancelled.
Desperate, she takes on a dog walking job, gets to know the nerdy
Clark and hangs out with her friends, Palmer, Bri, Toby and Tom.
Matson's flowing narrative and snappy dialogue made this an
addictive read. Andie's plight of finding her summer plans in chaos
because of the scandal surrounding her father provide the impetus
for her to find another job - dog walking - and this is not what she
had wanted at all. However when she starts to walk Clark's dog
things begin to look up. Clark is the author of a best-selling
fantasy series, living alone in his publisher's house and fighting
writer's block. Home-schooled, he is fascinated by Andie and the
dynamics of her friendship group and the fun that they have
together, swimming in his pool and going on a scavenger hunt.
Andie also has to come to grips with her father, at home for a
lengthy period for the first time since the death of her mother from
cancer. Andie has been used to living her own life, with an odd
assorted of relatives to look after her and no set curfew so it is a
shock to have her father looking out for her. The growth of their
relationship is a feel good aspect of the book.
Filled with lots of funny moments, a heart wrenching look at
friendship between girls, and a moving romance The unexpected
everything is sure to be a winner.
Pat Pledger
The witch's kiss by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr
The witch's kiss, bk 1. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN
9780008182984
(Age: 13+) Witchcraft. Magic. Fairy tale retelling.
Sixteeen-year-old Meredith has decided not to use her powers as a
witch after something went badly wrong, but her family history
ensures that her magic will be used. When she finds a box with a
braid of hair and other artefacts inside it her grandmother tells
her that her destiny is to save the world from a wicked magician,
Gwydion, and Jack, the King of Hearts. With her brother Leo, she
meets Jack in his human form, and gradually details of the tragic
story unfold as Merry goes back in dreams to the time when Jack was
cursed as a baby and when her ancestors, the three sisters, try to
break the curse. The witch's kiss, which is easy to read, will appeal to those
who enjoy the genre of fairy tale retelling. Instead of a princess
being cursed in a cradle, a baby boy prince is cursed and when he
turns 18, the wicked magician Gwydion comes for him, and makes him
take the hearts of lovers, which Gwydion then uses to grow his
magic. Merry is a likeable heroine who has to come to grips with her
powers and make some difficult decisions especially as she comes to
love Jack. Her brother Leo is a great side-kick, supportive and
helpful while the witch's coven, led by Merry's grandmother, make an
interesting contribution as well.
The suspense of wondering whether Merry will survive the trials that
face her keeps the reader engrossed and the rescue attempt under the
lake is exciting. The romance is low key and while the book can be
read as a stand-alone, there is another to follow, The witch's
tears, which may divulge whether true love's kiss saves the
day.
Pat Pledger
The book of Pearl by Timothee De Fombelle
Walker Books, 2016. ISBN 9781406364620
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. A love that lasts for an eternity. A
love that started in one world, a world of fairytales, and continued
in the world we know. In The book of Pearl, we meet Joshua
Pearl. Once, he was Ilian, a prince of the fairytale world until he
was banished to our world and separated from his one true love,
Olia. In the new world, Ilian is taken in by the Pearls and soon
takes on the identity of their dead son Joshua. It is wartime in
Europe and it is while he is a prisoner of war that Joshua discovers
objects that prove his fairytale world exists. Joshua believes
collecting the objects - a mermaid's scale, an archer's bow, a part
of his crib and many others - can open a doorway back home.
Unbeknown to Joshua, Olia was also banished to our world but she was
cursed. She is cursed to only see Joshua but to never be seen by
him. Olia becomes his shadow, his guardian angel. Always there
helping but never seen.
It is a chance encounter with a 14 year old boy that turns this love
story into a story for the whole world to know. The book of Pearl is beautifully written and translated from
French to English. The text is descriptive and emotional and will
hook the reader from the start. It will have the reader believing in
true love. Several storylines are used to tell the story and it
jumps between the past and the present with each chapter. Highly
recommended for readers aged 11+ as well as for adults who enjoy a
well told story.
Kylie Kempster
44 days: 75 squadron and the fight for Australia by Michael Veitch
Hachette, 2016. ISBN 9780733633638
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) The story of the Battle of Kokoda
has been well told. However, the World War 2 battle in the skies
above Port Moresby has not been as well known, until now. Michael
Veitch vividly describes the extremely brave men who, over 44 days
in 1942, with little preparation or material support, flew missions
in Kittyhawks against the superior Japanese Zero aircraft. The
airmen had an extraordinary squadron leader, John Jackson, whose
bravery was an inspiration. However, in the end the unit was
overwhelmed through loss of virtually all their aircraft, erroneous
tactics and the lack of support from the air force hierarchy.
The book includes 15 photographs, maps and chapter notes. The author
provides detailed accounts of the actions of many of the airmen and
demonstrates wonderful background knowledge of the aircraft
involved, as well as the physical conditions the men had to survive
on the ground. But for the author's research, these heroic deeds
would have never been told.
Paul Pledger
Goodnight Spaceman by Michelle Robinson and Nick East
Puffin, 2016. ISBN 9780141365626
(Age: 4-7) Recommended. Space travel. Space. Adventure. An inspiring
story about space travel and being an astronaut, this is a book that
will inspire young children to reach for the stars. Two little boys
get ready for bed and after saying good night to their shuttle, base
and darkest space they zoom away on an adventure in a space rocket.
The book begins with an introduction by ESA astronaut Tim Peake, who
has two small sons who dream of having adventures in space just like
the two children in the book. He is the first official British ESA
astronaut and has spent time aboard the International Space Station.
The book, beautifully illustrated by Nick East, takes the two
children through space up on a space rocket past the planets and
onto the space station. Not only is space depicted in gorgeous
colours, readers will learn about what it is like inside a space
station through the detailed and engaging drawings of its interior.
The rhyming story is perfect to read aloud. The large print and
rhythm of the tale will also be helpful in encouraging beginning
readers to have a go at reading for themselves.
This is lovely book to read at bedtime, but would also be great to
use in the classroom when children are looking at space and
travelling to the planets.
Pat Pledger
Macmillan Children's Books, 2016. ISBN 9781509809899
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Romance. Diversity. This collection features
twelve stories, by 12 well known US authors writing for adolescents:
Leigh Bardugo, Nina LaCour, Libba Bray, Francesca Lia Block,
Stephanie Perkins, Tim Federle, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovran, Brandy
Colbert, Cassandra Clare, Jennifer E Smith and Lev Grossman. The
collection had a range of genres, from adolescent, fantasy, to
horror so some stories will have more appeal than others depending
on the reader's liking for a particular type of genre.
It is a collection that the reader can dip into to find stories by
their favourite authors as well as find stories and genres by
authors that may be new to them. One of my favourites was Head,
scales, tongue, tail by Leigh Bardugo which appears to have
all the hallmarks of a summer romance until the quirky twist at the
end. Another that appealed was Last Stand At the Cinegore by
Libba Bray, a look at a classic horror movie that comes alive - lots
of humour and excitement here! Sick pleasure by Francesca
Lia Block was not your traditional love story at all and will make
the reader think about the meaning of love. Another that took a
different approach to love was Good luck and farewell by
Brandy Colbert where Rashida has to come to grips with the fact that
her beloved cousin is moving to San Francisco with her girlfriend. The
map of tiny perfect things by Lev Grossman has its two
characters facing the same day over and over and having to find
perfect things to keep going.
With its mixture of romance, race and diversity, this is sure to be
a popular collection, although not as light hearted as My true
love gave to me: Twelve holiday stories also edited by
Stephanie Perkins.
Pat Pledger
Archie Greene and the alchemist's curse by D. D. Everest
Allen & Unwin Australia (Faber), 2016. ISBN 9780571307418
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Move over Harry, you have a rival for
my affections! Somehow or other I missed the first book in this
fabulous series (that will need to be redressed ASAP) but no matter,
I was able to pick up the threads from the first well enough to
thoroughly enjoy this volume.
And how could I possibly resist any magical story in which books and
librarians feature so strongly? Well, that just wouldn't happen at
all!
Archie Greene found out he was from a magical family on his 12th
birthday and since then he has been living with his aunt and uncle
plus cousins in Oxford so that he can pursue his inherent
apprenticeship working with magical books. Not only does he have a
natural talent for the work which he is undertaking to learn but he
has a rare gift. He is a book whisperer. He can hear and speak to
books who often reveal secrets that others can have no hope of
discovering.
When Archie's younger cousin also embarks on his apprenticeship and
steps up to receive his 'fire mark' from the mysterious Flame of
Pharos which will denote his apprenticeship path, he and Archie as
well as Bramble the older cousin surprisingly receive another mark.
Two other apprentices also are branded in the same way. The five now
carry the Golden Circle - the mark that has not been seen for 350
years and means that the children are the new 'crop' of original
magic writers. The whys and wherefores are the thread of the story
and the plot untangles like a strange spell itself revealing hidden
histories and uncovering truths.
D. D. Everest has provided readers with an alternate world which in
every sense not only echoes the satisfaction we all had with HP
books but at times eclipses this with highly original plot twists
and characters.
I will be promoting this with vigour in my library just as soon as I
can get hold of the first in the series. I predict that we may well
need multiples as word spreads of the delights of this series.
Amazingly these are the author's first forays into writing for
children - check out the author's
website. Highly recommended for readers from around 8 years
upwards. Make sure you stock up!
Sue Warren
The devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson
Tom Hawkins bk 1. Hodder and Stoughton, 2014. ISBN
9781444775426
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Mystery. Historical crime. The Crime
Writers' Association Historical Dagger (2014). It's London, 1727.
Tom Hawkins is desperately trying to keep out of the notorious
Marshalsea prison for debtors, but when he is mugged and his money
stolen, he ends up facing the appalling horrors of the place. He
discovers that there is a murderer roaming the prison as well as the
ghost of the murdered man, Captain Roberts. He rooms with Samuel
Fleet, known as a devil, and is aghast to find out that he is
sleeping in the bed where the murdered man was found. After being
brutally beaten and tortured he is offered the only way out of the
prison - find the murderer and quell the rumours that are beginning
to taunt William Acton the turnkey of the prison and interfere with
the huge profits that he and Sir Philip Meadows are making.
Tom Hawkins is a most likeable villain, a gambler, deep drinker and
fond of the ladies. Brought up to be the successor to his father, a
country parson, he finds that calling not to his taste. Instead he
discovers the underbelly of London. However, there is a core of
honour to him and he is eager to uncover who and why Captain Roberts
was murdered. The range of characters that he encounters in prison,
from the wicked William Acton to the bumbling chaplain, the clever
Samuel Fleet and his protegee Kitty are all original and bring depth
to the mystery.
Hodgson's well researched setting of the Marshalsea prison
highlights the horror of what it was like to be in debt and thrown
in goal in the 18th century. Descriptions of the terrible
circumstances of the debtors, their hunger, and the cruelty and
corruption of the gaolers provide a fascinating and complex
background to this crime novel at the same time making the reader
well aware of the differences between the rich and the poor. The devil in the Marshalsea gripped my attention right from
the beginning and its historical setting, engaging characters and
tricky plot kept me reading. There is another book in the series, The
last confession of Thomas Hawkins, which I look forward to
pursuing.
Pat Pledger
Children's illustrated encyclopedia by Carolyn Bingham
Dorling Kindersley, 2016. ISBN 9780241238905
A few years ago, perhaps in an effort to be seen as a cutting-edge,
digital-age facility, many libraries weeded their reference
collections, disposing of almanacs, atlases and encyclopedias in the
belief that 'everything was now available on the Internet'. True,
some of those multi-volume sets did take up precious shelf space
even though they were seldom consulted but were retained because of
the expense of acquiring or replacing them. Those who sent them to
new homes (or the skip) were seen as brave and even now there are
libraries where one can find these sets taking pride of place
despite being years out of date.
But gradually there came a realisation that not everything was
available on the Internet and what was there was not necessarily
accessible physically or intellectually to those requiring it at
their point of need. In addition, research started to emerge about
the differences between reading print and digital material with
strong evidence that those who read, evaluate, interpret and use
online information best do so because they have a solid foundation
of traditional print-based skills. But it is tricky to help our
newest readers develop those skills if we no longer have that
traditional collection of print-based resources to offer them.
So this updated, 25th anniversary edition of the iconic Children's
illustrated encyclopedia is going to be a welcome addition to many
school and home libraries. It is hard to imagine that it is more
than a quarter of a century since Dorling Kindersley (DK)
revolutionised the presentation of non-fiction to cater for the
needs of younger readers with clear headings, smaller chunks of
information, clear, coloured illustrations and the use of white
space which decluttered the page and allowed the reader to feel more
in control rather than overwhelmed. With indices, glossaries,
quick-fact boxes and a host of other features DK pioneered this
new-look non-fiction which made all sorts of topics accessible to
the youngest readers who could learn much just from browsing the
pictures even if they couldn't read the words yet.
This 8th edition of the 1991 original covers nearly 400 topics,
arranged in the traditional alphabetical format, offering full or
double-page spreads on those things that young readers want to
investigate as well as new things that will catch their eye as they
navigate through it. One of the common arguments raised against the
cost of and access to online encyclopedias is that they have a
particular bias towards their country of publication, but this one
does not appear to favour anywhere over another. Australia has the
same amount of space as the United States; England has no more than
New Zealand.
Each topic is presented in that clear DK style and does what an
encyclopedia is supposed to do - offer an overview of each featured
topic that can be further explored in more in-depth texts if
desired. There is both a full index and gazetteer, critical for
developing effective search terms and location skills, as well as a
full list of acknowledgements so we can demonstrate the ethical use
of information and illustrations.
Even though it is heavy for little muscles, it would be a wonderful
and affordable way to introduce students to those essential,
traditional skills that are going to provide the platform for more
sophisticated use of non-fiction resources, print or online, in the
future. And being just one volume, it won't take up the real estate
of those older, more traditional sets. Parents and grandparents will
be pleased to know that there is something with which they are
familiar appearing on the shelves, and many will find their birthday
or Christmas gift problem solved.
Barbara Braxton
