Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408878439
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) In this stunning new work, an
extended lyrical work reminiscent of 17th century lyrical poetry,
Sarah Crossan plummets the reader into the lives of one family and
the outcome that looms for one member. As she leads us into the
complex, violent, dramatic and immensely sad lives of the family, we
are drawn deeply into the events of the past that have led to this
point. The story is discomforting, its tale alternating between love
and neglect, loyalty and rejection. Here we have a family that did
not nurture the children, where there is violence, and the parents
seem to have been careless of the wellbeing of their children. One
of the children is to be executed for his crime, of manslaughter,
and his sister is determined to offer him love and understanding.
Harsh and deeply moving, the reality that Crossan presents becomes
discomfortingly comprehensible both in the crime and the punishment.
Told in its bare essentials through a gentle, poetic structure, this
narrative offers us the shocking contrast of neglect and love in one
family, and disturbs us with a harsh state response that is
unforgiving. It is constructed in an unusual manner for a story
placed clearly in the modern world of narrative literature, the
story told as an extended poem. Crossan, in her creation of warmth
and in her deft handling of the angst felt by the family, uses the
bareness of this poetic narration to draw us into the family's
disturbing past and present.
Captivating and powerful, Crossan's work tells nothing outside of
the events and interactions that are crucial to the narrative, yet
the emotions, the drama and the characters are evoked in a
surprisingly lyrical manner. Unexpectedly, as we are drawn into the
world of the text, Crossan builds a feeling of calm, elicited in the
delicate brushstrokes that paint the love of one sibling for
another, in its bare details. This extended poem, in its gentle
tone, is clearly quite at odds with the brutality described and the
violent punishment that is about to occur, yet it is difficult to
ignore her unwritten plea for forgiveness and understanding, for
clemency and non-violent punishment. It is apt for adults, suitable
for older adolescents, but its topic difficult to understand and
disturbing in reality for younger adolescents.
Elizabeth Bondar
Niko draws a feeling by Bob Raczka
Ill. by Simone Shin. Carolrhoda Books, 2017, ISBN 9781467798433 (Age: 4+) Recommended. Emotions. Feelings. Drawing. Writing about
emotions and feelings is always fraught but the author and
illustrator here have presented a book about emotions that younger
readers will grasp. A gentle book filled with line drawings Niko has
made to represent how he feels, children may not understand what
Niko is trying to show with his drawings, but will appreciate that
he loves to draw and each drawing represents something he has heard,
seen or felt. Children will recognise with ease the
misunderstandings between children and adult as each person puts
their own interpretation on Niko's drawings. He draws the ting-
a-ling of the icecream truck, for example and his peers tell him
that it looks nothing like the icecream truck. He explains that it
is the ting-a-ling, not the truck, and still they do not understand.
Moments like this appear throughout the book, causing laughter of
recognition amongst children as they recall being unable to explain
things to other people. They will certainly understand the feeling
of being misunderstood, and of trying to communicate ideas with
other people.
The mix of media used in the illustrations will attract younger
readers, seeing things in the stylised children's art work that they
will recognise and attempt to emulate. I love the spirals and lines
of colour weaving their way from one endpaper to another, covering
the whole of the book from start to finish. Children will love
following the lines as they seem to pull the pictures together, and
they, like Iris will be drawn to Niko's work. A most unusual and
engaging picture book for art lovers.
Fran Knight
A thousand paper birds by Tor Udall
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408878644
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) This lyrical story captures the
imagination in its characters, its garden setting, its wonderful
language and in its story-telling. From the beginning we are plunged
into a world of sensory experiences, of smell particularly. Place
matters in this text, and the gardens (based on Kew Gardens in
London) feature prominently as a place of retreat of delight, of
background, foreground and as a place that is so strongly real it
justifies living.
Udall writes so lightly, it is as if his characters were the paper
birds fashioned in origami, the art so passionately followed by one
character. Her creations are exacting and beautiful, and express the
depths of her being in a way that she cannot do herself. Chloe is
young, an adolescent inexperienced in love, and unable to comprehend
the adult world of anxieties, driving ambition and love. The
physical she can do, and she brings her sense of wonder to a
relationship with Jonah, and he begins to be healed after his tragic
loss.
Loyalty and love, the warmth and exploration of the physical and
mystical aspects of the joining to one other in sex, and the
possibility of healing predominate in this lushly written novel of
companionship, joy, friendship, love and nature. Udall's lilting
prose is joyous, his characters complex and often troubled, but the
world into which he places them is so green, majestic yet gentle,
soft and calming that the unravelling of their individual worlds
slowly seems to be controllable. A truly wonderful piece of
literature, and a joy to read, Udall's work lifts the spirits,
restores feelings of soundness to human life, and is utterly
captivating.
Elizabeth Bondar
The Starman and me by Sharon Cohen
Quercus Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9781786540089
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Adventure, Origins, Science
Fiction, Communication/Mind-reading. The title suggests something
out of this world! To a certain extent this is a book about things
outside of the normal realm - about where we come from, and what we
can become. Kofi is the young protagonist - a thoughtful,
sometimes-bullied young student whose perception of a strange
apparition on the local roundabout leads him to an adventure of
mind-blowing proportions. The 'apparition' is more than a magical
moment, it has a name (Rorty Thrutch) and an unusual identity. Rorty
Thrutch communicates with Kofi in strange ways and with a
captivating grasp of English, and then leads him into a rescue
mission that requires additional support. Cue his friend Janie and
some unexpected helpers. With school discussions highlighting
personal origins and DNA and a father that has a scientific project
that involves thought-control, the direction of the narrative is
quickly high-jacked and taken on its own helix of twists and turns
that are warm and uplifting, but also exciting and unexpected . . .
and a little bit dangerous as well. There is action that is
impossible to comprehend, characters that behave in ways that are
cruel, and scientific, cutting-edge moments akin to magic.
This is not your average school-based adventure, and it will appeal
to a wide range of ages. The relationships and adventurous action
suggest a high-school base, but Primary school readers will also be
impressed by the warmth of Rorty Thrutch, and his endearing and
naive dialogue adds touches of humour throughout the parts of the
story that are quite serious.
Carolyn Hull
Alex and Eliza by Melissa De La Cruz
PanMacmillan, 2017. ISBN 9781509869978
(Age: 15+) Recommended for readers of romance. Themes: Romance,
American History - American Revolution, Love, Wealth and Privilege.
If you loved Pride and Prejudice you'll love this American
tale of love in the privileged world of old New York in the 1770's.
This is also the era of George Washington, the rise of the American
identity and patriotism separate from their British and European
forbears, and also the era of conflict known as the American
Revolution. Into this historical setting is a retelling of real
events involving the young Alex Hamilton, who came from nowhere to
be the respected right-hand man for the General George Washington.
In this role he meets the Schuyler family (one of the wealthy
founding families in America of Dutch heritage) and falls for the
second of the marriageable daughters - Eliza. Eliza is much like
Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice in that she is
thoughtful, responsible and a little bit feisty and independent, and
not swayed by the fashion trends and social expectations of the
times. Her independence and unselfish attitude is unusual in the
world of privilege and wealth that has formed in the growing
country. The Schuyler's circumstances and the troubled times mean
that love and marriage is a carefully orchestrated alliance between
well-to-do families to protect and preserve the honour of a family
name in the new country. Consequently any connection between Alex
and Eliza, although romantic, may be doomed to fail. The course of
history though reminds us that in this unusual story, love does rule
over expectation.
Melissa De La Cruz wrote this novelisation of the historical love
story after seeing the musical - Hamilton: An American Musical.
The epic love story is written in the style of a much older novel,
with a proper and polite nod to the times. The beautiful language is
very reminiscent of Jane Austen and other writers from the same era.
The glimpse into early American history, and the social and fashion
history of the 1770's is delightful and almost humourous to a modern
reader eg. the dusted wigs worn by male and females as a statement
of their standing in society is almost impossible to fathom for a
modern reader! An insight into the period of the American Revolution
is also intriguing, as it weaves through the romance.
Carolyn Hull
Aussie legends alphabet by Beck Feiner
ABC Books, 2017. ISBN 97807333338946
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Alphabet, Legends, Australian
legends. Alphabet books are always fascinating, speculating on the
reason some words and images were included to homour that letter.
This one will engage readers, pondering just who they would give the
nod to as a legend of Australia, and being delighted at those who
have made the cut in this board book from ABC Books.
From Cathy Freeman to Julia Gillard, Victor Chang to Eddie Mabo,
Jorn Utzon to Steve Irwin, each inclusion is as surprising as it is
informative. I was impressed that there is only one footballer,
yeah! and Adam Goodes was included partly because of his ability on
the football field but more importantly for what he has done for his
people. Medical pioneers, Fred Hollows and Victor Chang make a
wonderful inclusion as do social vanguards, Kath and Kim, Ita
Buttrose and Dame Edna Everage. And a nod to history includes Ned
Kelly, Henry Lawson and Nancy Wake, while the arts are represented
by Dame Joan Sutherland, INXS, Yothu Yindi and Queenie MacKenzie
amongst others. Each is included for a multiplicity of reasons,
which younger readers and older ones as well, will delight in
reasoning out. At the end of the book are a few pages containing
more information about each inclusion.
Each person represents excellence in their fields, achieving
something all of us can admire. Each page has one letter with an
often amusing representation of that person wrapped around the
letter, while the page next to the illustrations contains a brief
amount of information.
This is a fascinating alphabet book, sure to delight, amuse and
inform.
Fran Knight
No filter by Orlagh Collins
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408884515
(Age: Adolescent) Beautifully written, told in the first person by
two adolescents who meet unexpectedly at the seaside in Ireland,
this novel is delightfully entertaining. Collins directly addresses
important issues for adolescents in the modern world. Emerald has
come from England, having just finished her penultimate year at
school, and Liam is similarly on holidays, having completed his
schooling in Ireland. It is instant attraction for them both when
they meet at the beach, and the summer is spent together as much as
possible. Emerald has been sent to her grandmother's home in Ireland
for the summer, her family having some undisclosed issues, and Liam
is working while deciding what he will do in the future. Their
powerful attraction is beautifully recounted, particularly as told
in their first person narratives. The seaside setting is idyllic and
described in its wildness and beauty.
In this vibrant, gripping, entertaining and delightfully told
narrative, Collins addresses the issues of mental health, of class
divisions and factionalism, of aging, of adolescence, of betrayal
and loyalty, and of the abiding joy of deep friendship and the
possibility of loving the right person. Beautifully told, this
narrative reveals the goodness of two young people who grow to care
deeply about each other, but also Collins ensures that we understand
that they care and respect their families and their place in those
families.
A strongly expressed reflection on the modern world, on family
secrets and weaknesses, on healing, friendship and reconciliation,
this is a powerfully moving novel of an emerging modern Ireland and
its relationship with its neighbours. Highly suitable for
adolescents, younger and older, and a beautifully written novel that
would be enjoyed by adults who understand the conflict that has been
so much a disturbing part of modern Ireland.
Elizabeth Bondar
Zombiefied! Apocalypse by C.M. Gray
Harper Collins Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9780733334245
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Halloween can be a fun time but when you are
half zombie things can be a bit different. Ben hopes that being half
zombie will help him get extra candy this Halloween.
Ben and his best friend Sophie soon find themselves in a sticky
situation. They are the only ones who seem to be aware of what is
going on in their town. They need to stop the evil Mr Bill, but that
is difficult to do when you don't know where he is or what he is
exactly planning. The two friends work together, making the most of
the extra powers they have because they are half zombie to try and
save their town. In the end Ben finds his own inner strength and
realise he doesn't need his zombie powers to achieve what he set out
to do.
This book is written from Ben's perspective and is very well told,
it draws the reader in so that you want to know what is going to
happen next. It is written in a way that you think you know what
will happen next and then there is a twist and it is not quite what
you expected.
I recommend this book to 8+ year olds.
Karen Colliver
Magic Animal Rescue: Maggie and the flying horse by E.D Baker
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781408878286
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. One day Maggie finds a tiny injured flying
horse. Can she find help in time?
The characters in this story are Maggie, Zelia, Peter, Bob, Leonard
and all the magical creatures. The characters played a great role in
the story.
The plot is creative, engaging and very interesting.
The big idea in this book is helping a flying horse.
The settings of the story are the woods, meadow, cottage and Bob's
stable. I like all the pictures in the book as they help set the
scene and add an extra element to the story.
The style of text is imaginary and is a beginner's book.
I recommend this book for 5 to 8 year olds. I suggest reading this
book before you read the other book Magic Animal Rescue Maggie
and the wish fish.
Grace, Year 6
Magic Animal Rescue: Maggie and the wish fish by E.D Baker
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781408878293
(Age: 5-8) Recommended. One day Maggie speaks to a magical fish who
promises her a wish, will she let him go, can she trust a talking
fish?
The characters in this book are Maggie, Zelia, Peter, Bob, Nora,
Leonard, Stella, and all the magical creatures. The characters are
creative.
The plot is also very creative and engaging.
The big ideas in the story are the fish granting Maggi her wish.
The settings of this story are the woods, meadow, cottage, bob's
stable and the lake. I like how the pictures tell some of the story.
The style of text is imaginary and is a beginner's book.
I recommend this book for 5 to 8 year olds. If you liked this book I
reckon you should read Magic Animal Rescue: Maggie and the
flying horse.
Grace, Year 6
The thunderbolt pony by Stacy Gregg
HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780008257026
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. After a devastating earthquake hits
Evie's hometown of Parnassus on New Zealand's South Island, the
entire town and herself are forced to evacuate. During the initial
earthquake, Evie's mum is injured and one of the first to be rescued
by helicopter. Evie was meant to be on the ride with her mother, but
refuses to leave her beloved pony, Gus, her dog, Jock, and her cat
Moxy behind. She is determined to find another way before people
realise Evie did not go with her mother. Instead she flees with her
tribe of animals in a race against time across difficult terrain to
reach the port of Kaikoura. Locals are being evacuated to the port
where they will be transported to safety.
No one could have ever imagined the difficulties Evie would
encounter. With aftershocks constantly shaking, Evie will have to
overcome her OCD and draw on her bravery, strength, and resilience
to bring her and her animals to safety.
Having never been one to read a 'horsey' book I was absolutely
enthralled from start to finish. It is a fast-paced book about a
girl's determination to do anything to save her beloved animals -
even putting her own life at risk. An emotional journey sees Evie
refuse to give up even when faced with impossible odds.
Evie is 12 years old and suffers from OCD. This has a huge impact on
her life and her ability to cope with events. There are countless
themes that are portrayed in the book including resilience, bravery,
family, community spirit, death and determination. I think the
audience need to be at least 11 years old as the themes can be quite
strong and the readers need to have a degree of maturity to fully
understand them.
This book would be a hit with girls in particular, but not
necessarily just ones that enjoy a horse story. A must have for the
library collection.
Kathryn Schumacher
Curiosity: the story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum
Walker Studio, 2017. ISBN 9781406374681
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Mars. Spacecraft. NASA. Exploration.
STEM. This beautifully presented book gave me all the information I
needed to know about Curiosity, the Rover which landed on
Mars in 2012 to explore that planet's surface. The unadorned text
introduces the reader to the space program designed to find out more
about Mars, our closest planet, and tell us why this mission is being
carried out. In sepia tones throughout the book, the illustrations
reveal the intricacies of Curiosity's make-up, the cameras,
wheels, laboratory equipment, battery and communication technology.
The size of a small car, the machine has a lot of work to do once on
Mars, photographing and sending back images of the landscape, taking
up pieces of the surface with its arms and testing the material to
send back the results.
The expectation that this machine would uncover some of the
information that scientists want to know about Mars spurs them on.
Mars, the red planet is the closest in make-up to our planet Earth,
and so scientists hope to discover what it is made up of and why it
is now seemingly desolate. The launch of the rocket taking 'Curiosity'
to Mars is described in detail, showing the various parts of the
rocket as it takes off, leaving behind boosters so that the final
piece to get to Mars lands safely. The speeds at which it hurtles
through space are mind boggling, and then the slowness of the
machine as it traverses across Mars just as intriguing. Curiosity
must first take photos of itself to send back to earth so that
scientists can gauge whether it was damaged as it landed on Mars.
I found this an altogether intriguing and fascinating book: loved
the diagrams, the information about why we need to go to Mars, the
statistics, the maps of the planets, the people back on Earth, NASA.
A great introduction to the exploration of space and why it occurs
will delight and educate younger readers, as well as older ones.
Fran Knight
A dog with nice ears by Lauren Child
Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781408346136
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Dogs. Pets. Family. Lola wants a dog,
but her parents are adamant that she will not have one. This very
familiar scene, played out in many homes, is given an uproaringly
funny outing in this new book by Lauren Child, featuring her loved
characters, Charlie and Lola. Sometimes Lola pretends to be a dog,
lying in a basket on the floor, sometimes she pretends her big
brother is a dog and pats him while he is on the ground. She uses
the age old excuse of her best friend having a dog, but all to no
avail. Meanwhile the siblings discuss what sort of dog Lola wants
and what attributes a dog has that would make it so very welcome.
They talk about swishy tails, and barking and whether dogs need
glasses, sniffing dogs, wriggly dogs and dogs with fleas. Lola's dad
says he will take her to the pet shop on Saturday and she is
convinced that she is going to get a dog, and even has a name ready
for him.
All through the two discuss what a dog needs, what a dog does in the
family, how dogs behave and how people behave towards them, giving
information to the reader, as well as bringing up points of
discussion for a class or group or at home.
Child's zany illustrations follow the story, giving life to the two
and showing a range of dogs and their behaviour for the reader to
better understand the responsibilities involved in owning a dog or
pet. The background on many pages gives the idea of collage which
readers may like to emulate in their art classes, while the design
of each page offers a different look, inviting readers to take a
closer look at how the page is put together, and the differing fonts
used to emphasise what the pair are saying adds interest and variety
to the story. This will be eagerly sought after in the library.
Fran Knight
Even fairies fart by Jennifer Stinson
Ill. by Rebecca Ashdown. HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 9780062436238
(Age: 2-5) Even fairies fart by Jennifer Stinson is a
gorgeous picture book that will make children laugh out loud and
also assist in beginning conversations about making mistakes.
The book follows a fairly easy rhyme, which engages both the
listener and the reader. My 3 year old daughter particularly loved
this book and after only reading it to her twice she is able to
predict the ending rhyme and join in with 'reading'. The pictures
are whimsical and feature many characters from familiar nursery
rhymes such as princesses, giants and of course fairies.
I really liked how this picture book made small mistakes such as
dropping food, toileting accidents or getting cranky normal and that
no matter who you are (or what character you play in a story), you
do them too and that they are not something to worry about. Plus the
inclusion of the word 'fart' is generally a winner in my household!
This story would be great to use with children from 2.5 to 5 years
old as this is the often the age when they are striving for
independence, learning many new things but also making some mistakes
along the way. It could be incorporated into a nursery rhyme theme
to extend the characters and their place in literature.
An easy read that will appeal to all those young (and not so young)
children who think farts are funny!
Lauren Fountain
The ugly five by Julia Donaldson
Ill. by Axel Scheffler. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781407174198 The ugly five is a book about five of what are considered
Africa's least attractive animals - the wilderbeest, warthog,
spotted hyena, lappet-faced vulture and the marabou stork. Scattered
throughout the book are also a number of animals children will be
familiar with. Donaldson creates a touching storyline where the
group of savannah's 'ugly' creatures face rejection from their
fellow animals, yet realise that their own children think they are
the most wonderful animals and parents in the world.
The takeaway message of it does not matter what is on the outside,
the inside is what is important, will resonate with children and will
make a welcome addition to a social skills program. Discussions
could centre around what the students consider to be beautiful. Do
we all think the same things are beautiful?
Julia Donaldson has done it again and the accompanying illustrations
by Axel Scheffler will create plenty of discussion. Audiences will
be kept entertained with the memorable rhyming passages throughout
the book.
Kathryn Schumacher
