Carolrhoda Lab, 2016. ISBN 9781512403084
(Age: Older teens) Illegal drugs. Family violence. Twins.
Being a small scale drug dealer is dangerous but Finn is smart and
careful, he enjoys the excitement and he is doing it for a good
cause. Finn and his twin sister Faith live in a trailer park in
Dammertown. It is their graduation year, a critical time with the
chance to escape to college. Faith, who lost an eye in one of their
father's drunken rages, is such a good student she has qualified for
Harvard but won't be able to afford it even with a scholarship.
Finn, who feels responsible for her lost eye, intends saving enough
money from dealing drugs to pay for her education. In escalating his
drug dealing he increases the risk and stress which he manages with
his own increasing use of drugs, mirroring his mother's use of
antidepressants and his father's use of alcohol. His escape from it
all is birdwatching in the local cemetery where he meets an old
lady with a common interest in birds and access to a wonder drug
which seems to take the user back to their best memory with a
lasting euphoria and no after effects. Better still it is so unknown
it is not illegal and Finn comes to an arrangement where he is given
access to the drug he calls Indigo in exchange for spending time
with the old lady who turns out to be the grandmother of the new
girl at school, the daughter of a cop who chases drug dealers. From
this point the story focuses on their relationship and Finn's
complicated schemes for marketing the new drug, avoiding the big
dealers who have become interested in controlling it and
acknowledging his own dependence on drugs. The pace picks up and
there is an exciting climax at a cabin in the woods and a final
grappling with the challenges of the future but it seemed too little
too late and I am not sure too many of the older teen readers, who
might be drawn to read this novel because of its illicit drug
appeal, would stick with the rather drawn out story development to
enjoy the exciting but abrupt end. It was a depressingly believable
and explicit account of the rationalizing around drug use and the
'live in the now' escapism which replaces ambition.
Sue Speck
One half from the east by Nadia Hashimi
Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780062572196
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This is such a fascinating story. It
is about a young girl in Afghanistan whose life undergoes a drastic
change, at the age of 10, after the calamity of her father losing a
leg in a random bomb blast. With three sisters, and her father
incapacitated and depressed, there is no male provider in the
family, so in order to fill that space and to bring luck to the
family, Obayda is made to become Obayd, dressed as a boy and treated
as one. She is a 'bacha posh', a custom in Afghanistan where some
families select a girl child to live as a boy thus avoiding the
social stigma of not having any male children.
Obayd comes to discover the many advantages of being a boy, he is
given the most choice parts of a meal, he can run freely, join in
rough games, and stay out longer. And he makes friends with another
bacha posh, Rahim, a boy who teaches him to be brave and strong,
daring to do things he would never have dreamt of as a girl.
However there is a cost - there comes a time when the bacha posh is
expected to turn back into a girl and forget all the freedoms he has
enjoyed. For Rahim, promised as a child bride, the prospect is
appalling. Obayd struggles to change his own future.
The book raises many questions about what is a girl, what is a boy,
and society expectations of each of the sexes. It is a sure
discussion starter about issues of identity, gender and family
roles.
This book has been written for young readers. Author Nadia Hashimi
has also written a bestseller for adults, The pearl that broke
its shell. I'll definitely be seeking it out.
Helen Eddy
Burning by Danielle Rollins
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408869956
(Age: Mature 14+) Just before Angela's scheduled release from juvie,
THINGS start happening. First, a 10-year-old girl (Jessica) is
brought in under high security. Then, a new program called Sci-Girls
is causing a major stir among the inmates. There's something about
Jessica, Sci-Girls, and the director of Sci-Girls (Dr. Gruen) that
freaks Angela out. Weird things begin happening, and soon it becomes
clear that there's evil in this prison that has nothing to do with
the girls who are serving sentences.
I enjoyed reading this book. I enjoyed the characters, the writing
style and the atmosphere. I couldn't put the book down. I was
enjoying getting to know the characters' back stories and how they
all interacted with each other. However, it then started along a
different path that was like reading an entirely different book.
Even though I persisted until the end it had just become so
far-fetched I literally thought I was in another story. The ending
finished rather abruptly and left many questions hanging in the air.
There is a companion book being written which will be released in
2017 which I think if the two books were read together, the story
line might come together nicely. Due to the couple of incidents of
murder and a sex scene I would recommend this book for a mature
14-year-old and above. Teacher's
notes are available.
Jody Holmes
Petunia Paris's parrot by Katie Haworth
Ill. by Jo Williamson. Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760403690
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Birthdays, Macaws, Belonging. Opening
the initially very pink and powder blue pages I was quickly taken in
by the tale of Petunia Paris and her family. Each year they ask
Petunia what she wants for her birthday and each year she gets
exactly what she asks for. Problem is she has everything she could
want so this particular year she says the first thing that pops into
her head, a parrot.
And she receives it at her gigantic birthday party, when a pink
clown takes the pink wrapping off the cage to reveal a bright read
and blue macaw.
She is thrilled, and when everyone has left, settles down to hear it
talk. But no matter what she does all he does is squark. She asks
everyone, and reads all her books, but to no avail. He just squarks.
She becomes frustrated and yells at him while the butler suggests
that perhaps she asks him more kindly, which she does, and the macaw
opens his heart to her. He tells her that he does not want any of
the things she is offering, and all he wants is to go home. So her
next birthday when she is six, she does not have to think at all.
She knows exactly what she wants. She wants to go to Peru, and so
off they go, making her sixth birthday party very different indeed.
The simplest gift turns out to be the best of all gifts for both the
macaw and Petunia.
This delightful tale of belonging, of being in the right place will
amuse younger readers as they see the macaw is a 'fish out of water'
in his new environment and Petunia is to be heralded for finding out
where he lives and returning him to his home.
The lively illustrations are full of humour as we watch the family
about their breakfast, or at one of the huge birthday parties, or
trying to make the macaw feel at home. The pen and water colour
drawings are whimsical in their depiction of the fabulous Petunia
and her family.
Readers will love seeing where the macaw really lives and be tickled
by the last fold out page of the macaw at home. And perhaps grab
hold of the idea that not all presents have to be big and bold,
expensive or exclusive, a family being together is all that we
really need.
Fran Knight
The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey
Atom, 2016. ISBN 9780349002156
(Age: Teens) A rich and indulgent fantasy, Grey presents a world
coloured by fear, despair, and highlighted by the ray of hope that
is the Firebird. While this is a great fantasy concept, it seems
oddly disjointed, tripping up the reader and making it more
difficult to read.
Echo is back in this sequel to The girl at midnight, this
time holed up in a warehouse with the former Dragon Prince, his
sworn sword, a duplicitous Avicen, and her best friend, Ivy. The
group have nowhere to go, all having thrown their support with Echo,
the murderous firebird who killed an Avicen warhawk in order to
protect a Drakharin - the ultimate betrayal to the tenuous trust
Altair, the Avicen general, holds for her.
The stakes grow when another mythical beast, the Kucedra, the
Firebird's enemy, appears, reaping havoc not just on Grand Central
Station, but on the otherwise impenetrable Avicen nest. The
unsuspecting Avicen were decimated, the few survivors evacuating to
an enchanted island prepared to safeguard them if ever the nest were
threatened. With despair reigning the Avicen are prepared to welcome
Echo back and embrace her as their saviour - but at what cost? Will
she remain herself or will she become a simple weapon?
Like the first, for me, this was a disappointment - made greater by
the introduction of a love triangle between Echo's Drakharin and
Avicen suitors. It seems that even despite all that is going on,
lust and love are the primary concern of the characters, rather than
the more pressing threat of a shadow monster. To her credit, in this
novel Echo is less concerned with boys and more with the monster -
however the issue of the love triangle appears to be presented as
the most pressing issue. Again, I would only, hesitantly, recommend
this to boy-crazy, fantasy-loving, teenage girls.
Kayla Gaskell, university student, aged 20
Edge of extinction: It's them or us by Laura Martin
Edge of extinction series, bk. 1. Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN
9780008152895
(Age: Upper primary, Lower secondary) This absorbing story, set in a
future world, is the first in a series and it establishes a momentum
that is sure to carry readers along to the final book.
It is easy to empathise with the three main characters, living in a
world fraught with danger since scientists brought dinosaurs back
from extinction.
Sky Mundy is the first person narrator, explaining her motivation
for leaving the underground colony where she has lived since the
disappearance of her father, branded a traitor. Her best friend,
Shawn, follows her into exile and they take refuge with a young boy,
Todd, and his family and friends in a treetop sanctuary.
But Sky and her friend, Shawn, are followed by ruthless members of
the Underground Compound, and now with Todd accompanying them, they
must elude them as well as the ferocious dinosaurs. Fortunately, a
dinosaur hunter saves their lives and Sky discovers that he, Ivan,
is her grandparent. The three young people are relieved when he
agrees to join their search for Sky's father.
The next episode is coming soon. I'm sure young readers will look
forward to it.
Thelma Harvey
Rory the dinosaur wants a pet by Liz Climo
Hachette, 2016. ISBN 9780316277297
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Friendship, Companionship. When Rory visits
his friends Hank and Vera they have a surprise for him. Hank has a
pet and they do lots of things together. Hank shows off his pet,
Sheldon, as they play fetch and hide and seek. Sheldon is so much
fun and when Rory walks off back home he wants a pet as well.
Rory searches high and low, asking some creatures whether they will
be his pet, but they say no. He looks up in the trees, in the
jungle, on the beach, all to no avail. When Rory turns to go back
home the unexpected happens. A coconut falls from the tree and lands
nearby. He takes him back to the tree house and asks his father
whether he can keep him. The age old excuse of 'he followed me home'
is used with much recognition and humour. Rory names his new pet,
George and makes a space for him to sleep. They do lots of things
together: playing games, dressing up, fetch and hide and seek.
After searching for a friend, Rory has one that found him.
This seemingly simple tale of companionship will appeal to younger
readers as they recognise the urge to have friends, and see that in
wanting and seeking them out, they may miss the obvious right under
their nose. A charming story of friendship and all that means for
younger readers, this book has bright colourful illustrations with
lots of little things to watch for, talk about and recognise.
Fran Knight
Hijabi girl by Hazel Edwards and Ozge Alkan
Ill. by Serena Geddes. Bookpod, 2016. ISBN 9780994358356
(Age: 7-9) Recommended. Children's librarian Ozge Alkan collaborated
with Hazel Edwards to write a junior novel with the main character,
a spirited eight-year-old Muslim girl. Melek's dream is to have her
own Aussie Rules football team and of course to be the best player
in the world. When she helps new student Tien on her first day of
school, Melek remembers how difficult it was for her, especially all
the jokes about her hijab. Was it a towel, did she have cancer or
was she bald under the scarf?
Their classroom is a wonderful learning environment 'a doing kind of
place', with science project models, a Rainbow Reading Chair and
colourful encouraging posters. Of course, there is one student at
Melek and her friend Lily's table who loves to cause problems. While
Miss is writing an A-Z of positive characteristics on the board,
Zac's pet rat escapes from his bag, but Rattus Rattus is soon
captured and returned to his bag. After Tien's introduction to her
new class, she is seated at the blue table with Melek, Lily and Zac.
Her special skill is drawing, sketching and blending colours from
her large collection of coloured pencils.
At the end of the day, their teacher announces the Book Parade
scheduled for Friday and all her students are to dress up; they may
even win the Best Dressed Class Award. Together Melek and Tien plan
to write and illustrate a new book - 'Super hijabi girl plays Aussie
Rules Football'. Melek's mother is a tailor who makes super hijabi
scarves, which have many uses as butterfly wings, flags or capes.
The authors have written an easy to read junior novel that explores
friendships, the respect of cultural differences and religions,
creative problem solving and the importance of having goals in life.
Discussion
notes and activities are available. Hijabi girl is a
fabulous resource for classes to learn about social inclusion,
celebrate diversity and to explore our multicultural society.
Rhyllis Bignell
The puberty book by Wendy Darvill and Kelsey Powell
6th edition. Hachette Australia, 2016. ISBN 9780733635496
(Age: 9-14) Highly recommended. Puberty. Growth and
development. Sex and sexuality. Health. Authors Wendy Darvill and
Kelsey Powell have utilised their extensive working knowledge of
family planning and the sex education of both primary and secondary
students to update the sixth edition of The puberty book.
The popular book for both males and females supported by informative
diagrams and amusing cartoons, covers the changes that happen at
puberty, sex and sexuality, physical and mental health, teenage
relationships, pregnancy and birth. Worries and concerns about these
issues are dealt with in an honest and open manner. Preteens and
teenagers from 9-14 ask questions across a broad range of issues -
HIV to pregnancy and the easy to understand answers given are
insightful.
Peer pressure, the power of social media, friendships, teasing and
bullying and parental concerns raise a minefield of concerns for
teenagers growing up in today's society. Embracing a healthy
lifestyle, a balanced diet, sleeping, hygiene and looking after your
mental health are discussed, acknowledged as legitimate concerns
with the answers sensitively written in terms the target audience
can understand. Each chapter focuses on one topic - in 'Learning
about sex', Wendy and Kelsey explore sex and sexuality, sexting, same
sex relationships and when sex is not ok.
The authors promote effective sexual education for children
approaching puberty, keeping an honest and open dialogue between
them and their parents. The aim of this book is to communicate the
content in a healthy and constructive way. With each new edition,
current information is added on contraception, medication and the
influence and pressure of social media. The puberty book 6th edition is an excellent resource for
families, educators, health professionals, counsellors and those who
work with preteens and teens.
Rhyllis Bignell
Moonlight Dreamers by Siobhan Curham
Walker Books 2016. ISBN 9781406365825
(Age: 10+ Highly recommended. This is perhaps one of the best books
for adolescent girls I have read in a long time. I really wish I'd
read it growing up. Dealing with issues ranging from racism,
religion, bullying, body-image, sexuality, and the public and
private sphere, this is highly likely to appeal to a wide audience
of young women who are struggling to find a place in the world. Moonlight Dreamers follows four lonely girls as they are
brought together by a secret society, The Moonlight Dreamers, and
their shared love of Oscar Wilde and his writing. The society is all
about encouraging their dreams and supporting one another to achieve
them. Amber is an outcast, an Oscar Wilde nerd, she's got two dads
and the girls at school are trying to teach her that there's
something wrong with that. Maali is a shy, introverted photographer
who is terrible at talking to boys. Sky's world is being turned
upside down by her father meeting another woman, and more than
anything she wants to perform her poetry. Rose, the only non-oddball
of the group, is being pressured by her mother into a modelling
career she hates - all she wants to do is see her father in America
and bake. Each girl feels like she's being pressured from all sides,
and only in coming together do they learn that they are no alone,
and find the strength to face their problems.
I would highly recommend this novel for any girl aged ten and up,
particularly if they too resonate with this quote: 'Yes I am a
dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way my
moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the
rest of the world.' - Oscar Wilde.
Kayla Gaskell, University student, aged 20
So wrong by Michael Wagner and Wayne Bryant
Billy Goat Books, 2016. ISBN 9780994251756
Highly recommended. Having a problem reaching those reluctant
readers? Well I guess we all have at times. So how to solve the
problem is the question.
Put a fiendishly naughty author and illustrator together and watch
them create what can only be described as outrageously subversive
humorous writing that fools kids into thinking they are not
seriously reading! So wrong is less a book than a collection of snack-sized
craziness which will fool any reader into wanting more of this
reading thing.
There are short stories which it would be reasonable to say include
the universal appeal of toilet humour to a fairly high degree. My
favourite is definitely 'The veree hungree caterpooper'. There are
some fantastically hilarious satirical advertisements - the Parental
Attitude Adjuster would be a highly sought after product.
Interspersed throughout are some dubious snippets of life advice
from a reputedly successful Life Coach for Kids. And of course the
pages are lavishly illustrated with a huge variety of visual jokes
as well.
It's Mad magazine meets Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton...
Both Michael Wagner and Wayne Bryant were reluctant readers
themselves and decided that they would partner up to create the sort
of book (and indeed series) they would have liked to read as kids.
It won't be just your reluctant readers queuing up for this one -
it's going to be a hit with every kid who likes to laugh at general
silliness and a bit of naughtiness.
Check out the Billy Goat
Books website. Highly recommended for all readers who snort
out loud laughing.
Sue Warren
The genius factor: How to capture an invisible cat by Paul Tobin
Ill. by Thierry Lafontaine. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781619638402
(Age: 9+) Nate Bannister is a socially awkward, sixth grade student
with a brilliant creative mind, with an amazing IQ, tested at school
and confirmed by professionals. He is an amazing inventor, and has a
mechanical nose, a self-driving car and has accelerated his dog
Bosper and he now is able to talk.
Every Friday the 13th, Nate undertakes three not-so-smart things,
just to make his not-so-normal life even more interesting. On this
occasion, he has taught Maths to a caterpillar, mailed a love-letter
and rather unfortunately changed Piston his cat into a super-sized
invisible pet. Delphine, one of the students in his class and
afterschool dog walker, observes Nate's differences. After a chance
encounter at the dog park, Nate invites Delphine over to his house
and they become embroiled in a crazy race to capture Piston the
enormous cat who has escaped the backyard and is likely to destroy
everything in town.
Nate's ability to drive the family car is an asset; he's mailed six
special messages that need to be found quickly because when combined
they form conjoined molecules that provide the formula for reversing
Piston's size issues. Added to these dramas, the Red Death Tea
Society and its leader Sir Jakob Maculte are determined to foil Nate
and Delphine's mission before Saturday the 14th.
Simple black and white illustrations drawn by Thierry Lafontaine
focus on some of Nate's craziest ideas - anti-gravity cloth tinfoil,
Sir William the robot gull and pill bottles filled with survival
pills. The reader needs to accept without question the craziness of
Nate's life, and step on board for a wild ride.
Rhyllis Bignell
Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008175399
(Age: 12+) As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of
Hearts, Dinah's days are filled with boring lessons and endless
royal duties, and the constant humiliations at the hands of her
father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is
visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, and the love of her
life. When a stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as
everything she's ever wanted threatens to crumble down around her.
As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody
events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls
of Wonderland. Dinah now must run for her life before she loses her
own head to a clever and faceless foe.
Ok, when I first started reading this book I thought that it was
going to be a cliched story of Alice in Wonderland, I
recognised traits among the characters from the original e.g. Harris
as the white rabbit, George as the mad hatter. Dinah's character
frustrated me to no end. She was a whingey and a spoilt brat.
However, as the story continued, the character grew some depth. As
the king's character started to untangle, the story became
engrossing. The writing of the story was relaxed allowing a younger
audience to easily follow along. My problem was I was waiting for
the characters to evolve into the characters in Alice in
Wonderland but once certain events happened Dinah and her
family and friends all stood by themselves. There are another 2
books to follow on from this one and I am excited to be able to read
them.
Jody Holmes
Neffy and the feathered dinosaurs by Joe Lillington
Flying Eye Books, 2016. ISBN 9781909263895
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Dinosaurs. A factual picture book,
this fascinating look at a young Microraptor, Neffy, as she takes
her first flight, will delight both children and any adult who
happens to pick it up. Each double page spread of the book is
divided into three sections. At the top of the page is the fiction
story of Neffy who is just learning to fly. This is illustrated in
bold colours and gives the reader a good idea of what the little
microraptor would look like. Then there is some information about
the dinosaur herself. As the fiction story continues, Neffy has many
adventures in her quest to soar into the air. She crashes into a
sinosauropteryx, and there is information given about this dinosaur,
its weight, size, diet, habitat, family, location and when it lives.
This format continues as Neffy encounters a troodon, gallimimus, and
many other dinosaurs, all vividly illustrated. Finally she manages
to fly and finds the sky is full of other flying creatures.
This makes for a very entertaining and illuminating read. Young
children will be very interested in the fiction story of Neffy and
will want to cheer her along in her quest to learn how to fly. All
children (and adults) will be fascinated by the facts that are given
about each dinosaur, especially the little anecdotes about how they
were found and what they ate. An example is the deinonychus 'who had
a strong curved toe claw to hold down prey and them them alive'.
There are many other often amusing and entertaining snippets about
the different dinosaurs that will hold the attention of both a
reader and a child who is listening to the book being read aloud.
All the information is based on what palaeontologists have found out
about the dinosaurs from ancient fossils and the book also shows how
the scientific evidence changes as more discoveries are made.
At the end of the book there is a double page spread showing the
size of different dinosaurs, there is an author's note about how the
story is told, and a glossary explains some of the vocabulary used
in the book. The end papers show a map of Earth during the
Cretaceous period.
The illustrations in bold blacks, dark greens and vivid blues add
another dimension to the story and information. The faces of the
dinosaurs are fabulous and will certainly engage the reader.
This book is a keeper. Children who are interested in dinosaurs will
absolutely love it and parents and teachers will find that it is a
wonderful resource for discussion and information.
Pat Pledger
Counterstrike by Peter Jay Black
Urban Outlaws series bk. 4. Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408851494
(Age: 10-14) Recommended. The Urban Outlaws Jack, Charlie, Obi, Wren
and Slink, return in Counterstrike and undertake their most
difficult mission fraught with danger. They need all their high-tech
skills, athleticism, to rely on other underground gangs and trust in
fifteen-year-old Jack their leader's abilities to carry out this
mission in such a short amount of time. Their enemy Hector and his
evil gang is just as determined to find the Medusa weapon locked
deep underground in the Facility. This by far their most difficult
mission for the outlaws as Jack is stretched almost to breaking
point and one of their team is injured.
Twists and turns abound as each team member draws on their own
skills and expertise to plan their break in to the Facility and make
their way to the fifth underground level. Charlie confronts her deep
grief as she returns to her father's auto workshop, the scene of his
murder. Here she uses her amazing mechanical skills to engineer a
dual driver Ford Escort needed to fool the guards at the Facility.
Computer espionage, hacking, viruses and accessing supercomputers
seems easy to Obi and Noble their only adult friend and rescuer.
These five young vigilantes have moved on from their previous Random
Acts of Kindness, stealing from the rich and helping the poor to
survive. Only once does the action slow as they deliver pet lunch
boxes to a rescue dogs' home.
Peter Jay Black understands the reading audience, clever dialogue,
great teenage camaraderie, high-tech equipment, amazing physical
abilities and realistic characters and yes, he leaves us with a
cliff-hanger. How are the Urban Outlaws going to solve their most
difficult dilemma?
Rhyllis Bignell
