Nine worlds in nine nights: A journey through imaginary lands by Hiawyn Oram
Illust. by David Wyatt. Walker Studio 2019. ISBN: 9781406377705.
(Age: Upper primary+) Themes: Fantasy, Magic, Imagination. This
luxuriously produced large format book with its dark padded cover,
metallic motifs and runic fore-edge is a little confusing at first.
The premise is that it contains the writings and drawings of a
theoretical physicist Professor Dawn Gable who experienced a life
changing nine nights journeying with a dragon, Hyllivar, in a
fantastic machine to nine magical worlds. Inspired by nine pages of
a book, given to her by her brother, called Lost in the
Imagination the worlds include Valhalla, Mecanopolis, Wyvern
Abbey and Atlantis, each with a double page from the book.
This is an absorbing and lavishly illustrated journey, alternating
between the pages of the book and Professor Gable's sketches and
scientific observations as she gradually embraces the magical worlds
and achieves self-knowledge, understanding the power of human
imagination. With complex diagrams, lovely watercolour sketches and
interesting information this will appeal to upper primary students
though some of the many typefaces are a little hard to read. An
unusual book, I was reminded of Lady Cottington's pressed fairy
book by Terry Jones.
Sue Speck
Peppa Pig: Peppa's Australian underwater adventure
Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241405024.
(Age: Pre-school) Recommended. Another Peppa Pig adventure will
thrill all the young fans who love to watch the TV show. This time
Peppa Pig has been fortunate enough to win a colouring competition
and the prize is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. With her family
and Miss Rabbit her teacher, the group gets organised for the
journey, buying what they need and then going by plane to Australia.
Miss Rabbit had a very exciting trip by hot-air balloon, helicopter
and boat! Peppa learnt all about marine biology, diving and
different sea creatures that lived in the Great Barrier Reef.
With its enticing sparkly aqua green cover, and beautiful pictures,
this will be a book that young children will enjoy. At the same time
they will learn what marine biology is, different ways of travelling
and the joy of diving deep and looking at the sea life, different
fish and corals that are in a reef. What excitement when Peppa finds
a rare blue clownfish that hasn't been seen for a while!
Fabulous colours, familiar characters and a narrative that can be
read aloud easily makes this a perfect book for any fan of Peppa
Pig.
Pat Pledger
White bird by R.J. Palacio
Penguin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780241397244.
(Age: 12-16) Highly recommended. R.J. Palacio's debut graphic novel
concentrates on Julian, a character from her previous novel Auggie
and me. For his humanities project, Julian Facetimes his
grandmother to converse with her about her life. In their
conversations, it is obvious he has regrets about his bullying past
and his grandmother, Sara, recounts a tale of her relationship with a
boy, Julien, from her class. Due to a disfigurement of his legs from
polio, Julien was known as 'Torteau' which means crab and was
bullied by others in the class. Sara was a student when the Nazis
invaded her home in France. Her family were Jewish and at risk from
the Nazi occupation. She reveals her harrowing story to her grandson
but also remembers the kindness, love and loyalty she received from
the most unlikely people.
The digital illustrations clearly depict the emotions and at times
the horror of war. There are several scenes depicting death, but
they are not overly explicit.
This story highlights the effects of the Holocaust on the Jewish
community during WW2 and the impact the deportation of Jews to
Concentration Camps had on families and individuals, but the main
focus of the novel is the relationship between Julien and Sara and
all she learns about herself and others.
Each chapter is preceded by a quote that highlights an important
message from the story. Perhaps the most poignant today is George
Santayana's message, 'Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it', for the ending of the book links back into
the present and the toxic aspects of modern-day American (and world)
politics.
R.J. Palacio dedicates this book to her mother-in-law Mollie and
Mollie's Jewish relatives who all perished in Nazi occupied Poland
during WW2. The glossary gives the reader more information about the
historical aspect to the novel and a suggested further reading list.
There is a small logo of the Wonder cover illustration on
the front of the book to highlight the connection to R.J. Palacio's
novels.
I highly recommend this book to 12 to 16+ year olds.
Jane Moore
Midnight Ninja by Sam Lloyd
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408884836.
(Age: 4-8) Recommended. Themes: Rhyming Stories, Ninjas, Humourous
stories. 'Meet this little boy and his pussycat called Ginger. He's
got a bedtime secret - he's the mighty . . . Midnight Ninja!'. And
so a new superhero is born and his alias is a little kid in striped
pyjamas. His sidekick Ginger may look meek but when Midnight Ninja
is in trouble (he isn't the best at it) he turns into the Secret
Ninja Master with incredible kung fu puss-cat claws! Ginger actually
looks a little like Mr Pusskins, another of Sam Lloyd's creations.
Tonight's emergency is this: 'Socks are going missing from clothes
lines everywhere. We think a naughty baddy has hidden them in their
lair'. So into his teleporter the Ninja kid goes, crawling and
rolling and leaping and flipping. He finds the baddy lair and a
frightening thing: 'Sock-wearing spiders and a BIG BAD SPIDER KING'
(all tucked up sleeping under their floral blankets and looking
anything but terrifying). There begins a ninja on spider fight of
web blasters and ninja bishing and bashing. But the next bit is the
nice bit: Midnight Ninja's promise is to always help so when the
little spiders explain their feet are chilly he chops down silky
spider webs for Ginger to knit them new socks.
Little ninja-loving kids will be right into this rollicking,
action-packed story that is an incredibly fun read-aloud. They will
love getting a sneak peek into his ninja den crammed full of gadgets
and gizmos and his own ninja training pod (especially considering
the rise of children's ninja courses in playgrounds and indoor
facilities).
The illustrations are busy, with lots of little humourous additions
(such as the spider king reading a book entitled 'How to cook a
Ninja' and the little spiders standing around the fire ready
with ketchup and salt and pepper). This will satisfy little one's
ninja needs but will please parents with its nice message of
helpfulness and using ninja powers for good.
Nicole Nelson
The girl without skin by Mads Peder Nordbo
Greenland book 1. Translated by Charlotte Barslund. Text,
2019. ISBN: 9781925603835.
(Age: Adult) Recommended for lovers of Nordic noir. Themes: Mystery,
Child abuse, Murder, Greenland. Not for the faint hearted The
girl without skin takes the reader on a difficult but
compelling journey tracing a modern murder and one committed decades
before. Matt Cave is a journalist sent to cover the story of a
mummified body found in a crevasse on the edge of the ice. When the
mummy disappears and the policeman who was guarding it is found
naked and flayed, Matt begins to investigate. He uncovers a cover-up
when he meets Tupaarnaq, a young woman who had been convicted of
killing her parents and two sisters.
Tupaarnaq is a particularly interesting character and the
descriptions of the tattoos that covered her body (hence the girl
with no skin) are vivid. Prison has not subdued her - she is strong
and determined. Matt Cave too, doesn't feel he has anything to lose
after the death of his wife and unborn daughter, so is prepared to
investigate where others have been loath to go.
This is not a cosy murder mystery. It is extremely dark and intense.
The murders are particularly gruesome and the themes of child abuse,
subversion of power and cover-ups are very difficult to read about.
However, such was the power of Nordbo's writing that I found that I
had to continue reading to find out all the links between the
current murder and the similar ones in the past. On completion of
the book, I was compelled to Google the places it was set in and
found that child abuse was rife in Greenland, so much of the
darkness of the story is based in actual fact.
Definitely one for adults, and one for readers who can stomach dark
themes.
Pat Pledger
Anna at war by Helen Peters
Nosy Crow, 2019. ISBN: 9781788004718.
(Age 8-12) Recommended. Anna at war will introduce young
readers to the reality of war, of being a refugee and to some of the
evils perpetuated in WWII. The storyline is engaging, from the
horrors of Kristallnacht, to the aching sadness of family
separation, with a dash of adventure, terror and courage whilst
displaying the enduring power of kindness.
Helen Peters has researched her topic extensively and also
demonstrates a deep understanding of children's interactions with
each other and the adults around them. The result is a very readable
book that draws the reader immediately into Anna's story, as she
relates it to her grandson for his school assignment. Anna journeys
from Germany to England on one of the Kindertransport trains and is
fortunate to be fostered by a kind and caring family, only to be
faced with a terrifying situation in her new home. The book could be
a good introduction to a child who knows little of the impact and
realities of war or promote a deeper understanding for those who
have already read in this area. Despite the grimness of the subject
matter it is a surprisingly gentle read.
The book, dedicated 'For all the children who have had to leave
their homes and make new lives in other places' will be a useful
tool in helping children understand the confusion, dilemmas and
challenges that face the refugees and victims of war that they will
meet.
Jan Barwick
Handa's noisy night by Eileen Browne
Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406320015. 32pp., hbk.
Handa and her friend Akeyo live in Kenya, and when Handa has a
sleepover with Akeyo, the girls are allowed to spend the night in a
little hut near the house. They're excited to be on their own, but
as they get ready for bed, Handa feels more and more nervous. She
keeps hearing things - strange snorts, chitter chattering, a big
thud. Akeyo says it's only her noisy family, but on the opposite
page the reader sees the nocturnal animals who are really making the
noise - and while some of them are familiar, others are very
peculiar looking indeed!
With rich, vibrant night-time illustrations, sound effects, and
plenty of curious animals, coupled with Akeyo's explanations which
are not only hilarious, but ingenious, this is a story that will
resonate with children the world over as they step out of the
familiar and have their first sleepover away from home with all the
unfamiliar noises that will keep them awake. While the causes might
not be as exotic as those that kept Handa awake, nevertheless there
is never a limit to the imagination when it's dark.
We first met Handa from the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya in Handa's
surprise nearly 25 years ago and that book was included in the
Seven
Stories'
Diverse Voices list - 50 best children's books
celebrating cultural diversity in the UK since 1950. That, and its
sequel Handa's hen have sold more than a million copies
globally, with each focusing on a topic that children all over the
world can relate to, and perhaps even adapt to their own
circumstances. If you were sleeping in a tent or a caravan, what
might be making the snorting, chattering, rattling, squeaking and
slurping noises you can hear? Rich pickings for the imagination!
Barbara Braxton
At the beach by Nancy Bevington
New Frontier Publishing, 2019. ISBN: 9781925594355.
(Ages: 0-3) Board Book. Themes: Beaches. This is one in a new series
for babies called Can you find? (others are Under the ocean,
In the forest, On the farm). Nancy's previous titles
have included the ZenTails and Mad Dog the chef
series. In this book, each page says 'At the Beach there is . . . '
and then shows and names three things found at the beach (sea,
flip-flops, sandcastles, boogie boards, kayaks, seagulls, goggles
etc. The illustrations are large, happy and fun but quite
realistically drawn. Each page has a contrasting background colour.
The last page says 'Can you find all the things at the beach?' and
shows all of the illustrations included within the previous pages.
These are simple but impressive early vocabulary books that
encourage parent-child interaction and positive book experiences for
babies.
Nicole Nelson
Scars like wings by Erin Stewart
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471185991.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Burns, Survival, Identity,
Resilience. Ava is slowly recovering from a house fire that killed
her parents and her cousin Sara; she is the sole survivor, but
survivor is hardly a word she likes because she has burns to 60
percent of her body and a face that is changed forever. Gone are her
friends, her boyfriend, and her future as a singer in the spotlight.
Instead she is forced to wear a body compression suit, and a bandana
to cover her patchy head and missing ear; her left hand is a stump
with a toe to replace her thumb; and her face is a patchwork of skin
grafts, with eyes that have loose hanging underlids. Her survival is
thanks to her father pushing her through the window to safety below
- a survival she claims was never a choice on her part.
Her uncle Glenn, and aunt Cora, Sara's parents, are now her carers.
To please them and the 'Committee on Ava's Life', Ava reluctantly
agrees to try out at a new school. There she finds a budding
friendship with another burn survivor, a car crash victim, Piper,
who takes a gutsy defiant approach to dealing with her
circumstances. Ava becomes involved in the backstage crew for a
school musical production and another tentative friendship leads her
to hope that one day romance might return to her life. However there
are always the looks of horror and disgust to deal with, the
whispers, and then the bullying. It takes Ava a while to understand
she can't just block people out of her world, she is actually in
need of the love and support being offered her by people who care.
The wings of the title are the wings of the phoenix rising from the
ashes, Piper's totem. Ava has to find her own wings, and her own way
towards a new future. It is an incredibly hard journey. The author Erin
Stewart spent time listening to the stories of burns
survivors, children who suffered the torture tank of skin peels and
multiple skin graft surgeries, and somehow managed to go on and find
joy in life again. So the story is heart-rending in its
authenticity. Scars like wings shares many of the themes of Sean William's
2019 YA novel, Impossible
music - the anger and isolation of the sufferer, the
loss of identity, bitter rejection of well meaning outsiders, the
path to humility and self acceptance, and the struggles to find a
new life that can somehow incorporate the passion of the life they
lost. Scars like wings offers insight into suffering, and
overcoming adversity, and finding personal strength and resilience.
Highly recommended for teenage readers.
Helen Eddy
1, 2, BOO: A spooky counting book by Paul Howard
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526612052. Board book.
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. Themes: Halloween, Counting. Young children
will love this counting book with its funny illustrations and will
be happy to count along when it is read. Two little children go
trick-or-treating, finding all sorts of amazing things as they go
along, including 'one hairy, scary wolf, howling at the moon.
Aroooo!' and 'nine snazzy witch's cats, looking for some fun' until
they find 'Ten giant bags of treats. Let's eat them! Yum, yum yum'.
This is a variation on Howard's I
went trick-or-treating and its sturdy board structure
makes it perfect for younger children. The illustrations are very
humorous and not at all scary, as all the characters have happy
smiling faces. I loved the cute expressions on the faces of the
three green, friendly, smiley ghosts, complete with little hats and
even a bowtie, and the four dancing skeletons are a hoot. The brother
and sister decked out in their Halloween costumes are a treat to
follow as they have lots of fun encountering monster boogie kings,
smiley ghosts, silly skeletons, wizard's owls, creepy spiders, warty
toads, spook-wooky bats, witch's cats and giant bags of treats. The
multitude of amusing details beg for a closer look at the
illustrations and could result in children not only counting the
figures but examining the expressions on the children's faces and
what all the characters are doing on each page.
The rhymes and humour in 1, 2, Boo! make this a wonderful
book to share and great to read aloud. It is sure to become a firm
favourite to read before Halloween.
Pat Pledger
Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw
David Fickling Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781788450010. 422p.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction, Survival, Dogs.
Opening with a daring escape from a horrible school for children, Outwalkers
finds Jake, a 12 year old boy, on the run from the authorities. Set
in a dystopian England, where everyone is microchipped and there is
a threat of catching a killer virus, Jake sets out to find his dog
Jet and a home. Then he encounters the Outwalkers, a gang of young
people who are also on the run from the government system, and
together they go on a massive adventure, travelling from one end of
England to another in their quest to get to Scotland and freedom.
This was a gripping read with a setting in a future England that to
an adult felt eerily real and plausible as the government
microchipped their citizens and watched them non-stop, controlling
their actions and imprisoning children in so called Academies that
were like detention centres.
Jake is the central character in the story and his love for his dog
Jet is a highlight of the story and adds a touch of poignancy as he
tries his best to struggle through the nightmare of his world and
work out who to trust. The portrayal of Swift carefully carrying her
sick sister Cass, and the picture of the motherly Martha, the strong
Poacher, twitchy Davie and young cook Ollie, all make this gang come
alive and the reader is invested in the survival of all of them.
Each contributes a special skill to help the gang move from safe
house to safe house and forage enough food to eat.
Children will read it as a gripping adventure and survival story
with its motley crew of young people vividly drawn. Readers
will also identify with the loyalty and determination that the gang
needs to keep going on their dangerous quest for freedom.
A small window for a possible sequel at the end left me hoping for
another novel from Shaw.
Pat Pledger
Slay by Britney Morris
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781444951721.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Computer games, Virtual reality,
Black power, Cyberbullying. Teenage college student, Kiera has
created her own original computer game, 'Slay', built around
black heroes and familiar concepts in black American culture. Her
idea was to create a safe place for black gamers to play together
without having to deal with the racist stereotypes and the bullying
too frequently encountered in other computer games. And she finds
success, with more and more people joining in around the world. But
suddenly things start to go wrong, when a student is murdered and
the motivation seems to be an argument over Slay coins.
Keira, as developer, feels targeted by news reports that label the
game as racist against whites, and then to make things worse, an
online troll seems intent on bringing her down.
Although the context and jargon may be initially off-putting to
non-American readers, the novel soon draws you in, and readers will
find themselves swept up in the tension of the story, as Keira
juggles both real life relationships and the threat in the
cyberworld.
The novel deals sympathetically with LGBTIQ+ relationships and
recognises that the online world has the potential to be a safe
place for some people to explore their identity. It also recognises
that gamers may not only be young students, but may include people
from all strata of society - video games may increasingly be a
source of relaxation and social interaction, an escape from real
life pressures.
And as far countering cyberbullying goes, the main message seems to
be to stand strong, and to call them out. When Keira makes a stand,
she finds she has many more supporters than she realised, both
online and in the real world.
With many themes in common with On
the come up by Angie Thomas this book will appeal to
readers interested in exciting stories dealing with black power,
virtual worlds and overcoming injustice.
Helen Eddy
Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla by John Cena
Illus. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781524773533.
(Age: 3-10) Brightly coloured illustrations draw the reader into
this picture book depicting five monster truck brothers competing in
a demolition derby against Motozilla, 'that gnarly monster who turns
trucks into crunch sandwiches'. He is pretty scary. The book will be
a useful tool to generate conversation about a variety of emotions
and relationship skills.
Definitely one to read aloud, as the language in the book varies
from quite simple to very complex words and information. The book
uses both conventional text and speech balloons to convey its overt
message of the value of cooperation, encouragement and hard work.
The book will appeal to 3 to 10 year olds, particularly those who
enjoy a story with conflict, trucks and a dose of competitiveness.
Jan Barwick
Elbow Grease by John Cena
Illus. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN:
9781760894658.
(Age: 3-8) Board Book. Themes: Monster Trucks, Persistence,
Determination. This is the board book edition of the same title
published in 2018. The series features five monster truck brothers:
Flash is all about speed, Pinball is intelligent and strategic, Tank
is big and tough and Crash is courageous. The littlest, an electric
truck named Elbow Grease, doesn't have any of these obvious
characteristics but he remains optimistic and cheery because he has
gumption and never, ever gives up. Their mechanic is a young woman,
a welcome departure from the usual image of car sports being a
male-only zone. When Elbow Grease shares his dream of one day being
a monster truck star his brothers laugh and jeer: 'You're too slow';
'You're too small'; 'Your technique and experience are insufficient
. . . ' Determined to prove them wrong Elbow Grease zooms off to the
Grand Prix by himself. He is 'bashed and smashed and even caught on
fire a little bit, but still - HE KEPT ON GOING!' The other trucks
then realise that they can only learn new skills if they stick at
it: 'a little Elbow Grease goes a long way!'
There are many speech bubbles showing the dialogue of the trucks,
which highlight their individual personalities, but these are
disjointed from the main text and make the pages very busy. Apart
from one page the story can be read and understood very well without
them so they seem a completely unnecessary addition, especially in
this board book format aimed at younger children. In addition, some
people may be uncomfortable with how Elbow Grease calls the other
trucks 'jalopies', a word which many children may be unfamiliar
with, but is clearly meant as an insult. Additionally, it is hard to
preach not to stereotype and to broaden your skills when you have
stereotyped your characters by name, appearance and behaviour. There
is a nice message about persistence though and young kids who like
monster trucks will love the illustrations and the action.
Nicole Nelson
Guinness World Records 2020
Guinness World Records Ltd., 2019. ISBN: 9781912286812.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Records. Once again the
Guinness World Records team has brought together a fabulous
collection of fascinating, weird and wonderful records with
something for everyone. In 11 chapters, including Sports, arts and
Media, Planet Earth, Animals, Robots, Tech and engineering, the book
explores different records in many locations.
Dipping in (as one does) I was immediately taken by a photo of the
youngest player, male or female, to score a double century in
international cricket - 17 year old NZ player, Amelia Kerr. Then
after a quick glance at the back cover which had lots of subjects
listed, thought I would have a look at Fortnite, which my grandson
loves. A perusal of the index, brought me to two pages of
information that is sure to engage any aficionados of the game.
Leaving that, I skipped back to the Table of Contents and decided to
have a look at Planet Earth which was divided into geographical
regions and perusing Oceania discovered a gorgeous photo of The
Great Barrier Reef (longest reef) and one of the Daintree Rainforest
(oldest tropical rainforest). Then flicking through, a photo of the
farthest arrow shot using the feet caught my attention (Brittany
Walsh, 12,31m).
As always, the Guinness World Records 2020 is beautifully presented,
with outstanding photography and interesting and well-presented
information about a huge range of records. It is a book that has a
contents page and index to easily find information, but also begs
the reader just to flick through and enjoy the experience of
discovering new and interesting things that have made it into the
records.
It is a must have for a school library and would make a great gift
for any family to share.
Pat Pledger
