Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408892183.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Temper tantrums, Family, Size,
Emotions. Ravi is the youngest in his family. When the family goes
to the park, the others are able to run and jump and play with the
equipment, but Ravi is too short to reach the things he wants to
try. He is not only the youngest of the four siblings, but also the
smallest. He can not reach the monkey bars, or walk across the logs
that are too widely spaced for his small legs, and he definitely can
not go on the big slide. But the last straw occurs when he goes to
get an ice cream and finds there are none left.
He becomes very cross, so cross that his face becomes hotter and
redder, a tail appears behind him, his hands develop claws and his
face becomes striped, and he can roar like a tiger. His tiger
attributes are very handy, stomping around the park scaring people
from the seat he wants, or getting an ice cream of his own to eat.
But sitting by himself he realises that no one wants to play with
him, and he needs to think about what to do next.
All children will recognise the emotional turmoil and eventual
temper tantrum put on by Ravi. Most will have succumbed themselves
or seen others lose their tempers at home, in the classroom or in
the playground. This book shows them that it is not unusual, and
gives a very satisfying resolution to the problem. Ravi loses his
temper, but he realises that there are consequences and a way of
controlling that temper for the betterment of his family. And with a
neat twist, the author shows that there are some situations where a
small show of fierceness is appropriate.
A wonderful fluorescent green cover will attract readers to this
book, the pages inside showing a close and loving family dealing
with the problem of Ravi's temper.
The illustrations promote the close ties of the family, Dad engaged
and helpful, the family unit doing things together. Readers will
love picking out the things they can do in the local park, recognise
the different people that use the park, and emulate the children's
activities there.
Fran Knight
Nobody's victim : fighting psychos, stalkers, pervs and trolls by Carrie Goldberg
Virago Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780349010533. 295p
(Age: Adult-16+) Non-Fiction. Themes: Cybercrime, Privacy Laws. Nobody's
Victim is to be applauded for the detailed explanation and
examples of privacy and sexual cybercrimes from stalking and revenge
porn to sextortion and framing someone for terrorist acts, and
everything in between. Holistically, the author Carrie Goldberg is a
beacon for anyone in any situation who has felt isolated - a
friendless, powerless, maligned or misunderstood victim because
persuasive, convincing sociopaths are not what they seem and our
laws are inadequate to stop them.
Carrie Goldberg founded a victims' rights law firm to combat the way
vindictive lovers, con men and sociopaths hide behind the lack of
internet and social media regulation. Rather than a treatise,
Goldberg uses a conversational style, peppered with cybercrime
jargon unfamiliar to most, to track the growth of her legal advocacy
beginning with her own personal victimization.
Goldberg candidly narrates her own date rape and another personal
ordeal where her 'ex-boyfriend' threatened her, had her arrested on
false charges, and sent nude photos without her consent to her
friends and family. Her clients include: a Grindr user whose
ex-boyfriend invited an incessant stream of strangers to have
intercourse with him at home and at work; a girl manipulated into
filming pornography; a school girl sexually assaulted by a classmate
who was suspended for reporting it amongst others. To compliment
these cautionary tales Carrie Goldberg cites judicial rulings and
legislation, some of which led to the law making revenge porn
illegal, earlier this year. Her extensive footnotes and her wide
array of clients demonstrate that there is something universally
amiss. Finally, we come to understand the knowledge, diligence and
persistence required to meet a niche or rather neglected legal
services demand and establish a successful business.
One of the biggest hurdles discussed is section 230 of the
Communications Decency Act, which protects online providers from the
content uploaded by users. It shielded companies like OK Cupid and
Grindr from criminals destroying her life and the lives of so many
of her clients. However, there are so many other nuances and
barriers cleverly overcome by Goldberg's growing legal organization
and network of change agents, explained here. Finally the #MeToo
movement begins to balance the scales in the victim's favour.
Whilst details are confronting, she discusses the social attitudes
that work in favour of the criminal against innocent victims. The
jargon, breadth of human relationships and sex crimes are all likely
too confronting for secondary school collections - certainly not
teenagers under 16 years of age. On the other hand, children much
younger are amongst the victims described. Nobody's Victim could be a useful and compelling resource for
those teaching Cyber Safety, Legal Studies, Philosophy in Action,
Life Skills etc. Goldberg's Acknowledgements, Footnotes and Index
will be invaluable when selecting appropriate case studies for class
discussion.
Deborah Robins
Peppa Pig: George's train ride
Ladybird, 2019. ISBN: 9780241375891.
Board book. Themes: Trains, Transport. Peppa Pig's family returns in
this book, taking a train journey for Daddy Pig's work. George loves
to ride the train and has lots of questions for his family. On the
way the reader will find out all the details of being on a train
that has a sleeper compartment. The story starts off with a picture
of the train on the railway tracks and then the family is seen
sitting in the carriage. They explore the cabin and after Daddy Pig
presses a button, four bunk beds appear, and then the bathroom is
found through a secret door. What fun when Daddy Pig presses a
button and the water from the shower falls down on his head! Then
the family put on pyjamas and go to bed. In the morning they have
breakfast and when they arrive Daddy Pig has to check some concrete
on the station platform.
The book is illustrated in the bright colours that the reader will
associate with the Peppa Pig series and each picture shows
the Pig family happy and helpful and just loving their train
journey. The narrative is fairly dense for a board book, so it is
one that would be read to a young child by an adult. What makes this
board book stand out is of course, the six sturdy wheels that make
the book appear like a train and make it into a toy as well.
Children will love to wheel this around and the heavy cardboard
construction should be able to withstand some heavy use.
A fun novelty book/toy, George's train ride is sure to
appeal to all the fans of Peppa Pig.
Pat Pledger
Peppa Pig: Australian fun by Ladybird
A Touch-and-Feel playbook. Ladybird, 2019. ISBN:
9780241402412, Boardbook. 10p.
(Age: 0-3) Fans of Peppa Pig will welcome another board book, this
time looking at how things feel. Peppa loves exploring Australia and
finds the touch of the sand to be rough and scratchy, the waves big
and bumpy, the koala fluffy and soft, the boomerang smooth and
bendy, and the pink dress happy and bright. Each thing that is
touched is put on a separate page with the narrative on the page
beside it. The materials that are touched are sturdy and should last
for the touch of little fingers many times.
The Pig family and Mr Kangaroo and Kylie Kangaroo are all painted in
very vivid colours with a bright background for each page. Peppa and
Kylie are outfitted in floral hats and cover-up swim wear when they
are at the beach and everyone wears a hat throughout the book as
they go exploring. The illustrations are amusing - especially the
koala with the big word Snuffle printed above his funny little face
and soft nose that children will love to touch.
This will be a happy read aloud, with words like 'Woohoo!' as Peppa
rides a wave, and 'Woo! Woo' Woo' Woo' as she throws a boomerang,
encouraging the young child to join in. This is a fun book for the
very young and pre-school child.
Pat Pledger
The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
Warrior Bards book 1. Pan Macmillan Australia, 2019. ISBN:
9781760783297.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Coming of age,
Music. I am always thrilled when a new book comes from Juliet
Marillier. The harp of kings is a wonderful fantasy set in
the same world as her Blackthorn
and Grim novels, and incidentally letting the reader
know what happened to them after the conclusion of that series. Told
in three voices, that of sister Liobhan and brother Brocc, musicians
and warriors and Dau a young warrior, the story opens with their
training on Swan Island, each hoping to be chosen as one of the this
elite fighting group. The three are selected to go on a mission to
retrieve the Harp of Kings, which has gone missing. It is an ancient
instrument that is always played when a new king is crowned and it
is feared that the kingdom will be thrown into chaos if it is not at
the coronation ceremony.
Liobhan is a tall, strong spirited young woman who is determined to
become the best warrior in her group. Brocc, too, is a strong
warrior but also totally immersed in his music, always making up new
songs that play constantly in his head. Dau is a handsome young man
who harbours secrets about his past, which he longs to leave behind
him. All three have an important part to play in deciding who to
trust and how to act in a spirit of wisdom and justice as their
quest grows more dangerous.
Faced with the difficult choice of following their mission and
allowing the unsuitable Crown Prince to become king or doing the right
thing by the kingdom, all three will have to examine their hearts
and heed the needs of both fae and human as they attempt to retrieve
the harp.
I raced through this book and finished it in a couple of sessions,
as the action and suspense about what will happen to the three main
characters was gripping. A second re-read, at a more leisurely pace,
gave me the opportunity to see the flaws and growth of the team, the
perils that they faced and also gave me time to think about the
qualities that a good person would demonstrate as a leader.
I also managed a re-read of the Blackthorn and Grim series,
so I had a most satisfying dose of high fantasy set in ancient
Ireland. Marillier's books will appeal to readers who enjoy books by
Sharon Shinn, Robin McKinley and Robin Hobb.
Pat Pledger
Who's afraid of the quite nice wolf? by Kitty Black
Illus. by Laura Wood. New Frontier Press. ISBN: 9781925594706.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Wolves, Fairy tale, Fractured
fairy tale, Appearance. With the bad wolves living up to the
reputation of big bad wolves lolling against the wall, our tea
drinking hero just doesn't add up. All the fun of a fractured fairy
tale is here as our quite nice wolf trains the sheep to stand up for
themselves in the face of the wolf pack.
Our hero, Wilfred loves tending his garden and having afternoon tea
with the sheep and chickens, much to the dismay of the wolves that
howl in the background. The wolves try and teach Wilfred how to be a
big bad wolf, but it just doesn't work, especially when he tells
them that he is a vegetarian.
They tell him that they are to attack the flock of sheep the next
night and he is to be with them. He considers how to avoid this
hideous task, and in waking Mildred tells her his plan. When the
wolves attack the flock they are frightened off by the skills the
newly trained sheep exhibit and get into their car and go away.
This is a wonderful laugh out loud read. Children will guffaw at the
images of the big bad wolf, the group's dress contrasting mightily
with Wilfred's neat slacks and braces, bow tie and buttoned up
shirt. He picks flowers, uses a watering can, tends his garden,
makes cakes for morning tea, reads books and wears lovely spotted
pyjamas.
Children will have fun seeing the contrast between the big bad wolf
image promoted in some fairy tales, and the image within this story,
leading to a discussion of the term parody and looking at other
fractured fairy tales.
Fran Knight
Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Unearthed book 2. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN: 9781760292164.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction, Adventure,
Diversity. Fans who were left breathless by the non-stop action in Unearthed
will be delighted to pick up where Mia and Jules off and continue
with their adventures. Helped by a short summary at the beginning of
the book the reader is reminded of what happened in Unearthed and
will plunge into the story, following the pair as they attempt to
get back to earth to warn authorities of the danger that the
Unearthed pose to humanity.
With the hijacking of a spaceship, imprisonment by authorities, a
wild chase across Spain to Prague, a deadly virus attacking whole
cities and Mia and Jules racing for their lives, the reader is in
for a thrilling ride in Undying. There is also some new character
development that makes for a more thoughtful understanding of the
Unearthed. Twists and turns and unexpected plot developments keep
the reader engaged with both the action and the characters and the
authors manage to bring this duology to a satisfying conclusion.
Fans who get tired of long series, but are reluctant to leave much
admired characters, will be happy with the pace and plots in this
series and look forward to anything else these talented authors
write.
Pat Pledger
Dr Seuss's Horse Museum by Dr. Seuss, illus. by Andrew Joyner
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241425725.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Art history. With the words,
'A canter through art history' on the front cover the reader is well
aware of the topic of the book and will discover what art is and how
artists have represented horses though the ages. The book is based
on a manuscript and notes by Dr Seuss that was recently uncovered,
and Andrew Joyner has brought together iconic figures from Dr
Seuss's book as well as his own engaging illustrations.
A definition of what is art is given right at the beginning and the
young reader is told to look at some of the different ways that
artists have represented horses in their work. They are instructed
to Look it over
Think it over.
Talk it over.
From then on the book explores work from prehistoric times, and
ancient Chinese culture and many, many artists like Picasso, Manet,
Magritte, Pollock and names that aren't as familiar, Katsushika
Hokusai, Marino Marini, and Rosa Bonheur. As the children look at
the paintings they also learn about the kind of art they represent,
like Realism, Impressionism, and Surrealism. There is plenty of
humour in the illustrations to keep the young reader engaged and
older readers who have an interest in art will be fascinated by this
easy to understand tour through art history, instantly recognising
some of the more famous horse paintings and being intrigued by
others.
The back of the book contains images of the works and information
about the artists, with the time period that the artist was alive.
Notes from the publisher discuss Dr. Seuss' lifetime interest in art
and Andrew Joyner's approach to illustrating the book. Teacher's
notes are available to download.
This would be an excellent addition to any library and would make a
fabulous gift for any child who is interested in art.
Pat Pledger
The long call by Ann Cleeves
Two Rivers book 1. PanMacmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781509889570.
(Age: Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended. Themes: Mystery and
suspense, Detectives, Down syndrome. Fans of the Vera and Shetland
series are in for a real treat with Cleeves' new series starring
Detective Matthew Ven a quiet introspective man who is leading a
team in North Devon. When a man with an albatross tattooed on his
neck is found dead on the beach, Ven finds himself uncovering
secrets from his past and present. Then a young woman with Down
syndrome disappears and Ven has more than one mystery to solve.
Cleeves builds up a slow, comprehensive picture of Matthew Ven, his
background as a child in The Brethren, a strict evangelical
community, his subsequent denial of that community and his gradual
coming to terms with himself. The beaches and dunes, small villages
and The Woodyard, a place for disabled and mentally impaired people,
are all described meticulously and the reader gets to know the area
very well. The long call is a character driven novel. Not only does the
reader get to know Matthew, but Jonathon his partner. The two
detectives who are Matthew's off-siders, Jen and Ross, each have
strengths and weaknesses as detectives and as people and their
background stories are fleshed out as well. The women, Lucy,
Christine and Rosa, all who have Down syndrome, are portrayed
sympathetically and in depth and play an important role in the
story.
Cleeves wraps everything up neatly; the reader is able to reflect
back on the clues that she cleverly put into her narrative, but
which are easily overlooked. A very satisfying beginning to a
series, which will be sure to have many followers in the future.
Pat Pledger
The Iliad - a graphic novel adaptation by Gareth Hinds
Candlewick Press 2019. ISBN: 9780763696634.
Themes: Ancient Greece, myths/ legends. Homer's epic poem, about the
tenth year of the Trojan War, fought around the twelfth century BCE,
has endured as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but it
is more than a war story, it is one of human heroism and failings,
and the interference of gods. To help understand the work, all in
beautiful fine watercolours, Hinds presents us with an illustrated
cast of characters, important Achaeans, mainly in blue (Greeks) and
Trojans, mainly in red, explaining that each character's initial can
be found worked into his armour. The other important players are the
twelve Gods who are depicted in semi-transparent pastel shades.
A prologue sets the scene, explaining the modern day location of the
warring armies, how the war started and the involvement of the Gods.
The story picks up as the battle weary Achaeans, camped outside the
fortress of Troy make offerings to appease the Gods who have brought
sickness to the camp. It is seen that the Gods are angry about the
refusal to ransom the daughter of Apollo's priest, taken as a war
spoil by Agamemnon, the leader of the Achaeans. He agrees to give
her up but claims Achilles' woman Briseis in return. A well placed
footnote explains that the army had been raiding allies of Troy and
that men and women became slaves, valuable 'spoils of war'. Achilles
is furious and withdraws his support. The war continues with the
upper hand shifting backwards and forwards between the two armies
often influenced by the Gods who struggle to exert dominance over
each other. Brave men die on the battlefield, their names recited,
ensuring everlasting fame and honour for their families.
The famous finale between the Trojan hero Hector and Achilles is
gripping, it is a bitterly fought battle vividly brought to life in
the illustrations. The author's note at the end reflects on why we
still read the Iliad. 'Humanity is on display with all its nobility
and pettiness and violence and tenderness, it is, simply, a powerful
story.'
Introducing a new readership to some of the most important works of
Western literature has been the goal of Gareth Hinds' wonderful
adaptations of classics such as Beowulf, the plays of Shakespeare,
and this companion volume to The
Odyssey. The adaptation retains the essence of the original
with helpful maps and notes but some students may find it long and
challenging. However, the characters are the original superheroes
and the story compelling, while senior students will find it
rewarding it will also appeal to action graphic fans of all ages.
Sue Speck
Red by Jed Alexander
Cameron Kids, 2018. ISBN: 9781944903114.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fairy tale, Wordless. A
wordless take on the classic tale, Little Red Riding Hood,
in which the Big Bad Wolf and other woodland creatures are planning
something surprising sees Red scampering through the woodland,
meeting the wolf and other creatures along the way. Children will
tell her to be careful of the wolf, but a bigger surprise is about
to happen. I love the wolf's body seen through the trees, and the
red of the girl's cape contrasting with the black and white
background, the small creatures welcoming her to the forest, readers
needing to look closely at each page to spot them all. The image of
an elderly comatose Grandma is turned around as the girl reaches
Grandma's house and finds all the animals there waiting for her. The
black, white and red illustrations beg the audience to add their own
words. They will all know the original story but these illustrations
will make them use their imaginations to build a new tale, one in
which everything ends happily, wolf included, rather than his
stomach filled with stones and drowned.
Fran Knight
Computer coding projects for kids by Jon Woodcock and Carol Vorderman
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241317761.
(Age: 8-16) This is a visual step-by-step approach to split
complicated code into manageable chunks, so that the most impressive
projects become possible. Suitable for complete beginners, this book
gives a solid understanding of programming, how to create their very
own projects from scratch, and move on to more complex programming
languages like Python. Difficult coding becomes easy and fun to
understand using Scratch 3.0, the latest software from the world's
most popular programming language for beginners.
'Make a Dino Dance Party or create your own electronic birthday
cards. Build games, simulations and mind-bending graphics as you
discover the awesome things computer programmers can do with Scratch
3.0.' (Publisher)
Donna Isgar
Baby's first jailbreak by Jim Whalley
Illus. by Stephen Collins. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408891810.
(Ages 4+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Animals, Babies. Baby Frank is
back. A hilarious follow-up to Baby's
first
bank heist, this wonderful rhyming story, is full of
mischief and cute animals. It is so much fun to read aloud, the
illustrations are brilliant, with lots of little details for young
readers to spot.
Can Frank and the animals convince the visitors that they belong
right where they are? The answer is both yes and no. But what
happens finally, you'll have to discover, by getting your flippers,
trunks, or other appropriate appendages on a copy of this
chuckle-worthy book.
The storyline is great, as it gently introduces the downsides of
performing animals, without coming across in a preachy form.
I have to say, this is one of the funniest picture book series, in
recent years, with high hopes for more instalments of the adventures
of 'Baby Frank'.
Donna Isgar
Where the river runs gold by Sita Brahmachari
Orion, 2019. ISBN: 9781510105416. 340p; p/b.
Shifa has to protect herself and her brother Themba as she finds out
the unfortunate truth about her parentage and the controlling
government she lives under in a world supposedly ravaged by an
incredible storm. Characters are deep and well developed,
with even the seemingly most antagonistic characters having a human
side to them. The treatment of Themba's implicit neuro-divergence is
fairly respectful. The plot is largely character-based at first,
focusing on interactions in an oppressive society, but pivots to a
sort of thriller action with escapes and secrets towards the end, in
a way that is interesting and doesn't feel jarring, but the
conclusion does feel a bit rushed and insubstantial.
The novel tackles a variety of themes, and handles them largely
well. There is examination of the expression of creative freedom
under an oppressive government as people struggle under ARK's
'freedom farms'. The populace is controlled through complete
isolation from and lies about a better outside world, but people
fight back with stories and artwork. Treatment of people with
neuro-divergence and mental illness is also looked at, as Themba
struggles to cope on the oppressive farms and everyone tries to deal
with the old lady on the farm. At the core of the plot though, is
environmentalism, with the world presumed to be after a mass
extinction event and the protection of what natural life remains.
The novel takes place in the fictional 'Kairos Lands' with a vaguely
futuristic technology level after recovering from a cataclysm. The
setting is well established with some interesting, but not
too intrusive, world building.
Vincent Hermann
I am so clever by Mario Ramos
Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572496.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Fairy Tales, Red Riding Hood, Wolves.
In a turned about version of Red Riding Hood, we have a wolf
who thinks he is very clever, being outsmarted by the girl in the
red cloak.
The story begins in the usual way with Red Riding Hood taking a
basket of goodies to an ailing grandma on the other side of the
woods. The wolf convinces her to tarry, picking flowers for grandma,
while he scurries off to the house to eat her up and be ready for
the little girl as dessert.
With Grandma nowhere to be seen, the wolf puts on her nightgown,
taking her place in bed, ready to eat the girl when she appears. But
first he must wipe away his paw prints from the doorway and when he
goes outside to do this, the door slams and shuts him out.
He encounters the woodsman searching for his glasss, and spies the
bears, three little pigs, a prince looking for Sleeping Beauty and
seven dwarves off for a shower. He sees Red Riding Hood and tries to
accost her but falls flat on his face, his feet tripping over the
long nightogown, so breaking his teeth and leaving him with egg on
his face. He is shamefaced, not eating the two people he expected to
eat that day. Too clever for his own good.
This engrossing version of Red Riding Hood will have readers
recalling other versions and telling their own stories about the
characters met during the reading. I do like the inclusion of the
other tales as background to the wolf's meanderings in the woods,
and love the turn about of the original story. The illustrations
will appeal to the readers, especially watching closely the various
expressions on the wolf's face as he changes from a confident and
clever wolf to one despairing, embarrassed wolf at the end.
Translated from Le Plus Malin (2011) I turned the page
expecting a little more.
Fran Knight
