Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406382495
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Subjects: Computer programming, Computer
games. Cover subtitle: Build five computer games using HTML and
JavaScript. Get Coding 2 is an exciting and informative how to guide for
young computer programmers. In the introduction we have the
definition of computer software and hardware and take a look back at
the history of computer games. Parents, older siblings and
grandparents will enjoy sharing their memories of gaming from the
classics like Pac-Man and Mario through to Candy Crush Saga and
Angry Birds.
With colour-coded missions, clear instructions, step-by-step guides,
colourful diagrams and key code skills this is a comprehensive guide
to using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. Join scientist Professor Ruby
Day and her friends Rusty, Grace and Markus and learn how to develop
games of Noughts and Crosses, Snake, Table Tennis, Endless Runner
and Side-Scrolling Platformer. Each section begins with The
Developer's Dictionary that includes the game's history and skills
for playing. Creatively organised into bite-size boxes, following
the arrows to develop each level, this is a rewarding approach to
learning these skills. After working through a game build, there's a
challenge to change the design of the board or work on developing
other more difficult games.
Duncan Beedie's bold graphics, with lively characters and cute cat
Scratch add excitement to this comprehensive information book.
Colour blocking, hints and tips in speech bubbles and the attention
to detail make David Whitney's second computer programming book a
great tool for young coders keen to increase their skills and
knowledge. In the United Kingdom, Whitney wrote this for the Young
Rewired State global community, children and youth up to 18 to learn
coding and programming, preparing them to become digital citizens.
This is an excellent introductory guide to teach computing skills
for both young and older users.
Rhyllis Bignell
Paddington at St Paul's by Michael Bond
Ill. by R. W. Alley. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008272043
Sixty years ago, on October 13, 1958 a small bear with a blue duffle
coat, a red hat, a suitcase and a note pinned to his coat which read
'Please look after this bear' was found by the Brown family at
Paddington Station London. Sent from darkest Peru by his Aunt Lucy
who has gone into a retirement home, the little bear was a stowaway
on a lifeboat where he survived on marmalade until the Browns
renamed him Paddington and took him to their home at 32 Windsor
Gardens near Notting Hill.
And so began a great series of adventures culminating in this final
addition, completed before Bond's death in June 2017 and issued to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington's arrival.
Also being released are anniversary editions of the main Paddington
Bear series, each of which has a number of chapters which work
either as a continuing story or a stand-alone episode, making them
perfect as read-alouds to get the child used to the concept of the
continuing characters in novels or read-alones for the newly
independent reader.
With more than 35 million copies sold worldwide, translated into 40
languages, television and features movies, Paddington Bear is
arguably one of the most favourite bears in the world. To have the
stories republished, an exquisite gift
edition of the first story with the original illustrations by
Peggy Fortnum, and this final chapter is indeed a fitting
anniversary gift to introduce a new generation to this series
inspired by a lone teddy that Bond saw on a shelf in a London toy
store and the children who were evacuated from English cities during
World War II.
Barbara Braxton
Wildcard by Marie Lu
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780241342435
(Age: Teens) Recommended. Sci-fi. Fantasy. Emika Chen
barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now she can
no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, the one
person she thought was on her side - Hideo Tanaka.
His plan: to wipe out all crime on earth by ending the free will of
its citizens.
Emika is determined to put a stop to him, but she soon finds a new
threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a
bounty on her head, and her sole chance for survival lies with the
ruthless Zero.
But his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, just how far will Emika go to take down
the man she loves? Wildcard takes place immediately after the events of Warcross,
so it is crucial to read Warcross first to become familiar
with the world Emika inhabits and her predicament as she discovered
Hideo's betrayal. Lu uses the futuristic setting to skilfully
criticize love in all its forms, familial, romantic, and friendship,
revealing the lengths people go to for the people they love through
the actions of Hideo, Emika, and various other characters. Not only
does Lu analyse love, she also explores ethical issues such as
mankind's right to free will and the consequences of removing this
ability, as well as 'the greater good'. She highlights the way
society perceives people as definitively good or bad and suggests
that 'evil' people tend to operate in morally grey areas, while a
single evil or good act does not define a person. While the
supporting characters' personalities and motives were better
expounded upon in Wildcard, there was a disconnect from
Emika, the main character. Emika's actions did not drive the plot;
rather, her role was a reactionary one as secrets were revealed and
events happened around her despite her best efforts to prevent them,
which slowed the overall pacing of the story, despite the whirlwind
action sequences. However, the complexity of the characters and the
layers of deceit Emika faced created an engrossing story which
allowed the exploration of the aforementioned themes. Lu's writing
style and descriptions shine in writing the connections between
people and this book truly showcases her abilities. Wildcard is a well-written novel critiquing the ethical
issues present and emerging in society, providing great food for
thought as well as a good read.
Stephanie Lam (Student)
Elbow Grease by John Cena
Ill. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN
9781524773502
(Age: 4-8) Themes: Monster trucks. Persistence. Determination.
Wrestler and actor John Cena wants this new book series to inspire
children to persevere and believe in themselves. The series features
five monster truck brothers, with this first book focussing on Elbow
Grease, the littlest of the pack. We are introduced to the five
monster trucks on the opening pages and their appearance and
dialogue help to define their unique characteristics. It is nice to
see their mechanic is a young woman, a welcome departure from the
usual image of car sports being a male-only zone. Flash is all about
speed, Pinball is intelligent and strategic, Tank is big and tough
and Crash is courageous. 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. What also makes him
different from his brothers is that he is an electric, rather than a
petrol truck. 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!' He doesn't come in
first place but he does finish and all his brothers are there to see
him cross the finish line. 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 help children to understand their individual personalities,
but these are sometimes disjointed from the main text and make the
pages very busy. 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. There is a nice message here, albeit much too overt, and
young kids who like monster trucks will love the illustrations.
However, it is hard to preach not to stereotype and to broaden your
skills when you have stereotyped your characters by name and given
them a fairly one=dimensional existence. The story and the
production lack a little finesse.
Nicole Nelson
Wisp by Zana Fraillon
Ill. by Grahame Baker-Smith. Lothian, 2018. ISBN 9780734418043
(Age: all) Recommended. Themes: Hope, Courage. Subtitled A story
of hope, this tale of finding hope within the soulless
confines of a refugee camp will melt the hardest of hearts. Idris is
a young boy who has spent his entire life in such a camp, where hope
has been eaten away by the years spent behind wire fences.
Adult memories have been erased by time, eroded by the lack of hope.
They are alone. One day a wisp flies in at Idris' feet. He picks it
up and wipes the dust from it, holding it in his hands. He takes it
to an old man who in holding the wisp, recalls things from his past.
The simple word, once, recalling for him memories that had been lost
within the confines of the refugee camp. The following night he
takes the wisp to a woman whose memories come flooding back, and in
this way, Idris releases memories throughout the camp, becoming
aware of his own sense of wanting to know. Born in the camp, he has
nothing to remember, but in holding the wisp he learns the promise
of a future, he learns to hope.
This poignant story will tug at readers' emotions as they see a
young child, one amongst many, confined in a camp without hope. The
wisp he picks up creates a need within him in hoping that his future
will hold something more.
The darkly overwhelming illustrations depict the bleak campsite: the
rows of tents and makeshift shelters a stark contrast to Idris'
hopes at the end of the book, the shadowy people becoming lighter
with hope, the cupped hands speaking for the child and his hope for
the future.
This is indeed a story of hope, one that will resonate with all
readers who stop to remember the twenty million refugees around the
world.
Fran Knight
Open road summer by Emery Lord
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408898703
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Romance fans will appreciate this summer
road trip with three seemingly privileged teenagers. Country music
and fame is the backdrop to exploring more than one kind of
relationship - Emery Lord combines every girl's fantasy.
Reagan O'Neill's first bad-boy relationship was an act of rebellion.
A survivor, she seeks healing by accompanying her best friend on her
concert tour of the USA, for the summer break. Lilah Montgomery (Dee
to her friends) is a rising Country and Western performer, who
according to the media, is the girlfriend of her support act, Matt
Finch - still only nineteen himself.
Reagan is slowly but surely attracted to Matt. Not only is Matt
Finch attractive but he is equally as famous and talented as Dee.
While Reagan takes incisive photographs of their exciting summer bus
tour, Dee and Matt write their feelings into their song lyrics - an
interesting device but a source of angst for Reagan. Despite
focusing on Dee, who is grieving her own break-up and the price of
her fame, the predictable love-hate banter between Reagan and Matt
builds slowly to a sweet surrender to his charms. Almost
immediately, Matt is set-up to fail, but he is determined to win
Reagan back.
After Lord's more recent, The
Names they Gave Us, we could be disappointed that Open
Road Summer is a formulaic romance by comparison, but Open
Road Summer actually predates The Names they Gave Us
as a new edition of Emery Lord's debut novel. To be fair, Lord
weaves in a few meaty realities - losing one's parents, valuing
life-long friendships over casual hook-ups, not making bad choices,
giving step-parents a chance, the price of fame and even the more
topical problem of fake news. This won't be your favourite Emily
Lord read, but it is more than just a beguiling daydream of love and
fame.
Deborah Robins
World War 1 : The story behind the war that shook the world by Nick Hunter
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2018. ISBN 9781526600882
(Age: Younger readers) Recommended. Themes: World War 1. Produced in
conjunction with the UK National Archives, this Bloomsbury
publication creates a simple overview of the First World War for
younger readers. Giving a simple explanation of the reasons for the
war, and the events and places that are now part of our
consciousness from this terrible time in history, this is a book for
young readers to explain the detail of the Great War. Each double
page includes pictures from the Archives and also images of relics
from the era, with a particular focus on the British experience.
(There is a small mention of Australia's involvement at Gallipoli.)
This book is written in an easy-to-read magazine style, with short
excerpts of information and multiple pictures with clear captions
and is easily consumed from cover to cover, or as a quick reference
book. The index would enable young readers to search for information
as required for school tasks.
Carolyn Hull
Me and my fear by Francesca Sanna
Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN 9781911171539
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Anxiety; Living with fear;
Overcoming fear; Migrants. Me and My Fear is a delightful
picture book, particularly for children who struggle with anxiety.
The central character is a small girl who has a small companion
called Fear, who stays close to her. This is normally a comfortable
relationship, almost a friendship, when Fear is small. However, when
she moves to a new country and a new school where she understands
very little, Fear grows enormously and really disrupts her life. A
small boy's overtures of friendship arrests the disharmony in her
life and sets her on a more normal companionship with Fear again.
She also discovers that the boy has his own 'Fear' companion, as do
all her classmates.
With a simple colour palette and naive illustrations, with Fear
represented as a white blob-like creature, the overall presentation
is immediately accessible for all children. Fear is not conveyed
with any fear-inducing qualities, a clever representation
considering the topic. The power of the story is in the
representation of the psychological struggle with fear and how its
influence can grow and overtake a life. The author confesses to her
own struggles with anxiety in the Author's Note at the end of the
book. The great feature of this book is its reassurance that most
people carry fears, and they can even be a recognised and
comfortable companion, but also that there is hope for those who
need to deal with this sometimes-disruptive and intrusive influence.
This would make a good book to keep in a Counsellor's office.
Highly recommended, to begin a discussion about coping with Anxiety.
Carolyn Hull
Let sleeping dragons lie by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Have Sword, Will Travel book 2. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN
9781743439937
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Swords, Good versus
evil, Dragons. Odo and Eleanor are off on another exciting adventure
with their magical swords Biter and Runnel. When they help a blind
man and an aging knight fight off a bilewolf attack, they discover
that Egda is the king who abdicated when he became blind and the
warrior Hundred is his protector. They are off to try and stop his
sister, the regent from taking over the throne. Joining the pair,
Odo and Eleanor travel across the land meeting dangerous obstacles
and fighting off evil in the hope that they can reach the castle
before Prince Kendryk loses every chance of becoming king.
Written with very humorous dialogue, especially from the magical
swords, Let Sleeping Dragons Lie is a delight from start to finish.
Under the supervision of Hundred, Odo and Eleanor hone their
fighting skills, and learn how to become knights. Their ability to
fight and to plan is put to the test as they face strange
inventions, travel dark underground passages, and cross dangerous
waters. There is a little mystery to solve - why is Prince Kendryk
trying to finish a mural and why is it so important?
One of the outstanding characters in the book is the little bat,
Tip, who spells out messages from the prince to Odo and gives
warning of danger ahead. He joins an array of well developed
characters, including the magical swords that make this book a joy
to read.
With Biter, Odo's talking sword, determined to chase the evil
Falconstone sword that is killing people in the kingdom, readers
know that they are in for another treat in the next episode of the Have
sword, will travel series.
Pat Pledger
Noni the pony rescues a joey by Alison Lester
Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293123
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horses, Australian animals,
Environment, Habitat. Noni the pony rescues a joey will
captivate its audience, already thrilled at the first book about Noni
the pony (2010) and Noni the pony goes to the beach
(2014). All the right ingredients are brought together, Noni, of
course, with her two friends, Coco and Dave, and an array of
Australian animals for young children to recognise and name while
they have this rhyming story read to them. They will thrill at
predicting the word to end each line, and work with Noni and her
friends as they try to find the joey's parents.
Lester entrances her readers with a story of loss, but as Noni asks
each animal she meets, the joey finds her mob, and along the way
small pieces of information are given teaching the audience some of
the habits of these animals. So many of the animals are asleep,
being nocturnal, the koala and her joey asleep because of their poor
diet, the echidna is digging, the father emu is looking after his
chicks, and finally as evening falls the other wallabies come out to
graze, and the joey is reunited with the family.
Lester's recognisable illustrative technique will delight younger
readers as they will be able to find other books by this prolific
Australian author in the library.
The range of animals that live in Waratah Bay will intrigue readers
as they note the echidna, possum, quoll, koala, wallaby, goanna,
emu, wombat and platypus, and feel impelled to find out more about
these Australian animals and their habitat and habits, perhaps
looking for them in their own neighbourhood or seeking them out at
the zoo.
Fran Knight
The Afterwards by A. F. Harrold
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408894316
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Ember and Ness are best friends, completely
inseparable. Ember can't imagine what life would be without Ness.
Until Ness dies, in a most sudden and unexpected way. Ember feels
completely empty. How can this even be real? Then Ember finds a way
into the afterworld - a place where the recently dead reside. She
knows there must be a way to bring Ness back, so she decides to find
it. Because that's what friends do: rescue each other. But the
afterworld holds its own dangers. How far will Ember go to make
things the way they were?
The wonderfully talented A. F. Harrold, author of The Imaginary,
has not disappointed fans with her latest works. This is a heart
warming and touching story that delves into the dark side of the
afterworld. It explores the emotional roller coaster people can
travel on when faced with losing a loved one - the character could
easily be a best friend, family member or even a pet. The book
leaves us wondering what extremes would we go to if we were able to
bring our loved ones back. Themes such as desperation, loss, love
and darkness are evident throughout the storyline. Due to the depth
of darkness in the book, I would recommend it for children aged 10
and up. It would make a fabulous read aloud and create some
interesting discussions. A must have for the library and a welcome
addition to the Christmas wish list.
Kathryn Schumacher
Doctor Who: Twelve angels weeping: Twelve stories of the villains from Doctor Who by Dave Rudden
Ill. by Alexis Snell. BBC Children's Books, 2018. ISBN
9781405938273
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Themes: Science fiction. Doctor Who. Time
travel. Monsters. Aliens. Robots. Villains. Life on other planets.
Twelve short stories featuring the villains from the Doctor Who
series will enthral any fan of Doctor Who and probably encourage
many who haven't seen all the series to go back and find them. The
author Dave Rudden must have an immense knowledge of and love for
the series to be able to write convincingly of all the monsters and
villains that are described in this set of stories. As a fan of the
series I was reminded of many episodes that I had seen and some that
I had missed.
The introduction reminds the reader that 'Everywhere in the
universe, on every planet that has existed or will exist, there is a
winter...' and that 'stories are a light in themselves' and then
goes on to explain the light that is carried in these stories. All
were very readable and will be particularly enjoyable for Doctor Who
fans, but some stood out for me. One was 'Student bodies',
where a young PHD student, Donovan Claire, tries to record what is
happening to her as her memories are stolen by something strange and
alien. The reader also finds out about River Song's youthful
exploits at the university. In 'Judoon the rhino of twenty-three
Strand Street', 10 year old Patricia meets an alien rhino and
learns that she needn't restrict herself to the narrow pathways that
Mother Superior and her father expect of her. Of course a volume
about Doctor Who would be incomplete without a story featuring
Daleks, and the reader will be mesmerised by 'Daleks, the third
wise man', and the doctor as the Renegade.
Each of the stories has a full page black and white drawing by
Alexis Snell and each one vividly illustrates the villain in the
following story - some may give you nightmares!
A must for any Doctor Who fan, this group of short stories will be
welcomed in a library or as a gift.
Pat Pledger
How to tame a human tornado by Paul Tobin
The genius factor, book 3. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN
9781619638990
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Science experiments. Gifted children.
Inventions. Friendship. Sixth-grade gifted inventor Nate Bannister
and his best friend Delphine return in the third book of The
genius factor series. Frenetically-paced, constantly chased,
scientifically amazed, How to tame a human tornado
challenges our beliefs as we follow in the wake of Nathan's
outrageous escapades.
While trying to avoid the evil Red Tea Society and all their wicked
destructive schemes, Nate has found time to hide his science vials
all over town. Each contains a crazy invention, a plague of toads, a
brother turned into a zebra running with a pack of humans also
morphed into zebras and wild lightning storms that won't stop.
Super-wealthy Nate and his talking dog Bosper are a force to be
reckoned with: on Friday the 13th he usually does three outrageous
things, this time he's exceeded his quota causing mayhem in his home
town Polt. His friend who is definitely not his girlfriend is taken
along for the ride, literally. There's even an improved jetbelt
fitted with miniature magnetoplasma rockets to assist Delphine and
her talking bee Melville to escape from the villains chasing them.
When Nate talks scientifically, explaining the structure and
capability of each invention, Delphine is more concerned about
practical issues. The Red Death Society know where Nate lives and
his mission needs to focus on concealing all the hidden vials. When
Delphine's friends become involved, drinking vials of Gravity
Dispersal potion and Crayon Summoning, her adventure course training
is a vital tool in their rescue. Delphine's daily exercise in her
backyard obstacle course has increased her physical and mental
agility. Flying cars that talk even while underwater, talking
animals, hyper-speeding people and the wildest weather add to the
heightened drama.
Paul Tobin's How to tame a human tornado is a rollercoaster
ride at warp speed! There are multiple absurd and crazy characters,
situations and settings that twist and turn continuously.
Friendship, wittiness, scientific and mathematical knowledge add to
the enjoyment of reading this novel for middle grade students.
Humorous scenes, being chased by rubber boots, attacked and buried
under layers of toads and Bosper's smart doggy comments add
excitement. Where to next for Nate and Delphine, especially with the
Red Tea Death Society having a base under the lake?
An exciting, slightly crazy novel filled with science and technology
suitable for preteens, teenagers and adults.
Rhyllis Bignell
What if it's us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471176395
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. This novel explores the awkwardness
of teenage love, friendship and fate, in a modern story written from
two perspectives. Arthur is in New York on an internship for the
summer, hoping to gain experience for his application to Yale. Ben
lives in New York with his lower-middle class family, stuck in
summer school thanks to his now ex-boyfriend. Arthur is completely
captivated by the magic of the Big Apple. For Ben, it's his every
day. Two entirely different worlds, and yet the universe makes them
collide. Right from the first time they meet, you're rooting for the
two boys as you feel their clumsy chemistry emanating from the page.
After the first meeting is interrupted, it takes a while for them to
reconnect in a city of 8 million people, and it's certainly not
smooth sailing from there. It takes them three attempts to get a
first date right, as they struggle with Arthur's tendency to care
too much and Ben's inability to show how much he really cares. This,
along with movements in both their friendship groups cause
increasing tension to build up, dampened only by the romance they
share which keeps them hanging on. Through the highs and lows of
their relationship, they learn that love is not about doing things
perfectly and getting it right the first time, it's about working
through things together to work out what's right for them.
The story is written in a unique way by two authors: Becky
Albertalli and Adam Silvera, both writing from one of the
perspectives of the two main characters. Although the voice of each
character is not specified, those who have read the authors'
previous works may be able to distinguish their particular styles.
Aside from this, there are multiple references to musicals that
Broadway fans will appreciate, along with other references that
teenagers can relate to.
This novel perfectly displays the awkwardness and challenges that
come with being an openly gay teenager, or anyone in a young
relationship in today's society.
Sam Rugless (Student)
When I was a child by Andy Stanton and David Litchfield
Hodder, 2018, ISBN 9781444928853
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Themes: Grandparents. There is magic in everything.
The world is a spinning star,
No matter how old you are.
Andy Stanton's When I was a child is an evocative and
uplifting story of a grandmother and grandchild sharing beautiful
memories of past and present times. David Litchfield's enchanted
multi-media illustrations compliment the lyrical story and take us
to beautiful places.
Grandma opens her book of memories sharing her world from long ago
where people and elephants flew across the sky and the world joined
in with a grand parade. Wonderful celebrations with music and
dancing happened when the world married the sun. Grandma holds her
granddaughter's hand as they watch the Martian girls high kicking up
in the stars. The mood changes when her grandmother talks of 'the
world growing old and grey' and the 'magic shrinking away.'
Emily grasps her grandma's hands and together they fly off into a
bright world with faces in raindrops, there are "minutes that last
for hours" and "flowers celebrate birthdays." The young girl's world
is just as enchanted and splendid.
Andy Stanton's allegorical story delivers a message of hope and
love; both Grandma and Emily see the beauty and reality of their
worlds' past and present. David Litchfield's surreal scenes, filled
with light and shade, energetic magical characters and other worldly
settings add to the enjoyment of this story. A beautiful book just
right for sharing with grandparents and families. Take time to
remember and record special moments together.
Rhyllis Bignell
