Peg + Cat : The lemonade problem by Jennifer Oxley and Billy Aronson
Candlewick Entertainment, 2018. ISBN 9781536200614
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Problem Solving, STEM, Mathematics, Cats.
Lemonade stands outside one's house is harking back to a time when
neighbours knew each other, when they supported their kids'
endeavours and there were no worries about drinking from an offered
cup.
Still, that aside, the idea that Peg and Cat set up a stall to try
and sell drinks of lemonade to the local teens in exchange for
marbles, is a step to teaching younger readers about problem
solving, negotiation and maths. This picture book version taken from
the very popular television series, will please younger readers. It
is brightly illustrated, invitingly told, and features numbers and
mathematical symbols throughout the text and pictures. Humour
underlines the simple story of negotiating your way through a
problem, while the illustrations cleverly support the text using
laugh out loud situations that children will recognise.
This will appeal to younger readers wanting a simple introduction to
the numbers from one to ten.
Fran Knight
Under my bed by John Dickson
Berbay Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780994384133
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Under my bed is a fun picture
book all about those monsters hiding in the dark places of a child's
bedroom. What if the monsters had a party? Would you be invited? It
is your room after all. Imagine lying in your bed while monsters
move around your room. Our main character is doing just that! He can
hear them making sandwiches and crushing snails. He can see the
shapes of their bodies in the dark but enough is enough. If he has
to lay here listening then he may as well join in! Will the monsters
let him? Under my bed is all about overcoming your fears because those
fears might actually be a lot of fun. The illustrations are cast in
shadows, making them seem scary in the dark. The white monster eyes
add to this but they aren't scary, they are fun, especially as you
read about what is going on. The story also rhymes, reading like a
poem but with the elements of a story. It is descriptive and
engaging, making it a great read aloud story for parents and in
classrooms. The rhyming element is great for older children learning
to write their own rhymes or if writing about their fears and
changing them to seem fun and harmless. Under my bed would also be good for the Child Protection
Curriculum, supporting children to talk about and identifying
feelings. This story is highly recommended for readers aged 7+.
Kylie Kempster
The way back from broken by Amber J. Keyser
Carolrhoda Lab, 2018. ISBN 9781541514881
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Sibling death. Grief. Wilderness.
Survival. Rakmen's baby sister died and the family is working
through the tragedy in their own ways. He and his mother attend
weekly meetings at Promise House, a support group where the mothers
cry and the children do art therapy downstairs. His father won't go,
like others he goes to the bar and bottles up the grief. Rakmen
helps out with the other damaged kids, including some his age,
Molly, who survived a car crash that killed her sister, D'Veray and
D'Mareay, identical twins whose brother D'Shawn died of cancer.
Their shared experiences help them to understand each other, unlike
Rakmen's best friend Juan, who can't understand why he has lost
interest in sport, girls and the excitement of finishing school.
When his Biology teacher, Mrs Tatlas, turns up at the support group
consumed with grief over her stillborn son, Rakmen's mother
befriends her and he is thrust together with her young daughter
Jacey. His own parents are going through troubled times and so when
he is invited to spend the summer at a remote Canadian lake they ask
him to go, not only to look after Jacey and her mum but to give them
space to find a way forward. The lake is very remote and the
family's cabin run down but it is very beautiful and Mrs Tatlas,
Leah, decides on a canoe camping trip 'au large' in the wilderness.
The trip is very challenging but they gradually find a rhythm to
their days, paddling, carrying the canoe and setting up camp to
collapse exhausted at the end of the day, an escape from the
exhaustion of grief. When Leah breaks her ankle four days away from
anywhere Rakmen and Jacey have to go for help. Loaded with
responsibility Rakmen exceeds his own expectations and dramatically
opts for survival and the living, moving on from blaming himself for
his sister's loss.
This sensitive exploration of grief and healing acknowledges the
complexity of the issue; the triggers, the depression and volatile
behaviour, the self-blame, family breakdown and damage to
relationships caused by the death of a child. The finely drawn
description of the beautiful, scary and dangerous wilderness is a
real strength, powerfully asserting that life is larger than grief,
allowing the characters to discover resilience counteracting the
hopelessness at the start of the book. Recommended for students
looking for a serious read to engage the emotions or anyone dealing
with, or wishing to understand, aspects of grieving.
Sue Speck
Ariki and the giant shark by Nicola Davies
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406369793
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Ariki is a young island girl with a
love for the sea. She has lived on her island her whole life but she
is still seen as a stranger because she wasn't born there. Ariki was
washed ashore as a toddler and has no knowledge of where she is
from. Ariki is also very different to the other islanders due to her
tattoos - they are dots and lines rather than lines and swirls. her
tattoos are also on the opposite side to other girls. The island is
suffering as the fish are not swimming which means no food. When the
nihui (sharks) gather in abundance and as an even larger shark
appears, the islanders believe they are under attack and must hunt
and kill this monster shark. Ariki thinks differently. Her tattoos
tingle when she is in the water with this creature. The cave
etchings she discovers, thanks to the younger children, show this
giant creature needs help from humans. Can Ariki, her friend Ipo,
her guardian Arohaka and eight children help this creature while the
rest of the island wants to destroy it?
"Ariki and the Giant Shark" is a beautiful island adventure and
story about being yourself and believing in your gifts. Ariki is an
excellent role model for young readers because she is strong,
adventurous and independent despite being called names and not
having a traditional family to care for her. The story is
descriptive and easy to read, making it a great read aloud story for
bedtime or even in the classroom. It is a story from another culture,
connecting it to learning about Australia's neighbours in Geography.
This book is highly recommended for independent readers aged 8+.
Kylie Kempster
The Silver Hand by Terry Deary
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781472929488
(Age: 11 and up) Recommended. Written by the extremely successful
Terry Deary of "Horrible Histories" fame, this book is sure to be as
successful.
"It's 1918 and the Great War is entering its final phase. France is
beginning to make small inroads against the Germans while the
Germans are not only continuing to suffer huge loses at the hands of
the French but the deadly Flu is also beginning to have a huge
impact. In northern France, young Aimee has just found out that her
mother is part of a spy network working with the British. After
reluctantly befriending Marius, a German boy who has been left
behind by his countrymen, she must try to help him get back behind
German lines while evading a traitor - the man with a silver hand,
she has helped to discover. " Publisher. Danger lurks at the turning
of every page and I frequently found myself holding my breath.
Deary has done a fantastic job of allowing the reader to get to know
the main characters and develop a close relationship with them. The
familiar hardships faced by so many during war time are experienced
and throw in the constant challenges of evading the silver handed
man, a spine-tingling story is experienced. It sheds light on the
fact that no one escaped from the war in France and this is quickly
discovered as Aimee travels through woods and the countryside. I
thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book and it is a must
have for the library. I will certainly be recommending it to a
number of students.
Kathryn Schumacher
A stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker
Candlewick Press, 2018, ISBN 9780763665968
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Themes: Grief, Pets, Journeys, Wordless
stories. Aaron Becker's "A stone for Sascha" is a cinematic wordless
picture book that begins with the loss of family pet, Sascha the
dog. From the simple act of placing a golden stone on the grave, we
are transported across the world, across millennia, into epic world
events as we follow the stone's journey. Aaron Becker drew
inspiration from his time in Granada, Spain observing the history of
the buildings, where he observed churches built atop Roman ruins.
The maps on the endpapers reference the stone's travels from
Ethiopia 5000BCE then Babylon 600BCE, by sea and overland across
continents, Asia to China then across the Pacific Ocean to the San
Juan Islands. Becker's choice of dark, moody tones with bright
touches of yellow and white are visually appealing.
Without words, the pictures are evocative, connecting the reader
first with the little girl's grief, then with one toss of a stone
into the vast ocean, back in time to a meteor shower and the golden
stone's shattering landing. This turning point changes the story's
direction from deep in the prehistoric ocean, to tectonic plates
shifting, to the golden rock shard emerging in ancient Ethiopia.
Through wars, religious ceremonies, travels by land and sea, pirate
attacks this golden monument's purpose evolves and changes. After
the Chinese sculptor carves the bridge's capstone into a golden box
and stunning dragon the story continues edging closer and closer to
the San Juan Islands and the little girl's hands. Becker's message
of connectivity and the circle of life is beautifully portrayed.
"A stone for Sascha" is a picture book for older readers, one to be
shared across the generations, opening up conversations about the
passage of time, historic events and coping with grief. Becker's
paintings are sweeping landscapes, then slices of history, close-ups
and panoramic with an emotional depth shown through tone and light
and shade. With Becker's cinematic background, this wordless picture
book would translate beautifully into film.
Rhyllis Bignell
We wear pants by Katie Abey
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893609
(Age: 2-6) Recommended. Themes: Clothing. Humour. Katie Abey's We
wear pants is an enjoyable and colourful picture book showing a
broad range of animals wearing an interesting array of people
clothes and shoes. Across a double-page spread we are first invited
to view quirky animals wearing a range of pants: giraffe's neck is
festooned with 'pant-tastic' undies, crocodile's looking snappy in
his nappy, while blue monkey dances in his tartan pants! With speech
bubbles filled with questions and comments, text placed up, down and
around the quirky carton animals, this is humorous book to explore.
While Aussie kids will question the use of wellies, they'll soon see
splashing elephants, a narwhal with a gum boot on its horn, even an
octopus wearing eight wellies having a lot of fun. There is one
character who chooses to remain an individual throughout, yellow
monkey wears something different each time. Abey encourages the
reader to find the biggest hat, the tiniest fish and check out the
range of diverse hats for different seasons. Colourful coats are fun
to wear on the bus, in the rain or sharing a bench with friends. The
fun continues with animals wearing shoes, socks, scarves, t-shirts,
glasses and pyjamas.
Abey's cartoon animal characters are engaging, follow the characters
throughout and observe their antics, especially the cheeky monkey.
Share with a young child, discussing the questions, the silly
situations and crazy ways these animals wear human clothing. Finally
check out their fashion styles when they all get dressed, there's a
fire-fighter alligator, a giraffe in multi-coloured scarves and a
prancing pony in jeans and a red shirt. We wear pants is
entertaining, use Abey's style to create new pictures of animals
dressed as humans.
Rhyllis Bignell
The littlest things give the loveliest hugs by Mark Sperring
Orchard Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408338049
(Age: 2+) Highly recommended. The littlest things give the
loveliest hugs is a beautifully illustrated picture book about
hugs. Each page is bright and detailed, depicting different animals
hugging and snuggling their children. From elephants to foxes to
koalas, this book is ready to be part of a child's nightly bedtime
routine. Even before reading the rhyming sentences, children and
their carers will be busy discussing all of the details in each
illustration. Children can discover where the different animals are
found, make observations about animal families and learn about their
appearance - great Science links.
The rhyming sentences are all about cuddles and snuggles and it
reads like a poem. The rhyming couplets can help children identify
rhyming words, supporting older children to create their own
couplets. The content is aimed at younger children and is highly
recommended for children aged 2+ and younger readers aged 5+.
Kylie Kempster
The nothing to see here hotel by Steven Butler
Ill. by Steven Lenton. Simon and Schuster, 2018. ISBN 9781471163838
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy; Hotels: Magic. In a
rollicking and amusing way, Steven Butler has created a fantasy
holiday resort for magical creatures that can only be described as
disgustingly spectacular. The resort is filled with magical and
fantasy oddities, all hosted by Frankie Banister and his family (A
family that has a befuddled, hybrid-ish troll heritage, with some
human qualities too!) The normally smelly and idiosyncratic (and
invisible to normal folk) hotel is turned upside-down (not
literally) when a rather royal goblin decides to make a visit and
creates instant chaos, leading to holes in walls, hand-to-hand
fights, and piratical attacks. All in a day's work in the hotel
industry for the fantasy world!
Written and illustrated in a very humourous style, the author even
talks to his readers in digressions that poke fun at his own family
and at the action that is taking place. It is no wonder that the
book cover includes recommendations from "Tom Gates" author, Liz
Pichon as it will appeal to readers of her books for its silliness.
Certainly not "Harry Potter"-esque in the quality of the fantasy
writing, but absolutely light-hearted and warm imaginary nonsense
that will appeal to young readers.
Recommended for readers aged 8-11
Carolyn Hull
Hello horse by Vivian French
Ill. by Catherine Rayner. Walker Books, 2018 ISBN 9781406349948
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Horses, Overcoming fear,
Confidence. Through an afternoon spent with Shannon the horse owned
by the illustrator of this lovely story, a child learns to overcome
her fear of horses, and learns to ride.
With little steps, Catherine introduces the child to her horse,
Shannon, a horse she has owned for twenty years. The child is given
a carrot to feed the horse, reminded to place it flat on her hand so
the horse can tell what is carrot and what is fingers. She is then
allowed to lead the horse around the paddock, brush and groom her,
and finally to ride her. Each little step brings the child closer to
becoming a friend of the horse, riding her and feeling confident
with the large animal.
French's words tell us of the afternoon with the horse, telling the
reader of why things are done, giving background to the way the
horse is treated, and instructing the reader in the ways of a horse.
So on the pages where the horse is groomed, for example the reader
will not only see what is being done, and read in the story of the
child and Catherine doing this to the horse, but there is
information at the bottom of the page in a different font which
tells the reader the facts of the undertaking and h why it is done.
These facts are on most pages and an index at the end of the story
allows the reader to quickly find the page again.
This beautifully presented picture book with illustrations that will
make every reader want to go out and pat the nearest horse, has a
double page at the end which contains the index, a short piece of
factual information about the horse and its owner, and a reference
to more information along with small illustrations about the brushes
used for grooming.
Readers will love picking up this book, seeing the child take little
steps to overcoming her fear of the horse, and in this way the
reader may equate the role of little steps in overcoming others
worries they may have.
Fran Knight
Herstory: 50 women and girls who shook up the world by Katherine Halligan
Ill. by Sarah Walsh. Nosy Crow, 2018. ISBN 9781788001380
(Age: 8-13) Highly recommended. Themes: Women - Biography. 50
wonderful women feature in this fascinating and gripping book, women
who been leaders, creators, healers, problem solvers and ones who
have inspired and given hope to many. Each of the women is featured
in an illustrated double page spread, which gives a brief outline of
their early life, the challenges that they faced and what they
achieved. The illustrations include photos, quotes and documents as
well as colourful drawings by Sarah Walsh. The table of contents
includes an Introduction, and then lists women under the following
headings: Believe and lead, Imagine and Create, Help and Heal, Think
and Solve, Hope and Overcome. There is a wide range of women
included from ancient times (Hatshepsut, Boudicca) to modern times
(Theresa Kachindamoto, Rogoberta Mechcu, Cathy Freeman and Malala
Yousafzai), and from many countries and backgrounds.
I was especially interested in reading about women whose names were
unfamiliar to me: Theresa Kachindamoto, Malawi chief and children's
rights activist, Elizabeth Blackwell, first Anglo-American female
doctor, Rosalind Franklin, chemist who discovered the structure of
DNA and Katherine Johnson, pioneering NASA mathematician and
physicist. Even reading about those who were familiar to me gave
extra information, like Ada Lovelace's background and education.
Children will be inspired by these biographies, and reading about
the women's challenges and resilience will give them faith that they
too can overcome difficulties with hard work and self-belief.
This would make a welcome addition to the library or classroom.
Pat Pledger
To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Hot Key Books, 2018. ISBN 9781471407390
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Told in the first person present tense, "To
Kill a Kingdom" follows Lira, a siren princess who is only a few
hearts off ruling the entire ocean, as she rebels against her
mother's reign of cruelty. Having been encouraged most of her life
that human traits were a sign of cowardice, Lira's mistake of
protecting her cousin almost costs Lira her life. Instead she is
forever changed and forced to embrace her 'disgusting' humanity -
her only opportunity for redemption being to return with the heart
of Prince Elian, the notorious siren hunter and heir to the golden
kingdom of Midas. But is embracing her humanity such a bad thing for
Lira? Particularly when the prince is devastatingly handsome and
enchanted with her human looks. And what is Prince Elian planning
now that he's sailing with only half his crew? Is there another way
for Lira to return to her siren self?
Christo weaves a story which runs in parallel to "The Little
Mermaid", using many familiar plot points interspersed with the
murderous nature of sirens. "To Kill a Kingdom" is, as the cover
betrays, in the same vein as works by Sarah J. Maas and Leigh
Bardugo. It deals with coming of age issues, political games, and
the importance of compassion, loyalty, and kindness. While Lira's
mother is painted as an evil sea witch, the novel could also be
taken as a lesson in dealing with bullying and the pressures of
someone determined to inform the way you think. I would recommend to
girls aged twelve and up who like fantasy and fairy-tale retellings.
Kayla Gaskell
Leah on the offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780241331057
(Age: 14 +) Recommended. Themes: School friendships. LGBT. Sequel to
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. The story is set around Leah
and her friendship group in the last year of high school. Leah loves
her drawing, music and drumming but the tensions of finding her way
and conscious of being bisexual is constantly on her mind. She is
not sure about the attraction she feels to a girlfriend in her
group, especially when this girl has a boyfriend.
Leah's life as an only child to a single Mum is so different to the
privileged lives of her friends. This has no effect on her tight
friendship group throughout high school, even though she sometimes
feels it. Simon, her best friend, is openly gay and is in a
relationship within her group. A disagreement about racism with one
friend leads to fights and disharmony. The realisation of senior
year friendships coming to an end as they will be going their
separate ways after Prom adds to her confusion. Leah stuggles with
her feelings and emotions and the reader can sympathise and gain an
understanding of the issues she is facing with her sexuality.
This is an American teenage novel but we can find similarities with
the School Prom and our year 12 formal.
I enjoyed the pace of this book and it was engaging. It gave me a
clear insight into the issues and emotions of teenage sexuality. It
will certainly be picked up by the readers who enjoyed the first
book which has been made into a movie "Love, Simon". Rating: 8/10
Debra Pepper
Roald Dahl's 123 illustrated by Quentin Blake
Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780241330364
(Age: 1-5) Quentin Blake brings his unique illustrations to
this early counting book. He even borrows from his previous work,
with his distinctive enormous crocodile featuring on each page. The
word 'chiddler' (meaning child) as coined by Roald Dahl in The BFG
is also used. The board book counts chiddlers from one to five ('1
little chiddler going for a walk. 2 little chiddlers waiting for
their friend'). Each page also asks the reader to spot the enormous
crocodile that is badly hidden within the illustration ('Can you
spot 1 enormous crocodile hiding in the grass?'). The illustrations
are funny in parts: when the crocodile pretends to be a carousel
animal or a coconut tree for example. The numerals are large and
bold to help with number recognition and the pages are not too busy.
This will enable readers to easily count the children (or chiddlers)
on each page. The ending is clever as it is implied that the
crocodile eats the children but the last page lifts out for a double
spread to show the children all fleeing from the enormous crocodile
who just missed them with his snapping jaws. This is a simple but
fun counting book and a nice introduction to the illustrative genius
of Quentin Blake.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
Roald Dahl's opposites ill. by Quentin Blake
Penguin Random House, 2018. ISBN 9780241330555
(Ages: 1-5) Board book. Opposites. Lift-the-flaps. Each double page
spread of this concept board book features one set of opposites
(big, little; empty, full; tall, short; right way up, upside down;
day time, night time; etc.) The words are accompanied by illustrated
and often humourous examples (e.g., the enormous crocodile with his
jaws wide open and then with them closed upon the feathers of a
shocked bird). There are interactive flaps on some pages but not
all.
The distinctive Quentin Blake illustrations (with his signature
enormous crocodile featured on several of the pages) are delightful
as always, with many familiar characters from his popular works
(elephant, pelican, giraffe).
This is a light-hearted introduction to opposites for young
children, not unique in its field but pleasant due to its simplicity
and wit.
Nicole Smith-Forrest
