Macmillan, 2020. ISBN: 9781509874521.
(Age: senior secondary/adult) Amos Decker and Alex Jamison have no
idea why the FBI has sent them to London North Dakota. On the
surface they are investigating a murder, but why is the FBI
involved? London is in the middle of no where a boom and bust town
now enjoying another boom due to oil extraction by fracking.
The murder is unusual in that the body, discovered by a hunter, has
been autopsied and dumped. Decker and Jamison work with the local
police lieutenant Joe Kelly and the funeral home owner who is also
the coroner. The powers that be in London have been there a long
time and know the important people, and that certainly does not
include the oil workers who come and go, but spend their money in
the town. Two wealthy men own almost all worth owning; Dawson is in
control of bars, hotels and apartments used by workers and McClellan
who has the lions share of the fracking business
Add to the mix an old US Air Force installation, now privately run
but with an Air Force officer in charge, the reader gets an inkling
as to why there may be involvement with federal agencies. Despite
the body count Decker and Jamison seem no closer to understanding
what is going on. As leads are followed and people questioned anyone
with answers dies. Another federal agency is involved clandestinely
along with some highly trained and well armed mercenaries but
surprisingly as the body count continues to rise none of the
populace seem to notice!
The Air Force base has unusual goings on, some of which are noticed
by the religious cult that farms next to it, but they keep to
themselves and the wider community are none the wiser. However
Decker eventually gets to the bottom of the history of the base and
why there are problems and why it is being run by a private company.
The murders in London which may have no connection to the base
require the agents to go back to first principles. There is a lot of
money involved, greed, and love, albeit obsessive love. These lead
them back to the main players,the old London families, and their
interactions and prejudices and grudges.
For those who enjoy the genre, especially the Amos Decker series of
which this is the sixth, I've no doubt this will be tried and true
territory. I found the most interesting aspects to be the fracking
information, the religious cult and North Dakota itself. The
characters are rather stereotypical, either tall muscular and
lantern jawed if male or slender willowy and beautiful if female.
The plot is rather unbelievable, but then again it is The United
States. Themes: Crime fiction, USA, FBI, Fracking, North Dakota
(USA).
Mark Knight
Why I love the Earth by Daniel Howarth
Harper Collins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008389109. 26pp., hbk.
Illustrator Daniel Howarth has taken the words of our littlest ones
about why they love this planet and transformed them into charming,
fun illustrations that will appeal and inspire.
Starting with Teacher Bunny showing her class a globe and giving her
class a classic teaching strategy of completing a sentence, she
says, "I love the Earth because . . . "
Then all her students respond with a range of reasons in a series of
double-page spreads that bring together aspects of the planet,
familiar and not-so.
This would be a wonderful book to share with both parents and
children at this time because it is just made for getting our
youngest readers to respond with text and illustration, especially
when we are trying to strike a balance with screen time. Some might
even like to investigate some of the phenomena that are mentioned
such as how old the Earth is or why it has so many colours.
It's a great way to differentiate the curriculum as each follows
something that fascinates them or has piqued their curiosity.
Another picture book that transcends its target age group and opens
up worlds of possibilities.
Barbara Braxton
Surprising stories behind everyday stuff
National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN: 9781426335297. 256pp.,
pbk.
They are the things we see and use every day and which are so
familiar we take little notice of them - cameras, mobile phones,
rulers, toilets and even common customs like shaking hands, table
manners and saying gesundheit.
But each has a backstory about its invention or development and in
this intriguing little book from NatGeo Kids, each is explained.
With hand-shaking now discouraged, what are the origins of this
practice anyway? With toilet paper now a nightly news item, what is
the story behind its development and the invention of the toilet?
Using its customary bold, colourful design, with stunning photos,
and jam-packed with awesome facts, there are 10 chapters each with
related inventions to keep young minds entertained and educated for
a long time. Perhaps, if students are no longer in the physical
space known as school, it could serve as a role model for their own
investigation of something common. Perhaps a future edition might
have concepts such as social distancing and self-isolation - what do
these mean, what do they look like and why were they imposed?
While the book answers many questions, it has the potential to pose
so many more, each of which could be a research topic for kids
needing something to do, and with self-choice essential it will
engage them while putting into practice all those information
literacy skills!
Barbara Braxton
The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525576.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Readers will become immersed in a
watery world with Tempe, a 17 year old girl who dives deep below the
waves, scavenging for relics in ruins of the time before the Great
Waves destroyed her planet. Tempe is determined to earn enough notes
to buy twenty four hours with her dead sister Elysea in the facility
on Palindromena, where the dead can be revived for a short time. It
is on Palindromena that Lor lives isolated underground rarely seeing
anyone, guilty about causing the death of his friend in a climbing
accident. When he takes on the task of guiding Tempe through the
twenty four hours that she has with Elysea he finds himself on a
chase to bring them back before the time is up when they escape in
search of their parents.
Scholte is a master at world building. It is easy to imagine a world
where the sea has overtaken big cities lying along the coast and
where the survivors must scavenge to keep alive. The idea of being
able to visit your loved ones for a last twenty four hours is one
that will challenge the reader. Would you really be able to face
seeing someone you loved, knowing that it is only for 24 hours?
Elysea knows that she wants to spend these last 24 hours with her
parents, and she and Tempe take off on a dangerous adventure to find
out what has happened to them.
Told in alternative chapters by Tempe and Lor, it is easy for the
author to identify with both main characters. Tempe has become
strong and independent in the two years since her sister's death and
parents' disappearance and she is determined to find out why the
secrets around her parents' disappearance and Elysea's death. The
mystery of what Lor is doing hiding himself away tantalises too and
secondary characters are all fully fleshed and interesting.
This is a unique dystopian story that will appeal to fans of
speculative fiction as well as those who love a coming of age story.
It would make an interesting literature circle book and teacher
notes are available at the publisher's website. Readers who
enjoyed The vanishing deep will want to read Scholte's other
novel, Four
dead queens which is on the Book of the Year: Older
Readers shortlist 2020.
Pat Pledger
A bear named Bjorn by Delphine Perret
Translated by Antony Shugaar. Gecko Press, 2020. ISBN:
9781776572694. eBook available.
(Ages 6 -8). Recommended. A thoughtful, whimsical story that follows
the daily adventures of a Bear, Bjorn, who lives quietly in a cave.
It is a mixture of animal and human adventures as each of the six
chapters reveals another escapade involving the bear and his other
animal friends. He wins a sofa and decides to leave it in a part of
the forest for everyone to use as it just doesn't really fit into
his cave very well. In another chapter his friend the fox helps him
to organize a fun carnival where all his friends borrow clothes and
wear adornments to celebrate and reflect what they see humans
wearing in clothing catalogues. Later he gets his annual check-up
with the very popular Owl who checks them thoroughly from top to
toe. The chapter called 'Nothing' was weirdly appropriate to
illustrate to a young child that it is okay to just sit and
appreciate the simple things around us, especially during the
restrictions on outdoor entertainment as we self-isolate for Covid
19. It was also interesting to be given an insight into the
processes that the bear took to prepare for hibernation in the last
chapter.
All these adventures are beautifully illustrated using black line
drawings and the book has been published on calming mint-green
pages. Best enjoyed by young independent readers or one to one
reading at home where the illustrations can be enjoyed along with
the story. Themes: Bears, Forests, Friendship.
Gabrielle Anderson
Peppa Pig: Peppa's play date by Neville Astley and Mark Baker
Ladybird, 2020. ISBN: 9780241412237. Board book.
(Age: 1-4) Another in the Peppa Pig series is sure to have
young children delighted as Peppa and her family prepare for a play
date with Peppa's new friends Mandy Mouse and Peggi and Pandora
Panda. Peppa is very excited to be having her friends over. Mummy
Pig puts out lots of games, while Daddy Pig organises the crafts for
the friends to use. However when they arrived Mandy Mouse really
wants to play in the garden and so they all troop outside to play
imaginative games like princesses, pirates and giants.
The Peppa Pig series always extols the virtues of family
life and this is no exception. Mummy and Daddy Pig are happy to
accommodate the children's needs even though the work they did to
set up activities is ignored by the children. Daddy Pig brings out a
wonderful feast for the friends to enjoy in the backyard and a very
happy time is had by them.
Mandy Mouse and Peggi and Pandora Panda are new additions to the
friends of Peppa and it is great to see diversity here with Mandy
Mouse happily playing in her wheelchair and proving to be a leader
among the friends.
This is a feel good book that shows the familiar to the young child
who may just be beginning to experience play dates. It also
emphasises the benefits of the imagination and making your own fun
while sharing it with others.
Pat Pledger
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Picador, 2020. ISBN: 9781529005127. 256pp.
Maren lives in the tiny settlement of Vardo on a Norwegian island in
the Barents Sea close to the north-east border with Russia. It is
1617, a time when Christianity is concerning itself with devilry and
witchcraft. On Christmas Eve a sudden storm drowns most of the Vardo
menfolk who had put to sea to capture a school of fish. The storm
drowns Maren's fiancee, Dag, her brother Eric and her father as well
as the pastor. Altogether 40 men die and the women of the settlement
grasp at reasons, including the suggestion that the devil sent the
storm. Eric's pregnant wife, Dina, is from the Sami, the indigenous
people of the area and the devout women direct suspicion at her,
saying the Sami can call the devil. After nine days the bodies of
the men begin to wash ashore and the women retrieve the bodies and
store them until the earth thaws enough to bury them and Dina brings
a Sami shaman to watch over the bodies and conduct rites for the
dead creating further conflict. However the need to survive without
the men leads the women to work together and put out to sea, netting
fish as their menfolk had done. Eventually Pastor Nils Kurtsson is
sent to lead the community but some of the women have tasted
independence and found strength in it. When a Lensmann, Hans Koning,
a kind of lord or sherrif, is appointed, he in turn appoints a
Commissioner, Absalom Cornet, to travel to the village, stamp out any
heathen tendencies and promote the church. He brings with him his
bride, Ursa, from Bergen to the south. As Absalom starts to pursue
his agenda, Ursa forms an unlikely friendship with Maren. The
narrative swings from Maren's perspective to Ursa's and they both
watch with horror as the witch hunting in the settlement starts to
unfold.
Based on historical events, the narrative reflects on some of the
uglier aspects of human nature and the redeeming qualities of true
loyalty and friendship. A hitherto unexamined period and setting
that will appeal to readers of historical fiction.
Sue Speck
Snap by Belinda Bauer
Transworld Publishers, 2018. ISBN: 9781784160852.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Highly recommended for lovers of
crime novels. Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2018), and
Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Nominee for Shortlist
(2019), Snap is a novel for one or two sittings. It is dark
and engrossing with moments of humorous dialogue to lighten the
story. It also has non stereotypic police officers and a 14 year old
boy, Jack Bright, who is really the hero of the story. Years earlier
Jack had been left in the car with his two sisters when it breaks
down. His mother goes off to get help leaving him to look after his
sisters. Then she doesn't come back, her body found in a ditch days
later. Jack's father cannot cope and leaves the children alone, Jack
once again in charge and having to support them all to keep away
social welfare. He turns to theft to feed and clothe the family,
trying to navigate a house full of newspapers that his sister Joy
uses to make tunnels throughout the house, and a little 6 year old
sister Merry who is precocious. Then there is pregnant Catherine who
wakes up to an intruder in her house and a note that says: 'I could
have killed you', and a knife that she hides in her underwear
drawer. DCI John Marvel who has been banished to Taunton after
failing a job in London, is not particularly interested in solving
the burglaries committed by the Goldilocks burglar, but when he gets
a whiff that a murder might be involved, becomes involved in trying
to solve the cold case of Jack's mother's murder.
Bauer draws a poignant picture of Jack, a boy who breaks into the
homes of happy families and lies in the beds of the children, trying
to remember a happy time in his own life before his mother was
murdered. Goldilocks is the nickname that he is given by the police
and when he finds some evidence that might lead to his mother's
killer, he is determined to get help even if it means that he will
be arrested. The suspense around whether Catherine will be the next
victim of the killer and whether Jack's attempts to keep his family
safe will fail, keep the reader breathless until the stunning end to
the story.
I will certainly be picking up more books by Belinda Bauer. This is
a must for readers who enjoy mysteries and suspense.
Pat Pledger
The good turn by Dervla McTiernan
HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9781460756799.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. If charmed by
enigmatic Detective Cormac Reilly in McTiernan's previous two
novels, The
Ruin and The
Scholar then you will be enthralled by his investigation
style once again in The Good Turn. Here he is still out of
favour at his station at Galway, fighting to remain sane after being
stripped of his team, called away to help in a drug bust. But when
an invalided boy sees a girl kidnapped outside his bedroom window,
Reilly must summon who he can to help. His boss is deaf to his
pleas, and when Garda Peter Fisher follows a strong lead alone, it
ends with the suspect being killed. Fisher is sent out of the way to
a small staton run by his estranged father, while Reilly is relieved
of his post. Reilly flies to Brussels to see Emma, and she suggests
that he resign and they stay in Europe, but Reilly has contacted his
old friend who works for Interpol and together they see that there
are stronger forces at work behind Reilly's shafting.
So he returns to Galway bent on uncovering the web of deceit and
corruption which appears to lie at the heart of the station.
Meanwhile Fisher is contending with his hated father, an self
opinionated old style cop who cuts corners. While investigating a
pair of murders near the town, Fisher realises that things were not
investigated with any purpose, things were overlooked, assumptions
made. Fisher's grandmother is elderly and frail, looked after by an
itinerant young woman and her daughter, blow ins from Dublin.
And so we have a set of gripping, overlapping stories, each one
engrossing and at times heart stopping as Fisher and Reilly
investigate things they are not supposed to, disobeying orders from
above, putting their own careers and lives on the line. Ireland,
Crime fiction, Corruption, Murder.
Fran Knight
Wink by Rob Harrell
Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460758878. pbk., 315 pp.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Being a normal seventh-grader is already tough
as it is, and when Ross Maloy gets diagnosed with a rare eye cancer
all that goes out the window. Losing his hair, wearing weird hats,
or dealing with bullies are all things he does not want to deal
with.
This story is based on Rob Harrell's real-life experiences, and
included are also illustrations and cartoons he has drawn himself.
The story is very much true to life in its details about high school
and how teenagers act towards each other and shows the reader an
uplifting side to getting through it.
Rob has crafted a funny and memorable story following Ross Maloy
that deals with a lot of tough topics that teenagers might come to
face at some point in their lives. High school and bullies. Friends
and change. And of course, the process of being diagnosed with
cancer. But Rob also brings to light that we can still find laughter
and happiness when times might seem overwhelming and stressful.
These topics and more Ross did well to interpret into his story, and
in the end made this a noteworthy read that I think teenagers just
coming into high school would enjoy.
Kayla Raphael
The unstoppable Letty Pegg by Iszi Lawrence
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781472962478.
(Ages: 10+). Highly recommended. The unstoppable Letty Pegg
by Iszi Lawrence is a factual historical account of the Suffragette
Movement in England in 1910. Women were fighting for the right to
vote and being treated shamefully by the law, the public and the
Government. Eleven year old Letty Pegg is the daughter of a
middle class mother who belongs to the Suffragette movement and a
working class police constable father - their marriage being
something of a rarity due to the class system at that time. Letty
accidentally witnesses the brutality of the police during a
Suffragette march and through a turn of events becomes a student of
Jiu Jitsu. The Academy where Letty learns and masters Jiu Jitsu is
run by Sensei Edith Garrud. This is a well researched historical
fact that the author has tied successfully into Letty's story. Edith
Garrud was an important figure in the Suffragette struggle and
became a Jiu Jitsu instructor to the Women's Social and Political
Union (WSPU). With her husband she held classes to teach women of
all ages how to defend themselves during the increasingly violent
protests. Letty is mentored and supported by Garrud and puts her
training to good use and forms important friendships along the way.
Included in the story is the disturbing school system of the 1900s.
The teachers were cruel and administered corporal punishment freely.
Girls were treated poorly and educated basically for marriage or to
go into service. Letty and her soon to be close friend Mabel
continually baulk at this and Letty is continually on the receiving
end of a caning from her unpleasant teacher, Mr Metcalfe. While
there are times in the story where Letty's escapades and situations
seem implausible, readers will gain a valuable insight into the
class divide at the time, the oppression of females and the
distressing schooling situation.
The Australian Curriculum Year Six History component looks at
Suffragettes and this novel would be a welcome introduction to this
very important topic. There are many events in the story for 21st
century students to explore and research. This book would be an
important addition to any class or school library. Themes: History,
Friendship, Suffragettes, Jiu Jitsu, Women's rights.
Kathryn Beilby
My Mama by Annemarie van Haeringen
Gecko Press. ISBN: 9781776572687. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Mama and her baby play together, her
in her big floral day dress and he in his very fetching floral
pants. Baby elephant feels very safe with his Mama: they play
together, play on the swings, play with the toy cars on the floor,
go shopping, all the while he is learning new experiences, while she
is teaching him about the world, showing him how to behave. He tells
us that he can climb a great mountain as he scrambles along her
back, easily hide from her until he jumps out from behind her legs
and shows himself, push her on the swing until she gets up higher,
and help her with the shopping when he eats all the chips. Children
will laugh loudly at the little elephant thinking her is helping
Mama when it is really the other way around. Their life together is
full of love, companionship and laughs, although now and again she
has to tell him at length about what he has done wrong.
Translated from the Dutch, the story reflects a universal mother son
relationship, and the wonderful sparse illustrations magnify the
already large pair of animals.
Reflecting the striving of all children to be allowed more freedom,
the story pokes gentle fun at the child who thinks he is ready to
leave home and fly, when really he does what he does because Mama is
there right by his side. Themes: Elephants, Mothers, Growing up.
Fran Knight
Agents of the wild: Operation Honeyhunt by Jennifer Bell
Illus. by Alice Lickens. Walker Books 2020. ISBN: 9781406388459.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Eight year old Agnes Gamble is an orphan: her
Botanist parents died while collecting rare plants in Australia. She
now lives in a high rise tower of flats with her Uncle
Douglas. She has developed a love of plants and animals just
like her parents, but because of where they live, she is not able to
have a pet.
But an Elephant Shrew sitting on her bed, tells her he is a field
agent from a group called SPEARS (Society for the Protection of
Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species) and he wants her to work for
the agency. She of course, jumps at the chance. Her first
operation is Operation Honeyhunt and she and Attie head off for the
rainforests of South America to rescue an endangered bee. Agents of the wild is a fun, adventure-filled book following
a young environmentalist who wants to follow in the footsteps of her
parents, helping to protect and save endangered species.
The book's artwork helps bring the story to life, offering a face
for readers to recognise and identify with. Information is given at
the end of the book to help readers understand some of the threats
to the environment and how they can help. Operation Icebeak,
the second in the series will be published soon. Themes:
Adventure, Honey, Environment, Conservation.
Fran Knight
Peppa loves our planet
Peppa Pig. Penguin Random House Children's UK, 2020. ISBN:
9780241436721. 32pp.
(Age: 3-4) Peppa loves our planet is another story in the Peppa
Pig series, which most small children will recognise from the
ABC TV series. This one starts with the children attending playgroup
and finding out that it is Love our Planet week. This sparks lots of
conversation amongst the children, and they discover many ways in
which they can help save the planet. They are given the task to make
a scrapbook at home, which becomes a event where everyone in Peppa's
family contributes to the ways in which they can help.
This book is a wonderful starting point for children around the ages
of 3-4years who are discovering how they can help our planet in
simple ways, and also without too much change to their routine.
The ideas are easy to implement and also simple to understand
enabling children can grasp the concept and add in to their daily
life without too much issue.
The concepts include recycling, growing food, turning off lights and
composting food scraps. These are all things that are easy for
children to do and also for families to assist with.
I think that this book could be used as an introduction to the
concepts for parents, or equally as a group time story for
kindergarten children. It is easy to read, simple concepts and uses
familiar characters which many children will be able to engage with.
Lauren Fountain
I don't want to be quiet by Laura Ellen Anderson
Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781526602442. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. The heroine of this uproariously funny
tale loves to be noisy. She chats, laughs and claps in school
despite being asked by the teacher to listen. She stomps down
stairs, drums with the spoons and hums when Mum has asked for quiet.
She cannot help herself: clanging, stomping, slurping, crunching,
splashing and even burping. She and the class go into the library
where everyone else sits down to read a book, but she interrupts,
complaining it is too quiet. When everyone tells her that she must
be quiet, and the page has a row of 'shh' across the top, she takes
down a book like the others and finds herself spellbound.
In rhyming lines, the story of the girl's change of heart unfolds.
Reading out loud would be thrilling for the audience, involved in
the tale of this too loud girl and the words which describe the
noises she makes. Kids will love the rhymes, predicting the rhyming
word at the end of each pair of lines, deciding what noise will go
with each word, standing up to make the stomping or clapping or
slurping or clanging words along with the reader.
And the illustrations too will entreat younger readers to look at
the young girl, surrounded by illustrative techniques which show
noise.
No child can be quiet when her mouth is wide open, or sit surrounded
by exclamation marks, or jumping down stairs, or sploshing through
puddles: each page reflects the noise of the child, just as the last
few pages reflect the quiet time as she reads a book. A playful list
of rhyming words, enhanced with wonderfully apt illustrations will
make this a favourite read aloud and join in book. Themes:
Quietness, Noise, Reading, Read aloud, Family, Verse.
Fran Knight
