Nobrow, 2016. ISBN 9781910620137
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Picture book for older readers. Night
lights is a beautifully illustrated story, touching on how
fear can make us doubt ourselves. At night, Sandy's imagination
allows her to catch the lights that come into her room. She then
uses them and her imagination to draw amazing designs and images.
During the day, Sandy attends a strict school, determined to squash
independent thought and creativity. She meets a new student who
loves her drawings and at the same time an entity appears in her
dreams, trying to persuade Sandy to draw for it and only it; trying
to persuade Sandy she cannot draw without it. Sandy's drawings
change from amazing and detailed to scribble. What will she do to
get her confidence and her creativity back? Is this new student
really helping or is there something more sinister at work? Night lights is a picture book for older students and is
recommended for readers aged 12+. Even then, readers will need an
adult to sit with them and discuss the themes of fear and personal
insecurity. It would be a great book to read with students who need
help to build resilience, modelling how one person can take control
of their fear and use it to their benefit rather than being
controlled. While these themes seem heavy for a children's book,
Lorena Alvarez has used her amazing design and artistic skills to
approach a topic that can be tricky to discuss. See how Sandy
doesn't let fear control her. See how she controls it!
Kylie Kempster
The secret cooking club by Laurel Remington
Chicken House, 2016. ISBN 9781910655245
(Age: 9+) Recommended. The secret cooking club is a
delicious story, filled with family, food and friends.
Twelve-year-old Scarlett's life is a mess, her mother is a blogger
who writes about the ups-and-downs of family life. These blogs are
humiliating for Scarlett, as the whole school knows about her Disney
Princess knickers, her friendship dramas and her failure at learning
the violin. Mum is so engrossed in the notoriety of becoming a
famous blogger and gaining sponsors that she fails to parent her
daughters, and Scarlett is forced to look after young Kelsie.
One night as Scarlett is lying in bed she hears a noise in the empty
house next door and goes to investigate. Her elderly neighbour Mrs.
Simpson has been hospitalised and no one should be home. Scarlett
discovers a very hungry cat and the most amazing chef's kitchen
filled with appliances, bags of flour, jars of spices and all kinds
of sugars, a fridge filled with delicious ingredients, utensils and
a little magic recipe book. When Scarlett decides to bake cinnamon
scones, her life begins to transform. With the help of a new
classmate Violet, they cook up an amazing array of tasty treats each
afternoon. These are sneakily placed in the school cafeteria for the
other students to enjoy. The secret cooking club explores the problems a preteen
faces, first crushes, friendships, enemies, bullying, as well as the
responsibility of caring for the elderly. It is a light and
humourous story with a relatable protagonist and a family that
transforms over time. Laurel Remington won the Times Children's
Fiction Competition in 2015 with this book; recipes for all of
Scarlett's baking are needed!
Rhyllis Bignell
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Ill. by Marie Lu. The Illuminae Files bk. 2. Allen &
Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266573
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Science fiction. Futuristic space
travel. Mystery. Adventure. I was initially reluctant to read this
book for review because it contains some features that are not
normally high on my favourites list - science fiction based in
futuristic intergalactic scenarios and narrrative threads revealed
through 'Text Speak'. My nephew had recommended the first book in
the series, so I was prepared to persist and after overcoming my
initial reluctance, I was swept along in the unusual but compelling
story. The story is revealed through a variety of documents, text
records, journal entries, briefing notes, and transcripts from video
feeds that have been presented in a hearing to uncover truths
surrounding a major event occurring on board a space station from
the 26th century. We are introduced to several young teens who play
pivotal roles in overcoming an elite Strike Team who are duty-bound
to wipe them out of existence. The threat of being sucked into space
wormholes, losing contact with external rescue options, being
attacked by creatures beyond description (that are farmed to produce
hallucinogenic drugs), using multifaceted communications systems,
and being highly trained in physical combat strategies all are woven
together in an action-filled mystery drama. The intricacies of the
25th century world do make this a book to recommend to able readers
who can handle the complexities of concepts that astrophysicists
might understand (but if like me physics was not your favourite
subject, then you can also read this in the same way that you might
read fantasy, where the outlandish worlds require leaps of faith).
Interlaced amongst the science fiction drama is also a teen drama,
with romance and relationship intricacies as a side issue, and the
voice of the teens is humourous and spirited and their behaviour is
feisty and they display amazing intelligence as well as combat
skills. I imagine that this book will reach cult appreciation status
among young teen readers. It is extremely cleverly written, and with
visual and artistic renderings of some of the information, it is a
multilayered narrative that is innovative and fresh. And even for a
resistant reader, it was captivating!
Note: the book has all coarse language 'blacked out' - literally.
This does not mean that you cannot determine what the missing words
might be, but the reader is saved the offence of the words leaping
off the page and attacking sensibilities. [There are still some
aspects which could offend - e.g. an earworm virus that plays an
offensive 'pop song' repeatedly on the space station is very
suggestive, not unlike some popular songs in the 21st century!
Carolyn Hull
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
David Fickling Books, 2015. ISBN 9781910989203
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Dystopian fiction, Future, Mythology,
Survival. Crippled Nessa must make more effort than most if she is
to survive the school and learn to beat The Call. It will happen as
it does to all of them, only one in ten surviving the appalling
treatment at the hands of the Sidhe, the ancient Irish, forced out
of their own country by the people there now. Once taken, the
children must undergo the most horrific of torture as they are
hounded by the fairies, most until death. At school, they are
trained to survive what is to come, partly by reading the stories of
the few survivors, but also trained in a variety of skills pertinent
to their testing. Nessa arrives at training school with just three
books: a History of the Sidhe, a, compilation of last year's
testimonies from those who were taken and a book of love poetry.
But at school she must also repulse the devious behaviour of a group
of bullies, led by Conor. The story unfolds quickly pulling the
reader into its murky depths. Conor's group sees themselves as
champions of a new order where only the fittest survive, food denied
to those weak and disabled in the hope that the stronger will be
able to defeat the Sidhe and Conor targets Nessa as one of those to
be eliminated.
Alternate chapters give accounts of the fantastic world of the Sidhe
and the reader is swept along with the teens' efforts to survive the
ordeal. The horror they endure at the hands of the Sidhe are mind
boggling and these chapters are thankfully short.
But when a Sidhe is found in a rock near the school, the mound
attracts Nessa and her friends, and here many are taken even fewer
returning.
The Sidhe have made promises to some of the Irish in return for
their betrayal and Conor promises much in return for being king as
long as he can kill Nessa himself. The school burns down just as
Nessa is called.
This wholly absorbing thriller has elements of a dystopian future,
intertwined with the myths of Ancient Ireland. Now relegated to the
Grey Lands, the Sidhe determines to wipe out the Irish so they can
reclaim what they once had. But they have not taken Nessa into
account. Themes of survival, heroism, betrayal and love packed
between the covers of this wonderful fantasy thriller will satisfy
all readers.
Fran Knight
Nathalia Buttface and the embarrassing camp catastrophe by Nigel Smith
Ill. by Sarah Horne. Nathalia Buttface series bk. 5.
HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008167127
(Age: 9-11) Recommended. Nathalia Bumole (Bew-mow-lay) or Nat
Buttface to her fans is ready for a new 'cringe-tastic' adventure,
an eco-camp experience with her 8H classmates. At Assembly the Head
announces that snotty, grotty Darius Bagley's satirical essay has
won a special prize, and Nat is very indignant because she was the
real author. While Darius was completing all of her maths tests, she
had written all of his essays. The prize is a week stay at a 'super
damp, super bug-ridden, super grotty' back to nature camp.
Unfortunately, another class is joining Nat's group; students from
posh Saint Scrofula's College are also attending.
To make matters even worse, Nat's disaster-prone Dad comes along as
a parent helper. He has finally applied for a proper job, teaching
survival skills to juvenile delinquents and needs to pass his
Approved for Kids certificate.
Of course, the fun and misadventures starts on arrival, their
sleeping accommodation is in disgusting mouldy goatskin yurts while
essay winner Darius has a luxury chalet. Poor Nat - Dad is up to
usual embarrassing ways, dreadful jokes, ukulele playing, his green
man of the woods outfit, pearls of wisdom and unhelpful suggestions.
Her camp experiences are just disastrous, her sleeping bag becomes
stuck to a giant weather balloon and she flies off only to land in a
tree. She did not set out to destroy Saint Scrofula's geography
project.
Sarah Horne's humorous ink sketches show Nat at her worst, stuck
inside the model volcano as it explodes and one of the funniest
episodes, horseback riding backwards on a large grumpy pony.
Author Nigel Smith's Nathalia Buttface series delivers a
quirky cast of characters, a ton of humourous situations, plenty of
embarrassing daily dramas and a surprise conclusion; this is a fun
novel to share with a middle primary class.
Rhyllis Bignell
Doug the pug - king of the internet by Leslie Mosier
Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN 9780752266039
(Age: 0+) You don't see many A5 coffee table books, but then pugs
are small dogs. Predictably, Doug the pop culture icon, is
anthropomorphized by being photographed in a variety of costumes.
A body of research exists which attempts to explain the cute animal
or child effect. One study found that viewing cute photos improved
concentration in addition to inducing warm and fuzzy feelings. Brain
imaging proves that our brains release dopamine when viewing such
images. But why pugs? The emotionally needy pug epitomizes Conrad
Lorenz's 'baby schema' (infantile features) with their small noses,
chubby faces, large eyes and fleshy bodies. It doesn't take a degree
in consumer psychology to realize that Doug and myriads of cute
animals and babies are amongst the most shared images on social
media.
For centuries, frivolous pugs have been a costly and popular fashion
statement raising the status of the owner. Undoubtedly, more than
one 20th Century fluency can be demonstrated by the Doug the Pug
phenomenon, but Doug is probably best viewed and discussed in his
natural habitat online rather than on paper.
Deborah Robins
Blink and you die by Lauren Child
Ruby Redfort series bk. 6. Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN
9780007334285
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Blink and you die is the final
amazing book in Lauren Child's Ruby Redfort's crime-fighting spy
series. With ruthless enemies, near impossible situations to
overcome, ruthless archenemies, surprising revelations, double
crossing dramas and of course, tricky codes and ciphers this is a
fabulous finale for Ruby.
Thirteen-year-old Ruby carefully records the minutiae of her life,
daily discoveries, encounters with evil fiends, school dramas,
everything she encounters in notebooks hidden in her bedroom. She
lives by her own set of rules recorded in a special rule book, wears
t-shirts with slogans and is a truly independent teenager. On her
return from a safe month away at a Gifted Camp for mathematical
geniuses, Ruby quickly becomes embroiled in a tense set of
circumstances assisted by Mrs. Digby the housekeeper, Hitch and her
best friend Clancy.
The tapestry of threads is tightly woven; there is a mission to find
rare mushrooms, poisonous snakes, underwater dangers, UFOs, truly
evil villains and an escape from being buried alive. Luckily, Ruby's
parents are on holiday in France, and this allows this feisty
teenager free reign to visit bookshops, travel by bus to nearby
towns and wake up at 4 a.m. to continue training as a Spectrum
agent. Her hyper-speed booster book assists her in staying ahead of
dangerous situations. Ruby balances her life, she meets her friends
at cafes, attends school, keeps up with her maths homework and
watches horror movies on Channel 44.
Lauren Child's characters are well-rounded, and even the villains
have depth to their personalities. This is a fast-paced narrative
that switches from past to present and provides back-stories that
underpin the current fight of good and evil. This is a wonderful
conclusion to an extremely popular series.
Rhyllis Bignell
Fancy Nancy: Saturday Night Sleepover by Jane O'Connor
Ill. by Robin Preiss Glasser. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN
9780007560912
Fancy Nancy's mum has won a weekend at a resort , and sadly for
Nancy, children are not included. So she and little sister JoJo are
going to have a sleepover at Mrs DeVine's. Even though both girls
love Mrs DeVine, this is Jo Jo's first sleepover and she is a little
nervous. Being a good big sister, Nancy is determined to help JoJo
overcome her nerves and help her through this experience, rehearsing
it, making her a survival kit and showing her the photo album of the
sleepover she had recently. Mrs DeVine is also an expert at
sleepovers and has much fun planned and in the end, it isn't JoJo
who has trouble going to sleep.
This is a series that will appeal to younger readers, particularly
those who are big sisters. Lavishly illustrated including a
sparkling, glittery cover, it has all the things that little girls
love as they take early steps into reading series and learning to
carry characters through a number of stories. She has her own website
and even her own YouTube channel
where all the stories are read.
Barbara Braxton
The crayons' book of numbers by Drew Daywalt
Ill. by Oliver Jeffers. HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008212865
In 2013 Daywalt and Jeffers introduced us to a most unlikely set of
heroes, or at least a set that they probably didn't realise would
become so popular they would become a series. But that is what has
happened to Duncan's seemingly innocuous packet of crayons. From the
day they refused to be stereotyped any longer in The Day the
Crayons Quit to their second adventure when they came home
even crankier than ever in The Day the
Crayons Came Home their stories and individuality have
delighted young readers. Now they are the stars of a number of board
books for the very youngest readers beginning with getting
them to count them as they find them. Typically though, each crayon
does not come quietly - there's a comment from each one of them as
they are discovered.
This is a lovely book for a parent-child exploration helping the
littlest one learn numbers and colours at the same time and just
delight in the joy of these clever, quirky characters. Why can't
dinosaurs be pink? Why are red and blue so tired and worn out? What
else could green do apart from colour in crocodiles? Lots to chat
about and speculate on.
Barbara Braxton
Star Wars Galactic Atlas by Tim McDonagh
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN 9781405279987
While Star Wars: The Original Trilogy: A Graphic Novel told
the story of the original three Star Wars movies, this magnificent
tome is for the aficionado who want to know more and understand
more.
In full colour and measuring 37cm x 27cm, huge double-page spreads
cover everything from Endor and Naboo to Tatooine and Yavin 4, at
the same time spanning the epic stories, the strange creatures and
the glorious vistas of the galaxy of long ago and far, far away. It
contains everything a fan wants to know about the worlds and
creatures of the Star Wars universe. Facts about planets and
characters are woven into complex, brand-new illustrations that will
keep them busy for hours.
Your Star Wars fans will love this. There is a trailer.
Barbara Braxton
Star Wars: The original trilogy: A graphic novel
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN 9781760128180
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away - well it was actually 1977
and the world was very different then - George Lucas released the
first of his Star Wars movies and such was its impact that
almost 40 years on those who saw it then are still fans and every
day it gathers a new cohort, young and not-so-young. Such was the
success of the original, plans for more were made and in 1980 it was
followed by The Empire Strikes Back and in 1983, The
Return of the Jedi.
Since then there have been prequels and sequels and a massive
merchandising franchise that it holds the Guinness World Records
title for the "most successful film merchandising franchise. With
the 40th anniversary clearly in sight this is only going to grow and
so the release of a graphic novel - the preferred book format of so
many - is sure to build a whole new legion of fans.
Containing the three original films, now dubbed Episodes IV, V and
VI this release will appeal to those who are already devotees (so
many of my family and friends have asked for the review copies) as
well as gather new ones. For those in school libraries it will add
another dimension to your Star Wars collections of both
fiction and fact which never seem to stay on the shelf and always
have a long reserve list, in my experience. Now the core of the
phenomenon is accessible to even the most reluctant reader or new
English speaker in print format and that alone, makes it a
must-have.
Barbara Braxton
Starchaser by Angie Sage
The magykal world of TodHunter Moon series, bk. 3.
Bloomsbury, 2016. ISBN 9781408882009
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Angie Sage concludes her fantasy adventure
series in Starchaser, with a huge cast of characters,
multiple story threads and chapters focussed on different places,
mysterious happenings and people in the Ancient Ways. She has
created an intense 'magykal' world, with its unique language,
detailed settings, spells and potions and a strong young female
protagonist. The fight of good over evil continues with malevolent
villains pitted against the family and friends of Alice TodHunter
Moon.
When Septimus Heap's brother Simon's lapis lazuli eye begins to
crumble, this is a sign that change is coming to the kingdom.
Magician Septimus Heap, Tod, Ferdie, and Oskar had previously
returned to The Castle with the Orm, a dragon-like creature that
creates the lapis that powers the Magyk. However, Oraton-Marr the
sorcerer steals the Orm egg keystone to the Heart of Ways and
hatches it, with devastating consequences. Tod and her friends are
sent on a dangerous quest to find another ormlet egg, pitting their
skills against the evil Red Queen who also wants to take over their
castle. The witch Marissa and even Aunt Mitza are wicked adversaries
with malicious intentions to stop Tod's mission.
Sage's narrative is filled with delicious descriptions of food and
feasts, village life, treacherous blizzards, wild parties and
last-minute escapes. There is a sense of crowdedness at times, with
the large cast of characters all needing to be heard. The
protagonist Tod shows strength of character - she is determined,
resilient, courageous, true, and loyal to her family. Starchaser
is definitely an engaging read, The magykal world of TodHunter
Moon series ends here, leaving fans wanting more.
Rhyllis Bignell
The day the mustache took over by Alan Katz
Ill. by Kris Easler. Bloomsbury, 2015. ISBN 9781681191485
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Humour. Childminding. Nathan and
David are twins. Terrible twins! So terrible that they have made
life impossible for hundreds of Nannies over the years. Their
constant bickering and competitiveness, plus their messy behaviour
and lack of attention to school work and other common courtesies,
mean they are very difficult to deal with until their parents find
Martin Healey Discount - a moustachioed Male Nanny (Manny), of
dubious background and the last on the list of possible
replacements. Within a very short space of time the boys are
transformed, but bizarrely the boys become responsible despite the
irresponsible behaviour of the Nanny.
This is a warped 'Mary Poppins' story, with warped characters, and
lots of doubtful humour that might entertain a young reader. It is
not great literature, but it is just a simply silly tale, with
ridiculous mo-ments (Mustache joke!!) No great cerebral work is
required to understand the nonsense, but the comical moments are
just ridiculous rather than cleverly amusing. Consequently it will
still appeal to young readers who like an occasional chuckle as they
read.
Carolyn Hull
Illuminature by Rachel Williams
Ill. by Carnovsky. Wide-Eyed, 2016. ISBN 9781847808868
"Nature never stops. With every tick of the clock, an animal
wakes up and
goes in search of food. The sky might be dark when the creature
first stirs;
night-time is ruled by the nocturnal animals. During the light
of day
diurnal animals like to hunt. And as the world welcomes dawn,
or bids
farewell to the day at dusk, crepuscular creatures appear."
And in this most amazing book the reader gets to discover what's out
and
about at the various times of the planet's rotation. Firstly
you select a
destination from amongst ten different habitats which include such
diversity
as the Simpson Desert, the Weddell and Ross Seas of Antarctica, the
rainforest of the Congo, the Andes Mountains, even the Ganges River
basin.
From the observation deck what appears to be a jumble of colour
slowly
exposes itself as the outlines of a number of creatures, but when
you then
use the special multi-coloured lens which is supplied, and peer
through the
different colours a whole new world emerges! The red lens exposes
the
daytime creatures, the blue lens those who prefer a darker
environment while
the green lens illuminates the plant life of the region. Then
to make the
experience even better, there is a double-page spread that
identifies each
creature with some brief information about it. There are 180
different
creatures to discover throughout the book, 18 for each region!
This is not a ready reference book packed full of information about
the
world's habitats and their inhabitants. There are countless other
resources
that do that. This is an introduction to the boundless wonders
of nature,
its diversity and difference that reveals itself with the passage of
time
and which will leave the reader with a feeling of awe and perhaps a
greater
awareness of just what might be living in or dependent on the
environment as
they go stomping through it. It truly does illuminate Nature.
Have a sneak
peek at what's on offer.
Barbara Braxton
The bike ride by Jan Ormerod
Ill. by Freya Blackwood. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2016. ISBN
9781760128982
Bear's world revolves around Maudie, and so does Maudie's. Bear is
the hero
that every little person needs in their life. The one that
does everything
for them, no matter how trying they are; the one that is the
guardian angel
on their shoulder; the one that loves them unconditionally no matter
what.
So when Maudie says she needs some exercise, in particular a bike
ride, Bear
is there ready to help out. He gets the bike while Maudie
gets... her
sunglasses, then their hats, then her scarf, sunscreen, bug
spray. All the
while Bear waits patiently until at last they are ready to go. But
just who
gets the exercise?
This is a gentle, quirky story from the late Jan Ormerod,
re-released in
board book format so it is perfect for the little hands of its
intended
audience. As usual, Freya Blackwoods's gentle pictures in
their soft
palette bring the words to life in a way that just wraps the reader
up in
all the love that Bear has for Maudie.
Barbara Braxton
